December 2, 1999
It is snowing outside and we received our first Christmas card three days ago (some people are WAY too organized!), so it must be time for our annual letter to family and friends. This has been a very interesting year. I would never in a million years have guessed some of the things that took place. Just when you think life is going to settle into a boring routine, reality comes and takes you places you never dreamed of going.
We started out the New Year quietly, going to the gym 4-5 times a week, working hard with a trainer to get ourselves into better shape. Joining the gym last December was one of the best things we ever did. Although there were times during the year when we didn’t or couldn’t go and work out, we always went back and we always enjoy it whenever we do. By April I had lost over 30 pounds, was doing an hour plus on the cross trainer or doing step aerobics several times a week. I was working out with weights for the first time in my life and found I was very much enjoying it. Dan was doing similar routines, and we both loved doing water aerobics.
My back had started to hurt some during this time and by mid April, I was waking up at 4:00 in the morning with pain and numbness down my left leg. I had just this year decided to change to an HMO and had picked a brand-new doctor at a brand-new clinic just a mile from our house. So, it seemed a good idea to go and introduce myself and ask about this new quirk in my body. I never dreamed there was anything really wrong–just figured it was old age, some arthritis and the working out. Wrong! My wonderful new doctor sent me for an MRI, which then led me to an orthopedic surgeon. The diagnosis was severe stenosis in my lower back and slipping of the surrounding disks. The recommendation was a spinal fusion of myL4-L5-S1 vertebrae. I was stunned. I had not expected this development. After weighing the options, I decided to go ahead with it since as the doctors put it “It isn’t going to go away.” I figured that since I was in very good shape otherwise and my new HMO insurance covered all but about $100 of the whole thing that I should do it and get it over with.
We scheduled the surgery for July 12, since I did not want to give up a business trip to New Orleans at theend of June. I flew to California for a few days in May for my mom’s birthday. We drove over and spent the day with Dan’s mom in Monterey and then up to visit my niece and nephew and their families in the Bay area. By the time the New Orleans trip came along, I was bent over double and walking with a cane. So, I was more than ready to get it over with by the time I got home. We also had a trip to Hawaii planned for mid-September, which the doctor assured me we would be able to take.
The surgery went fine. I now have $4500.00 worth of titanium rods and screws in my back. (I saw a copy ofthe bill.) And no, I don’t set off the metal detectors at the airport! They had me up and walking within 24 hours. I went home on the fourth day and could get myself in and out of bed and so on right away. I had to put a step next to our bed to help me since our bed is so high. I used the low step platform from my stepper exerciser. It worked great. I mentioned that to a therapist later and she said “What a great idea!” She said she has people ask about getting in and out of bed all the time and had never thought of that idea. Dan took the week of my surgery off, but I was able to manage on my own after that.
I was off six weeks, then back to work half time for two weeks and am now back to work full time with no restrictions. I did a lot a walking from the first day I got home and the difference in my back is amazing. It still is a little stiff and I have to be careful still not to try to lift too much or to do any twisting. Between the inactivity and the trips in the Fall (see below) I have managed to put back on the 30 pounds I lost. But I am now holding my own and am back to working out in the gym. I have the OK from the doctor to do just about anything, working back up gradually. I am, of course, frustrated that I don’t have the muscle tone I did back in April, but hopefully I will again before too long.
In September, we took a wonderful two-week trip to Hawaii. Our football team, BSU, was playing the University of Hawaii and made for a wonderful excuse to go, since I had never been there. We spent three days on Oahu, doing all the major tourist stuff. We went up to Punchbowl National Cemetery, toured Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, drove up through the central valley and had lunch at the Dole Plantation. Then we drove along the north coast stopping near the bonsai pipeline to watch the surf and Dan took some wonderful shots. We brought back 26 rolls of pictures. We drove up through Pali lookout and back into Waikiki. The next morning, before the game, we drove out around Diamond Head and up the coast for a while. The game was fun, over 500 BSU fans had made the trip and we had a barbeque before the game. The Aloha Stadium is beautiful. Unfortunately, we lost the game. It was one of three we lost early on, two of which we should have won. But it was a wake-up call of sorts. We finished the season by beating the University of Idaho (an away game!) We ended with a 9-3 season, and the Big West Championship. We will be playing in the Humanitarian Bowl on December 30, against Louisville. I think it is close to being a sell out already. We of course have our season seats on the 50-yard line right behind the BSU bench. The game will be on ESPN2,so you may want to tune in and wave and see our beautiful blue Astroturf (also known by our opponents as the smurf turf).
Anyway, back to Hawaii. The morning after the game, we flew to Maui. We stayed nine days at the Embassy Suites in Ka'anapali. I just fell in love with Maui. We had a fabulous time. Our first day, we drove the North shore on a road that freaked me out–one you are not supposed to take rental cars on. In one place it was only one lane wide and we were going uphill and three other cars were coming down and they would not back up. I was very distressed. A local lady came up behind us and between her and Dan they got the other cars to move back so we could pass. The famed “Road to Hana”the next day was a piece of cake after that adventure! We drove to the Seven Pools and then I made Dan turn around. I wouldn’t let him take the gravel road on around like he tried to convince me to do. I had had enough of adventure the day before.
The weather was beautiful; just enough trade winds to cool things a bit. The Embassy has a huge one-acre swimming pool, right adjacent to the beach. You can see Lanai and Molokai across the channel. The sunsets every night were spectacular.
We drove up to Haleakala one day, although not in time to see the sun rise. But the visibility was good and you could even see the Big Island across the water. I enjoyed all the gorgeous and varied scenery. On Friday, we tooka five-hour boat trip to snorkel off of Molokini and Turtletown (off Wailea). It was great fun. I was able to snorkel. The doctor had said I could swim and do anything if I was careful. So, I put on the mask and the fins and afloat around my middle and a waterproof camera that we rented and took some wonderful underwater shots of fish and giant sea turtles. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Dan tried to snorkel, but just couldn’t get the breathing right. But we got a video of the whole boat trip and it was great. That same evening, I ended up going to the “Docin The Box” clinic at the Hyatt Regency in Ka'anapali. I had developed a pretty good case of bronchitis. The visit cost $150–but that included the drugs and, of course, a chance to see the inside of the Hyatt. We went there again three days later for Danto get the same experience. We share everything, including germs.
Sunday night we went to a luau at the Hyatt and enjoyed the food along with the native dancers. The picture below was taken at the luau. That is the island of Lanai in the background.
