Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween






Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Workout Wednesday-Morning Workouts

Workout Wednesday is back...for a special edition to discuss morning verses evening exercise.  Generally speaking, I workout in the evenings, with the exception of my water aerobics class, which is Saturday mornings.  I feel my best working out in the 4:00 to 5:30 time range.  Its right after work, so it is easy to get there.  It is before dinner, so I am not too hungry while exercising.  And I seem to have a good amount of energy at that time of the day. 

Over the past couple of weeks, I had to workout in the mornings in order to fit exercising into my schedule.  It is a hard adjustment, although there are some nice benefits to working out in the morning.  First, I get the responsibility completely out of the way.  It is really nice to get off from work and have the whole evening to myself (minus treatments).  Second, I can watch the sunrise while I workout.  It makes for a pretty nice view.  I also enjoy working out in the mornings because it is a great way to start the day.  The energy feels good and continues through out the day. 

The biggest struggle I have with exercising in the morning is eating breakfast.  If I workout on an empty stomach, I really struggle with having the energy to get in a good workout.  But if I eat prior to exercising, I feel too full and it upsets my stomach.  I am trying different types of energy bars to see what works best.  I like the Luna Bars that are high in protein.  They seem to provide the proper nutrients for the right balance of energy, but are not filling. 

Another minor set back to morning workouts is having to take all my stuff to the gym to get ready for work.  Its a lot to remember and a lot to lug around.  I have been successful so far at packing the night before, so I am not rushing around in the morning trying to remember everything while I am half asleep. 

For now I am going to stick with my usual evening routine, although I am finding morning workouts are not impossible. 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Recovering from a Fever

Last week, I had a 36 hour fever...and the prescription was not more cow bell.  The fever started on Monday afternoon while I was at work.   At first I thought I was just tired.  But after about an hour, I realized something was not right.  I took my temperature and it was about 100.  I took three advil and within an hour of that, my fever spiked to 102. 

I was nervous about the fever being the only symptom.  Was this a sign of a bacterial infection, as opposed to a virus?  I call the advice nurse, who transferred me to an on-call doctor.  I really don't like talking to a non-CF doctor, but this doctor did the best she could.  She sent me for blood work and a chest x-ray.  She also prescribed a anti-biotic, just in case. 

The next day, in the later evening, my fever broke.  It is amazing how 3 degrees difference in body temperature can make me feel so horrible.  In addition to being sick, Ethan was away on a business trip.  I had to try and take care of myself, the dogs, and the house with no help.  Uggg. 

Even though the fever was only 36 hours, it took nearly five days to really recover.  I had little energy, felt dizzy if I got up too fast, and had very little appetite.  I certainly was not exercising.  I am thankful I am feeling better now.  I am also thankful the fever seemed to be viral and not a serious bacterial infection.