Hip Bursitis

I was diagnosed with bursitis a couple of weeks ago when I was experiencing pain in both hips.  Now my moderately-active lifestyle has been reduced to almost sedentary.  No stairs. No walks.

I miss my long walks.  They help clear my head, perk up my mood, and keep depression at bay.  My mom has a new in-chair-aerobics exercise dvd for us to try.  That should help.

The good news:  the medication, an anti-inflammatory called diclofenac, seems to be kicking in.  I was more active yesterday. The goal is to do more strength training for hips and core.  And, of course, get the joint-damaging poundage off.

I've been tracking my calories and had reduced them during my sedentary days.  I had lost 7 pounds but am since up 2.  More adjustments.

Here's a quote from Angela's blog, Isla de Angela:  What if you woke up today with only the things you were thankful for yesterday?

I hope you have a great day!

Soup Recipe and Computer Allergy

First, here's a Veggie Quest recipe from "What Am I Supposed to Do With THAT?" --
Wild Mushroom Bisque


Last April, I reported having a computer allergy where my neck and exposed upper chest would get itchy, and my right-hand fingers would swell up twice their size, turn red, and have painful tips.  I drastically reduced blogging time.  Here and here.  Well, I've been having the reactions, again.  I had been increasing my computer use especially by typing out the "Eating for Your Soul" intros and lessons and having more recipes to post.  It's to the point where I can't stand touching the computer.  Now, as I type, I'm wearing the lovely yellow rubber gloves used for housecleaning.   Even with the gloves, it still feels a little weird.

I have a touch pad instead of a mouse.  My index is the first to swell because it's the one rubbing over the pad the most.  At night, I'm woken to a sensation that feels like a pin is being poked into my nail bed.  Ice packs bring a lot of relief, although they don't reduce the swelling.


Has anyone heard of this before?  My doctor was stumped about it last year when I showed him.


So, dear blogging friends, I may not comment as much, but please don't forget about me.

He's Only Just Begun

My youngest began kindergarten yesterday. I have a mix of emotions. Among them is the realization that this is the first time in almost 11 years that I will have kid-free mornings. It's been a crazy 11 years.


And it's been a busy month. (Good grief, only one post for August). We made tremendous progress on my parents' "new" old home, I finally have my computer back, the yellow jacket sting has cleared up as well as the cellulitis (but not the cellulite) and the colitis -- recap here.


I was happy to finally venture away from the safety zone of my bathroom. I even signed up (and paid) for WasatchWoman's 5th Annual Love Your Body 6K Run/Walk -- my first running event!!! It will be October 9th. Within the first week of training, plantar fasciitis made itself clearly known, again. I first developed PF last January. It improved, but I must have become complacent because it's back. It doesn't look good for the 6K. I can't even do exercise walking until I've had a full week of no pain. Shoes must be worn all the time including night trips to the restroom. I have really good shoes complete with orthotics. They are lovely with my Sunday church dress.

: p


I have to admit, this PF thing had really gotten me down. Walking boosts my mood and energizes me. Without it, I had slipped into a depression. I felt defeated. (Or, is it de-feeted?)


Being the strong, resilient woman I am, I shifted my focus to foot friendly exercises like resistance training, pilates and yoga binged. (So much for being aware of what is good for my colon -- last post). I sort of wished I could turn on the colitis again to keep me from binge-eating.


Now what? I'm going to clean my house. During my pity-party, I pretty much ignored my chores and myself. I didn't want to deal with anything. I didn't want to cook anything. Fitness had left the building -- physical, mental, and most of all, spiritual.


Tomorrow, I'm going to work on becoming clutter-free, clean the kitchen and bathrooms and get rid of dead clothes. I'll have to baby the PF, but it has to get done.l I'd also like to clear the family room floor so I have room for my resistance training, pilates and yoga. With the little one now in kindergarten, I have those couple of hours in the morning.


Do you remember when you were in kindergarten? For most of us, falling down was fun, jumping and running in bare feet were good for us, we ate when we were hungry and stopped when full -- even if only half the ice-cream cone or cookie was eaten. New tasks were adventures not burdens. We knew how to play. Happy was easy.


It's back to basics for me. Tomorrow, I will begin drinking water about every 1 1/2 hours, again. I've totally neglected hydration. Water should help my mood a bit.


(I also want to thank Joy and Skye for the Versatile Blogger Award; I haven't forgotten about that and am very grateful you thought of me. That will be my next post).

Plantar Fasciitis

It's a new year with new challenges. We're all gung-ho, taking on new activities, and possibly prone to injury. I just want to give you a heads-up about plantar fasciitis (and here, a more in-depth account), one of the most common foot-pain complaints. The heel hurts, especially when you first place your foot down in the morning. There can be even more pain after walking for long periods of time.

Risk factors include foot arch problems, obesity, running, sudden weight gain, tight Achilles tendon.

Catch it early. Don't ignore it. It's treatable, but ignoring it will make it worse.

Cranky Fitness gave a great post on the subject here. I also found some stretches for it from the PF Community.

Yeah, I'm experiencing symptoms. I've stopped the jump-roping and may modify the PC challenge because my heel starts hurting after 2.5 miles. I really need some new tennis shoes. I have cheap ones that are at least 1.5 years old: worn down, pinky-toe holes...and comfortable. Bad, I know. I did purchase some orthotics today to help until I can get to a good store that knows their shoes and how to fit people like me.

Good luck with your challenges!