Coasting, Cruising, or Getting Ready for Change

Uh. A-hem! So, this image puts to shame A-L-L of my whining about needing to become more physically active. LOL. 

I want to become more physically active, but I am intimidated and unsure of how to start. Or, that is, I have decided to participate in a 25 mile charity ride to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis society the weekend of June 18-19, 2009. I can ride 6 miles now. Learning how to ride 4x as much as I can ride now shouldn't be an issue, right? And, it's for a good cause!

Still, although those pesky little doubts emerge. What if I can't handle the terrain or there are too many hills? What if the weather is terrible for riding? What if I can't measure up to the other riders (everyone in the event pictures looks very sporty)? Is it really safe to train by myself (on lonely paths or if I, egads, fall). 

My family wasn't a physically active family; we did not exercise as a family. I did love to bike, though, still do. And, I biked e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e with my little kid-pack of 10-12 year old friends. To the park, to the island for a picnic, to the swimming pool one town over. 

Seems like it's time to channel that pre-teen spirit! 

Which Way Am I Going?

I had my follow-up appointment with the neurologist yesterday. Truthfully, I still do not know any more than I did three months ago when I had my attack. During that first episode, I had double-vision, three brain lesions, and my spinal tap results showed inflammation, so there is a decent chance I will ultimately be diagnosed with MS. My neurologist, though, careful and conservative doctor that he is, has cautioned me that he has been fooled before. More specifically, he has had patients who, mysteriously, only have one episode and never develop MS. Therefore, rather than rush to judgement, he prefers to wait another three months, until November, at which point we will have a second follow-up appointment and he will order an MRI. If the MRI shows more lesions (or, if prior to that I have a second episode), he will diagnose me. Although other neurologists might rush me onto medication (research has shown that the sooner medication is started, the better chance it has to alter the disease path), he wants to know for sure that it is MS before he suggests treatment, because the medication is daily, life-long, and toxic. I am reassured by his conservative approach. 

At this point, I am feeling optimistic, energetic, and simply buoyed by several months without any symptoms. I am also feeling impatient, extremely impatient. I simply do not want to dwell on, agonize, or conjecture about what may or may not happen. I am feeling good, I have ALOT to do, and I simply want to get on with it!

My first and foremost immediate priority is finishing my dissertation. Moreover, I want to post my dating profile and I am starting a new position in two weeks. There is so much to look forward to. 

In the mean time, I will amp up my self-care: adequate rest and naps; wholesome food; daily walks are all  on my agenda."Gentle, little grasshopper," I tell myself, "More will be revealed soon."