Tag: health

“To thine own self, be true …”

There was no other quotation other than from Shakespeare that seemed to fit my reflections this morning because my life felt like a Shakespearean tragedy just a short time ago.

I walked around my garden this morning and found what I was seeking for in the eye of the young dove. Peace, stillness, connection, understanding, clarity.

What I am about to share goes back some two months. No. Further back. I have been busy caring for other people and living life with no sense of accountability to self. I have a paid a price for this.

If I were to pinpoint a time frame it is at least two or three years ago when I first started feeling pain. I put it down to computer work, fatigue, frequent travel (means different beds and pillows) and with each year I feel I discover a new bone in my body. So I ignored the pain and got on with life.

December was devastating. My healthy brother in law passed away suddenly and as his children had to return from overseas and quarantine, the funeral took place a month later. I was unable to attend his funeral in the Eastern States, due to travel restrictions.

The stress of this while supporting family caught me off guard. I woke one morning with one hand so swollen, it resembled a boxing glove. The pain was horrendous. Unable to dress I waited a few days before seeing my doctor. He barely looked at my hand, dismissed it as part of aging and told me to take anti inflammatory medication (which don’t agree with me). Refusing that option, he felt he could not offer me anything else and told me to use warmth in some form to soothe the pain. Two weeks later I went to another doctor (female) who sent me for a blood test which confirmed an auto immune disorder. I went into a tailspin as I know the medications that will be prescribed are not what I want in my body.

I read up on the condition as much as I could, stress is a major contributor. So I set about changing my schedule and my thinking. My accountant, bless his cotton socks, is a wannabe natural health healer. While talking to him he told me about a product he sells, a magnetic wrist band. Not wanting to take pain medication and non functional without them, I was willing to give it a try. Within 24 hours the swelling had become hardly noticeable. Two days in, I was not taking any analgesics or topical pain relief. A week on, I can close my hand into a fist. Yesterday I lifted a glass because power in my thumb had returned. I can dress. I can lift shopping bags. I can type. I am nearly 100% functional again.

It made me think this morning … why do we wait for a crisis before putting self-care as a priority? This is true for all genders. We give others the best of our qualities. Why don’t we share those qualities with self?

So it is my mission this year to ask the question: what have you done to improve the quality of your life, today?

Until next time

As always

a dawnbird

In response to RDP – Accountability

Walking into wellness

My son has been on a mission for several months and determined to get friends on a health kick.  He started a walking group for his gamer friends which has proved quite successful with the young men finding new tracks and trails in the city.  My son tells me they open up and talk and just enjoy being outdoors and have started to alternate the outdoors with indoor activities in poor weather, like indoor rock climbing, balance bar work, etc. thumb_IMG_5593_1024.jpg
Lake Monger, Perth, Western Australia
Today my son was determined to get me out walking too.  He is always concerned about my sedentary lifestyle, imposed on me due to my work.  Despite the clouds, he insisted we go to Lake Monger, a wetland area that is only about 5 kms from downtown Perth.
Lake Monger 2.jpg
I had forgotten how lovely this area is.  It was teeming with birds, some I had not seen before.  Because he insisted I leave my camera behind, today was for talking and walking, so we agreed to visit again, next time for photography.Lake Monger 1.jpg
I did manage to get a few pictures with my phone camera.  Such a peaceful place, right in the heart of the city.thumb_IMG_5624_1024.jpg
The gum flowers were coming into bloom.Lake Monger 3.jpg
The walking circuit is just under 4 kms.  My son and I were surprised I wasn’t exhausted, no muscle strain, no aching feet.  (I may feel differently in the morning!).  For years I’ve wanted to take part in charity walks but didn’t feel I was fit enough.  With camera in hand I’m often too preoccupied to walk fast enough to get my heart rate up.  I made a commitment today, I would set aside time to just walk.  Walking 4 kms today without effort proves I can do this.

But unfortunately I undid all the good exercise.  I was thirsty and indulged in a beautiful shiraz with my lunch!

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to RDP – Tuesday: Strain

What are friends for

My twentysomething son is into the third year of his occupational therapy degree.  He recently completed a Mental Health first aid course at uni.  He was struck how important it is for people to know there’s someone there and particularly interested in making a difference in the area of men’s health.  Now that he has Kovu (the chocolate lab) he walks every day.  He lives close to university, so he walks there too.  He also works out at the gym.  I’m impressed.  The only exercise he ever did before was walk from computer to fridge and back.  His greeting is still, “what’s to eat?” as soon as he walks in the door.  I’m okay with that.

Like his father, he doesn’t drink at all, but his friends do.  He noticed between drinking, gaming and a sedentary IT work life, his friends were gaining weight.  Without commenting about their lifestyle, he started up a walking group for a few of his mates.  Much to his surprise they enjoyed the first walk with Kovu leading the way.  The group grew larger.  Other young men on the fringes of the group wanted to join in.  The young men now go to various walking trails and parks around the metro area.  He and his friends are looking trimmer.  Importantly, he tells me, they talk about all kinds of things when they are walking.  They stop and take photographs.  They stop and examine nature.   All this from a screen device fixated generation.  To say I’m dumbfounded is an understatement.

When my son was younger I would wear one of those step counters and try to complete my 10,000 steps a day.  He was spending too much time playing video games so I would pay him $1 for every kilometre he walked with me.  The kid nearly killed me!  He wanted me to exercise all the time.  I ended up putting a cap on the weekly earnings!

I was recently at a workshop where the presenter, an American academic, talked about the pros and cons of anti-depressants and the current thinking about the role of walking and exercise in the treatment of depression.  I’ll exercise caution about my thoughts on this but there is a side to me that shouts, “Yay! at last” this literature has found a place in the mainstream.

I don’t like company when I walk.  I prefer silence.  I often close my eyes and ‘walk’ through the south west big timber forests for just a few minutes.  It makes me tingle.  It may not be physical exercise but it is exercise for the mind.  We need that too.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird