For many months now I’ve felt like my disability is worsening. I still do everything I’ve always done but as far as I’m concerned, I’m moving slower. Sometimes, tasks are just not as easy and/or “seamless” as they used to be. Now, I will admit that I’m certainly not as active as I used to be. After the ‘vid, (early last year maybe?) I reached out to the personal trainer I had prior, and she told me that her schedule just didn’t allow her to continue training. I had to start my search for another. Long story short, I had 2 trainers who were with me for a month or two each and for some reason or other, they had to stop. I always try to do things at home on my own but that NEVER works out long term – NEVER. Last year I joined an online “MS Gym” (it’s actually targeted training exercises for MS patients) and started hot and heavy…started. At the beginning of this year, I actually signed up for an exercise research study that was targeted to African Americans with MS. I jumped at the chance to do it because I would be accountable to someone (which, alas, is what I need to stay on the exercise bandwagon) albeit for a specific length of time. I met with my coach weekly at first and then as the study progressed, time between meetings lengthened which was fine because I still had to track my progress etc. At the end, I promised her that I would continue…I did. For a while…at this time, I couldn’t tell you the last time I did any of those exercises. sigh. Now and again, I’ll do a workout I found online but I’m not consistent with it. The one thing that I have been doing consistently is climbing with my Catalyst crew, which is good but it’s not enough.
Anyway, I say all that to say that I didn’t know if my worsening state was related to my inactivity or the disease itself doing its thing and running its course. I scheduled an MRI – 2 actually, my brain and my cervical spine. The last time I’d done either was in 2021 so it was good timing and probably due anyway. I was happy to hear from Gilbert that there’d been no significant changes from the last one which is great news. The last time I’d felt that things were changing (back in 2015), we found that I actually had a new lesion at the base of my neck that could have explained what’d been happening (the disease doing its thing!). That’s great news but I really do need to start back working out consistently. I’m going back on the hunt for a personal trainer. How pathetic am I that I need to be accountable to someone to keep on track with working out?!? To be honest, there was a time that I didn’t enjoy going to the gym and such but that changed some years ago. If I could go by myself, we’d be having a different conversation right now, but I dare NOT do that because of the potential disaster that could be. GASP!!
Switching gears…Men Who Can Cook, the annual fundraiser thrown by Aunty P and crew is happening on Sunday. If you are in the Atlanta area, this is a beautiful, well-planned event that gets better every year. The event name went from “Men Who Think They Can Cook” to “Men Who Know They Can Cook” to definitively and just simply :-), “Men Who Can Cook” and it is true. All the chefs go all out, and all the food is delicious. Looking for something to do on Sunday? make your way there for a good time, scrumptious food and a fantastic cause!
sometimes sounding like a jackhammer, a hammer pounding a nail, a door slamming shut…jes crazy shit. Anyway, so 12/19 I’ll go and hear Gilbert’s verdict.