Weekend plans

This weekend is going to be a bit of a challenge, but I'm up for it. On one hand I know I'm meant to limit myself, but there has to be a limit to limiting ones self right?

I am off to DC for a close friend/practically family members' 80th surprise do. I am planning on taking the subway and the bus to the airport. I know this will be a little more strenuous but the timing is such that rush hour in a cab may be worse. Taking the shuttle so shouldn't be too much walking in the airport. Since I'm not eating much at the moment I can just go to the one area and wait. Usually I do my rounds at the shops and restaurants but that is at a different end, so will pass this time which will work out well for my hip methinks.

Tomorrow I am planning on going into DC from where we are staying in Maryland to see the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Corcoran - good timing as it closes on Sunday. We're going to take the metro in so more walking than if we had a car, but I will try to limit it as much as possible. I think I did pretty well at the MET last week so hoping this goes well. My main thing is to remember not to walk very fast. I was in my past incarnation a very speedy walker, so it's hard to go slow, even though I know it's better for me. It takes a very conscious effort.

I haven't taken the anti-inflammatories in a couple of days as you're not really meant to mix it with alcohol and to be honest the last few days my friends have taken me out for distraction and with that inevitably comes the drink. Such is the life of a single city girl. :-) And anyway, I don't think the drugs were helping much either.

Sunday will be pretty motionless as my cousin is coming over to my aunt and uncles for lunch before we leave for the airport, and then the return flight. I am hoping because this flight is so short I won't flare up like I did on the flights to London.

Fingers crossed!

Genetic Doctor

I pretty much knew in advance what she was going to say, but with her positive spin on things she really knows how to make you feel better.

So do I have a genetic condition? Dr. Davis, whom I can't recommend highly enough, is very straight forward and direct. This is a quality I highly admire. I truly hate when people, especially doctors, jerk you around.

She said that whilst it can be confirmed or disproved that I have EDS, the likely hood is high, and that the only thing I can do is to moderate my life. Basically meaning no high wire stunts or climbing the Andes. I already realised this was not where my desires should be. The horseback riding is a hard pill to swallow even though I know it is v. v. bad for me. But such is life. She recommended that I don't do too much weight-bearing exercises and that aqua therapy would be the best thing to stick to. I had been hoping to get to the pool a couple weeks back but because of the hip irritation it hasn't happened yet. Hopefully soon.

I will try my best to preserve what I can for as long as I can, and that is all I can do.

so far...

the left is still pretty sore but the right (touch wood) seems to not be any worse for the trip to the museum yesterday. A good sign!

I did it...

Not sure yet if it was the best idea, but we did make it to the MET today. I am glad I went as there was a Lee Friedlander exhibit that I hadn't even known about which was good, and their new "Depth of Field" which was OK. I guess it is good for a general intro into photography. Reminded me of my intro to photo classes I took at university. But still, glad I saw it.

I did put on a lidocaine patch on my left hip before we left. I was OK walking around. After the photo exhibits we went to the cafeteria for lunch and then my dad wanted to go back and see the impressionists. Thankfully they had benches in a lot of the galleries so I was able to sit whilst my parents looked around.

My left hip is definitely acting up and quite sore but, touch wood, my right hip hasn't acted up. At least not yet...

Do I or don't I?

The last few days have been pretty rough. By rough I mean not only has my left hip become a complete wreck again, my right one is hurting alot. At first it was just in one area, but now it's moved to the front as well. I am not sure if it's because I am starting to overcompensate with my right for the left, or if it's in the joint. The stress of this is really getting to me in all sorts of ways. Not surprising really.

Friday I took the train out to the island and only had one bag. It wasn't too heavy but I definitely felt it in my hips. Saturday I went to Macy's with my mother for a little while. It's a smaller store than some and we didn't do much walking around in it as I knew exactly where I had to go. By the time I returned home I was a wreck. This was mostly my left at this point. I went to lie down on the couch and couldn't straighten my left leg for the life of me, the pain was intolerable. I iced it for about an hour just to numb the pain. As I had dinner plans that night I conceded and put a lidocaine patch on it. Thankfully that helped get me through dinner.

Sunday I was pretty achy with both hips and just took it easy. That didn't seem to be much help though as by nighttime I was in agony with both. I iced both for a while before I went to bed, and that seemed to help. I am just so frustrated with the lack of progress and the setbacks that it's really affecting me something horrible.

So the question is, do I or don't I go to the MET today. There is a photography exhibit that I've been wanting to see since it opened in September, around the time of my surgery. My parents and I have plans to go see it and they don't want to go if I am suffering, but to be honest I am so frustrated with my life being on hold I just want to do things again and enjoy myself.

Last week I was so excited to feel free and be able to get around without worrying how many steps a place had or how many blocks I might have to walk, and now it feels like it's just been taken away again. I know eventually I will get back to that point, but I am having a bit of a hard time at the moment keeping the faith. So that's where I'm at currently. Not quite defeated but definitely forced back from the front lines by the enemy.