Health – Page 4 – Lisa Holcomb

Around the House, Computers and Internet, Exercise, health, My Own Personal Weirdness

Quantifiable things

1. I have exercised this week. I’m stretching each morning and trying not to fall on my face. I’m following the Workout Trainer App on my Android and while I’m not in love with it, it’s better than nothing for a free exercise course to get me started. Also, my friend Monaca and I agreed that we’re not getting any skinnier meeting for sweet rolls and floofy drinks, so we’re going to try walking in the future around Rose Rudman trails instead.

This is not Rose Rudman, but a walking trail close to home that I can use in the evenings. And these are the sweet kids playing there.

2. I have figured out a better daily schedule, but it includes me getting up at 5am. Umm. I’m not getting ahead on that plan, so I re-revised it and now I’m getting up at 5:30 and doing the aforementioned exercising in the comfort of my own room. Whee! I’m also writing a bit more, not fiction yet, but daily stuff and a little poetry that’s rattling around in my brain lately. Also taking care of the kids and trying to make life more sane.

3. I’m doing a Bible study off the YouVersion app and answering its questions. Not as good as going to one with other people, but way better for scheduling. For real people, I’m going to a weekly book study on Raising Resilient Children (that’s the authors website). It’s a really good book and has challenged me to respond better to my children.

4. Today I’m booking our trip to the UK for June. Thursday night Nick and I are discussing our hotel options and more detailed itinerary. Whee! (Two goals for the price of one?)

5. I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app for the iPhone, since the SparkPeople app cost a ridiculous amount of money for the update (it used to be free). So now I have two fitness pals (one a very skinny lady indeed and one person who I don’t remember at the moment) and I can track my food weirdnesses. Whee!

See, we're eating healthier already! :) — See, we’re eating healthier already! 🙂

6. There is never going to be a #6.

7. Scaling back on the internet, I figured out how to add people to my acquaintances list on Facebook, so they practically never show up. It even suggested people. Some of them I didn’t acquantintize. Yeah, not a word. Whatever. Also, set all my newsreader subscriptions to Mark All Read so I’m not tempted to try to catch up and so am just starting over. I may dump some, we shall see. I also set my FB notifications to archive immediately so I’m not having to see them all the time.

health, My Own Personal Weirdness

Medical testing

I’ve made a big post about this at my other blog, but in case you don’t read over there, or don’t want the whole long story of it all, here’s the short version: I had a majorly weird episode last weekend and the doctor is thinking either a) I had a mini-stroke or b) I’ve developed multiple sclerosis. Most likely B, as I’m already taking medications that would cause A to be unlikely and B is a side effect/co-morbidity of the immune condition/medications that I already have. So I’m going back to the hospital for more testing in a week or so (we’re waiting for insurance to say yes to it all).

There will be a fun kid related update tomorrow. 🙂

Around the House, health, Lifelong learning, Writing

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30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

I am posting 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know in support of Invisible Illness Awareness Week.

1. The illnesses I live with are: Migraines, Dysthymia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, & Fibromyalgia
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: M: 1986, D: 1991, R: 2004, F: 2009
3. But I had symptoms since: M: early childhood, D: 1989, R: 1992, F: 1992
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Slowing down & remembering that I can’t do everything any more.
5. Most people assume: that I’m fine.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: that I can’t just get up. I have to lie in bed and stretch for a while first, then slowly lever myself out.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: Well, it was ER, but that’s over now & I quit watching House last season, so I guess it’s Scrubs, if it comes back.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my iPhone (it’s easier than sitting at the computer most of the time, even if it’s slow)
9. The hardest part about nights are: finding a comfortable position to sleep in. If I sleep on my back, my back hurts. If I sleep on my side, my knees & hips hurt. If I sleep on my stomach, my pillow smothers me.
10. Each day I take: 5 supplements. Once a week I take 8 other pills. Once a month I take one shot. (I used to take one every week, but my meds just changed)
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am openminded, but the ones I’ve tried only lessen pain for a little while.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: NEITHER.
13. Regarding working and career: By the time my kids are all in school, I may not be well enough to work.
14. People would be surprised to know: how much pain I’m in every minute of every day.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that nothing will go back to the way it was.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: go hiking down to the backside of a waterfall.
17. The commercials about my illness: make it look like if I just took their medication that my "real life" would come back.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: giving in to my whims to just up and do something.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: alcohol and I admit that I haven’t been very strict about that.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: scrapbooking
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Sometimes I do have days where I feel relatively normal, but I treat those like all the other days because I could go from feeling great to bad in about 60 seconds.
22. My illness has taught me: compassion and patience.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "Oh, bless your heart!" Here in Texas that means that "Wow, she’s gone done something stupid."
24. But I love it when people: actually pay attention to the difference between rheumatoid arthritis and "what their aunt/grandma/etc" had
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It’s not the end of the world.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that life just keeps going on as if you hadn’t just lost something huge back there.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: watch the kids while I rested.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I have multiple illnesses and appreciate this intense effort of awareness.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: loved ❤