Ha I wonder how many strokes the most complex Chinese character has like maybe eightee-
Has a Chinese son, names him bèng-dÑ, and he hates me
My beloved son δ¨»ιΎ just trying to write his name in kindergarten
@marxistlynchist / marxistlynchist.tumblr.com
Ha I wonder how many strokes the most complex Chinese character has like maybe eightee-
Has a Chinese son, names him bèng-dÑ, and he hates me
My beloved son δ¨»ιΎ just trying to write his name in kindergarten
My chronic pain doctor suggested I exercise more
I asked him βhow?β
He looked confused. Said I should try a bit every day
I said βnot when, how?β I asked what exercises I should do
He suggested half a dozen options that had all been explicitly banned by other doctors. Iβm not allowed to run. Iβm not allowed to bike. Iβm not allowed to use my rowing machine or my punching bag.
I walk my dog whenever I have the energy and when it doesnβt hurt too much
What else can I do?
He told me I should exercise more
And then he changed the subject.
Next time a doctor tells me that, I'm asking "how?"
the first thing I did in my journey out of bed was kind of an accidental win. I bought a weighted blanket when I didnβt even have a gp because my other one left the area just before the pandemic hit, and didnβt give me any suggestions where to go when I was struggling a lot with brain fog; so I was without support or painkillers for a year.
itβs pale pink and fluffy. lighter than the one the company recommended for my age and size, and itβs still very heavy for me. the way all of the beads pull in such an unwieldy fashion can make it difficult to pull onto the bed. I could only handle half an hour at a time at the beginning.
but slowly, completely by accident, it actually helped. especially my core muscles and thighs from turning over in bed. I was just feeling anxious. I had no room in my head for thoughts of exercise. but I actually put on a scant bit of muscle. it was crazy
the second bit of exercise I started doing was to get out of bed and sit in a chair by the window instead of laying in bed.
the third, wearing clothes. showering a little more often. putting two braids in my hair instead of one.
then doing laundry
then learning to cook again, because brain fog had robbed me of most of what I knew.
and of course cooking meant more and better food, which gave me more energy and helped my body get a bit stronger
in there were stretches. I had no room in my head for videos or books so I did the three I could still remember from back when I saw a good physio years ago. I could only do three repeats at first, not even the five that was a recommended set.
all of that helped me get strong enough to make it to sit through a two day course at the pain clinic, and thankfully they werenβt like OPβs doctor, they were adamant that pacing is vital to any improvement if you have chronic pain. pushing too far too fast is the enemy. low and slow. persistence. is key
it was crazy to sit in that chair with my blanket and a pillow to hold onto so I could lean on it, and prop myself up, because a lot of what they said Iβd kind of worked out. but they were scientists and doctors who had all experienced chronic pain and so they had the terminology and were able to piece it together
and most of all they vindicated my own course that Iβd stepped on by accident.
and finally when my new gp asked me every month whether Iβd thought about taking some walks I was able to say βI believe Iβll get there, but not yet. and the pain climic agree with me.β
and I did get there. I donβt walk as much as she would like but honestly I donβt think sheβll ever be happy lmao
the thing most doctors, even many chronic illness specialists and chronic pain specialists fail to account for is that the activity youβre already doing is important (vital, even, because personal maintenance and living life is very important!) and itβs already exercise and strain and very energy consumptive. it counts! and also they greatly underestimate the incredible value of seriously seriously small, tiny, incremental steps that can actually account for massive improvement over time for the chronically illβif weβre allowed to pace ourselves properly, for, likeβ¦ever and not just a certain period of time
I donβt know your pain, I donβt know your body. but I recommend that you sit down and think aboutβor perhaps actually just take note over the course of your days and weeks, what activity youβre already doing. maybe at first youβll only notice when something makes you hurt, but take note of it. because that matters*. and you can build off of that. slowly slowly slowly.
youβre a persistence predator. we walk slower, we do everything slower; and many of us will never get to a place where the average physio will approve of our condition.
but fuck them. we can build muscle; Iβve seen it. we can gain small amounts of improvement without undoing all of the good work we put in. but we have to be patient, and persistent, and we have to be cautious and we have to be brave
*I do feel the need to add that I also learned how to arrange my day so that some activities hurt less. and I learned over the course of a year βand really iβm still learningβto see my days in fifteen minute to half hour increments because I have to consider PEM as well. stretches have to happen if I sit in the chair too long. especially if Iβm on my computer. a very short walk is best if Iβve been out and sitting at tables because that puts so much strain on my back. it takes spoons and itβs really tempting to think itβs too much but I generally find the pain the next day if I donβt takes more spoons than if I do. most activities at home are done in fifteen minute on thirty minute off shifts. when I say slow I mean slow
thatβs not always possible. I donβt have kids, and just sent the cat I was living with to another home with someone who could bend without crying all the time. I have time and space to set that pace and not everyone can. life can be complicated.
but
you can exercise. you just need to vastly vastly change what the word exercise movement activity mean for you.
anyway I hope that helps
big pain day today so Iβm feeling very bitey esp about doctors
youβre a persistence predator.
enough of pedro pascal and ryan reynolds and all those other run-of-the-mill dilfs everyone and their mum are into: reblog and tell me your nichest old man crush
Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor?
construction workers were a superstitious organization who thought orange objects could ward off vehicles, or even control people.
sometimes you just have to hang out with people who are so disconnected from any kind of discourse they're almost on another plane of reality. you'll be knee deep in a conversation about the politics of orientalism in historical dramas and they'll chime in with "i just finished downton abbey π!" and contribute nothing else. they always seem so happy. i aspire to find their inner peace.
It's only a matter of time until Xi Jinping converts to Twelver Shi'a Islam
this would have got 100k notes as a tumblr post in 2018
i don't know man, i just wish that we could [suddenly realising i'm coming dangerously close to expressing a real and earnest thought instead of filtering everything through several layers of intangible running bits] blow up the entire world. or something.
starting tomorrow i will be a real person in this world
oh! i forgot to do this. okay starting tomorrow i will be a real person in this world and i actually seriously genuinely properly truly mean it this time
sorry about my constant depressive episodes. its just that i have issues and also problems
tumblrs great. you can have 6,000 followers & only 9 of them are active/real
Are you an advocate for censorship?
is this because i said not to use the r slur
this? is this what you're referring to? yeah i think calling other people slurs is bad
so funny hearing americans pronounce "iran" .... like girl you ran where????