Phyllis's Photos

Phyllis Petersen  It was really beautiful there, and we stayed at a hotel right on the beach and a short walk to town.

Phyllis Petersen  Hey Ellen, Have you gotten over Tucson way? Great hiking weather ahead, and no smoke in the air so far.

Ellen Leng  I was there in July...crazy family decided 7/4 in AZ was good for reunion.... Will be back in the winter, not certain when, will contact you when I know more

Phyllis Petersen  Thanks Kathy! We hadn't gone in awhile and the climb back up the trail was much harder than I remembered. Of course, we're in the hottest part of the year. Thankfully, temps on the mountains tend to be at least 20 degrees cooler. I hope things are going well with you.

Kathy Blank  Phyllis- great job and hope you get out hiking again soon! I am doing well and this year I am far less sensitive to the heat as I was last year. Keep up the active lifestyle!

Phyllis Petersen  The heat is a big issue. We try to go up early onto Mt. Lemmon, where the temps are 20 to 30 degrees cooler than in town. Of course, when it's over 100 that's still pretty hot. Heading east to the beach soon and hope to get a lot of walking, etc. in there. Take care!

Phyllis Petersen  I missed it last year because of the MVr surgery, so it was extra special this time. Great music and my sister is fun to go with.

Phyllis Petersen  Yes, Kathy. I was hoping to go yesterday at a lower altitude, since we were having unusually cool weather, but my sister had a headache she couldn't shake. On Tuesday, Amy had too much scheduled. I find hiking helps me to push more and once you're on the trail, you have to make it back.

Kathy Blank  Hiking is such good therapy! Is that trail near where you live? I hope to hike w my family during our trip to CO in July!

Phyllis Petersen  The road up Mt. Lemmon is about 20 minutes from where I live. It's then a ways up to this trail (total time about 1 1/4 hrs.), which is at over 8,000 ft. of elevation (the "valley" of Tucson is at about 2,500 ft.). It's a beautiful trip up the mountain, though, with many places to stop and hike. I hope to explore more of them. There are 5 mountain ranges surrounding Tucson, so plenty of places to go. I hope to get out with Amy Steele to a trail at a lower elevation near the edge of the Tortolita Mts. And some day I hope to be able to the Spring wildflower hike on Picacho Peak, which is a little bit north. Of course, we're getting into the heat of summer, so I not only have to go way up in the mountains, but I have to go really early, because of how strong the sun is.

Phyllis Petersen  Thanks Amy! It's always cooler up on Mt. Lemmon, but the altitude can make it a little rough. We did Marshall Gulch up and Aspen down, which was a tad bit more than planned, but we made it. After we met friends for dinner. I had to skip my workout in the morning. My legs were saying no.

Amy Steele  Beautiful! How are you feeling when you hike? I'm sure it's good to get out and enjoy the cooler temps while they last... I'm going out of town next week, so if the weather cooperates, maybe we can check out Honey Bee Canyon when I get back.

Phyllis Petersen  Amy, I didn't have as much energy as I'd like, but that may be from allergies/asthma too. The heart seemed very happy, the legs not so much. I'm still building the muscle back up. I thought about you Amy a couple of weeks ago when we were going to have a nice cool day, but then they started forecasting rain. Enjoy your time away and we'll definitely have to do that hike.
Thank you Ellen and Catie. Ellen, did you come to Tucson for the birthday celebration or is that still in the future? I'd love to meet you, even if for a quick cup of something.

Phyllis Petersen  Happy New Year to you too Lila! I hope things are progressing well for you. I'm so thankful that they're really pushing me at rehab, because I'm able to get back to being more active.

Lise Bowles  Congrats Phyllis! We had the same surgery done by the same surgeon, August 16 for me, and you are doing so much better than I was at your time! That's terrific!

Phyllis Petersen  Hi Lise, I read your journal when I was getting ready. You and many others gave me a lot of pointers. When my back started hurting in the hospital, they first put on one of the squeeze heat packs. The next day, my nurse was able to find a machine that uses moist heat. It helped me a lot.
I'm rather used to pain, so don't always respond the same as others. I often don't realize how bad I'm feeling until I start snapping at people. LOL. I was actually told in the hospital that I was not using enough pain medicine when I was still on the pump. I was afraid I wouldn't have it when I needed it, but they finally explained the system to me. I was also assured, both with this surgery and when I had my knee replaced earlier this year, that I should not be afraid of taking the narcotics. I haven't tried using muscle relaxants yet, but I have them available from all my other joint and muscle issues.
I feel very fortunate to be doing so well. As the numbness subsides, pain replaces it, so each day is slightly different. I'm napping every day and still easily tired. My right side, shoulder and breast are still problematic, but again it doesn't seem as bad as many others. I was told by someone in the hospital that the robotic does tend to be more painful in the beginning, but recovery time is faster. I have to say, I'm amazed how far I've come already. I hope you're continuing to heal well. Let us know how it's going!

Phyllis Petersen  Thanks for the compliments friends! Robert, you're almost there. Keep a positive mindset. Ellen, Lila, Roseline and Catie, I hope you are all doing better now and the worst is past. Tucson is a great place to recover in the fall, although there was record heat today. I just have to get out in the early morning and evening to walk. The weather will be cooling down now, so that will make recovery so much more fun. Only downside coming home: there's so much cleaning that needs doing and I can't do most of it yet. But, as we all know, housecleaning is always there. It'll just have to wait.

Amy Steele  Hi Phyllis! Looking good! Glad you made it home safely. You came back to the last of our heat for the year... hopefully. I'm doing better, but every few days I feel pretty tired all day. Slow and steady! We'll have to get together again when we're released to drive. I'll be able to drive in a couple more weeks...

Susan Lyons  Wow! 2 weeks and you're walking around your apartment bldg.?! I can barely get to the bathroom -always run out of air. Happy for you.

Phyllis Petersen  I'm actually cleared to drive, as long as I'm not on pain meds. I'm still sore on the right side, so haven't pushed it yet. The last thing I need is to rip at any of the incisions. Susan, I do still tire more easily than expected, so I'm following the plan they gave me of shorter walks multiple times a day. I did have one long walk last week, but needed to take breaks. And naps are a must at this point.

Phyllis Petersen  Tina, I was just reading your journal. You've had some trip! I spent some time recovering in Alliance, OH with family. I hope you get your lung issues straightened out. I have some pleural effusion, and also have asthma, but at this point they don't feel a need to treat it. I am very grateful to be doing so well.

Marie Leighton  Hooray! Glad we got to meet before you checked out. Felt like we had been friends for years...💗💗

J H Mattingly  Phyllis...way to go!! It will get a bit better everyday. Stay strong and positive....you are doing great!!!

Catie B  What a beautiful area! You look happy out there. I'm glad exerting yourself will soon come much easier.

Phyllis Petersen  Ellen, If you're going to be in town sometime, Amy, you and I should plan a heart hike on Mt. Lemmon after we're all recovered. It's always beautiful up there! Catie, I found visualizing natural environments so easy because I love it in so many environments. This was 4 months after my knee replacement and was I really excited to be able to hike again. I didn't push it, though; this was one of the easier trails.