Answers!

I am very thankful that today I have some answers and some hope with my aching foot!!

So I origiannaly injured my foot back in early September training for the marathon. I susspected it was Plantar Faciitis, because I have had it before and know what it feels like. I took it easy, iced, taped, ran in the pool and took anti-inflamatories...all treatments for this.

But....I decided to go through with the marathon. I had trained to hard for that day, I did not want to miss it, and I did not really think I would be able to convince myself to ever do it again, so it was now or never.

Well the marathon but it over the edge to say the least. By mile 18 I was in constant pain and had to run the last 8 miles just so my heel would not strike the ground. But.... I did it!!!!

So I took it real easy for two weeks after coming home--icing, anti-inflamitories, and no activity at all.

At the end of two weeks off to the doctor to be told, not Plantar Faciitis, but a deep bone bruise. Stay off it, it will heal.

Mid November, still in pain and it is getting worse. See the podiatrist. He literally did not even look at the x-ray that I know of, barely touched my foot, and really asked no questions. He recommends orthotics and corisone injections and says the tissue surrounding the bone is inflamed. I choose to avoid the cortizone, as I have heard they are not the way to go in most cases. Home I went to give it more time.

December 31 I call the doctor and ask to get a boot for the foot, as the pain is increasing and maybe there is an undiagnosed stress fracture and the pain is moving up my outside metatarsel.

5 weeks in the boot, feels better when I am wearing the boot, but I feel it is mostly due to the change in my foot strike. Pain can still be intense and is starts to increase toward the end. Also dealing with left knee pain (bad knee) due to the limp.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO......................

Today I saw a new doctor who was recommended by athletes--he is a foot an ankle doctor.

He actually asked a ton of questions, listened to my whole story and really worked over my foot--actually he about sent me through the ceiling when he hit "the spot". Thankfully he got a call and had to leave for a few moments so I could collect myself after that!!! He then took and ultrasound right there---

Diagnoisis>>

One of the top 5 cases of Plantar Faciitis he has ever seen!!!

Guess I was right all along!!

So bear with me as I really don't know what I am talking about, but whatever he was measuring was coming in at 9.7 and he says a bad case is 6-7 and normal is 3---at least I think that was how it came out!! He can not rule out that I ruptured it, nor that it will eventually require surgery...but for now we are going after some very aggressive therapy, starting tomorrow.

Due to the inflammation I am also dealing with some nerve involvement which explains the expanding pain and the referred pain up my metatarsal. Also some tendon issues, similar to carpel tunnel of the wrist, but obviously in my foot.

You can not imagine my relief to get some answers!!! I was so tired of hearing possibilities and just wait options.

Right now I am saying bring on the therapy!! We will see how that goes after I see him tomorrow, I may be singing a different tune if it is too painful! But as I see it, every step right now is extremely painful, so lets go for it!!!

At The Finish!

Here are a few of us at the finish!

Do we look happy to be done or what?

Me, Kim, Jamie, Brian

Yes, that is a partial smile!!

I was sore!!

And you get cold when you get done sweating that much!!

Thanks David for being such a great support to me!

Thanks to all those who yelled and encouraged me along the way!

And thanks to Sandi and David, Heather, Faye, Mom and Dad, The Hill Family, Darryl and Becky, Joy, Danielle, David, and Grandma for sponsoring me in this endeavor!

We raised $565 for Sarah's Covenant Homes!!!!!

Marathon Complete!!!

WOW, I FINISHED!!!

Here is part of our group before hand. I am waiting for some pictures others took the night before.

Hannah and I were showing off our style!

The last moment to think of the insanity of it all.

My cheering squad.

So in the confusion of trying to find the others we were supposed to be running with, Jamie and I ended up starting way too early, with a faster group. We ended up running a very large portion of the first 11 miles and felt great!

But around mile 13 things started to fall apart and become very painful!

We limped and pushed through to mile 18 which you see here!

The guys and kids came out to see us, which was a great encouragement.

See that hunched back of mine! That would be why my back is screaming today!!!

I split up from Jamie around mile 21 because it was very painful for me to walk very much and she was hurting to run. So I 'shuffled' the last 5 miles in alone.

This grimace was the only face I could make! LOL

I finished in 5:21!!! About an hour faster than I thought!!!

I was met at home by Erinn with this congratulations/birthday cake, since today is my birthday! Very sweet! I will post a picture later of Drew's surprise for me!

I am also waiting for finish pictures from some of the others, since our camera went dead from Drew's race the day before, followed by the marathon.

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

I PROMISE YOU THAT AROUND MILE 22 WHEN EVERYTHING WAS HURTING WHAT KEPT ME GOING WAS KNOWING WHY I WAS DOING IT!!! THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION AT ALL!!!

This and That and Off We Go!

This was one busy week.....and it is not over yet!

As always, the end of the month and the beginning of the new was busy! With David only being paid once a month I get to do huge shopping to take us through most of the month. And there are all those things you put off till pay day!

I actually left the house at 7:30 on Wednesday and got home officially for the night at 6:30!

That was all shopping and running errands!

When I asked Hannah to tell Dad what we did all day, she said, "We went shopping and we came home." I guess if you put it very simply that is what we did!

This picture is just for fun!

Last week Grandma had an old friend from Portland come for a visit. She was surprised to say the least. She and Helen relived the old days for a couple of hours together.

They are now saying they do not think it is seizures and it is something with her blood pressure dropping to much when she is standing. I am at a loss, but will be happy for any answers they can give us. Grandma when back to her daughters for a week, but not before she scared me to death with 3 spells in 2 days and then sleeping with a fever for over 6 hours on Monday. It is like having a small child all over again, when you watch them very closely and try to figure out what is going on. Tiring!!!

And this is why I was so late home on Wednesday.

We ran out and bought Hannah a new/used PURPLE bike!

The purple is so exciting after riding brothers hand me down.

You gotta love that smile!!

We head out early tomorrow for Drew's race in Florence, then up to Portland for a pre-marathon get together with the church group that is running.

I must say that I am getting a little worked up about it. I know that if I finish it will be with a tremendous amount of help from the Lord. I am thankful beyond words for all the great support that I received in this fund raiser for Sarah's Covenant Homes. It is really what has kept me going for the last month. And guess what......after this I will never have to do this again!!

Yeah!!!

DONE!

Done.....with the training that is.

Last workout in the pool was this morning.

Now I just get to take it easy till Sunday at 7am Pacific Time!

We have raised $540 so far for Sarah's Covenant Homes!!! Yeah!!

Just praying my feet hold up for the whole 26.2 miles and that I do not get too worked up about it before hand!!

Thanks for all your encouraging words and getting behind me in this effort!!

The Goal!!!

Thanks to a wonderful gift from a new friend, Faye, I have reached my goal of $500 for Sarah's Covenant Homes with my marathon!!!!!

I am so very excited!!!

Now just 5 more days to the marathon--praying for health and determination!!

If you were thinking of supporting me in this endeavor and have not let me know yet---I see absolutely NO PROBLEM with EXCEEDING my goal!!

Blessings

Attitude!!

So I thought I would update on the mysterious posting a couple of days ago:

http://jdelightinginhim.blogspot.com/2009/09/can-you-guess.html

Well in the picture is Aleve, which has become my friend for my foot pain!

And my water-running belt!!! Yep, you can run in the water with that cool contraption! It is allowing my to continue training for the marathon, while allowing my foot to avoid the constant pounding on the pavement.

I was getting a little down with the pain in the feet, the trials of dealing with some of Grandma's issues and adjusting to David being more busy with his school schedule. I was struggling with attitude issues--just what I have been talking to Caleb about--it always seems to come right back at you--LOL.

Then the Lord blessed me with a wonderful worship time at church this morning--What a blessing!

And some wonderful encouragement from some fellow runners, with promises to pray for my feet--What a foot up!!

And then I came home and saw these pictures on Sarah's Covenant Home page....

This is a picture of Grace 6 months ago when she was brought to SCH.

Here is a picture of beautiful Grace now!!

Love and care and prayer can work wonders!

So attitude adjustment is complete (for the moment).

Thanking the Lord for the many wonderful ways that He has blessed my busy life today!!

Delighting in Him---Donna

Can You Guess?

Have any idea what these are for?

Close to my Goal!

When I started this fundraising with my marathon for Sarah's Covenant Homes, the goal in my head was $500. I must admit I was too chicken to write it down and have it come way short!!

Today, thanks to a very generous gift from my far away sister, I can say that we are almost there!!

Since I have not been walking as much due to the heel issues, it will really spur me on in the marathon.

Thanks to all who have contributed! There are still 12 more days to get in on the fun!! LOL!!

You know 12 days sounds real close!!

SOCKS!!!!

Today I want to sing the praises of SOCKS!!!

Yes, those simple little pieces of material you put on before you put on your shoes, if you are blessed to have either socks or shoes that is.

During this marathon training I have been trying lots of different kinds of socks to help with blisters and also the burning on the balls of my feet! I have to wear my shoes kind of loose due to a circulation issue I have that causes my feet and hands to easily fall asleep. This has caused what I can only call a rug burn type situation on the ball of my feet from rubbing back and forth in my shoes. Can get very painful as the miles increase.

So today I tried some socks I found in David's drawer. They are like two socks together. Both of them are thin, but are actually made into one sock.

So the socks rubbed back and forth on each other AND.....absolutely no pain in the balls of my feet this morning!!! Praise God!!

I love socks today!!!

And for the record, I got in 8 miles this morning in 1 hour 18 minutes. Not to bad for me. Now those of you who run (David, Drew and some of the boys from the big D family) you are not allowed to laugh at that time!!! I was very happy with it!!

Oh and by the way I thought of posting a picture of my poor abused feet, but thought that it was not for the faint of heart. Suffice it to say blisters and calouses upon one another and 4 lost toenails is not a pretty site!! LOL!!

Have a great day and remember to Delight in Him!

My Aching Feet

Ohh!!! My aching feet!!

Now mind you, I am not complaining (too loudly) after all it is for a good cause!! But boy do both of my heels hurt! My plantar facitis is full blown in both heels, hence Drew's beautiful taping job and my night time foot splint!

I am happy to say that we have raised almost $250 together for Sarah's Covenant Homes. I am still praying for a bunch of last minute donations to help out this wonderful ministry (click on the short cut on the side bar to find out more about the ministry) You can read about my marathon for ministry here http://jdelightinginhim.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-adventure.html

So you still have 16 days to join in this effort to help out a wonderful ministry and push me through all 26.2 miles!! Wow that sounds like a lot!!! LOL!!

Sore Today!

Last night I got in an 18 mile walk!!! We finished the last 4 in the total darkness, not too fun. It is getting hard to get long walks in in the daylight, so I am glad it was the last one!! My feet are screaming today! My plantar facitis in my heels makes it feel as though you are walking on a nail!

So why am I doing this!!! I was hoping to raise some funds for Sarah's Covenant Houses. We have raised a little, but I am still praying for more. My feet would love to hear that more have joined up in this effort. You can read more here http://jdelightinginhim.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-adventure.html

Today we are off to Drew's first cross country race of the year in Yreka, California. Looking forward to seeing all the kids run, too bad it is supposed to be well over 100 degrees today on this course with very little shade. Don't expect to see fast times, but everyone has to deal with the heat.

Grandma will be heading out with David's cousin soon to head up early to her grandson's wedding. We will meet them there after the race. Hope no one notices that we are smelly and dirty after the race, as there will be no time to go home first. Drew will be missing the wedding altogether.

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to Delight in Him!!!

20 Miler!!!

Just got home from my 20 mile training walk/run for the marathon!!! Ouch!! Yesterday I was not feeling real up to par, so I did not eat much all afternoon and skipped dinner all together. Then I got the call about the walk and did not think about what skipping a meal would do to my early morning walk. Was doing well till about 15 miles then it just became pain in the back, pain in the gut, pain in the feet....guess you get the idea!! Anyways all done for today after 4 hours and 16 minutes!! Yeah!!

New Adventure!!

My exciting new adventure actually began 2 months ago when I decided to run/walk the Portland Marathon.


At first I was reluctant as my knee causing problems again and I was reluctant to cause any further injury to it. But as I was continually being asked to do it and really encouraged by my over-active husband, I finally gave in and signed up.


At first knowing that David was so excited was enough to keep me going. I also enjoyed fellowshiping with the ladies on our long walks.



But as time moved on, I just kept coming back to why am I doing this, what is the purpose?

Our church used this marathon and the 5 guys doing it last year as a fund raiser to start their disabilities ministry. Now there is a purpose. Through the funds they raised, they sent some people to training and purchased supplies they needed for start up.


During my walk this week God gave me a purpose for my marathon training!!!

I will be walking/running to raise funds for Sarah's Covenant Homes!!! http://sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com/

This ministry has set up family-style homes for abandoned children (orphans) with special needs in India. Right now they are working to raise funds for another run of surgeries that some of the children need- http://sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com/2009/08/hyderabad-on-monday-more-surgeries.html These surgeries will be done in the next weeks. On top of this they are working on bringing a new set of children to the homes. All of this along with the everyday expenses of running their homes, God has placed them on my heart to run to raise funds for them.


Now I may be great on ideas at times, but the detail are usually a bit of work for me!! So right now I am asking that if you would like to sponsor me in the Portland Marathon (October 4) run/walk post a comment or email me at djordan3940@charter.net I will work on getting a meter to show the progress on the sidebar.


Thanks ahead of time for taking the time to consider this. It will definitely make working towards and finishing the marathon a more enjoyable experience for me and I will know it is going towards a good cause!!!

What's Up?

Been trying to do a little blogging with the computer down, but I really like things to be normal. So here I am at my Mom and Dad's using their computer for the evening.

We are in Roseburg for the weekend to attend a get together of families that have children adopted from Liberia. I always enjoy our get together and the chance to talk to other families from similar situations. I will hopefully have pictures and a update next week with the new computer.

We enjoyed a play date with 4 other adoptive families on Thursday and picked some berries.

I walked 18miles yesterday in 4 hours and 9 minutes. Only one more long walk till the marathon!! YEAH!! David logged in 11.5 tonight in nothing flat. He is running like a crazy man right now and really enjoying the blessing of running, especially running fast--his face lights up like a little kid on Christmas morning!!!

We redid Hannah's hair this morning and afternoon--Note to self, do not leave twists in for more than 4 weeks, they start to lock!!! What a nightmare to get out!! She was quite the trooper though and now has cornrows that are very crooked because the lighting was so bad in the front room with our special plywood door!! New door is at the store now, just need to go get it and get it in.

Drew and Erinn will be heading out tomorrow for the coast with friends. Praying for safety and a good, fun time. Weird having the family go in two different directions for the weekend!!

Erinn has been painting her room today--grey! She will redecorate and move things around too, so we took down the over sized desk to give her more room! She is having fun doing it the way she wants.

We have been a week and a half with the new methods with Hannah and Caleb. Things are going real well. Seeing good responses in behavior and listening. Looking forward to long term results.

Danielle is still wedding dress shopping and I think is to the point of thinking that maybe this is not so much fun!! Too many choices, too much cost. Praying for the right dress for her. And for her sleep issues in her new housing arrangements.

That about catches us up for now--have a great weekend and remember to Delight in Him!!!!