Health

This day has been a long time coming. Not just because I was debilitated by staph for a couple of weeks, or because I'm tired from long-term insomnia. For years I've suffered from hypothyroidism and despite begging doctors for help, they always said I was within the 'norm'. Right at the high end of the 'norm', but that didn't matter. Finally, last summer, I sought help from a Naturopath, who ran more complex blood tests as well as a 24-hour saliva test, both of which confirmed what I knew all along: my body was not getting enough thyroid to provide energy and so many other necessary functions, and my adrenals were depleted as well from long-term stress which, reasonably, was in great part stimulated by the fatigue and other symptoms of hypothyroidism. I also have a thyroid anti-immune condition called Hashimoto's disease wherein the thyroid actually attacks itself. This was a major cause of the wide swings of energy levels I experienced. Topping it off was a long-standing anemia which other docs -- MDs -- saw, but chose not to treat. Long story short, I've been under treatment for all of these things since August, and all are under control. My thyroid is right where it should be, the anemia is gone, and the Hashi's, which is not curable, is under control.

Finally -- finally! -- I have my body back, more or less. I've gained weight and lost muscle tone and some aerobic conditioning and while I haven't liked any of these things, I also haven't had enough sustained energy to do much about it. Fortunately, I walked everywhere during those months and I often walk up the stairs (7 flights) here at home and (3 flights) at work. I've also picked up the hand weights for a week or two at a time here and there. I tend to eat healthily most of the time and all this has kept me from going all the way to soft mush. Barely.

Last week I began walking up the stairs here -- all 7 flights -- at least once a day, sometimes more. I've done this before, even with laundry or groceries, so I know I can do it. I have to admit that it's been a struggle to get all the way up here all week. Right about the fourth floor I really slowed down, crawled the rest of the way. Still, I knew that would improve if I kept at it, and today it did. I walked all the way up at a steady pace without a struggle -- can't tell you how good that felt. A little later (I'm doing my laundry, so I need to go up and down for awhile) I hopped on the bike machine in our little workout room for 20 minutes, for the first time in months. I love this machine. It's programmable and I always choose an interval course that is really a tough workout, as it has me sit for 45 seconds then stand up and pedal with progressively harder 'hills' for 30 seconds. It's tough! And pardon me for bragging, but after I got off that machine I walked up the stairs again, if a bit more slowly this time.

Finally -- I have the energy to tackle all these fitness issues as well as more basic health issues and -- at last -- really attack the insomnia issue. I've made changes in my nighttime routine, which worked great the first night, Friday, but not so well last night. Beats drugs, however. Tomorrow I see my doc (MD) as a first step in ridding myself of this issue once and for all. I have my ideas as to the cause, but don't know how to solve it. I don't think she will know, either, but I have to start with her if I want to get into a sleep study, which I'm prepared to do if I have enough time left in Eugene to do it. I'm also going to have her re-evaluate the beta blocker I'm taking. Do I still need it? I haven't had any tests for this condition for 15 years, at least, and it's about time I took control of it. I've also made appointments with the eye doc, the dentist, and a dermatologist for more incipient skin cancers on my face and hands. Those come from a lifetime spent in the outdoors and a lot of sunburn before I became a believer in sunscreen (and before sunscreen existed).

Spring is nigh, even though that is not evident from looking out my window. I have a car now and I can go for a hike wherever and whenever I like. I no longer need to rely on others to invite me along. Same with the bike -- I'm free. And I want to be in shape to get out there and hike and bike. I began a week ago -- diet changes, walking up the stairs -- and will ease back into the weights and more on the bike machine and elliptical machine downstairs. This body is coming back!