Asides

Making Lizz Stronger with Pilates

I’m so crazy sore from skiing on Monday! I used muscles I haven’t really used in three years. Ouch! The last time I went skiing was March 2013. Crazy how many unique muscles it uses! Thankfully, it’s just the type of sore from working out hard, not from fibro or anything like that! Pilates helped me dramatically. I don’t think I could have lasted as long as I did if I hadn’t been doing Pilates. Seriously, Pilates is changing my life in so many amazing ways! Everyone should try it!!!!

In fact, I was able to do a Pilates reformer class today (a gentle one called “Pilates for Recovery” led by Joleen). I was completely shocked I was able to do everything! Sure, some of my range of motion was restricted so I could maintain proper form (fatigued muscles get super shaky), but I didn’t have to completely sit out anything. Joleen was even impressed at how well I did!

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This is a reformer.

The class was fantastic and relatively easy. It gave me a good workout, but in a very gentle and accessible way. I think I’m going to add it into my weekly routine; I’ll have to discuss with Joleen if she thinks I could do that. So, hopefully, I will be doing Pilates Beginner Mat class every other Monday (or two Mondays in a row) alternating with private sessions, then Pilates Reformer for Recovery every Wednesday. I’m also hoping to add back in the biking on Fridays. My body finally seems to be getting stronger and more capable! I’ll keep ya’ll posted of course.

Sometimes Complaining Happens

Sometimes you just need to get it off your chest. I’m desperately hoping it’ll help.

For some reason, this flare just won’t go away. I feel as though I’m 60+ years old: limping after I get up, unable to bend, getting stuck when I do bend… It’s awful. I think it might be the weather and lack of exercise, but I’m miserable. I really hate admitting it, because I feel so whiny when I do and the people that love me hate knowing I’m crappy (hate in the same way you hate watching a loved one with the flu). Something just isn’t right in my body.

I did discover from Joleen that apparently some of my nerves are being compressed by my spine, causing compression all along them, causing my never fibers to shorten, causing me pain. My medial and ulnar nerves (two main ones in the arms) are extremely tight… She could only stretch then about 50% of the range of motion they should have. No idea why this happened.

My allergies are randomly going bonkers. I think my allergy shots are maxing out my system so that the exposure I’m getting at home just instantly puts me over the edge. They aren’t helping with the flares though.

I’m really wishing that we can figure out a way to get the tub to hold water for a bath… That’s the only thing I can think of that might help, well, that isn’t a pharmaceutical.

I’m going to be trying a new Pilates class next week. If I like it and it seems easy enough, I might add it into my routine so I’d be doing two a week. Maybe that’d help.

I’m writing this post at almost 2am because my eyes and body are so irritated I can’t get to sleep. I really hope the meditation can help, because I might go crazy if I don’t get sleep.

Good news though: progress is being made around the house this week! It’s awesome and I plan to update you soon on some of the changes!!!

New Venture

Hey everyone! I decided to try to start a Zazzle shop, in the hopes that I’ll be able to actually make some sales with my photography that way! I haven’t finished customizing the storefront, but I did get one item up for sale. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Red Panda Puzzle – Lounging by FindingTheSilverSun
Browse Zazzle for a different jigsaw puzzle

What other kinds of images and products would you like to see? I have a lot of ideas, so what things would you like to see first?

It’s Christmas Eve!

Tons of cooking to do today 🙂 we’re hosting my in-laws for dinner today! I love making holiday dinners.

Unfortunately, my back is doing the same thing it did a few days ago. Breathing hurts, being upright hurts. I had Dan put on a lidocaine patch for me, which I’m desperately hoping works. I can’t take both metaxalone and Tramadol today, or else I can’t hang out with everyone! 😦  I really hope this will get better.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Happy Holidays!

Yesterday and Today

My posts might be a lot shorter for a little while… My laptop may have just died (only computer I have). We shall see.

In the meantime, we were lucky enough to have the new Star Wars premiere at 7pm last night! Of course, we went to see it! I even got dressed up fancy.

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New leggings and shirt!

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I Need Your Feedback!

Sitting down to write, and I’m not sure what to write about. There are several things I want to write about, I just don’t have the time to plan out all of them. I am planning on doing a “how to survive an 18 hour road trip with POTS, fibro, and JHS” post soon. I haven’t gotten to plan it out yet, unfortunately, and I just don’t have the time today. Is that something you would be interested in reading? (Please comment below to tell me.)

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Today, we have to get Christmas presents, at least some of them.

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Finals Begin Today

My first final is in an hour… And my intestines are spasming badly. I took my antispasmodic before I left the house, but I didn’t bring it with me…

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I really hope they calm down before my exam. I’m not all that nervous, I’m pretty good at exams. I did well on my midterm, and I’ve done well on everything else. I’m at school with tons of time, and I am mentally reviewing info for the essay questions.

Slight Relief

Thankfully, the KILLER headache is gone. I’ve been doing homework on the computer all day though, so I do have a headache again. Most of my muscles no longer feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but if I move wrong I can tell they are really tight because suddenly they pull very painfully. Still no energy for a shower or anything like that. I really need to shower today though, especially if I am going to take Dan out for his birthday! Ugh. I cannot wait to get my homework wrapped up for the semester.

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Can’t you tell that I’m super excited about my homework?

Dan is going to call his Employee Assistance Program thing to find me a neurologist. My increase in the severity and frequency of my headaches was concerning us, and this last episode definitely scared us both. Here’s hoping I can find answers sometime soon.

First Road Trip With POTS – Short Thoughts

This has been my first road trip since my POTS diagnosis, and it has been a learning experience. I’ll write more about it later, but here are some quick points.

  • You will be too hot and too cold… Sometimes at the same time.
  • You are going to get crazy dizzy because road trips are dehydrating
  • Clothing is obnoxious
  • Fast food and soda are simultaneously awesome and evil
  • Bladders are tiny
  • There is no such thing as being over prepared

In Which I Get All Angsty About HW

I’m so done with school. My senior year of high school, I totally burned out. I almost got unaccepted to my college because I just stopped doing my schoolwork. Luckily, my dad talked to the school and convinced them to keep me. I’ve been in college for seven years now, with a one year break; three years in a row. I’m done. I HATE homework. I realize no one likes it, but I have an almost impossible time making myself do it.

And guess what I need to do? Get caught up on my homework. Yup. I have to do my term paper (due tomorrow) for geography. I also fell behind on my geography map quizzes, mostly because I was doing things I needed to do for my health (physical and mental). So, today and tomorrow I need to do my term paper (luckily, it should be pretty easy). Then I need to do all my map quizzes before Thanksgiving. I only have two weeks of classes after break.

Only one semester left. Then I don’t need to do school ever again!!! Yay!!!! Of course, I’m still going to get pressure from various people, I’m sure. But Dan understands how much I hate homework, and he’s perfectly okay with me not getting a job. I’m just going to get my associate’s degree and then I can focus on other things (painting, sewing, photography, my house, writing, etc). I just can’t wait to be done… and I really don’t want to do my homework.