Endorphin Junkie

My ankle that collided with the leg of the kneeler at church last week is still swollen. Most of the bruising has receded, but the swelling and pain don't give me any hope of going away anytime soon. On Mother's Day, after being on my ankle all day, I was complaining to Don about how much it hurt.

"You just need to stay off of it for a few days," he suggested. Right. And exactly how do you do that with a 5-yr. old?

I started to day Monday with so much swelling, I knew I had to do something. So Daelyn and I took his siblings to school, came home and I switched loads of laundry, then we put a movie on the computer, piled up on the loveseat with my foot elevated, and settled in. Don bought, "Night at the Museum" for the boys the night I went camping with Deanna and I hadn't seen it yet. Daelyn and I had a very peaceful morning. Then we ate lunch, I switched loads again, and we laid down for a 2 1/2 hour nap.

I've had a cold setting in, which turned quite wicked Sunday night - runny nose, coughing, unable to sleep. My Monday morning, it was all I could do to get the kids to school before I collapsed, so it was the perfect opportunity to "rest the ankle". By Tuesday morning, the swelling was significantly down. However, I called my doctor Monday afternoon and asked to be seen, very concerned that this amount of swelling over this period of time was more than just a popped blood vessel.

I got into the doctor yesterday. He sent me for an X-ray, concerned that I might have broken or cracked a bone. I have a re-check on Friday. In the meantime, my cold has settled in my chest and seems to be turning into bronchitis. Seems to me this happened around this same time last year (not the ankle, but the bronchitis). Billy (my doctor) gave me a prescription for antibiotics in case I need them later this week and told me to take Ibuprofen for the ankle swelling. It does seem to be better. Something about injuries - mention going to the doctor and - voila - they're better.

I finally got back to the gym today. My friend, Rachel, talks about endorphins and how wonderful they are. I guess I've never really experienced them - - until recently. Suddenly, I can identify with all those endorphin remarks. When I work out, my general state of mind is better and I'm much happier and more content. Endorphins. At least, it seems that way. I needed a dose of endorphins today. Another close friend, Anne, raised her eyebrow when she heard me talking and I mentioned working out.

"Are you SURE you feel well enough to tackle the gym today?" she asked, carefully. I laughed.

"I'll take it easy - a short, light work-out, but I need them endorphins."

I can barely talk, my chest is hurting and I'm coughing, and my ankle is swollen. But I feel GREAT!! Gotta get more gym time soon - my cure-all.