Cold – Has it put a dent into my training?

Its been quite sometime since I have added a post to my website. As some of you know, in the past year I accepted a position in Calgary, Alberta – Canada.  Some Americans would refer to this location as the North Pole.  Prior to moving to a land where snow was abundant and 100 degree weather was not likely, I thought “how would this affect my RA?” I will honestly admit I had a fear that the disease may show a side that I was not willing to deal with at the same time while trying to establish myself professionally in a different country. See, like you, I still have daily fears that I must push through and find a way to be “brave” in order to see what it was about that fear that made me resist an aspect of my journey.   When I have such fears I come back to the roots of my soul: the aspect that encouraged me to share who I am, the part that is honest in revealing that I am not perfect nor am I a woman of wisdom, but human and feel as though through my “experience” I may evolve and encourage myself by reading what I have written in the past.  So with the fear in my left hand and the mouse in my right hand, I re-read my website which encouraged me to take a “leap of faith” and move to another country.

So how has my health been affected? Yes it has been affected in more ways than one.  It’s hard to reiterate sometimes what a person feels because a feeling can sometimes be indescribable.  Since making the permanent move in January of this year I have had to deal with the majority of pain residing in my left wrist and both my feet.  The pain is a throbbing constant pain that reveals itself at different times during the day, but makes the more brutal agonizing revelations at night when I am trying to rest.  It can often lead to tears, but is something I know well.  I reach over to the bed side table and grab the  “traumeel” (can be found under “My Strategy” section”) to lather on then calm myself back to rest by setting the intention and saying to myself “tomorrow my wrist or my feet will feel better.”  I leave it to the higher powers in my life to help subside the pain long enough so I may fall asleep to rest my physical and emotional self.

Does it work? Yes. Optimism and having a strong belief system that includes a faith of your choice is how it works. I get up to start a new day, have breakfast with my family, and write my daily to do list which always includes a box with an item that reads “my workout.”  If there is pain, then I adjust the physical activity to include the movements that work best for the more powerful joints that day. Either way, a minor pain may exist during my workout, but my mind is still focused on what’s important: to keep moving.