Tag Archives: walking

One Window at a Time

Activity or Rest?, Mental Health, Staying Positive January 18, 2013 1 Comment
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A job half done is better than not at all. Maybe I’ll get the rest of these wreaths and other holiday decorations put away by February first…

My brother was visiting recently from Manhattan. It seems to me he’s been checking up on me often now that my son has left for college, and I have to say the company is welcome.

One particular day, I was obsessing about all the things undone around the house, including how filthy the windows have become after several years of neglect.

I can’t afford the professional window cleaners I employed when circumstances were different. But I certainly don’t have the energy to wash more than 20  windows myself.

So I was feeling frustrated, angry, and stressed about my lack of energy—and lack of money, too.

Just wash one, my brother said. One a day, and you’ll be done in less than a month.

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Afraid to Exercise? Start by Doing Half

Activity or Rest? November 18, 2012 Leave a comment
A little exercise can be just enough. Credit: Flickr stream of kh1234567890

A little exercise can be just enough.
Credit: Flickr stream of kh1234567890

In the middle of my second bout with lyme following a new tick bite, treatment has reduced the severity of symptoms in recent weeks. I’m no longer confined to bed by the terrible pain that was very nearly intolerable.  I’m no longer on round-the-clock pain meds. But I still have debilitating symptoms. I do best if I rest.

The more active I am, the more the pain, numbness, and fatigue escalate. I try to cope with the help of hot baths, heating pads, and meditation. But on many days when I get up off the sofa and move around too long, I have to turn to pain meds.

What’s too long? That seems to be different for everyone, and different at various points in recovery. But one thing I’m sure of: Some exercise every day is important for healing.  Continue reading →