Pacing and Recovery

You have to pace yourself, the doctors tell me, the occupational therapist tells me, the physical therapist tells me.

Learning to pace myself, it turns out, is a constantly evolving challenge.

I’ve started recovering physical strength, with the help of PT, and I’m able to handle daily life stuff withouth getting out of breath. Taking a shower, unloading the dishwasher, running a couple of loads of laundry. I can even manage some of the medical scheduling on my own — Catherine was doing all of this for me for a couple of months. 

I walk Stella. Or does Stella walk me? A month ago, we left the house and walked to the end of the block and back. Now we go around the neighborhood park, a little more than half a mile. We stop a lot so she can sniff things: she paces me.

Last week, I went for my first two bike rides since before COVID, and started lifting again, with the encouragement of the physical therapist. And with a long list of limits and precautions. I saw several deer and a couple of turtles in the park, and I worked up a couple sweats, and it felt great.

I also went to the Apple Store last week because my phone battery was draining itself, and two hours later, I was exhausted, and I’m still not exactly sure why. A combination, I think, of social interaction, overstimulation from all that was going on, and just not being able to rest when I started to flag.

It took me four days to recover.

I have so much trouble with words, mostly finding them, occasionally understanding them. Writing emails is a cognitive challenge. Working on revisions to that overdue book chapter that is is a much bigger challenge. I read a novel a few days ago for the first time since before Covid. I picked it because it was short. I took a lot of breaks.

After I hit “publish” on this post, I’ll go lie back down on the couch.

Yesterday, I went to the beach for the first time this summer. It, too, was exhausting, physically rather than cognitively. I swam only where there were almost no waves, and even that was challenging. Being in the water made it hard to breathe, something that’s never happened before. There was a lot of walking.

I am flattened today. Today, I struggle to go up and down the stairs to the basement. I napped this afternoon, something I haven’t needed to do for a few weeks. 

How long will it take to recover?