Thanks to everyone for your kind words. I am REALLY hating this back injury thing. I mean, I'm sure anyone who has a back injury hates it, but I REALLY hate it for two reasons:
1. The only thing I have ever done that hurt worse than this was have a baby without any pain meds. That only took 4 hours - this has been going on for 8 days (and shows no signs of going away quickly).
2. I am leaving for WDW in ONE WEEK and my chiropractor has given me my instructions, none of which I am happy about. Here's what he said yesterday:
I can't ride any roller coasters or anything that will jerk or bounce me around (think Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Test Track, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (if it were going to be open) - yeah, all the really good stuff). Okay, I'm bummed about that, but I kind of expected it. I mean, no one in this much pain is going to be able to ride that stuff without suffering for it, so I can accept that. But THEN he said I won't be able to do all the walking in the parks, so I have to RENT A
SCOOTER!!! Now, I have fought against this idea many times in the past when I have been fighting fibromyalgia pain or other health issues because it felt like giving up to me. I know it's not, it just feels that way to me. And now - I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. I HATE it!! If it was just going to be the three of us, it wouldn't be so bad - we are DVC members, so we go a lot and I know I will be going back. That's not what's bothering me. But we have family coming from North Carolina (on my DH's side) who haven't been to WDW in 20 years. They have had some really tough personal issues in the last couple of years and I SO wanted to be able to give them a PERFECT trip (or as close to perfect as I could make it) and now THIS. Oh, I was so upset last night - I cried for almost an hour and had great difficulty sleeping just from thinking about all this.
So today, I e-mailed Stacie and told her all about this stuff. While she was sympathetic, she reminded me that I was STILL going on this trip and it was GOING TO BE FUN no matter what, so I should stop stressing. Easy for her to say, huh? Except she's right. Once I stopped being all emotional and thinking about what I couldn't do on this trip, I realized that maybe this is one of those life lessons we get every once in awhile. See, I have a tendency to take care of everybody else before I think about myself (does this sound familiar to any of you out there????) and I am particularly bad about it when I have extended family staying with us at WDW. It is my escape and my favorite place in the world, so when someone who doesn't go as often is there with me, I want to make sure they have an awesome trip and I do everything possible to make that happen. Well, this trip I'm going to have to think about myself and what I need and let everybody else take care of themselves. That's something I said I had to do in my very first post on this journal, and now I'm being reminded (extremely painfully, but reminded nonetheless) that I HAVE to listen to my body and look out for me or I can't do anything for anyone else. SO - I called and ordered the scooter rental this morning. I have resigned myself to not riding almost all of my favorite rides (they'll be there when I go back again) and I'm trying REALLY HARD to just be VERY GLAD I am getting to go on this trip at all.
I am also struggling with my eating plan right now. Not only am I not able to cook and having to eat out a lot, but I find myself wanting to do lots of emotional eating which is a BIG obstacle for me. I haven't been perfect this week, I'll admit it, but I HAVE resisted the urge to just lose all control and eat everything that comes my way. When I decided I wanted to have a treat this week, I have shared it with someone else so I'm not eating as much of it as I once would have. Since I need to practice with a scooter this weekend (me trying to back that thing onto a WDW bus is going to be a trip), I am planning to go to the grocery store with my DH's help, get in a little scooter practice and buy groceries. Of course, COOKING them will be extremely difficult, but I am planning to do my best to cajole my DH or DD (or both) into helping me. Wish me luck!
I have another chiropractor's appointment this afternoon and one tomorrow morning (that will make four adjustments this week), so here's hoping by next week I will start to feel some benefit that lasts for more than a couple of hours. I am really thinking my back doc is a nut to tell me I can run a 5K race in May when I can barely walk now, but he is confident it can be done so I am going to trust him and hope for the best. I hope you all have a great weekend!
P.S. Scott, the "running sisters" has me
- I don't believe anyone has ever put me and running in the same sentence before. I think it will be as much mental training as physical training. There is no way someone like ME should be referred to in any way, shape or form as a runner. I am so heavy now I can barely walk. But hopefully, as I make what attempts I can at training for this thing, the pounds will start to go and I will gain more confidence in this endeavor. Thanks again to everyone for your support!
How exciting!! Awesome goal and plenty of time to get out there and ease into it...I'll have to throw out "journaling sisters" and rename you two "running sisters" before too long 
Sometimes I tend to be more matter of fact/drill seargent like dad! 
Susan,
Seriously, any suggestions you would have for specific exercises would be greatly appreciated. And you're right - it is the good feelings that a trip to WDW creates and spending time with family that are important. I am planning to enjoy every minute there - thanks for the reminder!
