I recently received an email from a Mom whose daughter has just been diagnosed with EDS and POTS.  She had questions about my exercise routine with POTS and EDS.  It made me think about how I have really neglected this blog the last few months.  I am honestly having trouble finding the time and the energy to keep everything updated, but I am going to try and do better.  I feel it’s important; especially for awareness and documentation sake.  When I think back to why I started this blog in the first place, one of the reasons was to document my journey for learning to live with EDS and POTS.  When I was really sick, I remember looking all over the Internet for blogs that did the same. I found such comfort in reading about other people’s stories that were so similar to mine. 

If you have been following, you know I had my chance to cross off one of my goals for the year last week, which was to work out with the incredible Dr. Lavallee.   Back in January I had asked him at my yearly EDS check-up if he would ever be willing to work out with me.  He laughed a little, I think taken by surprise, and said, “But I don’t think you need to learn many of the exercises I do…I think you are doing well managing your EDS so far on your own. “

Whoa! March already? How did that happen?!

1.  Medical Stuff:

• 2 Days of Home Rehab.
• 1 day of PT.  We worked a lot on my hip.
• While my hip is experiencing this flare, I am looking for a recumbent bike, since it would provide me with the ability to do the cardio I need to fight POTS, without putting much stress on my hip.  Anyone know of one they would recommend?  Or better yet, anyone looking to get rid of one?

I have had some questions about what I do on my home rehab days.  As I have gotten stronger, I have been able to add more exercises and a few more reps.  My PT has discussed with me that less weight, and higher reps, help create energy in the tissue. 

I have learned on my own that one of the most important parts of rehabbing with EDS (for me) is making sure I work all areas of my body-arms, core, back, legs, neck…If I only work one area, the other areas start to feel like they are coming “unglued.”  I have also learned that rehab for me must remain very consistent.  Otherwise, within a few days of not rehabbing, I feel a lot more pain, and like my body is starting to fall apart.     

Well, I made it through my third prolotherapy round.  Brad is busy getting ready for conferences this week, so my Dad took me this time.  I had no idea what to expect with my Dad taking me since every time I have tried to show him the pictures from round one and two, he couldn’t look.  I’m not sure if this had to do with being queasy at the sight of all those shots, or if it had to do with one of his babies going through something painful, or both…