Forgetting and Striding Away

Another MS attempt at getting healthy

I know that memory loss is a part of MS cognitive difficulties; I just sometimes forget.

Often I rely on those closest to me to help me remember important stuff.  That’s why you, my loyal and beloved readers, have let me down.  I forgot that back when I started this blog I had a ‘get fit’ plan and you didn’t remind me!

It’s not that I forgot I was supposed to be doing healthy things.  I just forgot I had a plan to do them.

A plan that included sharing with all of you my miraculous transformation from an award winning couch potato complete with a steady diet of Lucky Charms, Cheetos, chocolate and ice cream, to a decathlon ready super human who exists only on super foods that come from natural things you find in the woods or the jungle.

It’s ok- I forgive you.  Just don’t mind me when I blame you that my target weight is still a target I can’t even find with my industrial strength cheaters.

I have taken some healthy steps in my life.  I’ve finally accepted the importance of drinking water.  I even got an app on my cell phone that tells me how much water I need to drink and then sends me an alert when I’m falling behind.

It’s my coolest app so far.

Did you know that the recommendation of 64 ounces of water a day is wrong?  You’re actually supposed to drink half of your weight in ounces every day.  That means if you weigh 600 lbs you need to drink a swimming pool.

Daily. 

I don’t meet my goal every day (unless I add in wine which I think is ok-Jesus turned water into wine so it’s got to be the same right?)  But I am drinking way, way more water than I used to and I think it helps.

Get this bizarre only in an MS world fact- since I’ve been drinking a ton of water, my bladder issues have almost disappeared.  How’s that even possible?

Basic common sense- water makes you pee so how can drinking more water make you pee less???

The greatest thing about the app is that the alert is supposed to sound like water being poured into a glass of ice but most people think it sounds like a toilet flushing.  It’s really funny to see the look on people’s faces when they hear a toilet flushing in my purse.

Another important part of the health journey is the bane of my wellness existence-exercise.

I like walking and walking is good exercise.  The problem is that it’s cold and icy in the winter, rainy and full of pollen in the spring and hot and humid in the summer.  Autumn, however, is beautiful.

So beautiful that I just have to sit with a cup of tea and watch its beauty unfold.  How can I honestly expect to get much walking done when there is so much to admire right in my own backyard??

I’ve been goofing around on my WiiFit a bit more than usual. It helped that my summer company humbled the machine a bit.

The WiiFit thinks it’s all that and one can never measure up.

But it’s no match for two kids on a penny candy sugar rush combined with beach and drive in movie anticipation.  Let’s just say that the WiiFit was worn out and has been super nice to me ever since.

Recently I was reading a blog post by fellow MS blogger Kim Dolce (The Difficulty of Balancing Activity and Rest on multiplesclerosis.net) where she discussed her “strider” and how it not only helps her exercise but it’s good for posture too.

People have told me that I need to maintain my “core.”  I thought they meant that I wasn’t disposing of rotten apples properly.  Turns out that my “core” involves upper body strength and posture is a part of that.

Kim also said that all she has to do on her strider is swing away.

I can swing!

I decided to buy one despite friends and family warning me that I wouldn’t use it; it would just become a towel rack.  I took up the challenge and ordered the Sunny Air Walk Trainer.

Not so mechanically inclined, I made a list of people who could help me put it together when I got it.  If it actually got put together, maybe I would actually use it?

It arrived and I thought I would just open the box and take a peek inside.  I did.

Then I thought I might just take one of the pieces out.  I did.

And before I knew it, I was putting the damn thing together all by myself!  I don’t know what that did for my core but it sure made my brain feel pretty smart. 

Just having that accomplishment done was worth the price I paid for the thing.  I was so proud of myself that I didn’t feel the need to use it for like 6 months.

Ok, kidding. I actually started using it right away and I do like it.  It’s a little more than just swinging away but I do think it’s helping. 

And I vow to never allow it to become a towel rack, ever.  Except for when I had that young company that took on the WiiFit– it did become a towel rack then but only because we ran out of space for our wet towels.

I vow it will never AGAIN become a towel rack.

I’ve used it 20 times in the last two years, oops. I mean two months, and while that’s not great, it’s something.  And something’s better than nothing right?

So that is an update on my ‘get fit’ plan.  Here’s hoping I don’t forget about it again.

But if my memory loss does come back, can someone please remind me what I’m supposed to be doing with that big towel rack???

Friends, I know it’s pretty rude of me to express disappointment with you in this latest blog, especially since I’m about to ask you for a favor!  But who ever said that multiple sclerosis makes me smart???

I’ve been nominated for a WEGO Health Hilarious Patient Leader Award! 

I’m so excited! 

 

If you think that I may be worthy of such accolades, how about endorsing me?  I’ve attached the link just in case and endorsements are open through the month of August.  WEGO Health Endorsements

Thank you for reading!  I truly love and appreciate all of you!