Leaf Your Troubles Behind

It's Fall...the colors are changing and the leaves are falling...

This past week should have been easier considering my professors have been canceling classes left and right, but it wasn't. I am in so much pain, my CRPS nerve pain is coming back in my left leg, I have headaches everyday (seeing my PCP next week), and my left knee has been making it even more challenging to learn how to walk. Oh, and the Bruins need to wake up soon and win some games because they haven't been helping with my overall mood lately.

My SI joint in my back has been out of place for nearly 2 months now but with the tears in my hip Cam hasn't been able to reduce it. We tried today but it was too painful and now I am paying for it. This is throwing off my alignment, making it difficult to walk over the baby cones at PT/walk in general, making it painful to sit, sleep, and basically function. I haven't been cleared by my hip surgeon to see my chiropractor but soon I may just give in and go anyway! I can't make it through the day without a thermacare wrap and biofreeze.

Unfortunately my right shoulder has not improved. I still have horrible spasms and shooting pains down my arm. It does stay in place if I take the sling off--meaning it does't just hang by my side--but if I try to pick something up or open something with my right arm, it's useless. I still have the "dead arm" feeling for the most part--although it's not a constant feeling (thank God). I don't feel like it's sitting in place correctly because almost every time I switch positions with whatever I am doing, (sitting, lying down, "walking") I have to adjust it. Annoying.

I need to talk to Dr. Shiple about whether or not I should increase my Neurontin for CRPS. The hypersensitivity is back and getting worse. I am not too concerned yet as I usually respond to an increase in dosage, but I need to make adjustments before it gets out of control again.

I will be seeing my PCP next week to discuss the headaches that I have had everyday for the past 3.5ish weeks. I have no ideas as to what the cause is at this point.

My left knee has been horrible lately. I don't know if it's the change in weather or increase in amount of walking and weight-bearing (or both), but it's angry with me---and well, I am angry with it. We aren't on agreeing terms and I am pretty sure the knee has the upper hand in this battle. I wasn't able to complete all my exercises at PT and I am getting very frustrated with my inability to consistently make forward progress.

I have been overly emotional lately and this is likely due to the fact that I have been following USA Gymnastics at World's. Words cannot even begin to describe how much I miss gymnastics and what I would give to be able to compete and train again. I wish more than anything that I didn't have to live in this body. It's hard to look back on my gymnastics career without being upset by my current physical state. How do you go from six-pack abs and crazy muscles to joint dislocations? But of course this emotional breakdown leads back to my motto, "You can't always decide what happens to you, but you can decide how you react." Just gotta keep chuggin' along!

My theme song!

We have finally made progress with scheduling my December surgeries. I have an appointment with the disabilities director at my school on Wednesday to discuss finals week and the spring semester!

On a much happier note, I am ecstatic to say that my favorite gymnast, Jordyn Wieber, won the All-Around title at the World Championships in Tokyo! She is now officially the BEST gymnast in the world (not that there was any doubt that she was the best before the competition). Also to add to that amazing news, the USA Women's Gymnastics Team WON the Team competition as well. The women are 2/2 in the gold medal count at Worlds! Congratulations ladies, you definitely deserve it! Watch out London 2012 here we (USA) come!

We are just starting the poetry segment of my English class so I thought I'd share one of my favorite poems by Dr. Seuss,

Troubles

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind

Some come from ahead, some come from behind

But I've bought a big bat

I'm all ready you see

Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!

-Dr. Seuss

Oh...and Fall is my favorite season so I have changed my design to reflect the Fall season...(I couldn't find a Boston Bruins template)