After battling the black beast known as The Arc trainer for 2 minutes and having an explosive heart rate in such a short amount of time the other day, Mama and Rabbi determined that they would devise a plan to work on my cardio health as well as my balance. Tommy went to Academy and purchased an awesome heart monitor for me to wear so we can see what activities and movements are causing the sudden bursts in heart rate. So now not only do I have an implanted monitor recording things for the docs to see, I have one I can wear around my wrist and get immediate results. Having the bubblegum pink accessory attached to my wrist reminds me of something that I would have worn in elementary or junior high and every time I look at it I almost expect a Hello Kitty face on the front of it instead of the time, heart rate, or other of its various features that it can flash at me.
But having this monitor has also allowed us to be more progressive at physical therapy. Now, instead of walking tracks with Jack, I'm able to get on the treadmill and walk a certain time or distance because not only is my gait getting more fluid but my balance is becoming better. We just have to make sure that my heart is not deciding to do a break dance.
Rabbi also determined that this would be a good time to work on something called "Ice Skaters". It helps with balance and strength and I don't know what all else. Imagine if you will, an ice skater skating laps around a track. Stand up, bend your knees slightly, then with one leg at a time (like balance on your right leg and do all of this with your left or vice versa) reach your opposite leg out and touch the toe down on a given point straight out to the side as far away as you can (extending your stride). It's easiest, much like an ice skater, if you fold your hands behind your back for balance rather than letting them flail about in the front or the side. Do that for a solid minute and see if your thighs and butt and whatever else isn't screaming!! And if Rabbi forgets (like he sometimes does) to push the start button on the stopwatch, you get to do it for TWO minutes! Trust me, this fat and sassy girl is working muscles and becoming more flexible than I was pre-stroke I think. Heck, I even sat criss-cross applesauce the other day (indian style) at PT on one of the stretching tables.
Another exciting (is that the word you use in this instance?) thing that is happening this week is that I am going back on the IV infusion of my RA meds. Yes, it means I'll be sitting in an infusion lab for an hour or so being fed medication through a tube in a vein that I'm hoping and praying that they don't have any trouble finding, and yes, I will be drowsy and likely sick for a day or so afterwards but then I wont have to endure it for another month. That's what I'm looking forward to the most. The month (or practically a month) of relative pain free movement. When I say relative pain free I really mean endurable. Right now I have what I call the Tin Man syndrome. Only it wouldn't really matter how much oil Dorothy put in me, it wont stop the ache and creakiness of the joints. So, I'm off to be "oiled" in about an hour. I'm just hoping that I feel well enough for PT on Friday because it's Rabbi's last day of his rotation and I want to be there. I heard a rumor that there will be a party, which means cake, and as a fat and sassy girl, I like cake! So crossing my fingers that this infusion goes well and I'm eating cake on Friday.
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