I'm back, I passed and feelin' alllright

Thanks everyone for the AWESOME words of encouragement. They really, really helped! And I PASSED, I PASSED, I PASSED!! I don't know my exact score yet, but I do know I passed. They print it out at the end of the exam whether you passed or failed and thanks to little baby, tiny Jesus, and my brain stuffed with safety regs and measurements I passed. Whew! This test was grueling. Five hours allotted time and it took ALL - FIVE- HOURS. My brain was so fried afterward. I seriously could not even speak. I couldn't think of everyday words like refrigerator and gasoline. No joke. Only one more exam to go to get my safety professional certification. I want to take it ASAP while the knowledge is still fresh. Then I'm on my way to super nerd-dome.

Knee update:

I went to a new orthopedic doctor a week and a half ago. He was great - loved him. I had the initial x-rays done on my knee and he could immediately tell from the x-rays that I have some osteoarthritis going on (which I suspected). I still have the scope pictures from when they scoped my knee back in '93 (they're my little trophy, to say "Hey - see what's been taken out of me! Cartilage here, here, here, and oh yeah...here...") They helped him determine some of what's going on based on past and current trauma. He found some old and new stuff:

• He suspects an old ACL AND PCL strain. The knee is really wobbly, but I'm also very, very flex jointed. Most of my joints will bend freakishly backwards with no pain.
• Floating patella - old - knew that.
• Possibly a new cartilage tear on right side of knee
  
• AND my legs are crazy different lengths. Just a rough measurement, but almost 1/2"! No stinkin' wonder I have so many aches from running.

He ordered an MRI so we could find out more about what's going on with Princess Patella. I went for the MRI on Monday (which is a crazy, weird, soul-finding experience...YOU lay perfectly still for 35 minutes in a tomb and tell me you don't do some thinking.) I go back in on Friday so he can tell how really messed up I am.

Oh, funny thing though, my knees are so wonky, weird that he wants to use my films, etc to teach his interns at LSU. FUNNY! I'm famous for being so jacked up! All genetics...thanks Mom and Dad. But he did say he was WAY impressed that I run as much as I do and that I compensate for everything that's going on so well.

In other good news, the darn thing is finally starting to feel better! I ran 5 miles on Sunday and 6 miles on Tuesday with little to no pain. I was stoked! And very little swelling in the knee afterward. I'm a little stiff today, but my whole body is stiff from lack of running. Getting back into it is a little frustrating after all the work I put in before, but I know I'll get there. Just taking it one run at a time.

OK - time to get back to it. Going to check on everyone's blog and respond tonight. Gotta catch up!

Today I LOVE: The promise of a rainy day. It's looking mighty overcast out there!