Today was my last day of lectures. We had our final presentations and are done for the summer……….or not, still 4 exams to go till July 26. My last course was about orthopaedic implants, hip and knee. Learned a lot and that orthopaedic surgery isn’t my thing, haha, well it’s good to know!
Training is going really well and I’m pleased with the results so far!
Jumping <3 J
I’m cycling a lot and my speed and technique is improving, still falling off my bike every now and then though J
the picture on the right was taken at an artificial outdoor ski slope, where children were tube gliding, looked like a lot of fun, actually I wanted to join...
Since last Tuesday I’m done with ski training, for a month, I start August 9 again, can’t wait J.
Last Saturday one of the boys in a sit ski hit the wall and this is what was left of ski.
I caved; planking J
The twitter one and the way my trainers want me to plank, haha.
I started dryland training with a group of skiers and snowboarders, all members of the national team. These sessions are fun, variously and a bit challenging every now and then. We do all sorts of strength, core and jumps, which I can do with my ski-orthosis. I’m the only adaptive athlete in the group but I’m able to do most exercises, sometimes I have to adapt an exercise a bit and when the rest of the group is running I get a different exercise. I like it a lot to train in a group and the fact that I’m able to do almost everything is good for my spirit. I made a lot of progress during the first couple of sessions so this is a good fit for me. I’m especially happy with the jumps I can make now, never thought it would be possible, I hope to get a video of my jumps.
Also I’m really into cycling these days, my bike is working great with the one legged cycling system. I love to be outdoors and enjoy nature. Today I went for a ride with a friend, it was a sweet long ride in a very Dutch environment with great weather.
Even though it’s almost summer I’m still skiing with my ski club (for another 3 weeks) 2 times a week. They are changing the snow in Snowworld so the slope is very icy, which gives a more challenging training. A good opportunity to train in a little more difficult circumstances and good to notice I’m skiing pretty well on the ice.
Other then training I’m enjoying the summery weather we have had, but not every day unfortunately. My sister’s house has a boat and we toured the canals and surroundings of Leiden last week.
They went for a swim
very dutch..
My dog Bounty is staying with me for 12 days ( he is leaving tomorrow), I took him to the beach last week and I even went for a swim.
Bounty thought about jumping in the canal 'Rapenburg' luckely for me he didn't
The end of the semester is nearing so it’s time for elective courses, these are more clinical and a bit less demanding then the regular courses. I’m in the Neonatology course now, I learned so much and it’s all so interesting, I totally love it. For a practical we got to do CPR on a very special baby doll, the thing has a heartbeat can breath, cries (which is a very good sign) and reacts to the given treatment. Happy to say it survived when I treated it, good thing I didn’t know about these dolls when I was a little girl because I definitely would have wanted one, the little doctor in me. I went to the neonatal intensive care unit and saw some very small and sick baby’s. I’m going to the neonatal high care next week, this will be the last week of this elective. Next elective is a surgical one in which I’ll go to the OR, looking forward for that, going to the OR not as a patient is a lot better! (and a change of scene for me…)
Last weekend I went to Snowworld Landgraaf with 2 ski friends, Stephanie and Ingrid, for a training weekend and the champs of our ski club Snowsports Academy Racing (SAR). Packing the car took some serious ‘Tetris’ skills but in the end we got everything in.
We arrived at Landgraaf after a little over 2 hours at 8.10 am. I had training with the talent group from 9-11 and my friends were allowed to train with us. I had a few good runs and a few not so good runs but all in all I’m clearly on my way back from injury and improving each week.
After training we had some time to chill, which was necessary since we got up at 5 am.
Next training was that night from 7-9 pm with the ski club, well that training I mostly had not so good runs, I was pretty tired and my leg was hurting so I took it easy. After training we prepped our ski’s, taking the SAR champs very seriously ;)
Everybody wasarriving for the race the next day and we had a few drinks before we went off to bed, 4 girls in one room made it crowded but gave a lot of fun as well.
Next day was the race day, this race is mostly about the fun and yeah we had a lot of fun! All though Stephanie took it very seriously making her ski’s extra fast for the start ;-)
Our group cinsisted of 7 girls and I got a 5th place, being the only adapted ski racer in the group made this a good result for me.
Thanks girls it was a great weekend and I enjoyed myself.
Back at home it was back to business I have been pretty busy lately, I even have to schedule sleeping in my agenda. But it all worked out and I hope the next couple of weeks will be a little calmer.
I also had some medical appointments lately.
I went to the surgeon that fixed up my ankle for my six month check up, timing wise it was a 8 month check up. Well he was glad with the end result, the ankle is doing good, but the joint is still a bit stiff I can’t move forward further then 90 degrees in the ankle. So I will get a special heel in my ski boot to compensate the ankle a bit. And I still need another surgery to remove the metal screws and plate because it’s all a bit irritated, luckily I can do it after next ski season. Just have to tough it out the next 10 months, I’m pretty good with that.
I have had Asthma since I was a little girl, not a big deal, I always just took the meds and the extra meds if necessary, my last real lung check up was still at the pediatrician….. So yeah that’s a while ago…. It was time to get it checked out again also because my meds are on the doping list. Last Thursday I had an appointment for a lung check up.
I had to take a bronchial challenge test and I surely can say that test is very challenging.
You first have to get off your meds for 2 days, which is a challenge alone. During the test you have to inhale increasing doses of an irritating substance, you take a lung function test between each dose. The test is positive if the lung function decreases 20% at 13 mg of the substance. Well saying mine was positive is probably an understatement.
My lung function had decreased over 40% at 4,9 mg of the substance and probably even more since it took several minutes before I was even able to do the lung function test.
To reverse the effect I had to take twice as many meds as regular for this test and still my lung function was just 87%. Not a surprise the doc told me I was severely under treated, now I have to take 4 times as many Asthma meds. I get another check up in 2 weeks. My lungs are still a bit bothered by the bronchial challenge test, I’m coughing a lot (more than normal) and I’m still a little short of breath. I even get out of breath when I’m talking a lot, although some people might think that’s a relieve ;-)
My bike is back from the shop and the new adjustment works great. I went for a short ride this morning since I’m not actually fit. Funny to see everybody twist their neck when they realize that I’m cycling with just one leg.
Last Wednesday I had a power test but because I was off my meds I probably could have done better. I will get another one in a while.
This post is about the winter sports FUNday I got the pictures yesterday.
May 15 was the second winter sports FUNday for kids and adults with a disability.
Everybody who was looking for a fun day of skiing and/or snowboarding was welcome. There were clinics for beginners and for more experienced adapted skiers and snowboarders. The more experienced skiers and snowboarders had a chance to get invited for a training with the talent group. The first winter sports FUNday produced some young talents. This day was again a success, 60 people participated and they all looked like they enjoyed it a lot. Which was great because this day is all about the FUN for winter sports. It was great to be there and actually be able to ski with the participants because last time (in September) I had a broken ankle, it was the day before my surgery.
Listening to a presentation from one of the talents
Cool freeskiing pictures
skiing lessons
Last weekend I had a training weekend and the club champs of my ski club Snowsports Academy Racing in snowworld Landgraaf. It was a great weekend with a lot of skiing, fun, lots of pictures and movies. More on that in my next update.
Today I was a surgeon at the Teddy Bear Hospital. This is a project for young children to help them get used to doctors (and for young doctors to get used to children). So the children won’t be that afraid if they get sick. The children bring their favorite stuffed animal which is ‘sick’ and we treat it together with the child.
They go to a radiologist for x-rays, to a surgeon, they can get a cast and go to a pharmacist it’s all very real. Today I was a surgeon so I got to wear scrubs, the best outfit of all the bear doctors. When a child came to me I first gave it a hat, a mask and gloves. After that we put the patient under anesthesia and usually just wrap dressing on it and give a shot (the children loved that part), if a stuffed animal actually had a hole I put stitches in it.
This was a great afternoon so fun to work with the children, they were so sweet!
Ringvaart Regatta, 100km rowing
I think rowing 100 km is insane… Although I have to admit that if my leg hadn’t happen I would have thought about trying. Not that I think I can’t do it now, it’s just not as simple (practically speaking don't think it's simple at all) anymore I would need adjustments and that’s not something you do for one ‘race’. I think it’s like running a marathon, I never was a good runner so I never would have tried, but I always thought how cool would it be to finish a marathon?! That’s what this race is about for most competitors, just finish, 100 km is a big victory, there are always some teams aiming for the record as well.
My sister and 3 other girls from her house (+1 one girl navigating the boat) went for it this year. Two girls including my sister trained there buts off, the other two had some aches, pains and injuries. This morning there were some problems at the start which led for them to have to start 40 minutes late in a field of boats with 8 people instead of boats with 4 people.
Right from the start they didn’t had any company rowing at the same pace, eights are much faster.
To stay in the race you have to reach a couple of points in time and after 75 km they got disqualified on just a couple of minutes (since they already lost 40 at the start this wasn’t fair).
My sister as determined as she is didn’t want to give up, so there was some discussion and they where commanded to stop by a motor boat.
My mom and I raced to the place where they got off the water to find my sister in tears.
Poor thing (I think) I know how she felt, she kept saying I failed (I thought I had failed when I crashed in the GS in March) , it was a good lesson for me to be on the outside. Because of course she didn’t fail, she didn’t quit she did all she could and she tried. I think my sister is amazing for trying as hard as she did, for training so determined to reach this goal, but isn’t it all about the journey? What you learn about yourself on the way?
Dear Barbara, I love you and admire you for what you did today (and the last 4 months in training)! No you didn’t finish but you gave a fight!
I have some sweet pictures of today not sure what to do with them because one picture is missing, my sisters boat.
Me and my mom
(don't mind my hair it was totally messed up by the wind and wearing a hat all afternoon)
The guys from Delft know how to make a driving party
Just rent a pickup put a couch and speakers in the back and lots of beer
My vacation is over, it was good to have some time off. We had amazing weather with high temperatures. I finally did some serious spring cleaning and my house is organized and neat again. My bike is still at the shop, hope to get it back soon.
In my new training program I do some exercises with my skiing-orthosis, like 2 legged squats.
It feels pretty good to be able to do that again and more natural than just the one legged squats, which I still do as well.
When I was driving home from physio last week I got a flat tire, about 500 meter from home.
I was stranded at the university library, which made me think is this a hint? LOL.
On Friday I had a barbeque with my friends, always a good time.
Saturday I went to Landgraaf for ski training, it was really hot that day, so the long drive without air conditioning wasn’t pleasant. But skiing made up for it. I’m getting the power in my leg back and can make those short fast turns again. The trainer thought I had improved a lot in 2 weeks, which is always good to hear.
