It is good to be home after being away for 2 weeks. It was an awesome trip, but I am sure glad to be back home to the high desert dry heat. The humidity was much more than I would like to live with!!
Cozumel was beautiful. Only one town on the whole island, and full of old world charm, culture, food, etc. We spent many days in the turquoise sea, in a snorkeling paradise. Saw tons of colorful fish, corals, anemones, urchins, seahorses, electric stingrays, and even swam with a few barracudas. They are definitely kinda creepy! It was so relaxing and peaceful, though. We chartered a catamaran with two other families and had an all day sailing adventure that was wonderful, also. I was able to show off a straight, slim back instead of a lumpy, scrunched up one! I laid on the front deck most of the day, flying into the breeze, with no issues whatsoever. Amazing. We climbed down into the bowels of the earth to swim in a cenote. These are freshwater pools in caverns fed by underground rivers. A nice respite from the hot Mexican sun and humidity!
We spent many evenings in the town square listening to the salsa band play in the gazebo while the locals danced. We danced in the sand under a palm-thatched palapa on the beach at sunset, and Andy even convinced me to try a pole dance and a tequila conga line.
But the highlight of the trip was most definitely the Mayan ruins. We visited Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba. It was beautiful, and so amazing and awe inspiring. To walk where real people actually put their feet over a thousand years before me was so surreal. We did lots of walking...and more walking...and even more walking! Temples and buildings are scattered over large areas. But I've never felt better than I did while on vacation. I was amazed at how my muscles were not tight, I had more energy, and even slept really well in a strange bed. Partly adrenaline, but I think I was just more active than I have been sitting at home. Things were just so much more flexible. I think the two weeks of swimming all day in the ocean kept my back muscles limbered up.
You guys will think I'm crazy- again-but I climbed to the top of one of the temples in Coba. It is one of the tallest ones in the Yucatan Peninsula, and was really steep. There was a hand rope to help you climb up. But I did it with no problems. It was a little odd, climbing/crawling and not being able to bend or use my hips and twist and turn as I climbed. But I did fine. Coming down was a little harder. You don't realize how much you move your spine and hips independently before surgery, trying to keep your balance while stepping down steep stairs. Not having that ability, you find other ways! I just took is slow and steady and carefully placed my hands and feet, and backed down some of it where it was steepest. You definitely don't want to lose your balance on this one. You wouldn't stop 'til you hit bottom! It was AWESOME to get back down and feel the sense of accomplishment. Especially when there were lots of people too scared to climb it...
I am amazed at what I'm able to do at only 6 months post op. I feel like I've rediscovered the old me. I no longer have that exhausted, run down, fatigued feeling all the time with the contant pain just thump, thump, thumping me both physically AND mentally!! I feel better than I have in years. And I am far from being fully recovered. They say it takes up to 2 years to get all your healing done and your energy back. But I feel so great now, that I can't wait to see me in another year! Watch out!!
That was a month ago. Now, after breezing through all that, I did some work in the yard this weekend, planting some things, pulling weeds, and wheel barrowing some dirt and mulch. I thought it would be a piece of cake compared to all I did on vacation. But no! I over did it, and I'm paying the price. I have a tightness I haven't had in months, and it goes all the way from my lower back and hips up to my shoulders. It is a tight, burning feeling. If I sit too long at the computer, and get up to fast, I lose my balance and teeter. Should have known better...this is the first time since surgery that I knew I should have listened to the little voice in my head and I ignored it. (Ok, no comments on that!) I am pretty in touch with my limits, and say no when I know better. But wheelbarrow-not such a good idea. But after a few days of taking it easy and taking muscle relaxants, it is much better. Lesson learned!
Here are a couple pics of the climb at Coba and sailing.
P1010151.jpgP1010152-r.jpgP1010155-r.jpgP1010158-r.jpgP1010239-r.jpg
Cozumel was beautiful. Only one town on the whole island, and full of old world charm, culture, food, etc. We spent many days in the turquoise sea, in a snorkeling paradise. Saw tons of colorful fish, corals, anemones, urchins, seahorses, electric stingrays, and even swam with a few barracudas. They are definitely kinda creepy! It was so relaxing and peaceful, though. We chartered a catamaran with two other families and had an all day sailing adventure that was wonderful, also. I was able to show off a straight, slim back instead of a lumpy, scrunched up one! I laid on the front deck most of the day, flying into the breeze, with no issues whatsoever. Amazing. We climbed down into the bowels of the earth to swim in a cenote. These are freshwater pools in caverns fed by underground rivers. A nice respite from the hot Mexican sun and humidity!
We spent many evenings in the town square listening to the salsa band play in the gazebo while the locals danced. We danced in the sand under a palm-thatched palapa on the beach at sunset, and Andy even convinced me to try a pole dance and a tequila conga line.
But the highlight of the trip was most definitely the Mayan ruins. We visited Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba. It was beautiful, and so amazing and awe inspiring. To walk where real people actually put their feet over a thousand years before me was so surreal. We did lots of walking...and more walking...and even more walking! Temples and buildings are scattered over large areas. But I've never felt better than I did while on vacation. I was amazed at how my muscles were not tight, I had more energy, and even slept really well in a strange bed. Partly adrenaline, but I think I was just more active than I have been sitting at home. Things were just so much more flexible. I think the two weeks of swimming all day in the ocean kept my back muscles limbered up.
You guys will think I'm crazy- again-but I climbed to the top of one of the temples in Coba. It is one of the tallest ones in the Yucatan Peninsula, and was really steep. There was a hand rope to help you climb up. But I did it with no problems. It was a little odd, climbing/crawling and not being able to bend or use my hips and twist and turn as I climbed. But I did fine. Coming down was a little harder. You don't realize how much you move your spine and hips independently before surgery, trying to keep your balance while stepping down steep stairs. Not having that ability, you find other ways! I just took is slow and steady and carefully placed my hands and feet, and backed down some of it where it was steepest. You definitely don't want to lose your balance on this one. You wouldn't stop 'til you hit bottom! It was AWESOME to get back down and feel the sense of accomplishment. Especially when there were lots of people too scared to climb it...
I am amazed at what I'm able to do at only 6 months post op. I feel like I've rediscovered the old me. I no longer have that exhausted, run down, fatigued feeling all the time with the contant pain just thump, thump, thumping me both physically AND mentally!! I feel better than I have in years. And I am far from being fully recovered. They say it takes up to 2 years to get all your healing done and your energy back. But I feel so great now, that I can't wait to see me in another year! Watch out!!
That was a month ago. Now, after breezing through all that, I did some work in the yard this weekend, planting some things, pulling weeds, and wheel barrowing some dirt and mulch. I thought it would be a piece of cake compared to all I did on vacation. But no! I over did it, and I'm paying the price. I have a tightness I haven't had in months, and it goes all the way from my lower back and hips up to my shoulders. It is a tight, burning feeling. If I sit too long at the computer, and get up to fast, I lose my balance and teeter. Should have known better...this is the first time since surgery that I knew I should have listened to the little voice in my head and I ignored it. (Ok, no comments on that!) I am pretty in touch with my limits, and say no when I know better. But wheelbarrow-not such a good idea. But after a few days of taking it easy and taking muscle relaxants, it is much better. Lesson learned!
Here are a couple pics of the climb at Coba and sailing.
P1010151.jpgP1010152-r.jpgP1010155-r.jpgP1010158-r.jpgP1010239-r.jpg
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