This summer I had 2 goals. The first was to get my shoulder better enough to paddle again. The second was to paddle with my mixed team again in competition.
After six long months of physio, acupuncture and osteopathy, as well as three months of paddling to get back to competition level, I managed to finish off the season meeting both those goals.
At the Montreal Festival in July I paddled with a women's team and that was good. The intensity wasn't quite as, well, intense. I raced only once each day with the women and didn't have any pain. My shoulder was stable!
August and September meant long months of paddling practice with my mixed team and there were a few sessions that did hurt. But I took care of my shoulder right away. I kept on with my exercises, strengthening and stretching, strengthening and stretching and finally it came time for our last competition of the season, Quebec Cup and I was allowed to race with the team. Not every race because I do understand we all wanted the best result possible. But that's OK. The races that I did do with the team were races that we won!
I was so happy to end the season on a high note; with a podium finish, surrounded by my team mates and a medal (bronze is beautiful) around my neck.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Cruise?
How does a 4-day cruise in the Bahamas sound? Sounds like fun to me. Bit on the expensive side once you include flights, etc. But you know what? I'm worth it!
To be continued ...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Update: 8:57pm
I'm going on a cruise! Now that I've gone and booked it, have a departure date, time, etc. it feels real and exciting.
Glad I'm doing this.
To be continued ...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Update: 8:57pm
I'm going on a cruise! Now that I've gone and booked it, have a departure date, time, etc. it feels real and exciting.
Glad I'm doing this.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Definitely not
At last, this morning there was an email from the school I applied to and unfortunately there is no place for me next term but I'm welcome to apply again later.
What next?
What next?
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Guess not
September 1. I've been waiting all summer to make a big announcement and now it's September and I still have no news so no big announcement.
I had hoped to be able to tell you, my small little audience, that I would spending a few months in India next winter. At first I thought I would know by June, then I was told to be patient until August, and now August is officially over and done with. September is here and I have officially given up hope that I'll be anywhere other than this bitterly cold country next winter.
Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe I'll go some other time. That will be great when I do. But right now I'm kinda bummed out. *Sigh*
I had hoped to be able to tell you, my small little audience, that I would spending a few months in India next winter. At first I thought I would know by June, then I was told to be patient until August, and now August is officially over and done with. September is here and I have officially given up hope that I'll be anywhere other than this bitterly cold country next winter.
Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe I'll go some other time. That will be great when I do. But right now I'm kinda bummed out. *Sigh*
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Vitreous Floater
At my annual eye exam yesterday I discovered that the pinpoint shadow in my left eye doesn't mean I'm going blind (phew!) just that I have a vitreous floater.
The doctor explained that in the eye there's this gel and sometimes it detaches from the retina. When it does this, you get a "floater." As long as it's not pulling on the retina it's not a big deal (it's not). If however, it changes (gets bigger, becomes a cobweb) or I wake up one morning with a whole bunch, or I suddenly see flashing light or a curtain type shadow, then I am to get myself to the Vic immediately, as they have an eye specialist on call there, who would be able to do urgent laser surgery or something gross. But only if it changes. For now everything is fine with my eyes.
It doesn't hurt, it's more of a nuisance than anything else, particularly when I'm reading. I'm glad it's not a big deal, just something to watch.
The doctor explained that in the eye there's this gel and sometimes it detaches from the retina. When it does this, you get a "floater." As long as it's not pulling on the retina it's not a big deal (it's not). If however, it changes (gets bigger, becomes a cobweb) or I wake up one morning with a whole bunch, or I suddenly see flashing light or a curtain type shadow, then I am to get myself to the Vic immediately, as they have an eye specialist on call there, who would be able to do urgent laser surgery or something gross. But only if it changes. For now everything is fine with my eyes.
It doesn't hurt, it's more of a nuisance than anything else, particularly when I'm reading. I'm glad it's not a big deal, just something to watch.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Jean Paul Gaultier
Last Thursday night I visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition.
If you're in any way interested in fashion, this is an extraordinary exhibit. All but about 3 outfits on display were close enough that you could see the feathers move when you breathed on them, you could see the fabrics move as they glided around the automated catwalk. Unless you're rich/famous enough to go to an haute couturier for your clothing or you're a top runway model, you will never be this close to these kinds of works of art - not even if your attending a fashion show in the front row.
To hear Jean Paul Gaultier's history and learn how he got into fashion was interesting. But to see clothing from, I believe, all of his collections was such a treat! I took the guided tour (free with admission!) and it was worth the time. The museum guide had obviously done a lot of research on the subject and was able to provide a few funny anecdotes. The tour took about an hour and then I went back through the exhibit and spent another entire hour just losing myself in each piece. Granted, they weren't all to my taste but honestly, there were some clothes there that I would give a limb for. So beautiful, so elegant, just soooo wonderful.
At the end of the guided tour, one of the little old ladies in our group mentioned to the guide (and rest of the group) that she'd actually met Jean Paul Gaultier, nearly 30 years ago, just as he was starting at one of the French designers atelier. She remembered that he (JPG) had a great sense of humour and was one of these people that are really passionate about every aspect of fashion and clothes design, even back then when he was just starting.
Admission to the museum is $15, and considering I spent 2 hours there, I'd say it was well worth the money. Definitely better than going to see a movie.
If you're in any way interested in fashion, this is an extraordinary exhibit. All but about 3 outfits on display were close enough that you could see the feathers move when you breathed on them, you could see the fabrics move as they glided around the automated catwalk. Unless you're rich/famous enough to go to an haute couturier for your clothing or you're a top runway model, you will never be this close to these kinds of works of art - not even if your attending a fashion show in the front row.
To hear Jean Paul Gaultier's history and learn how he got into fashion was interesting. But to see clothing from, I believe, all of his collections was such a treat! I took the guided tour (free with admission!) and it was worth the time. The museum guide had obviously done a lot of research on the subject and was able to provide a few funny anecdotes. The tour took about an hour and then I went back through the exhibit and spent another entire hour just losing myself in each piece. Granted, they weren't all to my taste but honestly, there were some clothes there that I would give a limb for. So beautiful, so elegant, just soooo wonderful.
At the end of the guided tour, one of the little old ladies in our group mentioned to the guide (and rest of the group) that she'd actually met Jean Paul Gaultier, nearly 30 years ago, just as he was starting at one of the French designers atelier. She remembered that he (JPG) had a great sense of humour and was one of these people that are really passionate about every aspect of fashion and clothes design, even back then when he was just starting.
Admission to the museum is $15, and considering I spent 2 hours there, I'd say it was well worth the money. Definitely better than going to see a movie.
Updates from Bill & Gigi
My Dad is able to post updates on his blog himself this time around, so check out Will Bill In India for their news.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Safe & Sound
My parents sent an email telling us that they've arrived in India:
"We left Montreal at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and arrived at school at 7:45 a.m Friday morning. We haven't been to bed since we got up Wednesday morning.
The flights were good and long! The taxi ride was almost 7 hours from Bangalore to school. We had a nap and are getting adjusted.
We saw deer, elephants, peacocks, bison, and a wild boar as we drove through the game reserve."
So, safe and sound. Phew!
"We left Montreal at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and arrived at school at 7:45 a.m Friday morning. We haven't been to bed since we got up Wednesday morning.
The flights were good and long! The taxi ride was almost 7 hours from Bangalore to school. We had a nap and are getting adjusted.
We saw deer, elephants, peacocks, bison, and a wild boar as we drove through the game reserve."
So, safe and sound. Phew!
Monday, August 01, 2011
See you later ... much later!
In a strange twist of fate, my parents this time are the ones saying goodbye and see you later. They'll be leaving this week to spend 5 months in India. (Lucky so-and-so's ...)
They're going to the same school my Dad volunteered at four years ago. My Dad had such a good experience that he wanted to do it again, and there was no way my Mom was going to let him go alone. Well, they're off!
Last night we managed to squeeze in a little goodbye dinner with the whole family. Here's a picture. Nick, Sue & the kids were on their way back from their vacation in PEI, so we were able to have an extended family dinner, with Sue's parents (Hi Barry & Renée) joining us too.
I'm excited for my parents and can't wait to hear, read and see all about their adventure - together this time. (Hint - Mom & Dad: take more pictures than you think necessary.)
Have fun! We'll miss you!
They're going to the same school my Dad volunteered at four years ago. My Dad had such a good experience that he wanted to do it again, and there was no way my Mom was going to let him go alone. Well, they're off!
Last night we managed to squeeze in a little goodbye dinner with the whole family. Here's a picture. Nick, Sue & the kids were on their way back from their vacation in PEI, so we were able to have an extended family dinner, with Sue's parents (Hi Barry & Renée) joining us too.
I'm excited for my parents and can't wait to hear, read and see all about their adventure - together this time. (Hint - Mom & Dad: take more pictures than you think necessary.)
Have fun! We'll miss you!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
SOS Richelieu
For those of you living outside of Quebec, you may not be aware of some flooding that happened this spring in the region of St-Jean sur Richelieu. St-Jean is only about 30 minutes from Montreal. This spring there was heavy rain in the region and flooding resulted. Here's a link to a news article about it. And here are some pictures I found online of the flooding. This all happened about 6 weeks ago.
Yesterday I went with a small group of about 20 people from work, as well as several other groups of volunteers from other companies, and we spent the day in this community to help the victims of this flooding get a little order back in their lives.
After my trips to Panama (2005, 2007) and Belize (2009) I remember feeling that it didn't really matter what we did to help, what was more important to these people was that we took the time to be there. The work we did yesterday was no exception. Yes, we did work. We emptied some cabanas of furniture, cleared debris from grass, moved rotted wood and things to the side of the road and hauled what seemed like a million bags of sand curbside for pick-up. I found out what sludge really is. It's smelly. It's slimy. It's gross.
This was, I believe, the third weekend where volunteers came from Montreal (or wherever) to help out the people of St-Jean sur Richelieu. The last couple of weekends were so successful that this weekend they only needed volunteers for Saturday, and actually had to cancel the work plans for the Sunday (today) because there just wasn't enough outside work. Apparently the volunteers have been working hard. Good to hear!
At the end of the day, my work colleagues and I were sitting down to a BBQ when the woman who we'd helped out that morning came to say a few words of thanks. She has a little restaurant on the edge of the river, with a pool, lawn, beach volleyball court, all set right at the end of the road, in a really lovely, quiet and probably normally a beautiful location. Six weeks after the flooding, the river is still 4 feet above it's usual level, her restaurant has basically been gutted from hip level down. Anyway, she came to thank us. She said that we'd probably put her ahead by about 10 days to 2 weeks. She has kids and knows how busy they are, so realised how busy our own lives were and was so thankful that we'd actually taken the time to come and help a complete stranger. We didn't know her, her business, the area, nothing. And that's when I remembered Panama and Belize. Every time we did anything, either at Hogar Dr. Eno, the Seniors Home, at the school and now, here in St-Jean sur Richelieu people really are thankful and happy that you're there.
So here's a challenge I issue to anybody who has never done any kind of volunteering before. You can do it. Do not be intimidated by what you can't do. If you can serve a bowl of soup, you can volunteer. If you can give somebody a blanket, you can volunteer. If you can drag a rake, hold a paintbrush, lift a sandbag, talk to somebody, etc., you CAN volunteer. Now go and do it. Fill up your pot of good karma, or reserve your place in heaven - whatever religion you believe or don't believe, you'll see that giving back for an hour or a day or a week will make you feel good in a new way and it will change you forever. I promise.
Yesterday I went with a small group of about 20 people from work, as well as several other groups of volunteers from other companies, and we spent the day in this community to help the victims of this flooding get a little order back in their lives.
After my trips to Panama (2005, 2007) and Belize (2009) I remember feeling that it didn't really matter what we did to help, what was more important to these people was that we took the time to be there. The work we did yesterday was no exception. Yes, we did work. We emptied some cabanas of furniture, cleared debris from grass, moved rotted wood and things to the side of the road and hauled what seemed like a million bags of sand curbside for pick-up. I found out what sludge really is. It's smelly. It's slimy. It's gross.
This was, I believe, the third weekend where volunteers came from Montreal (or wherever) to help out the people of St-Jean sur Richelieu. The last couple of weekends were so successful that this weekend they only needed volunteers for Saturday, and actually had to cancel the work plans for the Sunday (today) because there just wasn't enough outside work. Apparently the volunteers have been working hard. Good to hear!
At the end of the day, my work colleagues and I were sitting down to a BBQ when the woman who we'd helped out that morning came to say a few words of thanks. She has a little restaurant on the edge of the river, with a pool, lawn, beach volleyball court, all set right at the end of the road, in a really lovely, quiet and probably normally a beautiful location. Six weeks after the flooding, the river is still 4 feet above it's usual level, her restaurant has basically been gutted from hip level down. Anyway, she came to thank us. She said that we'd probably put her ahead by about 10 days to 2 weeks. She has kids and knows how busy they are, so realised how busy our own lives were and was so thankful that we'd actually taken the time to come and help a complete stranger. We didn't know her, her business, the area, nothing. And that's when I remembered Panama and Belize. Every time we did anything, either at Hogar Dr. Eno, the Seniors Home, at the school and now, here in St-Jean sur Richelieu people really are thankful and happy that you're there.
So here's a challenge I issue to anybody who has never done any kind of volunteering before. You can do it. Do not be intimidated by what you can't do. If you can serve a bowl of soup, you can volunteer. If you can give somebody a blanket, you can volunteer. If you can drag a rake, hold a paintbrush, lift a sandbag, talk to somebody, etc., you CAN volunteer. Now go and do it. Fill up your pot of good karma, or reserve your place in heaven - whatever religion you believe or don't believe, you'll see that giving back for an hour or a day or a week will make you feel good in a new way and it will change you forever. I promise.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Scratch that
Just finished reading Into Thin Air and have pretty much decided to scratch "Everest Base Camp" off my Life List.
Many reasons, some probably a little silly but in all honesty, I just don't think it's really for me. I'm quite sure I can think of something else extraordinary to do or someplace wonderful to explore or ... whatever.
Base Camp not for me. End of story.
Many reasons, some probably a little silly but in all honesty, I just don't think it's really for me. I'm quite sure I can think of something else extraordinary to do or someplace wonderful to explore or ... whatever.
Base Camp not for me. End of story.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Tough Read
As you can see from the sidebar on the right, I'm currently I just finished reading The Postmistress. This is a harder read than I was expecting. Not hard because it's not interesting but rather because the story centers around World War II and what a woman reporter sees and experiences as she journey's through Europe by train in 1941.
As much as I want to keep reading to find out what happens next, I have to put the book down often because what happens, as we all know, is not good. The lump at the back of my throat gets bigger and heavier every time I pick up the book.
Still, you should read it. And keep some kleenex near by (not saying that to be funny, just be prepared.)
As much as I want to keep reading to find out what happens next, I have to put the book down often because what happens, as we all know, is not good. The lump at the back of my throat gets bigger and heavier every time I pick up the book.
Still, you should read it. And keep some kleenex near by (not saying that to be funny, just be prepared.)
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Better not to think?
It seems to me that sometimes it's better not to think. I'm not talking about big issue stuff, I'm talking about keeping track of my schedule and all the things that are going on.
Example:
Monday: wake up 5:15am, shower and get ready for work, catch bus at 6:15am, 7am osteopath appointment, 8:30am - 12:00pm work, 12:00-2:00pm meeting, 2:00 - 6:15pm work, 6:15 - 6:45pm travel to Olympic Basin, 7:00-8:00pm dragon boat training, 8:00 - 9:00pm travel home, 9:00-9:10pm vote, 9:10-10:00pm eat dinner, make tomorrow's lunch, decide on clothes for work, 10:00pm - 10:30pm read a little and lights out.
Tuesday: wake up 4:45am, shower and get ready for work, catch bus at 5:35am, 6am arrive at work, do quick check of emails and voicemail, 6:15 - 8:45am hostess at work breakfast event,8:45am - 12:00pm work, 12:00-2:00pm meeting, 2:00 - 5:00pm work, 5:00pm pick up dry cleaning, 5:45 - 7:00pm hair cut, 7:00 - 8:00pm travel home, 8:00pm eat dinner, make tomorrow's lunch, decide on clothes for work, sometime after that, probably before 10:00pm - drop into bed.
Wednesday ... well, I think you get the idea. Imagine if I had kids to take care of? Imagine if I had more than a 30 minute commute? So I suppose I'm lucky that I only have trouble taking care of myself sometimes. At any rate, I'm going to try and not think about all the stuff I have to do, appointments I need to keep, etc. because really, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Example:
Monday: wake up 5:15am, shower and get ready for work, catch bus at 6:15am, 7am osteopath appointment, 8:30am - 12:00pm work, 12:00-2:00pm meeting, 2:00 - 6:15pm work, 6:15 - 6:45pm travel to Olympic Basin, 7:00-8:00pm dragon boat training, 8:00 - 9:00pm travel home, 9:00-9:10pm vote, 9:10-10:00pm eat dinner, make tomorrow's lunch, decide on clothes for work, 10:00pm - 10:30pm read a little and lights out.
Tuesday: wake up 4:45am, shower and get ready for work, catch bus at 5:35am, 6am arrive at work, do quick check of emails and voicemail, 6:15 - 8:45am hostess at work breakfast event,8:45am - 12:00pm work, 12:00-2:00pm meeting, 2:00 - 5:00pm work, 5:00pm pick up dry cleaning, 5:45 - 7:00pm hair cut, 7:00 - 8:00pm travel home, 8:00pm eat dinner, make tomorrow's lunch, decide on clothes for work, sometime after that, probably before 10:00pm - drop into bed.
Wednesday ... well, I think you get the idea. Imagine if I had kids to take care of? Imagine if I had more than a 30 minute commute? So I suppose I'm lucky that I only have trouble taking care of myself sometimes. At any rate, I'm going to try and not think about all the stuff I have to do, appointments I need to keep, etc. because really, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
#81
#81 on my 100 Things to Do Before I Go was Learn to drive stick shift. Well, thanks to my youngest brother, now I can check that off my list. I understand the basic concepts and can: start the car, get into first gear, change gears and reverse. Not smoothly. Not well. And not without stalling. A lot. But I can!
Obviously I will have to practice (and buy Marc a neck brace ...) before I can feel comfortable and at ease driving for real, not just in a parking lot, but that'll come.
Thanks, Marc!
Obviously I will have to practice (and buy Marc a neck brace ...) before I can feel comfortable and at ease driving for real, not just in a parking lot, but that'll come.
Thanks, Marc!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
India 2012?
February 2012 still feels a long way off right now but it's coming. This morning I emailed my application to the school in India where I hope to volunteer next winter.
If things go according to plan, I will be spending February - May 2012 as an international guest at a school up in the Tamil Nadu hills of India (south west region).
If things don't go according to plan then maybe Plan B will come into place.
Now I wait to find out if I'm accepted. Hope to know by June. Fingers crossed.
If things go according to plan, I will be spending February - May 2012 as an international guest at a school up in the Tamil Nadu hills of India (south west region).
If things don't go according to plan then maybe Plan B will come into place.
Now I wait to find out if I'm accepted. Hope to know by June. Fingers crossed.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
MRI
Still with the shoulder, I know. Boring, isn't it?
Let's see, where was I? From September to December I maxed out my insurance with physio, athletic therapy, acupuncture and osteopathy, all in the hope that my shoulder would get better. It didn't. At the beginning of December I finally saw the "specialist." This specialist spent maybe 10 minutes with me and promptly gave me a cortisone shot. This was supposed to help with the inflammation in my shoulder for "7-10 days." He told me to come back for a follow-up if I still had pain. Naturally, I called, only to discover that my follow-up appointment would take place in APRIL. Well really. What is the point of that?
Frustrated at this point, I called a private clinic to find out about costs, etc. Cost was expensive! But I could get an appointment within a week. Next call was to my insurance to find out if they would cover a private clinic. Of course, the answer was no. Too easy. Back to my doctor for another physio prescription and a referral to another specialist.
This time physio is through a clinic the doctor referred. So far I am pleased. It is further for me to get there and back, but appointments are for a full hour, not just 30 minutes, and are the same price as I was getting at the fancy gym downtown. So, if nothing else, at least I feel I'm getting my money's worth. I do think the physio is helping though, if only in small doses. Maybe my shoulder is messed up enough that it really will take a lot of time and exercise to heal.
Next, the new specialist is a doctor at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic, and I only had to wait about 2 weeks to get an appointment. The specialist has a number of what I suppose are interns working for her. The intern spent a good 15-20 minutes going over my history and putting me through a series of "tests" to see what I could do/couldn't do. Lucky for me, I'm pretty fluent in the injury language now and I am able to clearly identify what hurts and how, so the doctor was able to get a good idea of what's wrong. Following that, the intern and the specialist chatted with me about next steps.
First of all, the specialist was rather surprised that nobody had thought about having an MRI on my shoulder. She explained that no amount of cortisone is ever going to help at 5 month intervals. And then she said something that scared me a little. She said that if I do have a tear (probably I have a series of micro-tears), that tears don't heal. I'm not entirely sure what that means. She further went on to explain that an MRI will at least determine what the problem is and from there she'll be able to treat the problem with physio or whatever it needs. Until she gets the results of the MRI, it's really anybody's guess and I could be getting physio for nothing. Super. Don't you love to hear that you may have wasted over $1,000 for NO. GOOD. REASON?
Anyway, this specialist was able to get me on a waiting list for an MRI. After filling out 3 separate forms, I was told it would be about a month before the hospital called me for the appointment. Fine. I'd waited so long already, another month wasn't about to change anything. That was on a Tuesday. That same week, on Friday evening, the hospital called to schedule the MRI for the following Saturday, that being yesterday. So basically less than 2 weeks after seeing the specialist, I had my MRI.
Can I just stop for a minute and say,"Wow!" After all the appointments, waits, etc. I honestly was not expecting to have it that fast. Finally, I feel like something good is happening.
So yesterday afternoon I showed up at the hospital, found the right wing, floor and room. Of course, I was 45 minutes early but you know me ... I was a bit nervous before hand, got a bit more nervous when I discovered I had to get completely changed and wear one of those silly hospital gowns, and then I will admit to being a little bit scared when I finally saw that MRI machine. Nothing would have prepared me for that.
It was big. It was loud. The technicians were very nice and explained everything that would happen. Got up on the table, I was given some earplugs (whaaaaa??? not what I was expecting), they wrapped my shoulder in some type of hard plastic scanner-thing (sorry, I was too scared to ask pertinent questions by that point), they propped me up on one side, strapped me down to the table and gave me a rubber ball thing to squeeze so I could let them know if something was wrong. The whole process would take about 20 minutes and I was to remain completely still. Ummm, OK. But what if I had to sneeze or cough or something? (Yes, this is what starts going through my mind.) Then I was told to close my eyes as the table moved back into the machine so the lasers wouldn't go in my eyes. And the next thing I knew I was inside a frigging huge machine, something like a tanning bed, I guess, except the roof of the machine was only a couple of inches away from the top of my head. Suddenly I thought it might be a good idea if I kept my eyes closed for the whole thing. Then the machine started making all kinds of whirring, clicking, clacking, grinding and jackhammer-type noises. There was a good flow of air and for that I'm thankful because although I'm not typically a claustrophobic type of person, I was a little stressed about being in such an enclosed space without being able to move, and I started feeling like I was having trouble breathing.
I started doing some breathing exercises and tried to remember as much as I could to clear my mind and think of relaxing things. Lying on the beach, feeling the sand between my toes, hearing the palm leaves rustle in the sea breeze. I didn't sneeze. I didn't cough. I didn't even get an itch. The 20 minutes went by quicker than I thought and suddenly the table/bed was moving out of the machine and the technicians were beside me, unstrapping and unwrapping me. I made it!
Half an hour after my scheduled appointment, I was jumping on the bus back down to the metro and on my way home.
Next - wait about 10 days for the results and then make a follow-up appointment with the specialist. In the meantime, I will continue with physio and hope I'm not wasting any more money.
Let's see, where was I? From September to December I maxed out my insurance with physio, athletic therapy, acupuncture and osteopathy, all in the hope that my shoulder would get better. It didn't. At the beginning of December I finally saw the "specialist." This specialist spent maybe 10 minutes with me and promptly gave me a cortisone shot. This was supposed to help with the inflammation in my shoulder for "7-10 days." He told me to come back for a follow-up if I still had pain. Naturally, I called, only to discover that my follow-up appointment would take place in APRIL. Well really. What is the point of that?
Frustrated at this point, I called a private clinic to find out about costs, etc. Cost was expensive! But I could get an appointment within a week. Next call was to my insurance to find out if they would cover a private clinic. Of course, the answer was no. Too easy. Back to my doctor for another physio prescription and a referral to another specialist.
This time physio is through a clinic the doctor referred. So far I am pleased. It is further for me to get there and back, but appointments are for a full hour, not just 30 minutes, and are the same price as I was getting at the fancy gym downtown. So, if nothing else, at least I feel I'm getting my money's worth. I do think the physio is helping though, if only in small doses. Maybe my shoulder is messed up enough that it really will take a lot of time and exercise to heal.
Next, the new specialist is a doctor at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic, and I only had to wait about 2 weeks to get an appointment. The specialist has a number of what I suppose are interns working for her. The intern spent a good 15-20 minutes going over my history and putting me through a series of "tests" to see what I could do/couldn't do. Lucky for me, I'm pretty fluent in the injury language now and I am able to clearly identify what hurts and how, so the doctor was able to get a good idea of what's wrong. Following that, the intern and the specialist chatted with me about next steps.
First of all, the specialist was rather surprised that nobody had thought about having an MRI on my shoulder. She explained that no amount of cortisone is ever going to help at 5 month intervals. And then she said something that scared me a little. She said that if I do have a tear (probably I have a series of micro-tears), that tears don't heal. I'm not entirely sure what that means. She further went on to explain that an MRI will at least determine what the problem is and from there she'll be able to treat the problem with physio or whatever it needs. Until she gets the results of the MRI, it's really anybody's guess and I could be getting physio for nothing. Super. Don't you love to hear that you may have wasted over $1,000 for NO. GOOD. REASON?
Anyway, this specialist was able to get me on a waiting list for an MRI. After filling out 3 separate forms, I was told it would be about a month before the hospital called me for the appointment. Fine. I'd waited so long already, another month wasn't about to change anything. That was on a Tuesday. That same week, on Friday evening, the hospital called to schedule the MRI for the following Saturday, that being yesterday. So basically less than 2 weeks after seeing the specialist, I had my MRI.
Can I just stop for a minute and say,"Wow!" After all the appointments, waits, etc. I honestly was not expecting to have it that fast. Finally, I feel like something good is happening.
So yesterday afternoon I showed up at the hospital, found the right wing, floor and room. Of course, I was 45 minutes early but you know me ... I was a bit nervous before hand, got a bit more nervous when I discovered I had to get completely changed and wear one of those silly hospital gowns, and then I will admit to being a little bit scared when I finally saw that MRI machine. Nothing would have prepared me for that.
It was big. It was loud. The technicians were very nice and explained everything that would happen. Got up on the table, I was given some earplugs (whaaaaa??? not what I was expecting), they wrapped my shoulder in some type of hard plastic scanner-thing (sorry, I was too scared to ask pertinent questions by that point), they propped me up on one side, strapped me down to the table and gave me a rubber ball thing to squeeze so I could let them know if something was wrong. The whole process would take about 20 minutes and I was to remain completely still. Ummm, OK. But what if I had to sneeze or cough or something? (Yes, this is what starts going through my mind.) Then I was told to close my eyes as the table moved back into the machine so the lasers wouldn't go in my eyes. And the next thing I knew I was inside a frigging huge machine, something like a tanning bed, I guess, except the roof of the machine was only a couple of inches away from the top of my head. Suddenly I thought it might be a good idea if I kept my eyes closed for the whole thing. Then the machine started making all kinds of whirring, clicking, clacking, grinding and jackhammer-type noises. There was a good flow of air and for that I'm thankful because although I'm not typically a claustrophobic type of person, I was a little stressed about being in such an enclosed space without being able to move, and I started feeling like I was having trouble breathing.
I started doing some breathing exercises and tried to remember as much as I could to clear my mind and think of relaxing things. Lying on the beach, feeling the sand between my toes, hearing the palm leaves rustle in the sea breeze. I didn't sneeze. I didn't cough. I didn't even get an itch. The 20 minutes went by quicker than I thought and suddenly the table/bed was moving out of the machine and the technicians were beside me, unstrapping and unwrapping me. I made it!
Half an hour after my scheduled appointment, I was jumping on the bus back down to the metro and on my way home.
Next - wait about 10 days for the results and then make a follow-up appointment with the specialist. In the meantime, I will continue with physio and hope I'm not wasting any more money.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Shoulder Update
Saw a physiotherapist last night. She told me to do the following: no swimming, no dragon boating, no push-ups, no bench presses, in fact - no weights with my right arm at all for the next few weeks, I can do yoga - but no poses that put pressure on that arm/shoulder, also I can do these front and lateral arm lifts with a smelly rubber band thing.
Because I'm kind of an impatient person (in case you didn't already know that about me - haha) I asked how long it might take before this healed. In return she asked me how long it's been hurting. My response, about 5 or 6 months. She said, "there's your answer." And then I thought a bunch of stuff I'm not allowed to say here because certain people (Hi Mom & Dad!) might get offended.
Other shoulder updates: got an x-ray done last week and will have some specialist look at that when I see him in DECEMBER (glad I'm not in any hurry ...). Went for a combined osteopath/acupuncture treatment which really seemed to have done some good up until the visit with the physio yesterday when all the tests I was made to perform aggravated the shoulder a whole lot. So much that I even followed orders and iced my shoulder even though all I wanted to do was put heat on it and I'll do the same until the physio tells me I can add heat again.
Stupid ice. It's not bad enough that summer's over and that means winter's coming, now I have to purposely make myself cold. Poop.
Because I'm kind of an impatient person (in case you didn't already know that about me - haha) I asked how long it might take before this healed. In return she asked me how long it's been hurting. My response, about 5 or 6 months. She said, "there's your answer." And then I thought a bunch of stuff I'm not allowed to say here because certain people (Hi Mom & Dad!) might get offended.
Other shoulder updates: got an x-ray done last week and will have some specialist look at that when I see him in DECEMBER (glad I'm not in any hurry ...). Went for a combined osteopath/acupuncture treatment which really seemed to have done some good up until the visit with the physio yesterday when all the tests I was made to perform aggravated the shoulder a whole lot. So much that I even followed orders and iced my shoulder even though all I wanted to do was put heat on it and I'll do the same until the physio tells me I can add heat again.
Stupid ice. It's not bad enough that summer's over and that means winter's coming, now I have to purposely make myself cold. Poop.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
End of another season
As tired as I've been, as sore as I've been and as much complaining and whining as I've done over the last few months, suddenly the dragon boat season is over and I'm wondering where the last 4 months have gone.
This weekend was our last dragon boat competition of the 2010 season. We ended on a bittersweet note. While we did improve a lot this season, we didn't quite meet our goals. For me though, I do feel very proud of what we did accomplish. That we improved overall at the competitions (no final B this year) and are becoming more consistent as a team, this I think is worth remembering. We beat some good teams and some great teams, this is also worth remembering. That we still have a long way to go is also very important and I think will help to keep us motivated during the long winter training months ahead.
For now, I am resting all week. No gym, no running, no biking, nothing. And I am already missing the energy and excitement of my team members, and the adrenaline of a race.
Wait until they see us next year ...
This weekend was our last dragon boat competition of the 2010 season. We ended on a bittersweet note. While we did improve a lot this season, we didn't quite meet our goals. For me though, I do feel very proud of what we did accomplish. That we improved overall at the competitions (no final B this year) and are becoming more consistent as a team, this I think is worth remembering. We beat some good teams and some great teams, this is also worth remembering. That we still have a long way to go is also very important and I think will help to keep us motivated during the long winter training months ahead.
For now, I am resting all week. No gym, no running, no biking, nothing. And I am already missing the energy and excitement of my team members, and the adrenaline of a race.
Wait until they see us next year ...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hotel Review
If you're ever in the Toronto area and need a budget hotel, do not stay at Casa Mendoza. Here's my review (see review by StephanieT7 - that's me!).
Oh yeah, and a few things I forgot to mention:
No bedside table, just some leftover wooden box, painted brown, with barely enough room to fit the telephone. One bedside reading lamp (for 2 beds?). No overhead lighting, just a seris of misplaced lamps with bare bulbs hanging from them. No suitcase rack/holder, so there was no place to set my bag down except the filthy floor. There was one chair - it was a rickety old wooden bistro chair that had seen better days. I set my bag on that and wouldn't have trusted it to actually use it as seating for a person. There were 2, what shall I call them ... coffee tables? One was a piece of log, the other was another leftover piece of painted wood that had been nailed together.
Right, think I'm done.
Oh yeah, and a few things I forgot to mention:
No bedside table, just some leftover wooden box, painted brown, with barely enough room to fit the telephone. One bedside reading lamp (for 2 beds?). No overhead lighting, just a seris of misplaced lamps with bare bulbs hanging from them. No suitcase rack/holder, so there was no place to set my bag down except the filthy floor. There was one chair - it was a rickety old wooden bistro chair that had seen better days. I set my bag on that and wouldn't have trusted it to actually use it as seating for a person. There were 2, what shall I call them ... coffee tables? One was a piece of log, the other was another leftover piece of painted wood that had been nailed together.
Right, think I'm done.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Great White North Challenge
Update: final results from GWN are posted here.
**************
What a weekend! In some ways it was not what I was expecting, in others it more than met my expectations.
The hotel, pardon me, motel (that should've tipped me off): did not meet expectations. Apparently some people don't understand the definition of clean/safe. Old rusty, squeaky (double, not queen) beds, sliding doors to balconies that don't lock, holes in the wall directly to the outside, ants in the bathroom, old toilet pipes coming out of the wall, broken toilet paper holder, no towel holder, mirror sitting on the floor, SHAG "rug" ... the list goes on.
The races: exceeded expectations. Competition was tough. We raced some of the best races ever but it still wasn't good enough to make the cut for Final A. We finished 2nd in Final A consolation, which means 8th place overall. The team was hoping for a top 12 finish, we achieved that. Some were hoping for a top 6 finish, we didn't achieve that. This does not surprise me.
I hate being the voice of doom on the team but I just don't think we're there yet as a team. We still have a fair number of new people on the team, whose technique isn't the same as the rest of us, and our timing is still a big problem for the team.
Continuing, the race site: met expectations. It was big, there were lots of trees for shade, lots of portable toilets with portable sinks, decent selection of food stands, some shopping, good places to watch the races, good marshaling area, great announcer (dude must have no voice left by the end of the weekend).
Team spirit: met expectations. Although we, for the most part, did stay together, it felt like there was a little bit of team spirit missing. I wonder if that had any effect on our races, or if it was as a result of our performance. It's hard to say. Funnily enough, after all the brou-ha-ha in Ottawa about needing to have a team dinner, it was decided that we wouldn't do that in Toronto. What ended up happening of course, was that 22 of us had a most-of-the-team dinner, even if it did mean eating at 3 separate tables. The table I was at (with 12 of us) was the best (of course!) we had a great meal together and then went out for dessert afterward to the fanciest bubble tea place I have EVER seen. Apparently they take their bubble tea a whole lot more seriously in Toronto than here in Montreal.
All in all I had a great weekend. It was sunny, it was not hot but it didn't rain (ok, a few little drops but not enough to complain about). Any plans to retire from competitive dragon boating are naturally gone, again. What is it about competing, or more precisely losing, that makes me want to paddle harder, train harder, compete more??? Whatever it is, I want more and next weekend I'll get it. Last competition of the season, Quebec Cup will take place at the Basin. See you there!
**************
What a weekend! In some ways it was not what I was expecting, in others it more than met my expectations.
The hotel, pardon me, motel (that should've tipped me off): did not meet expectations. Apparently some people don't understand the definition of clean/safe. Old rusty, squeaky (double, not queen) beds, sliding doors to balconies that don't lock, holes in the wall directly to the outside, ants in the bathroom, old toilet pipes coming out of the wall, broken toilet paper holder, no towel holder, mirror sitting on the floor, SHAG "rug" ... the list goes on.
The races: exceeded expectations. Competition was tough. We raced some of the best races ever but it still wasn't good enough to make the cut for Final A. We finished 2nd in Final A consolation, which means 8th place overall. The team was hoping for a top 12 finish, we achieved that. Some were hoping for a top 6 finish, we didn't achieve that. This does not surprise me.
I hate being the voice of doom on the team but I just don't think we're there yet as a team. We still have a fair number of new people on the team, whose technique isn't the same as the rest of us, and our timing is still a big problem for the team.
Continuing, the race site: met expectations. It was big, there were lots of trees for shade, lots of portable toilets with portable sinks, decent selection of food stands, some shopping, good places to watch the races, good marshaling area, great announcer (dude must have no voice left by the end of the weekend).
Team spirit: met expectations. Although we, for the most part, did stay together, it felt like there was a little bit of team spirit missing. I wonder if that had any effect on our races, or if it was as a result of our performance. It's hard to say. Funnily enough, after all the brou-ha-ha in Ottawa about needing to have a team dinner, it was decided that we wouldn't do that in Toronto. What ended up happening of course, was that 22 of us had a most-of-the-team dinner, even if it did mean eating at 3 separate tables. The table I was at (with 12 of us) was the best (of course!) we had a great meal together and then went out for dessert afterward to the fanciest bubble tea place I have EVER seen. Apparently they take their bubble tea a whole lot more seriously in Toronto than here in Montreal.
All in all I had a great weekend. It was sunny, it was not hot but it didn't rain (ok, a few little drops but not enough to complain about). Any plans to retire from competitive dragon boating are naturally gone, again. What is it about competing, or more precisely losing, that makes me want to paddle harder, train harder, compete more??? Whatever it is, I want more and next weekend I'll get it. Last competition of the season, Quebec Cup will take place at the Basin. See you there!
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