Don’t Call it a Comeback
On Wednesday I popped out of bed at 4:15am. I was elated! I felt normal again. I felt like ME! The sickness, the plague, the illness… she’s subsided.
In truth, I wasn’t 100% well, but there wasn’t a constant pounding in my head and my lymph nodes weren’t the size of golf balls anymore. I could swallow food without pain! Someone had removed the sandpaper from my throat! Coherent, clear, and even somewhat complex thoughts were once again making my brain a home.
I never realize just how much illness takes out of me until I snap back.
I was so overjoyed at the progress of my healing that I ran into boot camp, nearly skipping, while the not-so-overyjoyed faces of women who were sleepy, tired, and sane greeted me. I was literally vibrating I was so excited to be back at a normal energy level.
“Daniel,” Kirsten said just as we were starting, “I think you need to do some drug-testing on Heidi.”
It was true. I was in Full Spaz Mode.
We had a great workout and I went home elated and wrote the Five Simple Lessons post. I worked on personal projects, contract work, and house chores. I kicked Wednesday’s ass.
So I was a little surprised when the cough crept back into my throat on Wednesday night. I was more surprised when it didn’t go away. Not even after 3 doses of codeine cough syrup from the bottle I’d begged off the urgent care nurse earlier in the week. In fact, I coughed so much that for the first time in our relationship, I went downstairs and slept on the couch because I was keeping Sal awake.
Thursday the glands were back and so was the sandpaper so I stayed home and ditched my workout plans. I’ve been strongly criticized in the past for working too hard through illness and I’m really trying to get better about it.
Here’s the thing though: I’m always sick.
Seriously. I get sick far more often than the average person. This seems ironic since my lifestyle is arguably healthier than the average person but whatever. I asked the doctor about it this week and got kind of a lame answer. She suggested that some people just are more prone to illness. What a cop out!
I mean, maybe it’s true, but isn’t it worthwhile to at least take a hollistic look at my overall wellness and try to see if we can’t identify some things that may be adversely affecting my immune system? I guess I can’t blame her – she’s an urgent care doc – get ‘em in, get ‘em out. But I feel like her answer was pretty indicative of the way that Western medicine is going to frame my “frailty”.
As such, I just bought Paul Check’s book “Eat, Move, and Be Healthy” on the recommendation of Daniel The Boot Camp Dude and another woman in class who has read it. The primary focus is metabolic typing and eating for your optimal health, but it also presents a holistic approach to health that may help me find ways to boost my immune system and stay healthy more often.
Either way, my throat and lungs were still searing this morning so I opted out of what is arguably one of my favorite parts of camp – the timed mile. Instead, I hit the local 24 Hour Fitness and cranked out a sweet, little upper-body blowout session.
It’s been a while since I lifted on my own and I was surprised (and elated) to discover that I am almost as strong as I used to be in San Francisco before I left my trainer there. Even better? I’m stronger in some areas; namely, my triceps. Biceps, shoulders, chest and back have all slipped a little bit but the little tris are kicking ass!
Sweet. Now I just have to figure out how to ditch that creepy girl who trailed me through all my weight circuits and exactly mimicked everything I did. She freaked me out!
Enough about me, time to talk nutrition!
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