Monday, January 10, 2011

Confessions about my health




Last Tuesday night I laid in bed, feeling gross about myself. I tried so hard to motivate myself; I bought those workout dvd's-failed, I tried walking 10,000steps a day-failed. I tried running-failed. I even tried working out to the fit-tv-failed. Despite what I tried I would quit, and quitting would make feel crappy about myself.

Then it hit me, not only am I trying rehabilitate my body from a massive surgery, but I am still unsure what all this new body and new set of lungs can do. It's like someone gave me all the accessories and sporting goods to play cricket and told me to have fun! I have NO earthly idea where to start. Shall I learn what on earth all the equipment is used for, or do I learn the rules first? ….catch my drift? So I decided to join the local YMCA. Mainly b/c they have an indoor pool (Yahoo!) and I love-love-love-love to swim so much (at 16 I became a certified diver). I started swimming laps in the pool and tonight I did a body-pump H20 style. I had to laugh at myself when we were using the dumb-bells, doing bicep curls I was so busy concentrating on working my core that I didn't realize my feet were not on the bottom of the pool and my butt was floating on the top of the water!

I have gone into this with a plan:

  1. I am not joining a "gym" to lose weight. (what? I know. I know. but I can't worry about what the scales read AND concentrating on building back all the atrophied muscle I lost b/c of the surgery. That is just too much to worry about)


I also have a new motivation. I need to get better and help get my lungs stronger so when I go to take another breathing test in April I will blow the doctors out of the water. My surgeon is trying to write a medical paper about my case, suggesting that pectus excavatum DOES AFFECT THE HEART AND LUNGS. He told me that most of his colleagues believe that the sternum being caved inward DOES NOT affect the heart and lungs. So, for those of you who are not familiar with case studies or medical papers, what is going to make the most impact is going to be in the numbers and percentages. I don't think all those non-believers will change their minds based off of, "she looks better!"  

Tomorrow I will try the Zumba water...really excited about that...I wil update yall tomorrow!!

2 comments:

  1. You have already done so amazingly well with your health. Setbacks will come. But good for you for persevering.

    Hope your Christmas was great. When do we get to see pictures of the chandelier your husband bought for you?

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  2. You're such an inspiration... you've come a hugely long way! You've got the tools, now it's time to have fun with them. :) ...and I love the water pictures!!

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