From the Girl That Broke Everything

It might be time to close this chapter in my life. I have met every goal I set for myself this year and I even the new ones I added. This isn't a "look at me" but a "how the heck did that happen" moment. I have said it before so we all know, it happened because of God but it still shocks me all of the time... We did it. We made it. Here are a few things I wanted to show you.


I have some pictures:



from the race, yes stolen

Mile 18

Finish Line!

The Goods

The kids like the Half one better but I think the Full is way cooler!

Right after my first run            Today, just about a year later

I would never have guessed how many people would taken the time to support me. God's creation is incredible. Far more people than I deserve have given me so much love even still. I am not sure if people have actually seen this blog or read it in general. If so, I apologize for my grammar and spelling and thank you for your continued support and prayers. I don't know how many people are interested in the rants of a girl that can't seem to keep her body from breaking but I love you :). People have been wonderful about this, and with all that I found myself wondering a lot if the kids understood all of this crazy in my life. If they got why I moved in, why I was on crutches for so long, why I was always coming home sweaty in the morning or after picking them up and why I left over summer? I mean they are far more brilliant than most give them credit for. Little did I know, they understood more than most people do about what "Aunt Katie" did this last year and a half with them.


Here is what they said:

Emi was sleeping so she is getting credit with this picture

So it has finally sunk in. I am now on to my next goal. I am going to learn to be agile. I haven't been able to cut, bound, do plyos or play sports because my body couldn't do that the motions. I am confident that that is in my future.  Next year I hope to be able to play soccer, basketball, football and anything else I can get my hands on. 

I intended for this to be a good-bye post, like I said above a wrap up of sorts. I guess I will never be done because I don't think people should ever stop setting goals. I will leave you with this. My last post of the year. We did it. The girl that breaks/broke everything made it. So next year I will start up once more. Going back to PT to learn how to do things I love again. I will unpack my cleats, get out the cones and be praying ceaselessly. More things will break, more pain and tears will happen. This time though I will already know that I will come out better.

One thing I want to take away with this is that God gave me so much grace but it going to waste if I don't do anything with it. If you read this and you need help, you need encouragement or really anything pertaining to any of this please let me know. 

My email is katieerighn@yahoo.com please please let me know if you need anything

 Thank you God, thank you all, and thank you munchkins

Thank you

Yes that is a terrible image for the video to start on. It is this way on youtube now as well... How embarrassing, but I wanted to thank everyone with real words. Words that I didn't have right after because I was overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here is the link as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHXpJtUOMgs&feature=youtu.be

Bless you all and Merry Christmas!

26.2 Freaking Miles

I did it. The run was yesterday and I still can't believe it. I am so thankful and so at a loss for words at the same time. I am a marathoner. So I am just going to explain it in pictures.

God is good

For All the Marbles

I feel like I am repeating myself when I say this but I am so excited and terrified. I had no idea this day would ever come. Surgery or no surgery I had never planned on doing a marathon before a few months ago. My goal was a half... God gave me a new goal! Just two days from now I will be running 26.2 miles.

I took the kids to the running expo with me to pick up my bib, tag, ect. and they had a blast but this was much different than my last expo. Last time you may recall was with Smalls and my mom. I feel like I might have aged ten years since then. I went from acting like an infant (Mom will attest to that) to having three connected to me. This picture literally feel like years ago, not just 5 months.

I was reminded today several times that had it not been for these two I wouldn't be where I am today. I also am completely overwhelmed by the grace God has had with me and because of if I know I owe absolutely everything I am to him and everyone in my life who has given me so much support. When we got interviewed today I almost couldn't contain myself with how thankful I really am for both. 

I hope one day I can tell these three how much of a better person I am because of them.

9 Weeks Count Down

It's happening. At least that is what I keep telling myself. I am running the full in 9 weeks and 2 days. Can you believe it is already fall!!!

I am still in PT and at this point my longest run is 5 miles. I am planning on running a seven miler tonight or in the morning. I have no doubt that I can finish the full. I just want to be able to walk after. I can prepare my body and heart as best I can and work on letting it be. Let's face it it is all up to God. He has blessed me with so much more than I could imagine. I hope this run glorifies him from training to finish line.

Its my own personal form of worship. The competitor in me wants to do really well and finish with a reasonably time but it has a lot more to do with the fact that once I finish this run I will have learned to run 0.25 miles in January and finished by running a full marathon in December. It is going to take time, sweat, lactic acid build up, aches, prayer, guidance and my enormous support group but I hope this run honors everyone that has done some much for me. I am eternally thankful. I pray that I have the opportunity to give back a little of the kindness I have been given so far.

My training can be selfish I admit but I run for more than just me.

These three little beings are some of the most incredible lives God has let me be a part of. Part of my never giving up has to do with them. I don't allow them to say "I can't...". Their options are "may I please have a little help" or they need to work through the tough stuff. I believe in this, I believe in 5 am wake-up calls, running in the rain, icing all the time, putting in the time, energy and passion. I believe in honesty and living by my own words. I believe that God is allowing me to teach my nieces and nephews this and that when i finish this run I will be reinforcing what I teach them. Leading by example.

Year One = Success

HAPPY ONE YEAR.... to me and my new hip!

Mollie, Smalls, Batman, Goose... She Goes by many names but it all comes down to this: she is the person I love the most and probably am most different from. She and I celebrated my hip last night together. FYI she may just be the person that makes me laugh the hardest. She is also the person that challenges me and I am sure gets sick of my smothering... Love you lady little sister.

This was us before we went out last night. Yes that is a dress entirely covered in sequins... Sorry not sorry ;)

I gladly give over the crutches and stitches for the heels and the glitter. God gave me an awesome year and I am sure this next one will be even better. My past prepared me for my future. The valleys have made me thankful for the peeks and the Lord lets me see the beauty in the little things. That is a gift worth more than I can explain. If there is anything that I can perpetuate and sing praises for it is this....

God never gets it wrong. He has timing that I don't always enjoy. He moves things around to make me uncomfortable. He takes people away so that I cling to him... But HE never leaves me alone and he makes me stronger and better in every way every day. No one has had more blessings showered on them than me. I don't deserve any of it. It really is all a God thing. 

Bring it on December 9th, I will own those 26.2 miles even if I have to crawl across the finish line :) All because of you people and our awesome creator. 

Year one = Success

One Year Anniversary!!!

It is true. This long journey officially started one year ago today. When I walked in to a hospital in Dallas with my mom and a hope that I would get to walk maybe even jog again.... I was a little younger, a little more lost, a little less single, less thankful and a lot less stronger. Stronger in God, stronger as a student, stronger with friendships and oh yeah... STRONGER body than I ever thought would happen again. This wasn't an easy journey and it wasn't one I necessarily want to go through again but I would never take it back. This is what I posted on facebook about today:

"If you don't know how to act, act thankful. Think about it, you get another day to live how ever you want knowing that it is exactly where you are supposed to be. One year ago, September 28th, 2011, I had a crazy, out of this world experimental surgery and was given the ability to run again. I have literally had the hardest, best, most heart-breaking and all-around most blessed year of my life thu

s far. I worked hard for every step I have taken (literally). Between learning to walk, run, getting the job at AE and then ESPN and being a nanny God had provided me with the best experiences, people, family and future... all because I ruined my leg on a field in the middle of Iowa two years ago. There are no accidents and what a huge blessing that is!!!"

None of this would have ever happened with out my family, friends, army of doctors and most importantly God. So I think that I need to name a few of the people that made me who I am today and what I have become through this surgery. 

Of course these three, they are so important. This picture is from today.

1. Mom, you are my best friend and the only person that knows all my secrets yet still cheers me on at every leg and every obstacle meet. I love you and respect you more everyday. You are my role model. 
2. Family. You all are incredible. You have given me so much support and love. I am know I needed to be in a family this big because I needed you all to teach me so much. Dad, Lorra, Becky, Shannon, David, and Smalls. You have been my support from afar but you love was anything but distant. You all are the reason that I will never have wavering faith. There is no way that so much awesome happened in one family on accident. Dan, this includes you too as an honorary O'Keefe
           2.(B) Dan Patrick. The guy in my life you could not mean more to me if he tried. Your unfading support and love for me is something I am so blessed to have. I hope when I meet who I marry someday he is half as selfless as you are. You remind me everyday to push further and expect more from both myself and others. You are the mini cherry, Best bro in the world. 
3.Kelli you taught me how to be tough and push through the sucky stuff so that I could meet the good. Literally running along side of me when I needed it. You are awesome.
4.Mollie, Smalls, you were there the night of my surgery and the day of my half marathon. I am in awe of your unconditionally love. Thanks for being there every single time. Yes, even emotional calls at 3 in the morning because some jerk hurt my feelings. 
My doctors, Both Muller and Dustin. If I could I would give them every dime I make for the rest of my life and it still wouldn't be enough to repay them.
5. Carolyn you support me and are never shot of compliments. Best girl in the world! quote me on it =]
6. Sadie, my twin, my person and the girl that knew I needed flowers the day I got home to make me feel better. No one gets me better.
7. Christine. My blonde beautiful friend, it is wonderful to know someone is as nuts as me ;)
8. Kassie- Girly I can't believe you came into my life when you did because you are the kind of person I feel like I have known forever. What an absolute blessing you have been in every way!
9. G, you taught me discipline and how to take my "always injured" body and run with it (literally). 
10. All of my teammates and all of my friends. Never has someone experienced so much love as I have every day. This journey is something each of you took with me and when the road got rough you all push me out of the valleys and up the hills.

The list above is a list of miraculous people that God put in my life because although he is technically all I need, he wanted me to survive down here for a while. Lord knew that I needed A LOT of support and love to just function. 

To anyone that goes through an injury I am going to give you my secret for coming out better. 
1. Pray all the time, everywhere, everyday, until it hurts. No excuses, because God gives you nothing more than you can handle. Isn't it cool that God has more faith in you that you even do. Blows my mind when ever I get something I don't think I can handle because obviously God knows I can. 
2. Read (my suggestions are anything sports related especially if Tony Dungy and Tim Tebow are the narrators). 
3. Love people, including the ones that either put you in the situation or stunted your recovery *Midwestern doctors and lousy little boys cough cough. But love them anyways, pray for them  but also remember....Nothing feels better than surpassing their expectations and proving them wrong ;) What can I say, I like to win. 

Joy

This is what joy looks like.

I found real joy after my surgery. Most people that knew me and know me would say I am a happy person. I never give up, I smile a lot and I generally try to have a good attitude about things, but after I got hurt I felt lost. I was so turned around that I didn't know who I was or what God was doing. 

 I had my coach, trainers and multiple doctors tell me that I what I said I had couldn't be true. Basically that I was "faking it". You can only hear that so many times before you start believing it. There is a weird thing that happens when you lose your identity. You flounder. You do anything to just feel something because inside you are hollow, lost, and drowning in confusion. Confusion that wouldn't have been there had I been clinging to God like I should have been. 

I started to learn who I was again when I had to fly home from Iowa the first time. I started to develop the person I was meant to be in Christ. I have my mom and old coach to thank for that most of all. They are two people that refused to let me drift off. I found so much joy in athletics and since at this point "that would never happen again" they both encouraged me to start coaching the jr high girls soccer team that I had been a part of when I was in middle school. That is when God opened up my heart to what I now have a passion for. Working with teenagers and watching other people develop their own goals and dreams is something I want to always be a part of. What an incredible blessing that has been in my life. God made me learn how much more fulfilling giving is than a self focused life. 

Bragging time: My girls went all the way to the championships and won their league after starting off in last place. These girls are ROCK STARS!

When I found out at the end of their season (God's timing is awesome) that I might have a chance at running again from this doctor is Dallas I was shocked and  was ready to be unstoppable. I knew that with enough will power anything would be possible. I won't go into the transplant to Dallas again but that was another milestone for learning real joy for me. Between taking care of the munchkins and living with my no nonsense sister I toughened up and learned to live more thankfully. Taking special care to notice all the little things I am blessed with day in and day out. 

So joy is a gift I received within the last year-ish. That smile on my face in the mud run was from last weekend. To quote my wise and hilarious sister I was "giddy like a school girl" just to get to be involved in the run. Well wouldn't you be if you did something that you could "never do again". 

I guess if that is true that I probably shouldn't have done this either...oh well :)

Look at that, there are more than 25 people in this story alone I should be thanking God every day for: Mom, Kelli, Shad G, the munchkins, and my team of rock stars. Joy givers and joy teachers. 

A Pick Me (rather them) Up

So the second day of my "being thankful" journey leading up to my one year since surgery. Last year I had a hard time picking them up. Them, being the three time humans I am slave to. Now however I can pick all three up and spin, jump and romp around. 

In this picture I couldn't lift anything over 5 pounds (2 weeks post op)

Let's just say this morning I am lifting far more than 5 pounds

I can't explain how important physical strength is to me. I put a lot of my identity in being stronger, faster and tougher. When I get sick (usually from the Crohn's) or am hurt (really any body part) I get too deep into my own mind. I have learned a lot from God this year, one huge lesson is that strength isn't just physical. Some of the strongest people are the most physically frail. Today I am celebrating the strength:physical, mental, spiritual and emotional that God had given me this year.

-I went through the heart ache of loosing my leg and identity as a "college athlete", and I am better for it, God had me work for it to develop the strong muscles I have now.

-I had a weakened immune system and had to own up to having Crohn's which more often than not I get crap from people that I put myself in flair ups.  God used this to strengthen my mental toughness.

-My heart was broken for the first time this year. At the time it felt like it broke all of me but God used it to develop me as an individual both spiritually as well as causing me to be more tender hearted and grow emotionally. I am learning to be an independent adult(calling my mother every day of course).

God didn't leave me alone through all of this, he gave me a "team" here on earth in the form of family, friends and doctors. What is the world would I do without them! They were like my personal trainers here on Earth spurring me on and pushing me forward. They deserve much more praise than I for who I have become.

This Katie is far stronger than the one from age 20 and before. This Katie is more confident in the strength she has because I know it isn't mine. It is the power that the Lord gives me by developing all of my weaknesses. I had to hit, what I perceived to be, rock bottom in every area of my life for me to start the brutal strength training He had is store for me. 

21-year-old Katie is just the beginning of who I will be in the future. I think the longer I submit to God the stronger I will become. I Started the year defeating the odds and running 0.25 miles straight. I will end the year running 26.2 in my first marathon. Lord willing!

Today I celebrate the strength I have to be picking up the munchkins (three of my toughest coaches) as their nanny they have never accepted any excuse of mine if hindered them from the zoo or play ground. Little slave drivers! 

Never say never

It has been a while since my last post. I hate to use being busy as an excuse but alas I am going to. I pulled my hip two weeks ago and am back at PT. Good thing it is probably my favorite place in all of Texas! Going back made me realize that I am approaching the anniversary of a truly important event.

September 28, 2012 I had my major hip surgery. I look back and remember how I felt and can't believe what a year it has been. I have changed so much and grown even more so. I am stronger physically, spiritually and emotionally and I believe it all if from this experience. Well played God :).

I am recalling about this time last year I was trying to pick out outfits for a special occasion coming up and found everything but hadn't buckled down what shoes I was going to wear. Don't forget I was injured so it was between the flat or the other flats. I said I would NEVER wear heels because they were uncomfortable and I would probably break or twist something else, so not being able to wear them wasn't a big deal. Except that I hate being told I can't do something.

Today I am praising God for the blessing to wear any footwear I so choose. I went from the shoes on the left and not owning a single pair of heels to the shoes on the right and owning more than a dozen pair of sky high heels. I got something that I didn't even have before surgery. When I was spent and finally learned the lesson to turn my hip over to God I have prospered ten fold and only and all because he was able to get through my thick, stubborn head.

Side note I have literally ran in the ones on the bottom right...

This month I am devoting this lovely blog of mine to the miracles God has given to me from this surgery. I had to work for them but all the good things are the ones that took the most time to achieve! He allowed me to do so many things I NEVER thought I would or could. What I have learned is to never say never.

She'll be coming around the mountain....

Yes, I chose a cheesy title but let me tell you I almost used the song title "It's the climb" and wouldn't that have been a bit worse!

I have hiked before but this week I did something completely new. I rock climbed and not in one of those fun walls with the colorful hand holds. I went up a mountain and my big brother David took me! It is so much fun and finally having leg strength and upper body strength helped me out with this one. Take that hours of gym going! It was amazing though. Remind me of the verse about having faith like a mountain. Psalms 125:1 "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which can never be shaken but endures forever". God has certainly been teaching me to be more faithful this last year!

Climbing taught me a bit more about humility as well. I like knowing how to do things, especially those that are surrounding athleticism so when I literally couldn't put my own harness on I decided to let go and just have fun the rest of the time and thankfully I got up every run. I even started doing yoga poses on the climb up and giving my brother call names like Charzard. Although my lovely brother cheated for me on one of them. I decided to call it a little extra encouragement! He even trusted me enough to let me be the one that help his rope while he climbed. God gave me an awesome gift this week, the gift to keep growing in both body and mind with my brother as a literal anchor. So blessed.

Is this really the end?

I did the half marathon, the thing I had set out, my goal, my end game, my finish line and now is this really the end?

No way! I now need to run a full, granted I was told my body can't do that but that didn't stop me the last trillion times a doctor said my body won't handle something like that. So new goal, run a full marathon by next summer.

Let's get back to the half. It was amazing! I had injured my ankle the week before (and am still injured a week after) which made the idea of running on it a bit daunting. I had tried the Monday and Tuesday before to go for a light run and both I had to stop at 2 mile... pathetic. Luckily I have a little sister who happens to be a little angel/my personal athletic trainer and she wrapped my ankle several days leading up and the morning of the run. I don't think I can ever thank Mollie (Smalls/my person) or Mom enough. They will be the first people to tell me to stop hurting myself while also being the first people to support me at the finish line. I have the best family in the world.

We went down to San Diego the day before the run to the Expo. A big party devoted to running... my kind of day :). I was in my favorite city, with my favorite people so we also went to my favorite place. OB, where you can meet the ocean and eat incredible food.

Because I refused to skip the run because of my ankle I was sure I would be stuck on crutches after the run so when I saw the ocean I decided I better jump in it for fear of not being able to the rest of the summer (yes, fully clothed). 

That is her reaction to my decisions... apparently nothing I do surprises her anymore!

I got to have their company all weekend. That night I was too excited to sleep so after being my obsessive self and setting out my outfit I stayed up and had almost no sleep.

The next day I ran the race, ankle hurting but beating my goal of 2:15 and ending with 2:09.50. I was Number 6,112 out of more than 40,000 and was able to sprint the final leg, all thanks to the commitment and prayers of my mom, Smalls, and my best friend Carolyn at the finish line. (I called them at mile 8 and begged for prayers because up to this point every single step was painful) As usual, the Lord pulled me through it and made me better for it. 

The tape lasted all 13.1 miles, thank you smalls!

Looking back at the beginning of this blog I just have to crumble before God. This has been the biggest accomplishment thus far and I know it had nothing to do with what I did. My family, my doctor, my physical therapist, my friends and most importantly the Lord deserve the credit. I can't believe what blessings I have received through all of them. It has been a week and I still smile like an idiot!

Don't worry I didn't get ahead of my self... I iced :)

Thank you, who ever you are that have been on this journey with me! Sorry but I am not done yet. I still have many more things to do that, as the Iowa doctor put it "will never be possible again"... That sentence will put a fire in my belly for years to come.

Special shout out to you again Mom and Mols. You two are wonderful women of God that I try to model and with out you I promise I couldn't have done this. I wish I could explain how incredible I think you both are. How sure I am that I would be a cripple mess with out you in my life. I love you.