Recovery Pains

It takes longer for an adult to heal after an injury or surgery than it does a child. Why, I don't know - haven't gotten the answer yet. But all I know is that I had surgery on my nose (deviated septum). No this is not plastic surgery - all was done on the inside of my nose.

The best thing about this surgery is that I can now breathe. I cannot recall the last time I was able to completely breathe through my nose. No matter what I took, Clairton, Tylenol sinus, Sudafed -- nothing worked. Nothing would dry out my sinuses so I could breathe. This went on for years and I kept being told I had "seasonal allergies".

Finally I had enough. Seasonal allergies, sure, ones that last 365 days a year! It told my regular doctor that I wanted to be tested for allergies and asked what else could be done to ease my breathing. When I went to the ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor I learned a lot of interesting things; how the smallest things in your nose that are meant to help can get inflamed, go unnoticed, and cause a world of problems.

So I had the surgery, it was out patient, and thankfully my parents came up and spent the first 24 hours with me. It was the oddest feeling ever - and a lot of pain. What was the worst thing was when the doctor had to remove the packing they stick up the nose to help keep the septum in place after surgery and to reduce the bleeding.

Then, on a count of three the doctor grabbed the strings hanging out of my nose and pulled. It was the most gut wrenching feeling. Then he told me to breathe in through my nose....I could!

All of a sudden it felt like I was in a wind tunnel with the amount of air that was coming in through my nose.

One last follow up with the doctor almost three weeks later and I should be good to go. The tip and bridge of my nose are still a little sore....but finally about to function without pain medicine.

Running Frustration

Since April I have been running about 3 times a week to start training for the VA Beach Rock & Roll Half Marathon Labor Day weekend. Prior to this I didn’t run. I would only run during flag football games and soccer games, or when I had to do my PT Test for the Air Force each year. Beyond that – running was something I did not do.

For me, running is boring, mindless. I am unable to stay interested in running a distance. Running while playing sports though has more of a focus, it is exciting and interesting for me. So when a coworker challenged me to train for a half marathon I knew I would have to face and tackle my despise of running head on.

With a positive attitude I accepted the challenge, and thought ahead to how I would be feeling and looking physically after a few months of running 9-12 miles a week.

Then discouragement set it….not only was I not seeing some weight come off, I was not seeing any toning/definition. I was seeing the exact opposite! I had put on weight and put on inches. I couldn’t and still can’t understand what is going on. I am exercising more, eating healthier and putting on weight and inches. I find something very wrong with this picture….