Monthly Archives: July 2020

Social Media Reminders (or Another Thing To Celebrate)

Posted on July 17, 2020 | Comments Off on Social Media Reminders (or Another Thing To Celebrate)

I try to keep track of anniversaries, birthdays, and other things I want to celebrate in my calendar. I like to know when things are coming up so I can buy presents or cards. And I like having fun things on my calendar. It’s like why I like getting random fun things in the mail. It adds something positive to my life. Getting a card in the mail when I normally just get bills is so nice. Same with knowing a friend’s birthday is coming up when my calendar is usually just filled with work and appointments.

But I don’t remember to track everything or I don’t think all things need to be in my calendar. And things that I probably wouldn’t have thought about as much in normal times mean so much more to me now. I want to celebrate everything and anything I can. I even am finding myself celebrating when I don’t see a line at the grocery store or everything I want is in stock. I never thought that would be something to celebrate, but these days it really is!

I’m glad I can find little things to celebrate most days. And sometimes, I figure out what to celebrate because of social media and an alert about a memory that I posted. And earlier this week, I got a reminder about a memory that means so much to me.

This wine party was something that I was invited to attend, and even though I’m not a big drinker I totally wanted to go. I have always wanted to learn more than wine (even now when I’m not drinking I wish I knew more) and this party was being held at a bar I love. So my friend Kate and I made plans to go. And when I wrote the post about it and posted this photo on social media, that’s what I wrote about.

But the story behind this photo is a lot more. The day I went to the party and took this photo was also the day my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She called me a few hours before the party to tell me. And I broke down hard after that call. I remember calling Kate to tell her and she asked me if I still wanted to go to the party. I said that I would because it would be a good distraction. It was, but I also know that I was still in shock and a bit numb because I don’t remember much about that night.

So when this memory came up on Facebook, I immediately thought that that night. But then I remembered something else. My mom told me that when people say they’ve been cancer-free for a certain number of years, that number is based on when they were diagnosed (I’m not sure why, but that’s how it is). So this memory coming up from 7 years ago also meant that my mom has been cancer-free for 7 years!

I know that 7 years cancer-free isn’t a huge milestone like 5 years cancer-free is, but it’s still a huge thing to celebrate! I called my mom after I saw that memory pop up so I could tell her congratulations on being cancer-free for so long. Doing that was a highlight of my week. I’m so glad that my mom had amazing doctors and got the treatments that she needed so she could stay cancer-free for this long. I know she stays on top of monitoring things and it’s a relief to us all when she gets a clean bill of health.

I’m so grateful that Facebook reminded me of one of the weirdest nights of my life because it also allowed me to celebrate something else this week. I really appreciated the reminder because I don’t know if I would have remembered on my own and this is something that I for sure what to celebrate!

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Default ThumbnailCelebrating My Mom (or She Hit A Big Milestone) Default ThumbnailAnother Union Holiday Celebration (or Being Social And Working Social Media) Default ThumbnailAnd Some More Politics (or Appreciating Social Media) Default Thumbnail500 Posts! (or A Reason To Celebrate!) Default ThumbnailA Social Media Monthly Challenge (or Wanting To Put Some Positivity Into The World) Default ThumbnailFinding More Ways To Help Via Social Media (or Continuing To Share Good Things)

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Posted in Celebrations, Fun Stuff, Health

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8 Years In (or Another Blog Anniversary)

Posted on July 16, 2020 | Comments Off on 8 Years In (or Another Blog Anniversary)

8 years ago, I wrote my first blog post here. I have written about how this blog started as one idea and it turned into something else on its own. When I started writing, I never expected it to become what it is today. But I love that it has turned into something I didn’t plan on it being because it shows what it naturally wanted to be. And I think I have become more comfortable blogging as I have figured out what I want my posts to be about.

Every blog anniversary is a big deal for me. I always say how I never expected it to last this long, and that statement is still true. When I started, I didn’t have a plan for how long I’d be writing or have a goal that I wanted it to be, and then I would feel like I was done. I just started writing and haven’t stopped.

And these days, knowing that I haven’t stopped writing takes on a new meaning to me. When the safer at home plan started 4 months ago, I really wondered what I’d be able to do with my blog. I wrote about how I wasn’t sure what it meant for this space and was prepared to not have posts every day. And that is still something that might happen. Especially with the safer at home orders being back to their stricter place. I’m sure at some point, I’ll run out of things to write about if I am not able to really leave my house for anything. But that hasn’t happened yet. Somehow, I have figured out a blog post every weekday. Even if that post is me writing about how I have nothing to write about.

I feel like I write about pretty much the same things every year on my blogging anniversary. And I don’t have anything special or unique to write about this time. Just that I’m proud of myself for my consistency, including being consistent with writing when I truly thought I would have to blog less often.

There isn’t a lot to celebrate these days. The news seems to be filled with sad stories or negativity. So I’m happy that I have something to celebrate today. I know that blogging for 8 years might not be a big accomplishment for everyone. Some people have been blogging longer than I have. Some people might think that it’s not that hard to blog every day for years. But for me, it’s an awesome accomplishment and I am proud of myself. And that is something to celebrate!

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Posted in Celebrations

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LA Is Shut Down Again (or Somehow This Makes Me Feel Better)

Posted on July 15, 2020 | Comments Off on LA Is Shut Down Again (or Somehow This Makes Me Feel Better)

On Monday, it was announced that California was going to be shutting down some public spaces again. And several counties, including Los Angeles, were going to shut down even more things than what was being done throughout the state. A lot of things on the shutdown list were things that I didn’t know if they had opened at all in LA (like movie theaters or indoor restaurant seating). But there were some things that I know had reopened that were closing again. Mainly gyms and personal care places (nails, waxing, hair salons).

I haven’t been going to any of the places that are being shut down. For the most part, the only places I have gone in the past 4 months have been grocery or drug stores to get things I need or to doctor and dentist appointments. I haven’t gone anywhere for fun or entertainment. I haven’t been out and enjoying the city even as things reopened. And I’ve been having very mixed feelings about pretty much being a shut-in inside my house.

I know that the virus is serious and needs to be taken seriously. This is not something that isn’t a big deal or as simple as the flu. Even if you have a mild case or no symptoms, there is nothing known about the long-term effects. And from what the research has shown so far, it does appear that there are long-term effects and people might have health issues in the future. But we won’t know until it happens. So I am staying home to stay healthy and make sure that I don’t get sick. For me, it is more about keeping myself safe than protecting others since I don’t really interact with anyone else. But to keep me healthy is a good reason to be home. And I do take every precaution when I go out in public. I wear a mask. I stay away from others. I keep a distance. I don’t do anything that isn’t necessary.

But as things were reopening, I was starting to worry that I was using the virus as a reason to isolate myself from others for another reason. I don’t know why I would be isolating myself, but it was starting to feel like I was doing that. I saw people posting about going out still keeping a distance from others while being out of their homes. People have been going to parks, doing more than just the essential errands, and starting to live their lives again. I was worried that I was too scared to do all of that and what it meant for me. I don’t want to pick up new habits that make me not want to go out and be around others when it seems safe to do so.

And I still don’t know if that was the right choice or not then, but now I feel a bit better about my decisions since things were shut down. Nobody is really going out and doing much anymore. I know we need to do this because the numbers are rising again and we cannot just sit around and hope we don’t get sick. We need to take steps to make sure we aren’t getting sick and a big part of that is having a safer at home order. Things aren’t as strict as they were in the beginning, but they are stricter than what they were a week or two again. To me, it doesn’t really make much of a difference unless they decide that dental offices have to fully close because I still need to go back to finish my appointment.

With things shut down, I no longer have to think about if I want to try to leave my house and do something. I am just going to stay home and keep myself safe. And hopefully either this closing will bring the numbers back down or something else will happen that will help keep us safe and healthy. I am ready for things to be open again and to be able to feel safe to be out and around others. But we are not there yet and I’m not willing to rush things and take a chance. Waiting until things are safe isn’t easy or fun, but it does seem to be the right decision for me.

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Posted in Health, Tough Stuff

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Another SAG-AFTRA Election (or 318 Million Reasons To Vote Yes)

Posted on July 14, 2020 | Comments Off on Another SAG-AFTRA Election (or 318 Million Reasons To Vote Yes)

My union service has increased every year. I’ve been getting more and more involved. Even during this pandemic and being isolated, I’ve been finding new ways to be involved. Doing this has been so important to me for many reasons. Right now, it’s important because it gives me a sense of service and purpose. And no matter what the world situation is like, it’s important to be involved because I feel like all members of the union need to be educated on union issues. There are so many things out there that are either confusing or half-truths, and I want people to know exactly what is going on.

And right now, there is something urgent that I have been trying to educated members on. We are voting on our new TV/Theatrical contract. And I am highly encouraging members to vote yes!

There are so many reasons why I think members should vote yes. I do recommend checking out this website on some of the amazing things we gain with this contract. And the biggest thing is that this contract is a $318 million dollar gain over our current contract! That is huge and it is historic! I think for so many members, this alone is a great reason to vote yes. But there are many others.

For the west coast, we have increased the jobs for background performers. I know that some people are upset that the increase is by 1 performer and not more, but the negotiating committee worked hard to get that. They would have loved to have gotten more, but it was a fight to get the 1 spot that they did.

We are also getting a huge increase in our residuals for streaming. The increase will be 26%! I have heard some people upset that broadcast syndicated residuals did not get the same increase and that when those deals are expired that they might be decreased. But there is a reason for that. In 2019, there were about 50 shows in broadcast syndication. In 2020, there were only 17 left. And that number is going to continue to decrease while streaming increases. So it is more important to get the increases in streaming where most shows are headed.

And one of the most important things we gained in this new contract is stronger protections for nudity and simulated sex on set. There are so many things within this category that we got. For auditions, they can no longer require you to submit nude photos for consideration. You must be able to see every person who is able to see your audition. So someone can’t be watching over Skype and you cannot see their face. On set, they are no required to get you a way to cover up between takes so you don’t have to sit there exposed while they work on setting up the next shot. And if you are working a background job that has nudity or simulated sex and you are not comfortable with the work, you can say so and they are still required to pay you for the day even if you go home. That’s just the start of what we got!

To me, it’s an easy choice to vote yes. I understand that this contract isn’t perfect and there are some things that I wish we had gotten, but it’s still an amazing contract. And if we vote no, there is no guarantee we will have something close to what we have. We will have to start for the beginning to try to get all these gains again, and the world is different now compared to a few months ago when this was negotiated. While some people see voting now as a move of strength that we should have a stronger contract, this contract was fought hard to get and the other side is not guaranteed to agree to anything. I am very happy with this contract and I hope that it is approved by the membership.

If you are a SAG-AFTRA member, please make sure you vote by the 22nd! Your vote is important and it matters! And if you have questions about this contract, please contact me. I want everyone who votes to know what they are voting on and I am happy to help explain what I can and get you connected to someone who can explain what I can’t.

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Posted in Acting

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Making Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio)

Posted on July 13, 2020 | Comments Off on Making Home Workouts Feel A Bit More Like Studio Ones (or I Do Still Wish I Was In-Studio)

This past week was supposed to be the week I went back to Orangetheory to have in-studio workouts. I had been so excited to be going back, but I also understood when they had to announce that the re-opening had to be postponed. I’m so grateful that they are more concerned about safety and health than rushing to re-open so they can have business again. And as I get to 4 months of home workouts, I’ve got the routine down. I have gotten some things that make my workouts better, but for the most part, I have a system each time.

And I noticed that whenever I would start a home workout in the OTF app, it would try to connect to my heart rate monitor but couldn’t find it. I couldn’t figure out why because it was connected to my device and I was using it on another app. After the first few home workouts, I just gave up on it and didn’t bother. But for some reason, this past week I decided to figure it out and see what I could do.

It ended up being a really simple fix (even though my monitor was connected to my device, I needed it to also be connected to the app). And I’m so glad that I did it. Because now, when I do my workouts at home I can see my heart rate information on the screen. It’s so much more like being in the studio.

And this is really a big difference for me. Even though I have an idea of what my heart rate is or what zone I’m in based on how I feel, I like having the data and information to track it too. It holds me more accountable for my work and gets me to push myself if I’m close to the orange zone. I know that having it on the screen doesn’t necessarily change my heart rate, but it changes my work and that can change my heart rate.

I did really notice a change in my workouts this week. I was going harder. I was more aware of what I was doing and if I was pushing myself enough. It almost made me feel like I was being coached because there was no denying my heart rate numbers. If I thought I was doing enough but my heart rate was really low, I knew that I wasn’t doing what I should.

And just like the week before, I felt it after each workout. I was sweating so much and was sore after each one. I really tried to step things up a bit and seeing my heart rate on the screen really helped me to do that. And I’m glad I had 2 good weeks in a row because I’m coming up on when I will likely have bad weeks. As always, I’m trying to be optimistic and hope I’ll feel fine. But I’m also realistic. I know it’s very likely that I won’t be feeling great. But I’m also thinking that having my heart rate visible to me the entire workout will make me feel a bit better about having a harder time in my workout. It’s a sign of what I am doing even if I don’t feel like I’m doing much.

I’m still working on improving my home gym equipment and figuring out what I want to spend money on to have in my house. I have so many ideas. I’m just lacking in space and money and the inventory of some things is lacking too. But I’m dedicating some time this week to look online and make some decisions about what I really want to get. Hopefully soon, I’ll have some new stuff in my house to help my workouts. But at least for now, I have some equipment already here and now I have better monitoring of my heart rate.

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Posted in Fitness

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Continuing To Find Ways To Be Creative (or Podcasts and Online Shows)

Posted on July 10, 2020 | Comments Off on Continuing To Find Ways To Be Creative (or Podcasts and Online Shows)

Even though I wasn’t working a lot of acting jobs before quarantine, there is no question that things feel different for me right now. I feel a lack of opportunity to be creative or to advance my career. In reality, I’m not living that different than before as far as my acting career goes. But it’s just not the same. I don’t know if I can explain it. It’s just how I feel and it’s not fun for me.

I know there are things I can do at home alone to work on my acting career. I haven’t felt that motivated to do online readings or record myself doing random audition sides for practice. I might start doing it, but I don’t want to force myself to do them just to get a sense of being able to act.

But recently, I’ve had a few chances to be creative, even if it’s not necessarily acting. A friend of mine is somewhat new into the dating world after a divorce and she’s already seen how crazy things are. Plus, she has heard a lot of my stories about my adventures in dating. So she asked me if I’d be interested in doing a show with her on Twitch where we are just being ourselves and talking about dating. We would be sharing stories, playing games while swiping, and maybe doing profile critiques.

We had a quick test of our show because the systems we were using were new to us. Plus, neither of us were that familiar with Twitch. So we wanted to have time to try things out before we publicize doing this show and having a real audience. The test was only about 10 minutes, but we had fun and I think we both feel comfortable with how to make things work. I’m not sure when we will officially start or how often we will do the show, but I’m excited about it. It’s not exactly acting, but it’s fun and I get to be creative with what we do on the show.

And then this week, I had another non-actor creative moment. I was a guest on Brianne Davis’s upcoming podcast Secret Life. This podcast is all about the secrets people keep and what it has meant for their life. I had an opportunity to be anonymous on it, but I decided not to. Being open and honest about secrets I’ve kept in my life is one of the better things I have done. I don’t want to hide or keep them a secret anymore. I’m not sure if I should say what I talked about because I actually am going to be a guest on the podcast again to discuss another secret!

I’m excited to go back because I had so much fun in the first interview! Brianne and I hadn’t met before the interview (I know her husband through a few different groups I’m in), but she instantly made me feel comfortable and supported. Even though I wasn’t scared to share what I had to say, it was still nice to feel like I was talking to someone who wasn’t going to judge me or make me feel ashamed. I can’t wait until her podcast premieres next month because I know all the guests she will have will feel the same way I did and it should lead to some incredible interviews! I promise to share the information when I know more about when it premieres and when my episode (or episodes) will be going live.

There is no way to know when the entertainment industry will be back to full production. I know my union along with many others are working on procedures and policies to be able to work and keep everyone safe. We will come back, it’s just an unknown timeline for now. I do hope it’s soon, but I also hope that we can feel comfortable that if we are on set that we are safe. But in the meantime, I’m glad I have had a few chances to be a bit more creative than I normally get to be. It’s not a replacement for being able to act, but it’s been a big help to make me feel like myself again.

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Default ThumbnailFinding New Ways To Be Creative (or Almost As Good As Acting) Default ThumbnailLearning From Listening (or Another Great Podcast) Default ThumbnailContinuing To Be Inspired By Podcasts (or Turning A Passion Into A Paycheck) Default ThumbnailUsing Podcasts To Better Myself (or Continuing To Be A Podcast Addict) Default ThumbnailFinding More Ways To Help Via Social Media (or Continuing To Share Good Things) Default ThumbnailPodcasts and Twitter (or An Evening Out With Some Actors)

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Posted in Acting, Fun Stuff

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So Many Virtual Movie Nights (or Thank Goodness For Technology)

Posted on July 9, 2020 | Comments Off on So Many Virtual Movie Nights (or Thank Goodness For Technology)

I’ve been doing movie nights with Netflix Party with friends for a while now. Honestly, this is what is keeping me sane a lot of the time. I have scheduled NP nights with a FB group every Wednesday and Saturday. Knowing I have those in my schedule gives me something to look forward to.

There are so many things I miss while in quarantine. But one big one is having a communal experience with others. There is something about seeing a movie or a play in a theater and knowing everyone else in that room is seeing the same thing that you are. Watching movies alone at home isn’t the same. So when quarantine started and I was watching a lot of movies on streaming programs, that communal experience feeling was what I was lacking. Thank goodness for NP because it has allowed me to feel like I’m experiencing that just a little bit.

Some of the other streaming services have been setting up their versions of Netflix Party, but so far I haven’t been able to use them. Some of them are only available to subscribers at a specific level and some of them are dealing with too many glitches. We had issues with the glitch problem this past Friday. My regular NP group decided to do a bonus night and watch “Hamilton” together. We wanted to test out the Disney+ Party app, but it was down because so many people were watching at the same time.

So what we decided to do was all get our TVs set and ready to go, and I did a group FB call to everyone to count down when we would start. And we had a specific FB chat group to talk to each other while watching. In some ways, it was nicer because I could watch on my TV instead of my computer. But it’s also nice watching on my computer with NP because the chat is right next to the movie and I don’t have to keep looking down at my phone. But I’m so glad that we decided to watch it together because it made the night so much more fun!

The group was almost equally split between those of us who had seen the show in person and those who had not. I should have seen it a second time by now, but then again if quarantine hadn’t happened I doubt the movie would have been available since it was supposed to come out in theaters next year. But I think I would have enjoyed it just as much if not more if I hadn’t seen it.

It’s rare to see a good movie version of a stage musical. But this does it almost perfectly. I loved seeing the closeups that I never could experience seeing the show live. I love how they do show the full stage and it doesn’t feel like they turned the show into a movie. It just feels like a wonderful and special experience of seeing the stage show.

This was something special to get to watch with friends virtually and I’m glad we could set it up. We probably won’t be doing movie nights with streaming services besides Netflix for now because of the simplicity of the app, but I do hope the other apps fix their glitches and open up to all subscribers so we can expand what we watch.

And besides expanding what we what, I have been expanding who I have been watching movies with. For the most part, it has been the same group that I watch together on Wednesday and Saturday (I call the group the Movie Club). And I do love watching movies with them. Occasionally, I have set up a Netflix Party night with other groups of friends for a one-off movie night. Nothing that is a regular schedule like the Movie Club, but it is nice to get to watch with others.

But this week, I also had my first virtual date using Netflix Party. It was with a guy that I matched with almost a month ago. We have been texting every day and having phone calls a few times a week. We haven’t been able to meet yet (which is so weird to me), but hopefully, we can find a way to safely do it soon. But we wanted to do something different than just talking on the phone so I suggested a movie night on NP. We ended up watching 2 movies (we each picked one) and it was really fun. It was very different from when I have a big group watching, but it was nice and again made it feel like we were having a communal experience. I have a feeling I will have another virtual movie night with him soon.

So many people have said how much harder being isolated would be without technology. And I completely agree. And it’s not just the normal technology like social media and texting keeping me ok. It’s all the new technology things like Netflix Party that helps to bring a sense of normalcy to this very abnormal life. I bet that there will be more apps like this that will help bring people together coming since there is a huge demand for them right now. But I hope they continue because I have enjoyed finding ways to stay connected with friends and family that don’t live near me. I’ve been able to get closer to people while staying away from so many. It’s such a wonderfully weird time we live in.

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Default ThumbnailGetting Ready For A Fun Rewatch (or More Netflix Parties) Default Thumbnail“A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” (or Doing A Rare Movie Review) Default ThumbnailA Virtual Musical Night (or Trying To Replicate My Routine) Default ThumbnailEnjoying Movie Nights (or Watching My Screeners) Default ThumbnailVirtual Memorial Day (or Doing The Best We Can For Now) Default ThumbnailFinding A Social Life Where I Can (or Virtual Parties and Distance Hangouts)

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Posted in Fun Stuff

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Another Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much)

Posted on July 8, 2020 | Comments Off on Another Virtual Friend Hangout (or Trying Not To Miss A Summer Tradition Too Much)

I remember before this year started, people were so excited when they saw that the 4th of July would be on a Saturday. I was excited too because I knew that meant I wouldn’t have an early morning the next morning. I love the 4th of July BBQs that I go to that Chris and Marie host.

When the pandemic started, I don’t think any of us expected it to last this long. When Memorial Day happened and we had a virtual hangout, I think we all assumed we would be together again soon. Even some of the reports were saying that LA might be able to reopen by the 4th of July. I knew that just because things could reopen didn’t mean that having a party would be safe. But I was using the date as a goal for the future and hoping that things would be starting to get back to how they were before by then.

But that didn’t happen. Cases are growing. We are lucky the death rate isn’t rising at the same speed, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t dangerous. We have no clue what the long-term health effects will be on someone who had COVID. I know people are tired of being home and want to go out and be social, but we just can’t do that now if we want this to be over soon. If more people stayed home and wore masks when they went out, we would be in a better position right now. But because of the actions of others, we cannot have things open and we need to stay home and away from others.

So as much as my friend group wanted to see each other for the 4th of July, it wasn’t possible. None of us wanted to risk the health of others by having a party. Plus, gatherings weren’t really allowed. But since we had already done one virtual holiday hangout, we were prepared to do another one. And that’s exactly what we did.

I wasn’t able to stay on our Zoom hangout as long as I would have liked to, but I was able to be on there for a while and see a lot of my friends. Everyone was so happy to see each other and we were all saying how much we missed being together in person. Some people had some really fun and creative Zoom backgrounds (even background videos) and that made us all laugh. Most of the conversation was just catching up with each other and making sure we are all doing ok. It wasn’t that different from how we spend parties catching up in person, but it felt extra nice to have people checking in on me and making sure everything was going ok.

Many of us live alone, so having some social interaction was really needed. I know I needed it. I still have some days where isolation is a huge struggle for me. I feel like I’m on my own little planet and there is nobody else out there that understands what I’m feeling. I know that isn’t true, but it’s hard to not feel that way. But I have noticed being more open about my struggle has helped as other friends have said they feel the same. Even though we all feel like we are on our own planets, at least we are starting to feel like we aren’t the only one out there feeling like that.

Because of something else I had scheduled on the 4th, I was only able to stay on Zoom for about an hour. But honestly, that hour meant so much to me. I needed that time with my friends. I needed that sense of almost normalcy. I needed to have more than just text messages or social media. I know that I could use some face to face time with friends more, but that’s not an option yet. I have to take what I can, and I need to take advantage of the moments I can get with friends. I felt so much better after just that hour and felt like I could handle things for a bit longer.

The next party that we would all be having together would be Labor Day, but I don’t think any of us are expecting to be able to be together then. It would be amazing if we could, but I think we are all hoping to be together again for Halloween. And we all know the costumes will probably be some of the best yet because it would be our big reunion as a group. I am trying to stay hopeful that by October we can safely be together. But if we can’t I guess we can do a Zoom Halloween party and share our costumes over video.

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Default ThumbnailFinding A Social Life Where I Can (or Virtual Parties and Distance Hangouts) Default ThumbnailHaving A Lot Of Repeat Days (or More Organizing and More Virtual Hangouts) Default ThumbnailA Special Birthday For A Special Friend (or Celebrating A “College” Friend) Default ThumbnailCelebrating A Friend’s Birthday (or Not Letting Feeling Gross Stop Me From Being Social) Default ThumbnailA Friend Party (or A Casual Hangout And Catchup) Default ThumbnailTrivia Night (or An Unexpected Friend Hangout)

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Another Hip Surgery Anniversary Down (or I Wonder What The Pandemic Means For My Hip Issues)

Posted on July 7, 2020 | Comments Off on Another Hip Surgery Anniversary Down (or I Wonder What The Pandemic Means For My Hip Issues)

Today marks another anniversary of my hip surgery. It’s been 14 years since my surgery, and I still am amazed that it has been my only hip surgery so far. I was sure that by this point I would have had at least one more. The goal is still to not need a hip replacement for either side for a few more years (the original goal was to be at least 40 when I get them), and I am glad that I have been able to meet that goal so far.

My hip issues have been a roller coaster since they started. I’ve had lots of good days, lots of meh days, and some really bad days. Sometimes it’s the side that was operated on that hurts and sometimes it the side that hasn’t had surgery yet that is causing the issues. When it’s the side that was operated on that is hurting, I’m terrified that I have caused enough damage that I can’t put off a hip replacement. When it’s the other side, I’m scared that I finally tore the cartilage and will need the first surgery. I have seen a doctor that told me that I was doing fine, so I know that when I have those fears that it’s unlikely to be the real issue. But I can’t help but be scared since the original issue seemed to come on so quickly.

With the pandemic, I’ve noticed some good and bad things for my hips. The good is that I’m not doing as much so I don’t have some of the pain I get from being active. I’m not getting tired, which can cause my posture to suffer and I stand funny. And when that happens, my hip that was operated on can almost slip around in my hip socket. I describe it as dislocating my hip, but it isn’t really that. It just can pop out of place and I have to pop it back in. I know it sounds gross, but I’ve been doing this for so long so I’m used to it. And in the past few months, I’ve rarely had to do it since I’m not moving around as much (which I know has its own problems).

But there has been an unexpected issue that is making things harder for me. I rarely leave my house, but when I do it’s usually to go to the grocery store. I try to do grocery delivery when I can, but there are some stores that don’t have delivery options or I need something and can’t get a delivery time. And when I go to the grocery store, there are lines both outside and inside. Standing still in line is really hard on my hips. It can make walking and moving extremely painful. When I’m lined up inside to pay, it’s not as bad because I can usually lean on the shopping cart. But when it’s outside, I just have to tolerate it. I try to keep shifting my body weight to make it better, but there have been times that I got home from the grocery store and needed to take my strongest painkillers to continue on with my day.

I do have a cane, but I don’t like to use it. I probably need to get over that and bring it with me to the store. Or I need to look at the lines at stores and maybe only go when there isn’t a line. I know there are solutions for this issue, I just haven’t really worked on it yet. And even with the bad days I’ve had recently, it’s still better than the mix of good, meh, and bad days that I normally have. I have had significantly more good days than normal. Overall, I think I’m doing better than normal even if it doesn’t feel like that when I’m having a bad day.

I’m probably overdue to see an orthopedic surgeon again to get some x-rays and an exam. Maybe when things are safer and more normal again I will look into making a new appointment. I’m not too worried about it now because I know that even if the worst-case scenario is happening, nothing is urgent and needs to be dealt with immediately. I can wait a bit to make sure I do things when they are best for me.

Hopefully, in a year things will be normal again and I can celebrate the 15th anniversary of my hip surgery feeling a bit more confident about how my hips are doing. Hopefully, I will have a better idea of what my pain issues are really like and not just what they are like during a pandemic and isolation. It’s not easy to celebrate much these days, but I am celebrating making it 14 years since my hip surgery without needing another one. That’s not something I expected to happen and it’s amazing that it did.

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Default ThumbnailMy Hip Surgery Anniversary (or Lucky 13) Default ThumbnailHip Surgery Anniversary (or This Feels Like A Milestone) Default ThumbnailMore Hip Problems (or Thinking Out Of Order) Default ThumbnailSurgery Anniversary (or I Guess It’s Good I Almost Forgot) Default ThumbnailA Non-Surgery Anniversary (or Another Year Of Being A Medical Miracle) Default ThumbnailMore Hip Issues (or Wish It Was Me)

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I Guess I’ll Be Working Out At Home A Bit Longer (or Working Out Hard Is Always A Good Thing)

Posted on July 6, 2020 | Comments Off on I Guess I’ll Be Working Out At Home A Bit Longer (or Working Out Hard Is Always A Good Thing)

Last week in my blog post, I wrote about how this past week of workouts was going to be the week I get myself ready to work out in the studio again. I was excited to get back to more normal workouts for me and I was ready to see my friends and my coaches again. I was a bit nervous about going back, but the excitement outweighed the nerves and I was feeling like this was going to be a good thing for me.

And when I started my workout week last week, that’s exactly the mindset I had. I was working hard during my home workouts. I feel like I was doing a lot more than I ever had. It wasn’t that I was necessarily slacking off while working out at home, but this past week brought things to a new level. I was sore, but that soreness made me very happy. I was counting down the days until this week when I was supposed to be back in the studios.

But I was still a bit nervous about going back. Cases of COVID have been increasing, but with the safety measures that Orangetheory was taking, it seemed like it would be as safe as possible. I even started to see some articles saying how going to the gym could be good as long as certain precautions were taken. And everything on those lists was things that OTF was going to do. Plus they were doing things above and beyond what was on the list. I was also starting to get a bit nervous because the workout-specific masks I ordered hadn’t arrived yet. I knew they might be delayed, but I wanted to have them in time for my first in-studio workout.

Then, things changed. First, I got an email that my masks wouldn’t be arriving on time. This was disappointing, but not the worst thing since I have other masks I could use for working out (they just wouldn’t be the most ideal masks to sweat in). Then, the rules about how gyms could reopen changed. Originally, they didn’t require masks. Then they said they would require them for the entire time someone was inside a gym. That was fine with me since it’s what I was planning on doing. But then they added a rule that full gloves would be required at gyms. I wear workout gloves, but they don’t cover my entire hand. My palms and fingertips are exposed. I know they make full-hand workout gloves, but I didn’t want to buy those. And wearing nitrile gloves while working out didn’t seem like something I would like. The sweat would get in the gloves and I could see how it could make holding onto things harder.

I started to wonder if I should go back to studio workouts. My original plan was to go 3 days a week and then do 1 day at home. Then I switched that around and picked 1 day to go to the studio and was going to do the rest at home. I figured I could see how I liked working out in the studio with the new rules and if I didn’t like it I would just go back to doing them all at home. But soon after the rule about wearing full gloves was announced for Los Angeles, I didn’t have to worry about if I should go to the studios or not. Because the reopening of the studios in LA was pushed back.

I know this was a hard decision for the owners, but it was the right choice. This is about the safety of the members and staff. And even with all the precautions, there is still a risk. And the safest thing to do would be to not reopen until they feel confident that they could reopen safely for everyone.

I was disappointed because I was so excited about getting back to my normal workouts, but I understood why they made this choice. It wouldn’t be easy for everyone to work out with a mask and full gloves. A lot of people don’t have gloves (and they aren’t easy to find right now) and they didn’t have a stockpile of gloves to give some to every member for every class. But most importantly, as I said, this was about safety. And I find it admirable that the owners care more about safety than reopening and making money (while the studios are closed, all memberships are frozen so we are not paying).

I’m still really proud of the workouts I did at home this past week. Even though I won’t be back in the studio this week to show off what I’ve been able to do at home, there are no negatives to working out hard. And I’m glad I pushed myself because I did need to do that. I haven’t had a lot of great workout weeks at home, so anytime I can have one I need to take advantage of it. And I’m hoping that this week I will have another great workout week at home.

I’m still hopeful that the studios will be reopening in the near future. Nobody knows when it will be safer for us to be back there and there is no timeline just yet for when they may try to reopen again. I know the owners are paying close attention to the numbers of cases and all the new policies that are being announced. And when they feel like they can open the studios and provide the workouts we are used to, then that’s when they will do it.

In the meanwhile, I’m looking again for ways to make my home workouts better. I found a way I could rent a water rower and have added myself to the waitlist for one. I would consider buying a rower, but they take up a lot of space and I don’t know if I’ll want one after I’m back in the studio. So renting would be a great option. Hopefully, they will have one available for me to rent soon. And I’m still looking at other options for different pieces of exercise equipment that would work in my house. I just want to figure out how to keep improving while staying home.

I think I was using the idea of the studios reopening as an excuse to not keep looking for better options. Now, I’m not going to think that way and just figure out how to make my home workouts the best they can. Especially because I’ll be doing these for at least a little while longer.

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Default ThumbnailNot The Workout Week I Planned On (or Starting To Prepare To Go Back) Default ThumbnailFeeling Like I Worked Hard (or At Least I’m More Used To This) Default ThumbnailWorking Out At Home (or Trying To Figure Out What To Do) Default ThumbnailWorking Through The Workouts (Modifications Are Harder At Home) Default ThumbnailAnother Week Of Home Workouts (or Still Trying My Best) Default ThumbnailAlmost Normal (or Guess I’m Definitely Missing The Dri-Tri)

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