Health

[llcoolvad]

When I moved in with Mom a couple of years ago I started to get back on the health maintenance thing. I'd been kind of slack about going to medical appointments, but gradually I worked my way up to regular everything. Dentist, gyn, regular doctor, even getting my regular mammograms.

I started taking vitamins over the summer. I drink more water. And two months ago I even went back on my meds. Right now I take my daily vitamin, several prescriptions, Rx mouthwash for my teeth, an inhaler, and another inhaler. I also decided to be proactive and I bought myself a blood pressure wrist cuff. Every time I go to the doctor (or dentist, or red cross) my blood pressure is all over the map; my Dad had white coat hypertension and I wondered if I might, too, so I bought the cuff. And I must have it because my blood pressure is perfect every single time I check at home. On the low side, even. Good to know I'm a basket case rather than about to keel over.

I bought a new mattress because I thought my old bad one might be less restful than it could have been. I lost 50 pounds. I floss regularly (although I always have, so that's not new). I get my hair trimmed regularly. I bought new clothes. I got new glasses last year. I guess I probably look a little better.

So I've done all these things and my numbers are good and so forth, but I don't feel even the slightest bit better. Not that I feel particularly bad. I "oof" when I get up. If I sit too long my knee gets really stiff. If I stand too long my knee starts to throb. I never feel completely rested. I drag around with no energy at all. My shoulders hurt often.

I know these aren't much to complain about in the grand scheme of things, but I was really thinking this maintenance thing would start to pay off, you know? As if it was just benign neglect that was causing my ailments. But I really want to have energy again. And to feel completely rested. I'm ok with a little pain, as long as I have the energy.

And yes, I recognize that the two things I haven't added yet to the whole get healthier/feel better package is eating more nutritiously and exercising. And therein lies the key, I'm sure.

I am seriously lazy and a major procrastinator, though. My key to successfully adding the other basic maintenance things back to my life is I just trick myself into doing them. I have a nightly routine, so I added taking meds to that routine. Now it works pretty much unconsciously. I put haircut reminders in my Treo with an every-three-month repeat so it nags me when it's time. I keep floss and the bp cuff near the couch where I watch tv, so I never forget to do that, either. I leave the mouthwash stuff along my path to the bathroom (if I left it IN the bathroom I'd forget it existed; I put it in my path so I see it as I walk by and then remember to use it -- I am sad, I know). I make sure to make the next appointment with the doctor/whoever before I leave the LAST appointment, and I put it right into my phone again so I get nagged to do it.

But how do you slide exercising and eating right in the back door? I eat dinner with Mom most nights, and she's not the most nutritious eater (left to her own devices she'd have a muffin and a bowl of ice cream for dinner, which is why I shop and cook). And exercise involves, like, leaving the house! How does THAT just happen? Sigh. The last time I went to the gym regularly I went with my Dad, and he's been dead for three years, and was in the hospital off and on for eight months before that, so minimum four years? That was back when I had my knee injury, so I eased back on the frequency then.

I should stop pondering and just start doing, I guess. Shop better, eat better, plan meals, and join the gym. If I take the time to create my own TV grid so I know what I'm tivoing and what I need to watch live, I can certainly get organized enough to do this. There are a couple of minor barriers in my way that I just need to go around, and then just do it.

Comments

[llcoolvad.livejournal.com]

...weirdo psychological traits...

What exactly are you trying to say, here?!

Seriously, I do take pleasure from figuring out how to make things work for me. For example, first thing in the morning I just don't have a whole lot of brain power to spare for things like remembering to put on earrings. So instead, to get through my morning I've set myself an autopilot series of things (shower, dry off, apply moisturizer & other products, dress, brush hair, put on earrings, shoes, take bag 1 with me to kitchen, add bag 2 (lunch bag), grab keys from hook, leave house) -- to get it to the autopilot part I put all the stuff in a path, that way I just wander past and things magically happen. The only time I forget stuff now is if something's in the wrong place, or if I have to bring something extra and I didn't add it to the pile.

Crazy...or crafty?!