Teaching ESL at the University of Tulsa...
was so much fun! The students made every day a new adventure...and the teachers and my boss were also wonderful. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to teach there this fall session! I taught 5 classes: 2 Reading classes, 2 Listening/Speaking classes, and one Writing class! It was a whirlwind!
Since I am able to bike and swim again, Stephen and I decided that teaching full-time, training to master 3 sports, being a wife, and maintaining a sense of sanity was not possible! It was bitter sweet to leave my job at TU since I realized what an amazing job it was!
For a while now, I have been ultra tired. I thought it was just because I wasn't fit, or the transitions in life: moving, new job, new house, new friendships....ETC. But last week, I got a follow-up blood test and it showed that my thyroid wasn't working properly. Since the thyroid is "the mother of wellness for your whole body and yours is from 3 times to 22 times slower than the normal range", that explains a lot.
As much as I would LOVE to be 100% back to health, I am still literally taking baby steps and feeling thankful for the fact that I can bike and swim without pain, which were things that i haven't been able to do for a while! Now that I'm taking some medicine to crank up my wellness o meter in my body, I will be feeling better soon.
The doctor said, "Affected patients who start taking medication and get back to normal levels realize what living life is supposed to feel like!"
I thought, "Wow - that sounds just like knowing Christ!" :o) Yay for parallels that surround me constantly in the physical & spiritual world!
This Thanksgiving season, as I look back on the past couple years of health drama, I am deeply thankful for the perspective it gives me. More than ever, I will view the opportunity to work hard = a gift from the Lord & any talent/abilities I have = a gift from the Lord! (...unless I take credit for choosing the right parents and creating my circumstances/culture/support to grow up!)...as well as the love & support of my husband, family, friends, & sponsors = a gift from the Lord!
Right now, I don't have a schedule planned out for next year, but plan to fully train & race as a pro triathlete, keeping in mind Proverbs 16:9...
A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.
Thank-FULL...
:o) bethany
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A Tri-athlete Again!
I'm swimming, biking and running! After 16+ months of dealing with a pain in my neck, I can twist my head without it hurting, and I can ride outside for 70 minutes without feeling bad the next day(s). My heart is ticking along properly, and my foot is dandy. I can't swim in the open water yet, but I feel confident that my neck will strengthen enough to do that again.
To finish up the long doctor/therapist journey...
I came back from CO. Went through a couple more sessions with the doc/therapist...still wasn't feeling good enough to bike nor swim...and my foot was still holding me at about 10 min mile pace - the pain was too much to go any faster. I found a knot in my hip (that never hurt, but was from my heart procedure when I had the catheters in my groin)...rolled that out, then my foot felt instantly better. Started running with a couple TU ladies during the past 5 weeks...loved it! I was getting towed along in the 100+ degree Tulsan summer! I have a bit more fitness now and have been encouraged as I progress in training with the TU team now, but still have a ways to go.
As a last doc before my rope was singed (after CO, I applied to some ESL teaching positions since I needed a break from 16 months of focusing on getting healthy), I saw Dr. Kelley Joy at OSU OMM...After seeing her twice, I was back to swimming and biking. I am so thankful for her!
Interesting Timing...
Another simultaneous event that happened recently is that I started working full-time at the University of Tulsa's English Institute. This job will force me to ease back into swimming and biking at a reasonable pace. ;o) In the meantime as I train in all 3 sports, I'm thoroughly enjoying the classroom! The students are great - all 90 of them!
We're also having fun with our little kitty, Tessa.
Things are progressing swimmingly. I wonder what my update will say at the end of the fall...
Ciao!
To finish up the long doctor/therapist journey...
I came back from CO. Went through a couple more sessions with the doc/therapist...still wasn't feeling good enough to bike nor swim...and my foot was still holding me at about 10 min mile pace - the pain was too much to go any faster. I found a knot in my hip (that never hurt, but was from my heart procedure when I had the catheters in my groin)...rolled that out, then my foot felt instantly better. Started running with a couple TU ladies during the past 5 weeks...loved it! I was getting towed along in the 100+ degree Tulsan summer! I have a bit more fitness now and have been encouraged as I progress in training with the TU team now, but still have a ways to go.
As a last doc before my rope was singed (after CO, I applied to some ESL teaching positions since I needed a break from 16 months of focusing on getting healthy), I saw Dr. Kelley Joy at OSU OMM...After seeing her twice, I was back to swimming and biking. I am so thankful for her!
Interesting Timing...
Another simultaneous event that happened recently is that I started working full-time at the University of Tulsa's English Institute. This job will force me to ease back into swimming and biking at a reasonable pace. ;o) In the meantime as I train in all 3 sports, I'm thoroughly enjoying the classroom! The students are great - all 90 of them!
Things are progressing swimmingly. I wonder what my update will say at the end of the fall...
Ciao!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Short & Sweet Notes (with a pinch of spicy & mellow)
Concerning my triathlete life, a few things should be added to the blog journey...
I went up to Boulder, CO. I saw Dr. Andy Pruitt, Sean Madsen, Cathy Fraser, & Sue Nakaoka at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. [Wow!] It was a fun, energizing challenge to talk with them. I was so impressed and thankful to have the opportunity to learn from them and benefit from their expertise!
My good friend, Amanda, lives up there. She graciously offered to share her living quarters with me all week. She's hilarious, genuine, & generous, and I'm so thankful for her friendship! Go Amanda!
My IT band was getting really tight. [Probably because of neglect - my neck hurts to crane it, so I try to avoid excessive rolling of my legs...and since my legs haven't hurt at all because I haven't done much running in the past 5+ months since my heart surgery (did I mention that my foot has killed me ever since the heart procedure?)]...anyways, I was lying on the foam roller to release my IT band and went higher into my hip around where the 3 catheters were put into my groin. Somewhere around there, I found a (naughty) knot hiding out! After several minutes getting that sucker to un-knot-itself, my foot has been dandy ever since. YAAY! I am soo thankful to be able to run again!
I visited my favorite (which happens to be the best!) bike shop, where Steve, Aaron and Joey all helped me configure my bike as the BCSM guys suggested. I love the (temporary) mismatched look - perhaps a bit of an eclectic, quirky, underdog mix. Maybe not-so-temporary?? ;o) It is always fun to see OK City friends who work at, drop in, and hang out at Schlegel's. :o)
Foot - check!
Heart - check! (supposedly - I haven't actually been able to test it out yet.)
Neck/back - TBD. Probably each month, it's gotten slightly better. Cheers for progress!
I don't say it enough, but I am soo thankful for a wonderful, oh-so-supportive husband who loves me and wants me to get healthy as much as I want to.
xo!
I went up to Boulder, CO. I saw Dr. Andy Pruitt, Sean Madsen, Cathy Fraser, & Sue Nakaoka at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. [Wow!] It was a fun, energizing challenge to talk with them. I was so impressed and thankful to have the opportunity to learn from them and benefit from their expertise!
My good friend, Amanda, lives up there. She graciously offered to share her living quarters with me all week. She's hilarious, genuine, & generous, and I'm so thankful for her friendship! Go Amanda!
My IT band was getting really tight. [Probably because of neglect - my neck hurts to crane it, so I try to avoid excessive rolling of my legs...and since my legs haven't hurt at all because I haven't done much running in the past 5+ months since my heart surgery (did I mention that my foot has killed me ever since the heart procedure?)]...anyways, I was lying on the foam roller to release my IT band and went higher into my hip around where the 3 catheters were put into my groin. Somewhere around there, I found a (naughty) knot hiding out! After several minutes getting that sucker to un-knot-itself, my foot has been dandy ever since. YAAY! I am soo thankful to be able to run again!
I visited my favorite (which happens to be the best!) bike shop, where Steve, Aaron and Joey all helped me configure my bike as the BCSM guys suggested. I love the (temporary) mismatched look - perhaps a bit of an eclectic, quirky, underdog mix. Maybe not-so-temporary?? ;o) It is always fun to see OK City friends who work at, drop in, and hang out at Schlegel's. :o)
Heart - check! (supposedly - I haven't actually been able to test it out yet.)
Neck/back - TBD. Probably each month, it's gotten slightly better. Cheers for progress!
I don't say it enough, but I am soo thankful for a wonderful, oh-so-supportive husband who loves me and wants me to get healthy as much as I want to.
xo!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tax Day was the best! ;o)
That evening, he grilled trout - it was the most delicious thing I've ever had! We also had chocolate-orange cream cheese pound cake and red wine...yum!
Swimming, biking, and running continue to be impossible without debilitating pain. I'm still actively pursuing health though, and hope that my neck, back & foot work properly soon.
Until then, I know that (especially) my relationship with the Lord can grow even through the dark, (seemingly endless) trials that make up some seasons in life...
I'm thankful for the best husband, family & friends.
Cheers!! xo
Friday, March 11, 2011
And yet but so maybe perhaps then if now therefore...
March marks the 1-year point for my season de injuries. Yikes! Can't say that time flies when I'm not having fun. The past year has definitely been the hardest one yet. Whew!
My heart procedure was mid-Dec, & I was told that I could start running 2 weeks later...and I did, for a couple days...and then my foot started killing me. I couldn't believe it, really. I was in denial that something was wrong with my foot - it looked fine to me but somehow felt like a knife was stabbing it every step.
The previous 8 months, I'd say, "My neck/back isn't healed yet so I can't swim/bike, but I'm thankful I can run!" And then, I couldn't anymore. At that point, I not only hadn't figured out my neck/back situation, but also had no idea what was wrong with my foot. The day before my heart procedure, I ran 9 miles. (As long as I stayed aerobic, my heart didn't go crazy in an arrhythmia state). 2 weeks later, I couldn't go past 2 minutes.
I thought maybe having 3 catheters jammed up my groin might've caused me to change my stride a bit when I started jogging again (since it was my right groin and my right foot that was hurting)...so I just rested for another week, but the knot didn't go away. I thought, "Well, maybe it's good to rest longer - after all, my heart did go through the trauma of getting a node burned off...maybe it needs more time to heal too."
After 6 weeks of letting my heart heal & foot rest, I found no progress with my foot. I went to get a few different forms of therapy and...it still was killing me.
2.5 months went by doing nothing (to the point that grocery shopping was the physical activity for the week!), and I'm pretty sure that stretch of time sans exercise hasn't happened since I was 5 yrs old! Meanwhile, the triathlon season kicked off...again.
As my last post noted, I've been working with a couple new specialists and feeling better in my neck, back, and even foot. Dr. Brian Flournoy at Performance Care Clinic has loosened up my neck & back with the Active Release Technique, and Terri Cassel at Proactive Therapy is helping me strengthen my instabilities throughout my body. I have seen great improvements already, although these types of changes are slow-going. Their expertise is top-notch & I'm thankful to be able to work with them!
Cheers!
My heart procedure was mid-Dec, & I was told that I could start running 2 weeks later...and I did, for a couple days...and then my foot started killing me. I couldn't believe it, really. I was in denial that something was wrong with my foot - it looked fine to me but somehow felt like a knife was stabbing it every step.
The previous 8 months, I'd say, "My neck/back isn't healed yet so I can't swim/bike, but I'm thankful I can run!" And then, I couldn't anymore. At that point, I not only hadn't figured out my neck/back situation, but also had no idea what was wrong with my foot. The day before my heart procedure, I ran 9 miles. (As long as I stayed aerobic, my heart didn't go crazy in an arrhythmia state). 2 weeks later, I couldn't go past 2 minutes.
I thought maybe having 3 catheters jammed up my groin might've caused me to change my stride a bit when I started jogging again (since it was my right groin and my right foot that was hurting)...so I just rested for another week, but the knot didn't go away. I thought, "Well, maybe it's good to rest longer - after all, my heart did go through the trauma of getting a node burned off...maybe it needs more time to heal too."
After 6 weeks of letting my heart heal & foot rest, I found no progress with my foot. I went to get a few different forms of therapy and...it still was killing me.
2.5 months went by doing nothing (to the point that grocery shopping was the physical activity for the week!), and I'm pretty sure that stretch of time sans exercise hasn't happened since I was 5 yrs old! Meanwhile, the triathlon season kicked off...again.
As my last post noted, I've been working with a couple new specialists and feeling better in my neck, back, and even foot. Dr. Brian Flournoy at Performance Care Clinic has loosened up my neck & back with the Active Release Technique, and Terri Cassel at Proactive Therapy is helping me strengthen my instabilities throughout my body. I have seen great improvements already, although these types of changes are slow-going. Their expertise is top-notch & I'm thankful to be able to work with them!
Cheers!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Type A!
Well, the injury cycle started again...and the new doc that I went to told me that I was Type A!!! hahaha. I've never been called Type A in my LIFE! I'm pretty sure he meant it as a compliment, & it made me smile. There are some things I'm focused on in life, and finding out what is going on with my injuries is definitely one of my main focuses right now...
Anyways, I'm feeling lots better & I'll give another update hopefully soon about how I'm (for real this time) getting healthy again...
Cheers!
Anyways, I'm feeling lots better & I'll give another update hopefully soon about how I'm (for real this time) getting healthy again...
Cheers!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1.1.11
A new year has come!
1.1.11...starting out with a bunch of new beginnings - firsts - I'm likin' this already. :o)
I wouldn't change 2010...but definitely wouldn't choose to repeat it.
With all the ups and downs of life, I'm thankful to know that the Lord never changes...
Cheers!!!
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
1.1.11...starting out with a bunch of new beginnings - firsts - I'm likin' this already. :o)
I wouldn't change 2010...but definitely wouldn't choose to repeat it.
With all the ups and downs of life, I'm thankful to know that the Lord never changes...
Cheers!!!
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
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