Quilting is Good for the Soul

Once again, it has been a while since I posted. Things have been up and down for me for the past month or so. For much of February, my hemoglobin levels with so low that I could barely function. The doctors adjusted my Ribavirin dose and put my on folic acid. The number is still quite low but climbing. Then we found my liver enzymes had spiked and I had a brief moment of panic where I thought the virus might be back, but it turned out to be a fluke.

I will tell you, that one little step up on my hemoglobin has done wonders though. I feel like a new girl again! I have gotten 4 quilting projects done in the 3 weeks! I can't show most of them to you because they are gifts but I do have a few pictures.

New quilt for the bed

A quilt for my husband

I am currently working on a postage stamp quilt made with all the scraps from the quilts I have made over the last 3 years. I got the pattern here, and I am almost finished with the second step. I will post a picture when it's finished.

Today, I finally found a simple pattern (no applique, paper piecing, or complicated patterns to cut out) for a sunflower block and am so freaking excited. I wish I had a car so I could go to Joann Fabrics today! I am going to incorporate it into a simple pattern and make a throw.

Sunflower Block!!!

I am also going to make a friend a T-Shirt quilt.

I love quilting. It really has giving me something to focus on besides this disease and it really makes me feel good to see my pieces finished and being used by people I love. I plan to start selling some soon.... stay tuned.

I Work Out... Kinda.

You know you have a disability when it takes more time and energy to get on the gym equipment than it takes to actually work out.

Went to my doctor last week, she said to lose some fat and gain some muscle. Those were her exact words. Notice she did not tell me to lose weight, I guess I have become skinny-fat. Joy.

I have been using the Gym at work this week because we have a NuStep. But, I work out in the morning so I have no one to help wrestle my legs into the leg stabilizers. I timed myself today, and it took me 20 minutes to get strapped in, that's normally the length of my cardio workout. I did an extra minute 16 seconds just to make myself feel better. :/

I hate working out… well actually it’s far more complicated than that, I actually love working out, the problem is, I always feel so defeated afterwards. Even when I do cardio, I don’t actually get a cardio workout because it is physically impossible for me to get my body moving fast enough for long enough to get my heart rate up. The faster I try to go, the more my muscles tense and the more I have to slow down and tell myself to relax.

If I didn’t have a disability, or if I could afford a trainer that could tell me exactly what to do in order to get a proper work out with CP, I would be the fittest person. I get so frustrated seeing all these fun new ways to work out that I just can’t do.

Every time a google disability and workout. I get a bunch of 75 year old woman doing knee lifts and side bends. I don’t want to simply do stretches from my wheelchair. I have had enough of weight machines and dumbbells. I want a real, hardcore workout that requires a shower after. I want to discover muscles I never knew existed. Where’s the workout for all the young and sexy (or soon to be sexy) men and woman with limited mobility?  

Just Dance should have a seated version and the Biggest Loser should do a season comprised totally of people with disabilities. How hard could it be? Why is something that we are all told we need to do for our overall health, so hard for people that probably need it to most to access? If anyone has an answer I will be in the gym. At the rate I am I will burn of that granola bar I had for breakfast in time for lunch.