It’s Taco Tuesday and I have chicken burritos for lunch. They’re nowhere near authentic, but they’re ridiculously good, and I’m not just saying that because my wife cooked them. I’m honest with her — if I don’t like how she cuts her hair, I’ll tell her. I’ve told her. But these burritos are good. I can’t wait until lunch time. The rest of this blog has nothing to do with that, though. Think more along the lines of Jack, blood, ice cream and a swollen ankle. Sounds like a bad night at Ozzy Osbourne’s house.
Today’s Workout
Well, if you’ve been here before, you know I’m battling a couple of injuries — tendinitis in my right knee and then i rolled my ankle pretty badly last week. I’ve been going back and forth about running on the ankle. I hate not running and I want to stay in shape. But I need to be ready for next year. The day after I rolled it, I ran 16.1 miles. But the day after that, I ran 1.1 after doing a turnaround.
I followed with a 16.6-miler, and a 26.5-miler, but the swelling isn’t going down. I took yesterday off, then solicited advice from a bunch of runners. The advice I received revolves around ice, advil, physical therapy/strengthening exercises and maybe time off, but maybe staying active to keep the blood flowing.
I soaked my foot in a bucket of ice water last night for 30 minutes, I did some balancing exercises, I popped ibuprofen and I’ve got physical therapy tomorrow (well, on my knee, but I’ll sneak some advice while I’m there). So to run today, or not to run today? Well, as you’ll read about in just a bit, I donated blood yesterday and they told me no strenuous exercise for 24 hours. I asked about running. The man told me I could take a brisk walk around the block. No way — that would be more frustrating that not running, because I’d see people jogging past me. So, I stayed in and worked.
I’m sure that for the next 4-6 days, I’m going to be playing everything by ear (well, by ankle). I have no idea if I’m going to want to run or take the day off. Today, the decision was easy. Tomorrow, maybe not. I need to be ready to go on Friday. But not this Friday — I need to be ready on Friday, January 1, 2010.
Talkin’ Jack
In case this is your first time here, or if you’ve never been to the rest of the site, I’m planning on running 60 marathons next year to raise awareness for a charity called Train 4 Autism. My son, Jack, is severely autistic and I want to do something to make a difference in his honor. In this spot in each blog, I’ll talk about Jack a little bit.
Jack has certain movies he likes to watch over and over again. Right now, he has a Caillou video he’s watching way too much. I wish he was into SportsCenter. But he’s starting to recite parts of some of the sentences, and that’s better than hearing the good news about the Cardinals beating the Dodgers last night. His speech definitely isn’t 100% clear, but it’s enough that it’s exciting for us. He gets good chunks of sentences and kind of mumbles through words that he knows he can’t pronounce. I have no idea if he understands what he’s saying, but the almost-speaking is a great step. We’re working on getting video of this to upload to YouTube, but our timing isn’t the greatest.
I used to get discouraged by how far behind Jack was, and his progress wasn’t enough to make me happy, because with my mathematical thinking, if he was making three months worth of progress in a year, then he was falling behind another nine months. But I’ve learned that I can’t compare him to others. I just need to be happy about the gains he makes. And it’s really starting to get to the point where I’m noticing something new almost every day. I’m really looking forward to truly interacting with him, and it sure seems like we’re getting a lot closer!
Blood Drive!
For the first time in a dozen years, I donated blood yesterday. I hate needles. I get queasy just thinking about them. I can’t look at them, think about them … I hate them. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine named Peggy sent me two certificates she had, “Pint for a Pint,” that she got for donating blood. Peggy is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and I look up to her and respect her quite a bit. When she told me she had those coupons she received from donating blood, it got the wheels spinning in my head.
Maybe now it was finally time to just suck it up and do it. Needles are miserable, but it’s a good thing to do and I ought to just do it. My body will make the blood back, and maybe it will save somebody’s life down the road, so why not? Because I don’t like needles? No, I decided that I wanted to be like Peggy.
So a couple of weeks ago, I got to thinking about when to do this. My Uncle Bob died of leukemia five years ago yesterday. My readership is growing here. It’s not huge, but it’s getting better. I know the primary cause here is autism, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do other things, too. I have 17 months left and then nobody (not even my kids) will listen to a word I sy. So I might as well make the most of it now.
I was thinking about getting a blood drive going in his honor, but I didn’t think it would be very effective without huge numbers, so I put the idea on the back burner. But it came back to the front during a run last week, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I could try, and if I get no participants, at least I tried. If I get just one, then that’s one person who wasn’t going to give blood who did, and I could let my aunt Rebecca (his widow) know, and that would make her day.
I have one person who’s going to make an appointment, and that made my day. I found that out in the car on the way to my appointment yesterday.
Anyways, it was a little nerve-wracking. After answering the questions and having my blood pressure, pulse and iron level checked, it was time for the needle. I was apprehensive, but I looked around and thought about how fortunate I was to be on the giving side of a blood donation. I thought about my uncle and my aunt. I thought about my dad, who used to donate platelets as frequently as the Red Cross lets you, but then had to stop once they found cancer in his bladder in 2004. They found it the same week I found out my Uncle Bob had leukemia. My dad’s name is Bob, too. He was more fortunate, though. He had surgery to remove the cancer, then had a recurrence a few years later, but he’s doing fine now. I sent him an email and told I was at the Red Cross donating blood.
Wish I was there.
I was at my Dr this morning and needed some additional blood work. The lab took 4 test tubes – I should have gotten a Red Cross cookie for that.
It took longer than normal for my donation. I don’t know exactly what was going on, but there was some problem with my vein. The dripping was slow and they had to keep adjusting it. They must have adjusted it five times and I probably had the needle in my arm for about an hour. I think it should have only been 15 minutes, but oh well. Finally, something happened and they had to stop. I could tell they didn’t have the full collection, so I asked if they’d be able to use what they collected.
They told me they wouldn’t be able to use it as a donation for a transfusion, but they’d be able to use it for research. So, I tried. And the way I see it (or what I’m telling myself) is that since they’re using my blood for research, they’ll be able to use somebody else’s for a transfusion that would have been used for research instead. I did my part for today. I tried. And I’ll be back on Sept. 21. I’m actually going to try to see if i can do it on Sept. 16, Jack’s birthday. We’ll see.
And so again, I’ll beg: If any of you have ever thought about donating, but needed a push to get up and do it, set up an appointment this week! Just do it! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it. You have no idea how much I hate needles. Oh, and if you do it, let me know!
Ice Cream Update
I was sitting on the couch last night, writing up an email to the good folks at Train 4 Autism to let them know about some progress I’m having with Operation Jack (Remember how I was talking about good things cooking yesterday? Yeah, that stuff … I’m REALLY excited!!!) and Tiff asked me I had any of the butter pecan left, because the kids finished off the cookies and cream earlier in the day and there was nothing left.
I told her no, and I thought about the streak. And then I looked and hoped she was joking. But she wasn’t. I kept hoping she was, but she still wasn’t. I was soaking my ankle in a bucket of ice water, so I was in no position to get up and call her bluff. I just had to sit there and wonder. The more time went on, the more I realized she wasn’t kidding. I started debating whether or not I should head out for ice cream or not. She offered to go, but I’m chivalrous and I’m not going to let her go out and fetch ice cream at night. She should be comfortable in our home.
It was closing in on 9:30, and I didn’t know if I really wanted to make the effort. So I tweeted and updated my status on Facebook to get some feedback. It was overwhelming in a hurry. I had no choice but to go get ice cream. I can’t let my followers down. So I hopped in the car, drove through McDonald’s and picked myself up a soft-serve vanilla cone. That was $1.08 well spent. Absolutely delicious, plus only 150 calories and 4 grams of fat. That might become a staple in my diet.
So the streak stands at 34 days. I’m thinking about going to McDonald’s today.
Video Of The Day
When I hopped into the car to go get my ice cream, the following song was playing. Ironic, appropriate … whatever you want to call it:
Have a Greate Tuesday!
Have a great day! Thank you for your support of Operation Jack and for believing in the cause. Please tell a friend who hasn’t seen the site to come check it out!
Jacqui Barr says
When we first found out that Jayden had Autism, we stopped hanging out with our friends who had kids his age. It\’s like a dagger in your heart when you hear other children speak so well and ask questions and grasp concepts. I was actually avoiding our good friends and neighbors simply because it hurt too much. But then a lightbulb went off in my head….. The kids don\’t care. Jayden and Michelline loved playing together. They could care less that Jayden has Autism. They play so well together and love each other dearly. So if it doesn\’t bother them, why is it bothering me? I let it go after that and it\’s so much easier to see other kids his age at their own levels. Jayden is the raddest little kid and I love him for him. He makes improvements everyday and I am so proud of him. It\’s kinda like yoga with Autistic kids…. you are on your own path and journey. It\’s not a competition.
Heather Hawkins says
WHEW! I was scared about the streak there for a moment!
Marilyn Long says
Sam, do you know that my father, Edward Felsenfeld, your father’s uncle also died of leukemia in January 1969at the age of 52? That is why your father has always donated blood. My father was an accountant, like your dad, and they had a very special bond. The desk in your dad’s den belonged to my father. On the left side of top drawer, in my father’s handwriting, is the combination to the lock on a box in which he stored cash. It was the Cold War then, and we stored cash and canned goods (bottled water did’t exist then!). Your blog is wonderful. Keep it up!!