(Hi, readers. Enjoy the blog. And tune in Friday for a special announcement.
And remember to consult with your doctor before exercising to see what routine might be right for you. Enjoy and peace.)
Every drug I take in my battle against sacroidosis warns that it makes you drowsy or dizzy. I admit that since April, five months into this pharmaceutical regiment, I have been tired and listless. I just want to lie down, pull the blankets over my head and sleep until…whenever. Just sleep.
Instead, I just say yes.
No, silly, not to drugs and certainly not to the side affects of prednisone, methotrexate, Carvedilol, hydralazine , lisinopril and the others.
I say yes to movement, in this case walking. When I do not feel like moving, I move. And when asked to do something physical, I do it.
I am in Lakewood, N.J. with my parents. It took 14 hours to drive here. The morning after the drive, I was beat. Almost beyond exhausted. My dad had energy and invited me to join in on a routine: walking the dog. It is a two- to three-mile walk through a wooded area. Hills, mud, dirt. Challenging for someone who is re-learning how to breathe.
Wanna come? He asked.
No, I admitted to myself. But I said yes as soon as I was asked, jumped up and we hit the trail.
And it was great. Another bonding moment with my dad and the family dog, Tobie, a golden retriever. We walked, talked, laughed. I realized that while I was winded – country walkin’ is sure more challenging than city walkin! – I was going to be better off for it.
Later that day, my mom got home and we walked 1-1/2 miles with Tobie (This dog gets a serious workout. He has legs of steel!). That was a great bonding moment, too.
I took ill in mid-March in Chicago and spent 10 days in the hospital. After I was released, two friends of mine who were also co-workers, Megan Cottrell and Felicia Yonter, made me move. I told them the drugs made me listless, so they had me take baby steps. Let’s walk two blocks to the coffee shop. Megan would say. Let’s take Guinness – the Shepard-mix that belongs to Felicia and her finance, Steve Barrett – for a quick walk.
Baby steps, but always moving. Because the small, unsteady steps can develop into a strong confident stride. Evidence that one is getting better. Stronger.
I say yes to movement because I want to go forward and not backward.
Waning Moon (face)?
People this week are telling me that moon face (the swelling and roundness of the face caused by long-term prednisone use) might is shrinking. Really, I can’t tell. It looks like a big, brown full moon to me…but thank you. I remain hopeful that the condition will soon abate because my docs are reducing the amount of the corticosteroid.
We’ll see how things go.
Every drug I take in my battle against sacroidosis warns that it makes you drowsy or dizzy. I admit that since April, five months into this pharmaceutical regiment, I have been tired and listless. I just want to lie down, pull the blankets over my head and sleep until…whenever. Just sleep.
Instead, I just say yes.
No, silly, not to drugs and certainly not to the side affects of prednisone, methotrexate, Carvedilol, hydralazine , lisinopril and the others.
I say yes to movement, in this case walking. When I do not feel like moving, I move. And when asked to do something physical, I do it.
I am in Lakewood, N.J. with my parents. It took 14 hours to drive here. The morning after the drive, I was beat. Almost beyond exhausted. My dad had energy and invited me to join in on a routine: walking the dog. It is a two- to three-mile walk through a wooded area. Hills, mud, dirt. Challenging for someone who is re-learning how to breathe.
Wanna come? He asked.
No, I admitted to myself. But I said yes as soon as I was asked, jumped up and we hit the trail.
And it was great. Another bonding moment with my dad and the family dog, Tobie, a golden retriever. We walked, talked, laughed. I realized that while I was winded – country walkin’ is sure more challenging than city walkin! – I was going to be better off for it.
Later that day, my mom got home and we walked 1-1/2 miles with Tobie (This dog gets a serious workout. He has legs of steel!). That was a great bonding moment, too.
I took ill in mid-March in Chicago and spent 10 days in the hospital. After I was released, two friends of mine who were also co-workers, Megan Cottrell and Felicia Yonter, made me move. I told them the drugs made me listless, so they had me take baby steps. Let’s walk two blocks to the coffee shop. Megan would say. Let’s take Guinness – the Shepard-mix that belongs to Felicia and her finance, Steve Barrett – for a quick walk.
Baby steps, but always moving. Because the small, unsteady steps can develop into a strong confident stride. Evidence that one is getting better. Stronger.
I say yes to movement because I want to go forward and not backward.
Waning Moon (face)?
People this week are telling me that moon face (the swelling and roundness of the face caused by long-term prednisone use) might is shrinking. Really, I can’t tell. It looks like a big, brown full moon to me…but thank you. I remain hopeful that the condition will soon abate because my docs are reducing the amount of the corticosteroid.
We’ll see how things go.
Looking and reading about the dog in this post, I was thinking, "Maybe David needs a dog?"
ReplyDeleteA dog, especially and more than cats, is a social animal. You get out, walk the dog, getting exercise yourself, and also meeting other people.
Any pet is also a way to extend yourself, to have to be aware of the needs of another. Just a thought David.