Illness and the Little Things

Over this last weekend I was able to travel to Park City, Utah and enjoy a little family reunion with my mom's side of the family.  We stayed in a beautiful resort.  It had everything for all ages.  You never had to leave the property if you did not want to.  There was so much family there despite the many that were unable to make it out.  They were missed.  However, to be able to see what family I  did brought a tremendous amount of happiness.  There were many nights spent around the fire and the hot tub.  For any healthy person it would appear to be an extremely relaxing resort.  In my case it was very taxing and left me more tired than if I were to just stay home.  So the question begs to ask then, "Why or how can you travel to a place that causes more stress and sets you back?"  I'll tell you... Living with chronic pain prevents a lot of normal things happening in ones life.  Planning trips or any type of activity is...

Everyday on my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts all I see are things about exercise.  I look at it and think, "that would be awesome if I could go running or lift weights".  My reality is that I am lucky if I can get out of bed and walk.  It is not that I do not wish to exercise like everyone else.  I would love to walk a fast pace and not feel like I am going to pass out from the dizziness.   During this new turn of health,  I seek exercise in a different light. During the week it is completely exhausting to get ready for the day.  Everything is such a chore, including brushing my teeth. But I have a routine so I stick with it.  Pushing myself is something that I can control. I like to call shower time the "warm-up" phase.  Blow-drying my hair is considered "toning".  I round brush my hair and that consists of a lot of arm strength especially when my hair does not dry very fast.    By the time I am done with ...