First long walk!

Today was my first day of work at my new job! I spent the whole day in orientation. It seemed a little long, but I got lots of good info! It meant a lot of sitting, so my ankle didn't have too much trouble. I noticed it definitely got more swollen as the day went on though. My expensive new orthopedic shoes were really comfy for when I was walking around Arlington for lunch. They better be!! Tomorrow I have more orientation in the morning, and finally go to my office in the afternoon.

When I got home, Snickers and I took our first long walk! I say first because hopefully it will be the first of many. Snickers and I are both out of shape, so it was tough! But my ankle felt pretty good afterwards. It was definitely tougher than walking on the treadmill on an incline at PT for 8 minutes though! Yay for getting in some exercise and not hurting too bad! Let's hope this lasts.

"Thanks for the long walk! I'm tuckered out!"

Ice Machine = Best Investment Ever

If you are having surgery, or getting a cast off, or something like that, I think you should know about this amazing ice machine. It's really easy to use, gets really cold, AND compresses! I have a foot cuff from my ankle surgery (of course) but I understand you can get the cuffs for different areas of the body. We bought the machine at my pre-surgery appointment. It was around $250, which seems like a lot, but besides my pain meds, this was the best money spent!

My leg in the splint. If you look at my toe area you can see where the blue cuff is peaking out.

We brought the cuff to surgery, and while I was still under and they were putting my splint on, the cuff got incorporated into the splint. This way, it was close to my ankle and wouldn't move, and could easily be connected and disconnected from the main ice cooler part.

IT IS AMAZING. I might have mentioned that I don't handle pain all that well. And this surgery was painful. I had some heavy duty pain meds, and was pretty out of it for a couple days, but I was still in pain. The ice machine was the best way to manage the pain along with the meds. It made a HUGE difference in my pain level. When I couldn't use it for the weeks I was in my cast, it was noticeably harder to manage my pain (although it was lessening, thank goodness!). Also, when the splint was taken off for my ankle to be cast it wasn't very swollen. Even my surgeon and the nurse who put my cast on were very impressed with my lack of swelling compared to others they see. I credit this amazingness to the ice machine as well. I'm in love with this machine!

I got it back out the other day to use when I was having a lot of swelling and pain again. And it was just as magical as I remembered.

Hooked up to the ice machine again! It is awesome! It's really hard to get your foot above your heart though...

One quick shout out to my mom, and my sister, who filled the cooler with ice and water, carried it upstairs, hooked me up to it, waited 20 minutes, then came back and unhooked me, many times for many days when I couldn't do it myself. (Not to mention getting food to me and all of the other things they did for me!) They are the best and I am SO incredibly lucky to have them!

My New Job!

I got a new job! I'm very excited to be able to work again and to have found a job! I've been applying to things for months, and even got several interviews, but getting a job has been another long journey in my life.

My new job is working with older adults (65+) with mental illness, trying to divert them from the state mental hospital and keeping them in their local communities instead. I'm excited to feel like a real social worker again (are you still a social worker when you're not working??). I'm thrilled to continue counting my hours for my clinical license. I'm excited to be part of a team of social workers again. And I'm excited to try something new. I've never worked with older adults before, so this will be new but exciting. I think when you're starting out as a social worker, it's important to get a bunch of different experiences in order to grow as a social worker, grow your knowledge, and see what you like and don't like in the field.

I miss my old job, but it required A LOT of walking and driving everyday in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in DC. I miss my ladies there - both my clients and my amazing coworkers! My new job will be a challenge building up my stamina at first and getting my ankle used to it, but it will be less walking and driving and much safer for me at this time. And I'm staying involved in the field I've been most passionate about by volunteering for a sexual assault online hotline.

Side note: I want to encourage all of my friends who are looking for jobs to keep your chin up and keep looking! I've changed jobs every year since I graduated from grad school in 2009. The economy has always sucked, but it's even worse right now. It took applying to at least 60 or so jobs each time to get ONE job offer. And (sorry, but we all know I'm an education snob) I have a masters degree in my field from an Ivy League University. Bottom line: It's extremely hard to find a job right now, but keep applying, keep following up, keep making connections and networking, and try not to get too down about it!

Discharged from PT!!

Thursday was my last day of physical therapy (PT). I WAS DISCHARGED!!

Now, honestly, if I wasn't starting my job Monday, I think we would have asked to renew the prescription for another month. I don't really need it because I can do most things at home, but I do still have some work to do. Going to PT twice a week is a good way to make sure that's getting done - not only do I do everything there, Brenda and Dave check in with me about what I've been doing at home. If I feel like I need it, I can get a prescription and go to a new PT that has early morning or late hours closer to work. (My surgeon has PT there, although I did not originally like them...) I am going to miss Brenda and Dave - they are really awesome and I've enjoyed spending a couple hours a week with them (and Cristina before she had her baby!) for the past 8 months (Yes - since July, minus the 6 weeks splint/cast time after surgery)... but it is undoubtedly time to move on! Side note: I will also miss all of the old men (think 60's and up) who liked to joke with me and tell me my smile is pretty. I mean, who doesn't like to hear that from a sweet old man?!

So I've been discharged, with a list of things to work on, and the knowledge that I can go back at any time and call with any questions. Seriously, if you're in Northern VA, Dynamics Physical Therapy is awesome!!


Gotta stretch those calves!! This is not me, but this is how I will stretch my calves...

Things to Work on After Being Discharged From PT

1.)  Continue doing strengthening and stretching exercises. I need to do balance activities and other strengthening activities to continue to build the strength back up in my ankle and leg. I need to walk on uneven ground to get my ankle to work, etc. Stretching is also important, as I've learned my Achilles tendon in both legs (even though the right one was lengthened during surgery) are very tight and short. They think this is from swimming. Maybe it's just how God made me, but what it means is it's more likely that I will blow out my Achilles tendon at some point. So I have to always keep my calves stretched out.

2.)  Work up to standing on my toes. I still can't stand on my toes with weight on my right foot without having really bad pain on the outside of my heel (where they moved my heel bone, etc.). Brenda and Dave suggested I work on this in the pool first and work up to doing it on land. They said I'm way too young to give up on this and decide to never stand on my toes again. Yeah, I agree...

3.)  Get in the pool! I need to get exercising and get some of this fluffiness off! I can't wait to build up to doing more things and be able to work out again. Also, I need to walk in the water to build up strength. Before I can run on land, I have to be able to run in the pool. And obviously I need to get in the pool to work on standing on my toes.

4.)  Build into activities gradually. I want to get started doing things, but I have to do this very gradually due to the kind of surgery I've had, as well as the amount of time I haven't been able to do any activities. I need to be able to stand on my toes before I can run because you push off your toes when running. Things like this frustrate me, but I'm going to try to be patient. The best advice I've gotten for this was...

5.)  RESPECT THE PAIN. Before I left PT Dave gave me the best advice ever. Respect the pain. This is going to be my new motto. There are several older men who go to PT at the same time as me who have had knee replacements. When they come in Dave stretches them and they practically cry in pain, but they have to have assistance to get it stretched straight. Dave reminds me everyday that my surgery is a "totally different animal." After having my ankle completely reconstructed, I need to pay attention to my body and back off if I have pain. Basically his guideline was try something and see how you feel. If it's ok, go a little further, or try something else. But if it hurts, more than just muscle soreness and more than a day or two, back off and rest!!

PT Update

After the top of my foot continued to hurt last week, Brenda was worried that I had stress fractured my foot. Awesome. Even doing the ultrasounds was painful for it, and it should not have been. Over the weekend - both Friday and Saturday, I had States with my swimmers. (Side note: We did REALLY well! Our girls came in 4th overall and won the 200 medley relay, while breaking the state record!!) for my foot, this meant standing on a concrete pool deck for about 7-8 hours each day. It was so crowded and even though I was told I could have a chair (even though they weren't allowed) I never received one. Boo. But I made it through!! I was very swollen and tired at the end and was limping, but honestly after those two days on a hot crowded pool deck, who wouldn't feel that way?

I spent the rest of the long weekend walking as little as possible. I caught up on tv shows while keeping my ankle elevated above my heart. I even got out my AMAZING air cast ice machine (which I will write another post about, because it is amazing and worth investing in if you're having surgery or something like that). It ices and compresses at the same time. Seriously awesome!

By the time I went back to PT Tuesday morning my ankle was a lot less swollen and the top of it barely hurt. When Brenda looked at it she saw and felt much less swelling! A miracle occurred?? Maybe... :) We still did ultrasound but I was able to return to all of my more advanced activities and finished with EStim and ice.

Thursday is my last day at PT with Brenda and Dave! I'm going to miss them! But it's time to get back to real life and work.

So Good Brownies

I feel like a walking, talking, blogging... advertisement for Southern Living somedays. We clearly live by it in our house. But I will say that this Southern Living recipe (from August 2009) really could be considered for the title of The Best Brownies. The are very easy to make. And SL claims, and I agree, that these solve the debate between those who like cake-textured brownies and those who love gooey ones.

I made these last week, also for the last day of swim practice, and my kids and the lifeguards at Freedom Center loved them. As you can see in the pictures below, I had a rookie mistake in the kitchen (so embarrassing!!). I put in my first pan of brownies, only to turn around and discover an unused cup of flour. Oops! I tried to whisk it in in the pan, because it was nearly impossible to pour the batter back into the mixing bowl. But when it came out of the oven again, there was clearly a problem and an obvious difference between them and the pan I did NOT mess up. Sadly, they had to be thrown away. But seriously, a rookie mistake!

So Good Brownies

4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in flour, vanilla, and salt.

3. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 for 40 to 44 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil, and cut brownies into 16 squares.

Yummy! Fresh out of the oven!

This is what happens when you forget the cup of flour! Don't know if you can tell how flat they are and how ridiculous they look.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Last week for the last day of swim practice (tear!) I made my kids these Peanut butter Kiss Cookies. They loved them! For me, I wish the cookies had more peanut butter flavor, so next time I'm going to try using more peanut butter than the recipe calls for. Also, it mentions that you can refrigerate the dough when you're done, before rolling it out. I had to do this because my dough was too warm to work with, and even refrigerating briefly helped a lot.

Finally, when you roll the dough, you need to roll it through "additional granulated sugar." Don't freak out (like I did) that you were supposed to save some and didn't. In fact, they want you to get out additional sugar, not originally accounted for in the recipe. :)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1/2 margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag chocolate kisses (unwrapped)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixer bowl, beat margarine and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, beating well. If necessary, cover and chill about one hour for easier handling.

Shape dough into one-inch balls. Roll in additional granulated sugar. Place about two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are firm. Immediately press a chocolate kiss atop each cookie. With a spatula, lift cookies onto cooling rack. When cool, store in an airtight container.



Yummy! Kiss cookies!



Fresh out of the oven!