GRAPE AND PILLAGE!

(Huge Update Post)

Bike Ride

Oh the fun of freedom on three wheels.. Like the ladybug? That's my bell. Today I went on a long (long for me) bike ride by the Ottawa river. I want to get as much bike time as possible before the damnable snow puts a stop to my peddalry. Then I want snowshoes, so I can get wicked photos of beasts at their most winterized. Fluffy. This photo was taken halfway thru my ride.

Weight Loss progress

Yay I lost two pounds this week! Right now I'm doing behavioral conditioning to get me in touch with my non-pill-induced appetite. Harder than it sounds. Although I think this will be The Way to losing weight permanently. I can see myself doing this method every single day of my life and not getting tired of it.. Most diets are a huge pain in the ass.. but this isn't a diet. It's like you're using a computer and you don't know about a core utility program.. like specialized alarms.. this diet-changing method teaches you about the appetite alarm in your stomach... the one which many people (including myself) have learned to ignore. Now I actually FEEL hungry, and can tell the difference between psychological and physical hunger. Huge diff. So now, instead of relying on writing down all calories and all foods - this neat little notification program tells me when to start and stop eating to maintain a proper weight. Nifty. Some people are born knowing where this program is, of course.

Grape and Pill-age

Speaking of pills, I am having a party this weekend with some close friends - and of course I had to run out of painkillers. I have the hardcore twice-a-day controlled release pills, but not the "I NEED RELIEF NOW" pills. I have to stay away from alcohol, my normal method of replacing painkillers.. so basically I'm trying to use my TENS machine more and trying to meditate (I practice Raja Yoga routine, because one fuck up and I'm in big trouble. Emergency clinics don't prescribe Em-Strength painkillers. They prescribe crap like Codeine sometimes, low dose and high itch factor, just like straight Morphine. meditation) as much as possible. I'm paying more attention to my regular HathaOooh but I still like Morphine. Codeine metabolises into Morphine, but for some reason, it doesn't really tickle my fancy. Hurts my tummy more than Morphine. I'm on different pills that I'd rather not broadcast. They are the freedom givers. They free up some RAM for me, which is taken up by randomized pain-to-psyche distraction. A very temporary defrag.. but worth it.

People and Pain

Certain people lower pain... just by talking to them or being around them (etc). Mainly my Mom, my 2 close girlfriends, and a new Manfriend of mine is really quite good at it! - but one cannot rely on others... for a few good reasons... A) they can die B) they can decide they don't want you in their life C) they might get sick of being around you.. hehehe. I don't see my girlfriends as often as I'd like.. and my platonic guy friends.. wink wink.. come on guys, take me out!!!

Doggy and Pain

Of course Gordon helps a lot. Just looking at him and being around him makes me swoon with puppy love!! I groom him, train him, and play with him every day... and in my pain database, which I enter data in daily to track pain and other issues, I refer to my time with him as "PT" - puppy therapy.

Database and Research - Almost reaching the year mark!!

Yup, I have a database for my ails. Right now it's just a shitty spreadsheet, but I'm working on making a better database. I've had it for almost a year, so soon I will be able to work with the data and do something constructive with it. I've already tracked some very important patterns, which I will submit to various research organizations for Fibro, Endo, and CFS. New data, I think, as I am usually up to date on the latest published research in those fields. You can't rely on doctors to help you, Fibrofolks, Endofolks, and CFSfolks.. nope. Get researching, get reading.. I know it's hard at times, but it's worth it. BTW, I also like to make graphs.. hehehe pie charts, bar charts.. 3D even.. of course this takes me a shit load of time since I'm foggy in the head. I'll publish some here when I'm done sending it to the proper research institutes.

Electro-Goodness

My TENS machine was finally approved to be covered by the red-tape-beauties at Essential Health Services!! I was paying 51$ a month for the other one.. Hard decisions had to be made in my budget to incorporate this expense. Now I can go back to massages, and daily vitamins. Frigg, vitamins and supplements seem to be rising in price. I have a 1/2 cup of pills to take each day, including vitamins, painkillers, other supplements, etc. Isn't that funky? For the past two months I've cut on the vitamins and other supplements, so it comes to a 1/4 cup... but I've been feelings like crapola in certain areas. Some of the supplements I take: Spirulina, Multivitamin, extra Chromium, extra B vitamins, MSM, Omega 3-6-9, extra Calcium, etc. Why the extra? Well two main reasons 1) some of the pills I take eat essential nutrients 2) some experts call for more than the norm in terms of nutrients.

So that's the update. I have lots more to say.. but some of it is private and will only be shared with the proper females in my life!! And other stuff is still to come. I'm doing well, getting better inch by inch, am more happy than usual, and that's that! :) Thanks for reading this huge update ;)

Heart Rate and Fatigue: The Emlucy way to Rejuvenation!

With Fibro, Chronic fatigue, or simply being out of shape, the fatigue can be worse than anything else you've got. Not for me, I'd take the fatigue over the pain, but that's not a choice. What is a choice is helping the fatigue go away.

(The picture right is one I found on a cute site.. probably cute overload.. lol. It's friggin adorable.. so much it makes me grit my teeth!! love it)

What I've been doing lately is Target Heart Rate exercise, and it has been helping!! What's more, it can help pretty much anyone.. I said pretty much, but if you have a heart condition or some kind of jazz that'll be worse if you exercise.. don't. I do this at my own risk... and it has been causing more hurt, but at a good reward. I have had a little more energy. It's small, but for me - I'll take anything I can get.

Basically, I read through all my fibro books, cfs books, and related books - I read article after article on the Internet, I talked to my health care professionals, and then lastly I talked to people with fibro - and compiled this exercise regime!! Recently a few fibro and cfs friends have asked that I share my regime. Really it's not mine, it's just traditional health stuff we've heard over and over again.. but usually that stuff if the golden stuff, if you get my meaning.

Emlucy's Target Heart Rate Rejuvenator! ;)

Firstly, you're going to need a heart rate monitor - or you can do it manually. Find your Resting Heart Rate (RHR). Here's how:

Get nice and leisurely - relax, lay down, don't sit up!! Just get as relaxed as possible for 20 minutes. Then I want you to take your pulse. (See how many times your heart beats in 60 seconds OR use a heart rate monitor. I suggest a heart rate monitor, as if you have FMS or CFS you may lose count or have a crap time at multiplying if you're taking the quarters route).

My RHR: 65

Okay, now I need you to calculate your Maximum Heart Rate MHR. Women, subtract your age from 226, Men - subtract your age from 220. Personally, I just round the number.

My MHR: 226 - 26 = 200

So, the heart rate range is 65-200 - - then I rounded my number to 70 - just to make the next step cleaner and easier for Fibro Foggers and ADD'rs.

Next plot out on a piece of paper a little graph that looks like this:

70-80-90-100-110-120-130-140-150-160-170-180-190-200

Then, find rough half, quarter, and eighth points. Here are 14 numbers, so they divide 7 and 7 so between 130 and 140 is the half point (135) and then the quarter points would be the middle number of each of the seven. Highlight the numbers.

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70-80-90-100-110-120-130-135-40-150-160-170-180-190-200
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Okay, now you have your graph!! I put this on a magnetic board, to keep track of progress AND to remind me to exercise. So what do you do with the graph? Depends how sick you are:

If you're really sick, or really out of shape, your first week of exercise will focus on the first quarter: in my graph that would be 70-100. You want to do an exercise that keeps your heart rate in that zone for 15 minutes three times a week. Can't do it for 15? Do it as much as you can and then increase as you start getting healthier.

If you're moderately sick or moderately out of shape, start in the second between the first eighth and the second eighth. In my graph, that would be 80-120. Get yourself in that range for 15 minutes three times a week to begin.

From these two, you get the hang of it. Just increase accordingly.

What kind of exercise should you start off with? Work with what you have. I have a recumbent exercise bike, so that's what I use. You could use a treadmill, DDR, do Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, walking, jumping.. anything. You don't need fancy equipment. Oh, and watching scary movies doesn't count.. as that will build up adrenaline which won't be used if you don't work out. Get moving. Dancing to music is great. Just keep your heart rate in your beginner target range.

Increasing the workout to strengthen your heart, increase your energy, and lengthen your stamina is the next step:

After about three weeks, or less depending on your health, do it every second day, then every day for 15 minutes. At the same time, increase your target range by one eighth when you're ready. Never get up to your maximum heart rate, as you're asking for a flare up. Don't be silly!!!

You'll want to keep it within 5/8 and 3/4. After you can easily get in that range, you'll need to just increase the length of exercise, not the heart rate. You may never get there, that's okay. Take it to where you CAN. If you can only take it from 50%-60%, that's super! If it's only 30%-40%, that's still good!! Don't feel bad. Every inch on that graph counts!

I've noticed great results from this. Sure it's only a little bit to normal peoples' standards, but to someone with CFS it's like finding buried treasure! Every bit counts to better heart health.

When it's firmly part of your schedule.. you can move onto strength training.. that'll be next. I hope this is helpful!!