Hello and Happy Thursday to you and yours! Today is August 13, 2020. I am extremely happy to report that I feel 100% better today! I am still a bit light headed. I have no doubt that this is a result from the intense heat and humidity that I have experienced over the last few days. Gatorade to the rescue! When I am dehydrated, I sip gatorade throughout the day, usually for two days (I don't like the taste of Gatorade, but I stomach the orange flavor). I have to be careful however, because there is a ton of sugar added. This can seriously backfire on me because of my low blood sugar. The days I drink gatorade, I snack every two hours with foods that contain protein, like peanut butter. It is truly a balancing act to make sure that I eat protein with enough time on either side to not affect Rytary. If I eat snacks with mega sugar, my blood sugar drops within 30 minutes of drinking gatorade. It is never a pleasant feeling, and to be honest it feels a lot like PD. Every single Dr. I have seen for PD have clearly said to watch it on hot days. I have always hated the heat since turning 30, but add PD and voila.... Dehydration.
Back to the happy me. No Pilates today, but I have been busy catching up with bills and friends. I have been sitting up all day, rather than laying in bed. The only time I sat propped up in bed was after my morning doses of Rytary. Those side affects are no fun, but they always pass! The most important thing here is my attitude on challenging days. I am not going to lie. When I have really tough days, it is extremely difficult to stay positive. At some point during those days, my mind causes me to panic. This is when I have to remind myself of how far I have come since being diagnosed. A perfect example is as follows....
Yesterday, when I felt like all was lost, and my Pilates practice had been for nothing, I cried and cried. As I was sitting propped up in bed, my glasses fell on the floor next to my bed. My mattress is fairly high off the ground, so it's a big reach and twist to grab them. Using my Core strength, I twisted to the left at my waist and then reached very far with my right arm to grab them. Not only was I able to grab them, but my fingers were strong enough to do the job! Seven months ago, I could barely get out of bed, and my right arm and fingers were ridiculously rigid. Again, when you have these moments (and you will), you must stay strong and remind yourself of how amazing your really are!
