I Have Found Another Love!

There is a new man in my life... his name is Tommie Copper.  I love him.  A lot!

A couple of weeks ago, I won a contest on Twitter, and Jordan, from Tommie Copper, got in touch with me and offered me my choice of one of their sleeves and one of their t-shirts.  I chose a calf sleeve and a woman's tee, and when they arrived, Jordan had also very gererously included a knit cap, which The Captain is going to love wearing this winter while we are out walking and running....  oh, did I mention that I think Jordan is pretty darn special, too?

I immediately pulled the calf sleeve out of the package and wore it for the next 24 hours.  Occasionally, my left ankke/calf swells up when I am not very active, and the TC calf sleeve looked after it quite nicely.  By the next morning, the swelling was gone and I was elated.

I read through the pamphlet that came with the clothing, and it says this:

" Tommie Copper can help reduce pain associated with the following:

Back Pain.  Sore Shoulders. Arthritis. Tennis Elbow. Tendonitis. Carpal Tunnel. Ankle Sprain. Runners Knee. Pulled Calf

And most muscle, circulatroy, and inflammatory conditions."

When we were packing up a few things to take to the inn where we were planing to spend several days after my eye surgery, I decided to include the t-shirt.  I thought that perhaps it would help with the inevitable muscle soreness that would come along with being bent over in the face down position for 72 + hours and also from having to sleep on my tummy.

I was not disappointed. 

Each morning after I bathed, I put on the slim fitting t-shirt and wore it for the day, occasionally putting a sweater over it when The Captain opened the window to allow some fresh air to flow into our room.

The shirt is made from the softest material that you can possibly imagine.  It is so comfortable, and wearing it made my skin feel almost tingly with warmth.  It is lightweight and feels quite luxurious. 



I am so happy that I made the decision to take the shirt along and wear it for several hours a day.  Sitting with your face in a pillow all day is not that uncomfortable, but laying on your stomach with your face in a pillow all night certainly is.

There is no good place to put your arms.  If you put them above your head, your shoulders get really sore and if you put them under your chest, the breast bone aches after a while.  After several hours on your tummy, your lower back is in agony.

So, puttiing the shirt on, and wearing it all day, relieved the ache in my shoulders, and in my chest, and kept my back warm and supported while I bent forward all day.

Between The Captain's soothing back rubs and shoulder massages, and my Tommie Copper shirt, I got through it with as little discomfort as was possible.

Thank you, Tommie Copper.... and Jordan, too!

Back on Board and So Happy to be Here!

My surgery on Thursday went very smoothly, thanks to all of the nurses who looked after me before and after, the kind attention of the anesthesiologist who gave me the 'lots' of sedative I asked for, the operating room assistants and the awesome surgeon who performed the miracle.

The Captain was waiting for me with a banana and a 6-inch turkey and Swiss Subway sandwich which I wolfed down, and off we went to the hotel.  The Captain had already checked us into the sweet room in the charming old inn that would be home for the next few days, and I settled in to my special chair.

I saw the surgeon early Friday morning at his office, where he removed my eye patch and declared his handiwork a rousing success and then gave me a prescription for 2 different sets of drops, reminded me I need to spend the next 72 hours face-down and then come back and see him again in a couple of weeks.

When we got back to the hotel I was shocked when I looked in the mirror.  My right eye was completely bloodshot.  The soft tissue all around my eye was swollen and there was an enormous, dark bruise forming underneath the eye.  Apparently the doctor gave me an infection of painkiller between my eye and nose, and once the bandage was off, the blood in the broken vessels started to move.  I looked like I lost a serious fight!

Back at the inn, I did as told and can honestly say I didn't complain out loud, not even once, but pretty much hated most of the next 72 hours.  I went from my special chair with my face in a pillow, to the chair at the desk in our room with my face in a pillow, to the bed on my tummy with my face in a pillow.  The only relief was having a bath each morning.

I learned to drink tea and coffee through a straw.  And I ate lots of chocolate, and sweets and McDonald's French fries, and white pizza.  If I haven't gained 4 pounds it will be a miracle, but at this point, I don't care.  Of course I ate healthy foods too but really craved sweets and comfort food.

The Captain was wonderful.  He rubbed my back and massaged my shoulders, helped me dress, helped me bathe, made me tea, went out for food and kept me entertained and watched over me like a mother hen.  He encouraged me and kept telling me how well I was doing and how proud he was of me... how could I possibly think to complain when he was doing all the work and I was merely sitting... with my face in a pillow?

On Sunday afternoon we did venture out for a short walk... me watching the sidewalk all the time... but the warmth of the sunshine and fresh air were wonderful.

Last night was the worst.  I only managed to sleep for a couple of hours at a time and kept getting up, just to move a bit.  Finally, at 6 this morning, I declared that I was done with face down, and we got up and got our day started.

It felt really good to have a shower instead of a bath, even if I didn't hold my head up under the water stream, and it was great to check out of the inn and head back to the marina and get back on board the sailboat.

I do not miss my special chair and I am so looking forward to a good night's sleep in our own bed... and even though my vision is foggy through the gas bubble in my eye, I can already tell that it will be better after it has healed completely, than it was before the surgery.

Today the eye looks less scary, the bruising underneath is fading considerably but I am feeling very weak and don't seem to have much stamina.  I think tomorrow I will start an easy walking program to see if I can get some energy and strength back.

Thanks for all the good wishes and kinds words of support and encouragement.



Counting Down...

So by now you know I am having eye surgery on Thursday morning and then I have to spend 3 days face down, while the healing begins.  I am doing my best not to look up gory eye surgery pictures on the internet!

I am renting an aparatus that will help me with the 'face down' positioning.  This is a chair and facial support...



and there is also an appartus that attaches to the end of the bed so that I can lay on my tummy with my face in the support.

This is not very compatable with life on the boat, so we are moving into a charming and lovely old inn in the City for a few days.  And, because I will not be going out for meals, I am packing some snacks and teas to take along.  The Captain will be looking after me, of course, but it will be comforting to have some of my own favorite goodies with me.

And I have an assortment of books, puzzles, and will have my laptop too.  I have opted not to take any audio books but certainly there will be a radio and tv in our room.

I am hoping to be able to keep myself amused or just sleep, whichever is easier!

Today I am using up things in the fridge that won't likely store for several days, and right now I am cooking a buttercup squash (aka kobacha squash)... I will cut it up later and make a delicious dinner salad with it.

Washed, cut in half, seeds scooped out, and ready to mike.

and a few hours later...



The finished bowl...with spinach, almond slivers, Laughing Cow cheese and a dressing made from EVOO, white balsamic vinegar, cinnamon and sweetener.

Now I am enjoying a cup of tea and waiting for The Biggest Loser.

Do you have a favorite winter squash?
I would say that butternut is my VERY favorite but honestly, I haven't tried one yet that I don't care for.

Are you  a Biggest Loser fan?
I am not into it so much this season... really cannot get behind any of the contestants.  They all seem like a bunch of crybabies to me.

Looking Forward to My Next Run

I had really planned to keep running right up to the day before my eye surgery... which would have me doing 5 or 6 miles this coming Wednesday. 

But, we all know about plans... it has been more important for me to shake these sniffles so that I can even go ahead and have the surgery, than it has been to log some running miles.  As much as my legs are itching to be running, I know I made the right decision to lay low and rest.... and rest.... and rest.  It has helped and today my nose is finally clear and so I am pretty confidant, that come Thursday morning, I will be laying awake on the operating table for that hour while the surgeon drains the vitreous fluid from my eye, repairs the torn retina, and fills my eye with a gas bubble... which will require me to spend 72 hours, face down, while the retina starts to heal.

So, while I rest, and drink tea and eat mini Almond Joys and Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups to soothe my soul, I am thinking ahead to the day I can run again.  The doc says within a week, so I am thinking at worst, by Hallowe'en I can get out there.

I am already planning my route and what I am going to wear and how far I will go.  Ah, I can see me lacing up my shoes and crossing over the transom of the boat to the dock to start the walk to shore....

What do you think about when you cannot run?

Do you excited for your first time out after a layoff?

My LARABAR giveaway winner!

Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas for getting rid of my sniffles!  I think that the rest and ginger-lemon tea is helping and I do feel more energetic today.  I think a walk out in the sunshine this afternoon will help, too.

No running for me this week.  Need to get stronger for my eye surgery Thursday morning and cannot be coughing or sneezing during that!

I used a random number generator this morning to determine the winner of my LARABAR giveaway and the lucky winner is Jenn who writes Jenn's Adventures.  If you haven't found her yet, do stop by.  Jenn is an energetic and busy Maui gal who has a great wit and a beautifully presented blog. 

Jenn, I will email you shortly.  Thanks to everyone who entered and to LARABAR for sponsoring my first giveaway.  It was really fun for me.

And, because is it Saturday, The Captain is busy whipping me up a pancake breakfast... see ya all later!