Holidays
One thing I can't complain of in Dubai is the holidays. That is one BIG o advantage of being out here. When I think about the States and our little days off, literally less than 10 (New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanskgiving, and Xmas day) it is a meager 6 days off, it makes me appreciate these days off I am getting here. It's not just 3-day weekends, it can be 4-5 and more. Loooove it! I have to admit the 1st half of the year can drag a bit because of the LACK of days off, but then wah-la, the 2nd half comes along and the days off keep coming. 1st we had Ramadan which technically isn't days off, but we're working 30 hours instead of 50 for the same pay, and umm... that might as well be days off. :-) After Ramadan we had the 1st Eid, which was 4-days off (I used that to go to Serbia). Then 2 months after the 1st Eid comes the 2nd Eid, where we get ANOTHER 4-days off. That was just a few weeks ago and I used it as a stay-cation, which was awesome - caught up on admin stuff, SLEEP, and rested the wearing body. NOW, this weekend (again, just a few weeks after this last Eid) we have Islamic New Year where we get a nice 3-day weekend. THEN in just another couple of weeks there is "National Day," which is yet another 1-2 days off. How awesome is that? I'm again using this Islamic New Year as a stay-cation, well-needed one because in 2 weeks, exactly 2 weeks, I am on a flight home to CHICAGO and have a lot of random things to take care of before then because I'll be gone for like 5 weeks. Woooo hoooooo! 5 weeks? Yes, you read correctly. Because of all these random days off and some comp days I've accrued, although I am physically gone for 37 days, yes, 37 days, it actually ends up being 22 working days. Yesssssssssssss! Life is good.
Health
Well, life can also be NOT good. So just a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to one of the docs here and more out of curiosity, was asking if I should/can do a MRI of my back. I thought it would be interesting to just see what it looked like 1-year post-herniation AND something to show my dad (radiologist). He asked me, "why? Is something wrong?" And I said that NO, it was this time last year that it went away and I have been 110% since then. He kinda laughed it off. Well, I think I jinxed myself. I had just done a very strong 12 mile run that morning and then right after did my routine of stretching by going to bikram HOT yoga. I was doing a pose which is actually my least favorite and I thought to try this extra move that I have tried before but usually don't do because I don't have the correct form, and then BAM! TOTALLY got this major spasm and sharp pain in my back. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I almost died. I had a flashback of the trauma I went through last year. I breathed through it and thought it was somewhat "lucky," if you can even say that, that this happened in a hot environment where my muscles are totally relaxed. It sounds Nazi, but this studio doesn't allow you to leave, so I took it easy the rest of the class and ONLY did poses that I knew would be good for me and help. It definitely didn't feel as debilitating as last year, but was still upsetting because I was doing so well AND that next weekend had back-to-back races I have been training for for months. "Fortunately," the next day I had work and consulted one of our spine docs who put me on the pain med of Arcoxia and I laid low and did some PT exercises and stretches and again, reverted myself back to a being a patient. ALL of the docs, myself included, say swimming is good for backs, so the next day, I was feeling more or less the same, central low back pain, and went for my Masters Swim Club, he he, and of course the 1st flip turn and push off the wall my back kinda spasm'd a bit. Uh oh. I then had to focus on core tightening for the rest of the flip-turns and after swimming it did more or less feel better. Not to bore with details, but slowly yet surely as the week went by, the back pain resolved, and although I am a horrible patient because the doctor I saw and this other spine doctor (and my parents, shhhhhh) were like "NO RUNNING!" I tried to convince them otherwise with a lot of "but, but" and they all did the ... "NO RUNNING!" So what did I do? That next weekend as I felt 99.9% better, I ran the 1/2 marathon as I had planned (did one of my better times! YEA!) also did right after that bikram yoga (but didn't do that one pose), AND the next day did this 10K run/1.6k swim - ALL felt fine and I now feel back to "normal." Smart decision? Anyone's guess, probably not. I'm self-diagnosing it as a muscle spasm, BUT the one smart thing I am doing is getting a MRI early next week "just to see" (and because it's easily covered by insurance here) AND am going to go to PT myself. The spine is NOT something to mess with and it is a GOOD wake up call to NOT take your health for granted. I know it doesn't sound like I am being responsible for my health, but I'm going to continue my activities till I leave, then will officially take a rest the 5 weeks I am home. I swear! :-) So lesson has been learned!
On another not-related note, I don't know if I will get another update in before i leave, probably not, so it might not be till 2013 when I re-visit my "Life as an Expat" blog, so HAPPY HOLIDAYS to everyone just in case!!! See you then!!!
