MONDAY, AUGUST 2ND

[cklaurence]

Good Afternoon dear Switzerland.
I started a new regiment about two weeks ago. Dear Joy, who was our housekeeper during my kids' early years has returned and has me walking starting at 6:30 a.m. every day but Sunday. I'm just about crippled in the p.m., but I guess that's just one of the drawbacks to "healthy" walks .

[Emeritus]

I wish you luck with it, ck. I exercise a lot, but I'm aware that it's a blessing to be healthy enough to do it. There are a lot of people who would like to get in shape and are willing to do the work, but they have heart conditions or other problems that don't allow them to work out. I've always been luckier that I deserved.

[cklaurence]

*regiment = regimen; excuse me! What was I thinking???

Well, Em, I have to second guess my wisdom in walking those distances for my health (and to try to get some of the weight I gained when my thyroid dropped dead, and btw I don't personally think it's come back fully). Not only does it not seem to be helping my general health, but it surely isn't helping with the weight. Moreover, it seems to exacerbate my disease, and come later in the day I start to get crippled, and by dark, I am bedridden.

Question: Would I still be crippled and bedridden as the day goes by if I wasn't walking that mileage in the a.m.? The answer is "Yes," and I know this because on Sunday we don't walk. I am still a cripple at dusk. It is either a flare-up of the arachnoiditis, or the progression of the disease. Of course, I do fervently hope that it's a flare-up, but only time will tell.

[Emeritus]

Getting older, we all have to learn to cope. I certainly can't do what I could once, so I have to do the best that I can. I think that you are doing the best that you can by exercising early in the morning, when you are able. Set aside the evenings for physically undemanding pursuits. When I see people who are worse off than I am, I realize that I have little to complain about. At least I had a time in my life when I could do about anything I was willing to give my best effort. When I lost my foot, I refused to be a cripple. I not only learned to walk on my prosthesis, I learned to dance on it and I met my wife.

[dredwak]

my brother lost 1 leg 2 years ago...below the knee...they took the other one...2 months ago...he was in a car wreck 3 weeks ago...rolled over twice and ended up 5 feet from a twenty foot drop into a ravine...he is approaching 80...the man cant wait to get another prosthesis strapped on so he can get back to work...he is amazing...

[cklaurence]

Both of your stories are inspirational. I also have my 93 year old dad to look toward as well. My stepmother tells me he's back up again after that horrible bout last week, and was up on ladders changing lightbulbs again. Not only has he managed to stave off most of the limitations of age, but he's now fighting Alzheimers--and doing a damn good job of it. I need to focus on doing everything I can to make every hour of every day productive. Thank goodness I'm a writer, and don't need my legs or feet to continue working--and my work is what I love!

Now I need to learn to spend less time worrying about whether or not my dear Switzerland is going to regroup and return to its former glory. I can't help but believe that with football season, anything is possible!

[cklaurence]

So where are you, Bags?

[Baglady]

CK, we were 'almost' here at the same time!
Sorry you're still struggling - please do try to keep up your walking if you can.

Sad to read some of the posts here - positive thoughts for all at Swiss and their families....

G' Night all~

[cklaurence]

Pretty depressing, hmm? I was hoping people would be more lively about football around this time, but for now it's just us old folks complaining about our aches and pains, lol. I'm sure we'll get past all this when the first passes are in the air, and we've seen some good, solid hits. I know that certainly gets me out of my funks...

[TryThinking]

Now I need to learn to spend less time worrying about whether or not my dear Switzerland is going to regroup and return to its former glory.

Exactly! ^5

[dredwak]

worry about something important...do you realize we are on a spec of dirt hurtling through space...