Big day today

I made a new friend today.  She's the new wife of someone I've known for a while.  I talked to her for an hour about Lyme disease, which she is currently dealing with.  Sounds like she has a tough road ahead of her, but I think that she is a strong person and she'll pull through.  She might need a puppy to help her out when she's feeling sick and down.  But cuddles or no, she has a supportive husband and the will to get better.  Now she just has to get through the treatments.  And then thrive.

Talking to her brought back so much from 2005 when I spent months on antibiotics for Lyme, suffering and slowly healing.  That was a long, ugly year.  I'm grateful not to be in that place anymore.  It reminds me that even huge, awful problems can be solved with time and perseverance.  And it also reminds me that whatever is going on in my health right now is not so bad.

After work, I had my new patient appointment with my physical therapist.  I gained a good impression of her.  I told her what I do now, and what I would like to be able to do.  (Especially that I would like to be able to trot my horse.  Almost everything else I would like to do, I can do to some extent now.) She tested my range of motion, strength, and flexibility.  She says I'm doing very well compared to the results of my MRI.  She also palpated my back looking for sore spots (and now I have many aches.)  In her opinion, the degenerative disk disease is a separate issue from all my herniated disks, and the herniated disks can be improved.  Thursday she'll start me on exercises toward that end.

I think I need a better understanding of what's going on in my back and why.  Is the tearing considered degenerative disk disease, as opposed to  the bulging / nerve pressure?  Is the deformed bony growth considered degenerative disk disease?  Or is that arthritis?  I realize that I have no clue.

I heard several notable comments from her.  I told her that I had quit running, and she nodded emphatically.  Like the neurologist's office, she says I can ride OR run, but not both.  She says no more crunches, period.  Oops.. I'd been increasing crunches to try to build up my core.  She will show me other, safer exercises to accomplish the same goal.  And, she is the first person I've talked to who was concerned about yoga.  She says that with the amount of damage I have, it would be very easy to make things worse rather than better.

She suggested that I stop doing yoga for a while.  I have not agreed to do so, yet.  Right now, regular yoga is what keeps me from feeling achy all the time.  If other exercises can take yoga's place, I'll consider stopping for a while.

When I got home, I found that several items had arrived in the mail.  My new home seltzer maker, which appears to work nicely.  My new slippers, which are toasty.  And my new slipper boots, which are also toasty.  I can't decide which I like better!  I was going to return whichever I liked less, but I don't know.  I bought them for backpacking.  The slippers are very light - 3 oz.  The boots are a whole 9 oz, but *significantly* warmer.  I may carry them on an overnight trip and wear one of each in the sleeping bag to help me decide.

Warm feets.  So warm.  So delightful.