tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24017669649908635282024-03-05T13:41:08.148-06:00iTophThis is a personal blog for Chris Hancock. This is to augment my website iToph.com.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-3606314797091780962009-07-15T11:29:00.004-05:002009-07-15T11:35:35.150-05:00Google Voice<div>I just got a new Google Voice account. The phone number is 630-551-TOPH (8674). It will forward to my cell and work - good for me since my cell gets poor reception at work.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also click on the link below and Google will call you and then connect the call to me.</div><div><br /></div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/webCallButton" width="230" height="85"><param name="movie" value="https://clients4.google.com/voice/embed/webCallButton"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="FlashVars" value="id=ff5a68c6a6b60f23138df526db8674a699d00929&style=0"></object><div><br /></div><div>It is free too! You can get an account <a href="https://www.google.com/voice/">here</a>.</div>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-63045488078961563972009-07-07T23:54:00.003-05:002009-07-08T00:07:19.436-05:00Directions to our New House<script src="http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/114281111391296844949/driving-directions.xml&up_myLocations=4640%20Prince%20St%2C%20Downers%20Grove%2C%20IL%20(Chris%20%26%20Amy's%20New%20Home)&synd=open&w=322&h=55&title=Directions+to+our+New+Home&brand=light&lang=en&country=US&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&output=js"></script>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-37498738305779168602009-05-13T14:07:00.002-05:002009-05-13T14:12:16.346-05:00Bike RideI went on my first bike ride of the season, and I got to try out <a href="http://www.runkeeper.com/">RunKeeper</a> on my iPhone. It was just a short ride to 4 Lakes and back, check out the map:<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="345" src="http://www.runkeeper.com/pub/act/MjO40aj34JbQ505ymyAe/map"></iframe>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-66801414532325362272009-03-20T16:03:00.003-05:002009-03-20T16:06:38.567-05:00Calf Part 11Sorry for the lack of updates, but, this has been a case of no news is good news. I wore my compression sleeve all day, every day, for most of January and February, and it seems to have made a difference.<br /><br />I'm playing quite a bit of volleyball without issue these days. For example, last Sunday I played 7 matches of playoff volleyball on a hard court surface, and then 3.5 matches of league play on sand later that night. Then Monday I played 4 matches of playoff hard court. It was a little swollen, and slightly more purple then my other leg, but, not bad. If anything, I'd say my knees are in slightly more pain then my calf/ankle.<br /><br />If I don't have any further updates here you can assume I've had no set-backs - knock on wood.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-69511624983131726522009-03-18T23:45:00.002-05:002009-03-18T23:52:49.234-05:00Amy and Toph take a Cruise with Sam and Pat<a href="2009/Cruise/Best/"><img src="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/thumbnails/200902%20Cruise.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="200"></a><br /><a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2009/Cruise/Best/">81 Best Pictures</a> or <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2009/Cruise/All/">All 524 Pictures</a><br><i><br />Movies: <br><br /> <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/03%20Toph%20Boogie%20Boarding.mov">Toph Boogie Boarding</a>, <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/16%20Amy%20Rock%20Climbing.mov">Amy Rock Climbing</a><br><br /> Leaving St Martin: <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/13%20Leaving%20St%20Martin.mov">1</a>, <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/14%20Leaving%20St%20Martin.mov">2</a><br><br /> <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/20%20Staff%20Juggling%20on%20Flow%20Rider.mov">Staff Juggling on Flow Rider</a></i>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-24667374540155870172009-03-13T22:56:00.006-05:002009-03-13T23:19:13.397-05:00TripItI recently found a great website for organizing trips - <a href="http://www.tripit.com/">TripIt</a>. All you have to do is forward them the e-mail you get from providers (air, hotel, car, etc) and they organize it and present a nice summary on the web. They also have a slick version formatted for mobile browsers. And they have an iCal feed so the info automatically appears on my <a class="linkification-ext" href="http://iToph.com/Google" title="Linkification: http://iToph.com/Google">iToph.com/Google</a> calendars, and thus are synced to my phone. They even sync to <a href="http://www.expensd.com/">Expensd</a> for expense tracking. Check it out!<br /><br />Here is a "<a href="http://blog.tripit.com/2009/02/tripit-blog-badge-on-1500-blogs.html">blog badge</a>" for my activity there. I might permanently put it in my sidebar, but, for now you can see it here.<br /><div id="tripit-badge"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.tripit.com/account/badge/id/BEB97433D92A21323D0C952735A65161/div_id/tripit-badge/badge.js"></script></div>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-34470435282398669712009-03-02T02:08:00.003-06:002009-03-02T02:14:58.549-06:00Changing Mac OS X Web Server Root DirectoryThis is hardly the first post on the topic... but I'm documenting this more for my own sake than anyone elses.<br /><br />First, create a backup of httpd.conf:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';">ditto /etc/httpd/httpd.conf /etc/httpd.conf.bak</span><br /><br />Then open it in vi:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';">sudo vi /etc/httpd/httpd.conf</span><br /><br />Find the line that reads:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';">DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents"</span><br /><br />Change it to something like:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';">DocumentRoot "/Volumes/Mac/Web"</span><br /><br />Use something like this to confirm the changes in the file after saving:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';">more httpd.conf | grep DocumentRoot</span>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-20863621898166139342009-02-06T22:58:00.006-06:002009-03-02T02:07:10.106-06:00Ixtapa Volleyball Vacation<a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2009/Ixtapa/Best/"><IMG height="150" width="200" SRC="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/thumbnails/200901 Ixtapa.jpg" BORDER="0"></a><br /><a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2009/Ixtapa/Best/"><br /> 62 Best Pictures</a> or <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2009/Ixtapa/All/">All 655 Pictures</a><br /><i>Movies:</i><br />Amateur Finals Intro: <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/Amateur Men.mov">Men</a> <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/Amateur Women.mov">Women</a><br />Pro Finals Intro: <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/Pro Men.mov">Men</a> <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/Pro Women.mov">Women</a><br /><a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/National Anthem.mov">National Anthem</a>, <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2009/Ixtapa/Clouds.mov">Clouds</a>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-51437916729950144712009-01-29T23:21:00.004-06:002009-01-30T00:12:31.620-06:00Calf Part 10I saw Dr Samuel Park, Ortho at the Dupage Medical Group in Lombard. First, let me say that I've been pleasantly surprised with the people and physical structure of the offices of the Dupage Medical Group - very pleasant.<br /><br />I brought a copy of my MRI images, and gave Dr. Park a quick review of my history. Long story short, he says to keep doing what I am doing. When pain and swelling permit it I am allowed to play volleyball... even encouraged.<br /><br />He thinks the original cause is because of overuse. He said my mild finger numbness is most likely a bit of carpal tunnel. He said the new minor injury on the other leg is also overuse. We discussed the possibility of getting another ultrasound, but, like everyone else I've talked to he feels that isn't really needed. If there was a clot in there it probably would have already done its damage.<br /><br />He asked me if I wanted to go back to PT or if I felt like I remembered what we were doing there (I've already been to 15 visits). I did feel like I generally remembered, but, I also said that they do get better results - probably because they know how hard to push me and they keep my technique correct. Dr Park did write me a script for 12 PT visits, but, he did that more so I'd have it available as an option then because he felt I should definitely go.<br /><br />I asked about the possibility of seeing a vascular specialist. He said that might be a good idea, and gave me the name of one.<br /><br />In general, I liked Dr Park - he took the time to listen to all my questions and he provided thoughtful answers for them. However, I don't feel that I've really learned anything or that I should do anything differently. I suppose I will probably try to make an appointment with one of the vascular specialists he provided me info on.<br /><br />Any comments?<br /><br />Here are a couple snapshots of my MRI results. Plenty more where these came from if you're interested.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_MqUxT1-UA_WUn8Xzq0wChAb9VwylngYxown0Q68bGpwYhhDHSrXFgVzdc6IIzB0BBE-N4uf8zUWiiqz7OTQQI-dOvxqvdxgGn3YRL-j2XZ15KDxKzojIu6I-rBijgbDV4f7O16WdZw/s1600-h/MRI2.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_MqUxT1-UA_WUn8Xzq0wChAb9VwylngYxown0Q68bGpwYhhDHSrXFgVzdc6IIzB0BBE-N4uf8zUWiiqz7OTQQI-dOvxqvdxgGn3YRL-j2XZ15KDxKzojIu6I-rBijgbDV4f7O16WdZw/s400/MRI2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296965433694784626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAq_VCJVSYqWyibRgH7PCZvWfBbcSuoUt7T9llA3-cICBGdReF2nXk8uVxgq6nyjBxOdIV4RIstaSpa27il7gLB7dXRypsE9Lt12p5iH7J282O0XCTKGhoRCg0YTx5bBVTZQ_Ooj3OTo/s1600-h/MRI1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAq_VCJVSYqWyibRgH7PCZvWfBbcSuoUt7T9llA3-cICBGdReF2nXk8uVxgq6nyjBxOdIV4RIstaSpa27il7gLB7dXRypsE9Lt12p5iH7J282O0XCTKGhoRCg0YTx5bBVTZQ_Ooj3OTo/s400/MRI1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296965434972866386" border="0" /></a>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-59860271121880878802009-01-24T23:34:00.003-06:002009-01-24T23:46:09.627-06:00Calf Part 9Here is an update from sunny Mexico...<br /><br /> On January 15th I saw a new general practitioner... I had been meaning to get a new primary care doctor, and I thought it best to start there with my recurring leg problems. He basically said I could get another ultrasound, but, don't worry too much unless the swelling gets much worse or the problems spread.<br /><br /> On Saturday, January 17th I started to play sand volleyball on the beach here in Mexico. It caused me no major problems until shortly after a clinic on Thursday, January 22, at which time I could feel the swelling going in full force.<br /><br /> I did not play again until Saturday afternoon. I was able to play at about 75% normal speed and force - not too bad. I taped my ankle and wore a brace, not too bad overall. A couple hours after playing, however, I noticed a knot in my calf in my left leg (all the previous problems have been in the right leg). This is not good - all the previous doctors I spoke to had said how encouraging it was that I had no symptoms in the other leg. I also had some pain in the left foot, heel & arch. I will certainly be paying attention to how this progresses... and I am planning on skipping the upcoming Sunday matches.<br /><br /> Another point of concern - I have been experiencing some mild numbness in my fingers this week. Also, Amy noticed that my hands were cold this afternoon, compared to hers - that's odd because usually mine are warmer.<br /><br /> It all seems to be pointing to some circulatory issue... but I'd rather let the experts weigh in and make that diagnosis. While in Mexico I've had the opportunity to speak to a few people with relevant experience... a couple of them have said they'll tell my story to some experts back home and get back to me. I am optimistic something will come of these discussions.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-24294959929750801082009-01-15T23:14:00.002-06:002009-01-15T23:22:20.049-06:00Calf Part 8I played volleyball this week on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday was indoor hard court, and Thursday was indoor sand. My ankle (and the rest of the leg) actually felt better on Wednesday then it did on Tuesday, so, I guess playing didn't hurt it. It feels pretty good right now, shortly after playing on it on Thursday - so, I'm very optimistic that I'll be ok for Ixtapa - where I'll be playing volleyball in about 40 hours!<br /><br />I went to a new general practitioner doctor today. I liked him a lot - he'll probably be my new Primary Care Physician. Even though he was running late when the appointment started I felt he spent a while to get to know my and my story, which goes a long way with me. Beyond that, he didn't actually offer any new advice that varies from what I've already heard. Basically his theory is: something happened back in August, there is blood pooling in the leg as a result, it is not leaving as fast as I'd like, it probably doesn't hurt to play volleyball when I'm pain free. There is a possibility that there is a clot in there, but, it is not very likely since this has been going on for a while now with no major problems.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-90220572994035958162009-01-07T23:35:00.000-06:002009-01-07T23:36:04.525-06:00Calf Part 7I wasn't planning on writing another Calf Update post - or if I did write one it was just going to say something like "I'm fine". Unfortunately, that is not the case.<br /><br />Since my last update things had been improving significantly. I started playing once a week and building from there to 3-4 times / week. I still had some swelling after playing, but it was minimal and responded to icing, with no pain.<br /><br />However, on approximately Christmas Day I woke up with a new pain in my calf. This is like the original pain, in that I first noticed it in the morning and it did not appear to be related to actually playing volleyball. This time the pain was approximately grape sized and located near the surface. At times it was so tender that I walked with a limp. I did play a few beach games in Florida on 12/27.<br /><br />Next week we were visiting my parents in New York when the pain "migrated" to the inside of the upper ankle. Again, the pain was at its worst in the morning. It got quite painful and very swollen, to the point that it was definitely painful to walk. My Mom, a Physical Therapist, gave me a theraputic massage and it really helped... the swelling was way down, and the pain somewhat reduced.<br /><br />As I write this I have pulled myself from all volleyball until January 17th, when we leave for our 9 day sand volleyball vacation in Ixtapa, Mexico. I am, obviously, really hoping that I will be able to participate in that.<br /><br />Amy is quite concerned about my recent flare-up and I can't say I disagree. She has been reading up everything she can, and she is most worried about clots and other vein problems. I had an ultrasound and MRI back in August... and the diagnosis was a calf muscle tear. I can't say I ever really agreed with that diagnosis, but the Physical Therapy I went to for it really did make the leg feel better.<br /><br />Anyway, long story short - what should I do now? Visit a new Primary Care Physician? Back to my Ortho? See a vascular specialist? Any advice is most welcome.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-29962224637424181812009-01-02T01:37:00.001-06:002009-01-02T01:37:51.374-06:00How Many 5 Year Olds<a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/fight5" style="display: block; background: url(http://www.oneplusyou.com/q/img/bb_badges/fight5.jpg) no-repeat; width: 296px; height: 84px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 42px; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; padding-top: 145px;">30</a><p>Created by OnePlusYou - <a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com">Free Dating Site</a></p>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-82639909551789438742008-12-25T17:31:00.002-06:002008-12-25T17:44:11.272-06:00Christmas Beach UpdateAmy and I took a walk along the beach in Destin as our food coma wore off. Here is a map that RunKeeper on my iPhone made of the walk. If you click the "view details" link in the black box you'll get a map you can zoom and pan. It was really a round trip, ending where we started, but, RunKeeper shows us not getting all the way back - not sure why.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="345" src="http://www.runkeeper.com/pub/act/UJqFZOc9szsKQptryyPW/map"></iframe>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-15138268910376330692008-11-18T01:08:00.002-06:002008-11-18T01:20:34.519-06:00Calf Part 6It has been a long time since I posted an update regarding my calf. Here is an abbreviated update:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, September 23</span> - I played in the first night of our Tuesday coed league. Felt fine.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, September 25</span> - I played in the third night of our Thursday coed league. Felt fine.<br />Over the weekend things got worse.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, September 30</span> - By Tuesday it was a lot worse, but I hadn't lined up a sub, so I played Tuesday coed... trying not to jump much. It didn't work too well... it still hurt quite a bit.<br /><br />... lotsa PT ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Week of October 19</span> - We were in Vegas. Lot of walking. Quite a bit of swelling.<br /><br />... lotsa PT ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, November 2</span> - I played in an open gym. 1 day of swelling, no pain.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, November 4</span> - I played in Tuesday coed league again. 1 day of swelling, no pain.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, November 6</span> - I played in Tuesday coed league again. 1 day of swelling, no pain.<br /><br />Its pretty much been like that ever since. I didn't have PT last week, due to scheduling conflicts... but I do have PT this week. Looking forward to hearing how they receive my status.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-4074106860662567952008-10-28T01:57:00.001-05:002008-10-28T01:59:32.578-05:00Las Vegas PicturesAmy and I spent a week in Vegas, most of the time with Sam and Pat. Here are my <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2008/Las%20Vegas/Best/">30 Best Pictures</a> and <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2008/Las%20Vegas/All/"> All 263 Pictures</a>.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-63361864413875420602008-09-21T23:24:00.003-05:002009-01-23T18:57:51.924-06:00Calf Part 5I had a good week. On Thursday I did an 8 mile bike ride. I had no pain after that. Friday I had a good PT appointment - 90% strengthening.<br /><br />On Saturday I biked to 4 Lakes where Amy was playing in a charity blind draw. I played a pickup game. After an hour I had no pain, so I played another one. After another 45 minutes I still had no pain, so I played 3 more pickup games. I wasn't going all out, probably somewhere between 50% and 75%. I didn't jump a lot, maybe a total of 8 or 9 times. I also wasn't very fast to dive/adjust forward. At the end of the day I biked the 4 miles home.<br /><br />Sunday the whole leg was a bit stiff - mostly in the upper leg, which I attribute to a lack of use the last few weeks. The lower leg feels good.<br /><br />I have 3 more weeks of twice a week PT. I think it is helpful, but, I'm not sure I'll need to go to all of the remaining appointment. We'll see.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-24879792843170352432008-09-14T23:43:00.003-05:002008-09-21T23:24:20.189-05:00Calf Part 4Things keep getting better with my calf. I haven't used my crutches since September 5th. Each day I am walking better, I am now able to walk heal to toe, instead of shortening the step or putting the foot out sideways.<br /><br />On the 5th at PT I did a recumbent stepper. When I started I was going at a pace of about 12 steps / minute. After 10 minutes I was up to 24 steps / minute. At the next PT on the 9th I started at 24 steps / minute and finished at about 50 steps / minute. And then on the 12th I started at about 50 steps / minute and finished at about 100 steps / minute. That is about the limit - the machine also moves my arms, and, that is about as fast as I can go without rocking the machine violently.<br /><br />The last week we've been focusing on enabling me to straighten my leg without pain. That is no longer a problem. Now we are focusing on strengthening the leg and stretching it.<br /><br />I have two more PT appointments this week, and a doctor's appointment too. I'll see what the doc says - I'm optimistic that I'm on schedule to return to volleyball by October.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-57286923178362082242008-09-09T01:27:00.003-05:002008-09-09T01:34:26.541-05:00Calf Part 3On Friday I went to my second PT appointment. It went very well again. I went in being unable to bear any weight on my right leg, and came out able to walk (very badly) without crutches.<br /><br />I have continued to limp around since then without crutches around the house & office. Longer distances I still use my crutches. Each day the pain and swelling have improved. Now the only issue is that it is difficult/painful to straighten the leg fully.<br /><br />On Friday I received an ultrasound treatment, in addition to the "normal" heat, massage, stretching and ice. I didn't notice any immediate result of the ultrasound, but, I guess I can't argue with the results.<br /><br />My next appointment is today, Tuesday. I'm expecting more improvement.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-80574215056133218272008-09-04T00:21:00.002-05:002008-09-04T00:34:00.324-05:00Calf Part 2I saw my PT (Physical Therapist) today, Kelly. I was somewhat skeptical going into the appointment, but, I think it helped and future sessions will continue to help. Today the focus was on two things: 1) trying to get me to straighten my leg, and 2) reduce the swelling (the calf, ankle and foot are all very swollen). I got a few exercises to do, and she encouraged me to elevate the leg whenever possible. I am going to try to figure out how to elevate it while at work.<br /><br />As far as treatment today, it started with moist heat and some massage. Then we worked on some of my exercises. At the end she wrapped it in a large ace bandage for 5-10 minutes, to squeeze out some of the swelling. That was also the point of most of the massage.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-27471570000956614912008-09-01T23:26:00.004-05:002008-09-02T00:18:08.238-05:00My Torn Calf Muscle StoryThis is the long version of my calf muscle injury story. I honestly don't know why I'm documenting it here... maybe because my memory is so bad I'm worried about forgetting the details myself.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, August 16</span>: I woke up with pain in my right calf. At the time I described it as being similar to the pain in my calf muscle after I've had a bad cramp in the calf. In hindsight I think that this had nothing to do with a cramp, and that was the only kind of muscle pain I had experience with. Anyway, I woke up with minor pain in the calf. It hurt a little bit while standing in line, but it wasn't too bad. I went ahead and played a full day at the blind draw - won the ugly - 13 games played including pickup. No pain once I started playing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, August 17</span>: Again I woke up with minor pain in the calf. I went ahead and played pickup at 4 Lakes, about 3 hours, probably about 7 games. Again, no pain once I started playing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, August 18</span>: Again, I woke up with minor pain. I went to work. I don't recall really noticing the pain for too long. I played pickup Monday night (our regular league was postponed). No pain while playing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, August 19</span>: I don't recall if there was morning pain. Let's assume there was. I did not play Tuesday night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, August 20</span>: I woke up with slightly worse pain, odd because I didn't play the night before. Wednesday afternoon at work the pain got worse, I remember a moment or two where it was really bad - again just miscellaneous muscle pain. No volleyball again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, August 21</span>: The pain was much worse this morning. I stayed home from work. I got an afternoon appointment at my PCP. She was concerned about a blood clot, so I went to get an ultrasound. At first they weren't going to give me a Thursday appointment, but, I told them I'd wait around and see if they could squeeze me in, and they did. The ultrasound results were negative for a blood clot, and my PCP didn't really give me much more advice. Take advil, don't use it, it is probably a tear - but I didn't have any confidence in this diagnosis.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, August 22</span>: The pain was bad, but, I didn't want to sit around at home all day, so I went to work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, August 23</span>: Again, bad pain, Amy and I went to the EVP tourney at 4 Lakes. I walked around a little, and got some comfort from others who'd been through similar injuries. That night the pain started to move to my high ankle, and it got much worse. At this point I had to start using crutches as I could no longer put weight on the leg.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, August 24</span>: The pain was horrible in the morning. I considered going to the ER, but ultimately decided against - in part because I know how much they charge, and in part because if I didn't move at all the pain was manageable. When the pain peaks I notice that my right foot is very swollen. It can get very large and red, but, even at its best I can't fit it into my pair of everyday sneakers... even my socks hurt - they squeeze too much.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, August 25</span>: The pain again was really bad. I stayed home from work again and went to my Ortho. He suspected a tear (after hearing about the ultrasound - he too thought it might be a clot). He scheduled me for an MRI the next day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, August 26</span>: Average pain day. By the time of the MRI it was feeling pretty good. I had to do a double session because they couldn't scan my whole lower leg in one shot. I read a bit about MRI's the night before, so I was curious about the apparatus. The tech told me it was a 0.35 Tesla machine - superconducting magnet, liquid helium cooled. Neat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, August 28</span>: I had an evening appointment with my Ortho to get the MRI results. The report said severe strain, when I questioned him on that he said it translated to a muscle tear. Ok. I really wanted to get a pic or two of the MRI results, but I didn't. He told me I could take up to 3200 mg of Advil / day. I had only been taking up to 800 mg. He told I should expect to be out for 6-8 weeks. Assuming that starts with the first sign of pain, the 6 weeks would be up on September 27. He also said I should start PT (Physical Therapy) 2-3 times per week. He sent me upstairs at their office to set that up. BTW, my doctor is Dr Marquardt, one of the Ms at <a href="http://www.mmortho.com/">M & M Ortho</a>. I just noticed, they have a volleyball net on their home page. He also said that I should start walking on it when I can.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, August 30</span>: Finally some signs of improvement... after a week of constant crutches and a whole lot of pain, in the evening I started hobbiling around without my crutches. I am also able put a sneaker on my right foot again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, September 1</span>: I continue to hobble around without using my crutches! My Advil use is also down somewhat - 400 - 600 mg. I now have pain in the back of the right leg, above the knee, but on the back. This is probably due, in part, to the way I've been carrying the leg while on the crutches.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, September 2</span>: Today<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, September 3</span>: My first day of PT... 3 weeks of twice a week scheduled. I'll have to see a) how much they charge, and b) how much my insurance will cover. I'd like to go to all of the sessions, but, if it is going to cost too much I might not.<br /><br />Click the calf label below to see if there are any updates... for those not familiar, bloggers can add labels (better known as tags) that describe the post, I'll use that one in any future posts about this.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-25306869462147659232008-08-02T10:26:00.001-05:002008-08-02T10:26:56.724-05:00Upchuck Blinddraw<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWGnHKFKSFUAf1YS7cTZoHq9sN9_23N-0pS1sAcynalcyxuIyJYG0nsedIv5QvqhMdr4NHPsvT3kRTYtCPG3wDTbg8GrBrjrBZ5jHeyKyecHH_JaHmt8LKtNC-RqkqaeGxKvF01-9z54/s1600-h/photo-716726.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWGnHKFKSFUAf1YS7cTZoHq9sN9_23N-0pS1sAcynalcyxuIyJYG0nsedIv5QvqhMdr4NHPsvT3kRTYtCPG3wDTbg8GrBrjrBZ5jHeyKyecHH_JaHmt8LKtNC-RqkqaeGxKvF01-9z54/s320/photo-716726.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229942233081354338" /></a></p>Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-63163884596839714532008-08-01T17:04:00.001-05:002008-08-01T17:04:35.484-05:00iPhone Post<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43I3geq_lp5Z_CxPMhOP2R1uZvp0Kl0xlYL2BjW1VPUFZrt5kbWYOukn5vFEOfo2zC7yGnzYmyoiBMEv9DQAb6F_erIhTje_X_XoLLD_6d1cS6dPq8MkEmwktK3d9V_n-MoUYkKO-6pU/s1600-h/photo-775486.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43I3geq_lp5Z_CxPMhOP2R1uZvp0Kl0xlYL2BjW1VPUFZrt5kbWYOukn5vFEOfo2zC7yGnzYmyoiBMEv9DQAb6F_erIhTje_X_XoLLD_6d1cS6dPq8MkEmwktK3d9V_n-MoUYkKO-6pU/s320/photo-775486.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229673622687668514" /></a></p>I'm posting this from my new iPhone! Yesterday I went to a Google App <br>Engine Hack-a-thon and I took this picture from the water taxi.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-22363755213892093852008-07-27T21:11:00.002-05:002008-07-27T21:13:40.277-05:00Chris Hancock - devout ScientologistI am not the Chris Hancock mentioned in <a href="http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24083086-27258,00.html">this</a> article. You probably knew that already - but, I wanted to make sure that was clear. I'm also not <a href="http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=20643">this</a> substitute school bus driver.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2401766964990863528.post-2323836702440012022008-07-21T00:28:00.003-05:002008-07-21T10:36:55.035-05:00Toph goes for a Glider RideMy parents gave me a ride on a glider plane for Christmas, and I finally took the ride this weekend (having a broken thumb has freed up some of my time).<br /><br />Here is a link to the club, <a href="http://www.windycitysoaring.org/">Windy City Soaring</a>. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?near=Hinckley,+IL&geocode=&f=l&ie=UTF8&ll=41.770291,-88.702734&spn=0.002465,0.004334&t=h&z=18">This</a> is a Google Map link to the runway (zoomed in). And <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=5539+Durand+Dr,+Downers+Grove,+IL+60515+%28Home%29&daddr=Hinckley,+IL&sll=41.770291,-88.703774&sspn=0.002465,0.006416&ie=UTF8&doflg=ptm&z=10">this</a> is a Google Map link to the route from our home to Hinckley.<br /><br />I have 14 <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/2008/Glider%20Ride/All/">pics</a> and 5 <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/movies/2008/07%20Glider%20Ride/5%20Landing.mov">movies</a> on my <a href="http://itoph.no-ip.com/pictures/index.html">Pictures</a> page.<br /><br />It was a really good experience. I did the Eagle Ride which starts the glide a mile above the ground. My glide time was about 24 minutes, which would normally be longer, but there wasn't an opportunity to ride up any <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal">thermals</a>. However, since it was my first glider ride I didn't realize what I was missing. I was able to take control of the stick and rudder for about 20 of the 24 minutes. It was a great experience.Tophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08071492330028219639noreply@blogger.com0