Gardening on the Moon ( GOTM )

Written by Jeff

Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

Disclaimer – I am not an expert in health, fitness or aerobics and I am providing these instructions which work for me as a potential incentive for others. Any use of these are at the risk and discretion of the reader. No recommendations are implied or suggested. What follows is ONLY an explanation of my routine and how you may find it useful if you so desire. Always check with a health professional before beginning any exercise routine.

Aerobics Music

IMPORTANT – Music is not essential for doing aerobics. It does help to provide timing and rhythm and may make the experience more interesting, but it is not necessary. Exercise is the important ingredient. Don’t let the lack of a music collection stop you from getting involved.

When first starting with only a few songs, they can be played on a PC using iTunes or other software in the shuffle mode. Some MP3 players also have a shuffle mode. This assures that the songs are not played in the same order every day and helps to keep the routines fresh. If a song is longer than the amount of time needed, use the remainder of the song for the next exercise or skip to another song to begin the next exercise. This really depends on your time limits and your exercise preferences. My version of She Works Hard for the Money is more than five minutes long. I use it for three different exercises; either two Extended exercises for two minutes each sandwiching a 1-minute Moderate exercise between it OR two Moderate exercises with one Extended exercise sandwiched between them and then skipping to the next song. If you are using music, pick a rhythm that is comfortable for you for each of the exercises and use that as your guide.

NOTE - I don’t recommend that anyone purchase any specific songs for the purpose of exercising to them. Find songs in your collection that will suit your pace. If you don’t have appropriate tunes, ask a friend if they can lend you a couple of CDs with appropriate songs. A CD with disco songs would probably be a good bet. I also noticed that the faster country songs often prove quite workable. Visit your library and borrow several CDs to try at home and once you have found songs that work for you, they can be purchased on line or at your local store.

I remove songs from the list from time-to-time and add new songs when I find one that is appropriate. Most of these songs have a heavy beat that I am able to follow. I don’t have a very good sense of rhythm, but I manage to get by with the songs listed and other similar selections. You might notice that the songs I highlighted are moderately paced. If I find a song too fast, I adjust the exercise to every-other beat until I work up to the faster speed. If a song is too slow, I exercise to the half-beat. If either of the above doesn’t work, I remove the song and find a suitable replacement. Once you begin, you will find out what is comfortable for you to do.

The important thing to take away from this is that there is not one correct way to do this. There are numerous variations, but to quote Nike, “Just do it!”

Footwear – I have found it easier to do the aerobics moves in athletic socks if they are done in a carpeted area. The feet are able to glide and move naturally.

When doing the exercises on a hard floor such as tile or wood, I found it easier to do them in a slipper-type shoe with rubber soles rather than a sneaker/athletic shoe. The sneakers “grabbed” too much and caused more discomfort to my knees.

Experiment to see what works best for you. Safety and stability are the most important things.

The Aerobic Exercises Explained

It is difficult to explain precisely a physical activity, but I will do my best. If , at any time, the explanations below seem vague or confusing, review the descriptions at this link:

http://www.allspiritfitness.com/library/features/aa041902d.shtml

The referenced article has five pages which are all worth reading, but the steps are described on page 4. Read each description along with the description below and you should have a good idea of how to do the moves.

If you still have questions, leave a comment and I will respond via a follow-up comment to any questions about Boom-Aerobics.

The explanations of each of the aerobics exercises I use in my routine are listed below. Where available, I provide a link to an online video of the exercise. Keep in mind that not everyone does exactly the same movements. There may be a slight variation. If you find variations, select the one that you favor.

NOTE - The goal of aerobics is to give your heart and lungs a work out. With each exercise, there are arm movements. Any arm movement will do although they should be vigorous enough to help keep the lungs and heart working. I will describe what I do, but feel free to alter, change-up or modify the arm movements.

REMEMBER – If any exercise causes pain or discomfort, stop immediately. It is perfectly acceptable to remove an exercise from your routine if it bothers your knees, etc.

The Moves

Straight March – This is sometimes referred to as marching in place. Pick out a moderate rhythm and move your feet up and down while pumping your arms. Pump the arm opposite the leg being lifted. Your foot should only come off the floor by three to six inches.

Video Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoqOHjCMBQg&feature=channel

This video combines the march and the jog. Pay attention only to the march which stops at 1:15. Pump your arms higher than is demonstrated in the video for a better workout. Also…don’t lift your legs as high as is demonstrated on the “high movement option.” That is better left to the knee lift.

HINT - When watching the video a small advertisement may appear on the bottom of the screen. Click the “x” to close the ad. If there is a larger advertisement, I am sorry to say you will have to let it run.

Later in your development, you may want to move to the high impact version. If you are just starting an aerobics routine, stick with the low impact exercises.

Out-out, In-in * – Stand with your feet next to each other about shoulder width apart. Move your right foot out until it is just beyond your right shoulder (6-8 inches). Next, move your left foot out until it is just beyond your left shoulder (6-8 inches). Follow this by returning your right foot to the original position and finally bring your left foot to its starting point. Repeat this routine in time to the music.

Arm Movement – I punch my arms out to the right each time I move my right foot out and to the left each time I move my left foot out. On the “in move,” I bring my arms back to my side or waist. An alternate would be a circular motion with both fists together in front.

HINT – It is sometimes easier for beginners to begin the exercise without any arm movement and then once the feet are moving correctly, initiate arm movements.

Lunges * – Stand straight with both feet together. In time to the music, turn slightly to your right and move your left foot out to the left side and at the same time, move your arms up and over your head to the right. Bring your left foot back next to your right foot. Turn slightly to your left and move your right foot out and move your arms up and out to the left. Repeat this in time to the music.

Alternate arm movement – If using both arms is difficult, start by thrusting just one arm in the appropriate direction. As you move your left foot out, push up and to the right with your left arm. Reverse for the right foot.

Here is a video. You want to pay attention to the low impact version (stop at 1:06). You may graduate to the high impact version later. Modify the arm movements to make it easier if necessary.

Video Example of the Lunge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScSFlRrPLPY&feature=channel

Heel Dig – With your feet together and in time to moderately paced music, step forward with your left foot, placing your heel down a comfortable distance in front of you. Quickly bring your left foot back. Next, move your right foot out comfortably in front of you and place your right heel down. Return your right foot so both feet are together again. Repeat these steps for the allotted time to complete the exercise.

Arm Movement – Move the same arm forward as you move your foot forward; left with left and right with right. You can alter this in any fashion that is comfortable for you, but keep your arms moving.

Knee Lift* – Standing with both feet together and keeping your back straight, lift your bent right leg 8-12 inches straight up keeping the knee bent and return the leg to the ground and straighten as it is lowered. Repeat the move with the opposite leg. Remember, don’t lift your leg too high. There should be no pain.

Arm movement: Lift both arms up and to the opposite side of the leg being lifted. If arms get tired, change to an arm pumping movement such as the one described in the straight march. After a while switch back to the arm movement described above and alternate on and off to avoid fatigue.

Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Part III will complete the explanations of the moves with more hints. Don’t wait to start exercising though. You may use parts I & II to begin to develop a personal routine that will work for you. Remember to consult your health care professional first.

Read Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Part I

Read Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Part III

SPECIAL THANKS to Andrea Austin and Expert Village for the videos on the Internet.

SPECIAL THANKS also to Spirit Fitness for their article about aerobic fitness.

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

For those who may have followed my broken foot ordeal on this blog, I am happy to report that I have returned to near-perfect form. One of the most serious challenges I faced following my recovery and physical therapy was reestablishing my exercise routine. After six weeks of relative inactivity, I was amazed at how much mobility I had lost.

Of course my foot healed just in time for the heat of summer which is a big deal in the Phoenix, AZ locale. I visited several health clubs, but the idea of having to leave the house to exercise and travel back and forth 20 minutes each way just wasn’t appealing.

Calisthenics have always been a part of my exercise routine. They can be done almost anywhere, generally don’t need any equipment and they are easy to learn. During the more reasonable weather, I would often walk a couple of miles a day including several minutes of power-walking (That’s how I broke the bone in my foot!) in addition to the calisthenics. This is impractical during the heat of the summer unless I wanted to awake very early to attend to the walk and gardens. I needed a new plan especially since I was eager to get back into shape. Whatever I did had to be “low impact” since I was recovering from a broken bone in my foot and I do have some knee problems.

I decided to study aerobics routines to see if this would suit my needs. I soon realized that I would have to modify them for my age and skill level. Aerobics, simply stated, is any exercise that causes the participant to breathe faster and increases blood circulation. The exercises increase lung capacity and help to keep the heart strong. I might also add to that definition “and creates perspiration.” Perspiration is my indicator that I am working and my body is making progress. If I am not sweating, then I don’t feel that I am exercising enough. This is not scientific, but my personal bias.

In any event, I went to my local library and checked out several DVDs with aerobics exercises. Unfortunately, there were no books or DVDs directed at people who are currently described as “boomers.” After watching several of the available videos, I focused mainly on using the Internet and the Fat Burning Workout for Dummies (DVD), ASIN: B000BCE9CC for further investigation. In the video, Gay Gasper (instructor) explains the basic aerobics steps. At times, she seemed to move very quickly and I needed to replay certain sections multiple times until I understood the move. Keep in mind that I am rhythmically challenged. It was two full weeks before I felt comfortable with all of the basic steps and felt I was doing them accurately.

The video was important because it grounded me in the language of aerobics and thus I was able to search the Internet for videos and other written instructions. Later in this article (Parts II & III), I will list the sites I used as well as notes about what I found important to understand or modify for boomers who want to use aerobics to stay fit.

I knew at the beginning of this journey that I would not be able to keep pace with someone much younger or in much better condition than I am in currently, but I wanted to establish a personal routine that would help me maintain my health and provide appropriate exercise. Aerobic training involves established routines where the person doing the exercises moves quickly from one aerobic exercise to another stringing five, six or more of these moves together to compose a routine. As I have noted elsewhere, I am rhythmically challenged and I didn’t want to spend time learning the more sophisticated transitions from one exercise to another. I concentrated on doing individual Low Impact aerobics exercises as separate units. While probably not as much fun or entertaining as involving many moves in an established routine, I find this to be a good method for me. I am also not ruling out putting together some routines in the future.

I consulted with my doctor to make sure that I was physically fit to begin doing the exercises I was developing. Anyone who is beginning a new or modified exercise program should consult with their health professional. What I knew from many prior experiences was that just starting an exercise regimen was important. It doesn’t make that much difference how strenuous the exercise routines are; just get started and stay motivated. If the entry point selected is too difficult, scale back quickly to keep discouragement at bay. If the entry point is too easy, increase the difficulty slowly until an appropriate exercise level is reached.

It is important to remember that if any exercise is causing pain, it should be stopped. This type of exercise program is not designed to cause pain. During any exercise routine ample water supplies should be at hand to make certain that hydration is maintained (Desert dwellers are experts in this practice!). Needless to say, dress appropriately with any support garments that are needed. Oh, one other thing before I forget. Any time you feel out-of-breath or tired, take a rest for a minute or two. Divide the exercise session in half and take a four or five minute break between halves until you are able to work through the entire routine

I exercise at least five days a week. I like to get this done in the morning while my energy level is still high. During the Sonoran summer this is important as the heat can take its toll as the day wears on. I begin with 15-25 minutes of stretching and calisthenics. I make sure that I start with arm and leg stretches and then I do the following:

• Two sets of push ups
• 1 set of sit ups with knees bent, soles of feet resting on the floor
• 1 set of left knee bends not to exceed a bent knee of more than 45-60 degrees
• 1 set of sit ups with knees bent, soles of feet resting on the floor
• 1 set of right knee bends not to exceed a bent knee of more than 45-60 degrees
• 1 set of sit ups with knees bent, soles of feet resting on the floor. Move right elbow toward left knee
• 1 set of full knee bends not to exceed a bent knee of more than 45-60 degrees
• 1 set of sit ups with knees bent, soles of feet resting on the floor. Move left elbow toward right knee
• 1 set of full knee bends not to exceed a bent knee of more than 45-60 degrees

Once this is completed, I rest for a minute or two and begin the aerobics routine focused on the following exercises:

Straight March
Out-out, In-in *
Lunges *
Heel Dig
Knee Lift*
Step-touch
Grape Vine*
Mambo-Right
Ham Curl*
V-Step*
March-tap
Leg Kick

For lack of better terms, those moves followed by asterisks will be referred to as Extended and those without the asterisk will be called Moderate. The goal is to perform the Extended exercises for twice the time as the Moderate exercises. Thus if I did the straight March for 30 seconds, I would do Out-out, In-in for 60 seconds. If the Straight March was done for a minute, I would do the Out-out, In-in for two minutes. Adjust the times to those that are comfortable for you and your level of fitness. There is nothing wrong with doing Moderate exercises for 15 seconds and Extended exercises for 30 seconds. The key is to get started. The amount of time spent on each exercise can always be increased. When increasing the times, increase them for all Moderate moves at one time and all Extended moves at one time otherwise keeping track of times for individual exercises will become a burden and that doesn’t encourage exercising.

I searched the Internet to find a list of songs that would be appropriate for aerobic exercises and there was surprisingly little information. I found references to the pace of the songs such as 120-160 beats per minute. I disregarded this and rounded up songs from my collection that would be appropriate for the pace I wanted to maintain. This was done through trial and error. These are a few of the songs I use for my aerobics routine. I use many more than those listed, but this will provide an idea of how I am working my routine. I find rotating the music gives some variation so I avoid using the same songs day after day to keep the exercise routine fresh and interesting.

Jambalaya – John Fogerty
Mockingbird – Carly Simon and James Taylor
The Old Man Down the Road – John Fogerty
Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater
She Works Hard for the Money – Donna Summer
So What – Pink
Tell Me About It – Delbert McClinton and Tanya Tucker
(You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie – Emmylou Harris

Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Parts II & III will discuss each Aerobic Exercise and the appropriate techniques.

Read Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Part II

Read Extend Life with Boom-Aerobics – Part III

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

Changes in attitude, changes in latitude

Having gotten things under way with the walker and the wheel chair, I was feeling pretty good, but when discussing our coup with my wife, she said: “Did you request a light weight wheel chair?” Duh, no I didn’t. So…the next day it was on the phone to the medical supply place and a need to get a new request for a LIGHT WEIGHT wheel chair. These are more expensive to buy/rent and therefore need a special request; it couldn’t just be changed.

Here is my gripe. When a patient goes to an orthopedic doctor with the type of injury I had, the office should know what a person my age would need. They have been through this before. I should have left the office with an order for a light weight wheel chair with right leg extension, a shower stool and a wheeled walker with a seat or knee rest (at least a rental). The only thing they offered me was an order for a pair of crutches. I had to “discover” my needs as I bumped around the house the next couple of days.

It is very difficult to use the bathroom facilities having only crutches to help one on and off the commode. Standing up using the crutches provides even more of an adventure.

So here I am trying to use the crutches and putting my entire body weight on my left leg. This in turn caused me pain in my left knee which had its fair share of abuse during my life. It was quite a realization how having the one foot out of commission puts added strain on different parts of the body.

One of the things that was most bothersome was the abrasive quality of the cast. No matter how much buffering material they put around it, the fiberglass (or other substance) used to mold the outside of the cast has a netting-like mesh that can abrade soft tissue and other things. At times I found myself stuffing part of an Ace bandage down my cast and wrapping the rest around my leg so it buffered the area from where the cast stopped up and around the back of my knee. This was getting very sore prior to this improvisation.

Carrying anything was certainly a challenge with the crutches. I found myself wearing items with large pockets. I did try to use a canvas tote over my shoulder, but it swung wildly and tended to pose more balance questions. The walker provided a better opportunity for carrying items. The walker had a basket, but it did not stay in place properly on my model so I hung the canvas tote over the handlebars. This allowed me to carry books, bottled water, pencil, etc. Coffee still provided some work, but using a large travel mug with lid was a big help. Overall the walker and canvas bag added greatly to the quality of my daily routine.

Another important aspect of my living with all of these life aides, was the purchase of several bottles of waterless, anti-bacterial lotion. I carried one with me at all times, placed one in the bathroom for use immediately after toileting and another on top of the kitchen counter. These provided a sense of cleanliness and made it easier to go about my daily routine in a relatively normal fashion.

My last puzzle was how to do the ordinary things like putting on my shoes, getting in and out of bed and getting in and out of cars. Whenever I favored my “good” leg, it tended to get strained and twisted. I used it for pivoting, but this did put extra pressure on my knee and ankles. Luckily I am in fairly good physical condition, but I could still sense the physical strain. One of my biggest frustrations was finding comfortable sitting positions. Where could I place my heavy leg with its bulky cast?

In general, I faired pretty well. As a “belly sleeper”, sleeping on my back and keeping my leg on top of the covers wasn’t the most natural position for me, but I did manage to get a decent rest most nights. I would be fooling you to say that I wasn’t counting the days until I am out of the cast, but then again, who wouldn’t be?

NOTE – It has been several months since I originally had the accident and my break did not heal completely. I now realize that I did not receive the appropriate treatment in a timely fashion and thus missed the best healing window. I am in no real pain and I can do everything I want up to a point; I just need to do things more slowly. My walking is a bit unsteady and I still have a limp, but I am hoping with the appropriate PT (which I do daily) and regular use that I will continue to see progress. I have another visit with the doctor in a couple of weeks and we will make some decisions at that point. This has been a real education!

Read A Broken Bone in the Desert – Part I

Read A Broken Bone in the Desert – Part II

Second Opinions

Written by Jeff
Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

Once I understood the broken bone in my foot was not healing as intended, my wife and I discussed our options and decided that we needed to get a second opinion from an orthopedic doctor who belonged to a group that treats foot injuries for the Phoenix Suns professional basketball team. It doesn’t get much better than that! I had to wait a week so it would be week six after the break before I got to see him, but it was my best option at this point. Once again, we were off to a doctor’s office. We did feel good that this would be a big step in helping to resolve this health issue. Professional athletes get broken bones all the time. Of course they aren’t 63 years old, but that’s just a minor point (wink!).

There I was taking more x-rays and filling out my health history which was all very good except for osteoporosis brought on by taking thyroid hormone for more than forty years as a result of thyroid cancer surgery. We waited calmly and anxiously to hear what the doctor had to say. When the doctor arrived, he had a high degree of confidence and assurance. As a sports doctor, he has probably seen this type of injury many times. Through our discussion, I began to realize that the regimen I had been following was almost 180-degrees from the care that was now being suggested. Unfortunately, the doctor explained, I missed the “window” for the best bone healing which lapsed during the first seventeen days following the break. Those are the breaks, I guess!

The recommendation…half leg cast, crutches and no weight bearing on the broken foot. Sleeping with the cast would then be an issue, but what could I do? I must confess — at this point that I am a bit of a germaphobe. On a scale of 1-100, I would place myself at 80, but my wife and friends might have a different opinion. The thought of having my cast in bed with me was truly gross. My first big decision was what color cast I desired. In deference to my wife who is my caregiver and understanding partner, I chose her favorite color; purple. The tech came in and began the cast application. It was far different than I expected. I remember the dark ages when it was done with plaster. This was woven fiberglass with an underlayment of soft webroll. It was a nifty job. I stood and the angle was checked and all seemed well and then came my first saving grace…a shoe for the bottom of the cast. So all that dirt and grime that I thought would want to follow me into bed would now be sequestered to the bottom of the shoe; whew!

We were given a doctor’s order for crutches and were led to the door. I hobbled downstairs and waited for the car. We used our cell phone from the car to find a place that had crutches for sale. We are relatively new to the area so we were limited in our geographic knowledge. After listening to a couple of robo-answering machines for ten minutes, we finally located a medical equipment vendor relatively close to where we were and the major thing was that we knew how to get there.

Welcome to My New Reality

My wife went in to get the crutches and had a good idea of picking up a shower stool as well. I didn’t realize at the time what a sharp move that would be; a life saver in some respects. We arrived home, got the car in the garage and thus the real adventure began. I realized I was in trouble after my first couple of steps. I had been on crutches three times before this, but with knee injuries and without a heavy cast. The weight of the cast was an element I hadn’t factored in to the equation and for me it was heavy. Lugging my bad right foot around so that it doesn’t touch the floor and managing the weight was going to be a challenge indeed.

When under doctor’s orders not to bear weight on one foot, the pressure of all the body’s weight is then shifted to arms and one leg. I didn’t realize how much strength this takes to move around with any degree of dexterity and when the additional weight of the cast is added, balance becomes even more of an issue. After one day, my deltoids and biceps knew there was a life-change going on. What I really needed was a walker with a seat so I could use it to “scoot” around using the seat to rest my knee.

I made a call to my insurance company. They were very happy to give me the go ahead for a regular walker, but once I explained that I needed a wheeled walker with a seat, that was something very special and had to be ordered and then negotiated with the doctor’s office. I made a call to the doctor’s office and was told that it might be up to ten days before someone got back to me. After calling on three successive days, someone finally did get back to me. Unfortunately, there was an intervening weekend.

On the bright side, my wife had a co-worker who had just the type of walker I needed so we were able to borrow that and didn’t have to go through the hassle of ordering one through the insurance merry-go-round. When I did get to speak to the doctor’s office, I asked them to provide an order for a wheel chair rental and the shower stool (so I could get reimbursed). I felt good to have made the connection, but then I remembered that I forgot to mention I needed a right leg extension so I quickly called back. It took a while, but I was able to get the order changed. Of course the office acted like it was a big deal. Well, it was a big deal to me!

HINT: If you need to rent a wheel chair that you will be taking out of the house, make sure to request a light-weight model. It makes a big difference when lifting it in and out of a car. Of course they charge more for it, but I think you will find it worth the cost differential. (to be continued…)

A Broken Bone in the Desert – Part I

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

Suddenly…crutches

Approaching my mid-60’s, I am trying to take all the necessary steps to ward of the infirmities of aging. I have a very healthy low-fat diet. I don’t eat candy, ice cream, sugared items, etc. except on Saturdays when I do treat myself. I also do some strength and cardio-vascular exercises. My health has basically been very good. The one problem is that my LDL isn’t as low as it should be and my HDL isn’t as high as my doctors would like. My total cholesterol is very good and all other heart indicators have been positive.

I was determined to do even more exercise to address the HDL/LDL issue so I added five extra minutes to my cardio routine which found me jogging two of the thirty minutes when heretofore I had just been walking vigorously. The last minute before cool-down, I really try to jog as hard as I can to get my heart rate up there. And so it was that Sunday morning just before the NFL playoffs when I headed out on a wonderful winter day in Cave Creek, AZ. The jog was absolutely fine. I was in the last seconds of the last jogged minute when I put forth a burst and in my eagerness, my foot went too near the edge of the road and hit the desert several inches below. I stumbled a bit and almost caught myself, but then there I was – on the ground trying to figure what had happened. The first thing I checked was my hip which was fine. My legs, arms and head were fine as well. My foot was numb, but I figured it was just a bad twist. What is a 60-something like me doing out here laying on the ground? I quickly scanned the area to see how embarrassed I should be. Nobody was outside; good!

I hobbled the twenty feet or so to the garage and then made my way inside where I calmly explained to my wife what happened. I sat myself down in my easychair, we took a good look at my swollen foot which, by this time, was vying for a place in to the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade as a balloon. My wife is an RN so immediately, the foot was elevated, the icepacks were dutifully applied and I was carving a space in my favorite spot on the couch to watch the afternoon games. In actuality, my foot didn’t hurt too much. It was numb and swollen, but the pain was only moderate and after all, I had some good playoff games to watch. I could still hobble around so all-in-all I didn’t feel too pessimistic.

Monday morning when I tried to get out of bed, I knew I was in trouble. The pain in my right foot was much worse. I couldn’t put significant weight on it so off we went to visit my primary care physician who took one look and said: “I would be very surprised if it isn’t broken.” He suggested seeing a podiatrist so off we went to the next doctor’s office. Sure enough, the fifth metatarsal was broken only a short distance from a nearby tendon. I was very lucky at this point that there was no tendon involvement. I was fitted with a walking air cast (Finally, Air Jordan at 60 plus). My life was inconvenienced, but I had a special driving shoe and I didn’t have to sleep with the air cast. All seemed on-track.

I was waiting for early spring all year because that is planting season in the Sonoran Desert. I had seeds to start, roses to groom and things that had to be maintained in the garden. I knew I would be delayed with some of this, but at least it would get done on time. I could also supervise the installation of rain gutters in the courtyard and the installation of the new door in the casita. Things would be OK.

My day-to-day life with the air cast was fairly routine. There wasn’t much that I had to do differently or forget altogether. At the two-week mark, the doctor seemed satisfied with the progress and asked to see me in three weeks. As we headed back to the podiatrist’s office for my week five check up, I thought this would be just another episodic check and perhaps this would be the end of it. I wasn’t prepared for the doctor to take a look at the x-ray and point to a space at the base of the metatarsal that was a triangular gap as well as less than perfect mending of the upper part of the bone. This was disheartening, but even more problematic was the remedy he seemed to be offering the following week when he suggested we take another look and if things haven’t improved, we would “manipulate” the bone back into place. This is the code they use for injecting a numbing substance into the foot and breaking the bone again so it can be realigned. That wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that I would then be back to square one. So when I was anticipating being out of my walking boot in four to six weeks, I would need another four to six weeks. I left the office very disappointed.

Read A Broken Bone in the Desert – Part II

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post