My walker is fixed! It was a loose screw.

Kind of like what goes on in my head sometimes! :)  Sorry, couldn't resist.

Gerry and Trina and I all got new phones tonight.  Trina got a BB Torch.  Gerry and I got the brand new Motorola Atrix.  Fun times learning all about them and seeing what they can do.  Traci is a little envious of Trina's new phone!

What I have eaten today:

Breakfast
1 bowl of Oatmeal Crisp

Lunch
green pepper and bread with butter

Dinner
turkey bacon club sandwich at Tim Horton's

PLUS
2 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

Exercises

Leg extensions-At least 2 sets per day, 10 reps each leg
Bridges-At least 2 sets per day, 5 reps
Plank or V-sit-At least 2 sets per day, 5 reps
1- 11:08-plank
2-
3-

Toodles!

I miss the walker!!!!

I went on short 500 m, then almost 300 m walks today.  This walking was with the cane.  I was quite nervous and unsteady. Those were not easy walks! I am now back home and I am shaky and weak but I have had no falls! 

As a matter of fact, I have had but one fall since I got the walker on Feb 24th.  And that was in my bedroom where there is not enough room for the walker to get all the way around to my side of the bed.  So I park the walker and walk around.  A few days ago, I caught my foot on one of the wheels and went down.  No major damage.  I just need to be very careful if and when I have to step away from the walker!

My back and hips are really bad today.  :(  Because of walking with the cane?  Because I am exercising more?  Or will it get better eventually with the exercise?  Arthritis?  Something else entirely?

I will be glad when the walker is fixed tomorrow. I am very much expecting it to be fixed when the technician comes to the house tomorrow. Actually, Trina (with her mechanical engineering mind) looked at it and said "oh yeah, the brake pad thing is not attached to the cable. It can probably be fixed. if you take this shield piece off.")  I hope the fact that the walker needs technical service after only a month is not an indication of how it is going to hold up!!  :(

I just got back from seeing the movie "Limitless" with my friend, R.  It was a good movie.  It was so nice to do something different every now and then.

What I have eaten today:

Breakfast
1 smoothie with frozen fruit, yogurt, milk, 1 egg, and strawberries

Lunch
sliced cucumber, yogurt

Dinner
chicken strips, potatoes, veggies

PLUS
2 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
1 Snickers chocolate bar
some BBQ corn chips at the movie  (Is that any better than theatre popcorn?)

Exercises

Leg extensions-At least 2 sets per day, 10 reps each leg
Bridges-At least 2 sets per day, 5 reps
Plank or V-sit-At least 2 sets per day, 5 reps

1-8:23 am-plank
2-10:28 pm-V-sit

Toodles!

It's different now...

Gerry and I have (and the girls) done some traveling in the US over the years and we love watching pro sports. If we can swing it, we try to catch the local MLB baseball team and/or their stadiums.  Boston, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cincinnati and others.  It was a great way to see the Toronto Blue Jays at the height of their popularity in '92 and '93.  Tickets were hard to come by in Toronto in those days.

Gerry and the girls in the Boston Fenway dugout!-2003 (not sure what that mark is on Gerry' face)

Gerry and I on the Fenway mound-2003

Trina was very comfortable and walked ahead with the tour guide. I asked her and she remembers this but doesn't remember what they were talking about.

I realized last night that I am going to need to sit in disabled seating now.  Or will I?  I don't need a wheelchair to sit in.  I can sit in and get in and out of regular stadium seats.  But I can't do steps with my walker. So maybe I do need to be in disabled seating that is level with the concourse.  But what about the Gerry and whoever else is with me?  Will we be able to sit together somehow?  I have never really paid much attention to disabled seating sections in stadiums.  Maybe I should have!!  :)  I sent an email today to the customer service folks at Turner Field in Atlanta, GA. We'll see what they say.

Meanwhile, what I have eaten today:

Breakfast
no breakfast :(  did not get up until 10:30 am and did not eat until noon

Lunch
1 smoothie with frozen fruit, yogurt, milk, 1 egg

Dinner
homemade pepperoni pizza

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-11:45 am
2-5:09 pm
3-8:30 pm  (I promise!)

Toodles!

I got out of bed and can walk today!

After all the walking I did yesterday, I though my arms and legs would be really sore today.  I joked yesterday about maybe not being able to get out of bed.  I am a little sore but not too bad.  I hope I don't sound irreverent and ungrateful about being able to get out of bed and walk. I am so grateful to God to be able to do those things.   There are people for whom that is not possible.

OK so I did not exactly take it easy today.  Got on the bus to go to one store, then walked to the next bus stop.  There was no room for me and my walker on the bus!  I didn't see another one coming so I started walking.  A bus passed me less than a minute later.  Grrrr So I walked all the way to the mall.  (I mapped it again, 1 km+ of walking).

Gerry and I should go out on a date tonight and not waste this nice haircut I got.  I don't know about you, but my hair almost never looks as good as the day it gets cut!

I went out to the mall again tonight to get Trina's March bus pass.  I forgot to get it for her to have for today.  Before the walker, it would be a big deal to have to go out to the mall again.  As it was, I enjoyed the walking and the (cold) fresh air.


What I have eaten today:
Breakfast
1 smoothie with fruit yogurt and milk.

Lunch
More of that amazing salad from Druxy's.  I think I topped the lettuce with, like, 10 different veggies.  Dressing on the side.

Dinner
1 sausage, mashed potatoes, corn

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer

1 chocolate bar.  (Actually maybe you could call it 2. It was 1 pkg with 2 small chocolate bars in it.  And no, it wasn't even dark chocolate that could be called good for me.  It was Coffee Crisp.  Yummy!  I wish I had eaten one and then saved the other one for, like, now)

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-7:43 am
2-8:34 pm

Toodles!

First time out with my walker today by myself!

Well I did it!  And maybe I overdid it!  I went downtown on the bus today, did some shopping and bussed it home again.  All by myself.   I felt awesome and safe and secure walking!  And it was exhilarating!!  I actually mapped the distance and I walked more than 2 kms, plus the walking around the mall I did.

Then I went out with my friend as I do most Monday nights and I walked some more!  (I might be lucky to get out of bed tomorrow morning.)  :)

Things I realized today:

I really don't like taking up so much space on the bus!
I definitely like not having to pay a bus fare.  Although it certainly felt weird not to pay!  It almost felt like stealing.
When I go out with another friend now, I can't push her wheelchair for her if she needs me to.  So we will probably have to change where we go.
No more jay walking at all!  Crossing at the lights it is!
If it is at all cold out, I will need mittens!  Both of my hands are exposed.  With the cane, at least one of my hands could go in a pocket  to stay warm.  Not anymore.

I haven't quite figured out the logistics of a purse and/or bag.  I want to be able to get to my purse quickly and easily and I want to work that out so I can still carry things in my basket but have the least amount of fuss when I need to fold up the walker.

Did you know they made (coffee) cup holders for walkers!!??!!   :))

What I have eaten today:
Breakfast

1 bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon, milk, and raisins.

Lunch
1 amazing salad from Druxy's.  I think I topped the lettuce with, like, 10 different veggies.  Dressing on the side.  I barely made a dent in in and I was full! I think that salad would feed me for a week!  LOL

Dinner
Perogies and cucumber slices.  I didn't care to have any of the pork.  I WAS planning on having some ice cream tonight but I was out, then my friend from Australia called (yippeee!), I still had not posted for the day and now it is almost 11 pm. No ice cream.  Just as well.

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-7:13 am
2-8:57 am
3-6:07 pm

Toodles!

Great Day At Church Today!!

I went to church for the first time today with the walker.  Everyone was SO supportive!  The thing about church today though was that it was a potluck Sunday.  That means lots more people at church because our sister church near us joins us for potlucks.  And also, round tables fill the room instead of the usual rows of chairs.  Much harder to get around and consequently, I didn't get to talk with as many people as usual.  :(

I am going to venture downtown on the bus today by myself.  I have a coupon for a free salad at Druxy's,  I haven't been to Druxy's in years and they make fabulous sandwiches and salads!

What I have eaten today:

Breakfast
1 smoothie with frozen fruit, yogurt, milk, 1 egg, bananas and strawberries

Lunch
all kinds of things...potluck lunch at church.
small portions of: taco salad, Caesar salad, meatballs, lasagna, meatloaf, perogies,
3 kinds of cookies for dessert.

Dinner
2 pieces of toast with peanut butter

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-9:30 am
2-5:33 pm
3-8:30 pm

Toodles!

What a workout!

Well walking with the walker is a workout!
For my legs because I have not been out walking much.  And for my arms, which surprised  me.  But I do have to hold on to the walker firmly.  Maybe I am going to have jacked biceps!!

We had a great time with our friends tonight, and a lovely dinner to boot!  We are going to have them over for dinner next month.

What I have eaten today:
Breakfast
steel cut oats with cinnamon and raisins.
But I put too much cinnamon in last night for it to cook and it was awful!   I actually only had a few bites.  :(

Lunch
no lunch :(

Dinner
Dinner out at friend's house.
pork, baked potato, mixed veggies, and cake with custard and fresh berries

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-10:30 am
2-1:00 pm
3- 9:45 pm

Toodles!

Walker and quad cane coming today and steel cut oats verdict!

The OT came today with the walker and quad cane.  I was not steady or secure with the quad cane.  I was steady and secure with the walker.  It felt great!  This is the walker I got today.  It is called the Xpresso.  Mine is just like this one except the frame is all silver, not orange.  My OT thinks I should be using it even in he house.  Really??  That will take some getting used to!  As will using it when I go out.  (sigh)

What I have eaten today:
 
Breakfast
1 bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon, milk, and raisins.
First time I ever had steel cut oats.  Definitely chewier and nuttier. But I liked them.  I have to find/come up with a combination or two I like to go in the oats to mix it up.

Lunch
1 ham and cheese soft tortilla with mayo

Dinner
chicken, broccoli, onion, green pepper stir fry.  Plus 1 piece of bread with butter.

Snack
10 slices cucumber
1 single size container sugar free apple sauce

PLUS
3 cups of coffee with flavoured creamer
NO chocolate

At least 2 sets, 10 reps each leg of hip extensions
1-10:15 am
2-2:18 pm
3- 10:19 pm

Toodles!