TRIUMPH AT THE TRACK!!!

It was a long day and it went well into the night, but I didn't notice until I looked back. Thursday was the 25th Oakland County Middle School Track and Field Championships held at Clarkston High School.

I proudly joined the Oakview team this season as an assistant coach. You may recall from previous posts that it was in fact at track practice when this Road to Recovery began (2 weeks ago). It has been a remarkable season and it didn't end anything less than remarkable.

These two weeks have been bumpy at best. I have been struggling with my limitations and NOTenjoying my lack of mobility!!! But there was track , THANK GOODNESS, there was track. I was clearly not as effective as a coach, but THANK GOODNESS (again) we had Coach Witherspoon. I couldn't get to practice on time due to having to wait for a ride :( But I had a ride in the form of my fifteen-year-old son who luckily has his permit :) Seeing MY kids (yes they are ALL MY kids)! was pure joy (O.K. some headaches when they were chatty or didn't "feel" like it, but mostly joy)!!!

Sure, sometimes I got a little jealous watching them run while I had to sit in my wheelchair, but mostly I just loved watching them work, push, endure, improve... Coaching at the long jump pit helped too. Getting to talk one on one with an athlete and discuss what they are feeling and asking them to run faster, jump higher, hold your feet up, get your eyes up...watching, tweaking, improving...ahhh!

I have coached for many years (17 oops, now 18 years). I sometimes forget that I love it when I'm in the thick of it, but stepping back ( or should I say rolling back) and watching my kids was/is glorious and although I was sitting in a chair, for that short part of the day, I didn't feel totally broken, totally helpless or totally useless.

On to the meet. County Championships. Oakland County Championships is the LARGEST middle school track meet in the NATION!!! You heard me! In the U.S.A! And my kids were there and my kids kicked BUTT!!! I should tell you that my kids are a part of an incredible track program that has a culture 13 years in the making all thanks to Coach Z. His drive and vision are the reasons I got to be a part of such an incredible season. He will hunt kids down in the hallways at school and tell them, not ask them, but tell them they should run track. He can be a goofball (remember the juggling and again the start of this blog), but he will also encourage and teach these young athletes and expect from them the things they don't realize they can do...run faster than they ever have before!

Geez, I keep getting all side tracked from telling you about one of the greatest competitions I have ever been a part of. Thursdays meet, was full of ups and downs, but mostly ups! My kids were individual and relay champions in several events. I watched one of my boys get his PR in the mile improving his PR by 30 SECONDS!!! And crushing the Oakland County record by 10 SECONDS!!! I can't YELL LOUD ENOUGH how AMAZING that is, but it is AMAZING!!!!

Over all Oakview had 6 individual and 2 Relay teams as Oakland County Champs!!! AMAAAAAAAAZZZZIIIIINGG!!!! The Boys team won as a team and so did the Girls. The girls posted points in 14 out of 16 events!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! They set school records and County records and personal records and it was GOOOOOOOOOOD!

So maybe this seems a little off topic for a achilles blog, but remmeber, this is the road to recovery and this season is the reason I'm writing, but it's also a reason for me to keep getting up and getting going! These kids, MY TRACK KIDS, made one day on this road to recovery feel easy and FABULOUS!!!!!

In case I don't say it enough, thank you to all the people who have driven me to the store, the doctor's or to catch the bus for the County meet! I am so grateful to know all of these self sacrificing people! And thank you to my family who I threw under the bus in my last post, thank you for loving me when I'm cranky and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to change the toilet paper roll! :) Thank you to Charlie who drove me to practice and helped in the yard and to Jacob who mowed the lawn :)

AND WAY TO GO COACH Z AND OAKVIEW TRACK AND FIELD! THANKS FOR MAKING THIS JOURNEY HAPPEN ;) AND THANKS FOR MAKING THE JOURNEY FUN!!!

Shopping Excursion - Adventures in a Wheelchair

This week was incredibly busy. First, as you know, it started with a severe achilles rupture, which led to surgery, followed by my birthday and an important track meet. Soon to follow were the preparations for my son and husband's birthdays which were yesterday and will be tomorrow respectively. In order to get it all done I had to rely on a friend to cart my rear-end to various stores while trying to make decisions while balancing on crutches and fighting discomfort and fatigue. I'm sure I was pure joy :)

We made a quick stop to the open air mall, guess what? No easily accessible wheelchairs! It's fine though, I have handicapped parking now! The first couple of stores were fine we got some good deals and checked of items from the wish lists. The next stop was a department store and I was excited because they usually have accommodations in the form of wheelchairs or electric carts...here's another guess what??? After navigating to the service desk it was discovered that THE wheelchair was broken...ugh, the pain medicine was wearing off, I was breaking out into sweats and I HAD TO GET THE SHOPPING DONE!!!

For the record I have borrowed a wheelchair from our community, but I was afraid I would not be able to get a certain birthday gift into the vehicle if I brought my own wheelchair.

I was most certainly frustrated and discouraged. Although we got some good things accomplished, my limitations are INFURIATING me! Vicky, who affectionately referred to me as Miss Daisy for the last few days, was a true friend and trooper. She expeditiously returned me home where I could prop the leg and rest the arms and slow down. She also offered to do it again the next day!!!

Friday's shopping was a dream compared to Thursday! I purposely plotted out adventures based on wheelchairs and in-store motorized vehicles!!! :) I was far more delightful.

Target was just plain fun! I must admit I get a lot of stares in my little motor cart. I also need some driving lessons! These babies are tricky and they do not move very fast! First, you need to be seated in order for them to move. Well, due to my diminutive stature I tend to scoot forward to the edge of the seat so I can firmly plant my one good leg on the floor board. Wouldn't you know, the cart will stop when one does not have their rear-end firmly planted in the seat!!! Next, I feel the need to shout to the world that the store may have these fabulous rides for those of us experiencing ambulatory technical difficulties, but the folks who plan out the floor display fail to take into consideration a certain turn radius ESPECIALLY when one is carrying one's crutches in the basket looking like a modern day special (oh so special) jouster!

This would be a good time to tell you that Vicky and I were quite entertained by our navigational predicament.

On to Kohl's! Kohl's by the way does not have the motor scooter, but does offer the wheelchair. You might think we would be able to get around corners a with more ease in this smaller, less cumbersome vehicle...BUT NOPE!!! The Men's Department at Kohl's is hideous!!! I mean HIDEOUS!!! It would be difficult getting through there as a normal sized person. I never notice before, because I am not a normal sized person,I am a mini little lady with the stealth and agility of a ninja...well I did have agility...stop laughing at a girl in a BOOT!!!

Vicky eventually had to take over completely. I had to keep my hands inside the vehicle at all times or I surely would have lost a finger or two. There were a lot of things falling as we ever-so-carefully rammed into display. There was the moving of displays, because most are on wheels, so that's good. There was the, "Oh $!@#, how do we get out of this one. And of course the "OUCH, that was my leg." Regardless of the "Ouch," it was very comical and if you ever get the chance to be wheelchair bound, make sure you go to Kohl's with a friend!!!