Category Archives: Surgery

Day 5: Dirty Crosstraining.

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I’m on day 5 of my relationship with my dissolvable stitches. Have they dissovled yet?! You ask. Well, no. But those stitches looking pretty awesome! After a day at the office of watching the snowfall, I of course came home to a snowy driveway. So, I put on my Vancouver 2010 Olympic gear and headed out to cross train- shovelling style. I brought along my ipod and the first song to play was a guilty pleasure I have… First name: Enrique. Last name: Iglesias. It’s true, I don’t know what it is but ALL of his songs become guilty pleasures of mine. I will even admit that I was sooooo close to buying his greatest hits on itunes the other day. And I would be lying if I said that was the first time I have ever thought about buying that album. As Enrique was serenading me with his song Tonight (I’m F**kin’ You). (I told you it was a dirty kind of cross training! It might not be like the time I did chair dancing for a cross training workout but my Enrique still has that dirty flare!) As I was breaking all the ice on my driveway and putting it onto the grassy lawn I couldn’t help but think how everyone has some kind of dirty escape. Some people who have children have to wait until their kids go to bed so they can watch inappropriate shows like Weeds and Entourage. But for me- I have my ipod. I love being able to put on whatever kind of music I want and be in any kind of mood that the music makes me feel. It’s kind of like walking into the sexy section at Chapters but this way you are the only one aware of where your mind is at. Or secrectly watching those spanish soap operas on TLN. So with my dirty bit of tunes, I was keeping warm instead of freezing in the -11 degrees Celsius without the wind chill. Another favourite came on as I was shovelling The Orion Experience- Obsessed With You:


My Obsession lately? How I Met Your Mother. I’m busting through season four right now and I cannot get enough of it. Lily and Marshall’s dirty bit relationship just might be my favourite. And the Marathon episode (Lucky Penny, Season Two, Episode 15) is seriously legen-wait for it-dary. If you haven’t seen it- I highly recommend it. 


Day 2: Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl

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On Day 2 after my minor nose procedure, I had a festive party to attend. An ugly Christmas sweater pub crawl to be exact. Because two pubs would make a “pub hop” and three would make a “crawl” we had to hit atleast 3 pubs. So, I laid off the T3’s because a pub crawl and not being able to have pints does not sound as festively fun. It did mean I had to suffer a bit of face pain during the day but honestly, it wasn’t that bad. And it’s only 2 little stitches:





And that bruising you can only see in the pictures. Thank you MAC foundation!


I spent the day of my surgery making that delicious festive sweater. I didn’t knit it but you better believe that I attached some battery operated lights and some jingle bells and balls on it to look and sound merry.


Here it is in full action as I nestle by the fire:

 My face is still swollen so smiling wasn’t comfortably easy and it’s a wee bit bruised but the best way to not think of it is by getting down with your bad self:



Recovery has never felt so good! And I didn’t even need a Lady Gaga inspired band aid. In a few days those stitches will be dissolved and I will be as good as new!

My Surgery: The Pre-Game, During, and Post-Game Play by Play!

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‘Twas the night before my surgery.


Play by play for the newbies: I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on my nose at the end of March. I got it removed at the beginning of April. After a second follow up with my fantastic surgeon she asked me if I wanted her to remove the little bump that my 13 stitches left . I said, “HELLS, YES!”  That surgery happened today.


So, I did what any runner would do the night before: I went for a run. Hello, T-Mill! I decided on a 5K so that I wouldn’t exhaust my body before it has to heal my face the next day. That turned into an 8K. I did some inclines at 1% and 2% with some flat running in between. I wish the T-Mill would go into negatives so I could do some downhill running as well buuuut it doesn’t. And yes, I did school the T-Mill again. Here’s how my run went down:


The On The Go Playlist
**On jukebox shuffle**
Ready to Start- Arcade Fire
Shut Up and Drive- Rihanna
Whip My Hair- Willow Smith
Raise Your Glass- P!nk
Hips Don’t Lie (Bamboo)- Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean
We R Who We R- Ke$ha
Pon de Replay- Rihanna
Since U Been Gone- Kelly Clarkson
When I Grow Up- The Pussycat Dolls


Cool down/Stretching
Stereo Love- Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina


Stats of the Run
Distance: 8.11 km
Pace: 4:15 min/km


Sleeping last night was not easy. I don’t know why I was so antsy. It was unusual for my body to be so freaked out. So, it took me a while to fall asleep but once I did- it was a beauty. I got up and had a shower to wake myself up. I put on my game face and my leisure and decided to take some memento photos of the bump to say, “See you neeeeeeva!”



Do you see it?! It’s kind of hard to notice in a picture. Well believe me… it’s there! Well, it was.


So, I went in and my surgeon had some Drake on. Amaaaaaaaaaaazing! She froze my face with ONE needle this time. I was SO happy! I was so relieved it was nowhere near the ten like before. And once she made the incision two seconds later my fav song of the moment came on :


http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/U0CGsw6h60k?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6




Umm… can we say best procedure ever? It was like a dance party in the room and I was the main event! As I had my talented surgeon Catherine cutting my face, my lovely nurse Jane was there so I could squeeze her hand as the needle went in. (I apologized beforehand because I killed nurse Tina’s hand last time.) I like to call the extra surgeon and the extra nurse that arrived later on my party go-ers. I had great convo the entire time I was there. And by the time Catherine was done stitching my face, “What’s My Name?” wasn’t even over! Crazy, right? It was only two stitches but I thought it would at least take an entire 5 minutes before she said, “we’re done! How are you doing Siobhan?” My response you ask? “That was the best procedure yet!” The room broke into more laughter. I left with my baggie of ice, some extra band aids,  a goodbye from my new friends, and another date to see my Catherine in a month.


I got home and made myself some broccoli soup (sadly from a can) but I steamed some extra broccoli to put in my soup. Deeeelicious. And then I put on one of my fav movies that I bought on DVD last night:


http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/MsV6r1nbSGk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6


It obviously has a better picture these days than from the original theatrical trailer. And the one liners in this movie had me laughing out loud from beginning until end. As me and my kitty Gus snuggled throughout the movie enjoying the glory of T3’s. Then it was nap time. I woke up and decided to capture the state of my face. I’m a little swollen and a little bruised around the eyes but nothing compared to the last surgery. And my hair is somewhat dishevelled. HA!



Yep, I’m sporting the Nelly band aid. Maybe I can bring it back, no? Well, maybe just for the week. The best part is I have dis solvable stitches this time. So sweet! I don’t have to go to my doctor and have him take 45 minutes to take them out again. No exaggeration. They were that tight but again, 13 of them.


I feel like I could go for a run today. But that’s probably not the smartest idea. So, I will just have to prep my ugly Christmas sweater for my “Ugly Christmas Sweater Pub crawl” tomorrow night. Yep, I’m sporting this face out in public. Sorry, world! haha I kid, I kid.


Expect a Lady GaGa inspired band aid for the event. Stay tuned!