We're Blessed

One of my favorite praise and worship songs comes through with a prophetic message:

"Late in the midnight hour,
God's gonna turn it around
It's gonna work in your favor" - Fred Hammond, "Pages Of Life, Ch. 1 & 2"

There is a lot that needs to be covered in this post- so much so, that it simply cannot be done. I am going to keep this post tightly constrained to the main topic: our pregnancy.

As most of you know, we have completed our second run through IVF cycles. This run was more turmultuous because initially, the chances of completing the IVF cycle was not very good.  There were some issues with Jennifer physically- so much so that the doctors almost cancelled the implantation. After a night of prayer, the doctor said that there were no physical issues and we were going to complete the IVF transfer. Thankfully, God has blessed us with Jennifer being with child for the second time. 

Since the first positive test, I have had a vision of twins. Jen can attest that I have maintained that belief by using terms like "they," and "the babies." Jen was not so sure. Last Tuesday, we had a scare and rushed Jen to the clinic to see what was happening. When the ultrasound was performed, they advised us that there was one very healthy embryo. The other embryo in the process had implanted, but did not look to be surviving. The doctor reviewing the ultrasound dismissed the second embryo, advising that it would not survive and would likely be reabsorbed into her body. That was hard  to accept because it meant that she was pregnant with twins, but both would not survive. I was not willing to accept the doctor's prognosis.

I immediately began to pray for God to provide a strong, fighting spirit within both babies. That both would rise up within her and take a stronghold in her womb. Standing on the word of Jeremiah 1:5 which proclaims, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you," I know that my God has a divine plan for their lives. He would show Himself to defy doctors and perform a miracle for His glory. During that week, I stood firm in my faith and continued to lift the babies in prayer. I know that there were others praying in agreement (including Jennifer) that God would provide the miracle we were looking for in the next ultrasound.

Today, we finally were able to meet with the doctors and view another ultrasound.  The ultrasound technician confirmed that our prayers were answered: "Twin A" measured 6 weeks, 2 days; and "Twin B" was slightly less developed than its sibling- 5 weeks, 5 days. What she did not understand is that Twin B defiantly grew from "likely not to survive" to being slightly smaller than the other baby in a mere week. There is an amazing, glorious work of God that has occurred this week: Jen and I are expecting twins some time in August 2012!

Continued prayers are being lifted up for Jen and the babies: for their health and continued growth. A hearty thank you for everyone who gave us time in your prayers. I hope this post encourages you when there are trials in your life. Like our pastor professed Sunday morning, "2012- may it be my best year yet, Lord!"

Running On Faith

A song from guitar great, Eric Clapton...

A lot of training has passed since my last post. Of course, I had to start training over due to the gall bladder issue in mid-October. The 6 weeks that I had built up to running a 6mi run was lost due to endurance atrophy. That was a pretty depressing thing I wrestled with in my head. Partly due to starting over and coming to the realization that I am 37 years old- my body doesn't recover as fast as it once did. More importantly, my body regressed so quickly. I had not expected that was going to happen. Sure, I thought that I would have need to take a step back and ran 4mi instead of picking up and running a 7mi run on what I call "Long Run Saturdays." Nonetheless, I pushed through the physical issues and ran over 7mi. in mid-November.

The following week, Jen and I flew to Virginia to help my parents to Tennessee. While there, I took a running tour of the neighborhood I had terrorized in my youth. Because we had to pack, move and begin the long drive to Tennessee, I completed a shorter 6mi run with relative ease. The following Saturday was a milestone: I was to run the Tims Ford Deer Trail 6 Miler in Winchester, TN. This was one of my preparatory races to mentally prepare to run in a half-marathon race. Obviously, running alone and along side other individuals is a completely different experience, so I was preparing my self for the interaction, initial adrenaline rush, and pacing issues I would face.

Upon driving at the event, I felt great other than a little calf tightness in my left calf. There was about 140 people in varying ages from 12 to 74 ready to run the event. When the race started, the pace was starting pretty quickly, but manageable. The trail took us through numerous turns and up and down pretty steep hills during the first mile. All of a sudden, I heard my Nike+ app tell men that I reached my first mile in a blazingly-fast 8:02: over a minute faster than the pace I wanted to run. Coupled by the fact that I had not trained for the major degrees of incline that I had ran during the first mile, I quickly realized that I may be in for a long day.

The second mile came and went and after a steady incline, I finally made it to the halfway point- at which point , we turn around and run the same course back to the finish. I quickly ran through all the declines over the course and realized those same declines were going to become inclines very shortly! The slight tightness in the calf made itself more of a presence at the start of mile 5. By the end, the calf had tightened up to become pretty uncomfortable and I had started to get a shin splint in my right leg as well. I made it through the finish with two bad wheels in 55:22, which translates to 9:14 per mile. I was hoping to finish closer to 54:00, but I had not trained for trail running, which I now regret.

After the run, I was so beaten down in my left achilles heel that I had only been able to run 5mi last week during my recovery. Sadly, this week has turned out to be the same way.  Another week with 5mi completed. All of this compounded by the fact that I have been eating horribly poor, which masks me feel like a big slug. Fortunately, the pain seems to have vanished, so I will begin running 4 times per week again starting Monday. I am hoping that I am not having to start from scratch once again. The silver lining is that I wasn't out for 3 solid weeks. At least I have put some miles in my legs as I was trying to heal. One thing is certain: the Frostbite Half Marathon that I had been planning to run in February is out. There is no way I can train to run my first half-marathon on trails with steep inclines and declines. I am now searching for the right race to set my sights on in 2012.

There is a toll that missing this time takes on the mind, body and spirit. Jennifer believes that I am becoming obsessive about my training, but in reality, I am very fearful of veering off my regimen because of the issues I have faced over the past two weeks. Not running and over-indulging in foods that I shouldn't eating much of in the first place is pleasing to the person I no longer wish to be, and it is very easy to backslide. The body is willing, but the mind is weak. Your body can do so much more than your brain gives it credit. As another restart begins, I now understand that the mind is harder to train that the body, but it is certainly trainable. Here's hoping that the third time's the charm.

Run, Run, Run Week 1 (Again)

Yep- I am rehashing the title of a previous post from a previous post (review if necessary)...

So I started week 1 of my campaign to run a half-marathon- again. Sadly, I was getting ready to run my longest run of my training so far (6 miles) before the gallbladder attack that sidelined me for nearly 3 weeks. After the surgery, recovery didn't seem to be going so well, so the hiatus was longer than I anticipated. With that much time away from the pavement, I was nervous that I would lose all of the momentum I had created in the weeks prior. I was right to be concerned.

For those not familiar with the struggles of new runner, running on a treadmill has is benefits and detriments. The benefits are a nicely controlled climate, TV to watch as I run, and speed control so all a person has to do is run. On the contrary, running indoors means no matter how fast you run, you never go anywhere and your eyes become fixated on how many minutes or distance you have left before you can stop. Running outside allows for the mind to be clear and enjoy the fresh air. However, it also means that you are at the mercy of the climate.

One thing I was not prepared for was the amount of pounding my legs would feel after my first run outside. The treadmill has a lot of give and also provides a runner with some forward-propelled motion to move to the next stride. Running on the ground provides a tougher surface and does not provide the forward momentum- you body must do all the work. Therefore, I felt as if my legs were beaten with a bat after my first run outside. My legs did not recover for several days. I had to actually push through the pain to complete additional runs while the legs were still sore. Eventually the legs began feeling better and I no longer had the pain in the aftermath of any run since.

I write this in order to say that after 3 weeks off from training, my first run felt the EXACT same way they did the first time I started running again. Hence, I lost all the endurance that I had built over August and September in just 3 weeks. While I was previously running approximately 15 miles per week, last week I was only able to run. a mere 5 miles. It's pretty pathetic to know that  if you don't continue to exercise, your muscles will atrophy to the point that you have to start over once again. All that endurance- gone.

This week I notice that I am building up endurance a bit faster than I did before, so all is not lost. This week I have already ran 5 miles in my first 2 runs of the week, so I should get to 10 miles this week. Next week, I hope to be closer to 12 miles or greater. Either way, I hope that I will not have any problems or illnesses that take me of the roadway in the near future. I am back on my quest for half-marathon!

If you are interested in daily runs, you can follow me as @mrogerson on Twitter, where I post each of my daily runs. If you are running, I would encourage you to use Nike+ which will track all of your runs, so you don't have to the work yourself. Also, with Nike+, you can challenge others and play running games that will encourage you and your friends to keep running. Let me know if you are using Nike+ and I will find you on Nike+ so we can keep in touch. If not, I will also keep you posted here as well. I hope to have a half-marathon completed in Spring of 2012. Depending on my progress, I may have a half-marathon completed by the end of the year! Wish me luck!

Somebody Get Me A Doctor

"Diamond" Dave and the boys from Van Halen are lending a hand for my title today...

FIrst and foremost, thank you for all the continued prayers and love through this ordeal. I am eternally grateful for your support. Now, on to the blog!

What a day. Of course, my day started late last night- around 8pm in fact. After Jen made a fantastic roast beef and mashed potato dinner, my mind kept echoing the words of the nurse I saw yesterday: "Nothing to eat or drink after midnight." Therefore I started making plans for what I called, "second dinner." I thought of heating up the leftovers of stuffed shells that Jen had made the night before, until I mentioned I would like some no-bake cookies before I went into surgery. After all, it has been over 6 weeks since my last taste of chocolate and I could count the number of desserts I had eaten during that time on a chicken's foot. Once refrigerated, I consumed about 5 of them immediately. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to cheat on my diet a little during this downtime from running. 

I went upstairs to watch TV around 9:30 and ended up falling asleep on my fantastic leather couch that Jen abhors. When I woke up, there was a tense horror at the pit of my stomach. Looking at my phone, I had done the unthinkable: I slept right through second dinner and into the morning of my surgery- my fast had started in my sleep. With a sense of dread, I walked downstairs and climbed into bed. 

This morning started off great: I got the rare chance to get Jacob out of bed and hold him while he drank his morning milk. Before I knew it, we were in the car to head to the surgicenter. Thankfully, I was not hungry, so missing second dinner was not as big as I had thought. Since I had a second gallbladder attack Sunday afternoon, I was elated to get this foul thing called a gallbladder out once and for all. For as calm and relaxed as I was, Jen was concerned and worried. I love that about her- she worries for me because I don't have sense to do it myself. I have never been good at worrying about myself, so it nice to have someone who loves me enough to do so.

Dr. Beaird did an amazing job with my gallbladder removal. The surgery only lasted for about an hour and Jen was allowed back into the recovery room about 45 minutes afterward. I felt like a groggy mess from the anesthesia when I saw her. I could tell she was worried, but felt pretty good by the time I was ready to leave. Once I got home, I took a quick nap and and was able to finally see my little boy again. Of course, he was excited to see me, but I had to do a lot of hand-checking to keep him off of my abdomen. 

Overall, I feel pretty freaking good considering I had a small procedure today. [As I wrote that sentence, my mind went immediately to Billy Crystal in "City Slickers" he explains to the classroom of children about what to expect in getting old: "Your 50's, you'll have a minor surgery. You'll call it a procedure, (shrugging shoulders) but it's a surgery."] Well, I am not in my 50's, but I did it a procedure. Later this week, I will be evaluate when I will return to work. The doctor says no running for 2 weeks. Between me and you, that is the most painful thing about the past few days.

Thanks for reading. Much love to all-

Urgent

Well, this Foreigner song puts this post into perspective...

From my previous blog, you are aware that I have set a goal to run through the HealthRally website. The goal was to run 14 times for more than 40 miles. Currently I am at 11 runs and over 34 miles, with a 6 mile run to be completed today. I thought to myself that I was going to crush that goal of 40 miles and easily complete my 14 runs by September 30. But events transpired on Monday this past week which changed the course of future events.

I started getting a very uneasy feeling in my upper abdomen late Sunday evening. Of course, I took some Pepto-Bismol and went to bed thinking I just had an upset stomach. I woke up for my Monday morning run still having this bizarre feeling. Nevertheless, I completed my 5K (3.1mi) run and went to work. Strangely, the feeling was a little worse, so I purchased some other anti-acid liquid that I thought would work better. Unfortunately, I did not get any relief. Tuesday morning, a 4mi run, work, and home with the family, the uneasiness in my stomach with me for the day. I picked up a bottle of Prilosec to help with the pain. Wednesday: a stationary bike ride and a gym workout, work, play drums for church worship, and bed. Again, pain came along for the ride. Thursday: another 5K run, work and home with the kids and hung out with the pain all day. Friday: a full rested morning. On my way to get a water refill at work and I felt a pain along the right side that felt like I threw my back out. It took my breath and almost sent me to the floor. It was such a piercing and intense pain, all I could do was laugh about it. I sat in a chair and tried to push the back of my chair into the location of the pain in order to allow the muscle to release and did not get any relief. After consideration, Jen and I went to the ER to figure out what was happening. The doctor confirmed Jen's diagnosis all along: gallbladder. I was sent home with the gallbladder surgery set to take place on Monday morning.

After discussing the diagnosis with the doctor, he confirmed my thoughts about the cause for the gallbladder issue. In August, I drastically changed my diet. I no longer eat ANY fast food or drink anything but water or milk. I stopped eating anything that is fried, fatty, or any sweets. Whenever I need to eat something on the go, I find a Subway or Jersey Mike's and eat a turkey sandwich. After about 8 weeks on an extreme diet/lifestyle change, my body no longer knew what to do with all of the fluids that are located within the gallbladder. Therefore, it began to cause a problem for the bile duct into my stomach.

All of this to say that I am not happy about this right now. I have been running faithfully 4 times per week for 3 weeks and worked my way up to 15 miles per week. Of course after the surgery, I will have to take some time off my training regimen. At my age, my main concern is my ability to bounce back without having to completely restart my program. I guess only time will tell. I hope to be back out on the road by Saturday next week. More to follow in the coming days. I am hoping to write another blog post-surgery to review the day's events. Until then...

Back 2 Good

Nice play on words with a good song from Matchbox 20...

As many of you already know, I have been having a lot of pain in my back over the last few years. This pain is always here and it never departs from me. What once was an annoyance is now a part of my life that aids in defining the person that I am.

I honestly don't remember the instance it started. In 2004-2005, I was having a great time playing softball on various teams from spring until autumn. I remember breaking my right middle finger in the middle of a game and breaking my left wrist on a lazy fly ball to right center later in the same game. I made a great sliding catch for the final out of the game as my wrist turned over in the outfield grass. During 2006, I had lost a lot of strength in my right arm as I had fluid build up between the socket of the humerus bone and the clavicle that lasted 18 months. My back began hurting at some point during this time as well. Needless to say I have been in a lot of physical pain over the past 4 years.

This is not the typical back pain that most people have in their life. Contrary to most, my pain occurs when attempting to stand up straight or stretching or backward, which compress the joints together. More often than not, I will continue doing what I want to do and deal with the pain later. It drives Jen absolutely crazy. I love coaching baseball, tossing batting practice and teaching fielding with all of the kids as well as boxing, wrestling, and playing tackle football with Gabriel. By the end of baseball practices I can hardly stand up straight, but I keep pressing onward. It's pretty depressing because I don't believe that I should be feeling like this at my age.

After several years of continuous wincing, grunting, and complaints, Jen finally made me go see a doctor. We found an orthopedist that gave me doses and doses of steroid packs, anti-inflammatory meds, and physical therapy. After a season of trial and error, we were referred to Dr, Clendenin, a spinal specialist, who told me that I have arthritis in my lower back joints. Normally, the arthritis and deterioration in the joints is typically seen in people 50 years or older. He decided to offer cortisone injections to try to isolate the pain and provide options for relief. I completed the first round of cortisone injections inside the facet joints on Christmas Eve. I had about 8 lidicane shots to numb the area, and 4 cortisone injections.
Several people have asked me what the initial injections felt like. The only thing I can say about it is that it is completely unexplainable. At times it was quite painful, There were instances when the doctor would move and even bend the needle into place between the facet joints. I could not take in a breath at all until he stopped moving them into position. At other times, the feeling was so bizarre I could do nothing but laugh. I left the OR feeling pretty good that day.

A couple of weeks later, I contacted the doctor's office to let him know that the pain was still quite persistent. I was asked to come in to complete a second round of injections this morning. This time, Dr. Clendenin performed the injections in the sacroiliac joints. These injections were a completely different feeling. This time, it was more of the typical pain one would expect from getting shots in the back. This evening, I have not felt as well as I did after the first injections.

Hopefully we will find the cause for my misery soon. I can't imagine feeling this way the rest of my life. I have a LOT of playing to do with Gabriel and soon enough with Jacob....

If You Want Blood, You Got It

A little AC/DC never hurt anyone...

Sorry for the delay since my last post. I feel pretty bad about it, but Jen and I have been extremely busy over the past couple of months creating a bedroom for Jacob Matthew deserving of a segment on HGTV. Pictures and a LONG blog about it once completed...

Like a majority of Americans, I work at my place of business because I HAVE TO work at my place of business. There comes a time in your life where, as the Daniel Stern character (Phil) eloquently stated in CIty Slickers, "at this stage- where you are, you are..." With the recent changes in our health care coverage at the start of the new year, what was once a great advantage over other companies is now merely competitive with other companies. With the tightening economy, all of the reasons why I stayed with Verizon Wireless are falling by the wayside...

During the waning days of 2009, many of my fellow team members are burned out. The pressure to perform to higher standards coupled with less benefits is taking its toll on our department. I only took 2 of my 3 weeks of vacation this year in order to save extra time for Jacob's arrival in the coming weeks, so have been exhausted for quite some time. Recently, each of us have been talking about what we would give to have a little break in our day. Some stated that they would pay $50 to have an hour away. I made the comment that I would donate a kidney to have a couple of hours away from my desk right now...

Last week, employees received an email from our Health & Wellness Team at Verizon Wireless that explained we were going to have the opportunity to participate in a Red Cross Blood Drive at work in January. Before the I could read the email in its entirety, I clicked "reply" and said that I would volunteer. I did not have to even think twice. All I read was "spots are limited" and "first come first serve basis." I WAS getting a spot for donation. Are you kidding me? An hour away from the desk and all I had to do is give a pint of blood? Fair trade, considering I mused of donating a kidney for two hours. It was time for my body to cash the check that my mouth wrote a couple of weeks ago.

I had not donated blood in several years. The last time I did so was the last Verizon Wireless Blood Drive in 2007. It only took about 5 minutes from the initial start of the draw to the completion of the donation. The collection bag was hidden from site so I never saw the pint of blood at all. Just a day after the donation, my arm has only a small red dot as evidence of the needle's invasion. Moreover- the Red Cross will allow blood donations every 56 days! That's incredible. The website for the Red Cross (www.redcross.org) is a fantastic resource for more information about blood donation and their need for volunteers.

I have made a New Year's resolution to give blood at least 4 times this year. I figure that it is the least I could do to help others in need. I encourage everyone to go out and find a Red Cross Donation Center or the location of a BloodMobile near you. It is a small gift, but the dividends are exponential. Each pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. With my 4 pints this year, I my small donation could save 12 lives! That's pretty awesome! What are you going to do to make the world a better place this year?

We Live in Filthy Times...

I know that most of us were told to wash our hands after using the restroom. Unfortunately, there are people who have not heard this sanitary message.

On my break last week, I went to the restroom to take care of things when I noticed a guy already in a stall and another at the urinal. I pulled up to the other urinal and did my thing as the other guy finished his business. He then proceeded to the sink, only to look at himself, turned to the door, and pressed his disgusting hands on the door to exit the room. Are you kidding me? Now I am pressed with the task of washing my hands and figuring out a way out of this place without touching the door...

There is nothing worse than people not washing their hands after using the restroom in a public facility. If you don't want to do that in your own house, that's fine- I don't ever have to use the restroom in your house. I wouldn't want anyone to look at me in disgust as they walk out of a restroom. Moreover- I could not imagine walking around knowing that other people know I did not wash my hands in the restroom...

Along these same lines- there should be few laws that should be enacted from a national level:

1. Every restroom should have hot water. I can't stand turning on the faucet and not having hot water in the restroom. It helps to kill germs and cleanse the hands while using soap.

2. Bathrooms must have paper towels. There is nothing I hate more than the jet-powered air machine that "dries" hands by simply blowing the water off of the skin. Sure it may not be better for the environment, but at least I don't have to finish drying my hands on my pants.

3. Build every restroom door "pull in/push out." Seriously, does it take a genius to realize that no one wants to touch a filthy door handle that has probably never cleaned to get our of a facility just after you cleaned up? I hate having to use that paper napkin as a barrier to the filth on that door handle.

There you have it. From now on, I wash my hands of this issue.