UPDATE: My ankle, errrrr foot

Hey there! First of all I want to say thank you to everyone who has showed care, concern and interest in my injury. Everyone has been so nice this past week and you've all really helped me push through the ups and downs!

Since I've had numerous texts, tweets and facebook messages asking about my doctor's appointment today and the outcome, I thought I'd add a mini update blog.

Here's the good news ... I get to return to work tomorrow and with very few restrictions. I have to avoid excessive use of stairs and absolutely all ladders. I also have to rest or sit down when my foot/ankle starts aching to rest it. That's not too bad at all.

Here's the bad news ... Although my ankle is a bit sore (like most of my body), the problem is not with my right ankle, it's with my right foot. After the doctor did a thorough once-over of my foot and ankle he realized that the pain was in the top of my foot and ordered more xrays. I have a very very slight hairline fracture in a bone on the top of my foot. I don't need a cast, just a boot to keep it stable and to keep me from flexing my foot when walking.

Bad news part 2 - I am developing an allergy to latex. Over the last few days a rash and a few sores developed on my ankle/foot in the exact shape of the air cast I was using. Turns out the air cast is made partially of latex. The doctors (yes he got a second opinion who then taped a piece of the cast to my arm for an hour) agreed that I have an allergy developing to latex. They both said it wasn't too serious, but to keep it in mind if any health issues pop up in the future. Oh, and I can still use condoms as a form of birth control, lol.

So anyway, today's appointment wasn't my last although I was cleared to return to work. I have to wear this boot thing and take it easy for a week, but can ditch the boot for a sturdy shoe if my foot feels up to it in a couple of days. Looks like I should be as good as new in no time. The appointment really turned out better than I thought it would considering the first thing the nurse said when she saw my ankle was, "Oh my god. Gross." I figured it was all down hill from there!

Thanks again everyone for the interest and kind words of support! Now it's time for me to stop being lazy (I don't have an excuse anymore) and get back to my plan. Tomorrow will be healthy and a step in the right direction!

There's No "I" in Team

Do you remember when you were a kid and your teacher in gym class or coach on your school's athletic team would say, "There's no 'I' in team?" It's taken me 26 years, but I'm beginning to realize that, yes, there happens to not be an "i" in the word team, but that without a team of individuals around you, life would be virtually impossible.

Think of it this way: A business almost always takes more than one person to make it successful, even if it's just the operator and the customer. Likewise, a family takes at least two people otherwise it's just a single individual. Similar to families, teams, companies, communities and organizations, reaching goals takes an army of individuals in order to make them happen.

I took my inspiration for losing weight from a friend of mine, automatically taking the "I" out of my situation and creating a "we," but there are many more people involved in my journey. Everyone from my family and fiance, to friends, coworkers, random readers, tweet peeps and strangers have created a team for me to rely on while going through the ups and downs of this lifelong adventure. As I was struggling to decide whether to have ice cream last night or a 100 calorie snack of popcorn, I happened to jump online on Facebook and see someone post something nice to me on one of my blog links. It was those few words of encouragement that pushed me in the right direction -- the way toward having popcorn instead of ice cream.

I think I often times try and do everything myself without allowing others to help, or without allowing myself to rely on someone else. Whether it's with simple tasks like doing laundry or taking care of the dishes, or larger tasks like planning our wedding or coordinating the honeymoon, I keep trying to do things myself. It takes a little reminding from my conscious that those people that are offering suggestions and helping hands aren't trying to "intrude" on my life, but instead are trying to make it easier. I've even read a few comments on my blogs that irked me and I had to remind myself that those comments aren't meant to be insulting or to shine a negative light on my words, but instead are trying to enlighten me and offer a new way of thinking or a new suggestion to follow. Every little bit helps, even if I don't realize it at the exact moment. Sometimes I also forget to say thank you.

Here's my word of advice today. This is something I'm reminding myself to do today as well since I've forgotten in recent days. Tell people "thank you" and remind those special people in your life that you love them. It may be completely random, but it's 100% worth it.