Stuff

I have a bunch of stuff to share. Bear with me, there might be a lot of information involved.

I believe I discovered to cause of the extreme swelling of my ankles, my right one more so than my left. My right one swells more in general due to the damage. We will get to that in a bit.

About 2 weeks ago when I started taking the classes at the Y, I asked Jay to get me some pain reliever. I didn't have anything but Excedrin Migraine, nothing for muscle pain. He grabbed me some Aleve. I didn't think anything of it & stated popping them, taking 2 at a time. I didn't realize until 5am this morning, 2 isn't a dose, it's 1, whoops!! So I was looking at the bottle & it said "Naproxen Sodium Tablets". My thought was "sodium, salt, water retention". So when I got up this morning I looked it up. Guess what I discovered??? Visible water retention & water retention in general are common & severe side effects of naproxen sodium tablets. I won't be taking any more Aleve, time to get my good old standby of Aspirin!!

So the reason I was up taking some Aleve at 5am is because my ankle (the one I shattered) is bothering me. I never complain about it, ever. I never let it hinder me or any physical activity I do. I'm not supposed to do weight bearing exercise & do it at my own risk. My orthopaedic & I had a discussion about it. Let me recap: 10 years ago I shattered both of my leg bones at the ankle joint in a car accident. I also broke my 3 middle toes in that accident. To fix my ankle I had 2 wires & screws put in on the inside of my ankle & on the outside of my ankle I had a bone graft (from a cadaver) a plate & 5 more screws. I've since had the hardware removed. Shortly after, about 3 years after my accident, it was determined that arthritis had already started on the inside of my ankle & at 27 I was deemed a candidate for an ankle replacement, I'm just to young for it to be done. On top of that, there is a "bone bridge" fusing my leg bones together so I will ultimately lose the independent movement each leg bone has. My toes constantly feel as though a sock is bunched up under them & the muscles become very tight at night when I sleep. Yeah, there is a lot going on in there, but yet I don't let it stop me.

Last night, while sitting on the couch putting lotion on my feet, my ankle was making weird noises as I moved it around. It kept cracking & making popping/grinding noises. Gross. Usually I want the joint to crack to feel some relief but it's very painful, almost feels like it's hooked up on something. Nasty. To let my foot hang in a rest position is causing some discomfort. I think it's all from a combination of the rainy weather & my body (ankle) adjusting to the cardio/sculpting classes. I didn't make it to the Y yesterday I was very busy & today I wanted to just give my ankle a little break.

So enough about all that gross stuff......

On Tuesday, in Cardio Pump we were handed Gliding Discs so we could glide. Click here to find out what Gliding is. You would think it wouldn't be a great workout, but it was awesome!! I could really feel it in my thighs (fronts & backs) & hips! We didn't do anything at a fast pace, everything was slow enough to maintain control. I loved it.

The one thing I love about the Cardio Pump classes is that they are never the same. It's always different. There isn't any time for muscle memory. I feel like I get a good workout every time, I mean, I am gross & sweaty when I'm finished. I think Monday I'm going to start taking the Cardio Step class that is offered twice a week. Why not? The classes are part of my membership, I'm trying new active things & I'm challenging myself.

Oh, by the way, my weight happens to be down about 3lbs right now, probably since I haven't had any Aleve in the last couple of days with the exception of this morning.

Have a great day!!

Better Day

I'm feeling better today. Well, just a little. Yes, I'm still insecure. I don't think that will ever go away. I suppose I could TRY to stop worrying or planning everything out. I think my insecurities have to do with control, well, lack of control, meaning I can't control everything. It's hard not to worry about things.

Tomorrow, I'm going to take a Cardio Pump class at the Y. The description: A full body workout that combines intervals of cardiovascular and strength training exercises. Use of weights, tubing, bars, steps, and balls will all be incorporated into this energizing class. I have a slight fear I might not be able to move later on in the day. The class is offered twice a week. If I like it (and survive it) I will take it again on Tuesday.

On Friday I will be trying a class called Triple Threat, again, providing I survive Cardio Pump. The description: Hardcore circuit class including sculpting and cardio. Of course, I will give you detailed descriptions of these classes.

I'm really hoping that they get me back into lifting weights. I only do cardio right now. I really need to start building up my lean muscle. As a reminder: LEAN MUSCLE BURNS FAT MORE EFFECTIVELY. That's why men lose weight faster than women, they have more muscle mass naturally than women do. Mind you, I don't want to bulk up, I want to tone up. Lifting weights is good for you, your body will like it. Trust me. Go ahead & try it.

I'm not sure if you all know, but I'm still looking for a job. It's very frustrating & discouraging to send out my resume, often, and to not hear back from anyone. My resume is kick ass, if I may sound a little arrogant for a moment. I've also figured out the least I could make to survive at a better rate than I am trying to right now on unemployment. I'm sure that not working doesn't help my insecurities as well as my self worth. I'm currently wrestling with the decision to start looking for a job in Manhattan. There are a lot of jobs, that pay a lot more than local jobs do. It's just the thought of commuting. The long hours & leaving my Hailey girl inside for so long. Living alone doesn't help that. I used to go into NYC (all 5 boroughs) at an old job. But I had to travel throughout them all over, so I know what it's like. The thought of working in an office, daily makes it seem a bit more doable. I also realize that working long hours really will affect my exercise & eating habits & I don't know if I want to compromise that either. I have to make a list of pros & cons & really weigh things out, what's important.

I'm not sure if my fingers will work after Cardio Pump tomorrow, if they do, I will tell you all about it. If they don't work until Monday, then you will hear about it on Monday with my weigh in update.

:)