What About Green Drinks?

Green drinks are becoming popular as energy drinks to enjoy after working out. They are low in fat and cholesterol. A good greens drink will be low in calories and sugar. The drink will be rich in phytonutrients (antioxidants, I.e.) and healthy enzymes. Plus, the products can contain a wealth of plant-based protein and plant sterols, both which can improve our overall health. I have noticed these drinks to be natural appetite suppressants, also.

The ones I have been enjoying come in powdered form. My favorite consists of kelp, cholorophyll, wheat grass, spinach and beet greens (I’m probably forgetting other ingredients). The sweetness comes from licorice and beet. The drink is refreshing, since I mix it only with water. It goes down easy and is a great pick-me-up.

There was a bottled, liquid version sold in the marketplace that looked good. So, I purchased it. Big mistake. It was nowhere like what I was used to. The label claimed it contained all of these healthy greens, but the taste was otherwise. It contained far more fruit juice and natural sugars than anything else. It was a huge disappointment. The label made it look good, though. It has me wondering if there is any regulation on the manufacturing and labeling of greens drinks.

If you’re interested in drinking some green mixtures, they can be purchased in the nutritional products department or in health food stores. I’ve also seen them sold among the weight management products.

The green drinks are not cheap. They are definitely worth the price, however. Plus, they last a long time since one serving consists of only one teaspoon (or less). Not bad.

Another drawback to the drink….they stink (meaning, they smell like the ocean…strong seaweed and fish smell). I’ve gotten used to it. At first, though. Yikes!

No, I’m not getting paid to write this review. Just sharing information that others were interested in learning more about.

Find interesting? Kindly share….

A Quick Thank You

I wanted to take a quick moment and, once again, thank everyone who has ever participated in my blog. Without you, this blog would not be the success that it has become. This blog has recently reached over 78,000 readers…that is an accomplishment that is due to you and your input.

Booktoots’ Weblog has become a welcoming support community where others can come and express their ideas and concerns about undergoing a total knee replacement (tkr) and/or hockey. It is a treasure to be able to see how we all encourage each other and provide inspiration.

Thanks for bringing a smile to my face and spirit, my online friends.

Positive Heart Health Update

Well, I can’t resist sharing the news with everyone and anyone who reads this. Six months ago I was diagnosed with high total cholesterol. My harmful cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) was in the scary range. My nutritionist game me a meal plan to follow. It basically involved monitoring my saturated fat intake and eliminating (or severely limit) trans fats.

Background: My entire life I have prided myself in eating healthy and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Then, I tried to fit in and began eating foods I normally wouldn’t. I ate out regularly. I didn’t care what I ate. Most of the food was new to me since I had only eaten “healthy” foods previously. This included cream sauces, larger than usual portion sizes, sugary and fatty foods and all the fun stuff. That tastes great. I even drank whole fat egg nog, something I wouldn’t dream of previously. (Have you ever tasted that stuff?! Yumm..)

After receiving the shocking news, the you know what was scared out of me. Cardiovascular disease runs in my family. I absolutely refuse to be put on heart medications for the rest of my life and that is what I may have faced if I didn’t change my eating habits. So…I got back to my “old” way of eating. And..it has paid off…

Yesterday I received news that my total cholesterol level has decreased by 60 points. How cool is that?!!

I’m not saying this to brag. I’m just saying, it was done through diet and exercise. No medication. And…I’m as happy as a clam in mud. lol

Hope you found this interesting. Kindly share, if you did….

Remembering our Veterans…

Today is Veterans Day in the United States and Armistice Day in Canada. It is a day to remember our veterans who sacrificed their lives for our countries.

We would not have the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted if it were not for our veterans. Remember that. Pay respect. And….say “thank you”.

Historical note:
Today, November 11, is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Started in 1775, their motto is “The Few, The Proud, The Marines”. Semper Fi. Blessings to all…

A Different TKR Exercise Perspective

I’m sitting here looking at my exercise bike and suddenly realized something. Things have changed from when I first started using the bike after my tkr. Now I can actually ride it without almost tipping over. Why is this something to write about? It’s a world of difference. Here’s why…

What is interesting about undergoing a total knee replacement, I feel, is the importance of doing regular exercise. Only, when we start doing the exercise, it’s not called that. It’s called rehabilitation, physical therapy or recuperation. In my case, instead of thinking I was doing exercise, I thought about how much more flexibility I could get that day, how I could move my leg just a quarter of an inch more than the previous day at times, etc.

Even to this day, almost 21 months post tkr, I am concerned about increasing my flexibility. See, if I sit for an extended period of time, my tkr gets stiff. I need to stretch. If I don’t ride my stationary bike daily, I feel hindered. It’s not complaining, just a fact.

Now, I find myself thinking …”I need to exercise”, not “I need to do 10 reps of isometrics in order to get muscle strength to move my leg”. It’s quite different. Anyone going through the same thing will agree, I am sure.

So, it’s time for me to go exercise. That’s so much fun to say for me.

Find interesting? Kindly share….

Healing A TKR Scar.. Naturally

I just got done reading an interesting article on how to best heal a scar. Knowing what a doozy I have (it’s about 10 inches..I haven’t measured it), I thought it would be fun to write a post about foods that can help heal a scar. Personally, I like my tkr scar. It’s healed just fine. In part, I believe, is the fact I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s a reason I mention that. Anyways…

Vitamins that can benefit scar healing are high in antioxidants. The antioxidants are essential for healing of wounds. These include Vitamins C, E and A. I’ll talk about Vitamin C now, for no particular reason other than it’s fresh on my mind. Here goes…

Vitamin C is found in more vegetables than you probably imagine. It is found in dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, mustard greens, collard greens and various dark-colored lettuces (like red leaf). The vitamin is also found in winter squash, green peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts (or mini-cabbages as some know them ) and cabbage varieties.

If you have a sweet tooth which fruit can satisfy, you’re in luck. Vitamin C is found in berries such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, marionberries, blueberries and huckleberries. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes are also rich in the vitamin. Mango, watermelon and pineapples are other sources that contain more than ample amounts to help in skin healing. Snacking on a mango..oohlala! Mixing some fresh fruit into plain yogurt…:)

I’m talking about the fresh varieties of fruits and vegetables. Personally, I’m not a fan of canned foods (other than the masses of canned tomatoes I use for my minestrone soup base). It’s nice to have some canned food on hand for emergency power outages or the like. In everyday eating, though…no. Nothing beats a freshly steamed pot of veggies and serving of protein.

Well, hope this helps others going through the same thing about wondering what’s best for their tkr scar healing. You are what you eat.

Find interesting? I hope so. Kindly share…

Happy Halloween to All!!

Today is one of the best holidays around, in my opinion. Forget all the blood and gore…give me the carved pumpkins, pumpkin-based food and beautiful fall colors.

We can’t forget the costumes, either. Some are just a hoot! For the hockey fans among us…

A Zamboni rider at the Bruins game today was dressed up as an “accountant?”. He was wearing a black suit and tie, greased back hair and black-rimmed glasses. He was waving to the audience as he drove by. “That guy’s never gonna get a date,” was the announcer’s response. Only a hockey fan could appreciate seeing a Zamboni driver in suit and tie.

Another fan came to a game as Don Cherry, aka “Grapes”. He was at ScotiaBank place during HNIC. It was hilarious! The camera flashes over to him as he’s descending the stairs while waving at the audience. Him and his brightly, color-coordinated outfit. lol

Then there was Jonathan Toews dressed up as part of the “Dumb and Dumber” duo. He was in orange, complete with hat. “Apparently his concussion has come into play,” was the announcer comment. lol

We can’t forget all the fans dressed as Superman, Batman or some other super hero. Too cool.

This is one reason it’s so much fun watching hockey on Halloween.

Even if you don’t watch fun-filled hockey, have a great holiday!!

Worried About Scars? Try This….

In an interview on the NHL Network today, Johnny Bower a retired NHL goaltending legend, gave his secret for getting rid of his scars and wrinkles….

“They sell this stuff called cocoa butter,” he said. Then, he went on to say how he had huge scars around his mouth area. (He received 45 stitches from when a puck hit him in the face. He played goalie before the mask was developed.) “Eddie Short said, “Hey..you’ve got a couple of bad scars there. Why don’t you try using cocoa butter?”

Bower went on to say, “I had never heard of that before and was kind of skeptical since no one liked Eddie Short.” He then tried the stuff and it worked. “My scars have disappeared and so have my wrinkles,” he said.

Bower was talking about something during this interview, then said…”I forgot what I was saying. Sometimes I forget my wife’s name.” Funny stuff.

Very cool interview from NHL Live! And the NHL Network. There’s a show on the NHL Network on Sunday titled “50 Years Behind the Mask”. It’s about the history of the goalie mask. Can’t wait!

Find interesting? Kindly share….

Saunas in an Executive Suite?!

There was a recent comment about NHL executive suites and it reminded me of an episode on the NHL Network while this pre-season was underway.

It was during the games in Sweden. The Detroit Red Wings were playing the St. Louis Blues. Fun game to watch.

The camera shot to the arena’s executive suite area. It turns out that the team owner has a sauna in their suite. There is reflective glass surrounding the suite, so no one can see in. How cool is that?!

A thought in passing…..

Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Brian Leetch are all being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 9, 2009. Kudos!

Find interesting? Kindly share…

What A Game! Canucks V Wings

Yesterday was the first chance in a while when I could watch a hockey game in its entirety. It was played at BC Center in Vancouver, British Columbia. The home team, Vancouver Canucks, was playing the visiting team – the Detroit Red Wings.

When the Canucks scored within the first 30 seconds of the game, I thought..”Oh oh”. Then, when they scored another goal within the next three minutes…my reaction was “What the blazes is going on here?!”

Then, the Wings scored. And, as soon as that would happen, the Canucks scored. It was a great game.

The only negative was when Ryan Johnson slammed into the boards and was taken off by stretcher to the hospital. Last I heard, he was conscious and talking. Initial reports claimed he did not suffer serious injury. The look of the play was definitely otherwise. The term “slammed” is an understatement. It was awful to see. He was going so fast into those boards, it was painful to watch him make impact.

The final score was 5-4, with the Red Wings winning. Finally, I may add. As much as I may say that the first half of the season doesn’t matter, it is kind of difficult seeing the Wings in such a low position on the totem pole. As of today (October 28, 2009), they are in 11th position. What’s up with that?!

Versus Response to DirecTV fiasco

Hi everyone,
Katie from Versus was kind enough to response to my previous blog post about the concerns regarding DirecTV and Versus. It is affecting my hockey viewing, so I wrote about it. Here’s her response:

It’s Katie and I work at VERSUS. I came across your blog and wanted to post a comment to ensure you had all the relevant information regarding VERSUS and DirecTV.

DirecTV chose to remove VERSUS from its lineup on September 1 and since then has been depriving millions of sports fans from seeing all of VERSUS’ marquee programming, including the start of the 2009/10 NHL regular season. Again, DirecTV dropped VERSUS, not the other way around.

DirecTV continues to claim that VERSUS is asking for a rate increase. It is simply not true. The fact is that VERSUS offered DirecTV the exact same deal they had before they dropped the network, which means that they can carry VERSUS at no additional cost and at the same level of distribution that they had in the past.

On the flip side, they demanded a deal that would place VERSUS on a tier, removing the channel from subscribers who were getting it at no additional cost. DirecTV would then force those subscribers to pay an additional fee to get access to VERSUS.

We are very frustrated that they have chosen to deny you, and millions of other NHL fans, access to VERSUS.

I hope this clarifies the situation for you. And please know that VERSUS is doing everything possible to get a deal worked out with DirecTV as quickly and as amicably as possible.
Katie Bradshaw

Find interesting? Kindly share…

What’s With NHL Live! broadcast?

What’s with NHL Live! broadcasting on DirectV? There is a small screen broadcasting the in-studio feed. Then, sideboards are flashing nonstop with current games and scores. The bottom bar (footer) is also flashing.

Whatever is printed on the in-studio broadcast is unreadable…it’s so small.

It’s not the least bit appealing. What’s going on?

And….Versus is continuously mentioned on the verbage. DirectTV and Versus are no longer.

What’s up?

Soupy Sales Has Died

A part of my childhood just died. Soupy Sales has passed away at the age of 83.
Every day before school, I’d watch him and his cheerful bunch of characters on WXYZ in Detroit. They were always so entertaining.

Soupy used to always get a pie shoved into his face. It cracked me up every time. We never knew who do the shoving, but we knew it was going to happen.

Some of his jokes were so stupid, they were funny. He used to do and say the stupidest things, but they were funny. I remember moaning and laughing at the same time. He was great.

For instance, this is an example of what his humor could be like. I found it on MSNBC and I brought back memories….”he would tell his tiny listeners to empty their mothers’ purse and mail him all the pieces of green paper bearing pictures of the presidents.” I don’t remember if I did that or not. Probably not since my mom had a 24-hour stranglehold over her purse. Anyways, he was suspended for a week because of that.

I remember always looking forward to him answering the door when someone knocked on it. We never knew who it was going to be. It was always such a delight to find out who the mystery guest was.

I remember Soupy doing a dance called “the Soupy Shuffle”. It’s strange how that’s not mentioned in articles I have read regarding his death. That was killer dance. It was a mini-version of the moonwalk. Only Soupy never grabbed his crotch.

I remember that ridiculously large bow tie he would wear over his sweater. It always brought a smile to my face. I loved watching that stupid tie bounce up and down as he did the Shuffle.

And Soupy’s expressions were priceless. They were entertaining by themselves. He’d tell a stupid joke and laugh at it himself while looking in the camera. He’d say something stupid and look in the camera with a bewildered look. It was great entertainment.

I remember his side kicks, two dogs with opposite personalities:
There was White Fang. This hand puppet (a large paw) couldn’t speak and would just grunt his answers to Soupy’s questions. I loved White Fang. He was always getting mad over nothing. He was introduced as the meanest dog in America. I remember his white fur was always in disarray.

There was Black Fang. Black Fang was so syrupy sweet he sometimes got me sick. He was a wimp in my opinion. I was always curious to see what he was going to say that day. Black Fang was known as the nicest dog in America. I used to love when Black Fang and White Fang would meet up. They’d fight to the end. It was so entertaining.

I liked Soupy better than Captain Kangaroo. Captain Kangaroo could be a such a wimp at times. Soupy wasn’t a wimp.

Soupy was better than Kukla, Fran & Olly (other kids’ characters) too. Those three characters were a bore, in my opinion. Soupy wasn’t boring in the least.

I am very saddened by the death of my beloved Soupy Sales. He was a definite bright spot in my childhood.

20-Month Post TKR Update

It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. Anyways, I thought it would be a good idea to give an update regarding the ongoing saga of my tkr.

I have been very fortunate in that I have not had any complications, infections or negative results from my total knee replacement. When I read stories about those who have these concerns, I definitely count my blessings.

Findings:
When I sit for an extended amount of time, like 15 minutes, my knee gets stiff. It takes a few seconds to stand up and get ready to move.

Stairs are not the least bit fun. There is no pain in my joint (cause I don’t have a joint…:)) so that I can climb stairs more easily than prior to my tkr. However, I usually take stairs one at a time due to my “good” knee being sensitive.

Going downstairs is a bite. This is when I’m glad someone discovered and invented railings.

I have difficulty with stairs that are deeper than the standard six-inch height. I need to find something to hold on to in order to make the ascent. Sometimes that’s not a pretty picture. Or, maybe someone should video it and put the clip on YouTube. It could be labeled, “Climbing the Nontraditional Step After A TKR”.

Speaking of my “good” knee, it has started to making crunching sounds when doing elevational walking (going uphill or climbing stairs). It mildly swells up after exercising.
That’s a further “no comment” on my part.

My tkr still swells up after a bout of riding my stationary bike or walking. The swelling is above my knee cap. It’s not a pretty picture, either, but could be much worse.

While stretching my knee during my exercise bike workout, it can still be painful at certain points. I just keep plugging along.

My nerve alongside my outer leg still lets me know it’s there. The pain level is much better than earlier, though. Plus, the duration is less.

My tkr leg has settled upon a length. During the earlier stages of my tkr recuperation, my leg length would change throughout the week. Some days, when the swelling was greater, my leg would be shorter. Other days, when there was not so much swelling, my leg would be longer. It was very strange. And, it made it extremely difficult to determine what amount of shoe lift I needed. (My tkr leg has been shorter than my “regular” leg for 34 years due to my fractured femur).

It stings a bit when a 40-100 pound large dog smacks its strong tail against my knee. Nothing personal, Sadie and Molly.

Let’s see…
I can get into a number of poses without pain. Touching my toes is no big deal anymore. Stretching my hamstrings is not painful. That’s a HUGE relief.

I can stand up for longer periods of time than ever before without experiencing any discomfort. Nice.

As I work on my balance, it is improving daily. Standing on one leg can be accomplished easier than ever before. Nice.

When I do not exercise daily, I feel unhealthy. Hence, I exercise to feel good. It’s nice being able to exercise without biting my lip or secretly cursing. Oh wait.. I still do that sometimes.

I do isometrics throughout the day and it helps improve my blood circulation and muscle strengthening. Plus, there’s no pain now.

My tkr does not click anymore. It luckily only did that a handful of times throughout my recuperation.

Most importantly……I can perform daily activities without pain. That is worth more than words can describe.

There’s probably more, but I’ll come back when I think of them. Hope this helps others going through the same thing.

Find interesting? Kindly share….

Hockey for Dummies

NHL Live! (broadcast on the NHL Network and XM/Sirius Radio) is usually an informative show, but the other day an idea was presented that sounded great. Billy Jaffe, former NHL player and current New York Islanders commentator, mentioned a way to get others interested in the sport of hockey.

First, the team would sell a “beginner’s package” consisting of three games in three different sections of the arena. The first game would have the fan seated in the middle section of seats. That way, they could get a feel for the game while feeling part of the action.

The second game would be in the lower seat section. Sitting here would allow the fan to really get into the game while hearing the players and “smelling the blood”.

The third game would have the fan sitting in the upper section, or..”nose bleed seats”. This would give the fan an overall view of the game while allowing them to see how everything ties together.

The beginning fan would be accompanied on each of these three games by an experienced hockey fan, or an expert in the sport.

Doesn’t that sound like a great way to get someone introduced to the sport of ice hockey? I think so.

If you find this article interesting, kindly share.

Laptop Heat & A TKR

Recently, I have been putting my laptop onto a towel and then placing it onto my lap. I remember a bit ago when one of my readers asked us if anyone else had experienced pain from their laptop. Apparently, she had been using her laptop while sitting on her sofa or bed. She noticed that there was immense pain after a while. At the time, I had not experienced that.

Well, within the last two weeks, it has happened to me. (I am 19 months post-tkr, for the records).

After about 20 minutes, I notice a pain in my tkr area. Sometimes the pain is not that intense, other times it is. My knee is very hot at times. Other times it is warm.

Either way….I’m going to find another way to use my laptop that is ergonomically correct. I wonder if those Portabooks really work?

Oh, by the way. I had written previously about my fantastic invention of a homemade laptop holder. It broke.

If you find this post interesting, kindly share….

Don’t Mess With My Glasses

I was thinking about my vision and how important it is to me when I remembered how it began. So, I thought I’d write about. Hope you enjoy..

My love affair with my vision started when I was a young tot in third grade. That’s when I got my first pair of glasses. They were the attractive ones (tongue in cheek) with beige coloring and diamond cut inserts on the sides. I loved my glasses since I could see clearly when I wore them. Go figure. Anyways…here’s a true story:

It was a beautiful summer’s day. My friend and I were out catching pollywogs at one of my favorite places..the pollywog pond. The pollywog pond was a housing development gone bad since it never got further then a bulldozer digging up dirt and leaving a big hole in the ground. When it rained, the water gathered. Hence, it turned into a pond. With time, the pollywogs came. It was fun catching pollywogs in a bucket and taking them home. I’d keep them in the backyard. I loved watching these swimmers sprought legs and begin the maturation process into reptilehood. My mom didn’t like it, though. “Get those filthy things out of here. Put them back where they belong,” she’d say. Sometimes she could be a party pooper.

Back to the story…as my friend and I were checking out the new batch of pollywogs, a voice came from nowhere. “Get out of here. You don’t belong here. This is my property.” I looked up and saw Stinky, the brat from the next block. Stinky’s real name was Billy. He got his nickname since anyone with a sense of smell would know he was around. He could never sneak up on anyone. Stinky and I were enemies. I used to beat him in baseball all the time and he didn’t like it. He would tease me mercilessly in front of others which I didn’t like. We couldn’t stand the sight of each other.

I stood up. “This isn’t your property. It’s my dad’s,” I replied. “I said get out of here,” he said as he moved closer. “No. Make me,” I retorted. So, with that, he started pushing me. He made the first move. I pushed back. Then, a couple pushes later, my glasses flew off. That did it. You can mess with me, but don’t mess with my glasses.

If anyone is familiar with Curly and the “Pop Goes The Easel” skit…that was what I was like. (Every time Curly would hear the song ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’ he’d go insane and start flinging his arms and punching anything/everything in sight). Stinky and I were fighting when suddenly he got a bloody nose. He turned and started yelling, “I’m gonna tell my mom on you!” He was running home. “Oh yeah! Ya big sissy!” was my response.

Then, my friend and I went to find my coveted glasses. We found them. It was a joy. As I put my glasses on, I remember thinking how nice it was to see clearly. It’s the simple things that matter. Ahh…childhood memories.

Greens V Muscle Milk Protein Drinks…

As part of my daily exercise routine, I finish it with a refreshing protein drink. It provides an extra boost and is very welcoming. With all the protein drinks on the market, I thought it would be interesting to find out what the difference is.

In previous posts, I mentioned how Tony Robbins suggests consuming greens drinks as part of your daily exercise regime. So, I have been doing that for the past five months. What is nice about greens drinks is the fact the product lasts a long time. It only takes one teaspoon per cup of beverage (in my case it is water). That is an added benefit, in my opinion. Anything that helps stretch the dollar is worth noticing.

While in the shopping mall a couple of weeks ago, I went into a nutritional store and looked around. I saw something called Muscle Milk. There were other powdered protein drinks available, but Muscle Milk was the only one offering samples. I wanted a sample since there was no way I was going to fork out the price for one of those products without sampling it. Those drinks are not cheap.

Anyways, I was given three scoopfuls. One scoopful is required for one drink. When I was getting the sample, another customer reaffirmed the effectiveness of the product. Her and her husband loved it. She did find the recommended amount too sweet, however. She suggested adding extra water or not using so much powder. I appreciated that insight.

The taste of Muscle Milk, chocolate variety, is delicious. It tastes like a chocolate malt. However, taste is about all it has going for it. I did not like how I felt after drinking it. I did not feel refreshed or energized. I felt weighted down. It felt like my system was taking time processing it. I also felt like I was ingesting unnatural ingredients. One of the reasons I have never bought one of those protein drinks is because the list of ingredients takes forever and a day to read. I do not like that.

When I drink greens drinks, as mentioned, I feel great. There is no feeling of being weighted down. My system feels light and energized. Plus, the drink is like drinking water with a little kick. The list of ingredients can be read in a couple of seconds and they are easy to understand. (There are only a few naturally occurring ingredients).

In case you’re wondering…no I am not getting paid to write this product comparison. I thought about writing this post the other day when I drank the Muscle Milk.

Hope this helps someone else going through the same thing.

Find interesting? Kindly share…

Weights & A TKR

Some readers have asked me lately whether I used weights during my tkr recuperation. I have written articles about this before, but thought it was time to discuss it further. The answer is “yes, I have”. Weights were used in a variety of ways. I will discuss how they were used as a straightening device in this post.

One exercise involving weights was done by sitting in a firm chair. I’d have another firm chair directly in front of me, about three feet away. I’d extend my tkr leg onto the other chair. My tkr knee would be in the center portion of the separated chairs. Or, I’d sit on my sofa and extend my tkr leg onto my coffee table with the same space underneath my tkr knee.

Then, when my knee was as straight as it would be, I’d put a towel over it. Then, I’d put a two-pound ankle weight on top of the front of my tkr knee. OUCH! It needed to be done, however. I started with a two-pound weight, but gradually increased it to five pounds. And, I do mean gradually. I never did more than five pounds since I received great results with only five pounds.

Once the weight was on my tkr knee, I’d keep it on for about one to two minutes to start with. This would be increased to ten minutes (but only after about three months post-tkr surgery).

This is one way in which I used weights to help straighten my tkr leg during rehabilitation.

Hope this helps others going through the same thing.

Find interesting? Kindly share….

Holiday Wishes

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadien readers!

Happy Columbus Day to my United States readers!

Enjoy!!

Knee Braces & A TKR

Prior to my total knee replacement, I tried everything I could to avoid the pain. One thing I did was wear a knee brace. It was painful and I didn’t understand why. That is, until I saw an x-ray of my knee.

I had bone spurs on each side of my knee that had developed due to my knee being bone-on-bone. I have written other blog posts about my bone spurs. They just need to be discussed in this article since they play a major role.

A knee brace stabilizes the knee joint by compressing the muscles. I can see how a brace would work for many people with knee concerns. However, the muscle compression caused my bone spurs to dig into my nerves more than usual. That is what caused the pain from wearing a knee brace.

Knee braces may be great for others, but they sure did not work for me. It just goes to show that everyone is different.

Hope this helps others going through the same thing.

Find interesting? Kindly share with others…

People Think the Detroit Red Wings will “fall”?

Get a grip. I have been listening to NHL interviews with various sports writers, announcers and analysts. There is a hub bub (speculating talk) about the Detroit Red Wings being the team to watch since they lost Hossa and other key players. “The Red Wings may fall” is the statement. Apparently, these “hockey news” individuals need something to talk about to fill air time.

Spare me with the negative speculating. The NHL season is only a few days old. Sure, the Wings were swept by the St. Louis Blues. So what? As much as I love watching hockey, I don’t place much credence in the first half of the regular season. The teams are still working bugs out.

And, as far as Marion Hossa goes. I think he’s overrated. A 40-goal scorer typically shines during the playoffs and Stanley Cup finals (if their team makes it that far). Hossa did not do that at all for the Wings. He wimped out. And…he was not injured at that time.

Geri Hudler went to the Russian league. He’ll do a great job, I’m sure. I also believe he’ll be back in the NHL when the time and situation is a match for him.

Mikael Samuelson, another former Wing who was a key player during the 2008-2009 season, will be missed. He’s not indispensable, however.

(The Wings let the above-mentioned three players go since the salary cap would have been exceeded. Apparently, the top five players of the team take 90% of the allowed salary cap. Woah…)

The Detroit Red Wings have far too much depth and experience to sit by idly and let their team rely upon a handful of players. It is a team effort in the franchise. It always has been and always will be. The sport of hockey, in general, is a team effort.

And, the Wings’ “older players are getting older” philosophy? Spare me. I’m so sick and tired of hearing others stating the Wings are too old for their own good. Every year it’s the same thing. Get over it.

Yes, the Wings lost the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh. It was a great series, though. And…it did not lessen my belief in or loyalty to my favorite hockey team….the Detroit Red Wings.

Find interesting? Kindly share…

Stairs & A TKR…19 Months Post-Op

The past few days I have needed to climb up and down stairs that have a wider than 6” depth. (6” is the depth of a typical step or stair).What an experience.

The second day I was totally pooped. I was so tired, in fact, that I fell asleep during some of the Detroit Red Wings’ game against the St. Louis Blues in Sweden. That’s a first. It was kind of funny, actually, because when I started to snooze the Wings were up by two. No worries. When I woke up, they were losing. Bummer.

Anyways, back to my knee. It has been swollen for the past two days. My ankles are swollen, also. The first day sleeping was tough due to my tkr leg hurting so much. It was similar to how it was back when I was still stretching out my hamstrings. My tkr leg was having difficulty stretching out. Ouch..

The nerve on the outside of my tkr leg has been reminding me that it’s there, also. It usually is painful to just stand up. I have to wait a few seconds to get everything in place prior to moving. (I just re-read that sentence and ….that would make a good YouTube video).

I’m staying in an older house now, while watching a cute labrador, and my mind views it as interesting to see how these older houses are built as compared to the newer ones. My body doesn’t think it’s too interesting, though.

It could be much worse. So, for now, I’ll just sound like life is tough when it really isn’t. Just an update about the thrills of stairs and a tkr….19 months post op.

NHL News…Retirements, Signings and Updates

Mats Sundin announced his retirement from the NHL after 18 seasons of playing. His NHL career includes 1,346 games and 1,349 points.

He has played with Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks.

***********
Theo Fleury announced his retirement after playing in the NHL for 15 seasons. His career accomplishments include 1,084 games and 1,088 points.

His career included playing with Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and the Chicago Blackhawks.

********

Other NHL News includes:
* Cam Ward signed 6 year contract with Carolina Hurricanes valued at $38.7 million.
* Ryan Hollweg has signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes.
* Ryan Bayda signed a one-year contract with the defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins.

* Manny Legace has been released by the Atlanta Thrashers from try outs.
* Randy Jones has been put on waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers.
* Adam Hall and Ryan Craig have been put on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
* Rob Schremp, formerly of Edmonton Oilers, has been signed by the New York Islanders.
* Dan Hinote and Matthew Dandenault are released from try outs by the San Jose Sharks.

Info provided by the NHL Network and NHL Live!

Find interesting? Kindly share…

Brendan Shanahan no longer a New Jersey Devil

Seasoned NHL veteran, Brendan Shanahan, has parted ways with the New Jersey Devils. According to the NHL Network and NHL Live!, Shanahan decided to not play with the team any longer since he would not be playing in the top three lines for the upcoming season.

I admire Shanahan for not just playing for the money but realizing that if he couldn’t play at his best, he wouldn’t play. Kudos to him.

I have been a fan of Shanahan since his Detroit Red Wings days. He was part of the Stanley Cup championship teams in the late 1990’s.

As of today, 10/01/09, Shanahan is still under contract with the NJ Devils, but is a free agent. It’ll be interesting to see what transpires.

Find interesting? Kindly share….

Book excerpt: After Effects of A Fractured C-1

Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book:

One of the injuries I sustained during my car accident was a fractured C-1 (broken neck). The C-1 is the first cervical vertebrae. In many cases, fracturing his vertebrae results in paralysis. Luckily, I did not experience this.

I was initially treated by having to lay flat with sand bags on each side of my head. My head was immobilized this way. This treatment lasted for six weeks.

After my immobilization period, I needed to wear a soft collar whenever I was up moving around. I did not need it when I was laying down. (Seeing that there was a velcro closure in the back, it would have been too uncomfortable wearing this while in the prone position). My soft collar was foam rubber incased in a cotton stretch blend. I needed to wear this for about two months.

Ever since my C-1 injury, sudden movement of my head causes me ill health. I can experience headaches, nausea, confusion and vision problems. I’m not a lot of fun to be around when this happens (that’s an understatement).

This is one of the main reasons I end up driving most of the time. Not many people are good drivers and I am tired of finding that out the hard way.

New Development in TKR Strength

Hi everyone,
After previously mentioning how I was not able to lift my tkr leg up onto my toes as much as my non-tkr leg, I’ve been working at it. My lifting up onto my toes has been strengthening my calf and hamstring muscles. Nice…
Now…about a couple of weeks after my original post regarding this concern, my tkr leg can lift almost as much as my other leg. That is a vast improvement that I am so happy to see. Whew…had me concerned for a while there.
Keep truckin’ ! Hope this helps others going through the same thing.

Finding interesting? Kindly share…

Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) Anthem 09/25/09

Prior to today’s NHL preseason game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators (on the NHL Network), I saw and heard something quite interesting and ..what’s the phrase?…spare me?

Traditionally, prior to NHL games broadcast from Canada, we’d hear the Hockey Night in Canada theme played with musical instruments. It was great and very pleasing to listen to.

Now…there is an electronic band named “Simple Plan” playing the tune. The cameras shoot to the drummer, there are bright laser brights and electric guitarists playing the melody. A rock and roll band is playing the HNIC theme. The guitarists are good, don’t get me wrong. That is, I guess they’re good…anyone can sound good on an electric guitar.

Hearing the HNIC theme put into electronic format is not my cup of tea. The melody sounds like what we’re used to. But…electric squealing and drum pounding? Spare me with the rock and roll version (and I usually love r&r)…

The new version is probably geared toward the 18-25 year-old market place in an attempt to gain their dollars. Last thing I heard was that the NHL was focusing its publicity campaign on that age group in an attempt to increase exposure and sales. Oh well….

During television breaks, I noticed, the traditional sounding theme was played. Interesting….

Oh oh….Pierre McGuire’s back with color commentary. I heard him on a couple of other preason games. He is good at what he does, I was just hoping he’d get a coaching position for this season.

Tony Robbins is not about Positive Thinking

There seems to be a misconception about Anthony Robbins from people I talk to who have not used his information or programs. To the misinformed, he is tied to positive thinking.

Positive thinking is convincing yourself that things will work out. Even when tough times come, look for the positive. This train of thought can be a quick fix and “solve” concerns immediately. It does not involve any teaching, really, other than looking on the bright side of things. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s preferred over the alternative…thinking negatively.

Re-conditioning your mind, on the other hand, retrains your thought processes. You realize that current situations with negative impacts do occur throughout life. Your re-conditioned mind views the situations differently and effectively. You experience less distress. You are in control of situations instead of them controlling you. It is not a quick fix. It takes repetition and training to reach this point. (The training can sometimes be very boring). This is what Anthony Robbins does. He teaches you how to re-condition your mind.

This reminds me of a book titled “Rational Emotive Thinking” by Robert Ellis that I studied while minoring in psychology. That book stands out among others due to its making such sense to me. Reality is how we view and interpret it. In order to be successful, according to this psychological theory, we need to view situations rationally and not emotionally.

What is appealing about Tony Robbins’ information (I purchased the Ultimate Edge and Money Masters series) is the fact it applies psychological theory. Even though I have studied numerous psychological theories throughout my educational career, I was not taught how to actually apply them in real-life. Thanks to Tony Robbins I have learned how to do that. It’s just too cool and very enlightening.

Re-conditioning the mind takes work, repetition and diligence. It is not easy. The training can sometimes be very boring. It can be fun, though.

Thought I’d throw that out there for anyone else going through the same thing. Find interesting? Kindly share…

Nerve Damage & TKR Update

I’ve written before about how I have nerve damage on my tkr leg. The nerve damage, prior to my tkr, caused me extreme pain. Every time I’d stand up, I needed to wait for my skeletal system to get in place before moving. If I didn’t wait, the pain was too unbearable to walk.

Then, when going through the process of discussing tkr surgery, I found out the pain was caused by a bone spur. My bone spur grew due to my knee being bone-on-bone. The spur was grabbing hold of the nerve that went the length of my outer leg.

So, after my tkr, the nerve pain was still there. It was lessened, however. Then it seemed to gradually diminish. Woohoo!

Now, 18 months post tkr, I find that my nerve damage returns if I sleep for an extended time on my affected (surgical) side. Bummer…I thought I was over pain. (I’m chuckling to myself over that comment).

The past couple of days, I’ve made a discovery. I stretch prior to getting out of bed and it feels great. Slightly painful on my tkr leg due to the nerve…but MUCH better than the first few months after my tkr when I couldn’t stretch without immense pain from my nerve and tkr. It feels great to just stretch now. So, I get out of bed with the uncomfortable (but not severe) nerve pain in place. I gripe to myself, but accept it. Then, I go for my daily walk.

First I go downstairs. Gulp. Then, I get outside and stretch a bit more. It’s great being outdoors. The birds are chirping, the grasshoppers are out strolling (or hopping) and on a clear day like today…the mountains are in clear view. It’s truly a beautiful site that I am very grateful for.

As I start my walk, ouch. I feel a little out of sync. I continue, though, since I’m on a mission. Then, I notice that the pain completely stops. It’s as if my nerve has found its correct place and everything is working in alignment. Cool…

Well, thought I’d share this with anyone else going through the same thing. And for all who are in the beginning stages of your tkr recuperation…it does get better. Believe me on that.

Find interesting? Kindly share….