MRI Follow-Up & My Pre-Surgical Questions

Well gang, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Two weeks ago I had (another) MRI of the left ankle, and tomorrow afternoon is my follow-up appointment with the ankle doc. In our last appointment, he was fairly certain I had a tear in my anterior talofibular ligament. At this point, it is really a question of to what degree. I've pretty much resigned myself to this being a surgical fix, which means that if tomorrow he says it isn't, I will be very pleasantly surprised.

Before any big doctor's appointment, it is a good idea to come up with a list of questions to ask your doctor to make sure that you have a good understanding of exactly what is going happen. If possible, it is also a great idea to bring along a buddy to your appointment. Tomorrow my hubby is actually coming with me. He wasn't able to come with me for the appointment before my last surgeries, but I had a dear friend who did, and she was a great advocate. Hubby will be perfect for this because while I get very emotional which sometimes makes it hard for me to listen, he is very analytical and can stay calm in stressful situations, which this will be for me.

5 Ways to Deal with Pain in Disney

I have had the not so much a pleasure of traveling to Walt Disney World twice while dealing with chronic pain and am about to make that the charming third time. First time around was my shoulder and now I'm fighting with my lovely left ankle, the latter of which has flared up and will likely be a bit of an issue during our upcoming January 2016 trip.

Surviving Disney, preventing further injury, not slowing down your family or friends, all while still enjoying yourself can seem like a daunting task. But there are steps you can take that hopefully will still give you the chance to have a magical park experience.

#1 - Identify those things that are going to cause you more pain or difficulty - there might be some that surprise you!
When we went to Walt Disney World back in August 2015, I was actually in a pretty good place ankle wise. It held up a lot better than any of us expected and wasn't really until the last two days out of a five-day trip that it even slowed me down. I had planned ahead for a lot of walking through the parks but did not anticipate the rides. A number of the rides required a fair amount of bracing, which put a lot of stress on my ankle. Space Mountain, in particular, was hard to enjoy. I was really caught off guard by that, but now going into this upcoming trip I know to be more careful or to just be the official bag holder for some of the most intense rides.

#2 - Train for your trip
Now that you've identified those things that might cause you problems during your trip, do what you can in advance to prepare yourself. Worried about walking a lot? Try to take small walks every day to build up your stamina. Worried about jostling? Talk with your family about football-style blocking for you in the crowded walkways (this is what my dad and brother did during our 2010 trip!).

#3 - Take breaks. Lots and lots of breaks. 
My first Disney trip with chronic pain was way back in 2010, pre-scapular muscle reattachment surgery. My family's usual pace through the parks was frenetic to say the least, and I just physically couldn't have kept that up. So instead of sprinting from ride to ride, we got the Dining Plan. We sat down and ate meals instead of eating on the run, we talked to each other, we relaxed. And our day at Universal after getting jerked around by the Spiderman ride, I called a cab and went back to the hotel. I was really bummed to miss part of a day, but it meant that I was alive the next day when we went swimming with manatees (still to this day one of the coolest things I have ever done).

During our trip last August, we had just finished the Finding Nemo show and my in-laws and husband decided that they wanted to do the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Now, I don't know how good your Animal Kingdom geography is, but those are pretty much opposite sides of the park, and the "trail" is a self-guided stroll.  After some internal debate, I let them know that I would be happy to meet up with them once they were done, grabbed myself a bottle of soda, and parked on a nice flat wall where I could people watch and just bask in the awesomeness that is the Tree of Life. Did I miss that walk? Yup. But was I more alive and present for more of the trip because I took a break? Absolutely.

#4 - Bring supplies
What physical items will help make your trip easier? For me, I'll always have Aleve in my purse and I'm going to be wearing my ankle brace. A cane would probably also help me out, but I'm going to be too stubborn for that. I'll also have plastic bags with me and will ice my ankle in the evenings once we get back to our room using ice from the handy dandy ice machine in the hotel. There are some supplies you can get when you're in the parks, but they'll be more limited.

My last ditch if everything is awful plan is to rent a wheelchair when we're in the parks. The cost per day from Disney is $12, $10 if you're renting for multiple days. Wheelchairs don't leave their respective park. Disney also has a partnership with five different rental companies who can deliver right to your resort, but for me the idea of traveling in the buses with a wheelchair seems cumbersome and I am not that limited mobility wise. The website All Ears has put together a much more comprehensive explanation of dealing with the parks while in a wheelchair, and I won't repeat their well-arranged information here!

If you've looked other places for information on dealing with mobility issues in the parks, you've probably heard about the Disability Access Service Card, formerly known as the Guest Assistance Card. Please note that Disney has modified how the card works and it is no longer available for wheelchair guests. You can see get more information about the new DACS card from Disney themselves.

#5 - Don't be afraid to ask for help
This can mean a lot of things depending on yourself and the people you're going with. Need a wheelchair? Don't be afraid to ask someone for help up a hill, especially in Animal Kingdom. Need to slow down for a bit? My family walks VERY quickly (I'm the shortest legged at 5'7") so I occasionally need to remind them that I'm falling behind. Need to sit down and take a break? Maybe suggest that it is time for your daily Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar break. Every family does one of those, right? (BTW, swap out the rando in that picture for a golden retriever and that is the most "my mom" photograph ever taken.)

I hope that this helps you, and takes some of the nerves out of your trip. I'm starting to get kind of anxious about my visit, which is in less than a month. I can't get in for physical therapy for another week, so I will only have a few sessions under my belt before the trip. I am thinking that if it is the week before and I still have a lot of inflammation and pain, I may see about getting a cortisone shot. I had one right before our wedding and it let me dance at the reception and wander around Quebec for our honeymoon.

Have you dealt with pain in the parks? Is there a piece of advice I missed that you think would be useful for someone else?

Prepping for Disney: Animal Kingdom Must Watch Movies

For those of you following along from home, you might have seen my last post about the week's worth of movies you should watch before visiting Magic Kingdom. Of all of the parks, that one was probably the easiest in terms of available material, but also the hardest because there are just so many movies.

On the flip-side of that, Animal Kingdom is one that I found tough. Unlike most of the other parks, there are only a small handful of rides and shows based directly off of movies. A lot of it is pure atmosphere. But, I did my best, and here is my list of the top seven movies you should check out before heading to Animal Kingdom.

Photo by pallndrome6996

The Lion King - There are so many great tie-ins to the Lion King at Animal Kingdom, the most obvious of which being the "Festival of the Lion King" show. It is always one of my favorites, especially with the aerial ballet and acrobatics. 

Photo by ckramer

Finding Nemo - Another great show at Animal Kingdom is "Finding Nemo: The Musical." It really showcases Disney's ability to blend puppeteering and real people together (a la Lion King on Broadway) and makes for a really fun show. Plus, the movie is one of my all-time favorites. You'll see it make the list again in Epcot with the Living Seas area. 

Photo by Jeremy Thompson

A Bug's Life - I'll be honest, this movie wasn't my favorite and I never liked "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" in Epcot, so "It's Tough to be a Bug" just isn't up my alley. But, it is still a big part of the park, and it is a foundational Pixar movie, so you should definitely add this one to your list.  

Photo by HarshLight

Dinosaur - This ride is a little intense for me (hey, I get scared!) but the theming expands even beyond the movie. The entirety of "DinoLand" is a lot of fun, and I've always enjoyed it. Like most of Disney, everything from the restaurants to the shops to the kids activities are on point. This sign above is one of my favorites!

Photo by Sam Howzit

Avatar - With the soon to open Avatar Land, this one is a must watch. I'm curious to see what the reaction to the park will be as I'm not sure the movie itself has had the lasting impression that other newly announced themed lands have had (Toy Story, Star Wars) but with the new changes to MK this is an important film!

Photo by erin leigh mcconnell

Earth & African Cats - I will fully admit that these two are a bit of a cop-out. Once "The Good Dinosaur" and "Zootopia" are released, maybe we can swap those out, but you really can't go wrong with any of the Disney Nature films. There are some gorgeous animals living in the park!

What do you think/? Would these be your top 7 Animal Kingdom movies? What am I missing?

Prepping for Disney: Magic Kingdom Must-Watch Movies

Yesterday was the official one month mark for my upcoming Disney World trip and I thought to myself, hey, I should watch some movies to prep for my trip. And then I thought, I wonder if there's a good list of movies for each park? I found a couple, but none that I thought were really an in-depth breakdown.

Now, I work full-time and try to do regular grownup things like eat and sleep, so I don't think I have quite enough time to watch every park-related movie before the 19th. So, since I've got thirty days and four parks (sorry resorts, water parks, and Downtown/Springs, I'm not even going to bother) I've put together the top seven movies (or shorts) you MUST watch for each park before your Disney World trip. Want my all-inclusive list? I've got that too! I'll start today with Magic Kingdom, but check back for the full list!

Planning Your Disney Trip in 10 Simple Steps

I am probably weird, but one of my favorite parts of any trip is the planning. My mom is the exact same way. I love having spreadsheets and comparison charts, and our upcoming Disney World trip is no different. In fact, I am probably a little more obsessive about planning this time around, dealing with both the reality of my surgery recovery, the fact that in August, Florida is a bit toasty and humid, and also that this is my first time traveling with my in-laws.

My mom and I were discussing it a bit, and as she said, planning for our own family is easy because we all travel the same way and enjoy the same things (what, isn't it normal to ride Buzz Lightyear eight times in a row?). But, when traveling with anyone with whom you have not vacationed before, there is a period of time during which you'll have to get used to each others style. Talking in advance about what our respective priorities are and what we'd all like to get out of the trip will eliminate some frustration and confusion on the ground.

Right now, this is how my planning plan (don't laugh at me) looks:
Step 1 - Identify days we'll be traveling
Step 2 - Book hotel rooms
Step 3 - Decide which parks we'll be in and when
Step 4 - Make dining reservations (up to 180 days in advance)
Step 5 - Make first round Fastpass+ reservations (up to 90 days in advance)
Step 6 - Make daily touring plans
Step 7 - Plan out outfits
Step 8 - Packing list for suitcases
Step 9 - Packing list for in-park bag
Step 10 - GO TO DISNEY

Don't worry, I will catch you up on steps 1-3 in future posts, and you'll probably see multi-post breakdowns of steps 4-7.

What do you think? Anything I am missing here?

What To Wear With a Foot Cast or Walking Boot

I am a very firm believer in wearing what makes you comfortable. Now, I should specify here that comfort doesn't actually have to be physical comfort. There is also emotional comfort, and any woman who has slipped into her favorite dress will tell you all about it. Personally, I am not really one to lounge around in sweatpants and a t-shirt for more than about a day. Right after the surgery, I did for a bit, but as soon as we started having company come visit I was wearing jeans and a nice top. Several people remarked on this, but honestly getting dressed made me emotionally feel a lot better.

Now, what you wear will depend on a lot of things. The season, your own personal style, how you're feeling, and what you've actually got going on at the end of your foot. As an FYI, most of my clothes are from some combination of The Limited, Express, Gap Outlet, and Target, and I tried to get as close as possible to what I actually wear in the outfits I made below. Here's what worked for me at the different stages I went through post-surgery.

Foot Cast
I primarily stuck with bootcut jeans, wide legged sweatpants, and occasionally shorts although I had my surgery in December in Upstate NY so those never made it out of the apartment. What I found was that I had to work with pants whose legs were wide enough to fit over top of my cast. I also found that knit Christmas stockings made great toe covers!

Walking Boot & iWalk 2.0
During the period of time when I was in the walking boot but non-weight bearing, depending on my trusty iWalk 2.0 pegleg to get around, I relied on long pants that could be tucked into my boot. The boot is big enough that, although I can fit sweatpants over it, the bootcut jeans I'd used with the cast wouldn't go over the top. I pulled out my straight or skinny jeans, and primarily wore those. Because the pegleg fastened around my thigh, I avoided wearing leggings with tunics, dresses, or skirts, anything that would look awkward with the handle and strap. The above outfit is one I wore out for dinner for a friend's birthday.

Walking Boot & Going Back to Work
Tuesday next week (YAY!) I will finally be returning to work, but I will still be in my walking boot for probably another month. I'm planning outfits for dressing professionally with my walking boot still hooked onto the end of my foot. Luckily, my office is very easygoing, with only one other full-time staff member, so if I need to put my foot up on my desk with some ice packs, it isn't a huge deal.

PS #1 - You might notice that the shoes here are the same. This is actually intentional. You'll need to find what shoes you own work for you. This is especially important once you are weight bearing in your walking boot. You want something comfortable, but also tall enough that your hips are lined up. I made the mistake of wearing flatter shoes one day, and that night my hip ached so badly I couldn't sleep. Don't make the same mistake I did!

PS #2 - If you're surgery takes place over the winter, and you chose to use an iWalk 2.0 (which I HIGHLY recommend) you'll also have to be a little selective about what coat you use. I have a gorgeous trench sort of winter coat that I love, but it comes down to my knees and the handle of the iWalk 2.0 got in the way. Luckily I also have a nice and warm puffy coat, which is great on days like today when it is supposed to get down to -10, and ends at my hips so doesn't bother my pegleg!

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iWalk 2.0 Review - The Downsides

Heading into my foot surgery, I tried to do a lot of research to be as prepared as possible. I actually did not find a lot specific to my procedure, but I did stumble across this gem. The iWalk 2.0 Hands Free Crutch has been the absolute best part of my recovery, although there have been some ups and downs (but luckily no falling downs). I want to be very clear. I highly, highly recommend that if you're going to be in a foot cast, you look into renting or purchasing the iWalk 2.0. It has made a tremendous difference in my recover, but I wanted to touch on some of the frustrations or unexpected hurdles before I start singing its praises.

Weight Restrictions
Be aware before you order the iWalk that it is limited to individuals under 275 pounds, and your upper thigh need to be smaller than 27". I was unable to find height limitations, but in my tennis shoes I am the most comfortable at the tallest setting. I am 5'7", but the majority of my height is in my legs so someone taller than my can in theory utilize this without an issue. Just something to make sure you check before you order!

Surviving the Holidays While You're Laid Up

This year is a little different for us in terms of holidays. The last couple of years, my now husband and I have split time between my family in Iowa and his family in Connecticut. Usually we drive to his parents house, fly from Hartford to Des Moines, spend a few days with my parents, then fly back and stay with his folks. It has worked pretty well, until I decided to throw a wrench in it and get my foot chopped open.

Because of my inactivity and limited movement, I am considered a higher risk for blood clotting. Part of this means I've been instructed to take an asprin every day, but I also am restricted from flying for the three months after the surgery. And since I definitely can't manage the 18+ hour car ride it'd take to drive home, this will be the first year that I don't go home for Christmas.

It is definitely a bummer, and I am really not happy about it, but luckily my in-laws are awesome and have completely welcomed me into their home. Even then, maneuvering around with my foot in a cast has been pretty tough. Here are some tips that so far are helping me manage, and hopefully will help you as well.

Staying Healthy While Immobile

My view for two weeks

One of my biggest concerns going into this whole surgery recovery ordeal was making sure I was able to stay as healthy as possible. Because of the pain that led to the surgery itself, I've fallen out of exercising and into some bad comfort habits (I'm looking at you, Cheez-its) and unfortunately find myself weighing in at the heaviest I've ever been. While I am really looking forward to being mobile again and being able to return to physical fitness, I didn't want to wait to get the jump on being healthy. Here are the measures I've put in place to stay healthy while I'm still stuck on the couch.

Exercise What You Can
At least until Wednesday, I am on 23 hour leg elevated rest. That said, I need to give my shoulder a little bit of work to keep it from getting too grumpy, and I want to avoid my leg muscles atrophying too much while I'm stuck on the couch. Here's the exercises I'm doing in some combination every day:

How SMART Are Your Goals?

I am the type of person that works best when I have specific goals in mind. I love making lists, the more detailed the better. One of the things I'm hoping to accomplish now that I'm on bed rest is my current list of goals. I want to revisit those that I've already made, and flesh out future goals.

3 Ways to Be Your Own Health Advocate

My lovely temporary soft cast

On Thursday I had surgery on my left foot and ankle. The short story is I'm getting a recently developed flat foot and it's resulting problems corrected. But, this is a blog, and blogs aren't about the short story.In July of last year I started to notice my left ankle ached, mostly at night when I was trying to fall asleep. There was never a moment where I noticeably rolled or twisted it, but my younger years as a volleyball player prepared me well for the identification of a sprained ankle. This started me down the journey that led to today. Between this and long-term shoulder problems, I feel like I've learned a lot about how to self-advocate with health care professionals.

After nearly seven years with chronic shoulder pain and dealing with this foot/ankle stuff, I've come to learn that the best person to trust with your health is yourself. Today's medicine seems to be moving in that direction, which is great. Make your health care a conversation, and work with your medical professionals to find the best solutions for you and your body. 

5 Steps to Save Your Sanity After Surgery

Tomorrow, I am having surgery on my left ankle and foot. The procedure is called the "All-American" and I have to stay in the hospital overnight, but I'll touch more on what it is and how we figured out it was necessary in a later post. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is not my first surgery rodeo, so I wanted to share some of my advice for making your recovery as easy as possible.

Coming home from the surgery, I'll be laid up for a LONG time. That means no cooking, no cleaning, no going out and wandering around Target, and no work for at least a couple of weeks. So, for any of you who are going through something similar, whether it is an ankle/foot or anything else that'll keep you laid up for a bit, I thought I would share my strategies to staying sane during the recovery.