....Fear Itself." Franklin D. Roosevelt
Lately I have let fear walk into my life and take over.
Today, I decided to knock it off it's pedal stool.
And....something as simple as a bike ride helped me do that.
I have been told conflicting thingsduring Neurology appointments.
On one hand, I have been told that
exercise does wonders with MS.
On the other, I have been told not to
over-exert and if I start to feel my
body temperature go up, or I start to break a sweat,
I need to stop.
Dang.....isn't that what exercise is for?
"You need to get serious with what's going on inside your body. You have lesions on your spinal chord. When over-exerting or raising your body temperature, you're just giving those lesions everything they need to cause more damage. It's serious enough it could cause paralysis."
- Dr. H
So, with all that info in the back of my mind, I had just decided that I couldn't exercise until the weather changed, or maybe it was just easier not to do it at all.
When Heidi called yesterday and said that the temperatures were dropping a little in the mornings and asked if I wanted to hook up the bike stroller and join her for a ride to the park, my first reaction was to say no. However, I said yes, and asked Trav to get everything hooked up for me.
Off we went, and even though my feet were a little numb to begin with and made it difficult to feel the pedal on my right side, it felt good to be out when the sun was up and getting some fresh air and exercise. We had a great time feeding the ducks and riding around.
So silly the little things I used to take for granted, now seem like major milestones.
Been home a couple hours now and so far so good.
"A mind focused on doubt and fear
cannot focus on the journey to victory."
- Mike Jones
10 comments:
It WAS nice and cool this morning! I was out with Baby Girl at like 6:30 and it was actually kinda chilly! So, so, so glad you went out! Good for you! A little exercise always feels so good! :)
Glad you had a good ride! You should ask Dr. H to clarify... I was told heat won't cause progression, just a temporary return of symptoms until core temp goes back down. ??? Who knows!?! Just do what feels right for you and ENJOY LIFE! Did your right foot "fling" off the pedal? Good times... have to laugh at that stuff! Love ya!
I completely agree...fear is not the "friend" we want controlling our life! Good for you for allowing yourself to a fun time with your sweet girl.
Hey Anna - not sure if you'll ever really see this here or not, but yes....the whole numb foot on the pedal thing was annoyingly funny! To answer your question about heat sensitivity.....all I know is when I was asking Dr. H. to pass me off for our Pioneer Trek and got very serious and told me that Cold Constricts and Heat expands. Then he went on to explain that the lesions on my spinal chord are severely affected by heat. He said that if I over exert, or over heat, I am just giving those lesions the opportunity to grow and expand and cause more damage. He advised me to keep my body temp at a regular level and to stay home with my AC and out of the heat of the day to give the lesions a chance to go away, rather than grow. Maybe my situation is different because I have the lesions. Maybe those with MS without the lesions experience heat a little differently and are able to have some relief once the body temp comes down. I'm not sure. This is fun stuff, isn't it? :)
good for you...for some reason I didn't see that these posted..so I try to comment when I do see them.
Wish there was something I could say to cheer you up, but just know that friends and family starts tomorrow, and that should go a LOOOONG way. Go get yourself something pretty!:)
Gosh, I am a friend of Abbigail Isrealsen. I was looking at her blogs that she follows and I found yours. I have family members with Huntington's disease, which is a degenerative nervous system disorder as well. My heart goes out to you! I have never been tested for HD and just had a son. My husband and I decided against it for now since I have no symptoms. But I worry about what this would mean for my son and husband and pray for them, our health and our future together
You are so brave and strong and it sounds as if you have such a loving family and great kids! I understand how mentally draining this can be. I will pray for you and hope that you find calm and understanding!
Did you guys play cars while you were out?!?
Hey cute girl, you are right about the heat issue. Remember when we worked in the clinic and Kim would comment how Shaun struggled during the summer months and his MS. So happy you were able to get out and get some exercise. I love ya and have so much faith that you will continue to do whats right for your body.
Saw your post, Sarah. Stay cool! Love ya!
I am so glad you were able to go on that bike ride and enjoyed it. Just know that we are here for you and your family if you ever need our help
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