10.23.08

You know you have Mono when..

• ..coffee does absolutely nothing to help you stay awake, there is no burst of energy after drinking one whole pot, & basically the only thing you get out of it is a tummy ache.

• ..your schedule is suddenly open. One less class to worry about plus no running equals about 4 extra hours each day.

• ..you begin to dread naps. Not just because you are sick of them but because every time you wake up it feels like someone has dragged you across the state behind a semi truck.

^My current Mononucleosis drama in a nut shell. I'm awake, showered, went to my first & only class of the day, and now i'm just going to enjoy the remainder of the day by doing homework. It's smooth sailing the rest of the week but next week I have 3 exams and one of them is extremely important. Good news though, Last week around this time I felt like death, i'd say on a scale of 1-10 I was probably a 3. A week, hours of sleep later, many pills, and inactivity has increases this number to about a 7. Woohoo! Thank you Predisone! Since the Mono problem is almost better, I now just have to focus on my aching back. It's not getting better at all, last night I laid in bed almost in tears because it hurt so unbelievably bad & my leg still "tingles" all the time. I'm going to try going to my old chiropractor in Spooner this weekend, maybe he can let me know what's up..otherwise i'm thinking I need to go to an Orthopedic Doctor because this is just not healing on it's own. So, What have I learned from all of this? I need job with great medical benefits because inevitably there will always be something wrong with me.

10.21.08

No Pierdas la Fe

Good Morning!, after my hectic day yesterday I came home and crashed. I slept a great ten hours last night so i'm feeling very refreshed this morning. Which is very much needed because like usual I have lots to accomplish. I have class, homework, chiropractor appointment, take home exam, and I really want to go for a nice long walk. This no exercise kick is making me go crazy.
Yesterday I did get some good news at the doctor. She said that I can start running as early as next week! :) Although I may feel extremely tired at first, i'll eventually get better. I won't be making myself any worse by running as long as I keep it easy & slow. I do have to avoid contact sports for another three weeks (because of my spleen) which doesn't really matter to me since I don't participate in any. So, I just have to take it easy for the remainder of the week and then next week I can RUN. Hopefully I won't have any problems with my leg. It seems like it's just never-ending with me. UUGGHH. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude BUT i'm sick of drinking juice, the utter word of soup makes me want to vomit, my legs are getting restless, coffee doesn't work, & sleeping is getting boring. I HATE MONONUCLEOSIS.
Good News: I got a 100 % on my concert report, my Spanish test was fairly easy, I'm going to starbucks today, and I only have one class today which means lots of time for NAPPING in between all the other bazillion things I need to do. Yahhoo..

PICTURE TIME!

More pictures from this weekend. It was extremely foggy Saturday morning for the cross country meet. Sucked for the runners but it looked pretty cool.

Amy & I spectating, jealous that we weren't running with everyone. :(

Birthday Girl & I.

Out to dinner at Tequilas for Sara's Birthday.

Well, that's all for now. It's time to get my butt in motion. I'm procrastinating starting my day, not exactly the best way to get started. Ha! By the way, WHERE IS THE TIME GOING?! It's October 21st already, pretty soon there will be SNOW on the ground. Is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?! haha, I may just have to bust some out today. I'm feeling festive, which reminds me I need to crave a pumpkin ASAP. SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME, TOO MANY NAPS. BYEEE!

10.18.08

Event Staff at cross country meet this morning. The inside joke here is to cover my mouth to avoid spreading Mono :(

Adventures with Mononucleosis

Sleep.Take pills.Drink juice.Feel nauseated.Drink juice.Sleep.Try to eat.Sleep.REPEAT. <<- My current life in a nutshell. However, I am keeping a positive attitude about this entire situation & why should I not be keeping positive? I'm still extremely lucky besides this whole setback. It could be worse
What I am looking forward to:
-Doctors appointment Monday for a check up and change my meds. (I've been getting extremely nauseous and feel just nasty taking the ones I'm on). The joys of being allergic to penicillin.
-I'm looking forward to ROCKING my Spanish Exam on Monday. Whole extra weekend to study, HECK YES! (The test was actually on Friday but because of my good friend Mono, I got it postponed until Monday) Speaking of Monday, I dont know how my exhausted body is going to handle Monday. Here is my schedule: Class: 7:25-10:50, Spanish test:11:00-11:55,Doctors appointment:12:00-12:50, Spanish class:1:10-2:05, Tutoring:2:15-7:00 & from then on i'll probably pass.out.cold.
-I'm looking forward to running again and actually being healthy this time around. This time off (i'm hoping it's only two weeks) will not only heal my Mono but maybe it will give my leg time to fully recover. I'll be a running machine when I get over this. Heck yes!!! After I recover from this it's vitamins daily, health food EVERYDAY, plenty of sleep and smart training. I REFUSE to get injured or sick again!
-Even though I'm sick i'm still able to hang out with my buddies this weekend so that's awesome! We had so much fun last night, even though afterwards I felt like I had been run over my a large semi truck.
-Amy and I went to the Cross Country race this morning. It was AWESOME. I'm 100 % positive that i'm running for the team next year. I just love the cross country atmosphere so much! I miss it terribly. Racing is such an insane, amazing feeling. We "volunteered" but mostly we just ran around wearing the spiffy bright yellow jackets and pretended to be important. We had a lot of good laughs this morning.
-I'm looking forward to one last thing but that's a surprise, Can't talk about it yet :)!


I've had a really productive day so far. I'm doing a terrible job getting ten hours of a sleep a night though which is why once I finish this i'm going to nap like i've never napped before. ha! I did finish my concert report and did a little Spanish Studying. I'm so happy that I have all day tomorrow to just get myself organized. I'm going to sleep, study, & relax. Stress-free day before a stressful week! I feel so much better just knowing what is wrong with me instead of just wondering and thinking i'm just lazy & dumb. Ha! This too shall pass. Just like my hip flexor injury, asthma, pitched nerve, fractured spine....
Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. Someone please go for a run for me! :)

10.16.08

First, I'm posting this video to make this entry less depressing. This is hilarious!


Setbacks just keep coming and pushing me back down. If it's not my back, it's my leg, not my leg, it's my hip, now I have MONO. Can you believe it?! It sure explains my lack of energy, no-so-great grades this semester, and my constant need for sleep. I'm not taking this very well, as soon as the doctor came into the room and told me I burst into tears. First thing on my mind: running. But the good news is that even though I have had mono for a couple weeks my running as still been pretty good. Imagine what i'm going to do when i'm healthy! That is the only thing that is keeping me in an ok mood. Otherwise, i'm crushed.
..so for the next few weeks (or months) I will be consuming my body weight in fluids, barely eating food because I have completely LOST my appetite, sleeping 10 hours a night, taking 6 pills a day (8 including asprin), and not running. Unfortunately. I'm reducing my credits so I can manage to try and get my grades up and i'm going to try extra hard for the remainder of the semester. Since i've been home i've been researching, researching, & researching I need to fight this virus FAST and i'll do anything to speed up my recovering process.

Here is what i've learned about mono thus far.
-It's nicknamed the kissing disease because it obtained through the swapping of spit. Not only am I not KISSING anyone but if the opportunity comes around within the next 3 months, I CAN'T. HAHAHAHA.. I'm just kidding, I don't care. but still!!!
-Cure to Mono: there isn't one.GREAT. It just has to run it's course and my body has to fight it. Drinking fluids and getting rest are the only things I can do. (The pills I'm taking are for different infections, I get into that later)
-Throat soreness is worse during the first 5-7 days and will subside over the next 7-10. I'm on day one.
-Fatigue continues for months after symptoms have ended. Avoid participation with contact sports, good thing running isn't a contact sport. Muhahaha!
-Particles of the virus can be present in my saliva for up to 18 months. (That's rare)
Now onto the medications i'm taking. Not only do I have Mono, but i'm full of infections caused by this sickness. My body has just given up. I'm on the steroid Prednisone because my tonsils are swollen and I can hardly swallow. I'm also taking Erythromycin.. and couldn't tell ya why. I didn't really ask question (1)because I could talk,swollen tonsils & (2) I will take whatever they give me as long as it speeds up this recovery.
Only good news about this whole ordeal, is that I don't have to take my Spanish mid-term tomorrow. Ha! Since i've been dead tired this entire week I havn't studied. Now I have some extra time. Gym class tomorrow shall be interesting, I'm going to ask if I can just sit out. At least i'm there right. Quick story: Last gym class we were playing golf INSIDE the GYM, not smart.. Anywhoo, and golf hit me right in the ankle. I dropped to the floor and held back the tears. It took about .2 seconds before it started swelling. Undoubtedly, I have the worst luck ever.
This weekend is going to be filled with rest, studying, and barely any movement. I want to get back to running ASAP. Shower time, I smell sick & I must refill my juice cup.
Alyssa

10.15.08

HOLA!

School is stressful, i'm sick AGAIN, i've got a million things on my mind, & endless homework (which i'm lacking motivation to do)...the joys of being a college student. Good news is that I did a 7 mile run yesterday pain-free/no numbness.. Yay! Hopefully the recovery process keeps going in the right direction. I'm adding a half marathon to my racing schedule for the spring --May 3rd -E.C. Half Marathon! My spring is packed with races, hopefully I can find some for the remainder of fall, even though i'm not in the best shape right now due to injuries. I'm hoping to do 7-9 miles this afternoon with Amy but that all depends how I feel in a couple hours. I've got a sore throat, i'm super tired, and achy. Not good.
Not much else going on in my life. Spanish test Friday, lots of friends coming to visit this weekend, and a run club & CRU tomorrow. That's about all my plans, I need something exciting to happen in my life. & I need a Halloween costume! My friend Amy & I are going to Madison for Halloween to be with my other good friend Steph. I can't wait, it's always such a fun time when we get together. Steph is actually one of the visitors this weekend. :)!

Since I have nothing else to say. I'll post some pictures!

Amy & I


My Best Friends & I in MEXICO!

10.13.08

"This time we're not giving up, let's make it last forever. Screaming Hallelujah..Hallelujah."

How adorable is that picture above?! I snapped that while I was on my bike ride yesterday. It's one of my new favorites!

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[[PLEASE WATCH VIDEO BELOW, IT'S AMAZING]]

My leg is feeling surprisingly better, I learned from HERE that the numbness MUST BE coming from my lower back, since i'm still going through chiropractic treatment, maybe it's just not completely healed yet (??). Who knows, but I am investing in new running shoes, maybe that will help. If not, oh well.. I love new shoes. :) I'm planning on doing 30-35 miles this week. It'll just continue to gradually increase my mileage, i'm getting restless. I just want to be injury free, i've been battling injuries for far too long.
Today is another busy day. I've had three classes already, one more to go, tutoring my latino first graders, then celebrating my BFF's 21st birthday! Busy, Busy, BUSY.

PiCTURES: Scroll to see more.

Whitney and I.

The three roomies. Left to right: Me, Whiteny & Steph.

I love fall. This is my bike route, beautiful, isn't it?

Mississippi River.

Live the live you love, LOVE. THE. LIFE. YOU. LIVE.

Buenas dias!

Nine hours of sleep = a very refreshed ME! :)
I had a terrible week so i'm excited that it's over & done, now i'm just looking ahead!

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RUNNiNG

I'm injured once again. This injury is just extremely complicated and I can't figure it out. I'm going to by some new running shoes to see if that helps & I'm going to student health services first thing on Monday. What's nice about this injury is that I can still run on it, there is no pain involved; my leg is just NUMB. I'm aiming for 28 miles this week, I took 2 days off because of the numbness in my leg and I got a terrible cold. Hopefully next week i'll be back up to 40 miles. I'll keep my fingers crossed. After I finish writing this i'm going to hike up the bluffs (they are BEAUTIFUL, I'll take pictures!) & then i'm planning a 8 mile run. Unless my leg tells me otherwise....

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Mi vidaaa

Besides my horrific week (3 papers, 2 exams, endless homework, tutoring, stress...etc), I did have some good things happen. McCain came to my town and my ONLY republican friend and I went to his rally. It was AWESOME! 4000 plus people were packed into this building to listen to him speak. There was protesters everywhere outside the people,people chanting U.S.A inside, signs everywhere, and security guards every which way. It was AWESOME!. -- Thursday night my friend and I went and saw Nights in Rodanthe, AMAZING! Highly recommend it, I was all out bawling. :)

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WEEKEND

Not a whole lot planned this weekend. Just relaxing enoying beautiful fall! I just finished up my pumpkin coffee (ohh! TIP: Add some pumpkin pie spice to your coffee grounds and then brew it, it's tasty!) Now i'm going to hike the bluffs, run, make pumpkin pie with the roommates, go to the football game.. then who knows. Tomorrow though it's HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK all.day.long

BESiTOS!

My bestest friends & I at EC HOMECOMING!

I CAN RUN AGAIN! Woo Woo! I'm finally back to my old self. My back is feeling good and i'm ready to start putting on the miles! Yesterday I went for an easy 4 miles, I don't want to start off too quickly and risk getting an injury AGAIN. I felt great so i'm looking at doing 6 this afternoon. I have a crazy, hectic day today, it will go as follows: class, PPST testing (reading portion), 6 mile run, job interview, bible study, HOMEWORK. It is never ending but I love keeping busy.
Another thing I love is.. FALL!!! It is beautiful outside; I love the leaves crunching under my feet, seeing my breath, the crisp cool air, wearing my warm clothes :) and running in this weather is a dream. I missed out on fall last year because I was in ESPANA so i'm takin it all in!

My fall to do list: La lista de cosas por hacer
- Drink Pumpkin coffee as much as possible. (I made it this morning for the first time, Black coffee with some pumpkin spice Mmmm Mmm! & a packet of Splenda!)
- Hike up the Bluffs. The trees are beginning to change colors so the view is probably amazing right now!
- Go on as many long runs as possible/ run in Hixon more (Cross country trails, lots of pretty trees to look at!)
- Get some apples from an apple orchard! Yummy.
- Practicar mi gramantica de Espanol cinco veces cada semana.
- Go for walks and enjoy the beautiful days.
- Keep my apartment super clean. -I know you're proud Mother.
- Live for Jesus TODOS LOS DIAS!! (everyday)
- Go home during Harvest.
- Accept the fact that Winter is coming and soon I will be cold the majority of my day. (I am a WUSS when it comes to cold weather.)

Off to class now! love.love.love!
Alyssa