Update

News just in:

• I went rock climbing, thus completing half of the February Challenge.
• I fit the harness
• I did not break anything
• I climbed to the top of the wall
• I am so so SO proud, shed a few tears
• Full report to follow

"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby"
Ruth Renkel

5 Things I'm Proud Of #6

It's Friday, you know what time it is, time to be proud of all the things you've done. Share in the comments, go on, I dare ya!

1. Getting up early to clean the house

2. Walking home from work

3. Realising I really need to go back to week 2 of the push up challenge, and doing it with good form

4. Resisting the biscuit tin at work

5. Not making any excuses, I'm about to go indoor rock climbing, finally!

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday"
Unknown

Dear Doctor

Dear Doctor,

I'm writing to you in preparation for our appointment next week in regards to my ongoing knee pain. I have great respect for Doctors, I've worked with many wonderful physicians over the years, smart, quick, responsible, but I have also encountered many as a patient, been laughed at, judged, misdiagnosed, treated unfairly.

So I thought, in order to assist us both in making the process easier and more efficient i would come up with terms of behaviour, so that we may respect each other and achieve the outcomes we desire.

I will

• Arrive on time
• Explain my problem in a succinct manner
• Tell you whether I am prepared to do what you ask of me
• Thank you
• Appreciate your ability to refer when you feel you don't understand the situation

You will

• Apologise for keeping me waiting
  
• Listen to me
• Ask questions to clarify my explanation
• Respect that I am an intelligent individual
• Do a proper assessment
• Understand that this is my knee, the knee that means I can't be as active as I want, the knee that means I've given up on bush walking, running, squatting, the knee that may mean nothing to you, oh Dr, but means everything to me.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to working with you to get me back out there.

Yours in gratitude,
Berni

"Surgeons must be very careful
When they take the knife!
Underneath their fine incisions
Stirs the Culprit - Life!"

Emily Dickinson

Support Team

Not unlike Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, on their adventures around the globe, us mere mortal folk also need a support team for when things get rough. Support can come in all shapes and sizes, friends cheering you on, the loving sister convincing you that you don't need to go anywhere near the Tim Tams, and of course the wonderful blogosphere, full of amazing people doing their thing.

A new thing for me is learning to support myself. Breaking that old habit of putting myself down and turning it into a spring of motivational statements, applause and yeeehahs, is somewhat challenging at times.

Sometime I listen to myself chatting away with myself, being all Anthony Robbinsesque and I can't help but think maaaaan this is just too much. Maybe it's an Aussie thing, we aren't known for our ability to motivate and support our high achievers, hell there is even a Wikipedia entry about it.

Whatever it is, I'm working on it, one day at a time, the team is there with radio support whenever I need it and on those days that we don't have reception, I am now able to dust off the cobwebs and become my own cheering squad, and it's kinda nice.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten"
Anthony Robbins

5 Things I'm Proud Of #5

Friday is here again and it's time to look back over the week and remember all the little things. I've been doing this for a while now and I find that it really helps me to stay focused and positive.... so here we go.....

1. Finishing week 4 of the push up challenge, which involved doing an exhaustion test to see how many push ups I could do in a row...... I've found that I need to go back to week 3 and go from there, but that's OK, my form is getting much better and I'm really loving the challenge.

2. Starting a routine which will mean that I actually get my distance education subjects done.

3. Losing 3 cms off my waist..... huh where did it go? I can't find it anywhere. Such a shame, I was so fond of that flab roll ^-^

4. Resting my knee despite feeling frustrated about it.

5. Organising my jewelery from little piles all over the house into one easily accessible drawer. Little things make big differences.

So do tell, what are you proud of this week?

"Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom"
Queen Elizabeth