Chronic illness is no stranger to me – I have suffered from respiratory issues for the better part of my life. It affects me every day and there are cases of bronchitis and pneumonia that are debilitating. Since early 2020, my respiratory issues have been acute and ongoing. I have gone from asthma to COPD to bronchiectasis as I discussed in this blog post from November of 2020.
https://seclusion101withannemarie.com/2020/11/26/chronic-illness/
As much as my lung issues are frustrating, there are definitely things that I can do to make them less detrimental to my overall wellbeing. Keeping physically active is important, as is managing my weight
Being physically active is pretty doable – especially since I retired and am no longer tied to a desk nine hours a day. It is just a matter of getting up and getting active. It’s not always what I want to do – but it is something I should and can do.
Managing my weight is a different story. I have two basic weights – underweight and overweight. I was my ideal weight for fifteen minutes in 1986. 😉
When I am underweight, I feel terrible and it is a battle to do anything. Taking out a bag of garbage, shoveling snow, or pushing a lawn mower are herculean tasks. When I am underweight, nothing I do, or eat, adds bulk to my scrawny frame.
More often than not, I am OVERWEIGHT. When one is 5′-1″, it takes very little extra weight to make a big difference. Thirty or forty extra pounds makes a huge difference and when I am carrying it around – it is not going anywhere. I walk, I exercise, I live for weeks on lettuce and lean meat and nothing! Well not nothing – the last time I went on a mission to lose weight I gave myself a hernia and gained five pounds. 🙄
Right now, and as has been the case for a number of years, I am overweight. Being a little stubborn and not one to back down from a challenge, I am once again on a mission to rid myself of the extra poundage.
As incentive, I started by purchasing a neoprene work out body suit. I have had it for a couple of days now. If nothing else, I should lose a few pounds getting it on and off. Any other activity I engage in should be a bonus. 👍
As an incentive to eating healthier (ie lettuce and lean meat), I have been washing down my supper with a glass of red wine. For entertainment, I have been using the silicone wine glass that came with this bottle of wine Dan bought. I can’t imagine who would have thought a silicone wine glass would be practical, but it is definitely amusing. (It bounces – much like I would if I fell over in my neoprene body suit).
So, that is my update on my journey with chronic illness. Having recovered from my hernia surgery, I am back on track to do what I can to manage my respiratory issues. 🙂
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day!💞
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 