I failed the unhealthy quiz!

So in my prowls around the internet, I came across a list/quiz of ten signs you are unhealthy. I thought, that MUST describe me. I was so happy to find out it did not describe me. Which means there are plenty of people who are less healthy than me out there. And here are the ten signs:

1. Your sleep pattern is not what it should be.
2. You have become an apple
3. You suffer from fatigue
4. Your urine is dark yellow
5. You snore louder and more often
6. You have to scratch all the time
7. You get cracks in your lips at the corners.
8. The quality of your skin is poor.
9. You always have a cold or the flu.
10. Your bowels are not regular.

Now I am not claiming that my sleep is perfect or I never get fatigued because I do. The list claims that one of the key reasons for fatigue are thyroid problems but since I don't have a thyroid that is a moot point for me. I also have RA and fibromyalgia which cause fatigue.

I also may not be the skinniest I have ever been but I don't suffer from the rest of these really at all. I also get plenty of exercise (believe it or not I do 60 minutes of cardio 3 times each week followed by weights and stretching).

But I digress. I am not all that healthy but I failed the unhealthy quiz!

Swimming along

With all my physical ailments, numerous well intentioned people have suggested swimming and water aerobics for me. My response is 'um, no'. I don't like swimming. In fact I hate swimming. I hate swimming laps to be specific.

I think this goes back to my childhood (as all strong feelings do). I grew up in a neighborhood with a community swimming pool. Once you passed the swimming test (2 laps, tread water for one minute I think) and were over the ripe old age of 8 or so, you could go to the pool unsupervised by parents all day. (This was the 1960s where children went outside all day long without a leash.)

We would ride our bikes (past the big bad scary dog who would chase us) every day the sun shined to swim and hangout at the pool all day long. We played Marco Polo, dared each other to go down the slide head first, learned water ballet, and generally had fun. We would leave after the ice cream truck came around 3pm and ride our bikes home.

At some point, we were all encouraged to join the swim team. They were encouraging us to channel our energy into lap swimming. We started to swim laps every day, over and over again. The thrill of the pool quickly turned into the boredom of lap swimming. We were then too old to play Marco Polo all day and had all gone down the slide headfirst on our backs. And they made us swim laps.

At summer camp, I even passed junior lifesaving. I learned more water ballet. But they didn't make us swim laps.

To this day,  I don't like swimming laps. I am not a water aerobics person. That would mean being there at a specific time which I can never do because my schedule varies so much.

I do like floating around a nice warm lake or ocean with a little float. I can swim if I want to but rarely feel the urge. And now there is a new study that says it doesn't matter for fibromyalgia if you do land or water based activities. I can just apply that to all my other ailments and can happily avoid swimming laps.

Surprising people

As I have mentioned before, I go to an amazing gym for dilapidated people. Its a combination of PT and a gym and is full of people with ailments. I see people there daily in wheel chairs, on oxygen, and wearing various types of splints and braces. I know most of the people who go there have medical issues and greatly benefit from the additional support, like me.

When you first join, you get assessed by one of the physical therapists - which consist of three of the four owners - and then work with either one of the exercise specialists or one of the PTs to set up an exercise plan. Then every three months you go back to one of the PTs or an exercise specialist to reevaluate your program.

I went to one of the PTs three plus years ago when I joined. Since then, my health has increased its downward spiral and I decided I needed to go back to one of the PTs and start over. I met with one of the two brothers yesterday to do that.

We started by going through which of my body parts have issues and my medical issues which impact my abilities. At the end of the conversation, he turned to me and said "I had no idea you had so much going on. I see you here going through your routine and did not know".

I had surprised him with my ailments and that I am still exercising. At one point, he did say "I'm sorry" and I said "no you are not supposed to say 'I'm sorry'. You aresupposed to say 'That sucks.'"

But I am a little sore after my new routine but I will be back tomorrow.

Why do I exercise?

Why do I exercise? I read this post on the Huffington Post about a woman with stage IV breast cancer who asked that very question. She isn't giving up on half marathons either. She says its endorphins that keep her moving.

I don't have stage IV cancer and some days just getting downstairs is difficult itself. I read somewhere else recently that only 20% of Americans get the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise each week. That's just pitiful. I am determined not to put myself  in that category.

I also exercise because it  helps me feel better. Really. I may hobble in to the gym but about an hour and 45 minutes later I may hobble out. But in between I get in 45 min - 1 hour of cardio and then another 35 minutes or so of weights followed by 15 minutes of stretching. The benefits to me are huge:

• cardio keeps me moving which is good in more ways than you can image - your body moves so all your body systems do as well.
• I have muscles (they may not be big but they are three) and can pump iron with the best of them with my 1 pound weights (yes they are girly and pink)
• I am flexible, my balance/stability is pretty good, and my muscles are nice and stretchy.
• I have less pain. My core muscles help me support my wimpy back.
• It helps me destress. I come in to the gym stressed and leave relaxed. 

I never stopped exercising through cancer treatment. Back then I used to walk every day but I never stopped unless hospitalized. Eventually I found I needed more than a walk and joined a good gym. I go three times a week and try to walk with a friend another day.

But I'll keep going as much as I can.

A new picture of my garden - the azalea in full bloom.

Treating Chronic Pain with Exercise

It seems a bit contradictory but exercise helps relieve chronic pain. Its one thing if you have an injury that needs to heal but then they send you to physical therapy to regain range of motion and start movement. It may be include some ouching but it means it is helping as well.

I have fibromyalgia and RA (in case you  haven't figured it out yet) and I go to the gym three times a week. I am one of the 40% or so (or whatever that low number is) of Americans who get the recommended amount of exercise weekly. At the gym, I do 45-60 minutes of cardio followed by strengthening exercises and weights (yup, I can lift the giant 1 lb weights with ease).

Some days are a little harder than others. Yesterday the muscle on the top of my right thigh was very unhappy with some of what I was doing and my left hip told me how I could not do some exercises. But I did finish 95% of my workout which is just fine.

Exercise does make me feel better. Some of my doctors are impressed with the range of motion I have in my shoulders and hips because of my ailments. Exercise and stretching has allowed me to retain this. It has been suggested I try swimming. But since I hate swimming laps, that has not happened.

However there are always overachievers. I am not an overachiever regarding exercise these days. Katie Pumphrey is an overachiever. She swims to help with her fibromyalgia. But if that wasn't enough, she is training to swim the English Channel. No I am not kidding. The English Channel is not what we call an easy swim. To put it in context:

"Fewer people (1,429) have crossed the channel solo than have climbed Mount Everest (more than 4,000), and only 446 of the swimmers have been women. Eight people have died trying since Matthew Webb first accomplished the feat, in 1875 — though the success rate, which was tiny in the early 1900s, has risen sharply in recent years.

If all goes well, Pumphrey will enter the water in Dover, England, on Aug. 8 or 9, 2015, and emerge in Cap Gris Nez, France. The distance is 21 miles, but the shifting tides guarantee that few swim directly across. In July 2010, 56-year-old Jackie Cobell reached Calais, France, after swimming 64 miles in nearly 29 hours."

This will be a feat for the record books as far as I am concerned. So to the non-exercisers out there, I just say aim high and start moving. For those with pain, remember every journey starts with a single step.

I failed the unhealthy quiz!

So in my prowls around the internet, I came across a list/quiz of ten signs you are unhealthy. I thought, that MUST describe me. I was so happy to find out it did not describe me. Which means there are plenty of people who are less healthy than me out there. And here are the ten signs:

1. Your sleep pattern is not what it should be.
2. You have become an apple
3. You suffer from fatigue
4. Your urine is dark yellow
5. You snore louder and more often
6. You have to scratch all the time
7. You get cracks in your lips at the corners.
8. The quality of your skin is poor.
9. You always have a cold or the flu.
10. Your bowels are not regular.

Now I am not claiming that my sleep is perfect or I never get fatigued because I do. The list claims that one of the key reasons for fatigue are thyroid problems but since I don't have a thyroid that is a moot point for me. I also have RA and fibromyalgia which cause fatigue.

I also may not be the skinniest I have ever been but I don't suffer from the rest of these really at all. I also get plenty of exercise (believe it or not I do 60 minutes of cardio 3 times each week followed by weights and stretching).

But I digress. I am not all that healthy but I failed the unhealthy quiz!

Treating Chronic Pain with Exercise

It seems a bit contradictory but exercise helps relieve chronic pain. Its one thing if you have an injury that needs to heal but then they send you to physical therapy to regain range of motion and start movement. It may be include some ouching but it means it is helping as well.

I have fibromyalgia and RA (in case you  haven't figured it out yet) and I go to the gym three times a week. I am one of the 40% or so (or whatever that low number is) of Americans who get the recommended amount of exercise weekly. At the gym, I do 45-60 minutes of cardio followed by strengthening exercises and weights (yup, I can lift the giant 1 lb weights with ease).

Some days are a little harder than others. Yesterday the muscle on the top of my right thigh was very unhappy with some of what I was doing and my left hip told me how I could not do some exercises. But I did finish 95% of my workout which is just fine.

Exercise does make me feel better. Some of my doctors are impressed with the range of motion I have in my shoulders and hips because of my ailments. Exercise and stretching has allowed me to retain this. It has been suggested I try swimming. But since I hate swimming laps, that has not happened.

However there are always overachievers. I am not an overachiever regarding exercise these days. Katie Pumphrey is an overachiever. She swims to help with her fibromyalgia. But if that wasn't enough, she is training to swim the English Channel. No I am not kidding. The English Channel is not what we call an easy swim. To put it in context:

"Fewer people (1,429) have crossed the channel solo than have climbed Mount Everest (more than 4,000), and only 446 of the swimmers have been women. Eight people have died trying since Matthew Webb first accomplished the feat, in 1875 — though the success rate, which was tiny in the early 1900s, has risen sharply in recent years.

If all goes well, Pumphrey will enter the water in Dover, England, on Aug. 8 or 9, 2015, and emerge in Cap Gris Nez, France. The distance is 21 miles, but the shifting tides guarantee that few swim directly across. In July 2010, 56-year-old Jackie Cobell reached Calais, France, after swimming 64 miles in nearly 29 hours."

This will be a feat for the record books as far as I am concerned. So to the non-exercisers out there, I just say aim high and start moving. For those with pain, remember every journey starts with a single step.

Oopsie, they made a boo boo

Last week, it was announced by those that be in power that many millions more Americans need to take statins to reduce their heart attach risk. I suspected that this might be an evil ploy by pharmaceutical companies to earn a few bucks....

Well now it turns out that made a big fat boo boo and the calculator/algorithm that was proposed, doesn't work. They did things like using data from the 1990s when more Americans smoked and drank and all sorts of other basic things. This is an example of why more research is often need to confirm things.

So there isn't a  magic pill in statins for millions. Just like there isn't a magic pill for the rest of us.

And don't believe everything you read...

I love this time of year

There is so much optimism in the health news this time of year (not so much the rest of the news especially with the ongoing European terrorism).  What I am referring to is the deluge of advice on flatten belly fat, eat healthier, and, my favorite,  how to really lose weight.

As with everything on the internet, we must take these with a grain of salt (and possibly a large margarita as well). Eating healthier does include eating more vegetables but I do that. I mean how many vegetables do I need in a day? And will it make all my ailments go away? They are what contribute to my unhealthy body. Because of my ailments, I spend too much time sitting on my butt and too little time hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, walking, etc.

I need real advice on how to be healthier and this is what I have come up with for me this January.

1. Attempt to go for a walk at least once a week. If I can do that, I can increase my weekly exercise quota. But its not really a reality. Some weeks I just cannot add in a walk because I feel crappy so much of the time.
2. Stop eating the crap at work. 

I work in a small office 15-18 hours/3 days a week. It is family run and wonderful. But I have never worked in an office with so much junk food, even when I worked for a candy company (Fanny Farmer Candy Shops) and was responsible for all the samples for photo shoots. Even the owners joke about the office 10 lb weight increase.

This week for example, the office manager had a sugar craving and went to the bakery next door and came back with an entire blueberry coffee cake (and a giant cookie for herself). Plus the (giant warehouse store containers of) brownies and cream puffs someone else brought in .

I think if I can attain those two goals, I will be a thinner happier person. I did breakdown yesterday and had a piece of coffee cake, left over Chex mix, and some goldfish. But in avoiding the crap for a couple weeks, the scale had started to move in the right direction.

So I am going to skip the healthy news this year, unless a cure for cancer, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis are announced, and stop eating the junk food at work.

Surprising people

As I have mentioned before, I go to an amazing gym for dilapidated people. Its a combination of PT and a gym and is full of people with ailments. I see people there daily in wheel chairs, on oxygen, and wearing various types of splints and braces. I know most of the people who go there have medical issues and greatly benefit from the additional support, like me.

When you first join, you get assessed by one of the physical therapists - which consist of three of the four owners - and then work with either one of the exercise specialists or one of the PTs to set up an exercise plan. Then every three months you go back to one of the PTs or an exercise specialist to reevaluate your program.

I went to one of the PTs three plus years ago when I joined. Since then, my health has increased its downward spiral and I decided I needed to go back to one of the PTs and start over. I met with one of the two brothers yesterday to do that.

We started by going through which of my body parts have issues and my medical issues which impact my abilities. At the end of the conversation, he turned to me and said "I had no idea you had so much going on. I see you here going through your routine and did not know".

I had surprised him with my ailments and that I am still exercising. At one point, he did say "I'm sorry" and I said "no you are not supposed to say 'I'm sorry'. You aresupposed to say 'That sucks.'"

But I am a little sore after my new routine but I will be back tomorrow.

On not being normal

If you find a truly 'normal' person, please let me know. No one is normal - its just a fact of life. But some people are more abnormal than others in different ways. Take me for example, I am very abnormal in the medical world. I have more medical ailments than my 80 something parents. 

All those health articles with tips for healthy living usually do not apply to me. I mean I can hydrate more but I can also floss more too.

Anything that relates to jump starting your metabolism to lose weight - um, I don't have a thyroid so its not going to do anything. Or more or different exercise - sorry, between RA, Fibromyalgia, lymphedema arm, and other injuries that never seem to go away - not happening.

I watch the ads on TV about the newest gym and fitness equipment - not going to do much for me. I go to my gym for dilapidated people and a trainer helps me through bumps in the health road. The  gym is running a contest this month for those who go the most often will be entered in a drawing for some big prize. I can't participate because I can't go more often. I couldn't participate in their last team challenge that was about increasing fitness. The team who increased their fitness the most won t-shirts or something - bragging rights? My goal is to maintain my fitness not increase it.

My three days a week at the gym are about my maximum. I do try to go for a walk once a week as well but that doesn't always work out.I can't just hop on my bike, sign up for a yoga or pilates class. The newest fitness apps? Doubtful.

The so called 'normal' people can lose weight by eating less and moving more. I can eat less but I can't move more.

I am not making excuses just expressing my frustration. I add medications that have that lovely weight gain feature and then I can't move more to counter act that. I try to eat less and it doesn't seem to help.

It could be compounded by that evil menopause (or in my case - chemopause) side effect of weight gain. It could be compounded by the fact that the office I work in has the tendency to bring in evil doughnuts and things like that.

I just need to accept I'm abnormal and my inner size eight is screaming to get out of the current size 12 body.

I try to be flexible

In July I went to see my new rheumatologist.  We talked about all sorts of things related to my rheumatoid and fibromyalgia. Among other things, she wanted to see how my flexibility is doing. She said my knees are 'snap, crackle, and pop' which did not surprise me at all.

However she was impressed with the flexibility I have retained in my shoulders and hips.  I said it was due to the gym that I go to where they work with the members and their ailments. My back pain doctor is also impressed with my flexibility.

Yesterday I was at the gym doing all sorts of complex things like balancing on the flat side of the BOSU and pumping iron at the same time - with my giant one pound weights - and 30 second planks. I am a stellar athlete. I can even balance on one foot and sit down on a bench and stand up again unaided. These are complicated tasks.

It has been just about a year since I was told I had fibro and a few weeks later I learned about RA. In that past year, I have had to significantly alter my workout program because there are many things I can't do any more. Mostly I can't get through the same workout I could a year ago.

First we cut it way back, then we started stretching things out - more reps and lower weights, etc. Now I think its time to start trying to build more things back in.

The thought did occur to me as I pumped iron yesterday that it is a very good thing I have been going to this gym for as long as I have. It means I was in relatively good shape (for me) when diagnosed and I have been able to maintain the basics of balance, strength and flexibility which are some of the biggest problems for RA and fibro people.

I really want to retain some flexibility in my body as well as balance. All I can say is I am trying.

There is no magic pill! Sorry!

I admit I often ask my doctors for a magic wand to make bad things go away. They tell me they cannot provide it no matter how nicely I ask. There is not a magic pill, no matter what the pharmaceutical industry wants to make us think.

In a perfect world, I would like to have a magic pill or magic wand for the following: breast cancer, thyroid cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerating disk disease, and fibromyalgia. None exist. So I am whing.

The use of tamoxifen to help reduce breast cancer occurrence in high risk patients is a smart idea. It is a relatively small portion of the population and something that can't really be affected by diet, exercise or other changeable activities.

But I have a real problem with the new 'brainstorm' to give statins to millions of people who are at a risk of 7% or more of having a heart attack in the next ten years. Let me just say that somewhere around half the panel of doctors who decided this were connected with the pharmaceutical industry - they didn't vote so that is supposed to make it okay. (I would assume they did make their opinions known in pre-vote discussions.)

Doctors are now going to be told to use a new algorithm: "The equation considers age, sex, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure treatment, diabetes, and smoking." HDL cholesterol is impacted by smoking, weight and exercise or lack of it. Systolic blood pressure can also be impacted by the same and salt and alcohol intake.

So let's see, get off your butt, start moving, eat right, and all that stuff, or take a pill for the rest of your life and make the pharmaceutical industry rich? Hmmm.... I prefer the former option over the latter.

I am sure statins have side effects because everything will have some kind of side effect.

PS And this recommendation will impact 1/3 of Americans. The claim is they are cheap but my guess is that the insurance industry will be on the hook for a large portion of these costs.

Why do I exercise?

Why do I exercise? I read this post on the Huffington Post about a woman with stage IV breast cancer who asked that very question. She isn't giving up on half marathons either. She says its endorphins that keep her moving.

I don't have stage IV cancer and some days just getting downstairs is difficult itself. I read somewhere else recently that only 20% of Americans get the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise each week. That's just pitiful. I am determined not to put myself  in that category.

I also exercise because it  helps me feel better. Really. I may hobble in to the gym but about an hour and 45 minutes later I may hobble out. But in between I get in 45 min - 1 hour of cardio and then another 35 minutes or so of weights followed by 15 minutes of stretching. The benefits to me are huge:

• cardio keeps me moving which is good in more ways than you can image - your body moves so all your body systems do as well.
• I have muscles (they may not be big but they are three) and can pump iron with the best of them with my 1 pound weights (yes they are girly and pink)
• I am flexible, my balance/stability is pretty good, and my muscles are nice and stretchy.
• I have less pain. My core muscles help me support my wimpy back.
• It helps me destress. I come in to the gym stressed and leave relaxed. 

I never stopped exercising through cancer treatment. Back then I used to walk every day but I never stopped unless hospitalized. Eventually I found I needed more than a walk and joined a good gym. I go three times a week and try to walk with a friend another day.

But I'll keep going as much as I can.

A new picture of my garden - the azalea in full bloom.

Swimming along

With all my physical ailments, numerous well intentioned people have suggested swimming and water aerobics for me. My response is 'um, no'. I don't like swimming. In fact I hate swimming. I hate swimming laps to be specific.

I think this goes back to my childhood (as all strong feelings do). I grew up in a neighborhood with a community swimming pool. Once you passed the swimming test (2 laps, tread water for one minute I think) and were over the ripe old age of 8 or so, you could go to the pool unsupervised by parents all day. (This was the 1960s where children went outside all day long without a leash.)

We would ride our bikes (past the big bad scary dog who would chase us) every day the sun shined to swim and hangout at the pool all day long. We played Marco Polo, dared each other to go down the slide head first, learned water ballet, and generally had fun. We would leave after the ice cream truck came around 3pm and ride our bikes home.

At some point, we were all encouraged to join the swim team. They were encouraging us to channel our energy into lap swimming. We started to swim laps every day, over and over again. The thrill of the pool quickly turned into the boredom of lap swimming. We were then too old to play Marco Polo all day and had all gone down the slide headfirst on our backs. And they made us swim laps.

At summer camp, I even passed junior lifesaving. I learned more water ballet. But they didn't make us swim laps.

To this day,  I don't like swimming laps. I am not a water aerobics person. That would mean being there at a specific time which I can never do because my schedule varies so much.

I do like floating around a nice warm lake or ocean with a little float. I can swim if I want to but rarely feel the urge. And now there is a new study that says it doesn't matter for fibromyalgia if you do land or water based activities. I can just apply that to all my other ailments and can happily avoid swimming laps.