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Mar 3, 2014

Keeping Myself Moving

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Since the start of 2014, I’ve been making an effort to exercise more again. I was a bit delayed with that goal due to my shoulder injury, but now that physical therapy has started, there’s no excuse not to get moving.

Last week was my first meeting with the physical therapist. Since having the cortisone shot in my shoulder, I’m not feeling any pain in the shoulder, which is great, but it’s still stiff. She had me try some basic movements and concluded that it doesn’t have nearly the same range of motion as the right shoulder, and is significantly weaker now. So I’ll be going to PT twice a week until my shoulder is stronger and more flexible. I’m hoping the cortisone shot won’t wear off during this time, since exercising pain-free is much better than the alternative.

The first session wasn’t too bad. She had me show her the exercises she asked me to practice at home. It’s funny how something as simple as a shoulder shrug can be difficult when asked to do it thirty times with a weak shoulder. I found myself laughing from the frustration of struggling through what should be easy movements – laughing only so I didn’t show how much it bothered me. I’m not used to having a part of me not working properly. I can already tell I’m going to be unbearable as I grow older.

One positive to come out of physical therapy is that it’s a mandatory upper body workout twice a week, so I can’t complain about that. I tend to not pay enough attention to my upper body when I exercise, so maybe this will start a new habit to spend more time on those muscle groups?

But I have also started running again, too. Back in January it began as walking on the treadmill. (Most of January was covered in snow here, so the treadmill was the safest option unless I wanted to actually ice skate.) While I was only walking in January and still getting out of breath, I gradually got used to it and started the Couch-to-5K program again.

I’ll be honest: it took two weeks to successfully get through week 1. I can partially blame the awful head cold that Mira passed along to me, but the other part was purely being out of practice. The legs were willing, but the lungs were not. It was disappointing to struggle through the most basic week of the program, unable to run all of the eight 1-minute run periods, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

It did get better, though, and on the second try I completed week 1 without any added walking breaks. I’m now on week 3, and I can assure you it’s not getting any easier. I’m up to running three minutes at a time, and I’m remembering how three minutes can feel like FOREVER when running.

I’m going to get through it, though. There are moments when I’m running and feel like I’m in a comfortable spot and suddenly all is right with the world. I can’t make those moments longer without pushing harder beyond them first. Now that spring is almost here (right, March? RIGHT?) I’ll be able to run outside again, too, and the change of scenery might help the training go faster.

And it is training. Because I’ve signed up to do a two mile runDisney Fun Run when I go to the Disney Social Media Moms conference in April. Not only will I be running, but I’ll be doing it in costume. I don’t want to be the one who collapses on the run, or comes in last, or just looks like she might pass out at any moment.

Hey runners – what do you do on the days when you don’t run? Do you do strength training? Another form of cardio? I’m curious what else I should be doing to make running easier for me.

Filed Under: Fitness, me me me ·


Feb 21, 2014

Even An Optometrist Appointment Has Drama

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Last week, I took Cordy and Mira to their first optometrist appointments. I know, I should have scheduled eye appointments long before now. But Cordy has only recently reached a point where she doesn’t have a panic attack in any kind of doctor’s office, and all of the tools used to look at eyes would have freaked her out in the past. The school nurse does a brief eye exam every year, and both kids have brought home 20/20 vision reports with no indications for referrals.

So, I waited until now. Partially my own procrastination, partially wanting to shield my child from more scary things as a special needs parent. After all, Cordy reads ALL the time – if she had vision problems, wouldn’t she have complained about her eyes hurting? But I have noticed recently that one of her eyes was turning out occasionally. It’s happened since she was three or four, but back then it was a very rare thing, and her doctor said it was common when little kids are very tired. (Which is primarily when we noticed it.) Now, though, I’ve been seeing that eye turn out more and more, not tracking in sync with the other eye.

The hardest part in getting ready for the appointment was convincing Cordy that an eye doctor doesn’t have any shots to give. Because apparently doctor = shots. I went through the whole process with both girls, explaining what they’d do and what they’d see in the office.

Cordy was called back first, and I went with her. The initial tests that involved looking into a machine and clicking buttons when she saw dots of light was a little frightening to her at first, but I convinced her it was a game and then she loved it and asked if she could have a second try to improve her score. Then she was taken into the exam room, where the digital eye chart was displayed and she was asked to read the smallest line she could comfortably read. She found this “test” easy and rattled off the bottom line, a line so small I had to work to read it sitting only a third of the distance away.

Optometrist appointmentYes, she brought a book to read while at the optometrist.

But then she was asked to cover up one eye and read it again. She covered the left and rattled off the letters on the chart again. Switching to cover her right eye, though, she paused. She then tried to cheat and partially uncover the right eye. The assistant asked her to totally cover the right eye, no peeking, and read the smallest line she could. Cordy squirmed and leaned forward, again briefly uncovering her right eye. That was enough time for her to memorize the line and repeat it back. (Sneaky kid.)

I called her on it that time, though, and asked that she try again with a different chart she hadn’t memorized. The assistant helped hold the eye cover in place to prevent cheating again. Cordy frowned, squinting and shifting around while staring at the eye chart. She then said, “It’s all fuzzy. I can’t see the letters.” We encouraged her to not worry about the smallest line and read whichever line she could. She tried reading the top line, and missed two of the five letters.

Hmmm…that’s a problem. So much for the school nurse’s 20/20 in each eye report.

The optometrist spent a good deal of time looking at Cordy’s eyes, confirming that she can tell there’s a bit of outward drift with her left eye. She also confirmed that Cordy can’t read much of anything from that eye. Her right eye is 20/20, and she believes her left eye was likely equal to her right until very recently, probably a year or two at most since it changed. How she was able to determine that her vision change was a recent development is beyond my knowledge, but I trust she knows what she’s talking about.

The treatment plan first calls for glasses, so Cordy can actually use her left eye for reading. At the moment, her right eye is doing all of the work, so it’s time to make the left eye do a share of it, too. After a few weeks of getting used to glasses, she’ll then see a pediatric specialist for the muscle issue. It’s likely she’ll need special treatment (probably wearing an eye patch for a period of time each day) to strengthen the muscles of her left eye to keep it from drifting.

Cordy’s reaction to needing glasses bordered on a meltdown. She yelled that she didn’t want glasses and wouldn’t wear them, because everyone would think she was a nerd. The optometrist explained that lots of kids wear glasses, and I reminded her that her parents wear glasses sometimes, too. “It’s OK for adults to wear glasses, but I’ll be a nerd and teased,” she cried. As for her friends who wear glasses? “They’re already cool, so they’re able to wear them without being nerds.”

The doctor made it very clear to both of us: she has to wear glasses, or her left eye will only get worse, leading to developing a lazy eye, and possibly losing any use of it. Well then, she’d going to wear those glasses, even if I have to use every method possible to convince her to do it.

I took Cordy out to the waiting room so we could look over the selection of frames while Mira had her eyes examined. I hoped that by giving Cordy some control in choosing her frames, she’d be a little happier about the process. She wasn’t. She tried on pair after pair and declared each to be “not that cool” and fell back on her fears of being a nerd. With every pair, she sniffed and frowned and grumbled that she didn’t want glasses.

 Trying on glassesSome of the pairs we tried on. She wanted me to take a photo of each so she could see what they looked like on her.

We didn’t find any pair that she was happy with, but there was a pair I thought looked best on her. I tried to convince her that they were the best choice. “They’re not blue,” she replied. “I don’t want anything that isn’t blue.” The assistant quickly whisked the frames away to check them in their computer, and returned to tell me they also came in blue. Bingo.

The assistant sat Cordy down to measure her pupil distance to place the order for her glasses. Cordy again began to cry that she didn’t want glasses. At the same time, Mira came bouncing out of the exam room, announcing that her eyes were healthy. The optometrist was right behind her, confirming that everything looked good.

“So can I pick out glasses now, too?” Mira asked. Unlike Cordy, she was excited about getting glasses, because to her they’re a fashion accessory.

The doctor laughed and then said, “No, honey, you don’t need glasses. Your eyes can see perfectly!”

And then Mira cried. Big tears rolling down her cheeks over being denied glasses.

I stood there, with Cordy on my right, crying that she had to get glasses, and Mira on my left, crying because she couldn’t get glasses. The assistant looked up at me. I sighed and said, “I give up. I can’t make anyone happy today.”

So Cordy will be getting glasses soon, which will hopefully make it easier for her to read and will start the process of strengthening her left eye. The kid reads for hours and hours a day, so I’m amazed she wasn’t complaining of eye strain with one eye doing most of the work.

As for Mira? I caved and took her to Claire’s. She now has a flashy pair of fake glasses:

 Mira's fake glassesFake glasses FTW.

And she’s already forgotten them at school for most of this week.

Filed Under: Cordy, Mira ·


Feb 19, 2014

Castaway Bay: Escape Winter Without Leaving Ohio

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Are you done with Winter?

I’m a person who loves snow, but even I have my limits. The dry skin, the constant cold, slipping on the ice, dreading leaving my warm blankets each morning when the alarm goes off…there have been several times I’ve wished I could get away to a warmer climate for a few days. But Ohio isn’t all that close to Florida, so a trip to a warmer climate would have a hefty price tag attached to it.

The good news is that you don’t have to go all the way to Florida to escape the cold for a little bit. Our family was invited to spend two days at Castaway Bay recently, where it’s always 82 degrees with plenty of swimming and entertainment to forget about the snow outside. Castaway Bay is the indoor waterpark at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Didn’t know they had an indoor waterpark? Of course they do, and Cedar Point puts just as much attention to detail into this indoor oasis as they do their world renowned amusement park.

The outside of the resort gives only a hint of what’s inside. It’s not until you walk in the front doors and are greeted with a roaring fireplace and a pirate ship that you start to feel far away from the cold outside.

Castaway Bay pirate ship

We didn’t want to waste any time, so we quickly checked in, stashed our stuff in our room, and suited up. (Bathing suits, that is.) The waterpark is unlike many of the other waterparks in the area. First, there’s one small entrance that has a staff member positioned to oversee everyone coming in and out. This narrow entrance/exit is ideal to prevent smaller children from wandering outside of the waterpark on accident.

Once inside, you’re immediately immersed in warm, humid air, with plenty of beach chairs all around to drop off your stuff. There are lockers if you’re daytripping it, but otherwise you can leave valuables in your room.

Castaway Bay map

The deepest water in the park is four feet, which means there are few areas where an elementary school age kid could find themselves in trouble in the water. There are also more lifeguards on duty than any other waterpark we’ve ever been to. I felt incredibly safe letting my two out of my sight for a few minutes.

Cordy, who worries about everything, was immediately put at ease by how everything was so kid-friendly. While she refused to ride some of the bigger water slides, she was thrilled that she could touch bottom in the deepest part of the wave pool. She wore a life jacket to feel more secure, but then ran right into the wave pool without hesitation.

Cordy in the wave poolLearning to ride the waves. (And I learned I need a waterproof case for my phone to take more photos!)

Mira liked the wave pool, but she was also determined to find some thrills, too. She and Aaron rode the Rendezvous Run, a water roller coaster, several times along with other water slides. Mira also really liked the Cargo Crossing, using her upper body strength to hold onto a cargo net while crossing the water on floating boxes and barrels.

Even though the water may not be deep, there’s plenty for adults to do, too. The wave pool works for everyone, with a zero depth entry for babies to sit and play, all the way out to the four foot section, where even adults will have to work against the waves. There are water slides for all ages, too. Even Cordy tried out two of the smaller water slides in the Lookout Lagoon Family Funhouse, although she kept going back to the wave pool with her new-found love of the waves. It made me a little weepy to see her enjoying the water so much.

My favorite part? The hot tub. But this isn’t just any hot tub. In case you want to remember what you’ve left behind, the hot tub flows to the outside, too. We moved through the hot tub to the outdoor portion, and the kids were amazed that they were wearing only their bathing suits in near zero weather, with snow all around, and yet felt toasty warm in the water. It was so relaxing, even if my hair froze after being exposed to the air for only a few minutes. (It thawed just as quickly by leaning my head back into the water.)

In case you get tired of the water (how?), Castaway Bay has plenty of other entertainment for you. There’s a huge arcade with games of all types, including games to earn tickets for prizes. Kids can also check out Camp Castaway to work on crafts and activities.

Coloring beach towelsMira’s color-your-own beach towel in progress

There are also different daily activities, including a family movie night with Snoopy and friends. Snoopy is a frequent visitor around the resort.

Snoopy at Castaway Bay

There’s plenty of food, too: three restaurants and two snack shops can provide nearly anything you need, including gluten-free options.

Gluten-free pizzaNot only did they have gluten-free pizza for Aaron, but it was GOOD gluten-free pizza!

For two days away from Winter, we couldn’t have asked for a better staycation. Our room was spotless and comfortable, the waterpark had something for everyone to enjoy, and the other resort activities ensured we were never bored. Getting the chance to put aside work, homework, and chores, and instead spend some time together as a family was a wonderful and much-needed break from everyday life.

Castaway Bay is also a great value – room deals start at only $99, which includes the room and four waterpark passes. (It’s usually a lot more at other local waterparks.) Day passes for the waterpark are also available if you’d rather include it as part of a larger trip to Sandusky or Lake Erie.

If you’re short on time or a trip to a southern climate just isn’t in the budget, Castaway Bay might be the perfect mini-vacation to forget about the wind and cold. And if this weather doesn’t get better soon, we may need a second trip to help us endure until warmer weather arrives.

Disclosure: We were provided with a one-night stay, including waterpark passes and one meal. Travel and other expenses (like my kids insisting they needed to win a stuffed animal in the arcade) were not compensated. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own, and your mileage may vary. Thanks to Cedar Point and Lake Erie Shores & Islands for a great trip!

Filed Under: local fun, reviews ·


Feb 13, 2014

The Ongoing Shoulder Saga, Episode IV (A New Hope?)

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Earlier this week, I had my first visit with an orthopedic specialist to examine my shoulder. It’s been over a month since I received my flu shot, and going into the visit, I wondered if it was even worth the trouble to look at my shoulder. While I still have pain in the shoulder, it’s no longer a constant ache. It seems to come and go during the week, with some days having little to no pain. (And days when storms are coming in resulting in a steady dull ache.) My range of motion has improved, too, and I can move my arm in most directions without a lot of pain.

Seeing how I’d made so much improvement, I expected the doctor to take a look at me, tell me it was healing well, and send me on my way.

When he came in, he listened to the full story of what I’d been experiencing over the past month. I showed him where the flu shot was given, and he agreed that the spot was higher than typically seen, although he also said that he’d expect the shot to still have stayed in the muscle at that spot. (He overestimates the amount of upper-body muscle I have.) He then asked several questions about movement issues I’ve been having, and then wanted to try some range of motion tests.

While I’ve felt like things have improved in that arm, he proved me partially wrong. Yes, movements aren’t hurting much anymore, but that’s because I’m no longer moving that arm as far as the right arm can move. When I tried to match the right side in some movements, I either re-found that pain in my shoulder again, or the shoulder simply wouldn’t go any further.

The doctor’s diagnosis matched up with my primary doctor’s original diagnosis of bursitis. He gave me two options for treatment: start physical therapy for the shoulder, or have a cortisone injection into the shoulder joint and THEN start physical therapy for the shoulder. I asked which he would recommend, and he thought the cortisone injection might help speed the physical therapy along, and would also take away much of the pain. Seeing how I’ve been conservative with therapy so far, I was willing to get things moving a little faster.

SIRVA diagnosis

A cortisone shot directly into a joint isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Although in this case, he did numb the area with lidocaine first, which I’m guessing was because of the large amount of cortisone in the huge syringe that was injected next. Although I still couldn’t help but note the irony of getting a shot to help my shoulder right in the same spot as the shot that started this whole mess.

He warned me that I could experience a “steroid flare-up” during the next day or two, where the joint would hurt more, but that after that it would calm down. I did have more pain and stiffness in my shoulder the next day, but today it feels pretty good. Scratch that – really good. I have only the faintest ache when stretching my arm over my head or behind my back.

Next up will be physical therapy to get my shoulder back in shape. I’m still unhappy that I have to go through this at all, but I’m hoping we’re near the end and the physical therapy will be enough to put this whole event behind me.

Edited to add: I did follow up with the Walgreens pharmacy. The pharmacist I spoke with said he’d report it in their system, but generally seemed unconcerned with what had happened to me, other than a flat, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” I know I need to make time to call their District next.

Filed Under: me me me ·


Feb 10, 2014

Suave Professionals® New Moroccan Oil Body Care Line (Review)

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This winter is killing my skin. I’ve got dry skin to begin with, but the extra cold, and extra dry, air we’ve had this year has left me a dry, flaky, itchy mess. (I know, so attractive, right?) The easiest way to remedy this is to drink lots of water and apply plenty of lotion.

Here’s the thing about lotions, though: most of the lotions I’ve tried have been greasy or heavy. I’d rub it on my arms, and half an hour later, I could still feel this heavy coating on my arms. I have no doubts as to where Cordy’s tactile sensitivity came from, because I’ve never used lotion unless it was necessary. I never wanted to use it as a kid, and as a teen I’d use the smelly hand lotions occasionally just to fit in with my peers.

Usually I resort to other ways to moisturize, like body wash that contains moisturizers in it, or bath oil. But when my skin is exposed to an onslaught of cold, dry weather – like we’ve had this entire winter – it can’t keep up and often dries out. My hair is just as dry as my skin, although it’s been doing well so far this year thanks to a Moroccan oil that I found to use on it. I’ve noticed that the oil left on my hands made them feel so soft afterwards, and absorbed so quickly with no heavy layer or greasy feel.

Moroccan oil seems to be the hot new moisturizing ingredient. It’s actually known as argan oil, which most often comes from Morocco, a lightweight miracle oil known to be rich in nutrients and antioxidants. So when I was asked to try out the new Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion Body Care line, my experience with Moroccan oil convinced me it was worth giving it a try. For the first time, Suave® Body Care is launching products in the Suave Professionals® line, using premium ingredients to provide soft and radiant skin.

I received the body lotion and dry body oil spray to test. Suave Professional Moroccan Oil The Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion Body Lotion is a daily moisturizer that absorbs quickly for up to 24 hours of non-greasy hydration, while the Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion Dry Body Oil Spray is described as a non-greasy formula that absorbs instantly and seals in long-lasting moisture. There are few lotions I’ve ever been happy with over the past several years. Since entering my thirties, I’ve needed moisturizer for the dry, itchy skin on my arms and legs in the winter, but usually only use it when I absolutely need to, knowing I don’t like the feel of it.

So how did these products do? The lotion had a thinner consistency than I’ve noticed with other products. It rubbed in quickly and smoothly, without a lot of effort. I liked how lightweight it felt, and while it felt a little greasy at first, I noticed after a few minutes that the greasy feeling was gone! My skin didn’t feel like it had lotion on it at all, and yet it was soft, smooth, and looked healthy without any signs of dryness. Wow!

I tried the Dry Body Oil Spray the next day, and found similar results. It required even less effort to rub it in (you could really just spray it on and let it absorb while brushing your teeth), and despite being an oil, had no greasy feel afterwards and was also weightless.

The spray seems to work better when used right after a shower or bath, while your skin is still moist, locking in that moisture and providing a radiant look. The lotion is great anytime – I’ve been using it two or three times a day on my poor, dry hands and on my feet before bed. My skin isn’t itchy, and I like that I don’t have any heavy lotion feel. Moroccanoil® does seem to be a miracle ingredient, and Suave has harnessed the best attributes of it to create body care products that feel like luxury lotions.

Will I keep using the lotion and body oil spray? Absolutely. I love the way my skin feels, and I’m so relieved to find a solution to fight the cold winter air that doesn’t make me conscious of lotion on my skin.

You can find more information about the Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion Body Care products at their Facebook page, where you can also get tips for radiant skin, style advice from celebrity stylist Brad Goreski and enter the “Radiant Wishes” sweepstakes for a chance to win Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion products, a spa day or a trip to Los Angeles.

Giveaway!

Experience a little luxury for yourself! For a chance to win a $1000 gift card, leave a comment below and let me know which of the Suave Professionals® Moroccan Infusion Body Care products you would most like to try.

Sweepstakes Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  • Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  • Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  • Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  • For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 2/7/2014-2/28/2014. Be sure to visit the Suave Professionals® brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

 

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Filed Under: reviews, sponsored ·