sportho in tacoma

One week down at MVP (click here), and I'm already at nearly 50% of a full-time caseload-- not a bad start! It's so refreshing to be back in an sports/ortho (sportho) setting after having challenged my patience and creativity with pediatrics, and after constantly having to think about falls, cognitive function and comorbidities in neurorehab/acute care. Lucky for me, my CI's primary interest is sports ortho, and she's highly qualified: OCS, SCS, FAAOMPT, CCCE, and PES (though I have yet to figure out what the last one stands for). One of my coworkers is even the President of the Private Practice section of the APTA! So far, I've had a pretty good mix of patients-- shoulders, knees, necks, low backs, ACL reconstructions, ankle sprains, total hips-- and have surprised myself by how much I remember from my first ortho internship at ORS months ago. 

the snack selection at Cedarbrook Lodge!

I've also spent the week getting used to a whole different part of the country, the Pacific Northwest. I love the midwest and I love the northeast, and this almost seems to be a combination of the two, with an 80% chance of rain. It is similar to what I expected, with plenty of North Face and Subarus. The area I'm living in (it's either Parkland, south Tacoma, Lakewood, or Puyallup, I'm still not sure) certainly lives up to Washington's nickname, the Evergreen State. (I sit wondering, is it ever green because it rains so much? Probs.)

It would be hard to publish this entry without mentioning rain at least one more time, so I'll share a revelation... Mount Rainier. I have a picturesque view of the highest mountain in Washington during my drive home from work, and it didn't take me long to figure out the relevance of its name-- it's not just rainy here, it's rainier. Duh. Good thing my windshield wipers had the snowless winter in Minnesota to rest up for all the work they're doing here. Ok ok, enough with the weather, I promise.

the chandelier at 13 Coins,
where Clay and I had
dinner Sunday

I'm staying with a former coworker of a friend of a high school friend (get all that?). I have yet to meet her, as she's off vacationing somewhere, but I've made myself at home in the guest room she rents out to foreign exchange students (around here, Minnesota just might be considered foreign territory). I even have my own bathroom and cable, though unfortunately no hockey channels. Last fall, I was extremely concerned with not being able to watch the Wild in the postseason, back when we were hanging on the #1 spot in the league. But at this point, considering how far we've fallen (yes, I'm still grudgingly using "we" instead of "they") I'm not too torn up about being thousands of miles away from the team, especially when I can watch Wild plays in the "Best Jeers of the Year" on ESPN2 (as I'm doing at the moment-- we landed both #41...and #2. Way to go, Setoguchi.). 

So, what am I doing with all of my free time, you wonder? Well, Tacoma is littered with LA Fitnesses (I've found 3 so far within a 10-mile radius), Targets (can you ever not find something to buy?), and coffee shops (for when I stop procrastinating and start studying...tomorrow). I've also recently become fascinated by Skype-- makes home feel oh so much closer. And I have visits from Clay, Mom and Dad (and Kristy?!) to look forward to, plus Easter in Richland next weekend. 

new Train song + baseball opener-- ahh, a lovely combination

Thoughts from this week--

1) People know very little about Minnesota. A few have friends from the area (yesterday, Irondale and Monticello were name dropped) and one asked if I live by Prince, but so far, no one has known that Minnesota is the State of Hockey. Someone actually asked how our field hockey teams are. Get with it, West Coast. 

2) 40 hours can be split up a bunch of different ways. I've worked four 10-hour days, five 8-hour days, and now I work three 10-hour days, one 6-hour day (Tuesday) and one 4-hour day (Friday). 

3) Southwest flights from Seattle <--> MSP are cheap! I just couldn't stay away...so I'm flying home on April 17 :) 

4) Iced Gingerbread Clif bars are ridiculously great. I stocked up on power bars for Africa,  and as a result, I'm becoming a power bar expert. With a close second place finish: dark chocolate cookie dough Luna bars.

5) TV shows are on at weird times.

6) I'm so over Spotify. Hellooo, Pandora. I've taken over control of music at the clinic, and I could listen to the Matchbox Twenty station for years on end (and I just might). 

All in all-- though I miss home like crazy, it's nice to be back in a routine. Don't get me wrong, I will not complain about the five weeks I had off because I did lots of sleeping, traveling and other fun things, but I need to be busy, back in the clinic and back into a workout routine. Though that doesn't mean I'm not counting down the days till I'm home for good. 


Last but not least, one of my favorite songs from this week, Some Nights by fun.

Happy Friday!

oysters

Bainbridge Island

Again, our "live" promise was short-lived. So, to recap from Friday: Hunger Games was awesome (if you haven't seen it, do), as was the sushi made in front of us and served on a conveyor belt in Kennewick for lunch. We drove past Brad's work, the Columbia Nuclear Generating Station, and I was fascinated by the role Richland played in world history, as it's the home of the atomic bomb. Dinner at Bob's Burgers-- jalapeno popper style for me-- was delectable, and the live music and Sauvignon Blanc (the best glass of wine I've ever had) at Bookwalter Winery (click here) couldn't have been better. 

Saturday, we hit the road again (get me out of the car already) for a weekend in Seattle with Brad, with a stop at the breathtaking Snoqualmie Falls. Although it took 7 green lights to get through one intersection to our hotel (we heard Seattle traffic was bad, but this bad?), it didn't take me long to start to love the city. Skyline + Puget Sound + Mt. Ranier/Olympic Mountains backdrop = one pretty picture. We were lucky enough to enjoy the view from a multitude of vantage points: 1) from the pier, 2) from a ferry en route to Bainbridge Island both during the day and at night, and 3) from Alki Beach, across the Sound from downtown.

We perused the go-to downtown attraction, Pike Place Market-- which was incredible. The fish throwing, rows upon rows of fresh flowers (especially the daffodils), and the photography displays certainly left an impression. Lunch was off the beaten path, at Emmit Wilson's Oyster House. We wandered down to the pier and headed to Bainbridge Island, where we tasted wine at Eleven Winery (click here). Named for the number of teeth on the smallest cog of a racing bike, it was started by a former professional racer and donates 100% of it's profits to charity (and 100% of it's revenue to charity during major disasters). We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Elliot's Oyster House-- Clay: crab-encrusted salmon, Brad: oysters and Coho salmon, and me: yam gnocchi with scallops (which may or may not have been from the Atlantic, not the Pacific). The restaurant's policy: if you've never had an oyster, the first one's on them, so Clay and I took the chance. To be honest, I barely chewed mine, so it wasn't too bad. 

               

I've come to the conclusion that everyone in Seattle lies to the rest of the world about their weather to deter tourists, because it's been sunny both days we've been here. No complaints there. This morning, Clay and I headed to the market early, and ordered coffee at the first-EVER Starbucks, founded in 1971. We stocked up on snacks (chocolate covered Oreos, Hawaiian caramel apple, chocolate-covered orange peels and truffles) at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Co., avoiding the chocolate-dipped jalapenos and potato chips. After checking out of the hotel, we drove to Alki Beach, ate lunch at El Chupacabra (awesome), and said adieu to Brad, who headed back to Richland. 

Because I am unable to move into my house until tomorrow night, Clay and I are spending the night at Cedarbrook Lodge, which I love because it has a free snack lounge, and borthGolden Gopher hockey AND Wild hockey on TV (what?). Off to round up some food (really, that's all we do), and to rest up for day #1 at MVP PT tomorrow! 

first. ever. oysters.

post-badger

As soon as my fingers thaw, I will update you about our trek... which, to our credit, took 65 minutes. Like Clay said, we have athleticism on our sides (ok, who am I kidding, my athleticism is at an all-time low after 2 months of poor gym attendance).


Thawed. The climb was beautiful and the view of the Tri Cities breathtaking. The hike up was indeed a workout, and yes, chilly with the wind, though the more rambling path down allowed for Clay to carioca (you know, that crossover thing you do with your feet in football warmups and at Acceleration Minnesota) on the way down. We did take the walk down a bit slower though because, as Clay noted, there are no runaway Anna ramps like the runaway truck ramps on the freeway out here. And everyone we passed was incredibly friendly, making our morning that much brighter. 


So now, we pause to keep up our "live" blogging promise. And to watch Top Play #5 on Sports Center this morning, coming from the Hopkins-Osseo boys state bball game. MN pride. And of course, congrats to Osseo's Coach Sawatzke on the W! Now, we eat, and go watch HUNGER GAMES. 

pre-badger

And we're live!!

Good morning from Richland. After a real night of sleep in a real bed (there really haven't been many of those this last month!) Anna and I are up and ready to get after it this morning. We split a naked juice for breakfast, ensuring that we would both get 1000% of our daily Vitamin C (Score!) and are almost ready to tackle the world (or locally) famous Badger Mountain (or hill). 


It's cool and cloudy this morning, but we don't expect the weather, or mountain, to be any match of either of our athletic abilities. Most people say it takes about two hours up and down, so if I were you guys, I would check back for another blog post within the hour. Until then... hang loose? carpe the diem?


Sorry guys, guess you're going to have to go elsewhere for motivation.


P.S. Here's a shot of the fire in Davidson, ND that we wrote about-- guess they closed I-94 sometime after we passed through!

peaceful world

Helloooo, Rockies.

11:40 am MDT

{Departed Billings: 6:38 am MDT}

Mileage: 1080 mi (682 to go)

Ok really, who were we kidding, thinking the drive yesterday was gorgeous? Hellooo Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, and lots (as in 6 feet) of snow. Our disappointment about not being able to see Lookout Pass and Coeur d'Alene (and only driving 8 vs. 12 hours) dissipated quickly as soon as we saw what our drive through southwest Montana and southern Idaho had in store. Just beautiful. Driving in a valley adjacent to the Gallatin River weaving between mountains and surrounded by snow-covered trees, brave fly fisherman and abundant sunshine, it was marvelous. The 40+ mph winds weren't quite as pleasant, but Clay is a champ and has rocked the whole drive so far (we weren't sure how well my shoulder would handle a white knuckle grip on the wheel).

Having just left Yellowstone and it's massive snow drifts behind, we are now in the largest producing seed potato area of southeast Idaho en route to Boise. I should note that we entered Wyoming for approximately 5 miles, upping what will be our final state count (barring any further weather detours) to 7: MN, ND, MT, WY, ID, OR, and WA. This part of Idaho looks like we haven't left MN-- until we look off into the distance either east or west and see snow-covered mountains. After having been 42 degrees in Billings and 37 degrees when we stopped in West Yellowstone, it's back up to 60 degrees. 

West Yellowstone

Favorite town/city so far: Bozeman, MT. (If I had to live somewhere in between MN and the West Coast, it would be there-- cute and cabiny.)

Favorite Spotify album today: Now That's What I Call Music 6. (I'm guessing Clay's is now playing-- Springsteen's Greatest Hits. BORN IN THE USA.)

Favorite river: Yellowstone River. We've crossed it at least 12 times over the past 2 days, and I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible.

Favorite lyrics so far: Come on baby, take a ride with me // I'm up from Montana down to Boise // Everything is as cool as can be // In a peaceful world. -- Mellencamp, "Peaceful World" (Ok fine, I tweaked it. Still works.) Bruce's "Badlands" lyrics take a close second. 

Favorite animals: Antelope. Saw a whole farm of 'em-- too cool. 

Favorite iPhone app: Though Road Ninja has the best name, Road Trip Weather takes the cake. Enter your route, and it gives you the forecast for any spot along the way for the time it expects you'll be there. Perfect. 

Ok, we're almost to Idaho Falls, so time for me to drive...

--A

--------

6:14 pm MDT

Mileage: 1431 mi

So I've admittedly struggled to hold up my end of the blog since thrilling you all with my first post yesterday. And for that, I apologize. Driving 80 mph turns out to be a bit of a mental grind. For that matter, riding at 80 mph is even a little grinding. Ok fine, I'm a baby.

But anyways. Really not that much has happened since Anna's post. The drive has gotten pretty boring again since leaving the mountains of Montana and Northern Idaho. I know Anna touched on it, but it can't be overstated how gorgeous that was. That being said, there were some disappointments along that portion of the drive. Por ejemplo: There was a sign for a "Big horn sheep" crossing!!!! And the light above it? FLASHING. My first thought - "Sheeps can push the 'walk' button?" My second thought "I want to meet this sheep." Third thought (ten minutes later) "Well. That sucked."

Alas, there were no sheep. Nor many of the other animals we were warned to watch for. Disappointing. But, the two fly fishers we saw in the snow surrounded river running down the side of a mountain at least partly made up for it. So cool.

Anyways, since not much else has happened, I figured I would update you with a few other random thoughts from the drive (you know, because it's not like all of this is random enough)

Thought one - The falling rocks signs. First of all. Don't show a rock falling on top of my car. That scares me. And secondly, really?? What am I going to do about a rock falling on top of my car? Swerve into the other side of the cliff?  Outrun it? Maybe we should just pretend like the falling rock thing isn't gonna happen, and if it does I take my medicine.

Second, another sign issue. Don't have a sign that warns me of deer crossing for the next 12 miles, than have a sign 13 miles from there that says deer crossing for the next 12 miles! I mean come on, let's conserve some signs and say deer crossing for the next 25 miles. And if deer happen not to cross in the middle mile of those 25? I think I'll survive. Orrrr maybe. Just maybe, let's just assume that when I'm driving through North Dakota and Montana that I will probably already be on the lookout for deer? I mean, can I get a little credit here?

And lastly, from yesterday: The last exit in North Dakota is titled "Beach". Best. Practical. Joke. Ever.

(And Joanne wondered how I was going to find stuff to write about)

Well, since Anna won't allow me to post all of the ridiculously funny things she has said (both intentional and unintentional), I think that's all for now. 

Ps: Just under four hours til Richland and my little house (Babysitter's club reference!). We'll talk to y'all from there.

Clay

--------

8:54 pm PDT

Mileage: 1707 mi

Helloooo, Washington! After traversing the (now paved) Oregon Trail and battling 20 miles worth of flurries, Clay and I pulled into Richland, in south central WA in the heart of wine country. After nearly 15 hours on the road today, we reached our destination for two nights, his dad's house, located at the foot of Badger Mountain. I sure don't blame you, Kim, for being antsy to move here, considering how gorgeous your house is. The views, the kitchen, the high ceilings, the decor... I'm not leaving. Now, with nothing to do except blog, sip Coronas, and catch up on March Madness games as we wait for our pizza to cook in the oven that looks more complicated than Ben's physics PhD coursework, we relax. 

Snowy Oregon

In other news: I was offered my third sports residency interview, in sweet home Minnesota. WOO! 

Tomorrow, we sleep in, climb Badger Mountain, sip wine, and take Richland by storm. Saturday morning, we head to Seattle, our second destination, with Brad.  

Thanks for tuning in! Until tomorrow...

--A

on the road again

11:30 am CDT

{Departed Monticello: 10:40 am}

Mileage: 0

   

First, some catching up...The 1400-mile (round) trip to Cincinnati this past weekend was a success. Considering it was Dad's last chance to tweak my car before heading to the West Coast for a few months, Clay and I took Mom's car, leaving mid-afternoon on Thursday with our sights set on Champaign, IL for the night. The drive was fast and smooth, and relatively construction-free. We arrived in Cinci at 1pm on Friday, and immediately hit the zoo. Ever since a spur of the moment stop at Como a few weeks ago, we're a bit gaga for gorillas and gibbons...and all the other animals, of course (but mostly the monkeys). One of the top-rated zoos in the nation, highlights included: the playful polar bear, the un-caged peacocks, the river otter, and those monkeys brave enough to endure the outdoors (even though it was a gorgeous 72 degrees). That night, we stayed with my great aunt and uncle, enjoying some delicious salmon, March Madness on the projector in the movie room, and great hospitality. Saturday, we hit up the University of Cincinnati bright and early for my 8am interview. The facilities were outstanding; Clay and I were treated to a tour of the football field, locker room, fuel room (Gatorade galore), and of course the athletic training room (complete with x-ray room and pools). After a stop at Big Boy for breakfast, we put in a solid 12 hours on the road to make it back to Vadnais Heights. 

If only I could take him with...

With three days' rest under our belts (which was spent mini golfing, playing horseshoes and Bocce ball, seeing fam and friends, and grilling out in the 77 degree weather... as well as packing), we hit the road again this morning after the Monti Times went to press. With an unlimited supply of music, Kim's and Grandma Marilyn's cookies, and a desire to make it to  Moorhead by lunchtime...

We've decided that (thanks to Clay's phone being a WiFi hotspot) live blogging from the car will be the way to go these next few days. And we promise that it will be more exciting than the scenery we anticipate passing through come North Dakota. So, here goes. 

Au revoir, Mighty Mississippi

3:10 CDT

Mileage: 291 miles

Welcome to Anna and Clay's live blog! We have decided to attempt to live blog our entire five day trip from Monticello, MN to Seattle, WA. For us that means: Finding occasional internet hook ups and remembering or writing down as many funny/memorable moments as possible. We expect it at times to be an overwhelming amount of work. But for you guys it means: endless joy. And that's why we do it.

So anyways, we are currently coasting through God's country (somewhere between Valley City and Bismark... it's North Dakota, does it really matter?) at a cool 80 miles per hour . Our conditions are blue sky and a slight northeasterly breeze (ok fine, I don't know what direction it's from. Cardinal directions aren't a strength of mine. Heck, I'm impressed I even know they're called Cardinal directions) But I digress.

The trip has been pretty low key so far. Our first stop was in Moorhead, my old stomping grounds. As a Concordia grad, I had to show Anna my old house (just a drive by) and take her to quite possibly the best sub place she will ever eat at, Grand Junction. Their subs are greasy and unhealthy, but downright delicious. After we each devoured a Chicken Cordon Bleu sub and split an order of fries, we pumped some gas and hopped back on the freeway. I continued to drive until we got to Valley City, which is when we made our first transition of the day. Anna is now behind the wheel until Bismark. Which of course is a blessing for you all, as you've gotten to enjoy the writing stylings of moi.

Well, think that's about it for now. Thanks in advance to any poor soul who actually decides to tune into this blog and follow along. Please feel free to leave comments!

PS: Clay's random thought of this stretch: Do you think people will notice in pictures that I only packed one pair of jeans for this trip??

5:55 MDT

Mileage: 497 miles

Ahh, so much excitement to document over the past 200 miles. And by that I mean that we've seen one town with a population you couldn't count on two hands (Bismarck, the capital) and one gigantic grass fire (we couldn't be sure if it was controlled or out of control...until we saw the firetrucks). I did get a kick of Bo Burnham on Spotify (seriously, they should pay me for all the publicity I'm giving them), a comedian/singer. As deep as my love is for a good tune, time passes by much more quickly when you engage your brain-- by talented, wordplaying comedians, by podcasts, or by the athlete game. This game, introduced to me about 400 miles ago, involves naming a professional athlete who's first name starts with the last name of the previously mentioned athlete. While it passed the time and certainly challenged my brainstorming skills, for all I know Clay could have been cheating, claiming he was naming little known basketball players, and for all he knows I could have been cheating, naming players in the Wild's developmental system. The iPod came in handy when we scanned through the FM radio stations-- and there were none.

We're currently driving through Teddy Roosevelt National Park, where Dad and I spent several days mountain biking at Maah Daah Hey a few summers ago. Though NoDak gets a bad rap for consisting of miles upon miles of flat and occasionally rolling land, this stretch of Badlands is hands down beautiful. Resembling the Grand Canyon at times, and full of crevices, riverbeds, red rock, and brush, we were impressed, even though we failed to spot any wildlife. If North Dakota can be this beautiful, I am thrilled to see what wonders Montana, Idaho and Washington hold...

Random thought: Changing time zones is crazy. I mean, how often have I wished for 25 hours in a day? Well, today I had it (and I will tomorrow, too). I feel like I'm stealing, and I like it. 

10:19 MDT

Mileage: 800 even

Twas a long night, though much ground was covered. We are nice and cozy at the Country Inn in Billings, MT, where we'll get some quality shut eye before embarking on a more-complicated-than-planned second day of driving thanks to Mother Nature. Our original plans were to traverse Lookout Pass at the MT/ID border, see Coeur d'Alene, and get to Richland in 8 hours or so. But, a severe winter weather warning at Lookout Pass has forced us to drive through Boise and northeast OR, adding 4 hours onto the drive. But, as is life. 

We realize that the live blogging hasn't been working as well as we thought- but we promise to keep up as our internet capabilities allow. Night, all!

--A & C

ambidextrous

This is the first March that I've had no school commitment since, well...before elementary school. And boy, does it feel weird. It's one thing to have free time in the summer, but quite another to have it when the weather is bipolar (though it's showing off it's record-breaking good side this week), school is in session, and I have had limited independence due to the fact that one-handed driving is considered a safety liability. 

Speaking of driving, the top 5 things I will no longer take for granted after these past 3 weeks wrapped up in a sling:

5. Crystal Light packets (I have an unhealthy addiction, and they are typically the source of my caffeine fix. Long story short, I couldn't drink them for the first few weeks, making it a struggle to stay hydrated.)

4. Clarity of thought. Painkillers mess you up. Though it took longer than I hoped, I quit those as soon as I could. 

3. Wearing normal clothes. For a while, my wardrobe was limited to XL t-shirts and loose-fitting tank tops. Not the kind of things that go hand-in-hand with late February weather. Which was fine for me, considering how little I left the house at first.

2. Driving. Holy cow, I didn't realize how much I drove and how much freedom it gave me until I couldn't do it. I'm easing back into it, and will have lots of time to practice these next few weeks (ROAD TRIPS).

1. Sleeping in a bed. I'm still sleeping on the couch, which is surprisingly more comfortable on my shoulder blade than lying in bed. One day soon, I hope to make the switch back and be normal again.

             

Thankfully I've resolved the first four of those issues. My trip back to Dr. Daly for a post-surgical follow-up yesterday was indeed a successful one; I can be out of the sling as much as tolerated this week and can start strengthening next week, so that I will be (close to) good to go come my arrival at MVP Physical Therapy in Lakewood, WA in 13 days for my last full internship of grad school! Talk about an accelerated recovery plan for me...Research tells me (trust me, I've had lots of time to look into it) that strengthening typically isn't allowed until week 7, not week 5. I'd say I have a top-notch surgeon, a smooth recovery thus far, and knowledge of the shoulder and healing processes to thank for that head start. To my pleasant surprise, I had nearly full passive range of motion day 1 out of the sling, which I (creatively, I like to think) I was able to assess on myself using a broken hockey stick. And Dr. Daly not only gave me the go-ahead to write my own PT regimen, but also offered me some much-needed advice for what to do with my life next year...

Alas, life hasn't been all fun and games these past few weeks, as I've been faced with the question as to what on earth I'm going to do with my life next year. I've gone back and forth between attending a sports residency and applying for a job. While I want nothing more than to focus in on sports PT (need I say more as to why I'm interested in this speciality?), do I move to another state and accept a lower salary than I would likely receive with an entry-level job in order to sit for the Sports Clinical Speciality exam? Or do I wait until I have a few years of experience under my belt for that, and get a job now? Ahhhh, life decisions. To make life more complicated, these decisions all hinge on the length of the delay before I graduate (which is what I get for having excessive free time in March), as well as on the State of Minnesota, which regulates when I will be allowed to sit for the licensing exam. It's quite unlike me to not have the next year (at least) of my life planned out, so needless to say, I will be happy when these decisions have been made.  

Meanwhile, I've spent the past few weeks calling into Jack's Sunday radio show at Hamilton, attending Monticello Magic sporting events (boys swimming: 2nd in state; girls bball: section champs, and headed to state for the first time ever!), becoming ambidextrous, rocking out to Call Me Maybe on repeat in the car, trying to pay as little attention to the Wild as I am able (though Ben and I did witness a great third period on Sunday vs. the Flames, in a game full of relative no-names on the Wild's bench thanks to injuries), getting cultured at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (ok fine, the sports exhibit), obsessing over monkeys at the Como Zoo, trying my hand at the casino for the first time (I am no longer fond of my hand after that trip), wandering around Rosedale with Alina, trying not to be jealous of Mom and Dad's how tan Mom and Dad are after their Mexican getaway, and, much to my surprise, becoming a fan of two things I never thought I'd like: cats and basketball. (I'm not completely sold on either one yet, but it's safe to say I think of both more favorably than before spending so much time with the Sawatzkes). 

 

A few must-haves as of late:

1) Spotify Premium (I can listen to any song I could ever think of on my phone at any time. Yes, please. And you can get it free for 30 days here...check it out.)

2) Caribou (A very short walk from the Monti Times office, and I like to think I've been reasonably productive study-wise the past few weeks.)

3) Advil (I'm using muscles and moving joints I haven't moved in 3+ weeks. Ouch.)

4) GPS (With 1400-mile and 1600-mile road trips coming up in the next 11 days, I imagine we'll need Spotify Premium, Caribou, and possibly even Advil, in addition to GPS.)

Yes, you read that right. We'll be logging 3000+ miles in the next few weeks, en route to a residency interview at the University of Cincinnati and to my temporary home in Tacoma, WA for a sports/orthopedic internship. At least I can help Clay with the driving now that my right arm has been reinstated. Baby steps. 

In the meantime, off to the girls' basketball banquet before Monti's first-ever game at state tomorrow. Good Luck Magic!

change of plans, part II

the hospital staff were really entertained by my goal--to play hockey. ha!

To be honest, I have no idea where to start. These past two weeks have really thrown me for a loop. As I mentioned in my pre-surgery post, I typed a long post detailing all the things that had been going on in my life-- Valentine's Day, an awesome Wild game, a cabin getaway, challenges at work-- and talked about all I had to get done in my last few days in the US. Flashback to 12 days ago, the Saturday before I was set to jet set. Here's what I wrote in regard to what had been going on in my life:

These past two weeks have been crazy and stressful and busy and exhausting. As a testament to how just how busy my life has been, I haven't even tried out my brand spankin' new running shoes, which is so unlike me. I've rewritten my to-do list upwards of 45 times and haphazardly started packing based upon what's without a doubt my most complicated packing list ever-- long skirts and short sleeve shirts for the Sahara in the same suitcase as raincoats and riding boots for Paris, plus clothes and textbooks and bike gear for Washington. 

I've survived 7 weeks of all that my clinical instructor has thrown at me at United to help prepare me for Africa. I've been forbidden from reviewing new patients' charts, forcing me to treat what I see-- after all, I don't expect they'll have many past medical history notes for us in Niger... I've been challenged to run treatment sessions without the use of an interpreter, making me pretty proficient in administering standardized testing via charades-- after all, many of the people I'll treat in Africa won't speak English, or even French... And I've been told that I'll be treating different PT's patients moments before they arrive, forcing me throw my treatment plans out the window--after all, I won't be able to plan anything in Africa, and I'll have to be comfortable with plans changing at the last minute. 

I've also managed to have some fun outside of the clinic, enjoying my last few weeks in Minnesota until June. Last Friday, we hit up Billy's on Grand with Kristy and Amy. Bruce, a sparkly white polar bear, was born last Saturday, when we built a bear at Build-A-Bear as part of my Valentine's Day present from Clay. (We kind of have a thing for Springsteen.) That night, Famous Dave's with Brad and Kim for some ribs and live music. Car troubles for Clay, hockey, and Grammy's on Sunday. Wednesday, I momentarily stole the attention from my newly engaged coworker when I had a gorgeous bouquet from Clay delivered to the PT gym, because who expects day-after-Valentine's-Day flowers?! #impressed. Thursday, we sat on the edges of our seats at the Xcel for the first time in years as we witnessed one of the most exciting Wild games in a long time-- though we were surrounded by crazy Canadiens, and lost to the Jets in a shootout, it was awesome to see a rivalry building firsthand. 

not bad for a cabin dinner!

For my last weekend, Clay and I managed to get away to his cabin for a bit of R&R before I tackle these next few days. The tantalizing smell of Clay's cajun breakfast (a direct ripoff of Moe's cajun breakfast at the Downtowner) dragged me out of bed this morning, and we've spent the day watching Californication, the Wild lose, and the Knights go into OT with the Oles in the final day of MIAC men's bball, patiently waiting for one of the four cars on Lake Ida fall through the ice. (I mean, what the heck. It's 34 degrees and sunny. Hennepin County banned all cars from their lakes weeks ago.) Tonight, Von Hanson's stuffed chicken breasts, garlic bread, caesar salad, and KFC cole slaw (guess who picked that one out) for dinner. Tomorrow, brunch and cards at Clay's grandparents', hockey at 12:30, and hardcore packing time. 

But boy, did everything change in an instant that Sunday. With three minutes to go, riding a 2-0 lead (I scored the second :), I collided with a girl at our blue line, and knew immediately that I had seriously messed up my right shoulder (I separated it almost 3 years ago to the day, and this feeling was similar, though worse). My teammates helped me peel off my helmet, jersey, shoulder pads, elbow pads and skates. They tried to fabricate a sling out of hockey socks for me, which helped a little during the cautious walk to the car. Thankfully I was with Clay, who drove me to United's (couldn't get enough of the place) ER, where my x-rays provided a handful of docs with their weekend entertainment-- they hadn't seen anything like it. They diagnosed me with a Grade IV AC (the shoulder joint) separation, and sent me home with a sling and instructions to ice, rest, and follow-up with an orthopedic doc who knew more about shoulders than they did. Tuesday was the earliest I could get in with the family favorite, Dr. Daly, who, after reviewing my x-rays and seeing how severe my pain was nearly 48 hours after the collision, decided to operate that night. 

I like to think I'm tough...but my pain meds sure don't reflect that.

 Surgery went well, though I stayed in the hospital until Thursday for help with pain control. A very special thanks to Clay, who has stayed with me every single night on the couch and on a very uncozy hospital cot from the day of the injury up until last night, getting up in the middle of the night to talk to the doctors and nurses, get me meds, and help me be comfortable. And of course, thanks to mom and dad, who rearranged their busy lives to take me to appointments, sit with me in the hospital, and help with the things I can't manage to do with one arm. Thanks also to those who visited (my grandparents, Mac, Ben, Alisa, and later Alina and Kristy at home), sent flowers and gifts, and called- I truly appreciate it. And last but not least, thanks to the Sawatzke fam for taking me in for days at a time :)


Since coming home, I've been trying to get back into normal life, and of course cope with the fact that Africa was absolutely out of the question as soon as we decided upon surgery (no one wants follow-up care in a third world country). It's been a slow process with a few setbacks, but I'm mostly weaned off of the pain meds and have been sitting (and typing!) with my arm out of the sling. Unfortunately, the sling stays on outside of the house until I head to Washington, but I'm hoping to be able to sleep in a bed, have enough energy to stay up past 10 pm, and drive soon! 

from Mac :)

Now, I'm faced with something I truly haven't had since before grad school--free time. I'm used to being busy, and I like being busy (but certainly not to the extent that I was in the weeks leading up to the trip that almost was). On my to-do list: 

-Read a (non-school related) book

-Plan the drive out to Washington with Clay in 3 weeks (complete with Spotify in the car, a stop in Coeur d'Alene, and sightseeing in Seattle)

-Study for my boards (because I'll have 4 weeks of internships to make up in the summer, and less time to study than planned)

-Clean my room (it's become a disaster, because it's so much easier to take something out of a drawer than put it away with one hand...)

-Be diligent with my own PT so I don't get a late start performing PT in Washington

-Catch up on sleep (oh wait, that's pretty much all I've done over the past 2 weeks)

-Relax. 'nuff said.

Well, this is far too long of a post for my liking, but I guess I had a lot to say. Too bad I won't be able to blog about my adventures through the Sahara-- that is the reason I started this blog, after all-- but this way, I get to relax, see my friends and fam, and get excited for all the adventures I'll have in Washington! 

P.S. If you're up for it after tackling this long post, I highly recommend reading this, too (it's very funny): Adventures with Clay: Goaltending for the Girls' Hockey Team.