the second best present ever

Since the onset of my illness – and especially since my feet have taken to spontaneously breaking – I have been unable to exercise.

This has been particularly upsetting for me as I used to be an avid runner, even marathoning once upon a time:

While I have accepted that I likely won’t be running 26.2 again, I have been really struggling with not being able to do ANYTHING.

Until today.

My amazing better half gave me the second best present ever (after Janis the Fabulous Bug) to solve this problem:

Our local YMCA has an indoor pool so I can swim year round – and inside even now as I am allergic to sunlight! Gahhhh!!!!

Sara and I went today and had the most fabulous time.

I did threaten to stay in the pool and start receiving my mail there because my pain is so much better in the water but I finally agreed to leave. Hehe. ☺️

I am so thankful. He is just the best! ❤️

I looked online and found several pool yoga options I can do in addition to swimming laps so I am super stoked.

As I have been doing some research, trying to understand why both of my ankles are in horrible shape all of the sudden (they weren’t among my worst joints before), I learned that the trauma of the breaks in my feet has probably triggered this worsening of my RA in my ankles – and there is no way to know if it is a permanent thing.

All I can do now is take my meds and supplements and pray that the new medication works well, because, apart from the broken bones, this ankle situation literally has me hobbling and it is so scary.

The stress and fear involved with this is another reason I am so thankful to have an outlet now to exercise. I feel so much better when I can.

I am also starting The Daniel Plan today:

Dr. Mark Hyman was one of its authors and he was a guest lecturer at my school and really had a sensible approach to diet, exercise, and health. I’ve actually lost a few pounds since my pred dose has leveled off – yay! – so I’m hoping to be able to be more active now, focus on whole foods, and feel better.

While I can’t control what my disease process is doing, I can control my diet.

And now I can exercise too (thank you, Baby!).

So, as always, we do what we can.

We can do (and survive) hard things.