Confession Time
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christchick7
Posts: 533 Member
Hi Leslie Peeps,
It's been a rough two weeks and I need to come clean. I have not exercised in almost a week and the food
addiction is screaming at me. I need all of you to talk me down.
First of all, my ex-roommate, the one who's 100 years old, has no patience. She wants what she wants at the
exact second she wants it. A couple of months ago, she started yelling for the nurses at all hours of the day and
night, usually asking for more food or extra Kleenex. She literally sleeps all day and has no concept of time. She
discovered that banging on her commode while sing-songing her request brought the nurses in faster, so she did
that to get attention. I took it for several months. Two Sundays ago, she did this all day. I had a REALLY bad bi-
polar episode, seeing things that weren't there, and a pounding headache. I thought, "Just tough it out; she hope-
fully will fall asleep. Then I can get some rest." Worked great for a while, but she woke up at 2AM, demanding an
omelet. This goes on until 3:30, when she falls asleep. Nurses have been in and out all night, trying to get her to
stop banging and sleep, I can't sleep either, nobody on the hall can, I crash about 5, get up early the next day, re-
questing a room change. A lot of juggling had to happen and I still couldn't sleep, but by Friday, I was able to move
into the room next door, because my new roommate, Joan was having problems with her roommate. Joan and I
used to eat lunch together, so we get on pretty well. She's 87, but very much in the here and now, so she's the
first person I've roomed with in years who I can ACTUALLY have a conversation with. I see this as God's pro-
vision and am happy and relieved.
Fast forward to this past Thursday...I go to group therapy to process all this. I come home with muscle pain in the
thighs, hips, and knees and go to bed for the rest of the day. SEE NEXT POST
thighs, hips and knees and
first person in years that I've roomed with, who I can actually been able to have a conversation with. I see it as
God's provision and am very happy and relieved.
Fast forward to this past Thursday...I go to group therapy to process all this. I come home having muscle pain
in my hips, thighs and legs. I go to bed for
It's been a rough two weeks and I need to come clean. I have not exercised in almost a week and the food
addiction is screaming at me. I need all of you to talk me down.
First of all, my ex-roommate, the one who's 100 years old, has no patience. She wants what she wants at the
exact second she wants it. A couple of months ago, she started yelling for the nurses at all hours of the day and
night, usually asking for more food or extra Kleenex. She literally sleeps all day and has no concept of time. She
discovered that banging on her commode while sing-songing her request brought the nurses in faster, so she did
that to get attention. I took it for several months. Two Sundays ago, she did this all day. I had a REALLY bad bi-
polar episode, seeing things that weren't there, and a pounding headache. I thought, "Just tough it out; she hope-
fully will fall asleep. Then I can get some rest." Worked great for a while, but she woke up at 2AM, demanding an
omelet. This goes on until 3:30, when she falls asleep. Nurses have been in and out all night, trying to get her to
stop banging and sleep, I can't sleep either, nobody on the hall can, I crash about 5, get up early the next day, re-
questing a room change. A lot of juggling had to happen and I still couldn't sleep, but by Friday, I was able to move
into the room next door, because my new roommate, Joan was having problems with her roommate. Joan and I
used to eat lunch together, so we get on pretty well. She's 87, but very much in the here and now, so she's the
first person I've roomed with in years who I can ACTUALLY have a conversation with. I see this as God's pro-
vision and am happy and relieved.
Fast forward to this past Thursday...I go to group therapy to process all this. I come home with muscle pain in the
thighs, hips, and knees and go to bed for the rest of the day. SEE NEXT POST
thighs, hips and knees and
first person in years that I've roomed with, who I can actually been able to have a conversation with. I see it as
God's provision and am very happy and relieved.
Fast forward to this past Thursday...I go to group therapy to process all this. I come home having muscle pain
in my hips, thighs and legs. I go to bed for
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Replies
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Friday is normal, and I even manage to get in Radio Remixes. Saturday I wake up with a wicked, persistent, cough
which tires me out, and again I don't exercise. Yesterday, I think I was getting up to do RR again, I held onto my wal-
ker, my legs go out from under me, and I land flat on my back. I just missed hitting my head on my commode. I am
ordered to bed by my nurses, and I don't protest because I'm exhausted. Right now, I'm under orders not to do ANY-
THING without a nurse present. The only thing bad about Joan's room is that I'm right handed and everything on my
side is on the left. Getting in and out of bed and using the bathroom is very challenging. Between that and the fall,
the med staff wants me back in physical therapy PRONTO but they have to do paperwork first. I guess that means
NO LESLIE until I'm cleared to exercise by PT.
Where I need your help is that I'm tired and stressed, so eating sweets is a constant temptation. Between that and
no exercise, I'm TERRIFIED I'll gain weight again. The only exercise I think I can do is Zumba Gold or light weights
sitting in the wheelchair. Plus, I still have that post-nasal cough and that's knocking me out. Do any of you have any
ideas as to how I can get healthy again? I feel OVERWHELMED...0 -
Dearest Sue, I'm needing some time to ponder all that you wrote and what I perhaps might write so that I might come along side you and help somehow.
The only thing that came readily to my mind was what I read on a new (to me) DVD that I bought at resale shop was the recommendation not to exercise while not feeling well or injured. Now I'm assuming that would mean exercise that requires more energy. I think that doing some gentle movements with weights would be a good thing for you while your body is healing. Zumba Gold sounds like a high calorie burn as is the nature of Zumba, even if done in your wheelchair, so probably not that till you get over the cough. Hopefully someone can help you walk some in the hallway while you regain your strength. And I shall pray that you get to PT quickly as that surely help you a lot.
The sweets cravings is difficult b/c you are reacting to all the stress of these many weeks/ days. I wish I knew what to say there. Is there anything on the menus that is available that you could preplan to have as snacks that you would know you have something you like to look forward to. It could be a little sweet treat, or fruit or something you enjoy, but I encourage not anything that is one of your trigger foods that will set your cravings into even more of an overload. I know easier said than done, but hopefully there is something you can work into your cal goal. Don't try to cut down on your cal goal that you have been given by MFP before exercise b/c then you will only be hungry and want to eat trigger foods. Also you need the food for strength as well as getting rid of that cough.
About your room situation... Is Joan mobile enough that it wouldn't matter to her if it is a left or right handed set up?? Could you switch sides?? Is she able to cope with changes like that physically or emotionally? I know that you don't want to go through changes again after moving but see what your options are.
Are the challenges of the left handed issues going to get easier as you get used to them, and you get used to a new layout over a reasonable amount of time or is this never going to happen easily b/c of your own physical abilities that depend on having your dominate side be in the proper area to move about and support your movements.
That is all I have at the moment
.
Sending you hugs Sue, I only wish they could be real ones, but I'm hope that you know that you are loved even over the miles.
If I think of anything else I'll either post or msg you. I hope others also may have some positive suggestions that prove to be helpful to you hon.
Blessings and love,
texasgardnr :flowerforyou:0 -
I am sorry that you are having a rough time. I do however find it very disrespectful to your roommates privacy to be telling us all her issues in such a public way. I have no idea what her medical problems are ( dementia, sun-downing ,maybe a stroke has left her impaired in some way or maybe she just is really that cranky) I do know however that if that was my family member and I saw this I would be beyond miffed.
True, some people are just horrible to deal with but most times it is issues that come with age that have altered their personalities and temperament and if things were "normal" they would never behave in such a manner and would be horrified if they knew what they were doing.
Working/living in healthcare facilities as I am sure a lot of people can attest to you see a lot of things. I am sure that if the situation was reversed you would not want all of your personal/medical issues being posted up on a public forum. I hope that you will consider this next time you decide to post.
I hope that with your new situation things will become easier for you.0
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