Lady Sheherazahde's Journal

Yesterday I went swimming for an hour.
Today I did an hour on the recumbent stepper, just 3.6 miles. But that is OK.

My new glasses broke this morning. Just snapped at a solder joint when I was taking them off to get in the shower. I took them back to the mall to get them replaced. I've had them less than a month.

I did 60 minutes on the Recumbent Stepper today! 3.7 miles! Both new records!

60 minutes is my target time. People are suposed to get 1 hr. of aerobic exercise a day for good health.
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In other news.

I met my parents for lunch at the Farmer's Market. Where I ran into my friends Cat, and Miriam (with her python and crowd of admirers). My mom wanted to eat someplace warm and inside, so we went to Wegmans. I told them all about what is going on with me.

My mom agreed to front me the money to buy a Roomba Sage for Pets, since it is on sale right now (Free Self-charging Home Base and Free Shipping). But I have to pay her back with money from my tax return and when J buys out my half of the Dyson DC07. (I still think the Dyson is Very Nice. But the Roomba is cheaper and vacuums by itself. If I had the money I'd have both. )

Today (technically yesterday, Friday, at this point)
I added 10 minutes to my recumbent stepper routine.
Bringing it up to 50 minutes!
And I did 2.8 miles!
Go Me!

I managed 2 miles on the stepper again today. It was a particularly difficult hill profile and I only had to run the last .1 of a mile. So I'm doing well.

Afterward I went to Barnes & Noble to use the gift card my parents gave me for Valentines day. It is really hard to decide what to do with $25. After 2.5 hours I finally decided on The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts by Judika Illes (it was in the bargain section for $19.98, slightly damaged) and The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth (on sale for $7.98)

Some books I looked at but didn't buy are Naughty Needles: Sexy, Saucy Knits for the Bedroom and Beyond by Nikol Lohr, Domiknitrix: Whip Your Knitting into Shape by Jennifer Stafford (the prices look much better on Amazon.com)

I was having so much trouble deciding I asked a clerk to recommend a book that was an unusual and interesting object something that attracted attention when they opened the box. She didn't seem to understand what I was asking but she recommended PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren which is indeed an unusual book. Makes me want to try scrapbooking. (They didn't have the scrapbooking kit I saw at Borders.)

See some of the actual post cards at
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I did 1.8 miles on the stepper yesterday and 2 miles today! Yay!
I ran the last .2miles in the last 2 minutes when I saw how close I was to the 2 mile mark.

Monday was not productive. I was still recovering from the weekend. But B&K dropped by and watched some TV.

Tuesday I had a Job interview. It was OK. I didn't blow it but I don't know if I got it. After ward I went to Manpower to report back, then I went grocery shopping. In the afternoon I had a Dr appointment then I dropped by my landlord to talk to them about why the rent is late this month and what my future plans are.

After all that I needed a night in.

Today got up early and took K to her PT appointment. That meant I was 50min early for Group. I was going to crochet, but I couldn't concentrate so I just organized things. After Group I had lunch then did my recumbent stepper routine at the gym (1.5 miles). When K didn't show up at 2pm for her ride home I checked my phone and found out her afternoon appointment was cancelled and she had gone home at noon. I went to Knitting Etc in the Triphammer mall to buy buttons for my project and look at crochet books (I want Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller, not to be confused with The Happy Hooker: My Own Story by Xaviera Hollander). It is a nice little shop.

For dinner I made chicken noodle soup with Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine [or "the evil tofu noodles" as J calls them, despite the fact that they are quite good].

I promised phoenixmedusa I would post these when I got them. They are the stretches I learned in Aqua Aerobics. In class we do them in the pool, at home I do them while seated. The leg stretches are really helping me walk (now if only my right knee cap would stop popping).

Stretching - Head To Toe
(Short Version)

Neck - Side, Front, other Side
Shoulder Circles - Forward & back
Triceps Stretch
Shoulder Stretch ("Hug your arm")
Wrist Circles - Both Directions
Piano Fingers
Side (Torso) Stretches
Side (Torso) Twists
Quadriceps (front of thigh) - At wall, Bend knee & Grab ankle; knee points down
Hamstrings (Back of thigh) - Foot up on the wall
Calf Muscles - Stride position, press back heel to the floor
Ankle Circles -Both Directions


Stretching - Head To Toe
( Long Version )

I did 1.6 miles on the stepper yesterday.

While I was doing my thing I saw an altercation. A woman walked up to a man in the weight lifting section and hit him with her water bottle. She didn't accidently bump him, she walked up and whacked him with it. She looked really mad. He just sort of backed off and she went away, so it must have been some sort of domestic dispute.

My first thought was "That is a lousy way to resolve a conflict". Ah, the joys of therapy. My second thought was "It isn't right that she should get away with behaving like that just because she is a woman". The guy she hit just shrugged it off and kept on exercising. She didn't really hurt him. But that sort of behavior should not be allowed. It is unacceptable for people to go around hitting other people just because they are angry.

She needs to do an event sheet on that :-)

I had planned to go to water aerobics today but I accidently locked my keys in the apartment. Luckily I had made friends with the new neighbors and Natalie drove over to the landlords and got me a spare key while I watched her toddler, Isabelle.

I missed the aerobic class but I did 30 min on the recumbent stepper (1.9 miles Yay!) and spent an hour in the pools.

Then I went over and picked up The Beast. We went to dinner then Felicia's Atomic Lounge. The Beast bought me a Coffee-tini (Felicia's has such fun drinks).

I didn't know anyone except The Beast and her friend Steve. But I was friendly with people and soon made new friends. Steve's neighbor David, David's SO Joe, Steve's co-worker Peter, Jeff, Guy (just some guy who started talking to me on the front steps) Ryan (possibly a friend of Steve's, he was bumming cigs), and Susie (who The Beast knew from Fetish night at the haunt). Eventually even Ben showed up (he had been working). I ran into some people I recognized from the drum group at the FOL, so I told them about Kaaren's stroke. They hadn't heard.

I stayed till almost 1am talking with David and making new friends. Felicia's is a cosy, friendly place. It was a good night.

My Diet Coach wants me to weigh myself every day. I don't have a scale, so I can only weigh myself on days I go to the gym. Since I am supposed to be going to the gym every day that sort of works out.

I weighed myself last Friday, yesterday, and today. Today I weigh six pounds less then I did last Friday and three pounds less than I did yesterday. I know from experience that my weight can vary as much as five pounds over the course of a day so I'm trying not to get too excited. But it is hard not to get my hopes up. Maybe this Diet Coaching is working and I will actually loose some weight?

In other news: J told me today that he is going to cancel most of the cable TV service. We are still going to get the basic broadcast stations but none of the cable ones. On the one hand I sort of want him to cancel everything so I can go back to what it was like when I lived alone. Maybe I would get more work done or have a social life. On the other hand I'm going to miss my shows: The Daily Show, Psych, Dead Like Me, Eureka, Night Stalker, Avatar, Dead Zone, House, Kathy Griffin, Monk, & Venture Bothers. (I'll still have Kyle XY, Lost, Medium, My Name Is Earl, Numb3rs, & Windfall)

I'd almost rather have a Net Flix subscription than cable service. Most of the really good series are released on DVD eventually, some with the episodes that weren't broadcast.

We will still have our internet connection (I don't think we could live without that).

Dinner tonight was semi-homemade mushroom and pepperoni pizza. (I bought premade crusts)

I went to the gym at 6:30 this evening. I was so bored on the recumbent stepper I bumped it up to level 3 and did 2.2 miles. Then I did my mile in the pool.

My legs are shaky now. I'm going to regret pushing it.

After exercise I went to Byrne Dairy and picked up some milk and yogurt.

The last couple of weeks have been weird.
Money has been very tight and I have been very stressed out about it.
I have been missing a lot of my exercize days. and I'm not sure why.

It could be because my sleep schedule has shifted. It started with a couple of days where I was tossing and turning all night untill I finally gave up and started staying up till I was tired (which wasn't till 5 am). Then sleeping most of the day.

Or it could be because I don't really have money for gas and when I stay home I don't spend money.

Or it could be because I really don't like the recumbent stepper and now it is taking up a half hour of my work out. What I don't like about the recumbent stepper is that it is borring. It was ok to do something that was boring when it was only 5 minutes. But half an hour of boring is a long time.

I'm going to talk to Libby about exercizes I can do in the pool that could replace the recumbent stepper.

On the plus side I did do my mile walk today. And still felt up to pick up some groceries afterward. The electric cart wasn't avalable at the grocery store but since I only needed a few things I toughed it out and did my shopping on foot. It was painful and I am definitely not back to my old self. But I did it!

Ok, so I know that sometimes I can be stubborn (tenacious, hardheaded, persistent, or determined).

Today I was late going to exercise again (I missed it entirely yesterday) but I was determined to go. I told myself that I would go and swim as long as I could. (I like swimming) But, by the time I got there, there wasn't enough time for me to do my mile walk in the pool. I hate doing things halfway. So I decided to do my recumbent stepper routine instead. (Here is the stubborn part) Since I was skipping swimming I decided to do 30 min on a level 2 hill profile instead of the 20 min on level 1 I did last time. It was really pure stubbornness that got me through the whole 30 min. But I did it.

Tomorrow I want to spend more time in the pool to reward myself. I really do love swimming.

Ok so I haven't been to the gym since Sunday. Mostly because I've been having my menses, but as Libby pointed out that really isn't an excuse. It's just the excuse I have been using for the past three months for taking a break from exercising every day.

So, I was back at the gym today "with a vengeance" (as they say). I decided to go for the 20 minute hill profile on the recumbent stepper. So not only did do 5 more minutes then I did on Sunday, I also added some resistance. It was only 1.5 miles, but I did achieve two of my goals 1) 20 min and 2) start using the resistance features.

I also did my usual mile in the pool. And then the grocery shopping.

I feel pretty good. ;-)

Another 15 min on the recumbent stepper again today (the first time was friday).
That was 1.3 miles. So, with my regular pool walk, I walked 2.3 miles today.

I have suffered from fatigue all my life, I just didn't know that it wasn't normal. My doctor thinks my fatigue might be caused by my body improperly processing sugars and insulin. That's why I'm currently taking three types of diabetes medication.

Tonight was the second week in a row I skipped Toastmasters because I was too tired to go. I just realized that both times I went to my 3:30 aqua aerobics class and then shopping. That is why I was too tired. I have been going shopping on Thursdays because that is the day my check arrives but if I want to be able to go to Toastmasters I will have to remember not to overexert myself on Thursdays. Normal people don't have these sort of problems.

Since reading mowglikat's post about "freeloading" I have been feeling a bit guilty about how much I have benefited and how little I have contributed to event I have attended over the years. But really that was fatigue too. Even before I became officially disabled, I just didn't have the energy that other people do.

Today when I was shopping at the P&C their electric cart ran out of juice. I tend to feel a bit embarrassed about using those carts because I am capable of walking. I feel like every time I stand up out of the cart to get something people are looking at me and thinking "Why is she using a cart if she can walk?" But today was a reminder of why I take the cart. I can only walk a few yards before I have to sit and rest while the pain subsides. Before I started using the carts grocery shopping was a painful ordeal I rushed through as fast as possible. Now I can take my time and the only ordeal is getting the groceries up to the landing.

Yesterday I did my 10 min on the recumbent stepper, but when I was halfway through my 36 laps in the pool I started feeling light-headed. I walked a bit farther, then decided I should really stop and talk to Libby before I fell down and hurt myself.

I went to Libby's office and told her I was feeling strange and she made me drink a juice box and take a few glucose tablets (they taste like giant Sweet Tarts BTW). She made me sit down for 10 minutes after that and followed me around while I changed clothes and walked to my car. I had a turkey sandwich in my bag, and I ate that too before I drove. It didn't feel like my usual sugar drop. I think it might have been dehydration. Libby lectured me about drinking more water while I exercise. (I really appriciate the care I recieve at IH&F.)

We had a nice dinner at B&K's. I made Apples Au Gratin and Peanut Butter cookies, Marilyn made pasta with Tzatziki, and B&K made salad.

Then I went directly to my C-PAP fitting. They did the whole electrodes in my hair thing again. I slept better and longer (although I had pains and cramps in my legs). We just tried the type of masks that go up your nose. My nostrils are still sore.

I had been warned that I would have to breath through my nose instead of my mouth with the C-PAP machine. I had tried doing that beforehand and I was worried that it might be a problem. But once I had the mask on it felt like I was suffocated every time I opened my mouth, so keeping my mouth closed was not a problem. I also slept on my back, I usually sleep on my stomach.

J said I would have to change how I sleep to use the C-PAP, but I think it is more accurate to say that how I sleep changed when I used the C-PAP.

Since they close the sleep study department at 6am they woke me around 5:30. I went out for breakfast and then right to the gym for my exercise. I brought a water bottle this time and had no problems.

I have been doing my 10 min on the stepper. It is hard. But I'm doing it. And I'm keeping up with the mile in the pool. I can do it in about an hour most days.

I'm keeping records. Including how often I miss days. I don't exercise when I'm menstruating, but I just noticed that I also miss days when I'm ovulating. I think the days I have my worse sugar crashes (nausea and dizziness) are PMS days, but I need to keep better records to be sure.

I weighed myself yesterday. I'm a bit disappointed by my progress. I've gone from not exercising to exercising an hour a day ~five days a week. I have not lost any weight and I still cannot stand or walk without pain.

But people keep telling me that there have been benefits in some unquantifiable areas.

Friday I managed to do 10 minutes on the recumbent stepper (60x7 + 30x6). blaisepascal was right, those even numbers do feel good.

I decided to change my plan with the stepper. Instead of just adding more repetitions I'm going to convert the whole 10 minute to leg work. Then when I get used to that I will add minutes again to take me up to 15. Then I will start playing with the difficulty functions.

Saturday and Sunday I barely got to the gym in time to do my walk so I didn't use the stepper at all. But I was so rushed I only had an hour for my walk, and I had to really push to get it done. I did it in 55 minutes on Saturday and 52 minutes on Sunday. (it usually takes 1 hour to 1:10)

Monday I did my walk again, and did the last 2:30 of my stepper routine without a break. But that was only converting one 30 sec interval to leg work, so I didn't feel very accomplished.

Yesterday I was so late for the Aqua Aerobics class I just walked instead. But afterward I did the whole 10 minutes on the stepper on my legs without a break! That was not easy or fun but I did it.

I think one of the reasons I don't feel much improvement from my exersise is that when I come home from the gym my legs hurt and it hard for me get out of the car and climb the stairs.

In general my health is improving. It is easier for me to stand up and to walk. (Although I have not improved the length of time I can stand.) When I started this I was taking 600mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day. Now I sometimes don't take pain medication at all. Maybe I would feel better if I did take some pills after my workout.