It's five am in Illinois and we have extreme weather conditions all around. Icing everywhere does not encourage me to get real excited about venturing outside to get some form of exercise...This is what I have been working on while not blogging daily. November nineteenth I had my right hip replaced and with that decided to just reinvent my whole life. I now exercise an hour or more daily. I have lost 34 pounds since August 1st and this is what I am trying. I joined the Y and go in and walk the gym in laps. One lap is one/sixteenth of a mile. As of yesterday, I am up to a half mile, 8 laps.....four without a walker and four with. I can now accomplish this in 24 minutes. Not lightening but gets the heart rate up and is building the strength in my legs AND MIND. I found out that after the surgery, my repaired leg wanted to go big time but my PD leg wanted now to freeze. My leg that was operated on is smaller than the PD one but seems to be much stronger. My main worry now is upper body strength....especially my left (PD) arm. The upper muscle in both arms has excruciating pain most of the time SO I do three sets of twelve, arm pulls to the front with a Pilate's stretch cord, three sets of twelve lying in bed and extending my arms straight over me and making large circles to small circles, leg lifts high to just off of the bed and then back up. I have never been an exerciser and this is not fun but I am starting to see the rewards and that is fun. Second is dry skin......My meds seem to drain every ounce of moisture out of my body so "Lubriderm Lotion" constantly and lots of liquid water or green tea. I force myself daily to do my hair and makeup....why, because, I have found if I don't force ALL of this I will not do it and I will die a slow death and not even know it. In with all this I am working on a 1000 piece puzzle of down town New York City(for the brain), read my Bible and several books loaned me by a special friend and take care of my 87 year old mom with Alzheimer's. None of this would be possible were it not for the total support of a long time love, who constantly tells me my worth to (if no one else) him. He sets my goals on very high shelves and encourages me to reach ever higher. What a difference he has made in my life at 63.The point behind all this is.....If I can do this, so can you. A chronic disease is a killer in so many ways. It not only kills your body but your brain while it runs all those around you away in fear. Those who are once friends, tend to pity you and you let them. This causes you to start a never ending road that takes you nowhere but to "Waste Land U.S.A." Please, no matter what chronic disease you are battling, do one thing for YOUR improvement today. Then tomorrow try two things. Life at this end of the scale maybe short but it need not be unproductive. Take five minutes and laugh, if at no one else, yourself and know I am thinking of each and everyone of you at this Christmas Season with love in my heart. Love Pokie
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