No More Killer Trail for a while

This week has had some extreme lows, but really big highs.

The lows:
My knee has really bothered me this week. I finally really messed it up. I have barely been able to stand through classes, but it still worked to jog with a brace so I kept that up until yesterday. I had an appointment to check on my heart and my bimonthly breast exam(Is that what it's called when you do that every two months?) and since I had resorted to using a cane for stairs and walking more than 100 yds I had the doctor look at that too.

The funny thing is...you know my aversion to being naked in any form or fashion. I expected to be topless for the breast exam, which went well, by the way. It was the first one that didn't result in extra diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, or a biopsy. Apparently vitamin E does help. However, heart exams need you to be topless and braless as well. The person who does it still has to move your breasts to put all the sticky things on. (She knew how uncomfortable this made me, so she let me take them off. Phew!) The bad news is that my heart is enlarged from all the fun of last year, but the good news is that it's reversable with time and medication. I think it's slightly funny because friends have told me that I have a big heart, but now I have a professional's opinion that I actually have a big heart. :) The thing is, I have to go in and be topless for heart exams every six months for I don't know how long. Between that and the bimonthly exams, I will be topless in front of near strangers at least 8 times a year. Ugh!

You would think that heart would trump knee in the depressing news, but I am insane. (only slightly-at least in my unprofessional oppinion) The doctor thinks that I need minor knee surgery, but since it is minor, she thinks that I can put it off until Christmas break. We'll know for sure if it's minor or major on Wednesday after an MRI. I have been banned from conquering that stupid killer trail for a while. This actually was the most depressing part for me. It took all summer to almost conquer that silly trail. I don't know if I have what it takes to try that again after knee surgery. I was almost there. :( I had my appt with Marcella later that day and my knee bothered me enough that I was made aware that this whole thing is going to be pretty unfun. (Is unfun a word? If not, oh well, I communicated. It should be a word.)

The Highs:
I am finally average weight for my height. The doctor actually forgot to weigh me but when I was getting topless in privacy I stepped on the scale out of curiosity. (I still won't have a scale in my house. I know it would make me even crazier than I already am.) I've lost 30 lbs in a year. Over 20 of it came off since May. I have reached my goal.

During the session with Marcella, she kept telling me how strong I was on a day I was feeling pretty weak after the fun with the doctor. I guess I can still keep improving in shape even with a bad knee.

This knee thing had me in tears a few times this week, but God is good. I got emails of encouragement and even a snail mail card of encouragement from people who didn't even know that I was down or would have a reason to be down. God still is using His people to send encouragement my way when I need it reminding me that He's still there and He still cares.

I am part of a memorizing project through Established Footsteps (If you want to join us, go to the address below. It's really worth checking out.) in which a few hundred women are all memorizing Philippians 3:7-21. This is usually easy for me, but it was a struggle this week. On Friday, the same depressing day with the doctors, I was able to actually get a week ahead of schedule after 4 days of not being able to retain the first two verses. That was cool. God is Good.
http://establishedfootsteps.com/

Now if I can only catch up with my grading. :(