Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Listening to my body

Diane, Doug and Mary on the summit of Hannegan Peak
I'm not absolutely sure, but I think last Thursday's hike to the summit of Hannegan Peak was the beginning of my decline of the last few days. I know when I reached the summit, I felt weak, a little nauseated, and chilled, even though it was very hot. These are the beginning symptoms of heat exhaustion. I've experienced it a couple of times before, but I thought that by the time we reached the cars after the hike I was totally recovered, no longer thirsty and was able to finally eat my lunch as we drove back down to town.

But the next morning, Friday, I noticed a little scratchiness in the back of my throat, nothing obvious. I took some extra Vitamin C and headed off to the Y for my usual workout. I usually attend the class, even after a hard hike, because it helps to loosen up my well-used leg muscles, and I usually feel like a million bucks after a shower. It was no different on Friday.

Friday evening, however, the scratchy throat was more prominent. When I woke on Saturday morning, I was able to pretend it wasn't anything and went off for a brisk walk with the Fairhaven walkers. By that evening, it was obvious I was coming down with a cold. I took some cold medication and went to bed early, even early for me. I was planning to go skydiving Sunday with my friends, and I was just not willing to admit I was sick.

When I woke on Sunday, however, I was sneezing and sniffling, so I called my friend Linny and begged off for the day, although I REALLY wanted to go. And then yesterday, Monday, the scheduled "extra" hike to Hidden Lake Peaks was going to have to be bypassed, too. In the old days, when I was in my sixties, I would have gone. But instead, I stayed home, took it easy, and now it's Tuesday and the sneezing has stopped and I'm almost over it. At least I hope so.

I am notorious for plowing through illness and injury and pushing myself to the limit. It's getting harder and harder to do that as I age, and I am actually rather proud of myself for listening to my body and taking it easy. Today I will also get a massage, and a smile is formulating just thinking about that treat. Yes, I am hoping that I will be back to normal by Thursday when I can go out with my hiking buddies again. But I will pay attention and listen carefully to what my body is telling me.
:-)

23 comments:

  1. i am glad you give yourself a break once in a while!

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  2. I was afraid when I read your last post that you were going to get sick(er), Jan. I'm so sorry that you haven't been feeling well.
    Continue to rest your body. Our bodies need rest as well as exercise. Continue to take the best care of you.
    I pray that you will feel better very soon.
    Love,
    Jackie

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  3. ...you want to be careful, healthy is all about taking care of your body and listening to the cautions sometimes. Afterall, I want to still see you as a JOE!! [Jumpers Over Eighty!!!]

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  4. DJan do as I say (and not as I do) and LISTEN to your body. And I so hope that you are indeed fully recovered by Thursday.

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  5. You do push yourself, but I'm glad you took some time to rest. Hope you feel well again soon.

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  6. Good for you! I know it is hard for you to just rest and take care of you..but you will get better faster that way...so you can continue on with your activities you love so much! :)

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  7. So sorry you are sick but pleased that you did listen to your body. Pushing through an illness is never good for you or to the people you expose your germs to. Enjoy your down time, it will be gone soon enough.
    BTW, thanks for the mention a while ago about the Kindle app where you can download books to other devices. I used it to download a cook book to my computer. Much easier to navigate than my Kindle. Thanks, I appreciated the info.

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  8. You made a good choice the other day at the top of a pass. He's 84 and a very feisty little Austrian. So keep at it. You're not 84 yet!

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  9. hope you are feeling much better.

    i add zinc lozenges to the vitamin C.

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  10. Pushing yourself is one thing; listening to your body is another. I'm glad you listened this time. Now, after that massage I would highly recommend a pedicure. Between that, the massage and listening to your body's needs you should be in fine form by Thursday.

    Hope you are feeling better soon!

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  11. i am glad you are taking care of yourself...i know you said then that you had really pushed yourself that day...get some rest and feel better soon...

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  12. "Take good care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." I don't remember who said it but it is good advice. Hope you are back to normal soon!

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  13. Listening to your body. Kind of like my issue of learning to juggle fewer balls.

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  14. Good for you DJan. Sometimes we have to listen to our body for our own good. Like you I tend to ignore illness sometimes and just keep on going. It is a hard habit to break.

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  15. Good for you, DJan! My husband is notorious for pushing his body farther than it really wants to go. It's worrisome at times though he's in pretty good shape anyway. I'm so glad you're taking it easy for a bit and waiting until you're at least 97% tip top shape.

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  16. I understand what you are going through. During my stay in Miami last week, I vomited several times and felt sore all over. I had the flu. Rather than go on the city and boat tour with David, I stayed in bed all day. Luckily, David had brought Tylenol in his suitcase, so after taking a couple of pills, I felt well enough to meet a blog friend and her husband for dinner. Take care of yourself, DJan. Listen to your body.

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  17. There are the notorious ones that push beyond the limit - you're one of the smart ones that know when to stop, take a deep breath and relax, taking care of your body and allowing it to repair for another adventure on the mountains or in the air. I wouldn't mind that massage - sounds quite welcoming to help recover. Take Care :)

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  18. I'm sorry you haven't felt well, but I'm glad to hear you listened to your body. I have always been notorious for pushing through illness and pain. I just can't do that anymore. There is no need to do so. Enjoy the rest. You'll be at it again soon.

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  19. Kudos to you! Can you feel me patting you on the back? I know you missed your activities and your friends, but I am so glad you took it easy and listened to your body. Hope you are fit as a fiddle for Thursday!! :) :)

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  20. Oh wow, you are definitely a Sadge. Push self to the limits, then back off, then blog about it, then push self again...

    I love it. You will be 95 or 105 and the rest of us will be dead and you'll still be climbing that mountain or trail or whatever lies in front of you.

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  21. Good for you DJan. Listening to your body and doing what it is telling you to do means you'll recover a whole lot quicker and be out and about in no time. Take care.

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  22. You're wise to listen to your body.. it's what will keep you going after decent healing and recovery time.

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  23. I'm a little late in commenting. Hope you are feeling better today.

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