Eye of the Tiger

7 weeks. It's been almost 2 months since I got injured and 6 wks since surgery. It's crazy to think how far I've come and yet to see how far there is still to go.  It's crazy to read my journal and see how incredibly dark the first 4 wks were particularly, how painful absolutely everything was, how limited I was in the things I could do and to see how much I can do now, how much the pain has lessened and yet, how much of a battle is still left to fight, how frustrating and painful it still is at times.

Before I went into surgery I spoke with a lot of people who had had this same injury, had surgery and recovered. What I noticed was across the board virtually everyone was back physically 100% by about 6 months. Some before that. But they ALL said it took them about a year or longer to get back 100% mentally. I learned from that and took it as a challenge. To me that said ok, then, if I want to be 100% back in the game physically, mentally, etc. That means I have to control my thoughts and not let them control ME. I have to choose what thoughts I allow to enter my mind and hang out there. If I can be ahead of the game mentally, then physically my body will follow. 

Not too long after surgery I read a story about a gal who was in a Tsunami. She survived by holding onto a palm tree, but in the process some of her ribs were broken, her pelvis was broken, legs broken and many other injuries. The doctors and nurses in that country where she was being cared for told her she would never walk or run again. She was devastated and resigned herself to that and was in a deep depression. One evening while she was still in the hospital a new doctor came in; he told her if she would change her thoughts, decide she was going to get well, that her body was going to heal, to choose positive thoughts that, she WOULD run again. But the thoughts that she allowed to permeate her mind would determine her outcome. The next day, the doctors and nurses were astounded by her 180 degree change for the better.  Today this woman has full function and mobility in her body and runs daily.

Our thoughts. mmm...the incredible power of our thoughts. Scripture talks about the importance and gravity of our thoughts. Books have been written about the power of our thoughts. The more we dwell on the negative, the more the negative has  away of becoming our reality. The more we think it, the more we speak it, the more it becomes all that we see and we tend to live out of that negativity and everything that comes out of it.

I decided to fight for positive thoughts. I decided to believe in the power of prayer. I decided to believe that I would be 110% back even stronger and healthier than I was before. I decided that if God gave me the ability to CHOOSE my thoughts that I would choose the good, the positive. I would claim healing in His name, I would CHOOSE to believe and to act on that belief.  Our Thoughts. 
"be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). 
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil. 4:8).

I decided to have the " Eye of the Tiger " (click on the link) to focus in on the positive. And the results have been amazing. My surgeon has been amazed at my recovery, how quickly I'm getting back to where I was, how strong....I don't say that to impress you that I'm doing something amazing; cause I'm not. I say it rather to impress upon you the importance of our thoughts. It DOES make a difference. If we focus on everything bad in our life, that's all we will be able to see, but if we focus on our blessings, on the gifts, on the beauty, on the joys, it will change us. It will change those around us. It will help change the world.

What are your thoughts today? We have the power to CHOOSE. So let's choose wisely!

The Journey...

Day After Surgery

Taking the Brace off for the first time post Surgery

Check out the Bruise

One of my 'Friends' throughout my recovery

First time for Physical Therapy

Trying to Workout Post Surgery

Working on Getting my Range of Motion back

Trying to remember what it's like to feel 'pretty'. Sport the brace baby!

PT! Bike

Icing the Knee

My Favorite Place: PT! Cause it's getting me closer to where I want to be!

My Motto

Focus!

Once Upon a Time...

I don't know about you, but I can get very fixated on one thing. When I like something and I'm in my groove it's all about that. I stay focused. Which can be a really good thing or a bad thing depending on the circumstances. 

When everything was OK physically, even though life was particularly stressful, I was still kind of 'in my groove" so to speak. And I held on tightly to that. Maybe too tightly. I was independent. I could do things myself.  It's easy to think we know what is best for us. It's easier to hold on to things that are steady, comfortable. But when that's taken away from us, whether it be for a brief moment, or forever, we can stay fixated on it still--looking back, lamenting. And in that process we miss something really awesome and beautiful that the Lord wants to give to us.  

The day before my surgery I went to Mass and Father told a story in his homily. It was one of those moments when I knew it was directly the Lord talking to me through this story. Do you ever have those moments? Where you KNOW it's God talking directly to you but you don't want to hear it? Yeah, I kinda love-hate them. Where you want to just tell Him to shut up cause you can't hear it right now? And yet, you know you need to? Ahh..the patience of God with us His stubborn children. Lol I want to share this story with you. I fought it for a while. But after a little bit all you can do is breathe. Surrender. Open your arms and heart wide open to let Him give us beautiful things in the ways He wants...Maybe this story is for you today. I pray it is. I pray it gives you hope. God wants to give us beautiful things, truly He does. Even when it doesn't look beautiful to us. 

I feel like this is a fitting song to listen to as you read...enjoy! Beautiful Things

"There is a story about a poor carpenter named  Pete. Pete met the King who was having a party and the king invited him to his party. Pete was grateful, but told the king no thank you, he hadn't proper clothes to wear to the party. So the king said no worries, I have a whole wardrobe you may choose from! One of his servants came to take Pete to the wardrobe to change. He took off his old patched up clothes and the servant took them to throw them away. Pete immediately said “no no! I might need those again; what if the clothes I'm wearing get soiled, or I spill something on them?” Servant: "well, then you can come up here and put some new clothes on from the King's wardrobe, he has given you full access to them!” But Pete couldn't let go of his old clothes, so the servant took Pete's old clothes, folded them and handed them back to Pete who was decked out in the new ones. Down to the party he went. 

There was delicious food, dancing, wonderful engaging people, but Pete wasn't able to join in on any of it. It's really hard to to get food with one hand and eat while trying to hold on to his old clothes with the other hand. Same with the dancing and the conversations—It was hard to concentrate or to just let go while he was trying to hold on and remember to hold tightly to the old clothes underneath his arm. After the party, everyone went home laughing and talking about what a wonderful time they had. Everyone had had fun except for Pete. He had spent so much time holding on and worrying about taking care of his old clothes, he wasn't able to enjoy all the new amazing gifts he could have had in the new clothes, good food, new friends, great music and dancing. 

And so it is with us; God wants to give us new beautiful awesome gifts. But sometimes we are holding so tightly to all the old stuff, or old wounds, injuries, or whatever, that we are missing the beautiful things the Lord wants to give us. So today, let go of the old. Open up our hearts and hands to the new, the beautiful, the good that God wants to give us. He makes beautiful things out of dust. Beautiful things out of us...