Welcome Back- From Another Break
These ideas are so much better Shared!!
I sincerely hope you found peace, joy, and love over the holiday season. I can honestly say that this fall, while challenging, was a season of compassion, understanding, and celebration.
I am officially back from my holiday hiatus, and we have so much to catch up on. Look for upcoming posts about diagnoses, navigating the American Wealthcare System, and so much more.
For now, let’s focus on the immediate future.
It’s the day after Christmas, with a week to go until New Year’s, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to look forward, to plan, to facilitate.
Every year, I make a habit of reassessing my health and health goals as a seasonal ritual, which include diet and exercise.
Today’s post covers exercise.
I’ve been attending physical therapy since August, and have compiled a Daily Regimen based on what I know my body to need in addition to the teachings from PT.
I do have to admit that I don’t really feel much better in my body than I did when I started PT, and it’s scary for me because sometimes the simplest movements cause unpredictable effects.
For example, last week I was having a low-pain day, so I suggested that we try new machines at PT. It was really nice to feel like I was actually exercising. The new exercises set off my impingement symptoms in my Left arm, which has been quite angry with me since.
Nevertheless, I constructed a daily full-body workout to try to maintain the best function possible. I took the plan into my Physical Therapist today, and she gave it her seal of approval.
It’s a really great plan on paper.
Altogether the list of exercises took a total of 27 minutes. That’s easily within the ideal range. It progresses through the entire body with the objective of maintaining range of motion, while strengthening joints and stabilizing muscles.
I pushed it, because I really wanted to just be able to do the whole thing. My lower back tolerated the exercises well, and became quite angry on the ride home.
It was difficult to get out of the car. It was difficult to get up the 3 steps into the house. This is the effect immediately after my approved workout.
With how I felt going into the workout, I expected my knee to fight me, and it seems fine, for no reason whatsoever. I did side-squats. It should be mad right now.
I didn’t push anything with my arm, but it’s all tingly and numb while I’m typing this.
As much as I want to make sense of this, the reality of living with Ehler’s Danlos syndrome is that from one day or moment to the next, it doesn’t have to make sense, and that doesn’t make it less real.
I am going to push forward and we will see if this becomes easier as I perform it daily. I’m also hoping by doing all of this before I go to PT, I will be able to maximize my time there doing things I can’t do for myself at home.
Tomorrow’s PT will cover ways that I can use equipment that I already have at home, like my trampoline. Stay tuned!
What goals are you setting for yourself in the new year? What are your hopes and reservations as you think toward the future?
Happy Healing, and thanks for coming back!
Questions? Comments? Contact protyusagendher@gmail.com
Are you Invisibly Misdiagnosed too? Please consider sharing your story with me. Zebras are not the only people erased by the American Wealthcare System, and together our voices are stronger. It is time that we have our voices heard as a community. We all deserve so much better.
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