Calcium is an essential mineral and it’s one of the most commonly under-consumed nutrients. While everyone seems to know that calcium is needed to establish and maintain strong bones, its other vital roles in the body are often overlooked.

So here’s the run down on our dear friend calcium, what it does for you, and how you can insure you’re getting enough of it.

The calcium in an average adult body weighs about 2.5 pounds. Although 99% of this calcium is found in bones and teeth, the remaining 1%, which circulates through the rest of the cells, is critical.

That small 1% is essential for blood clotting, transmitting nerve impulses, and contracting muscles. These functions are so crucial that if your calcium intake is not adequate, your body will do all that it can to maintain blood calcium levels, at the expense of your bones. This essentially means that your body will borrow what calcium it needs from your bones in order to insure all your other cells have enough. Over time, habitual low calcium consumption takes its toll, your bones slowly become depleted as their calcium is continually removed to keep blood levels constant, and eventually fragile, brittle bones and osteoporosis result.

Since your bones would really appreciate you not racking up a calcium debt with them, here’s what you can eat to increase your calcium intake.

Jason modeling with some calcium rich foods.

Good source of calcium include:

Dairy products (except for cottage cheese)

Leafy greens (such as kale, collard, turnip and mustard greens)

Canned salmon and sardines (the bones contain calcium)

Calcium fortified orange juice

Calcium supplements

Although it is very important to make sure you are eating enough calcium containing foods or supplementing your diet, your calcium absorption, unfortunately, depends on more than just how much calcium you consume.

Our bodies only absorb roughly 20-40% of the calcium we intake. This amount varies from person to person and is affected by factors such as age. Postmenopausal women typically absorb less.

Your calcium absorption will decrease if:

You have a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption.

You drink excessive amounts of soft drinks. Most soft drinks contain high levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus reduces calcium absorption.

Your body produces inadequate amounts of stomach acid. Calcium requires a slightly acidic pH to be absorbed by your body; low stomach acid production can decrease its availability.

You consume large amounts of fiber in your diet, especially wheat bran. Fiber binds to calcium and prevents it from being absorbed.

If you aren’t regularly eating foods high in calcium I recommend supplementation. Here are some guidelines to follow with calcium supplements:

Don’t take more than 500 mg of calcium at once; your body won’t absorb any more than that at a given time. Supplementing your calcium intake with 1000 mg of calcium, taken in two (500 mg) doses daily, is safe and typically adequate.

Not all calcium supplements are created equal. If a supplement doesn’t dissolve in your gastrointestinal tract, it can’t be absorbed. To test how well a calcium supplement will dissolve place a tablet in 6 oz of cider vinegar for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. If it hasn’t dissolved within the 30 minutes, it’s no good.

As long as your stomach produces normal amounts of gastric acid it’s best to take your calcium supplement between meals. Calcium competes with iron for absorption, so this will limit the negative impact supplementation has on iron absorption. If you have low gastric acid production, take your calcium supplement with meals, when stomach acid levels are at their highest, or take calcium in the form of calcium citrate. Calcium citrate is an acidic form of calcium, so it doesn’t require as much stomach acid to be absorbed.

It is important to remember that although your body absolutely needs calcium, you can get too much of a good thing. I don’t recommend supplementing with more than 1000 mg of calcium/day. Calcium intakes above 2000 mg/day can cause kidney stones, kidney failure, and soft tissue calcification, so don’t overdo it.

Make your bones smile-eat some calcium!

It’s no secret that Jason and I love Halloween. The first year we were married we decided to throw a Halloween party in our tiny apartment and since then the Sabin Halloween party has become a yearly tradition for us. Over the years it has evolved into a much more elaborate affair. Even though the preparations for this event take countless hours (you really have no idea) we still enjoy putting it on.

My Rotting Eggs

My Creation

This year, since I just started walking again a few weeks ago, our party preparations had to be condensed. I sewed relentlessly the week of our party trying to complete our costumes. I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish in time. But that Nelson perseverance (i.e. stubbornness) came through for me. I finished a couple days before the event and then spent every spare moment hobbling around, putting up our endless masses of Halloween décor. The decorations this year weren’t nearly as extensive as they have been previous years, but considering the circumstances with my foot, I was pleased that we got as much done as we did. Many thanks to Andrew and Simone for helping us set up! You guys are awesome!

Andrew the Hopper

Cam as Indy

My Mom and Dad

My Nephew Miles

The Sabins

At the party we did our usual Halloween crafts and a piñata for the kids, and of course no Halloween party is complete without a costume contest. This year Jacob vanquished. He won first place for the Jedi costume that he has openly admitted to loving more than his wife.

Jacob the Jedi

The Cardboard Colemans

Jason the Devil

Jenn the Witch

Kara and Jeremy the Prison Princess

My Devilish Costume

This year, in addition to our usual Halloween get-together, I also hosted an American Girl party for my niece and some friends. All the dolls came dressed in their Halloween attire. Sadly, my niece, Madison, came down with strep throat the day of the party and wasn’t able to make it. We missed you Madi!

The Dolls in Costume

Crazy Girls and their Dolls

Jason is the best husband ever! I know many of you women think that your husband is in fact the proud owner of that title, and admittedly my opinion on this subject is quite skewed, but I can’t imagine a better husband than Jason. Even if you don’t agree that Jason is the best, you can’t deny that he is pretty fabulous.

Due to my foot surgery, these last couple of months poor Jason has been forced to be my nurse and maid. He has taken on these roles rather happily for the most part, except for the occasional complaint about how much he really hates cooking.

The first few days after my surgery he rarely left my side. Although his behavior concerning me sometimes bordered on paranoia, his anxiety over my wellbeing was very sweet.

In the weeks that followed I was on crutches and practically useless. Jason made the meals, kept the house clean, did the laundry and grocery shopping, and ran countless errands for me. However, not only did he do all those household tasks, he also carried me in and out of the tub and shower, and helped me wash my hair and change my clothes…like I said, I was pretty useless. I don’t know what I would have done without that boy’s help. I guess I would have been really dirty and hungry by now.

My lunch plate: Jason has put one out for me everyday I've worked since my surgery. The note tells me what is in the fridge for my lunch.

Although I have thanked him many times for all that he has done recently, no amount of thanks seems adequate. So I decided that publicly embarrassing him with this post should help even the score.

Thanks Bubba! Thanks for reading Alice in Wonderland to me until 5:30 AM in a futile attempt to help me sleep. Thanks for waking up to make me snacks in the middle of the night so I could take my pain pills. Thanks for the endless servings of ramen noodles you made me and the rides up the canyon at 2:30 in the morning to quell my claustrophobia. You truly are the best husband ever, even if I’m the only one who knows!

I love shoes! I love buying new shoes. I love having excesses of shoes. My closets are practically exploding with shoes. One can never have too many shoes! Did I mention I love shoes?

Since I am a shoe enthusiast it has been difficult to go from my normally huge shoe selection to the meager options I have currently due to the status of my left foot.

Oh the sweet memories!

Since my Peroneal tendon repair surgery I have gone through several footwear phases; they have each required a different type of shoe. For any of you that are going to be getting a similar surgery, especially you ladies, here’s what I recommend in way of shoes for each phase of your foot’s recovery.

My Reef Sandals: Phase One

Phase One, cast phase: After my surgery I had to wear a cast for two weeks. I was in bed for the greater part of those two weeks so I didn’t do a whole lot of shoe wearing. When I did wear a shoe, I wore a snug fitting flip-flop and that worked very well, but you could definitely wear other types of flat-soled shoes with your cast. Things to consider when choosing shoes for this phase: wear something comfortable, you’ll be in enough pain as it is. Also, you won’t be very coordinated, unless you are a crutching prodigy, so don’t wear anything loose fitting or prone to make you fall flat on your face-you’ll do enough of that without any assistance.

My Phase Two Assortment

Phase Two, non-weight bearing in the boot: After I traded in my cast for a boot I still couldn’t put any weight on my foot for two more weeks. I was much more mobile those two weeks than I was the first two, so I was wearing a shoe much more often. I wore shoes that were as flat and comfortable as possible. They, once again, needed to be snug too so I didn’t fall out of them as I crutched gracelessly along. Since I was already back at work at this point, I needed some flat shoes that were work appropriate also.

I found several cute pairs on Zappos.com. I would highly recommend this site. They have literally thousands of shoes and their customer service is fantastic. They also offer free return shipping, which is great in case the shoes you ordered don’t fit.

My Favorite Phase Three Shoes

Phase Three, weight bearing in the boot: This was a very uncomfortable phase. Not surprisingly, it hurts to start walking again. But walking in the boot hurts more than just your injured foot. Because the boot has an odd curved heel, it’s very hard to match it up with an appropriate shoe. Therefore, due to the uneven elevation of your feet, you end up throwing out your back and hips when you walk. I recommend shoes with some sort of heel or platform for this phase. But don’t expect to find any with a heel height that will match your boot exactly, I discovered that that was an impossibility. You can get relatively close though, keeping the aches at a minimum. A small, one to two inch, heel or platform seemed to work best. You men, I’m afraid, are definitely at a disadvantage during this phase. There aren’t too many manly looking shoes that come with one or two inch heels.

Phase Four: the Impossible Shoe Phase

Phase Four, walking with a lace-up brace: I am currently in this phase. This phase is also particularly challenging as far as shoe selection goes, but unlike the last phase, it’s not heel size that’s the problem, it’s finding shoes that accommodate you bulky brace. Sneakers and tennis shoes definitely work, however, there is no way I’m going to wear sneakers every day for the next two months. Not only am I a girly-girl, I am a working girl, and wearing sneakers with a skirt isn’t exactly the kind of fashion statement I want to make.

I went shoe shopping last week to try to remedy this situation. I can’t tell you how depressing it was to try on one adorable shoe after another, only to find that none of them fit with the brace. Finally, after trying on at least a dozen pairs, I found one style of Sketchers that worked. I bought both the colors the store had in this style. Thankfully they are dressy enough to wear with skirts but casual enough to wear with pants.

So there you have it, my shoe dilemma. My recommendation: do some major shoe shopping and get the shoes you will need after your surgery, before your surgery. Break them in so they are nice and comfy. You don’t want your good foot hurting too when your bad one is already hurting plenty.

While I am on the subject of footwear I should also add my two-cents about socks.

For your injured foot I would recommend chenille socks while you are wearing the boot and then when you graduate to the brace, I would suggest socks that are thin but still comfortable. I’ve found that if I wear a sock that is the same color as my brace, the sock’s not noticeable when I’m wearing a shoe that exposes the top of my foot, such as my new Sketchers.

Good luck all my surgical friends. May you find some functional and fantastic shoes! Remember, just because you can barely walk doesn’t mean your feet have to look unfashionable!

Tonight Jason and I went to the Thriving Ivory concert at the Murray Theater, hosted by the radio station 101.9 The End. I had never heard of Thriving Ivory until a month or so ago when 101.9 started playing one of their songs, Angels on the Moon. I liked the song, so when 101.9 announced that they were bringing the band to Salt Lake City to do a concert and that the tickets were only $5, I was in. Apparently a lot of other people were in too because the show sold out.

The Concert

You never know what to expect when you see a band live for the first time, sometimes they can be a bit of a disappointment, but Thriving Ivory definitely put on a good show. They had a fresh energy that bands often lose as their fan base grows. The intimate setting was spectacular. Although I had to shuffle around a bit to get an unobstructed view, when I finally did, it was worth the effort. The audience was captivated and enthusiastic. My injured ankle forced me to tone down my concert antics a degree or two, however, I still managed to hop, bounce, clap, and scream. It was fabulous!

The Signing

Apparently, this was the largest show that Thriving Ivory has done, so it had special significance for them. The concert was also filmed for a video, so if you see me on MTV someday cheering like crazy-don’t be too surprised.

Me with the Drummer, Paul

Afterward, the band stuck around to sign CD’s and shirts. The line moved extremely slowly because the band members were courteous and friendly; they took the time to talk to each fan. When it was my turn to get my swag signed I was glad I waited. I got unsolicited hugs from the drummer, Paul. It was awesome! I also got pictures with the lead singer, Clayton, and the keyboardist, Scott. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so we had to take pictures with Jason’s iphone-I was so bummed!

Me with the Lead Singer, Clayton

I look forward to seeing Thriving Ivory thrive. It was great to see a band that is young enough to still appreciate its fans! It was an amazing concert!

Jason and I got married just months before the 9/11 attacks. I had barely graduated from college and Jason was still working on his degree and interning fulltime. I got my first “real” job, making wages that I would now laugh at, mere weeks before September 11^th changed everything. Then that fateful day came and the world seemed to turn upside down. Overnight America’s financial future became bleak. All of a sudden we were stock piling plastic sheeting and duct tape to cover our windows and doors in case of another terrorist attack; we were declaring war. In an instant, our future became surprisingly uncertain and filled with fear.

It was in this turbulent economic environment that Jason and I tried to keep ourselves financially afloat. As is typical of newlyweds, we had very little money to spare, and job security was basically nonexistent for us. There was an ever present threat of layoffs at Jason’s work, every few months they seemed to go through another round of them. My employer was having severe financial distress as well, and layoffs occurred on a regular basis. Once, both our companies had layoffs scheduled within a week of each other; we knew that it was quite possible that we could both lose our jobs and our entire income. But somehow, we managed to stay employed, until 2003, when my company, just months from declaring bankruptcy, let nearly my entire department go. This event was more traumatic than I could ever have guessed. Saying goodbye to the good friends I spent 40 hours with every week, along with the stress of having a temporary career hiatus, left me in tears. But within six months I had a new job with much better pay, the economy was slowly starting to perk up, and everything seemed a little brighter.

Now, five years later, the future again seems unsure. With high gas prices, low home values, and subprime mortgage issues, everyone seems to be feeling the financial squeeze. And for me and Jason, history has repeated itself. Once again, both our employers decided to do layoffs at the same time, actually on the very same day. Miraculously, we both made it through the cuts, but many of our coworkers, and friends, did not.

It is impossible to explain to someone that has not experienced a layoff firsthand the stress, sadness, and shock involved. As HR calls people, one at a time, into a room, you wonder if you are going to be next. Thoughts of “what if” race through your head. And even if you are fortunate enough to still have your job at the end of the day, you have to say goodbye to coworkers that lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

You and the other remaining employees feel like the survivors of some horrible natural disaster. With every face you see in the hall you feel a sense of relief, relief that one more member of your work family made it through.

Even after the recent events at my company, and even with the constant onslaught of bad news about the American economy, I am still optimistic. As they have in the past, things will work themselves out eventually. I look back on those first couple years of my marriage, the years it seemed that everyone in America was holding their breath waiting for the worse, and our current economic situation doesn’t seem so bad. We’ll pull through; a little patience and some optimism go a long way. I, for one, refuse to let fear and panic dictate my financial decisions.

It has now been six weeks since my surgical escapades. My wound has healed fabulously. I went to the doctor for my check up today and was completely floored when he told me that I didn’t have to use my boot anymore, that instead I could just use a lace-up brace. This was a shock because I was originally told that I would have to wear the boot until I hit the three-month mark. But apparently I have a body that’s tough like Wolverine and it has repaired itself at superhuman speeds.

Oh ankle bliss!

Although it hurts to walk without my boot and my muscles are incredibly weak, which forces me to hobble much slower than I was traveling with the boot, it feels so good to be walking again that I can’t dislodge the perma-grin from my face. Yahoo!

Baby I'm weight bearing!

Isn't it lovely!

Pain pills: a necessary prescription after any surgery. The first couple weeks after my Peroneal tendon surgery were hellish enough; I don’t know how I would have made it through them without my pain pills.

My doctor first put me on Percocet. It worked well at keeping the ankle pain at bearable levels, however it left me sleepy, spacey, and made my stomach hurt like crazy. The first couple days after my surgery, when I was on a relatively high dose of the pills, I would regularly nod off in the middle of a conversation with my husband, sleep for a few minutes, and then wake up and continue talking where I left off, as if I wasn’t even aware that I had fallen asleep. Jason found this a bit disturbing and was sure the doctor had somehow screwed up my head when he’d messed with my foot.

all my happy pills

After about 10 days of using Percocet I switched over to Vicodin, a less powerful narcotic. I slowly decreased my dosage of Vicodin over the next three weeks, then I decided it was time to get off the pills altogether. Since, at this point, I was only taking half a pill in the morning when I got to work and half a pill at night to help me sleep, I thought that I wouldn’t have any withdrawal symptoms…I was definitely wrong.

Twenty four hours after I took my last pill I started feeling lousy: an upset stomach, a strange headache, chills. At first I didn’t even recognize these symptoms for what they were, I didn’t make the connection. I simply thought I was getting sick, or just having a bad day. (I’ve had a lot of those in the last 5 weeks and have grown quite accustomed to them.) But it finally dawned on me that what I was experiencing could be due to my body’s dependency on these pills. After looking up withdrawal symptoms online I realized that that was probably the case.

Over the next few days my odd headache and raw stomach pains continued, I even had a little bout of vomiting. Now, thank goodness, those symptoms have finally dissipated.

I am grateful that I had the pain pills when I desperately needed them, they made life manageable that first post-surgery month, but I can see how someone could become addicted to those opiate based pills very easily. I was very careful with my usage of them and weaned myself off as quickly as possible, and yet, in the short period of time I took them, my body already became dependent. This was a very sobering realization for me. Thankfully, since it has been over a week now since my last Vicodin, I can safely say that I am no longer a pill-popper; it will be just good ol’ Advil’s for me from here on out.

Since my surgery my life has been somewhat of a balancing act. Everyday my foot feels a little stronger and is slightly less swollen. I am therefore more and more tempted to try to jump back into my normal daily activities. However, whenever I try doing too much, my foot protests by puffing back up and hurting like crazy. Pushing myself to be active again seems to be detrimental to the healing process, but if I just lie around the house being useless it’s very hard on me mentally. I start feeling restless, confined, and antsy. Though I continue to struggle to find a good balance between letting my body heal and going absolutely crazy, I have discovered that some activities appease both my mind and body.

Since most of the people that undergo tendon repair surgery are physically active, like me, the balancing act I am currently undertaking is probably a common dilemma. So for the benefit of any of you who will be having a similar surgery, I will divulge what I have learned in the last month. Also, while I am on the subject of physical comfort, I have come up with a list of items that can significantly improve your physical wellbeing during the surgical recovery period.

reading a book up the canyon

If you are getting surgery to repair a tendon in your foot here are a few things that you may want to have on hand to help you through the rough days of your recovery:

1. Cough Drops or Hard Candies: Your throat will be very dry the day of surgery because of the breathing tube they use when you’re under. Candy or cough drops can offer some relief.
2. Night Lights: Finding your way to and from the bathroom in the middle of the night is much more difficult and dangerous on crutches.
3. A Few Cheap Pillows, Pillowcases, and Sheets: You will need a few pillows to elevate your foot. Casts and boots can tear up your pillowcases and sheets, so I recommend not risking ruining your nice bedding. Wal-Mart carries inexpensive bedding; it’s a good option to use for your foot in the months following surgery.
4. The Crutch Pal: It’s an ingenious little pouch that attaches to your crutches and allows you to carry your keys, cell phone, etc. It takes a little bit of the frustration out of crutches. The Crutch Pal can be purchased at: www.crutchbuddies.com.
5. Flat Footwear: Most of you men probably have plenty of flat soled shoes (And you only need one pair of shoes anyway, right?) but many of us girls don’t have a whole lot of shoes without some sort of heel. After surgery flat or platform shoes are a must-don’t worry, it’s a good excuse for some guilt free shoe shopping. Also, putting on shoes is a very tricky operation these days so I would recommend snug fitting slip-ons.
6. Ice Pack: Icing isn’t recommended while in a cast because of the risk of getting it wet. But with a boot, ice feels great! There are few joys that equal the sublime delight of putting your foot up after a long day at work and sticking some ice on it.
7. Shower Chair: At first I was dead-set against getting one of these. The thought of using a shower chair made me feel a million years old. But, I’ve been using one for the last couple weeks, and it’s a lifesaver. I don’t recommend taking a shower until your cast is off; a bath is a much better option for the casted. But once your cast has been removed, the doctor will advocate taking showers instead of baths, to prevent your incision from getting too wet. This is when your shower chair will become one of your best friends. I purchased mine at Walgreens, but most drug stores probably carry them.
8. Chenille Socks: These may be too girly for you men, but ladies, they feel fabulous inside your boot. I tried using an Ace bandage and I tried a regular sock, but I had problems with both. The Ace bandage would slide around sometimes during wear and bunch up uncomfortably, and normal socks were too tight and painful to put on. Since I already had some fluffy chenille socks I thought I would give them a try and it turns out that they are perfect for the boot. They are extremely soft, comfortable, non-constricting, and have a loose band. Perfect! That’s all I wear with my boot now.
9. A Temporary Handicapped Parking Permit: These are easy to get. Just tell your doctor you would like one. He will fill out a form, you take it to the DMV, and voila, you have a parking permit. In the first few weeks after your surgery, when you will definitely be feeling lousy, the parking permit makes life much easier.
10. A Good Engrossing Book or Book Series: Having a book you just can’t put down is perfect for your post-operative recovery period. It helps you forget that you really haven’t left your bed much in days. I have been reading the Twilight series and have quite enjoyed it.

Even with all these items to help make the recovery process as comfortable as possible, if you are an active person like me, the inactivity will probably start wearing on you.

Here are a couple things that I have found help work out the jitters while still allowing your body to rest and heal:

1. Going for a ride. When I start feeling antsy or just sick of being in the house I get my sweet husband to take me for a ride. My favorite place to go is up in the mountains. Although I prefer to see our lovely Utah mountains from the seat of a mountain bike, since that isn’t possible at the moment, I’ll take what I can get.
2. Reading a book in the back yard: just going out in the sun and fresh air does wonders. The reclining, lounge-style, patio chairs work fabulously for this. If you put your foot up on a pillow, while chilling in one of these chairs, it’s elevated nicely and you can enjoy some sweet sunshine.

me soaking up some sweet sunshine

I found out, unfortunately, that my claustrophobic tendencies were aggravated by my cast. Those of you that are claustrophobic understand, without any explanation, why a confining, tight, uncomfortable cast, which can’t be removed, would make me crazy. Those that don’t suffer from claustrophobia are probably thinking that only a weirdo would have panic attacks from wearing a cast-I can accept that. I wasn’t expecting this side-effect from cast wearing so I wasn’t prepared to deal with it. In the weeks I wore my cast I found, through experience, that the best defense against claustrophobic cast attacks was just spending as much time outside as possible during the day. And if a panic attack did occur, going for a ride somewhere seemed to alleviate it. All you cast totting claustrophobics have my deepest sympathy though, the weeks I was in a cast were definitely rough for me!

I hope this information will be useful to those of you getting ready for surgery. You’ll need all the help you can get!

By the time I got my cast off a couple weeks ago it was well signed, colored, and decorated by all the friends and family members that stopped by to visit me. I want to thank all you altruistic acquaintances that brought over dinner, treats, or just your entertaining selves. Jas and I truly appreciate your kindness and support. So thank you for making this wearisome experience more bearable!

my autographed cast