TMI Thursday, Fighting Like a Girl…
On my way out the door to see Pat, my trainer. She has been through a hip replacement and had a malignant tumor on her foot removed, works out regularly and is a personal trainer! She is one of the most positive people I know and hanging out with her is a pain (in my arms, my knees, etc.) but never a chore! 😉
Today we’re working on back, upper body and arm strength because I won’t be able to use my right arm and side for a little bit after the surgery.
As to the surgery, good news, I think. My interventional radiologist and hemotologist have decided I don’t need the filter placed after all since I had another ultrasound that showed no blood clots. So apparently my chance of developing a clot after surgery will be no greater than anyone else. And because I’m only having a mastectomy on one side, they can restart a low dose of blood thinner fairly soon after surgery. And they could do an ultrasound and place a filter if I develop blood clot symptoms while in the hospital following surgery. So, yay…
I would not be lying to say I’m actually doing fine, just waiting for the surgery date to get here. And I also wouldn’t be lying to say that sometimes I’m scared witless just waiting for the surgery date to get here!
Photo of Pat M. is my own
Self-Kindness…
I have been incredibly kind to myself this week. I’ve been focusing on my own exercise program, two training sessions and two water exercise programs a week. Had I been any kinder, I don’t think I’d be able to walk. Just kidding, sort of…
I ‘ve been through a whole series of physical therapy sessions and then personal trainers since I hurt my right knee last fall, basically after running up and down the stairs too much in the wrong shoes before vacation. At my age apparently even walking can be risky.
Since my knee is doing pretty well now, I decided I would ramp up my exercise program a little bit. We have a very modern and fairly inexpensive park district facility about one and a half miles from my house and hubby and son, Dave, and I all signed up.
My new personal trainer is Pat, a tiny woman in adorable size two work out clothes who puts me through the paces twice a week. She told me that my form is excellent and whoever worked with me before did a great job — that would have been Evil Personal Trainer Keith. Pat is just as evil, I think, in her own sweet way. I need to get to know her better to be sure. She is very encouraging and makes me almost forget how hot and sweaty and tired I am!
Now I may have confused being kind to myself with being good to myself, but I really like to exercise and life had kind of gotten in the way of me doing that for awhile. And I think many women, moms in particular, tend to put their needs last.
So right now, being kind to myself means I’m going to continue focusing on taking care of my own health and well-being by exercising for my physical health and writing for my mental health. And trying not to be too hard on myself about either one.
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In response to the 2016 Kindness Challenge at The Richness of a Simple Life.
My Personal Trainer, Pat #National Limerick Day
I’ve been wanting to tell you about my new personal trainer at our park district rec center. She is little and fun and super nice, but just as evil as my other trainer, Keith, in her own way! And she’s almost the same age as me.
I told her about my blog and that I wanted to write about her and asked how she started and all that, which I will write about later because it’s a pretty wonderful story.
Then I said, by the way, what size do you wear, like a size zero? She laughed merrily and said, oh, no, at least a size two! (For the uninitiated, that’s about the size of a 12 year-old child) Sorry, did that sound bitchy? Here’s a little limerick I wrote about Pat.
I have a new trainer named Pat
A woman with no body fat
She’s tiny, tough and sweet
But I do hope she’ll eat
She’s barely a size two, if that!
Monday Musings…
Here’s hoping everyone had a lovely weekend! Ours was very nice with my DS and DDIL and JP hosting both nanas and papas and aunts and uncles and a couple of little cousins for dinner on Sunday. All I had to do was bring a fruit salad (yes, I was able to cut the fruit up properly 😉 )and I got to spend the day with some of my favorite people!
If you have not read my Mothers limerick about my childhood, you can find it here. My life is pretty wonderful now, though, and I have a great support system. I might write some posts about early family life later — when I look back at some they are pretty funny, or were to us, anyway!
Today begins the Kindness Challenge I’m participating in and this week we are focusing on being kind to ourselves. So I’m going to the gym twice today — once for a workout in the pool and later in the afternoon for another session with my new Personal Trainer, Pat. I will write a separate post on her. She’s super nice (aren’t they all?) and funny but just as evil in her own way! She’s also about my age and probably a size zero — maybe a size two? I’ll ask her today —
Working out really is the best way to take care of myself and my health, both physical and mental health…
Photo is from Niki’s site about the Kindness Challenge…
Personal Training…The End
You might know my story about hurting my knee and doing physical therapy and now working with a personal trainer because I’ve written about it before. I like to say it was a sports injury, but it was more like I fell off my shoes on the stairs and somehow injured my right knee… 🙂
Yesterday I finished my 20 outrageously expensive personal training sessions that you pay for upfront. I’m sure it’s set up that way because then you’re pretty reluctant to miss a session… That’s 20 hours, people, of having someone put you through paces like you were going to play offensive tackle for an American football team. I am serious. I actually pulled a piece of equipment called a sled, some days with 110 pounds, other days with 160 pounds.
I did push ups and chest presses and squats and bicep curls and things I don’t even know the names of, and I paid for the privilege. I really do think the Chicago Bears might consider using me this year… I mean, it’s the Bears, how bad could I be?
I created waves with a big, heavy rope, with both arms, one at a time, circles in and circles out. I rode a recumbent bike every visit, walked on a treadmill, stretched, lifted free weights, did hip bridges on a big exercise ball and glowed with the sweat of ten people!
My trainer, Keith, was very patient, always encouraging, never judgemental, but pushed me 100 times harder than I would have pushed myself, all without injury, for which I’m terribly grateful. I’m not totally sure he got my sense of humor but we made it past the hate part of our love/hate relationship! I haven’t lost a lot of weight, but I’ve gained a good deal of muscle, conditioning, strength and confidence in what I can do. It’s still damn hard, but afterwards I went right over to our park district and joined the health/aquatic center. Hubby and youngest son and I start on Wednesday and I’m kind of excited.
Keith and I said our goodbyes and I thanked him for putting up with me and he congratulated me on my progress and told me to keep working hard and protect my knee. I told him I was just a little disappointed that there wasn’t a going away party with cake, and not any of that tofu-wheat germ crap either, and Keith just laughed. I think he thought I was kidding 😉
~ Diane D. Photos from Bing.com or my own
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