Oh, for the love

Braaten Noelle is a great big sister. 

I love how she is kissing Cooper and how he is graciously receiving her affection albeit the silly face and all.

She's had a special relationship with the boys since they were babies, and so much so that she often asked us to have another baby. Well, we all know that wasn't going to happen, but it was a nice thought. :-)

Since my last post was titled, Rely, I wanted to share some scripture verses that encourage that very word.

Psalm 59:7

"You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely."

Psalm 86:11

"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

God's Word is absolutely perfect. It fills me, strengthens me, and gives me hope. 

Rely

Honestly, I don't know where the time goes sometimes. I've thought several times about sitting down and writing, but when I do the amount of time I have before I have to either:

a. pick austin up at the high school

b. adjust one of my beloved patients

c. make lunch

d. make a pot of coffee

e. fold a load of laundry, or

f.  fill in the blank

is very limited.

Updates:

My bum leg is still, well, bum. Why yes, yes it is. It's been quite a process. And since I like lists tonight. Here are the things I have been doing to make my shin splints go away... far, far away.

a. ice

b. massage (4 different times I might add)

c. Biofreeze

d. self-massage at any given moment (in the car, while at church, at the doctors, at lunch with  my girlfriend- um, you get the idea)

e. new shoes

f. compression socks (expensive!)

g. Motrin

h. a rolling stick (to massage in just a little different way)

h. Epsom salt bath (I bought the salt and haven't taken the bath yet) See first list to understand why. 

The test I perform to see how the leg is faring: I hop on it and if the bruised feeling acts up, it's still not healed. I hopped today and it felt bruised. Pooh!! 

My last post was a bit of a downer. This leg injury has taken a lot longer than I ever thought it would. Shin splints are new to me as a person, a chiropractor, a runner... it is teaching me a lot. One of the most valuable things God is showing me is to rely on Him, and Him alone, not running. Wow! That is the word I keep seeing in my head. It most certainly is teaching me patience. Have I ever told you that I am an impatient person? Some of you that know me well have figured that out long ago. I have prayed about that for years. If it takes discomfort in my lower left leg to get my attention, to move me a little closer in that direction, then by all means, I will sit still and listen. Thank you, Jesus. Our God is a creative God and I praise Him for it.

So that's where I'm at these days. I'm treating, learning, listening, sitting, waiting, praying, encouraging, praising, and all because I cannot run.

More Updates:

We're going on spring break starting Thursday. Yay us!! 

Our first stop is: 

a. Louisville, Kentucky

b. Nashville, Tennessee

and last but not least

c. Edisto Island, South Carolina

(and whilst we are in SC, we'll head to d. Charleston and e. Savannah)

:-)

About 2 weeks after that lovely vacation my hubby is taking me to 

Hilton Head, SC for a 3 night stay on a business trip. Thankfully he doesn't have to work much so we'll have lots of free time together. Excited!!

We had a 2nd dog for exactly 3 days and couldn't handle all the stress that having a second dog brought to our family, even though she was a beautiful 3 year old Golden Retriever, so we gave her to the 2nd family that really wanted her.

And one final update:

One of our cats just had 4 kittens.

That's what's going on in my neck of the woods. How about yours?

Bum Leg!

The last thing I want to do on my blog is sound like a whiny baby, but I guess I am about to. Are you ready?

This morning I am feeling so discouraged about my running. Over a week ago I started to feel some discomfort in my left lower leg. I kind of ignored it, ran a 4 mile with Kristen, and thought it would be ok. I thought that the wind I was fighting was the worst of it. No, the worst was about to come and I didn't even know it. 

Giving myself over 2 days to rest, I was sure that my early Saturday morning run was a go. Bear with me. As I sit here to write this, I am in tears. Why? It's not the end of the world, is it? I have so much to be thankful for. 

Saturday morning came. I got dressed in multiple layers, got my iPod ready, Set my Runmeter, and was psyching myself up for a great run with the girls. I was fully aware that my leg wasn't a hundred percent. I talked myself into the fact that it would be ok. The girls arrived and I shared my minimal concern. I made the decision to run down to my mailbox and said that if it hurt, I would turn back and head home as they ran on to complete what would be a milestone for one and a great achievement for another. 

We walked out my front door, stretched a little, synchronized our iPhones, and got ready to set off. I took 3 steps... 3 STEPS, and I knew I should not go on. I couldn't go on. The girls turned around, one with sad eyes and one with her lower lip jutting out for me, and I told them to go. Pam hugged me and I cried. I cried to my front door and went into my bedroom. I peeled off some layers and just let the floodgates go. My husband was in the middle of his own 6 mile run which meant he wasn't there to give me the other hug I so needed. When he returned, I couldn't get to him fast enough to share my reality. 

You have to understand that the 3 of us were making such huge strides and training hard together in the 4 or 5 weeks previous to that. We were building our friendship through the common bond of running. We were running through snow, ice, and wind. We ran in the sun, on cloudy days, and in rain. We felt amazing after each run, like we had done something great for ourselves.

So I mourn today. 

For this entire week, I have been resting it, icing, stretching, and just taking it easy. For the first few days, my leg felt progressively worse and then by Wednesday there was a notable change for the better. On Thursday, it was better still. I began to plan for a Saturday morning run of 2 to 3 miles to get back into it. Friday came and I realized that it was not a little better, it was, in fact, back to where it was on Tuesday. It feels bruised and weak. 

I was sure it was a case of shin splints. I read up on it and figured I'd be held back for a week or two and that still might be the case. But there is a possibility that it's a stress fracture of my left tibia. That devastates me. That means taking off 8 weeks or more for healing. My half marathon has to be put on the back burner. Others will come, and I will be back.

In the meantime, I take stock of all that I have and all that I am. I am not defined as a runner. I am so much more. Christ is drawing me nearer to Him to show me how to get through this trial.

And in the words of my dear, sweet husband, "Just a bump in the road, my love. You will get through this. By His stripes you are healed!"