Locks of Love

Before

Piper spent 11 months growing her hair out so she could donate 10 inches to Locks of Love.  We finally decided her hair was long enough last week and after she wore it up in a ponytail for the school Sock Hop we went to see Joey at Salon Prive. 

Joey consulting with me while he
cuts Piper's hair.

Joey gave Piper her first hair cut when she was 11 months old.  She cried and cried at him so much I thought he was going to be afraid of kids for life! He spent the next 6 years sending home a lollipop with Brad or me after our hair cuts just so Piper would trust him.  Thus, other than our favorite hairstylist on the West Coast, Jaymes Cady (Jaymes Place, Ellensburg, WA., check him out he's wonderful) who else to cut her hair for Locks of Love than Joey?

Joey did a fantastic job and when we were done I told him I wanted my hair cut just like Piper's! Miss Piper is quite pleased with her new style and is happy she could donate to such a wonderful cause.  She has also informed her dad and I that she is growing her hair out again to donate next summer.  Piper is one of three girls in her Daisy troop to donate this year.

After, super cute!

 Here is the website if you want to look into growing and donating your own hair, www.locksoflove.com

Daisy's Bucking Bulls

I know many of you have heard about my newest adventure but I finally have video to share with everyone.  This is what I hope is the beginning of a long, and fingers crossed, profitable adventure into bucking bulls and rodeo stock.  Daisy's Bucking Bulls has long been talked about, tossed around and ideas put on the table, but until our 10 year anniversary did it really start to happen.  I was given this, a choice between the traditional diamond (in my case an upgrade of my solitaire) or 3 bucking bulls bred by our good friend, Justin McKee at his ranch in Oklahoma.  I picked the bulls and Daisy's Bucking Bulls was finally a reality. 

Easy E...did not make the cut

It has been a few months and the bulls are down in Texas, outside of Carthage, with a trainer who has had some good results in the past.  He is a really nice guy and I plan to go there this spring and finally see the little guys in person.  That said, after the inital bucking with a remote control 2 pound dummy on their backs, only two have made the cut.  Poor Easy E, he turned out to be quite the pet and would come out of the chute and chase the cowboys around to be petted.  They even sadle broke him to carry grain so his career is a non starter. 

Channel Kat out of a daughter of Splat Kat
and sired by Werewolf.

I decided to name the bulls after swimming events, places and people if I could, Easy E was named after my college swim coach, Earl Ellis.  Earl was NEVER easy but we gave him that nickname one summer during our Washington Swimming summer practices.  I guess Easy E didn't figure that out. The next two bulls show A LOT of promise, Channel Kat is named after my USS swim team that I trained with in the summers, the Tri City Channel Cats, in Richland, WA.  This Channel Kat seems pretty good, here is a picture of him. 

Commander B out daughter of
Hot Shot and sired by Mossy
Oak Break up.

Finally, even though I wanted to keep it all in the swimming family to tie in my love of rodeo with my love of swimming, I thought this guy should be named after the guy who helped give me my dream, so the third bull is named Commander B.  Turns out Commander B is the rankest of the bunch and as you can see in the video he has quite a kick in the air.   He even looks a little mean doesn't he?

Finally, I have video of Comander B and Channel Kat to share as well.  The first is Commander B. 

Here is Channel Kat:

Shoulder Rehab 4 Months & Ready To Go?

I saw Dr. Carlini last week and he was very pleased at my progress.  He said see you in 6 weeks and said, go do what you want to do, within reason.  He told me I could start increasing my swimming with two arms, and try some butterfly in a few more weeks.  He liked that I have a swim coach that went through an even more severe shoulder surgery and rehab, so my swim recovery is pretty well monitored.  That is when I get there..now that I can use both arms it's a good idea to start swimming more consistently right?

The doctor feels I am 95%, Susan, my physical therapist puts me at about the same.  As I listed before, book normal and Trish normal are two different measurements.  That said, only my external rotation is less than 15% on my repaired side (121 degrees) compared to my left side, which is 138 degrees.

In 6 weeks we should be even better and I hope to be doing backstroke and butterfly.  Then Doctor Carlini should let me go for 3 months.  I still can't lay on my right side for long periods of time but it is all a healing process and it will happen.  I started TRX training last week as well and so far just sore muscles, which is good. 

I think my next blog update will be about travel! Thanks for all the support the past few months.  I look back now and think it was so long ago that I couldn't do anything. Now it seems natural again to move my arm up and down, stretch and even tuck my shirt in my pants and scratch my back.  Amazing.

Shoulder Rehab 3 months later...I swim

Something new happened on Tuesday at the swimming pool.  I swam freestyle with 2 arms.  It felt different and on video you will see it is different.  I didn't think the one arm swimming would make that much of a difference but it did.  My head staying in the water, for now...ha ha.  It was a huge break though and it felt great. I did maybe 200 meters total of freestyle and tried kicking on my stomach and back with my arms over my head too.  Coach Dominic said I don't have full extension yet, but I also have to learn to tuck my scapula in.  It is different when I am in the water without the floor under me. You can't feel the scapula tucking or the feeling of using all your small back muscles and your trapezoids, it requires a little more concentration.

Shoulder Rehab Week 12

I am at the 3 month point post surgery.  The past 2 weeks I have been on a steroid to push through the last bit of resistance and get the pinching to stop in my shoulder.  So far it has shown to be a success. Brad has wisely chosen the past two weeks to be on travel all but two nights.  Coincidence? I think so but he is darn lucky.  I haven't slept much, I can't workout enough and I am not losing any weight.  Just loving the holiday season this year!

Last Thursday and this Thursday I have done physical therapy in the Lorton office of Greater Metropolitan Orthopedics since that is where Susan, my therapist, is now working. I have been able to progress to 'swimming' on the ball, not a lot of strokes but it is a step forward. 

At first it seems easy but then I can still feel the pinching so I have had to think about my stroke.  Just like in all my stretching exercises I have to pull my scapula muscle in so there isn't any pinching when I reach.  I will also be putting those small underused muscles to work with each stroke.  I don't yet know how this will translate in the pool.  Last Thursday I pushed off the wall with both arms above my head and tried to kick a 25 with fins on and my arms out front.  The pressure of the water really surprised me and there is still pinching.  My anchors that hold the bicep and labrum feel solid and all is secure but we haven't done a stroke yet.  I am hopeful that I can try a freestyle stroke either this week or next.  Dr. Carlini saw me today, he is really pleased with the flexibility I have after two weeks of steroids.  Hopefully after I see him next month I will be good to go.  Here is a small comparison of where I am at and what is considered 'normal'.
All measurements in degrees  11/29        book normal        Trish normal              12/8
Internal Rotation                       80                 70                       100                          100
External Rotation                      91                 90                       130                          108
Flexion                                      175               180                     185+
Abduction                                 157               180                     185+

Internal Rotation means I am on my back and lift my arm over my head, the external rotation means I bring it up from the side as high as I can. The flexion and glenohumeral abduction are when I have my arm at shoulder height, elbow bent and I push my hand down towards the front and the abduction is pushing it to the back.  I like the progress. 

Shoulder Rehab Week 9-11

See how easily I can make bunny ears
 again over this pink lit flamingo
 at my folks house?

Let's start out by saying I was right, it is better to travel with a Sherpa, even if he likes to be called your husband.  It was SO much easier traveling with Brad helping the entire time.  In fact I came back from Thanksgiving with MORE flexibility and movement in my shoulder.  In the past three weeks I have been able to put a sports bra back on, which makes me happy when I go to the gym.  What I have really noticed is I can do more normal every day things with my right shoulder and arm than I have been able, to not just since surgery but before then as well.  I have had to learn to 'tuck' my scapula in and in turn my little muscles in my back are all getting stronger and used more. Apparently that is also improving my posture and one can hope my core too. 

Piper took this one, she also took one of our butts. It's pretty
good but Lynn would kill me if I published it.

We all had a great trip to Washington for Thanksgiving and enjoyed seeing Grandpa and Grandma Seubert, Auntie Meg and a lot of friends.  I was able to help my friend, Lynn Sullivan, with her booth at the Holiday Bazaar for Moments to Remember and watch the Washington Huskies win the Apple Cup in Seattle. 

This past week, since we've been back from Washington,  I swam with one arm still, had a great spin class too. I am finally able to add 2 pound weights to my exercises and workouts in my right hand.  I had a really positive appointment with Dr. Carlini on Wednesday, November 30 and in an effort to get that last bit of 'Trish Normal' flexibility back I am now on a 2 plus week steroid series.  Brad had some reserves of getting out of the house this weekend unharmed but he managed to stay on my good side and is fine.  That might also be because I didn't exactly do the first few days dosage correctly...when Brad realized that he had the gall to actually say, "...that is hilarious, you can't even take performance enhancing drugs right." Boy is he lucky I didn't or he would have been in so much trouble!

Hopefully with these steroids the last pinching where my arm gets a numb feeling, almost like my circulation is cut off, when it's over my head will go away and it will open up.  Then in another few weeks I will be able to take a swim stroke.  I have been able to do a wide arm stroke on land, every day a little more flexibility comes back.  Next post will be my measurements and more movement pictures.

Shoulder Rehab Week 8- Travel with a Sherpa

I said the week before that travel could be hard...and it was.  The wedding this past weekend was fabulous, Dominique was a beautiful bride and Piper had a fun time being a flower girl. All was okay, I mean I wasn't able to do any of my physical therapy exercises or ice but I wasn't carrying too much or lifting.  That was until life just happens, and you take your husband to the airport because he is due in Colorado, and you are on your own with a 6 year old and traveling alone.  Sometimes you just have to do things, even though you know you shouldn't, like holding umbrellas in both hands in the rain, and a back pack and your keys.  Like I said, life...daughter dressed in flower girl outfit, I'm dressed for the wedding and it's raining, can't ruin the hair right?
Anyhow, that was the least of my issues.  The next day I had to load the suitcases in the trunk, unload them then do it again once we arrived back in DC.  It's not like the suitcases and bags you do carry through the airport get walk there on their own.

Thus, it is my personal advice to anyone who has any type of surgery and must travel up to 12 weeks post-op, get a Sherpa and have them carry ALL the bags! I leave again next week and plan to have my best Sherpa (and husband) carrying and helping more than ever.  It will be just like the old days, when he would carry my swim bags at meets so my shoulders and arms wouldn't get sore.  The problem with this trip is I thought I could do it and then I had to do it and it hurt.  I hate the healing process, even though I know it always takes longer than you think and you have to be patient. 
On Monday, November 14, I had my re-evaluation with Vanessa, and despite my pain and soreness there is a lot of improvement and progress.  My flexibility is gradually coming back.  I can move my arm up from the side 20 degrees more than 3 weeks ago and on Tuesday I was able to touch my arm to my ear laying down and raising my arm up.  I have had to learn to really use my scapula and while Susan was stretching my arm and moving it I was totally focused on keeping my scapula tucked in.  It literally takes all my concentration and I think I am flexing every core and back muscle I have to do it.  But, HUGE flexiblity difference.  So, despite the pain I am currently in this week,  from inflaming the tendons and anchor,s when real life got in the way, I have had good progress and am still on the right track.  I even had a good swim/kick on Tuesday with my swim pals Alicia and Kirsten, who coached.

Finally, because it was a fun trip, here we are on the top of the Space Needle in Seattle.  Thursday last week was one of those beautiful fall days in the Northwest. It reminds me how much I love and miss Seattle and Washington State.  Then it rained and now it's snowing and I am reminded it is not yet cold out here.  I would be willing to lay at least even money that 20 years from now I am a snowbird, ha ha!