Too miserable to blog yesterday but I finally got to see my pain management doc yesterday afternoon. He was really impressed by how well I've been doing and how much better I'm looking.  I'm glad my doctors are noticing my progress too.  It helps keep you going when others take the time to acknowledge your hard work. In the middle of the exam he asked "HOW are you exercising?". I said "Well, I finally decided if I just sit around on the couch I'll be hurting and just keep getting fatter and more miserable so I decided if I'm going to hurt anyway I may as well get out there and try to have some fun and try to get healthier and maybe some of the pain will get better along the way."  He did warn me to be careful and I'm not stupid. I know this arthritic spine isn't going to get better.  Surgery is a "wait til there's no option, major big deal, one time, no guarantee" kinda thing so I'm holding out for technology.  They make advances so quickly these days and I've been managing to hold out using pain management and my own pigheadedness.  Anyway after about 8 injections he says "I can't believe how much younger you look"! Yeah!!! ANOTHER person who thinks I look younger and here I was so worried about looking older because I wouldn't have all that fat filling up lines and creases anymore!   Hopefully I will look good for my final picture next Saturday. Next Friday I undergo 3 sets of blocks in outpatient surgery.  I usually feel like I've been kicked by steel toed boots for 1-3 days afterwards if I wait until the pain gets this bad because the nerves are so terribly irritated. It takes a few days for the cortisone to start kicking in. Maybe I'll live a little and take the sedation during the procedure for a change. I usually don't so I can go to work afterwards. Even though I was miserable I forced myself to go get some walking in on the treadmill at the Y.  That's major progress because in the past I'd make excuses.  I started out by promising myself to go at least 30minutes. I could only manage 2.5 mph. I went to fill my water bottle and give myself a pep talk and decided I'd try at least another 15 because there were lots of machines open. I ended up finally getting myself into a rhythm and ended with another 61 minutes between the treadmill, elliptical and the recumbent. Promised myself 30 and ended with 91 minutes although at the end I was exercising close to the red zone according the the HRM.  At home after I synced my FitBit I noticed I was only at 8 floors for the day so I walked up and down the stairs for a total of 11 for the day so I could keep on my new goal for the week. Total miles 7.17 and 17,242 steps. Not bad for a bad day.