I began last week with great anticipation. My bulletin journal planner had a reasonable amount of weekly to-do’s, and I had a really nice plan for eating well, getting the appropriate exercise, etc. Monday and Tuesday went according to plan, and then, out of nowhere came a major road block on Wednesday.

I left the house mid-afternoon for a nice leisurely walk to the city library to return a few books. I walked east a 3 or 4 blocks, then north a few blocks,  and then turned west. I strolled through one of our community’s beautiful city parks and then another 4 or so blocks, then south for several blocks to the library before heading back to the house. I was just thinking how blessed I am to be able to live in this house, within walking distance of so many things, for the next 13 months, when I realized my left knee was feeling a tad sore.

I wasn’t concerned. At that point, I was about 2 blocks from home and figured I’d rest for a bit when I got there. About 1/2 a block later, sharp pains were shooting across my knee and I was limping profusely. I hobbled the final block or so to the house and stood on the sidewalk, eyeing the fairly steep (but, thankfully, short) driveway. For a moment, I thought I might have to scoot up the driveway on my bottom, but I managed to drag myself up the hill and into the house.

I’ll save you the long drawn-out story of my texts to my son, two trips to CVS (I had no ibuprofen aka Advil — I didn’t even know they were the same thing! — in the house, nor did I have a knee brace), and trip to the doctor on Friday where, thankfully, an x-ray showed no damage. The words tossed around were “tendinitis” and “strain”; neither sound too serious.

However, while waiting to see the doctor and afterward, on his instruction, I’ve spent much of each day on the couch with my knee elevated, wrapped, and under an ice bag. As a result, I didn’t get in my 10,000 steps each day, nor did I carry boxes of stuff up from the basement and go through them. The items that were on my to-do list last week remain undone.

I’m okay with that; those tasks can easily be absorbed into the remainder of my summer break.

What I’m not okay with is the forced inactivity. I’ve become lethargic and have resorted to taking naps! I’m tired of the pain, and I’m past the point of “ready to be back to normal”, and I’m chomping at the bit to implement my get-into-better-shape plans.

In short, I’m impatient. And bored. And getting a bit cranky.

My doctor said that if my knee isn’t back to normal by the end of this week, I should come back in and get a shot of either cortisone or steroids — I don’t remember which.

But between you and me, I doubt I get that impatient or that bored or that cranky. 🙂