Snap Crackle Pop Part II

On Sunday, June 9th, 2013, some of my family members came and walked with me in the Walk to Fight Arthritis. It was my first time walking in this event but it won't be my last.

As mentioned in my earlier post I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my ankles. Since then I have also been diagnosed with Cervical Osteoarthritis (in my neck) and it's causing my discs to 'slip'. Both cause me daily pain. Some days are really manageable and I can almost forget about it. Some days I'm in bed because nothing is helping.

I feel old. It's hard to describe being in your 30's and suffering the daily pain that you don't usually experience until your 60's or 70's. I feel so limited and restricted. The hardest part is knowing that this is just the beginning; from here it's only going to get worse.

For the most part I try not to let it get me down but it's hard to do when I see my weight creeping up. Those 5lbs that took me 4 months of hard work to get off have reappeared. When I do something slightly active my muscles let me know they have been forgotten about for the past 4 months. It's very difficult going from being a very active person to a very stationary person. 

So, what does one do? I compromise. I'll never be as active as I used to be or I want to be so I find ways to feel like I'm at least doing something, anything.

I try to sneak in a little bit of extra walking in a day with my nice orthopedic shoes. I have a Fitbit that helps remind me when I need to put in a little extra effort and take a few more steps in my day. I also try to bike here and there though it gives my knees some trouble (we're still going through tests to find out what's wrong with my knee). I try to space out my times on the bike to give myself time to heal.

My husband bought us a weight set so I can focus on doing some weights that help build up the muscles around my neck to try and take away some of the headaches.

I drink more water. After first being diagnosed I let myself eat whatever I wanted because I was depressed. It was my way to feel better without crying in front of people or constantly talking about it. I love food, LOVE FOOD, and will always let myself have treats because to me, that's part of life. But I am curbing how many I have by trying to fill in the snack spots with more water.

And I read. I like going online and reading the blogs, tips, discussion boards, etc. offered by the Arthritis Society. It helps me to feel less alone. It makes me feel like there are people out there trying to do something to help the millions of people like me. It makes me feel comforted.

So I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who supported me in my Walk to Fight Arthritis. Your money went towards education, research and support programs. I thought about each and every one of you while I did my walk. I also think about you often when I'm having a bad pain day; I think about your support, your encouragement, and your shoulders I lean on. And to my family who walked with me, I can't express how much it meant to me, mad love!

Thank you so much everyone!!

One Practical Local Shopper

For the past year I've been trying to make a more conscious effort to buy locally. This isn't always easy, cost effective, or convenient but in the end your community benefits more when you make the effort to shop locally.

Shopping local isn't a new movement but I think it's one that tends to be forgotten about when a new big-box store opens up in a city/town. The new store is a novelty so people tend to flock to it in droves. I like this post on 10 Reasons to Shop Local by greenUPGRADER. Everyone knows that it supports local business owners but I love that they find you tend to get better customer service and how local shops build character in a city - AGREE!



Katwalk Shoes - photo from the Edmonton Journal

I like using the website Live Local Alberta to help me on my local shopping quest. Not only does it help me find locally owned shops and places to dine but it also showcases local events, and promotions.

Since buying local isn't always the cheapest alternative I go on their email lists and Facebook pages to get notified when they are having a big sale. I've found some amazing deals this way and feel extra good about watching my budget while still helping my local economy.

I will be the first to admit that I don't buy everything locally. There are certain items that seem difficult to find in anywhere but a nationwide big-box store, or US big-box store but I do limit my trips to those types of stores as much as I can. Now if I could just get Waves to use Tazo chai mix then I'd take all my business over there!

So take a drive in your surrounding communities to see what unique, locally-owned stores are closest to you. It's how I found my favourite shoe shop, children's clothing shops, cheese shop, and home décor shops. I hope you have some success finding some gems in your own community.

Everything Cheese - photo from the Edmonton Journal

March & April Book Reviews

Better late than never, here are my book reviews for both March and April:

March:

1. Ru - Kim Thuy: This is a beautifully poetic book. The story flows back and forth from past to present as we see the story of a girl as she relives the experience of fleeing from Vietnam to a Malaysian refugee camp before her family progresses to Quebec. The story is beautifully written and flows poetically. One of the best written books I've read in a long time.

2. The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester: This is the story on how the Oxford English Dictionary came about. Sounds dull but it actually has some fairly interesting points to it. It focuses on two of the major collaborators; one who put the dictionary together and one who submitted many of the words and explanations that ended up in the dictionary. The remarkable fact is the the man who submitted so many words did so while he was institutionalized after committing murder. There are certainly some dull parts to this book so I'd say only follow through if you are interested in the subject matter.

3. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn: Super easy read that you will finish in just a few days. It's a story of a missing wife who isn't who she seemed to be. Her husband goes from trying to find her to trying to find out what she was really up to before her disappearance. It's a bit of a thriller/mystery. I found the ending to be a bit disappointing as it didn't seem to gel with the rest of the story. Give it a try and tell me what you think of the ending.

4. Carnivorous Carnival - Lemony Snicket: This is the ninth book in the series and I'd have to say it was my least favourite. There was nothing remarkable about this tale that made it stand out more than the others. Alas, if you've already started the series based on my reviews of the other books then you'll have to power through this one to keep up with the rest of the series!

5. Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey - Trenton Lee Stewart: This is book 2 in the series. It's a very cute idea for a series of books and I think most kids 8+ would enjoy it.  In this book the kids must go on a journey alone to try and find a missing Mr. Benedict. Their trip takes them on boats and trains while they encounter many of their old foes. It's a series I recommend for anyone who enjoys a cute tale of adventure.


April

1. World War Z - Max Brooks: This was an awesome book! I found it to be a pretty accurate account of what I thought would happen in a zombie apocalypse. It's done in the format of interviews with average citizens, politicians, military personnel, etc. The story is told in such a factual way that makes it believable and entertaining at the same time. It's a fun read!

2. The Fault in our Stars - John Green: A sweet friend mailed me this book as a thank you gift. Hazel is a teenager who is battling cancer and meets another cancer survivor at group therapy. Together they start a bittersweet romance which revolves around a book that Hazel is obsessed with. Because it's a short, quick read I don't want to give away too much. If you enjoy books like Gone Girl you will enjoy this one.

3. Postcards From the Edge - Carrie Fisher: I loved this book! I had no idea that Carrie Fisher was so witty. The story starts in rehab as we follow a celebrity trying to recover and then moves to her career after she gets out. It's funny, smart, and well written. It makes me want to see the movie AND pick up her other books.

4. I am So The Boss of You - Kathy Buckworth: What can I say? Simply, I like the way Kathy thinks. So much of this book made sense to me it made me wonder why more people aren't adopting this parenting style? It's hilarious, relevant, and original. If you want a good chuckle at a new way to parent your kids then pick it up and you'll soon start thinking WWKD (What Would Kathy Do?).

5. 419 - Will Ferguson: I was surprised that this book started out in Calgary and I knew all the streets that were mentioned. It's about a daughter who is trying to figure out what happened leading up to the death of her father. We find out that her father was conned into an internet scam. We've all received those emails of someone in Africa needing to move money, escape the country and wanting to pay for help, or we've won a lottery. The daughter decides to try and track down the con artist and it takes her to Nigeria. It's interesting to learn about the person behind the con as well as the daughter trying to track him down. After reading this you'll never look at those emails quite the same again!

6. Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling: This is one of the 501 Must Reads. It's a collection of tales he wrote to amuse his daughter. There's stories like the camel got his hump, and how animals like a zebra go his stripes. My favourite was the one about how dogs, horses, etc became tamed but how the cat outsmarted all the beasts and man to  be tame, yet be their own self at the same time; it's super cute. I'd suggest this to be a good book to read to your kids ages about 8 and up.

Romantic Dining at Home

A few months ago a friend of mine (Maria with CoverBoo Couture) posted on Facebook that she had enjoyed a romantic dinner at home with the help of a personal chef. I was intrigued so contacted her for additional information. She explained how she had met a chef through twitter who came to your home and hosted a private cooking lesson for your and your significant other. He brought his own dishes, taught you how to cook an elegant 3 course meal and best of all, wait for it... he cleaned it all up on his own - SCORE!

So I contacted Chef Richard with ASNA Cooks and set up a post-Valentine's date for Hubs and me. We picked a 3 course meal consisting of butternut squash soup with paprika oil, pan seared fillet mignon with mashed potatoes and brussel sprout leaves, and creme brulee. He came over with his own groceries, equipment and dishes. He even taught us the proper way to chop vegetables and believe it or not I'm still practicing this process. I even got to torch my own creme brulee!

We had such a fun time cooking together! Hubs and I really enjoyed learning some new techniques, and information about flavours and food pairings. Chef Richard made the experience playful and informative at the same time. We would help him cook a dish, then we'd go eat it while he cleaned up the dishes and kitchen (once again - SCORE!)

 I can't find my photo of the delicious soup but did find our main meal and dessert photos!

I'd highly recommend finding something like this to do in your own city. We enjoyed doing this as a couple and have even talked about having Chef Richard back to cook for a larger group of friends. The best part is that we never even had to leave the comfort of our own home to enjoy such a unique experience. And one more time, he cleaned up everything!!

February 2013 Book Reviews

February was a slower reading month for me but I certainly enjoyed what I did read!

1. The Hostile Hospital - Lemony Snicket: This is the 8th book in the series and it's actually probably one of my least favourite IF I had to pick favourites in the bunch. I've liked all the other settings the kids have found themselves in but the hospital setting seemed a bit drab. Still, I enjoyed it and would read this entire series again and again.

2. Unless - Carol Shields: I found this book a little hard to peg and then I felt it all came together at the end. The story is about a mother who is struggling to keep it together and find meaning in her daughter's actions. Her daughter has dropped out of college and become a homeless beggar by choice. The mother seems quite lost and at times her thoughts/stories are disjointed. Once you get towards the end of the book you really understand it's a good way to see how her daughter's actions had unsettled her whole world and nothing could really go back to normal. It was also an interesting ending which at least made you feel more resolved. Decent read for sure.

3.The Importance of Being Seven - Alexander McCall Smith: This is book 6 in the 44 Scotland Street series. I have always enjoyed Alexander's works and specifically this series mainly because of one of the characters, Bertie. He's a very intelligent (now 7 year old) who has an extremely overbearing mother who puts him in therapy, yoga, and a school for gifted kids which he detests. Each chapter progresses the story of at least 1 or more of the characters and there's at least a dozen characters to follow. Most of the characters and stories are interesting but there are certainly a few slower story lines. It's a fun series and you should pick it up if you like his other works.

4. Here Comes Trouble - Michael Moore: This isn't your typical autobiography! It's more of a collection of important moments in Michael's life. He's one of America's most controversial filmmakers and he's certainly led an interesting life! He's had some incredible encounters with many famous people that helped put him on the path of documentary film making. I found his life stories to be very entertaining and humours.

5. The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson. I got about 1/2 way through this book and thought 'Gosh, this is just like Forest Gump!' then a few days later I turned the book over to read the cover and saw one of the reviewers said the exact same thing! It's an entertaining story that starts exactly how the title describes. It flips from past to present as he goes on his adventure while reliving his past adventures. It's a really sweet story I think most anyone would enjoy.

Snap Crackle Pop

For the past year and a half I have been seeing my doctor to try and figure out what was causing my ankle pain. Admittedly I am not a very good patient and would put off doing xrays or whatever tests he would send me for so we probably would have found this out sooner if I had followed orders. The results are in...I'm 37 and have degenerative osteoarthritis in both my ankles.

It started with me thinking I had sprained my ankle running or had really bad running shoes that needed replacement. I stopped running for a few weeks but the pain never really seemed to go away. Sometimes I felt my ankle was out of place. I would limp around like I had a cast on but usually only rest made is marginally better.

I didn't really worry too much about it until a year later when it started to happen in my other ankle as well. Now that was weird!? What is the possibility of similar sprains in both ankles? So I carted myself off to the doctor again to admit I'd never gone for the 1st set of xrays he had asked me to do and left with the requisitions to finally get them done.

No surprise to me the xrays showed nothing. When it comes to my health I have always felt the same anxiety you feel when you're trying to show a mechanic how you're car is making a weird sound and it stops doing it the minute you get the car into the shop. My body does the same thing. My doctor would look at my joints and move them and I'd feel no pain. Then I'd get up to walk away from the examining table and BAM! my ankles hurt. It was difficult and frustrating to try to explain.

So my doctor decided it was time for an MRI and sent off the forms to put me on the waiting list. Then a few days later I got a call from my doctor's office telling me the MRI specialist said they felt I should go for a bone scan prior to being put on the MRI waiting list.

Have you seen a bone scan? It's kind of cool and kind of creepy at the same time. You go in the morning and they inject your blood with a radioactive material. They take an initial scan of your body and then you need to leave and drink 8 or so glasses of water. You come back a few hours later for them to take more scans and then compare the two. The cool part is that they let you watch to see what your xray/scan looks like. The creepy part is that they let you watch to see what your xray/scan looks like ;)



This is NOT my ankle. But it gives you an idea what you're looking at during the appointment. My ankles were both lit up like white Christmas tree lights.



I didn't hear back from my doctor for two weeks so once again I figured there was nothing to talk about and we'd just wait for the MRI. Then my doctor's nurse called me and started to rattle off what was wrong with me and what I needed to do to manage pain. I had to stop her and make her start over again. "Wait. You FOUND something?".  I wasn't sure what to do so I did what most other people do these days...I googled it so I would know what to ask about during the follow up appointment with my doctor.

Turns out degenerative osteoarthritis is uncommon in the ankles and it's uncommon in people my age. Yay. I looked up treatment options and it seems cortisone, physiotherapy, and drugs are really my only options. Because cortisone works less and less effectively each time you take it I've opted for physiotherapy and go for my initial assessment in 2 weeks.  Since the start of all this I've also developed pain/buckling in my left knee and pain in my left thumb joint. So in addition to more xrays and being waitlisted for the MRI my doctor has referred me for physio in my ankles, hands, neck and knees. I foresee lots of appointments and work in my future.



What does this mean for me? Well I've slowed down. I have told my Zumba instructor I will not be back until my physiotherapist clears me to take the class. I've stopped running. I've stopped using our indoor bike. I'm reconsidering all my volunteer activities as I need to make more time for all these appointments. And Hubs and I are rethinking some parts of our lives. We were talking about a trip for our 10 year anniversary this summer and couldn't decide where to go. Now that we know what is causing my pain, and it's not going to go away, we have decided to bump up certain trips that require a lot of walking or standing. Best to do them now at 37 than try with my unknown pain levels/mobility restrictions at 47.

One of the hardest things for me to give up was the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. For the past 3 years I've walked throughout the night logging somewhere between 22-30 kilometres. Well, that's just not going to happen anymore. The cold of the night plus walking that distance while sleep deprived is just not a reality anymore. So I've decided to do this walk instead: Walk To Fight Arthritis  It's only 1km or 5km and it's in support of a disease that directly affects me now. I've started a team called Snap Crackle Pop if you'd like to join me on my walk.

My closest family and friends have been generous with support, encouragement and hugs. It's helped a great deal. Because my osteoarthritis is in my weight bearing joints it's hard to forget for even a moment that this is going to be a lot of work for the rest of my life. What makes it better is knowing my family and friends are understanding and supportive. My sister-in-law suggested it gives me an excuse to put my feet up more and enjoy a glass of wine; I like the way she thinks ;)

Because Edmonton Cares - On Diaper Duty

A few weeks ago one of our BEC members mentioned to me that the local Food Bank was running short on diapers. She asked if there was anything we could do about it. It just so happened we were already going to volunteer there on March 6th so we decided to hold a diaper drive and take our donations along with us when we went to volunteer.

I put the call out on twitter, our Facebook page and to my son's preschool. It was amazing to see the number of generous souls who helped out! For 2 days I did diaper pick-ups around the city and was always so pleased to stop at a home and see a giant box of diapers, and sometimes formula, on their step.

What amazed me even more was the number of people who stopped by my home to drop them off or who purchased them online and had them shipped to me.

People care. It's really as simple as that. If you put the call out, people will help.

We only had 2 weeks to collect donations and I have never done this before so I set a goal of collecting 500 donated diapers. This is what we got instead:

In just 2 weeks we collected over 2,330 diapers and several cans of formula. It almost didn't all fit in my car!

The Food Bank was so very appreciative of our efforts and once I arrived there to volunteer I understood why; many of the diaper bins were empty. Our contact at the Food Bank also showed me the formula shelves and again I was mortified to see they were almost empty. Did you know that approximately 40% of the clients at the Food Bank are children under the age of 18?

It's heartbreaking to think of a child going unfed, unwashed, or unchanged. We will be doing another diaper/formula/personal hygiene drive later in the year to continue with our efforts to help those struggling in our city.

Thank you again to all those who helped with this drive, or help in their own way on their own time. Every little bit helps and YOU ARE APPRECIATED!