Day 5: Duke Update & 2nd Day Of School

by karen | Nov 20, 2013 | Non-Fitness

DUKE UPDATE (incase you are not following the facebook feeds)! I hustled in from my “productive run” today so I could facetime with Mom while she was at the Vet with Duke. He had just come in from a nap and was a little “dazed”. He did open his eyes and raise his eyebrows. I had mom bring a shirt of mine up there so he knew I was there. Mom was told by the vet that he keeps his head on it.

Right before mom left he lifted his head.

Mom and Daddy went to visit him before the vet closed. he was having some trouble going to the bathroom..or should I say finding the right tree, but my Daddy helped with that.

As of tonight, according to mom his status is: “X-ray today showed a little air in the stomach area but not much. She said that is most likely from being opened up so long. There is some at the end of his intestines and Vernon said he thought he noticed an “odor” at one time so it seems to be moving! Heart rate came down to a normal rate after he peed. He is still not out of the woods, but we are a little encouraged today. Please keep the prayers going up. I think He may be listening!”

I cannot thank you enough for the prayers and support during this difficult time. It is beyond words rough being a zillion miles away and Duke my baby being there, sick. I know he is in good hands and my mom and daddy are doing EVERYTHING they can. I sill pray, asking him to “Hold Him and Heal Him”.

When I wasn’t spending time trying to touch base with mom about Duke or thanking people for their support I….

I went for a run this morning. I wanted to explore the city/strip as well as find a gym. I knew mom was going to facetime me at 7:30am-ish so I had to be back on wifi. The street was empty. There were a few people out, but not many. A few running, cleaning, taking kids to school via bike (they “pump” their kids on their bikes…I have seen up to 3 people on 1 bike). I found an entrance to the beach so I ran down to the beach did a beach WOD that we did at Mustang Island then my athlete Greg did in Cabo…if you do this WOD on a beach please send me a pic, I want it done on as many beaches as possible. Also during my run I located 2 gyms. One is more modern and has more crossfit “stuff”, but rumor has it no barbells…only smith machine. I’ll update y’all tomorrow morning.

After my run and facetime I showered and went to Day 2 of Spanish. Fingers crossed there isn’t a test at the end. I’m giving it a go though! In my lab we created a menu and practiced ordering off a menu. Its funny, there is a guy from Utah and a girl from Germany in there and the difference in what we put on the menus was NUTS! One of my items was “queso + guac”. She asked me what that was and how do you eat it. I explained to her with chips and she was so confused and passed LOL! I’m not only learning about the Costa Rican cultural but others as well. Its interesting!

After Spanish I got changed and loaded my board and headed to the beach to surf. We were informed “good waves, good day” so we did a quick practice on the sand then headed out. They split up the students between the instructors but some instructors go surf while we learn/practice. I was paired up with this girl and sometimes a guy whom I call “Swiss Boy” (swiss boy also crossfits). It took me a a few tries to get up but I made it. It is hard because you are suppose to bring your knees in vs “out” which is what I am programmed to do. As my instructor (really nice, young kid who teaches surf lessons for a living and trains MMA in the evenings…whom helped rescue his grandmother from the floods last night, is very patient and VERY positive) would push me off he would say, “Relax, have fun, bend your knees and don’t try to punch someone” LOL! Apparently when I get up (Swiss Boy and I decided its like a burpee to a bad squat with your front foot turned in like you are going to split jerk) I swing my arm and it throws me off balance and I fall. However every fall I’m learning something knew. Minus all the bruises I’m going to have from my board hitting me, it was a good day. There is a good chance of soreness tomorrow. On the way home from surf we agreed to meet at 7:30pm to go to dinner.

As soon as I got in my room, I checked on Duke and took a nap. Sparked it up then went in search of an ATM and the bigger supermarket! I found both, came home showered and went to meet people for dinner. 1 person showed up!! Thank goodness it was “swiss boy”. Swiss boy showed up in lulu…something I haven’t seen in awhile so it made me laugh because I got new lulu to come out here and no one knows what it is LOL! We went to eat and talked about crossfit the while time with a little questions of family mixed in. He is a recent graduate of high school and is in “break year” before he takes the test to attempt to get into the university to study medicine. He also emailed 50 different boxes in Latin America looking to work for a period of time while traveling. He was in Honduras for 3 months (which he said was CRAZY) at a box there, he is here for a break before heading to Argentina to work at another box for a few months. This kid is only out of HIGH SCHOOL! Thats NUTS!

After dinner we walked over to this place called “coffee shop” I’m trying to go to, but I think it is a dinner place at night so we turned around and went back to the school. It was fun to get to know someone who speaks the same verbiage as you and understands your lifestyle. I’m off to bed now, so I can take on Beach Body Crossfit tomorrow before I go to Spanish!

Please keep sending the prayers up for Duke, it is working!