Day 93 (Day 58 Revisited): I'm Baaaaaaack!

Today I started my PCP extension! On to Day 125! I read that my new start would begin back on Day 58, which is where I left off before The Sickness. I found my pile of PCP printouts, found Day 58 and all my hash marks. Huh. I did this before. I can do it again.

I started with the jump ropes. I was a smidge nervous, as I only did the jropes once after pneumonia and ... I did not like the consequences. This time, I was being nonchalant. This is not a big deal. You are a wuss. Heck Lance Armstrong had mutha-luvin' cancer and he still got back on a bike. And he kicked ass. (Totally was channeling Mike's Monday motivational video so thank you!). I am happy to report that 1. I only tripped twice in the first and third sets of 4-minute jumpropes, three times in the second set, and once in the final set. 2. I had to take my inhaler after the second set. Hello, wheezing! But after a breather, literally, I went on to finish. I was very happy that I still like to jumprope, that I still had a bounce in my step, and that my limited breathing strength has perhaps made me slow down to the appropriate speed for timed jumps. Before I was like the hare, zoom zoom zoom!


[Art by louisiannadeanna]

Now I found my pace for the timed jumps. Nice! To get back into the groove, I tried to imagine myself in a variety of situations where jumping was crucial:
- Olympic hopscotch
- I'm a Harlem Globetrotter
- I'm riding a giant pogo stick
- I'm creating a new dance move which will take over weddings and class reunions by storm
- I'm up against Hillary Swank in the title character in Million Dollar Baby
- My driveway is actually a giant trampoline
- I'm a contestant on Wipeout!

Got any better ideas? Bonus points for the ridiculous, cute and absurd.

Hiatus: Which Side is Up?

So it's Day 89 for my wave of PCPers and I won't be among them truly finishing. Like Heather B., I'm signing on for an extended, slightly different version of the PCP Original. I've been grappling with how I feel about it. Lucky and unlucky. Lucky in that I get to finish; I *really* want to be one of those PCP Hall of Famers with the COMPLETED stamp on my blog. Unlucky in that today, instead of wraping it up with celebration, I still am wrangling with the PCP mindset now with less than favorable conditions (my mom's weeklong visit coupled with her unhealthy lifestyle, fall weather which can be dicey and full of asthamtic triggers like cold air and more germs ~ catching pneumonia during the time of year when I am most fit, when the weather is most kind to me rattled me a bit and so I look to the coming colder months with a bit of dread and heightened level of caution. Double grr!)

So yah, getting pneumonia sucked, set me back a bit and now I'm looking to a new finish line on the PCP of Day 125. *sigh* Not thrilled, but happy to have something to finish. Admittedly I've been less enthused about the PCP ever since I got sick. Yes, I may even have a bad attitude. Until I got sick, I did everything to the T on the PCP Original plan of 90 days. No shortcuts, no nibbles, no I'll-do-it-tomorrows which then turn into Nevers. Confession: I'm totally pissed about doing everything right and having something out of my control change the desired outcome. Well, delaying it a bit, how's that? I've been doing some strength exercises every day, which is doable and I feel the muscley fibers at work but I can tell I'm behind where I was at Day 59 (when pneumonia took me down HARD) and I totally suck wind at the jumpropes, which I do a few minutes, until I get winded, which is easily. I feel listless, adrift, not sure how much to do and try so I do what I can but am I wussing out? Am I overdoing it? Is this a pity party? I try not to sweat it, puff on the inhaler and although I'm a bit of a whiner, I'm definitely not a quitter. I want this. I like my skinny jeans ... Fred and Sidney deserved better.

So congrats to my PCP peers who get to wrap it up on Day 90. I'm really proud of you guys and you'll be my inspiration as I trudge on to Day 125. And thanks to the current PCPers who I've been reading daily; you've inspired me too with your energy and optimism and faith that it will turn out for the best, for our best, in the end.

So I'm eager to get started on this fresh start. That's how I am seeing it.

Hiatus: Now Where Was I?

I wanted to write last night but for some reason I could not access Gmail from my home computer. What gives? Anyhoo that minor delay allowed you all to witness my next new adventure on the PCP diet: pomegranate. It's purty, no?

Sorry about the scary knife. Kind of looks like carnage, no? Yeah ... fruit is still not my thing, I'm afraid, though I am fond of my Fuji apples and kiwis. I keep trying stuff out though, which is fun. Am taking recommendations!

Happy to be back with my strength exercises, though the ones using my own body weight, i.e. push-ups and such, are harder on me than the arm band exercises. Am hoping to sculpt Fred and Sidney into tiptop shape. Since I'm a little behind my fellow cohorts, who are in their final days and looking so good! go team go!, I'm just trying to find my mojo again. FYI: I picked up where I left off at Day 59 and do what I can until I tire, which is still easily after a long day at the office and as a mom. Must try to divide and conquer, with jumpropes in the morning and strength training at night.

Thanks for your patience!

Hiatus: And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Today I heard something I hadn't heard in two weeks: a grumbly tummy. That's right, folks! My appetite is back. I've been slowly introducing dairy and meat back into the diet as much as I could stomach it. I also had some a.m. and p.m. snacks the last two days. Would like to try to include protein shakes tomorrow and see how that goes. After that, I should be pretty close to normal PCP schedule. Hoorah!

Also I was worried that my energy shortage would never end. I don't think I can stress this enough: I live a full schedule. But I kept coming home from work day after day after day just zapped and, after the parenting and house duties, I would crawl into bed soon after my daughter fell asleep. And then yesterday it seemed to get worse: I went to bed at 8 p.m. and awoke this morning at 8 a.m. WHOA. Twelve hours of sleep? When will my old routine return? Is this a relapse? But I got home from work today, did the Mom thing, felt peppy even and after some reading homework with the kid, I thought I would try a few sets of arm band exercises.

It felt good.

Especially with the Biggest Loser premiere on tonight playing in the background. Especially when I used to watch that show last season while eating ice cream (!!!!). Oh how much has changed!

Hiatus: Lectures and Listening

Argh. I'm embarrassed, perhaps ashamed to be writing this. I thought I would be up for hitting the jumpropes this week or maybe just a little arm band action. But after full days at work to catch up from my sick days and my trip away last week, as well as coming home each night to my other full time gig, motherhood, I was spent. Like truly exhausted. This night owl is now hitting the hay just after the kid. And this light sleeper is falling asleep quickly and deeply until the munchkin wakes her up in the a.m.

I also heard (endured?) a few lectures from caring loved ones about taking it easy, i.e. NOT exercising, to avoid relapse. This includes my friend, the freelance reporter who writes health stories, my cardio kickboxing instructor, co-workers and oh yea my mom. And I thank you and love you all for wanting to protect me and keep me safe and healthy. Asthmatics already have compromised immune systems and I continue to cough, sniffle, use my inhaler and feel fatigue. And while I might *feel* up to it or want to get back into the swing of things, I could fall victim to another bout of lung infection or worse (the university where I work is now inching towards 400 cases of probably flu, regular and swine), they warn me ~ and I worry. It's a concern I have and one I know well. As an energetic kid with asthma, I had a lot of relapses from not taking it easy, i.e. allowing enough recovery time, after lung infections. I hoped back into regular life, playing on the playground or playing my sports and my bad cold at home morphed into a few weeks later with me back on meds, or worse, exhausted and struggling in the hospital or the emergency room hooked to an oxygen machine.

But how much time is enough to recover? How do I know it's not just me being a wuss or, say, avoiding exercise coz it's hard and sweaty and smelly?

My appetite continues to increase in small ways. Dairy is still questionable, as is meat though I try. I often just get a few bites or sips and then stop. Vegs and fruit are more successful; I craved my cucumber bits and cherub tomatoes, and my beloved fuji apples. I've lost some weight, though I worry it's my hard-earned PCP muscle and not that darn sticky fat.

Tomorrow should be a low-key day here at the homestead, so I would like to try any arm band exercises if I have any energy after doing the normal day stuff (parenting, cleaning, laundry). The weather has turned cool here in Colorado, another factor that can affect my breathing. It was in the 50s and rainy today, very chilly. Warmer air is typically best for me. Again, just listening to my body and what it needs at the moment. And hoping it's the right reasons.

Hiatus: A Recap

Hello friends. I've missed you.

I'll tell you a little about my time off the PCP. Last Monday, I got my pneumonia diagnosis. I stayed home from work Monday and Tuesday. I took some super antibiotics for five days, and they worked in my body for 10 days. I take my inhaler every day, every four to six hours. I didn't eat anything except for three popsicles and two pieces of toast for five days. I lost a few pounds. I slept a lot. I broke my fever. I regained my appetite, but it's much smaller than before. The thought of milk or yogurt disgusts me (and you're supposed to stay away from dairy when you've had a phelgm issue so ....) I worked four hours last Wednesday, six hours last Thursday and a full eight hours last Friday. On Saturday, I flew home to Scranton, Pa., for the first time in seven years and stayed with my high school BFF.

I had a wonderful homecoming with friends. I had my long-awaited second indulgence: a mishmash of local foods such as Sicilian pizza, New York style pizza, a potato pancake, Hershey ice cream, a sweet tea vodka sour. I can't believe I didn't have any Yuengling beer or Tastykakes. What was nice/not nice was that my appetite was still small so I only had a few bites of any bad foods and my coughing kept me from any overeating (coughing + full stomach = total wanna puke feeling).

So I got back into Colorado late last night. I unpacked, showered, and went to bed. Today I went to work for a very full and busy day. I unexpectedly had my daughter tonight, so the only thing I got done after work was grocery shopping since I had no fresh PCP food in the house. The kid got dinner and a bath. I got to write this, as I already feel spent. Sadly, the exercise I had planned is not going to happen tonight. When the kid goes to bed shortly, I plan to as well.

While I feel the best I have yet since before I got sick, I don't have the level of energy I had before. I get tired after a few hours of my normal, hectic life. I am losing hours a day because of it! And that is frustrating. I also had a few people question if the PCP led to me getting so sick! As in: my body was so busy exercising/repairing muscle that it did not have the resources to fight off a germy lung infection.

During my hiatus, I was happy to report that I could see the PCP's influence in action. I had one coffee ~ Dunkin Donuts, baby! ~ every day. I felt like besides the collective indulgence of East Coast noms noms, I made PCP choices (cheese and fruit over a giant greasy salad, grilled chicken, small portion of pasta ~ forgot how much pasta is served with every meal in Italian culture!). All I know is ... is that I miss my jump ropes, even a few times laying in bed pretending to jump with my feet against the footboard. I liked my arm muscle definition as we went out and about and I felt fit and proud. I'm eager to get back, even at a lighter pace. I'm worried about the jump ropes and if it will take my breath away, but it's time to get back. Thanks to you all for the well-wishes. It's been a reflective time for me, and I'm happy with what the PCP has brought me thus far and I'm prepared to see it through with you all.