Arthritis = Booo!

Today I am a little bit sore from riding my bike yesterday.  I walked for 50 minutes today after work because I was out of daylight.  It's the small victories that we have to celebrate sometimes.  My knee was killing me from step one.  My fitbit read a mere 690 steps when I went for my walk.  I just kept going.  I had my headset on and I was talking to a friend the whole time.  I ended up walking much farther than I thought I could or would.  Then I was so close to getting 5,000 steps in that I decided to go another lap around the neighborhood.  As I write this I have almost 6,500 steps in for today.  I didn't ice when I got home which I will probably regret for the next three days or more.  I've been really swollen in both knees (and retaining quite a bit of water) and in a lot of pain on my really bad knee.  It's not fun, but it's somehow motivating me.  I want to punch arthritis in the face these past three weeks!  Sometimes it is so frustrating because I really want to attain maximum health as I have had in the past, but my knees won't allow me.  I have always been so athletic and it has been so humbling to not be able to run, jog or do many active things I love.  Things as simple as bowling...what a piece of humble pie when I found out I couldn't even do that!  God has a plan and he has taught me so much and will continue to teach me and guide me through my healing journey.  It's frustrating not being able to do things my mind is finally wanting to do, but my body won't allow me.  I'm finally climbing out of this valley of depression and on to new adventures.  Sorry for the slight negative vibe here.  I usually like to post really positive and encouraging things!  I'm positive I will beat arthritis! :)  Never give up!  Hugs & aloha <3

Adding Insult to Injury

Well, at the age of thirty I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis...not a happy thing.  I have known my health was deteriorating for some time and that I needed to focus and lose weight, but due to my knee pain I always had a hard time sticking to any exercise regiment.  Now I have heard from my doctor, physical therapist, and orthopedic surgeon and one sweet medical secretary of the grandma type that I "must lose weight".  Do you notice the word choice there?  Not need, but rather I MUST lose weight.  


I now have been diagnosed with what I somehow already knew was there...well I knew something serious was wrong with my knee(s).  I am now having to cope with the the fact that I will no longer be able to run.  Running was always one of my favorite exercises which I have not been able to do for quite sometime.  Now I am told I need to learn to love swimming, cycling (already love it!) and yoga (love too!).  


Although, when I found out this news, I was really deflated, discouraged and almost sad.  It was almost as if all the things I had been ignoring and slightly nurturing about my health and well being all hit me at once.  What happened to the athlete in me?  I know she is still in there and dying to come out, but she has been defeated by so many things over the years.  My assignment right now is to find balance.  Physically I am supposed to find a balance with exercise as it helps OA, but if I you exercise too much it does the opposite.  So now, I am forced to listen to my body and pay attention to what it has been trying to tell me for years.  Perhaps having this diagnosis and hearing that I "must" lose weight from so many is the ultimatum I truly needed. I allowed myself to wallow for a day and then decided to move forward.  So hear is to moving forward and pressing onward!  Cheers!