Remember Me??

Hey guys,

Remember me? The girl who got injured and reinjured and after months and months just got fed up and bitter. BUT, I finally have the first potential good news after 5 months!

So, quick background: the doctors think I either have a hip problem, like a torn labrum, or a sports hernia. Either of these problems prob need surgery, since therapy isn't working. These last few months have been completely awful. Sometimes the pain is so bad I can barely walk to class. I'm also starting to encounter insurance issues with new patient evals, so long story short I had to fly home to Michigan Monday night, miss Tuesday classes, get a intra-articular injection of steroid + anesthetic in my hip joint, try to elicit the pain before the anesthetic wears off 4 hours later, then hop back on the plane to Arizona Tuesday night, and go to class all day on Wednesday.

So the theory is that if the problem is the hip, the anesthetic will numb the area and I will have significantly reduced pain for 3 hours when I try and do the activities that make it hurt the most. It could also be a sports hernia/athletic pubalgia (basically a tear in the abdomen where it originates right at the pelvis, with a possible tear at the conjoined tendon of the adductor on the pelvic bone. That'd explain the high adductor/inner thigh pain). If it's the sports hernia, then there would be little to no effect on the pain.

So, I got the injection yesterday and it hurt like a bitch! They didn't wait until the skin lidocaine injection kicked in before inserting the needle straight into the hip joint. So, I was under the impression that the anesthetic would start working immediately. Mmmm, not s'much. It took a good 15 minutes, and before it kicked in it felt like I was trying to work on a semi-dislocated hip. I guess cause the joint capsule was filled with excess fluid or whatever, but it hurt so much! And it was so far outside my normal area of pain that I got so discouraged and was like, "this was a STUPID idea!" Haha, I actually started crying walking down the halls in the hospital back to the car.

My mom and I still went straight to the gym, and I started on the arc trainer. I have barely been able to do anything more than walk for 5 months, so I assumed that this would wreck me in about 5 minutes, 15 tops.

The pain started to creep up, but 5 minutes later it just kinda stopped. I was hella confused. I was so sure the pain would be there! So I decided that maybe impact activity would jar the rectus abdominis origin at the pelvis if it was the sports hernia. So I started running on the treadmill. I started at 5.0, which felt like 8.0 used to ;) Still, no pain.... I was getting pissed! Haha it's so counter-intuitive, but I was 90% sure this wasn't the hip! I ramped up the speed to 6.0 eventually and ran 1 mile total. Dude, this was insane.

So then I did a whole bunch of ab/hip/ physical therapy exercises that usually cause pain. Most everything was pain free, except for this tuck+reach exercise where I'd crunch my right knee into my chest. That was still only slight/moderate discomfort. And the whole short gym sesh just reminded me how much I love and miss working out!

Sooooo, my mom and I were like, flabbergasted. The lower abdominal/groin inflammation mostly stayed away during the workout and just started creeping back slightly several hours after the injection and workout. Still, the pain was minimal! Of course, that's when the soreness from the injection itself kicked in, but that wasn't too horrible.

So. Hip, huh? Geez. I'm seeing the surgeon/doctor on May 20 when I get back to MI after school gets out. We'll see, I guess! I'm just shocked something finally helped. NOTHING has worked for 5 months. Not chiropractic, acupuncture, meds, massage therapy ointments, rest, not rest, stretching, foam rolling, physical therapy, ASTYM... nothing. So this was totally out from left field, since I don't have the usual labral tear symptoms.

I'm pretty sore today, lol. It's to be expected, but at least I can still walk! The joint itself is still tight and irritated from the injection, so I have to be careful about rotating my hip.

Ummmm, food blog wise? Many of my meals have been the same. I did finally try kombucha, though! Janetha's blog post on it coupled with a $1.49/bottle deal at the store got me to try it.


Stock photo, sorry! Anyway, loved the citrus and gingerade but that multi-green one is NASTY!

I also really like the guava goddess, grape flavor, and cosmic cranberry. The trilogy one was pretty good, too. They're kinda vinegary, but it grows on you. I also like that they're effervescent and refreshing and they make me feel good! They have little culturey-strand things that still kinda squick me out, but I usually don't notice them when I drink it.

I tried the multi-green one and GAGGED, though! Probably cause of the spiralina. I can't stand that stuff in Amazing Grass, either. Seriously, no way I could choke that down! If you like that taste of the original amazing grass, you might dig it. No way you could pay me to drink it, though!

These kombucha drinks are pretty expensive when they're not on sale (like $3 a bottle depending where you are), but they're nice as an occasional treat. Or if your grocery store ever does a $1.49/bottle sale, definitely try it and/or stock up!

Anyway, just wanted to give you guys an update. I'm actual feeling slightly more hopeful than I've been in MONTHS about this whole thing. I've been injured for 7-8 months STRAIGHT and I am sooo ready to get back to activity and nix this pain!

Q: Have you ever tried kombucha? What are your thoughts?

Back for a Bit

Hey guys,

I know, I know, it's been forever, right? Well unfortunately, my injury is still holding on strong and there's been minimal (if any) progress. We're all still trying to figure out exactly what the damn thing is. I'm going back to Michigan for spring break next week and I've got a followup with the sports doc there, so hopefully that will be somewhat helpful.

Anyway, I'm still trying to tough it out. Chronic pain is no fun, and it pretty much sucks when you're a kinesiology major and in classes like "Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Activity," where you have to sit and listen about ALL the great things exercise can do for you--and you can barely walk. Awesome. Also, I haven't been able to participate in several Human Anatomy and Physiology labs where we test the effects of light and moderate exercise on the body--simply because I cannot lift my knees to bike for 1 minute.

It's some sort of adductor and groin issue that also extends up to the low, low abdomen. It's not a hip flexor/psoas issue cause I had that on my left leg and it's for sure not the same.

I've had multiple tests done and they haven't found anything (yet). I've also tried chiropractor + acupuncture treatments along with the physical therapy. Still nothing is working.

Enough about that, though. Just wanted to give you guys a quick update. I'm sorry I've been MIA from the blogworld, but I really can't deal with reading about exercise and fitness and all at this time. I know it sounds kinda bad, but it makes me ridiculously jealous and sad, and I can't really afford to be more bitter than I already am! Haha. It's hard cause I've been injured for 6 months so far, 2 of them with this current freaking debilitating groin injury. I've always been so active--before, running 10 miles was a breeze. Now, I can barely walk without pain.

So the other reason for this post was that I wanted to share a new veggie burger find. These fake turkey burgers from Morningstar:





They have avocado and they're really good! They remind me of a "heavier" Morningstar grilled chick'n pattiy crossed with a sundried tomato flavor/pizza burger. I'll definitely be buying them again. Here is mine on a salad with goat cheese and Annie's lite honey mustard dressing:



I've only recently been able to start eating salads and veggies again, which is another reason I've been absent from blogland. The pain has wreaked havoc with my appetite and what I can stomach--I've been eating a lot of yogurt and oatmeal. I wasn't able to eat salads/veggies for over 1 month cause I'd just feel way too sick!

Right now, I really like taking some fruit-flavored yogurt and adding a little cocoa powder + stevia, then freezing it. I did this with an orange creamsicle yogurt, which sounds a little strange. But it's basically just a chocolate orange flavor, which is really good!




That picture looks kinda gross, sorry. It was good though, I promise! I also like adding cocoa powder and freezing strawberry yogurts. The chocolate strawberry flavor makes it seem really gourmet. I like to let it freeze halfway so it's kinda like soft-serve.

Another product I found and really like is this Steaz no calorie sparkling green tea:




I usually shy away from energy drinks cause of the icky ingredients and MASSIVE amounts of stimulants, but this one is sweetened with stevia and only has 100mg of caffeine--enough for a boost but just a little more than a cup of coffee. So it doesn't make me shaky or anything. It's super tasty, too! It's slightly expensive, but nice to have on those long school days with an additional 3 hrs of bio lab!

And my chocolate apple oats have become a staple:



Oats, 1 chopped apple, spoon of cocoa powder, stevia, cinnamon, dash of salt, and a spoon of pb.
And then with a whole ton of unsweetened coconut:



Like the snow I'm sure will be awaiting me in Michigan on Saturday! Ha.

Q: Alright, lets hear your injury success stories! I want happy endings, haha ;) What injury/injuries have you had and recovered from?

I've had knee issues before that I treated with strengthening exercises, foam rolling, and joint supplements for good measure. What about you?

So I hope things are going well with all of you, and I'll try to check in on your blogs when I can. I haven't forgotten you <3

A Little Hiatus

Hi guys,

I'm sorry for abandoning the blog. I'm going through some really frustrating health issues right now. My adductor strain has manifested into a horrible trifecta of right groin/adductor/lower abdominal pain. I've been to multiple doctors and the ER, but so far no major causes have been detected. The only thing we're mostly sure about now is that it's muscular in nature.

I'm back to physical therapy and I hope that somehow this is going to be figured out. We're treating it as an adductor and abdominal strain, but who knows where that ab strain even came from. Walking aggravates it, and so does sitting and standing for long periods, playing the harp and driving. Other times, it just aches with varying degrees of pain.

I've lost a big part of my appetite, and along with that I can't stomach much more than oatmeal, yogurt, and vitatops. And yep, I finally got vitatops--my mom shipped me some as a gift :) The ab strain-y thing has also activated flares of heartburn pain and an acidy tummy.

I'm going to be taking a little blogging hiatus. I'm not sure for how long, but hopefully not too long. After I'm not in constant pain, can stomach a salad or veggies again, and on the mend, I'm sure I'll be back. I'm still reading your blogs when I have the time--and when looking at food doesn't make me feel sick, haha. I'll try to pop up in the comments from time to time :)

I hope everything is going well in your world. Take care, everyone!

All Washed Up

Hey guys!

It is freaking MONSOONING in Arizona! The streets, sidewalks, everything is flooded. Since we usually don't get rain, the city doesn't have very good drainage systems in place. I was walking to the lightrail to get to school this morning when a car drove past. It kicked up this HUGE sheet of water and completely soaked my right side. It was totally like on tv, just not as funny ;)

This morning I made some classic apple oats:



I also roasted a TON of veggies today. Alas, this is what happens when 1) you forget to set the oven timer and 2) forget about the veggies!



Mmmm, carcinogens ;) Don't worry, I picked the burned ones off at the top and still had MORE than enough vegs. I piled that tray high!



I continued my quest to find vitatops in Arizona by going to Fry's. Unfortunately, there were no vitatops to be found but I did find goat cheese crumbles! Another previously MIA item :) I got some grapes too, since I was really craving them:



And I made my own chocolate greek yogurt since I wasn't a huge fan of the ready-made chocolate oikos:



Dagoba cocoa powder, cinnamon, and stevia. All added to taste :) With chocolate pb, of course!

My classes are going well. I like my forensic anthropology class--it makes me feel like I'm on a crime show, haha! The annoying thing is that I'm probably going to have to fill out a petition for a course overload so I can register for harp lessons. This means I'll have 20 credits this semester. Awesome.

Q: What's your favorite sport to watch?

I looove watching figure skating and gymnastics. Mostly skating! I've been following Nationals this past week, and the Ladies short program is on tonight :) What do you like to watch?

Back in the Valley of the... Sun?

Hey guys!

I'm back in Arizona and it's warm! Well, it was yesterday. Today it's rainy! I always seem to bring rain to AZ whenever I come back here, haha. It's actually supposed to rain all week though... fun, fun.

I got in around Sunday at noon. I took the lightrail from the airport to my apartment, which was chock full of PF Chang's half and full marathon runners. Cue MAJOR jealously, ha. One of the many races crossed out in my calendar! But I just told myself that when my injuries get better, I'll go do some super awesome destination half or marathon. I mean, if you're not in the gorgeous mountains of AZ, the scenery is insanely dirty and dull. So forget Rock N' Roll AZ, I think Big Sur in Cali would be fun ;)

So I had to do a MAJOR grocery shop yesterday since I had nothing in my apartment. I got a lot of good stuff, but I did get mad at Whole Foods for not having parsnips ;) But in their favor, the checkout lady noticed my WF reusable bag had a rip in it from all the grocery cartage, so she got me a new one for free! :D

Also at WF, I saw they had the new Chocolate Oikos greek yogurt and thought I'd give it a shot. I LOVE mixing cocoa powder + stevia into plain greek yogurt, and I've been wondering when the yogurt companies were gonna come out with a ready-made one.





Verdict? Eh. It was pretty good, but I guess my hopes were sky high. I much prefer just adding the cocoa powder + stevia myself (this one had sugar). I bought em to take to school though, cause it's MUCH more convenient to have a sealed ready-made package. These were the snack size, and there also wasn't much greek yogurt in there. Still, they'll be nice to take to school and the chocolate flavor was really rich--like dark chocolate. But as for me, I'll just keep making my own chocolate greek yogurt.

I had my physical therapy session today for my hip adductor injury. We're starting off with a lot of core exercises that don't aggravate the psoas muscle, and we'll go from there. I'm hopeful!

I ended the night with 2 big bowls of roasted veggies:



None of my beloved parsnips, but this bowl did have green beans, carrots, sweet onion, and brussels sprouts.

Alright, I've got my first day of school tomorrow. Tuesdays aren't so bad--I've got Forensic Anthropology, Human Anatomy/Physiology lecture and a harp lesson. I also only have class from 9-2:30, which isn't too bad compared to last year!

Q: What time do you normally eat dinner?

I'm curious! I normally eat around 6 or 6:30. I don't like eating before 5:30 or after 7:30 or so. Does it matter to you?

The Results are In

Hey guys,

So I got my MRI results this morning-- no stress fractures! I've been diagnosed with a right adductor strain, which is basically a groin strain. I got a prescription for physical therapy and I've already called my PT place in Arizona. Thankfully, they'll accept the prescription from Michigan and I have my first appointment Monday. I was worried that I'd have to wait til the University opened, make an appointment at the health center there, and have to wait even longer before I could start PT.

The bad part is that I still can't do any activity--even walking too much aggravates the injury. However, I am really relieved that I have an action plan set in place to treat this. Funny--give me an injury diagnosis and physical therapy prescription and I'm happier than I've been in weeks. I am so damaged ;)

So, our oven AND stove are still out of commission. The new oven won't be delivered until I'm back in Arizona, so meals have been mostly been microwaved or assembled raw. I am sorely missing my roasted veggies, but I did microwave some green beans and carrots as a substitute:



Topped with goat cheese and Emeril's original seasoning.

I had a salad with a Gardenburger sundried tomato basil veggie burger, topped with Annie's Island Marinade:



The veggie burger kind of reminded me of a slice of pizza. It was a nice change!

Then, despite my vigilant stance by the microwave this morning, my pumpkin oats still overflowed. They ended up looking so unappetizing I just didn't take a picture. You just can't beat stovetop oats for taste and beauty ;)

Q: Do you microwave your oatmeal or cook it on the stovetop?

If I have access to a stovetop, I always make the oats on the stove. If I have to, I'll make oats in a microwave (like in a hotel room), but they're never quite as good. What about you?

The Demise of My Oven

Hey guys!

I know pretty much all you college kids have gone back to school now, and I'm feeling weird that I'm still on break. My right hip/groin injury was flaring up today, so I pretty much just chilled at the house. I spent some time practicing harp, but the pain worsened a bit when I had to do lots of pedals. It also flares when I have to drive a lot and use my right foot to work the pedals. Weird.

So I spent a good amount of time prepping veggies to be roasted for tonight's dinner. I love roasted veggies, but the time it takes to prepare them is SO disproportionate to the time it takes to eat them. I can finish off a pan in no time! ;)



Carrots
Brussels Sprouts
Turnips
Parsnips
Green + Yellow Beans
Onions

Seasoned with salt + pepper, Emeril's original blend, dried oregano + basil, and dried garlic. Roasted at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Alright, so just as I was typing up this post, we finally got a little excitement in the household! My mom was making my dad a salmon burger in the oven when she noticed there was a light in the oven and thought something light on fire. After baking soda didn't extinguish it, she realized it was on the coil. So she tried water, but then the ball of light started sparking! We yelled for my dad to get down here and he busted out the fire extinguisher.

We ended up having to unplug the entire oven to get the spark to go out, even though we had turned the oven off. Annnnd during this whole ordeal, of course I was standing back with the camera ;)

At the beginning:



After being doused with the fire extinguisher:



You can see the oven's kinda sooty now.

My parents moving the oven to turn it off, while you can see the light getting bigger in the oven:



I didn't get any awesome pictures of it sparking or the fire extinguisher in use. I suggested a reenactment, but my parents weren't too gung-ho about that... ;)

So now we need a new oven, BUT it wasn't my fault or the roasted veggies. My mom's salmon patty was what took it down ;) This incident kinda reminded me of my kitchen almost-fire back in AZ. Thankfully, neither cases were worse than they could have been!

Now, back to roasted veggies. My family has mixed opinions on parsnips. I LOVE them. I think they have a delicious woodsy, full-bodied flavor. My mom doesn't like them and declares they have a bitter taste. My dad and sister think they taste "earthy," and my sis thinks they're okay while my dad doesn't like them. My mom wants me to find out if there is anyone else out there other than me who likes parsnips... so here we go:

Q1: Have you ever tried parsnips? If so, what do you think?

I love em, but I guess they're pretty hit-or-miss with people's tastebuds.

Q2: What is your favorite roasted veggie?

I really love a good mix of roasted root vegetables, but if I had to single one out I guess I'd say sweet potatoes or parsnips. What about you?