3/7/14. The post where I learn a different way to overachieve.

3/7/14: woke up a little after 4am this morning.  Not because of my foot, but because I realized I had made an error in yesterday's post.  I fixed it, but the email had already gone out to those who subscribe by email, so I have to 'fess up.  RSD stands for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, not Disorder. Yep, that's the error that woke me up at 4am.  Doesn't seem quite as important in the light of day.

I was a light sleeper long before RSD and my foot is rarely the thing that wakes me up.  It is usually something like, "Did I make a mistake in my post?" Or "Do I have enough safety pins in my purse?"  But these days, once I am awake, my foot chimes in.  "These covers hurt. No wait, don't take them off. Now I'm cold.  Put on some socks. Ouch, these socks hurt."  Hard to go back to sleep with all that noise in the background.  Fortunately, this morning it was feeling better than last night. 

I had a PT appointment first thing this morning and I left the house with a pain level at about a 6.  I had a successful appointment.  Since I was feeling pretty good, they let me ride the exercise bike (carefully) for eight minutes.  I also walked on the treadmill at the very slowest setting (still in the harness to keep my weight off my foot) for 20 minutes, a new record.  While I walked, my PT stood with me and gave me another pep talk.

The gist of the pep talk was that I am improving, even if I don't realize it.  He told me about the changes he had seen since I started and said I had improved much more quickly than he expected, and more quickly than other RSD patients he has treated.  Then he reminded me about not overdoing it.  He told me the reason he was letting me walk for twenty minutes on the treadmill was to help me see what my walking pace should be. Which, as he pointed out, is not the pace at which he sees me walking when I come into the office.  Slow down. 

His parting words were, "I know you are an overachiever.  Maybe you can try overachieving at being patient."  Yes. I can do that.  I can be patient.  I can be the most patient person ever.  Now get me out of this harness so I can get out there and start being patient.  

Happy tonight because my brother and sister-by-love are coming in tonight to visit for the weekend.  (Don't worry - it is not the ones who just had a baby.)  Looking forward to a quiet, fun weekend. I promise to take it slow.  And I promise I will wake up in the middle of the night to remind myself to take it slow.