Hey guys! I’m so excited it’s almost Friday! Like more excited than should be humanly possible 🙂
Today I went to the doctor to see if I could figure out what has been going on with my knee lately. There’s good news and (in my opinion) bad news. The good news is she said it doesn’t look like a ligament or cartilage issue, which means that she doesn’t think it will require drastic measurements to get me back up and running. The bad news though is that’s about all she said. She recommended physical therapy, and if that doesn’t work then she said she’d recommend an orthopedist. I guess the reason I call that “bad news” is that I just didn’t want to leave with such an open-ended answer. I am glad that she’s not suggesting surgery or anything though!
When I left I was feeling pretty down though. Basically I just felt like I wasted $20 to have someone tell me they don’t know the answer and I need to go see someone else. I took about 15 minutes to sit at the hill overlooking Boulder before heading back to work and just contemplated what I was feeling.
I cried and listened to a couple songs and prayed, then decided that, yet again, I needed to get over myself. I headed into town and made a little stop at Office Depot before pulling back into work. The stop was to grab supplies to do something uplifting for others…and [here] is your only hint! 🙂 For lunch I had about 1/4 cup of brown rice mixed with about a 1/2 cup of shredded carrots and 3 Tbsp of the leftover mole sauce:
And a big side salad with romaine, more shredded carrots, and1 Tbsp of Italian dressing. I ate about 3/4 of it before I decided that I wasn’t loving the taste anymore!
Y’all, this afternoon has just been dragging on for quite some time now! Everyone at work was getting a little restless and asking for nap time (didn’t happen though…). About halfway through I was hungry again and had a snack of Key Lime Pie Larabar and a Diet Coke:
Mmmmmmmm…nothing like a good balance of all-natural and chemical-laden, right? 🙂 Unfortunately it still didn’t offer enough of a pick-me-up to keep from getting sleepy, but the water I’ve been chugging has been helping!
So I want to talk about helping others and being an encouragement. Doing what I did this afternoon made me so excited, and the best part about it was that it had nothing to do with ME and everything to with making someone else’s day. I don’t feel like I do that enough! I think that this life is too short and we have way too much potential to make a change to just sit around and let someone else do it. Can you imagine what would happen if we all took action and showed love to others? This world would be changed forever! So let me ask y’all this as our parting question:
What have you done lately to help encourage someone else? What encourages you and brightens up your day? Do you feel like you are better at helping encourage others in the areas that YOU need encouragement in, or in other things? I’d love to hear what you guys love to see/hear/do so that I can better love and encourage all of you!
Hi Heather,
I just wanted to say I’m sorry (and happy) about the response that you got from your doctor and I can totally feel what your feeling. I have been going through kind of the same issue for the last year but with my hip, unexplained pain, very debilitating and no answer from my doctor at all. Luckily the pain is getting better and I have learned to just deal with it but can I make a suggestion. Maybe try acupuncture. I have used it before for problems like this and it has been a huge help. Just wanted to put the thought in your head.
Hope it all gets better for you!
Janet
I know this may sound dumb but I always answer every email I get from blog readers. I feel like if they took the time to email me then I should take the time to respond. I love being able to help and encourage people in any way that I can and sometimes just a note to say you ARE important enough for me to get back to you speaks volumes!
Aw girl, you know I know how you feel. It SUCKS when you go to the doctor and don’t get the answers you want.. or any answers at all. But like others have said, it is GOOD news that you don’t have major issues. And I’m sure PT will help a lot! Just be thankful for what you DO have 🙂
I know how you feel not getting a definite answer…thats how I was almost all spring last year with my compartment syndrome…and its frustrating b/c you are limited till you know whats really going on. Keep being patient!
Recently I just befriended an athletic trainer here that most athletes make fun of, and turns out he was in need of a friend. It was so awesome to be able to be there for him, because he literally had no one to talk to. God really does time everything perfectly, just gotta listen to Him.
Ugh, sorry to hear about the knee and not getting any real answers. That stinks. I totally know how you feel about feeling like you just wasted money. Maybe you should try physical therapy? Maybe they can give you better insight as to what’s going on?
I totally think I am better at helping encourage others in the areas that I need encouragement in. Funny how that happens.
Sorry about the not so great answer about your knee but it does sound like there is some hope so chin up lady friend! And by the way, there is no need to “get over yourself” you have every right to express whatever emotions you are feeling and that includes crying about your knee. Showing emotion is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. But good for you for lifting your spirits by helping others feel. That is an awesome way!!
I’m sorry about your knee! From someone who has chronic knee problems – I’m 25 and have had surgery 3 time – your doing the right thing. You don’t want to go to an orthopedic surgeon right off the back cause a lot of them just want to operate – but not all of them are like that. Do the physical therapy. They’ll have you strengthen your quads, hamstrings, butt and calves. It may seem like a waste of time but you should try everything before surgery. And take it easy for now you don’t want to do anything that’s going to give you chronic problems. I hope it all works out! Knees suck!! (sorry this is long 🙂 )
I hate those type of Doctors visits 🙁
Hopefully PT will do good and you’ll be up and running again!
I’ve yet to do an operation beautiful note but I really want to, and you have inspired me to do it tomorrow. Since grocery shopping and getting my nails done is the only time of the week I am guaranteed to get out of the house.
I actually blogged about random acts of kindness earlier in the week. My Daughter showed kindness to me with out a clue of what she was doing and she inspired me to commit to a random act of kindness every day this week.
I can’t tell you how great I’ve felt all week knowing I brightened up someone’s day.
I hope you find a great PT and relief, Madeline up there has a good point that being in Boulder is probably a good thing for finding an excellent sports PT! Turning your day around with Operation Beautiful notes is SUCH a good idea. I have some post-its in my desk, next time I’m feeling like nothing is going my way I should post a few 🙂
I’m sorry you didn’t get an definitive answer. That’s frustrating. I’m so happy you got Operation Beautiful supplies though! that definitely cheers me up.
take care girly! xoxo
I would consider going to a sports orthopedic doctor. I’m SURE there are more than a few great ones in Boulder! They would know exactly what is going on. I know how frustrating injuries can be and I hope you get some answers and closure soon!
What kind of camera do you use? Your pictures are ‘unique’? ; )
I’m so sorry you didn’t get any definitive answers; I can imagine that’s very frustrating! But like you said, at least you don’t need surgery or anything!
This may not seem like a big deal, but something I recently did to encourage my husband was to just be a listening ear. I can be very chatty and talkative, so sometimes even though I think I’m listening, I’m actually butting in, sharing my suggestions, etc. Tonight when my husband got home from work he just needed to VENT, so I listened to him encouragingly without saying a single word. He really appreciated it!
I hate doctor’s visits when there are no answers. But, like you said, at least it’s not something serious. I do hope that you get the pain figured out so you can feel better. 🙂
Love Operation Beautiful and helping lift others up. I always try to strike up conversations with cashiers and people who are so easily taken for granted and overlooked. But I have to say that I get much more pleasure giving encouragement in things I also need encouragement, because it feels like it is for me and the other person.
That is GOOD news!!! You don’t have to have surgery, or be sidelined for 6-8 weeks in recovery. Do the PT and stretch, ice, swim, whatever makes it feel better and you’ll be back to running soon. 🙂
I actually have done something to encourage someone. My best friend joined Weight Watchers recently and she asks me for advice on exercise and food because this is a journey I know a lot about. LOL 😉
Well, she recently decided she wanted to start running like me and I encouraged her and gave her all the advice I could. I’m really excited for her to start running!