how do you keep going?

[mopinko]

i am sitting here, needing a rest after working on a home repair project for 2 hours. i used to be really strong for a girl. now i am so wimpy.
i am going to get my doctor to set me up with some physical therapy, so i can get some strength back. i just haven't been able to find the right balance on my own. i try to get exercising, and i end up too worn out.
but mostly i know it is mental and emotional. it bums me out so, and the spiral begins. weakness, sadness, self criticism, sadness, weakness, etc.
i know that even if i can regains some strength, i'm 50 years old, and not getting younger. blech.
so, what do you all do to cope?

[Lars39]

1. You're on the right track in getting PT.

A good assessment by a physical therapist will do wonders. An assessment by a Fitness Specialist(preferably one in a hospital/fitness center) will help, too.

I had an assessment yesterday and was put on a 12 week walking program. It starts out easy-peasy(5 minutes slow,5 minutes fast, 5 minutes slow, for a total of 15 minutes), and gradually increases(week by week), so I won't get worn out and give up.

On my own I thought I could/should be able to walk 2 miles and then continue with my day. The reality is that I *could* walk 2 miles, but then I was on the couch for most of the rest of the day.

Just knowing that I have a plan, and know a few exercises has done wonders for my mental well being.

I'm also going to take advantage of some of the aquatic classes being offered.

[Warpy]

2. No insurance for 18 years so no PT

but I'm a nurse, so I've been able to flog myself into a program that's kept me out of a wheel chair.

Some days I can attack everything with enthusiasm. Some days I can barely crawl from bed to computer. I've learned to listen to what my body tells me it can do on any particular day. If I don't, I pay.

Everybody will face this stuff eventually. I started facing it when I was fourteen years old, so I've had plenty of time to come to terms with it.

I've also lived long enough so that all the people who tried to nag me into running in the 70s have knees that are worse than mine.

[REP]

3. Don't Know Any Better

I manage to get the stuff done that really needs to get done, like caring for the cats, doing the laundry, making sure the garbage gets taken out before it gets stinky. A lot of stuff doesn't get done often, like vacuuming and other heavy housework (even mild exertion puts me in bed for the next two days a lot of the time). I have developed a tolerance for disorder and I try to keep it at that level or below!

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Oh, That'll Happen

The PT helps a lot of people. I've gone just to get the spasms in the legs to calm down. But, mostly it doesn't help with my most dibilitating symptoms, which are fatigue and pain. Cutting the grass often wears me out, just like you describe.

But, i have one motto that keeps me going: Never Surrender!
The Professor