Things looking up? One can only hope....

That's it. Enough already. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. (and in so much pain I want to curl up and melt). And I'm sick of being so INACTIVE and subsequently, fatty-fatty-two-by-four-ish.

So, yesterday, I visited with our lovely command physical readiness person, the very personable Ms. Kim Moritz. The woman is a godsend. She's so easy to talk to and is so approachable that I went to her for suggestions as to how to get a bit more activity into my day. My metabolism is all but non-existent and my muscle tone completely deteriorated after MONTHS of forced inactivity. I know I'm on limited duty officially but I've GOT to move. It's hard for me, someone who used to be so active (I used to run marathons, for Christ's sake!) to have turned into this puddle of whiney, jiggly flab. We suspect the muscle weakness may be causing a lot of the pain too, so it's time to slowly slowly start building it back.

ENOUGH.

We of course are starting slow. Beginning with replacing my desk chair with an exercise ball. It will help me engage and strengthen my core muscles while sitting, and that's a start. We've also decided to start me on some light walking, 20 minutes a day, and see how it goes. If it hurts too badly, we'll figure something else out.

My reasoning: I can't make it any worse. I mean, seriously. I look like Benjamin Button here.
I'm one step away from a long term care facility at this point. I'm thirty-freaking-one years old and I feel like I'm ninety. Seven. And a half. God.

So last night, I went home and proceeded to fly into a frenzy of housecleaning for about an hour. In which time I got sweaty and short-of-breath, meaning I was getting some aerobic exercise. GREAT! I actually felt GOOD to move and be active. And I didn't hurt so badly that I wanted to die afterwards. I just let Glynn give the kids their after-dinner bath so I could rest. Worked perfectly.

Tonight, after dinner, Glynn and I have a walk date with the kids and Daisy. It's finally nice outside and the extended daylight is making for some great family time. And I'll get my blood moving, which is all I can ask for right now.

And Thursday I have a walk date with Emily! I'm so excited. We've decided to become weight-loss buddies. She's already joined WW again and we're going to go to the same meetings and help keep each other accountable at work. No more Panera, Arnie! :-) It's awesome to have such a good friend on the same track. We're even going to go check out the step aerobics classes here on our lunchbreak. I will not be stepping, but rather doing the light weights while sitting on a stability ball along with the class, but just being around people and music and friends is going to be awesome. (That's another thing Kim and I talked about yesterday, being AROUND people during an exercise class will help immensely.)

So, as you can tell, I'm kicking, clawing, and fighting my way out of this hole that's been dug around me. I've never been one to lay down and die and accept a shitty fate, and I'm not going to start now. Yay, rah-rah, me! (I would cartwheel but I'm afraid to hurt myself).

So, Mom, when you read this, I hope your mind is a little more at ease that I'm on the upswing. I know you can't help but worry (it's the Grandma Wollnick in all of us) but try. For me. I'm gonna get through this. I have to.

Also, I switched to a tricyclic antidepressant that is supposed to actually help with pain relief, so here's hoping on that. Keep your fingers crossed. I've also got the name of someone at Andrews AFB that would be willing to treat me with acupuncture, so I'm going to explore that option this week. It means a trip, but I'm willing to make it, considering that I'm STILL waiting for an appointment at the pain clinic at Froedert Hospital. What's the hurry, right? UGH.

This was rather long-winded and wordy, but I had to get this off my chest and out there. For the whole 2.5 people who will read it, but mostly for myself.

In a completely unrelated subject, Maddie and Brady are wearing new clothes to school today and they look adorable. Maddie's rockin' two french-braided pigtails and Brady's got a soccer outfit on. God, we make cute kids. :)

Hope everyone has a great day, I'm planning to! WOO-HOO! No more rut for me!

Stay tuned.......