The Gift of Vision

While we were without a computer, lots of things happened here, I went through minor back surgery (nasty and painful), bought a new computer (thank goodness), and my hubby went in for Lasik surgery. He has used glasses since he was little, about first grade (I think). When his grades started getting low, they gave him an eye exam and found out that he could barely see. He tells us stories about seeing the mountains and seeing just a fuzz of green, then after he got his glasses that he was able to see the definite lines of trees and shrubs and was amazed that he had never seen that before. Having always had good eyesight myself, I can't begin to imagine the way he saw things without glasses. Soon after, he was diagnosed with astigmatism and nearsightedness and he was given some thick glasses to wear around.

He spent 20+ years of his life with glasses, when I met him he had them and I couldn't imagine him without them. Glasses and him were always together. Each morning, he will reach out for his glasses and put them on, at night, when he would fall asleep watching the tube, I would reach and gently take them off him. When we would run or ride bikes he would leave them behind because the sweat will just make them fall off. It was this very thing that made me start looking into options for his eyesight problem.

We had talked about the possibility of getting him some type of surgery but we taught that because his eyesight was so bad that the chances were quite minimal. Then, enter "The Eye Guy" Dr. Hammond. I saw him first while we were at the movies, one of his ADS came before the movie started and I quickly grabbed my phone and saved his number. Then, a neighbor told me that she was going to go get surgery at "The Eye Guy". She raved about her first visit and how promising it all seemed. So, I went home and talked to hubby and I called and made an appointment (I have to get things rolling fast!).

The appointment went so great. They checked his eyes on the regular optometrist widgets and then on some other machine that I had never seen before. Dr. Hammond came in and told us that Sam was a great candidate for eye surgery, specifically Lasik! We were told the good and the bad about the surgery and what the chances were of it being successful, 99%.  We  knew the risks but we also knew that the possibility of him being able to see without glasses outweighed everything else. So we jumped. We booked his appointment and a month later, he went in.

The big day arrived! We drove to the appointment, he kind of needed someone to drive him back as he wasn't going to be able after the surgery. They gave him some valium before the surgery and he took some tylenol. Under the knife..sorta...he went. The entire Lasik procedure didn't last more than 15 minutes! There were no knives involved,everything was done with a machine. He just lay there while the doctor measured and then the machine did the procedure. Left eye first, then the right one. In a matter of 15 minutes, his entire world had changed. Hubby claims that it wasn't painful, the only uncomfortable part was the clamp around his eye but that was it.

We came home shortly after, he took a nap or two, or three, alright, he slept all day long! His eyes were just tired and the body itself was sending the signals for recuperation and sleep is the best way to recuperate. By that afternoon, he was able to see perfectly out of the right eye. The left one wasn't all the way perfect, but he was seeing without his glasses.

The left eye didn't get better right away and Dr. Hammond examined him and booked him for an enhancement appointment right away.(He wants the best service for his customers and he works hard to provide it.)  Apparently the astigmatism was so bad in the left eye that the first time around didn't fix it 100 percent. Hubby went in two weeks later and got another treatment on his left eye, this time, success!!! He can see better than ever before. He now has 20-20 vision (and the left one may get better as time passes).

The service he received from Dr. Hammond was spectacular. The staff was always friendly and Dr. Hammond always showed concern for Hubby's welfare. After his surgery, Dr. Hammond called him in the afternoon to make sure that he was feeling okay. Even after the enhancement surgery, he called. He even provided Sam with all the eye drops that he needed that second time around.

We miss seeing hubby with glasses as that was him for so long, however, we recognize the great gift that Dr. Hammond has given him. He is now able to participate in sports without his glasses and he is able to see everything around him. I still sometimes reach out at night trying to take his glasses off only to find  his pretty blue eyes. :)

Our Dancing Princess

Our lovely Nyah had her recital this Friday and it was a momentous occasion for our little family. She has been taking dance lessons from a lady in our ward and there were days when she really didn't want to go and others when she was really excited to go to class. However, as soon as she found out that there was going to be a recital, her focus shifted and she was all excited about learning and performing. 

She had two musical numbers, a jazz and a ballet. She danced a jazz number to Route 66 and she wore white little gloves that she just loves to wear around the house now. She is the tiniest one in her group :). She is just such a darling little thing. 

The second song was what she calls a "love song" and she did some cute twirls and tiptoes. At one point she had to tiptoe to the side for about 3 feet and it was the cutest thing to see. Her little tiptoes were too small so at the end she had to just jump to the sticker where she had to end at.

At intermission, she asked where her Daddy was because she couldn't see us while she was on stage. She wanted to make sure that her Daddy saw her perform. She will always be Daddy's little girl.

To finish the great evening, we told her she could choose where she wanted to eat, she really liked this part of the day. She is our sunshine. Right now she is super excited to receive the DVD that was recorded as she is is eager to see herself and all her friends dancing.

Another Sports Bra Review

It is that time of the year when I have to replace some of my old sports bras with some new ones for the racing season ahead. I recently got two different ones and being a true fan of Moving Comfort that is the brand that I went with. Each time I buy online, it is a new experience and I am always eager for my UPS guy to arrive so I can try my new items.

Alexis bra:

First impression: As I took it out of the bag, I like the molded cups. Molded cups translates into some modesty, especially in cold mornings or when the sweat starts dripping. I mean, you are out there running, not running a wet t-shirt contest.

At work: I took it for a 2hour test drive. Test drive consisted of high impact, sweat dripping, drop dead work out. Alexis responded quite well. The support was there all the time. The fabric is breathable, I thought it wouldn't be because of the molded cups but I was wrong.

I loved the thin straps, they are barely noticeable, they don't dig in on your shoulders. They allow free range of movement.

I did find two things that I did not like 100%: It is a bit difficult putting it on and taking it off. Really, really hard taking it off, especially when wet. I do recommend that once you have it on, you bend down and arrange things around a bit so everything is where it is supposed to be.

The other thing I didn't like: the fabric at the back is stiff, really stiff, I am hoping that after a few washes it softens up a bit. Having said that, I did not get chaffed after my 2 hour trial. 

Next up: the one I returned.

Juno Bra by Moving Comfort

Pros: Light padding for no-show. Great support!!! No bouncing at all.

Not very thrilled about: the wide straps.

Edit: After wearing it for about 10 runs, I have found the straps quite comfortable. They are wide and they show if you wear some tank tops but they are comfortable.

Con: the closure at the back. It has an interesting design where it is a race-back, then it has a closure just like a regular bra. Well, the closure isa pain, it took me about 4 minutes to get it close. 

BTW: My new computer arrived :)! I am so happy!!!

Before & After

A few days ago we had a fun theme over at DailyMile where we got to post pictures of Before n After. At first, I really didn't seem that eager to post a picture of the before then I started looking at pictures and seeing how much I have changed over the past two years (almost three now) and I got the courage to post them.

Things weren't easy and a lot of work has gone into the little bit of transformation. Unlike many people out there, I was cursed with a body that keeps all its fat around its middle. I have skinny, wimpy, spaghetti like arms and legs and a huge midsection. Losing weight affects me in a peculiar way: I lose all the chubs off my arms and legs, then I am left with a flabby, squishy middle, which is a great on the Pillsbury Boy but not so great on a humanoid like myself.

The 2007 picture was right at the beginning of the year, if not at the very end of 2006. At this point, I had been running for about 3 months, I was running a steady 2 miles, killing myself doing it too, going an all 11 minute miles. Speedy Gonzales was my name!

Fast forward 2 years and we have the picture on the left, during the Ogden Half Marathon. At this point, I had been working out consistently for 2 years. Running, cycling and swimming. I barely had started integrating some weight lifting in my life. During that half marathon, my average per mile was 8:10, a huge improvement from two years prior.

As I look at these pictures and others that I have taken over the past two years, I can see a lot of change physically, but what you can't see is the mental change that I have undergone.

I always thought that I could never run more than 2 miles and in that picture of 2007, I thought that I was at my max. I thought that I had a body that couldn't change and a heart that couldn't handle very long workouts. What I've learned is that the body is one of the most amazing machines in the world, it adapts, it grows, and as you push it and push it, its endurance grows to match it. I have learned that I have the heart to complete anything that I really dream and yearn for as long as I put the work forward. I have read in many places that running is 90% mental and 10% talent, it is true. I have about .0001% of talent but what I lack in that area, my heart screams to my mind at each step, it is your dream, we can do it, a dream is becoming reality.

My midsection is still chubby compared to a lot of women who exercise as much as I do, but it is not about having a thin waist or a super ripped body. I'll take my body as is as long as it can take me wherever my mind and heart wants to go, 26.2 miles today, 70.3 miles tomorrow, 140.6 in the near future.

Fried Dumplin'

I have to attest that this post has nothing to do with fried dumplins other than I like to eat them and at this very moment they sound like a fantastic idea. SQUIRREL!

Gosh, I do have the attention span of an ant!

Back to the thought, this weekend was a kicked bootie typed weekend, as in my butt is sore and I can't sit anywhere without having to tilt my self from side to side. I ditched hubby for a two day, back to back, 9-hour spinning training. Spinning as in the exercise not the fiber kind. A few months ago my friend Carol from Gold's Gym planted the idea that I should become certified and start teaching some classes. The opportunity came in the form of Les Mills RPM certification a two day course where you basically get a good butt kicking on the bike and are taught everything from bike set up to the magic of coaching. At the end of day one, my butt was sore from wearing the cycling shorts all day, idiot me forgot to put chamois butter, and of course the Bootie Gods couldn't let it slide, my butt that night was sore. Let's just say that A+D Diaper ointment works overnight miracles baby! The second day, I wasn't so forgetful and I brought the butter, a bit late for some of the sore spots but still helped a ton.

I got my RPM certification and now I need to practice, practice, practice, practice and memorize loads of choreography, then record a class video and send it in to get my assessment, which will give me my seal of approval to begin teaching on my own the RPM classes. The training is rigorous but it ensures that all their Les Mills trainers know their stuff by heart and can present the program in a super way! I am so stoked! A goal that I wanted to achieve is almost complete :).

Oh look, the Cycling Magazine arrived....SQUIRREL!

btw: my new PC will be arriving around March 20th...no pictures capabilities til then, my mini laptop has a memory the size of my pinky and it can't hold my Photoshop software, let alone my thousands of pictures...