Now that the pity party is over and I've re-focused, I'm challenging myself!

Tuesday was a horrible day. I had biked the night before but the achilles pain was like fire all day and I was cranky, weepy and truly a hot mess. I kept crying on the bus ride home prompting a few looks of concern. I went to physio, had acupucture and went to bed telling myself I can do this.

Monday night I pulled this off:

But as I said, I paid for it on Tuesday. I think I was in so much pain because I was depressed and feeling very negative.

I also starting "patching" again on Tuesday night and felt much better yesterday. Patching helped to ease the bursitis in my knees and my doctor, by email, okayed me to start patching the achilles area of my right foot. I also upped my arthritis medication and felt immediate relief.

So last night, I set out to see if I could push myself further on the bike and this happened:

Today I feel great. I'm sore but there is no pain. The ankle is tender and surprisingly, there's no inflammation or swelling present in my knees. I was able to get out of bed this morning without hobbling.

I also worked up the nerve to weigh myself and the scale high-fived back with 277.6 pounds. That's a 6.4 pound loss since my highest weight this year of 284.

One thing I am most grateful for, because it is nerve wracking to put yourself out there, is how supportive all the crazy train fans have been. After I tweeted the Back in the saddle post on Twitter, I received a few text messages from people who appreciated I put my story out there. I also received some recommendations for personal trainers and doctors who can work with me. I am weighing these options. I am happy with my medical level of care so I don't think I will change that, but I think some personal training will help with my muscle weakness, imbalance and lack of core strength.

Thank you for being my friend, friends!