2018 Year in Review

The last blog post of 2018! Since I started writing in November 2017, Abby's World has had 14,000 visitors.  I still don't like the title... Some posts were really popular... four posts had over 400 readers, others had less interest... and that's ok.  I think it's safe to say that I'm still figuring things out a bit to narrow down the scope, but I'm enjoying the variety of topics right now.  Thank you, so much, to everyone who has stopped by! I hope you've learned something and that I've been helpful to you in some way.

Today's post will serve as recap of 2018 - both personally and professionally - and a look back at some of my favorite posts of 2018.  As for 2019, I don't think I'm going to write a plan or set goals - other than to keep writing.

The Seattle Storm and UConn Connection

My 2018 biggest moments:
I'll start with the Seattle Storm winning the WNBA Championship, which I wrote about here.  I was so fortunate to be able to attend WNBA Finals Game 3 in Washington, D.C. with my brother, and still love basketball despite my poor skills at playing the game. I'm already looking forward to next season and it's still several months away.

Dear Evan Hansen, New York City, July 2018

As great as the championship was, my family celebrated a huge milestone this year.  In May, my niece and nephew became B'nai Mitzvah, which is a Jewish coming-of-age or right of passage.  They're thirteen years old, now!  The actual events for the B'Nai Mitzvah were incredible and I'm so proud of them for their accomplishment and hard work, but more special was the opportunity to celebrate them each in their own individual way.  I asked them a few months before-hand what they would want most, and I love how different they are and what they chose.  I celebrated my niece by taking her, my sister, and my mom to see the musical Dear Evan Hansen in New York City.  If you haven't heard much about this story, I encourage you to check it out, particularly if you have teenagers in the house. I'm so glad we could do that together, and that it was what she wanted to do - with her aunt, mom, and grandma.  I celebrated my nephew at the Denver Broncos versus Seattle Seahawks game in Denver, CO.  He's been a Broncos fan since birth because he liked the color orange and had always wanted to see their stadium.  As a sports fan myself, I really loved watching him experience something he had wanted to so much... and the rivalry of rooting for opposite teams but in a mature manner.  It was a chance to spend time with my favorite people as they head into teenage-hood and, soon, adulthood.  Next year they'll both attend Cheshire High School, the same school I graduated from fifteen years ago.  I remember holding them when they were born and all of these events were a flood of pride and emotions.   Because of them, I spent more quality time with my family in 2018 than I had since I moved to Seattle.  That was the best part of 2018.

Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos, September 2018

Some of my other favorite things from 2018 that have nothing to do with Physical Therapy:
I saw the Goo Goo Dolls perform their 20th Anniversary celebration of Dizzy Up The Girls.
I rode in a helicopter for the first time. Total trip time was about 3 minutes.  It was awesome.
I read the first five books of the Harry Potter Series and watched the first three movies... my first time for all of that.  Don't worry, book six is in progress and I'll finish all of it in 2019.
I read a lot of books in 2018, actually.  Some really deep, sciency stuff.  Some much lighter and more relaxing.  I have come to embrace the audio book for commutes. I read The Origin of Species which I wrote about here and definitely do not recommend others read, but feel like I can read anything if I could get through that.
I got addicted to yoga.  And then dropped out of yoga.  I miss yoga.

My 2018 Physical Therapy Continuing Education was primarily focused on three areas.
1) Orthopedics from Mike Reinold, Lenny Macrina, and Eric Cressey.  I took Mike's shoulder seminar, which I wrote about here, Lenny's knee seminar which I wrote about here (and his elbow course), and Eric's shoulder course which I wrote about here.  I'm so grateful that there are mentors willing to share their expertise and knowledge online, and who also have made trips out to the West Coast for me to learn from in person.

2) Chronic Pain, primarily from Lorimer Moseley and Adriaan Louw.  I've written about those experiences here - from reading Explain Pain, and here from reading Explain Pain Supercharged and from meeting Lorimer Moseley at his presentation at the University of Washington.  Starting in two weeks, I'll be working with the Seattle Children's Pain Clinic as part of a collaborative team to help kids experiencing chronic pain.  I'm looking forward to putting all that learning to good use.

3) Strength and Conditioning.  I passed the CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) exam in 2018, which I wrote about here and took a Medbridge Education Course instructed by Sue Falsone on this topic as well.  This has definitely made an impact on how I treat patients, specifically by loading them more and manipulating rep/set schemes a little bit more than I did in the past.  A few PTs have asked me if I thought this process was worth it, and for my patient population and side gigs, I feel that it is definitely useful.  I work in Pediatric Sports Medicine so my patient population is mostly athletic and getting back to sports.  They've generally never worked with a strength and conditioning coach or a physical therapist and don't understand any of the key basics of movement or how the body works.  I love having this background knowledge to educate them!

I feel like I spent a lot of time working towards growing as a physical therapist in 2018, but when I look back, it wasn't even close to what was most important.

Looking forward to 2019:  I'd be lying if I pretended that 2018 was perfect. Social media sometimes has that impact...  nobody posts their tears and struggles on Facebook and Instagram.  I certainly only post the happy times and the beauty I see around me. In truth, 2018 was a hard year.  I'm not sure 2019 will be easier... but there will be more family time and more hard work and growth.  And for all that, I'm grateful.

Happy New Year!

Airplanes

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, I could really use a wish right now..." - B.O.B.

I love to travel.  I enjoy seeing new places, eating new foods or the comfort foods of home, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones... and my family lives on the East Coast while I'm on the West Coast, so often my travels lead me to them.  Last weekend I went to the East Coast, flying through Chicago O'Hare each way... and my personal travels started the thought process for this week's blog.  And then the WNBA had a massive flight disaster...

Today, the Las Vegas Aces WNBA team are scheduled to play the Washington Mystics in Washington, D.C.  Initially scheduled for 7PM EST, tonight, the game was moved back an hour as the Aces were not likely to arrive in town with enough time to get to the arena before playing.  (Update: ultimately the game was canceled!) They started their travels on Thursday mid-day with repeated delays shifting back their departure and arrival.  What a nightmare! They spent several hours stranded in the Dallas airport... and with a good sense of humor... posted an injury report listing every player with a sleepy emoji.

Many of these details are outlined in this article... though I was following the action on twitter, primarily through Carolyn Swords, A'ja Wilson, and the Las Vegas Aces accounts. I'm really not sure what's been going on to cause these problems... doesn't look like there are weather issues in the mid-west... but shortly after the Aces got off the ground, the Indiana Fever had their flight cancelled heading to New York to play the Liberty - that game is scheduled for 3PM EST tomorrow... who knows when they'll arrive.

Anyways... a few days ago, I was flying from Hartford to Chicago with the entire US Women's National Soccer Team.  I waved hello to superstar Megan Rapinoe who I've had the pleasure of crossing paths with a few times in Seattle, and I was seated next to Christen Press, across from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and two rows behind Tobin Heath... they were all very pleasant, were able to avoid middle seats from what I could tell... and were happily taking photos with fans who recognized them.  Their matching travel outfits with the USWNT logo on them didn't help them stay incognito.  I wonder if the men's national team flies commercial... we all know the NBA doesn't.  I don't have the time to make this a gender issue, today.

Years ago I worked as the Travel Coordinator for the Connecticut Sun WNBA Team and had been looking into chartered flight costs thanks to the help of the UConn Women's Basketball office... the cost for a charter then was about $40,000... flying commercially, even if it's an expensive flight over $500 per person on the whole team and staff made a travel party around 25 people... total cost per flight is about $12,500.  It just isn't feasible right now for the WNBA teams to travel at this type of cost - especially since teams aren't permitted to travel together (unless league rules have changed).  Maybe the cities that have National Women's Soccer League teams and WNBA Teams could arrange travel together so the Storm and Reign could travel to places like Chicago together and split costs of charter... but you definitely need to have more people to fill a charter to make this cost effective in the WNBA.  The coaching staffs and medical staffs in the NBA make a much larger travel party than the WNBA is limited to at this point, as well.  I'd certainly love to get back on the road with the Seattle Storm along with the rest of the medical crew... but the budget can't fit all that!

Lastly... when I flew out to the East Coast last week... Seattle to Chicago... I experienced my first time when they paged over the speakers for a doctor on board.  Now... I know that I'm a physical therapist... but years ago I was an EMT and I am working towards urgent response training... so I figure if there wasn't a doctor on the plane, I'd potentially be more useful than someone without any medical training.  I walked to the back of the plane and made myself known to the flight attendant.  A nurse was sitting next to a gentleman who had experienced a seizure.  The nurse said things were under control and asked me to share my seat number in case another episode occurred and more hands were needed.  I went back to my seat.  But this got me thinking... you see this in movies and I don't actually know what the rules say about whether I'm supposed to help.  So I looked into it... and would you believe I could not find resources for physical therapists under emergency circumstances other than PTs working in an emergency department?  We're supposed to be CPR and First Aid trained - but that's all I found!

I also found this article which stated that airlines hope a physician won't be on board when this occurs because an on-board physician could require urgent landing where if there isn't a doctor available, the crew reaches out to medical crews on the ground who try to help remotely triage or treat the situation.  I noticed that the flight attendant had an oxygen tank and mask, first aid kit, and that there were some medications available to them.  Another article shared that 70% of in-flight medical emergencies are handled by the flight crew.  That paper outlines the most common medical emergencies that occur in-air, with chest pain being the number one listed outcome.  I did learn that there is a federal law that protects physicians and health care providers who assist during in-air emergencies, though you should always practice medicine with the intent to "Do No Harm" and within your training restrictions.  Doing absolutely nothing was not an option, in my opinion... but I'm certainly glad I didn't have to help with CPR on an airplane.

Overall - there's a lot going on up in the skies.  Back to B.O.B. ... "I could use a dream or a genie or a wish to go back to a place much simpler than this..." I'm sure the Las Vegas Aces are really looking forward to flying to Connecticut tomorrow after the disaster they faced today.  Let's hope they stay healthy through their game and get some good rest... and that no doctors are needed on their flight requiring them to land mid-route.

Beauty. Strength. Poise. Confidence.

The ESPN “Body 10” issue was released online this week and hits magazine stands tomorrow, June 29, 2018. This publication is a real work of art that I look forward to each year - because I love working with athletes and it gives the reader a better appreciation for the differences between bodies. This is a display of athleticism showcasing famous athletes from numerous sports and tastefully posed with beautiful backgrounds. This year’s edition features Seattle Storm point guard - and four-time Olympic Gold Medalist- Sue Bird along with Seattle Reign star soccer player - and also Olympic gold Medalist - Megan Rapinoe.

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-180709-sbmr.html

The first time I saw a Body issue was their 2nd edition when Diana Taurasi posed with a black basketball in 2010. At that time, I had known Diana for about 6 years and had maybe seen her without her hair in a ponytail three times... but her hair was gorgeous and the poses were elegant.  She looked strong and fierce... this is empowering!

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-101018-6-duo.html

What struck me the most from previous issues were the stories the athletes told, the tattoos so many of them have which are art in and of themselves, and, of course, the variation between people and unique human circumstances.  Last year the magazine included Kirstie Ennis, a Paralympian who wears a prosthesis after an above-knee amputation following her helicopter crashing while she was serving as a US Marine in Afghanistan.

http://espn.reprintmint.com/galleries/the-body-issue/001-170717-ke.html

She is rock climbing wearing a prosthetic leg! They've also photographed beach volleyballer Kerri Walsh (Jennings) late in her pregnancy and then again holding her newborn daughter.  The human body is capable of so many feats and is really so amazing, that I feel it is vital to celebrate our unique differences.

This magazine promotes positive body images for strong women. Of course there are strong athletic men included year after year, but there isn’t societal stigma against men having large muscles. So often women don’t want to be muscular- but this gives you a chance to see the beauty in strength.  It gives you an appreciation of the differences between body size, variety of sports that people compete in, and tells you something personal about each athlete.

ESPN doesn’t need any promotion... but if you haven’t yet seen the Body magazine for 2018, start googling and check it out because there is real beauty, poise, strength, confidence, and more beauty in this publication.

Professional Women's Soccer - The Seattle Reign

Hello March Madness!   My brackets for the men's NCAA basketball tournament are hanging on by a thread and UConn Women's Basketball is on a roll!  There have been so many awesome basketball games and there's still a week left to go! I openly admit that I love basketball, but soccer has started to steal a tiny place in my heart.  I think it has something to do with the fact that it's played outside and the weather is starting to get nicer. And soccer players are insanely athletic!

Last night I attended the Seattle Reign season opener versus the Washington Spirit.  For those of you who don't know, the Seattle Reign is a member of the National Women's Soccer League.  This is professional women's soccer.  The Reign play at Memorial Stadium which sits in the shadow of the Space Needle, just a stone's throw away from Key Arena where the Seattle Storm plays.  Last month it was announced that the ownership group for the Seattle Storm - Force 10 Sports Management - would be adding management responsibilities for the Seattle Reign to their ever growing portfolio.  Having been around the WNBA for the past decade, I've learned a lot about how the league operates and I know a little bit about the teams and some of their ownership groups.  Over the past few years, I have attended a handful of Reign matches, but, prior to now, hadn't given much thought to how little I knew about the team, their players, the ownership, or the league.   So I did some digging.

The league: The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was launched in 2012 - so 2018 is their 6th season with competition between their nine teams.  It is the longest running professional women's soccer league as the (several) leagues that came before it only lasted up to three seasons.  In 2017, the league averaged about 5,000 tickets sold per game with the Portland Thorns leading the way averaging 17,000.  Interestingly, on the men's side, Major League Soccer games averaged about 21,000 tickets sold per game in 2016 with the Seattle Sounders averaging over 40,000 per game.  Seattle is just a huge sports city!  In the WNBA, ticket sales for the league and the Seattle Storm averaged 7,700 tickets per game.  When looking at salaries, this 2016 article listed limits to NWSL salaries as $37,800 per season.  That's the limit!  WNBA minimum salaries are $35,000 and NWSL minimum salaries, according to this article, were $15,000!  In comparison, the average (men's) MLS salary of $300,000 (median $100,000) is a liveable wage.  The gender discrepancy is appalling.  The best way I can try to help combat this is to attend games and buy an occasional ticket to show my support.

The team: The Seattle Reign is owned by Bill and Teresa Predmore.  Bill Predmore founded the company POP in 1996 - they're a digital marketing solutions company whose website looks like they're doing some really cool stuff.  Fun fact about Mr. Predmore, though, is that from 1993 - 1996, he was Assistant Director/Assistant Editor for the Bill Nye Show.  His wife, Teresa Predmore, played college soccer at Oregon State and a quick google search brought up her twitter account which looks like she does some work with Water 1st which is a super cool organization that helps provide clean water and sanitation to communities who would otherwise not have access to it. (They also look to empower women and help communities own their water works once the system is implemented.)

The players: You can find the Seattle Reign roster here, but a few quick notes worthy of mention.  In last nights season opener, which the Reign won 2-1,  Megan Rapinoe scored in the 7th minute and Jodie Taylor in the 35th.  Megan is a US Women's National Team player and Olympic Gold Medalist and Jodie, born in England, plays for their national team which won a Bronze at the 2015 World Cup.  The team underwent a major overhaul with 12 new players since last season and a coaching change.  In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, the team is full of athletes who have played for numerous national teams including: Allie Long - USA including the 2016 Olympic Games, Nahomi Kawasumi Olympic Bronze medalist for Japan, Rumi Utsugi former Japanese national team member, Theresa Nielson for the Denmark national team, Jess Fishlock plays for the Welsh National Team and Elizabeth Addo plays for Ghana.  I haven't even mentioned how many of their players are on US teams that are U-23!  So much talent.

Who wants to join me for a game?!