Gone To The Beach: 03.02.2017

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Reinventing Oneself

Hi! There's been a number of mentions in Blogland---Like everyone got Fitbits for Christmas, lol---"Walk 1000 Miles This Year!" or more challengingly, "2017 Miles in 2017!".
Ah. If only.

A few years ago---ten maybe?--- I was very into walking. I worked my way up to 5 or 6 miles a day on the beach. East to the village, back home then west past the golf course to where the ice cream stand is a landmark; some days even further to the surfing beach. [No I never went in for ice cream; like many women I felt I didn't need or deserve such a treat.] In addition, I walked my elderly pug daily. I enjoyed these walks; I began my blog about walking on the beach. But then illness reared its ugly head and I was hospitalized for 2 months. Some of those days were in intensive care, I didn't so much as sit up, let alone put a foot on the ground. I walked nowhere.

A less than supportive family member told me my prognosis was hopeless: I'd never recover.
But I did. It was hard. But I am nothing if not an optimist.
I never got back to 5 or 6 miles a day, but I was getting there, maybe doing 3+?, when I again fell ill and was hospitalized, though for a shorter time. But again I worked my way back. Not so much on the beach, but I acquired a very active pug puppy, [you all know Mo] and as he grew we were up to about four brisk miles a day! I now had an iPhone with Map My Walk and Map My Dog Walk apps to keep track. Things were hopeful. Maybe I'd start bike riding again!

As I was sewing the Dotty squares together last week, I looked in the accompanying diary. My hip inflammation and severe pain began one year ago. I shoveled snow--badly. As you know by May of last year I couldn't really walk. The pain was beyond imagining, so bad I would almost pass out. To slowly shuffle to the bathroom was like running a marathon in excruciating pain. By Fall my doctor finally got things under control and I slowly have recovered. The pain is held at bay with a cocktail of pills, but I am much better. [Thank you to those who ask!]

The reason I'm writing this is that this past week a milestone has been passed! I can now walk Mo every day! We only go around the block, to the beach bench and home, but we do walk! (I rely on my dog walker and children and friends to exercise Mo more fully.)

.For me that walk around the block is a huge accomplishment. Yes the doctor warns me that the pain/ inflammation can return at any time. He preaches caution and rest. But walking Mo means so much to me. And on very good days I now can even walk down to the beach. The beach is big right now. The walk to the ocean's edge is about a half mile each way. Small distances but huge for me.