Fitness Check In Day 108: Tests, Tests, Tests and the Strength to Keep Going

Now on to the update. I finally had the MRI with contrast on 10/16 which I forgot to even post about because that contrast wiped me out. I had to drink 3 bottles of this contrast dye in about 1 hour and it tasted bleh. I only got through 2 of them when I had to run to the bathroom. It had the same effect on me as the colon prep liquid you have to take before a colonoscopy. Fortunately the nurse told me what I had ingested already was enough. However I did warn them I might have to run to the bathroom mid-MRI but I would try to hold it in as much as I could. They put a diaper cloth under my bum just in case and I prayed to God, did my yoga breathing and did some ohm chanting to help calm me down. Long story short, I made it through and got the cab outside the radiology building as soon as I got out which got me home in time to run to the bathroom a few more times.

The test results came in for the MRI and showed…nothing. All was normal. No signs of anything amiss which is AMAZING!! But left me back at square one. So the doctor then ordered an ultrasound to check the gallbladder and that also came back normal. My kidneys, gallbladder, liver and pancreas are all fine. I was grateful of course, but also in limbo yet again. Maybe the doctor was right. There is a major shift in my IBS due to intense stress that caused all of this. He prescribed an antibiotic specifically for IBS last week which causes constipation and go figure, I haven’t even taken it and I’m a little constipated like I was before all these digestive issues happened. My stomach truly is an X-File.

Now on to my next issue….my last post was 11/20 where I went to the Little Red Light House which was one of the goals I had on my vision board. I mentioned I had overdone it a bit in adding soo much extra steps but I continued the week after with the DDPY Beast Mode program and was starting to feel some exhaustion in my quads so I eased up during my workouts later in the week. Then the week after I could barely walk. Both my quads felts weak and heavy and I was worried I had strained both my quads. I went from 4,500 steps to just 1000 steps. Needless to say I did not walk in the parade. We watched it from home and I was super bummed because I felt like I let my big brother down. He of course does not feel that way and made sure I knew that, but still, it is something we get to do together and we have a blast like two kids just like everyone else that walks the parade.

That weekend my legs kept getting worse. I was barely able to move the legs but regardless of that I still pushed through and did DDPYoga. I just stuck with Bedflex which is a Godsend and tried to rest but sitting still for too long was painful, standing was hard and walking was brutal. So I sat, got up, walked, sat back down etc… I then scheduled an appointment thanks to Zoc Doc on Monday 11/02. The sports doctor made me stand, bend, push against his hand and do other movements. Based on this, he said I did not have a strain. He stated that it’s very rare to have a strain in both quads and if I did I wouldn’t be able to stand on one leg or push against his hand at all so I was happy!! However, my symptoms pointed to a possible pinched nerve in my back from when I fell hard in the bathtub February 14th that I never got checked. Apparently, what exacerbated this issue was my adding extra steps each week when I went out for my walks. He ordered an MRI to see what’s going on and told me to not rule out the Walk to End Alzheimer’s which is only a few days away now. However, I got notified a few days later that the MRI was cancelled because the insurance won’t pay.

So, once again I am in limbo. I will tell you one thing, I didn’t sit around waiting worrying about the test results nor did I fall to pieces when I got the notification that the MRI for the back was denied. I shed a tear or two yes, but my outlet was DDPYoga. Like Linus with his security blanket, I have my DDPYoga for comfort. I kept up with the light workouts, doing bedflex for 5 days and then added the DDPY PT Back Builder exercises Renew Bed 1 and Restore Bed 2 for low back pain starting this past Sunday.

I tell you the difference this made in the pain in my back was HUGE! I know I get stiff and tense from sitting all day working from home and I don’t stretch or move as I should so this helped out big time in releasing tension from the lower back area. I was able to walk better with the cane and increased my steps to 1700 which I have since been going over every day this week.

Today for example I got up to 6,500 steps total for the day so far between going to the chiropractor today to see if an adjustment would help me, then coming home for a break before going back out to get my flu shot. All of this walking slowly and with my cane for support. Does this mean I will be able to do the Alzheimer’s Walk? I’m not sure. This is in Central Park and there are areas that may be slightly on an incline which cause my pain and burning in my quads. If I could take breaks I would be a lot more positive, but having to go to Central Park and then walk to the Bandshell, then stand until the ceremony starts before we start walking is a lot to ask of my legs. Looking back at my steps from last year’s Alzheimer’s walk, I walked a total of 11,599 steps or about 5.6 miles in total. I’m thinking of maybe bringing a stool I have to sit while we wait for the ceremony to start but the walk itself looks to be about 5,096 steps nonstop so I don’t know. It breaks my heart not to be able to honor my dad and godmother but it’s something I have to make peace with if it does happen.

Until then, I’m going to keep logging in steps, getting my workouts in until I reach the 90 days. Right now we are at day 72 and I am on a 57 consecutive workout streak!!!!!!!! Something I have NEVER EVER done in my life!!!! I know I have hit another bump in the road, but doing the Beast Mode Program every day I have been able to, pushing through, modifying and not giving up has got to be the best thing I have done for myself this year!!!

Until next time my Phoenixes, never give up, believe you can because you WILL!! Be kind to yourself and others and remember, YOU’VE GOT THIS!!!