Something to Smile About

 “You have a big smile on your face,” said Krista, Friday afternoon.

Walking in the clear water of the warm pool at on this mild fall day, what wasn’t there to smile about?  The warm sun reflected off the surface of the pool, members were concentrating on their workouts and the water felt heavenly. I was happy. I am happy.

I was wearing a new suit, comprised of separates (necessary for my uniquely shaped body), ankle weights and a flotation belt. I also wear water aerobics shoes for foot protection, as I have extremely sensitive feet.

And, yes, it’s an interesting get-up. A huge thank you to those who refrained from staring and laughing. Nice people these Healdsburg-undians.

Krista suggested I walk with ankle weights to help stabilize my gait in the water and to keep my feet solidly on the bottom of the pool. And she gave me strict orders not to walk on my toes.

Of course, the minute I walked out of my depth, I was on my toes. Remembering her instructions, I brought up my feet and sculled to the side. After floating for a few minutes, I stroked my way back to the shallower end and started walking. The ankle weights worked for me.

It was at that point that Krista noticed the smile that seemed glued to my face.

The flotation belt may have been too much but Krista did notice that I was standing up taller, so maybe it helped with my body position in the water. I’ll have to try walking both with and without the belt to see which helps me more.

I ended up walking for 45 minutes—a complete surprise to move that long without too much pain. Can you picture this? A bigger smile appears on my face.

When I stepped out of the pool a cold breeze whipped across my wet swimsuit. Yikes! I quickly wrapped myself in my son’s old swim parka. There was a time when that cold wind wouldn’t have bothered me but now being cold stiffens my joints and makes it hard to move. I’m such a sissy.

We had started in the gym about an hour earlier, where Krista and I went through an assessment of how I move. My own assessment? I'm pretty awkward (I limp and lumber instead of walk).

Krista modified exercises for me to do. The four you-can-do-them-anywhere exercises include a ball back press, standing against a wall or seated; an adductor (thigh/knee) press; a triceps/shoulder press with a straight arm; and a rotator cuff exercise to strengthen my shoulder.

The first two exercises use an “overball”—a really soft, compressible 9-inch ball, often used for Pilates. The triceps exercise requires a partner and the rotator cuff exercise is done with a stretch band.

Krista suggested and discarded several other exercises that didn’t work for me. I’m starting with baby steps, again. Few reps, with a day of rest between.

I like all the exercises I’ve been given, and best of all, I can do them all competently and safely. Whoo-hoo! Something physical that I can feel competent about.

However, my knee remains a sore subject. The doctors haven’t found anything obviously wrong with it, though I’ve had x-rays, a needle-aspiration and an MRI. It swells and causes a lot of pain. A cortisone injection didn’t help.

My homeopath M.D. believes that, as I recover bone mass, the knee will settle down and stop grumbling so much. Right now, I can walk only a couple of blocks before the swelling begins; however, walking in the pool did not cause it to swell. And that is something to smile about.

Of course, all this caused my rib to flare up. Ice and I became inseparable both Friday afternoon and Saturday. Sunday, it seemed to calm down. More smiles.

I was going back to the pool on Monday but the bad weather made me stay away. I decided I didn’t want to stiffen up that much, so I just did my three of the four exercises three times during the day. (I don't have the stretch band, yet.)

So, even though it's been a little up and down, that's something I expect.

The smile? You can still see it on my face. I think I’m on my way.

(**Author’s note: After years of ill health, and coexisting with several chronic conditions, I make the conscious decision to ferociously live wellness to my fullest extent. This is my journey. I know I cannot change at least one of my physical conditions but I choose live more consciously and in better health than I have for the past 18 years, since a degenerative spinal condition rendered me “disabled.”

I have a team to help me to this end. Krista Williams, a dear friend, and a senior in the kinesiology program at Sonoma State University, who has chosen me as her semester project case study and who will help guide me through an individualized physical rehabilitation program. Vilma, my literary friend, led me to a homeopath M.D. who is helping me take a whole-body approach to health and wellness. I have two additional physicians, who while more conventional than alternative in approach, have shown compassionate interest in my complexities and who believe that I can regain my health.

This blog promises to be an honest portrayal of my journey to wellness—the parts that are difficult as well as the parts that are easy. I hope that my experiences may serve to support and inspire others with chronic conditions as they journey toward optimum health.

Disclaimer: Any healing modalities I may try are individualized for me and created in conjunction with the advice of my physicians. Nothing I write should be construed as medical advice. Please seek proper medical attention for any condition(s) you may have.)