Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Whoa Symptoms

Some days I forget to take my pills, and on other days I need them before the scheduled time. What is the factor that causes the two effects? Yesterday it happened that I forgot. It was 1:30 and I hadn't taken my noon dose. Significant to this may be the "Lite Latin Dance" class I had taken that morning at the gym. Is dancing the reason for my symptoms delayed onset?

Some days I think I need to talk to the neurologist about increasing the meds, but I always hold off. Now I am glad I have. I want to experiment more with the exercise component. What exercise delays the need for medication, and is it reliably occurring?

So much is happening in my life now, so much to remember and try to do, or so it seems to me. Sometimes they are small things each day - a repairman coming, a furniture delivery, car to service, supplies to order. Then there are the art and household projects I create. Most recently, in the years since I retired, there are also people and organizations that dominate the days of my life. I list them here to get a handle on it for myself:

Chorus: Jersey Harmony chorus, a Sweet Adelines group
Woe Nellies: the ukelele group I play with
The Suppers Program: with a monthly meeting with a meal at my home
CoRe and Creative Collective: art groups I belong to
Re-Evaluation Counseling: twice a month with individuals
Gym: going regularly now with a friend to yoga, dance, etc.
Pennsbury Manor volunteer (fading out)
Sewing Space at HomeFront volunteer (pending)

More than ever in my life I know and associate with people for many things. In some organizations (chorus, Suppers) I have become known as the creative one, and am given artistic jobs to carry out. All the personal relationships in these groups have become very nourishing for me.

I don't want to have to cut anything out of my life because of disability. I take these miraculous drugs willingly to keep doing all that I want to do. If anything has to go, let it be because there are not enough hours in the day, not because my body says it can't.

Can I Cope?

Life is change, no getting away from it. And would we want it any different? If nothing ever changed, even the most charmed life could becom...