10 lessons learned in 2011

This year has been a difficult one for my husband and I--two deaths (my brother and my mother-in-law), a broken ankle, and a sleep apnea diagnosis.  But I came away from these experiences with some valuable lessons that have hopefully made me a wiser person.

Lesson 1:  I can't change anyone but myself.  (My alcoholic brother's death came about because of his condition, which I had spent years trying to change.  However, I eliminated using a CPAP machine by wearing nose strips at night, doing throat exercises, and sleeping on my side).

Lesson 2:   Agree to disagree, especially when discussing hot topics such as politics and religion.  (Conversations go smoother).

Lesson 3:  It's OK to take the time to goof-off--it may lead somewhere completely unexpected (this blog).

Lesson 4:  Take better care of myself (wear hiking boots--not tennis shoes--when hiking, and use trekking poles).

Lesson 5:  Don't try to keep up with the kids (hurrying to catch up was part of the reason I broke my ankle).

Lesson 6:  Look at every day as a gift (yesterday a broken ankle, tomorrow ?).

Lesson 7:   Appreciate the small things (a cup of coffee in the morning, a glass of wine at dinnertime, warmth on cold days, my kitties on my lap).

Lesson 8:  Let things go (who cares if the dishwasher is not loaded perfectly? The dishes will still get clean enough).

Lesson 9:  Not everyone will like me (no matter how hard I try to be a "good" teacher, I still don't get all 10s on my class evaluations).

Lesson 10:  Be more patient and less demanding.  (The cats will sit on my lap on their own time and my husband will be a much more willing slave)!

Self-publishing

I finally finished searching photos for my children's poem and putting them all into a Power Point presentation.  Hopefully I attributed all the photographers properly!  I only had to buy one photograph's rights (for $1.40--not bad at all!).  In fact, if I registered on that site, I could submit some of my photos and put them up for sale.  Maybe I should check into that.

I also haven't heard from one of the other photographers about one of the best photos.  I may have to cut that one if I don't hear from him/her soon.

Anyway, now I'm going to research self-publishing that poem with the photographs.  Should be interesting.  If anyone has any publisher recommendations, please let me know.

I figure that a children's book would be an easier sell than my murder mysteries.  And, although I have successfully written about 20 short stories (some of them still unpublished), do people really buy short story collections from unknown authors anymore?

Bone healing

When I got my staples out on Wednesday, the doctor remarked that I was healing fast.
That's good news because I did a lot of research on how to speed up bone healing and followed (most of) the advice I found.

Speeding up bone healing:

1.  Mobilization is, of course, important because the bone fragments must remain touching for new bone to be produced.  My fracture, before surgery, was not stable and the grinding noises I heard when I shifted my foot were actually the sounds of bone fragments moving against each other.  Gives me the shivers when I think about it! 

2.  Cold therapy.  Inflammation occurs in the first stage of bone healing. It draws blood to the area, which clots and protects the site so that early bone repair can begin.  However, long-term inflammation traps fluid in the area, which inhibits circulation.  Not a good thing.  Cold therapy is the best way to reduce pain and swelling temporarily.  Taking NSAIDs for inflammation should be avoided or minimized (see below).

3.  Stop smoking.  Smoking alters the blood flow to the bone so it slows healing.  Fortunately I don't smoke, so I didn't have to give up that habit.

4. Eat food high in calcium and take supplements.
Foods high in calcium (copied from http://lesann.tripod.com/healing%20fractures.htm )
Type of food Amount        Milligrams of Calcium
Non fat yogurt 1 cup 415
Sardines (Atlantic with bones) 3 oz 372
Collard Greens 1 cup 355
Pink Salmon (canned with bones) 6oz 334
Skim Milk 1 cup 302
Calcium Fortified Orange Juice 1 cup 302
Bok Choy 1 cup 250 
Almonds 3 oz 198
Turnip Greens 1 cup 200
Soy Beans 1 cup 180
Broccoli 1 cup 180
Mustard Greens 1 cup 150
Black Molasses 1 tbsp. 140
Great Northern Beans 1 cup 140
Non fat Baked Beans 1 cup 130
Tofu 1 cup 130
Navy beans 1 cup 130
Corn Tortilla 1 tortilla 120
Kidney Beans 1 cup 115
Okra 1 cup 90
Acorn Squash 1 cup 90
Spinach (Cooked) 1 cup 74
Orange 1 med. 60
Raisins 1/4 22
Peanut butter 2 tbsp. 18

Also take extra calcium supplements and Lysine, which increases calcium absorption.

5.  Follow the doctor's advice!  Don't put weight on your fracture until the doctor tells you.  

6. Stay positive.  A positive attitude helps your body release "feel-good" endorphins that support the immune system and trigger natural painkillers.  Stress and negativity release cortisol, which interferes with healing and increases inflammation.  

Bone robbers:

1.  Caffeine.  I've read in several places that caffeine increases calcium loss through urine.  But I just can't give up my 2 morning cups of coffee.  Me bad. 

2.  Alcohol has the same story with a different twist.  Alcohol is supposed to slow bone formation (I will leave out the technical details).  Although I like a daily glass or two of wine, I stopped drinking alcohol for about 10 days and now am only having one glass with dinner.  Life is for enjoying the moment, right?

3.  NAIDs--like Ibuprofen, aspirin, Motrin, etc. decrease inflammation and thereby inhibit the first stages of bone healing.  Since I seem to have a high pain threshold and hate taking drugs, it was easy for me to get off medication ASAP.  The Lortab they gave me at the hospital did not agree with me, Tylenol is hard on the liver, and Ibuprofen is hard on the kidneys.  So good-bye drugs!  Unfortunately, I still had to give myself daily shots of Enoxaparin, an anti-coagulant, for 10 days after the surgery.  Definitely not fun!

Mry broken Ankle

How I broke my ankle

When leaving the trail,

I hopped on rocks,

like a frog jumping

from lily pad to lily pad,

to circumvent

the Desert Crust.

A dull brown melding

of bacteria, moss and lichen,

Desert Crust forms

micro peaks and

micro chasms across

unbroken ground.

When left alone,

a splash of water

turns Desert Crust green.

It gradually grows into

inch-high windbreaks

that hold down the loose sand.

Hopping on a wobbly rock,

I rolled my ankle,

falling back

instead of forward

because I shouldn't crush

the Desert Crust.

After all,

busting the Desert Crust

takes years to mend

while my ankle should heal

In about three months.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I broke my ankle the day after Thanksgiving.  A plate, 6 screws and 17 staples later, I feel like Jimmy Stewart in "Rear Window."

But instead of breaking my leg chasing after an action shot, I broke my ankle hiking.  (Walking out 5 miles with the help of my daughter, son-in-law and husband was something I would not like to repeat). 

Instead of being wheelchair bound, I sit in my easy chair with my foot elevated and a cat on my lap.  And instead of being a photographer, I am an online instructor who loves to write.

Inspiration for a story has not struck me yet--but I found a new goal.  Instead of spying on the neighbors, I am searching the internet for zoo animal photos to accompany a children's poem I wrote a while back.  I'm also spending time on the internet educating myself about crutches, fractures and bone healing.

Since November 25th, I have had nothing but time.  So I've been sitting in my easy chair--as you know already if you saw yesterday's post--and educating myself about crutches, fractures and bone healing.

At the emergency room, I received an ill-fitting boot (my heel would not go down) and crutches set at the wrong height.  So my first piece of advice is ask for a bigger boot.

My second piece of advice is make sure the grips on your crutches are at hip level and the pads are 1-2 inches below your armpit.  If your handles are at hip level, your arms are bent at a slight angle when you are using the crutches.  My crutches were not adjusted correctly and my arms were straight when I used them. Because of that, I ended up with left shoulder pain.

Also, having clearance for your armpits helps you avoid clothing getting caught up in the pads.  I don't think I have enough clearance there, so I probably should do some major adjustments from the bottom to the top.

But do I want to go through all that effort?  Tomorrow is my doctor appointment--I will get the 17 staples out and perhaps be able to start walking and thereby lessen my dependence on these &%$# crutches!!!