Being an IC patient was challenging enough and made exercising very difficult. But now also being a Lung Transplant Patient, exercising has become so difficult, it would be so easy to just quit and give up.
My IC definitely does not enjoy my workouts, but I must just deal with the bladder pain if I am to recover from being sick for so long and becoming as deconditioned as a person can be. I want my strength back. I want to be able to regain my independence and do things on my own. I want to be healthy and not a lump in a chair. I did that when I was sick. But now I am so determined to workout and do the very best I can to regain as much strength as possible.
My Transplant Coordinator told me it's possible I have reached a plateau and this is as strong as I will get. But she also said it's very possible if I keep doing what I'm doing, which they strongly encourage, I can regain more of my strength. Maybe I won't be like I was before I got so sick, but any improvement will be positive.
I have joined a Health Club affiliated with the hospital where I did my Rehab and they have a special program for patients who have had serious surgeries, strokes and the like. I decided to join. I got to meet with a trainer, who evaluated me and put together a strength training program customized for my needs post transplant.
I am working diligently at this program and on the days I don't do that workout, I go and do cardio, either on the Treadmill, the Recumbent Bike or various other machines. I am trying to go 4-5 days a week.
It has been SO hard that there were days I felt like crying and just giving up. But I am trying to focus on the positive. Before my transplant, none of this would have been possible at all. So, while it's hard and there are days I feel I'm not making any progress, I try to remind myself of where I was before and I am grateful I can do this at all.
Today, at the Club, there was a gentleman in need of a wheelchair, on oxygen and using one of the machines I used when I had to go to Pre-Transplant Rehab and I nearly broke out in tears. That was me a little over a year ago. So I can whine about how hard this is, but I look at someone like that and it reminds me of how far I have come. And how grateful I am.
I am committed to keeping up with this training program and seeing how much progress I can achieve. And no matter how much progress I make, or don't, I must keep working out in order to prevent me from going backwards to where I was Pre-Transplant. So this is a new way of life for me.
I had a good Cardio workout today doing 30 minutes on on the Nu-Step machine and 30 minutes on the Recumbent Bike. Tomorrow I will do my strength circuit. I have 2 off days scheduled this week which means my goal is to workout 5 days this week.
Like I mentioned, my IC bladder doesn't like this one little bit. It's a struggle, but my post transplant rehab must take priority. So I push on through. I listen to my body and if I need an "easy" day, that's what I do. If I feel I can push it one day, then I do that. I mix things up so I'm not doing the same thing every day and that keeps it interesting.
Music helps me and after all I've been through, I don't care if people stare at me in my face mask, fist pumping to one of my motivational songs while working out. I've busted my butt to get where I am. So whatever I need to do for inspiration and to keep me fighting, I'll do! Like they say, dance like no one is watching. That's me at the Club!
My IC definitely does not enjoy my workouts, but I must just deal with the bladder pain if I am to recover from being sick for so long and becoming as deconditioned as a person can be. I want my strength back. I want to be able to regain my independence and do things on my own. I want to be healthy and not a lump in a chair. I did that when I was sick. But now I am so determined to workout and do the very best I can to regain as much strength as possible.
My Transplant Coordinator told me it's possible I have reached a plateau and this is as strong as I will get. But she also said it's very possible if I keep doing what I'm doing, which they strongly encourage, I can regain more of my strength. Maybe I won't be like I was before I got so sick, but any improvement will be positive.
I have joined a Health Club affiliated with the hospital where I did my Rehab and they have a special program for patients who have had serious surgeries, strokes and the like. I decided to join. I got to meet with a trainer, who evaluated me and put together a strength training program customized for my needs post transplant.
I am working diligently at this program and on the days I don't do that workout, I go and do cardio, either on the Treadmill, the Recumbent Bike or various other machines. I am trying to go 4-5 days a week.
It has been SO hard that there were days I felt like crying and just giving up. But I am trying to focus on the positive. Before my transplant, none of this would have been possible at all. So, while it's hard and there are days I feel I'm not making any progress, I try to remind myself of where I was before and I am grateful I can do this at all.
Today, at the Club, there was a gentleman in need of a wheelchair, on oxygen and using one of the machines I used when I had to go to Pre-Transplant Rehab and I nearly broke out in tears. That was me a little over a year ago. So I can whine about how hard this is, but I look at someone like that and it reminds me of how far I have come. And how grateful I am.
I am committed to keeping up with this training program and seeing how much progress I can achieve. And no matter how much progress I make, or don't, I must keep working out in order to prevent me from going backwards to where I was Pre-Transplant. So this is a new way of life for me.
I had a good Cardio workout today doing 30 minutes on on the Nu-Step machine and 30 minutes on the Recumbent Bike. Tomorrow I will do my strength circuit. I have 2 off days scheduled this week which means my goal is to workout 5 days this week.
Like I mentioned, my IC bladder doesn't like this one little bit. It's a struggle, but my post transplant rehab must take priority. So I push on through. I listen to my body and if I need an "easy" day, that's what I do. If I feel I can push it one day, then I do that. I mix things up so I'm not doing the same thing every day and that keeps it interesting.
Music helps me and after all I've been through, I don't care if people stare at me in my face mask, fist pumping to one of my motivational songs while working out. I've busted my butt to get where I am. So whatever I need to do for inspiration and to keep me fighting, I'll do! Like they say, dance like no one is watching. That's me at the Club!
Check out my Workout Video:
Today's Nu-Step Workout:
Today's Recumbent Bike Workout:
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