Jennifer, I just about fainted when I read that you are doing crunches! I just read an article put out by McGill University, one of our top medical schools saying that crunches should be stopped. They put an enormous amount of pressure on our back and can cause herniations.

There were several other exercises that would build the core muscles just as quickly that don't do any damage. I will dig up the article tomorrow and see if I can find an on-line link to it.

Other than that, I want to congratulate you on how well you are progressing. And to take away your guilt complex I sure understand it, and have lived it for years now since I've been pretty useless here (or at least feel that way). But try to ignore it while you heal....I'm starting to get pretty good at ignoring the dust bunnies, or dinosaurs as I call them