A letter to my body

Dear Body of Mine,

I’m going to write this letter as if no one else will ever read it. OK? Let’s pretend this is just between you and me (even though I got the idea from the BlogHer campaign, so I’m sure this will wind up on my blog).

Why are my eyes starting to tear up, just thinking about writing this letter? I’ve had a few fleeting thoughts about what I might say to you here:

• I’m sorry I haven’t taken care of you lately.

• Please, please transform into the body I want. The body that I believe will help me to be happier and healthier.

• I’m terrified of what the future might hold if I don’t change something soon. As you know, I just lost my father last month. Both of my parents are gone now, and I need you to be around for a long time so that I can be here for my own children.

I think it’s that last point that especially hits home. I need to take care of you, body, so that we can be here – mind and body – for my children, and my children’s children, for years to come.

So, here's the deal, Body. I pledge to take good care of you. Not just better care of you, but *good* care of you. I pledge to appreciate you, and all of the wonderful things you’ve done for me through the years: kept me healthier than many people I know, bore me two beautiful children, tolerated the bad eating and exercise habits as well as the good ones, and hung in there when my psyche was so exhausted it threatened to send me running down the street naked, screaming at the top of my lungs (thanks for not actually doing that, by the way).

I pledge to lose weight. And keep it off. You were petite most of my life. I’m sorry that I put so many pounds on you without even noticing.

I pledge to do things that feel good to you. Because let’s face it, what’s good for you is good for me, too!

I pledge to love you for what you are today. Every day.

Hugs,
-Wendy

Interval training

I was reading an article in O (The Oprah Magazine) called "Sprinting to Weight Loss". According to the article, research shows that if you exercise by alternating intervals of high-intensity movement (like, as fast as you can go) and intervals of medium to medium-high intensity, you will lose more weight than if you stay at the medium to medium-high range for your entire workout.

Furthermore, if you do the interval training, you will lose more while shortening your workout to about half the time of a regular workout (say 20 minutes rather than 40 minutes).

"...Intensity, not duration, is really the missing piece in our fitness puzzle."

I want to try this on my elliptical, but I'm not sure of the best way to time my intervals. Should I dig out my old stop watch? I wish I had music that had a voice-over telling me "Get ready to walk your fastest for 10 seconds in 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!" I wasted spent half of my afternoon searching iTunes and the Net for interval training music. Well, I have to figure out something, because I don't want need another excuse to NOT exercise.

This explains it!

Obesity may be contagious.

I don't want to jinx anything, but...

My physical therapy is going so well! Aside from the part that my insurance isn't covering it (well, they're making it go toward my deductible), it's really working well!.

I'm still taking 3 Motrin and 1 muscle relaxer per day, but the stretches and the physical therapy are really, really helping. I feel so much better. My condition was considered chronic since it has been going on for over a month (I'd been to urgent care 3 times and asked for xrays the last time at my husband's insistance), but I think I'm on the mend. The physical therapists warns me not to do too much too quickly (I still feel a burn after I've been sitting at the computer for a while, and I still feel stiffness or tightness in my lower back), but I'm so releived that my condition is improving!!!

PT update

(Cross posted on my yahoo group.)

On the first night of PT, the therapist took it easy (not too deep tissue massage and sono heat treatment). A couple hours after I returned home, I started feeling more sore, so before bedtime, I took one of each of my meds (I had been weaning off of them). At 2 in the morning, I woke up in horrible, horrible pain -- worse than I had felt the whole month my back had been bothering me. Also, my whole back was in throbbing and piercing pain...not just my lower back or my hot spots.

For hours I tried everything: heat, ice packs, laying on the floor, kneeling on the side of the bed. My stomach was killing me, too, so I took stomach medicine, but it didn't help. I think that what I thought was stomach pain was just more radiant pain from my back. Finally, at 6 AM I took another round of meds so I could get some peace. I knew I was going to oversleep and make the kids late for school, but I didn't care at that point; I just had to have relief.

I spent most of that day in bed (DH took the kids to school [late] that morning), but I continued to do my stretches throughout the day. The next appointment was much better, but I think it helped that I started taking the meds regularly, again.

Both therapists said that it would be a good idea to have my back x-rayed to rule out the possibility that there's a problem with my bones. Ugh. I think that I feel improvement, but could it just be the meds masking the pain? Who knows?

Physical Therapy tonight

I start physical therapy tonight. For some reason, I'm very nervous. I feel like calling in sick.

I would like to do something crafty.

I've been knitting. I think I need some paper-based fulfillment, though.

Maybe I should go back through my many Big Picture Scrapbooking class files and try to finish (or even start?!) one of the many classes I signed up for over the past year.

I start physical therapy for my back on Wednesday. I can't wait! I really feel like I want to exercise and get the kinks out, but I don't want to do the wrong exercises and make my back worse!

Memorable Memorial Day

So far today, Johnny (hubby) and Alexis have had a trip to the emergency room, and I've had a trip to urgent care. Memorable indeed!

Johnny had some kind of infection in his finger tip and under the nail. It was filling with pus and was excrutiating. He tried "popping" it. Nada.

I've had terrible back pain for about 3 weeks now. I went to urgent care 2 weeks ago. I ran out of my Rx's and went back today with Johnny in tow so he could get his finger checked.

We get there, sign in, fill in paper work, and we get a call from Alexis, crying, telling us she hurt herself.

Alexis went to her friends bday party. She was in her bathing suit, running from her friend's sister who was spraying a hose. Alexis backed into a hot grill. Ouch. She has a second degree burn that's about 3" in diameter on her rear.

While we're in the pediatric ER, Johnny shows the nurse his finger and asks if he can wait till tomorrow to have it checked out. She says he needs to get to the ER now because it's infected. Slice. Squeeeeeze. Slice. Squeeeeeze. "Son of a ...!" A tetanus shot later, and we're out the door.

Back to urgent care for me. My back is worse than I thought (worse than the P.A. who saw me last time thought). Three more Rx's, a shot of anti-inflammatory, plus an Rx for physical therapy, and I'm out the door.

Oh, and today is my sister's bday. Happy Birthday, Laura!!!

Ouch!

I know I haven't updated in a while, but life has been SO hectic!

Right now, unfortunately, I am suffering from back pain. :( A Dr. friend of mine scared me into seeing a doctor (my boss and husband have been trying to get me to go all week) by mentioning meningitis to me.

Fortunately, it seems I am "only" having back spasms, so I've been subscribed 800mg Motrin and a muscle relaxant. I hope I'm feeling better soon, because this is really painful!

More updates soon. I promise! :)