Nothing kills your motivation to exercise quicker than an injury or two. Take for example, my knee. For the past year or so, it’s been questionable at best. Early last year, before my older son left for the Marine Corps, I purchased a like-new elliptical machine from a friend who was downsizing for a very reasonable price. I was thrilled, as this is my absolute favorite form of cardio.

Fast forward a few months…Jason is off to boot camp and my new elliptical has been ensconced (after a bit of havoc getting it up the stairs and around the corner) in his room. I excitedly test out the programs and turn on my iPod. I’m ready to rock and roll. That is until my knee starts to hurt a little. And then progressively over the next few days, it hurts more and more. Soon, it starts to go out on me when I’m going down the steps or even across the yard. Not completely — I don’t fall down or anything, but it lets me know that it’s not happy about supporting my weight anymore. Ugh. I stop using the elliptical and the pain diminishes over time, although the weakness remains.

As I am wont to do with minor aches and pains, I basically ignored it after that.  (I didn’t exercise, it didn’t hurt.)  At least until it really started aching from all my sitting, standing, sitting, standing that tax season requires. It was then that I discovered a lump behind my knee. This sent me scurrying to the doctor. The diagnosis? A Baker’s Cyst — a sack of fluid caused by inflammation in the knee. Just lovely. My only option was to take an anti-inflammatory and baby the knee to get through tax season. Later — if it wasn’t any better — I would have an x-ray to see what was going on.

In the meantime, I developed a burning pain above my left shoulder-blade. This has been a recurring issue from the past couple of tax seasons, so at the advice of my doctor, I started using muscle relaxers on top of my anti-inflammatory. Did I mention that I turned 50 in February? Yeah, it all goes to “hell in a handbasket” about that time!  As we closed the book on tax season (at least for me), the pain in my shoulder was bordering on severe.  After another call to my doctor, and I was headed for x-rays of the knee, shoulder and cervical spine. I was completely irradiated — it’s a wonder I didn’t glow as I walked out of the radiology office.

Long story short, I’m now in physical therapy three days a week for the meniscus in my left knee, and for two compressed discs in my neck. What’s the upside of all this? I’m exercising again! And my knee is rapidly improving. My neck is responding a bit more slowly, but it is also getting better.  Physical therapy, besides helping with my pain and mobility, has been a blessing. My therapist is a lovely young woman who has great hands, and provides a combination of massage and traction therapy for my neck after I do the exercise part. Then I get to lie in a dark, quiet room with heat and stimulation on my neck, and cold on my knee for 15 minutes. I told Josh it’s like a gym and a spa combined! And it’s just what I needed after tax season.

God saw me struggling and, as He so often does, brought it to a screeching halt. And then He brought me healing. Not just healing for my body, but healing for my spirit, and my stressed out mind.  And thank God, I’m back on a healthy path again.  I even walked to therapy this morning — 1.3 miles each way. It was glorious!!  The sun was shining, and the air was cool and sweet with the scent of myriad blooms along the way. Thank you, God, for bringing me to the end of myself, and then lifting me back onto my feet again. I am truly blessed!