Become One with the Noodle

I got all dressed ready to go to work this morning - even packed my lunch and had everything by the door... then just sighed and said "I can't do it."  I had such a miserable and worrisome time of it yesterday - my body was just screaming to stay home and put my feet up.  So I did.  And I feel better.

I talked everything over with my physical therapist and she said that she "warned" me that there was going to be a lot of dips in the road and this was one of them.  She also said that the awful shooting pain I had in my leg while driving home yesterday might just have been spasms - not so much because my feet were down but because I didn't move around ENOUGH.  She said that from now on I have to set a timer and get up every 20 minutes and walk, do a few knee bends...SOMETHING, but get moving. 

I also talked about the overwhelming fatigue that I was feeling.  She said that, in part, it might be because I was in and out of the car, and walking long lengths, but mostly it was probably mental fatigue.  Everything I wrote about yesterday - the getting dressed, worrying about needing laundry done, packing lunch, worrying about dinner when I got home, thinking about work stuff, etc.  She said that for 10 weeks my ONLY concern was resting, doing my exercises, and taking care of MY immediate needs.  Changing all that is reason enough for fatigue - THINKING about changing all that is reason enough for fatigue!

She gave me MORE exercises... but in fairness, we took a couple off the table.  She stressed once again that all the up and about counts as exercise, and that I have to listen to my body - if I am exhausted when I get home don't worry.  We also laughed because she told me to "become one with the noodle" when I told her that I haven't been going in the pool much because I wanted to avoid exercising and swimming, as too much was making things worse.  She said - CHILL!!!!!!!  Float!  Become one with the noodle!  wow - whatta concept!

Miriam