Friday, January 8, 2016

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!!


 

                                     

Happy Holidays to all!

As most of you know, this has been an interesting year for me!  In January I went on my first winter Florida vacation on the Gulf Shores.  It was beautiful and we had a great time, but oh how cold it was.  We had to buy some warmer clothes to wear!!

The winter was long and difficult but I was very thankful to be able to go to the gym and work with my personal trainer.  In the spring I had a visit from sister Judy and husband from Kentucky in May.  This month was also eventful because I bought a new Trek Silque S bicycle – my first full carbon.  I managed to get two rides on it – a 20 mile with a friend and a 30 mile with my “Misfits” friends from the gym.

My new wheels have been resting ever since because on June 11th I received the disappointing news that the stem of my artificial joint had broken and would require two major surgeries to repair. June 2 was five years since my last hip implant.   My surgeon, David Maish, performed the first surgery on June 24th and, fortunately, even though it was a very extensive and complicated procedure, it went according to his plan.  This allowed him to remove all of the hardware from 5 years ago all the way down to the knee.  Sister Judy was kind enough to play nursemaid for the first 2 weeks and then I had two nurses with me in the morning and many friends and family helped to get me to appointments, make food, spend the night, and much more.

In August I was able to take our scheduled beach trip and enjoyed most of the week on an ocean front balcony.  On the way home from the beach, we attended nephew Jake and Christy’s wedding in Baltimore.  It was a beautiful wedding and lots of fun!!

After 15 weeks of rest and hopping on one leg using a walker, Dr. Maish implanted my third hip on Oct. 7th.  The procedure went very well and again Judy played nursemaid for a couple weeks.  This joint is a much improved one and so far I have done very well.  It has been a “pleasant experience” compared to all of my other surgeries!!

I continue to recuperate and see daily improvement!  Despite being slowed down, I have continued to work with my personal trainer, took PT twice a week, and managed to get the house decorated for the holidays!  My ongoing exercise and training have been instrumental in allowing my surgeon to continue with my treatment.  Currently, I’m on stationary bike; next spin; and my new Trek Silque S by summer!

So…… the most important message I have to share with each of you is to keep working out and exercising!  It is extremely important in your wellbeing!!

I hope all of you have a fun holiday season with family and friends and I encourage you to appreciate just how important they are in our lives!!

Happy New Year! 

2016!!