heathber

Love that photo Mark, He looks like a real charmer, no wonder you miss him. Janelle for your Riley I guess it's like training about going in the car or for any sort of walk. Maybe start with putting her lead on as if going for an ordinary walk and then letting her ride with you when she gets tired, but she's not allowed on Henry except when she has her lead on. She'll work it out quick enough. Lead on She can come with you. lead off shes not allowed on Henry. Just like she doesn't leave the yard without her lead on. But I guess it also depends on what rules she already knows. Will be harder if you've been spoiling her 🙂

Hi Sue yes it's getting harder, Fingers and toes crossed we will be getting out of stage 4 lockdown soon. Although with numbers still in double digits each day I'm trying to tell myself it won't be long, when I know it could easily be another month. My compassion/patience for people who don't follow the rules is very much gone. I feel like the kid in after school detention because the rest of the class was rowdy. And the rest of the class isn't even close enough that I can beat them up tomorrow. 🙂 The idiots who held/went to those anti lockdown rallies yesterday better get the book thrown at them. On the bright side a friend posted this to my facebook after I complained about people who don't wear masks properly, made me giggle

Nothing like that love is there. A pity she couldn't go to the doctors with you. Just had a thought about your exercise goal and using your legs more. Maybe Riley can ride on Henry with you to the park and then you can both have a play/walk and ride home. Good for both of you. But it will make it harder to stop her coming with you to the appointments she mustn't go to.

Fingers and toes crossed Janelle and Sue. But right now I just want to get out of city lockdown here in Melbourne.

Janelle maybe start with a window box in your kitchen, for things like cherry tomatoes, lettuce and herbs. Things that you can see everyday and snack from. Window boxes also mean no heavy digging or bending to physically challenge you. I have a cat who eats plants so I don't do it myself, but occasionally I think about it. Another easy one to grow close to the house is strawberries in a hanging basket.

So long as that 1 case managed not to infect anyone else it should be fine, Fingers and toes crossed they kept to themselves during the critical time. Hang in there Sue it will get better.

I get that fear of the curb and the door closing on you. One tool I found invaluable for a while. was my walking pole. Not a cane that you lean on, but a hiking pole that lets you stand tall, it is a great moving handrail for getting up and down steps/curbs. and you can wave it at door sensors and lift doors. Not to mention threatening little kids who run in shopping centers. I still use it if I'm going to go any distance over rough terrain, although I don't take it everywhere like I used to.

Oh yes the first couple of months of lower income than you are used to is hard. I would not have coped if it wasn't for my Mum. She helped me with a with setting up a new budget and working out what were the places I was willing to cut back back. she also lent me some "tide you over" money that let me pay off some bills that had escaped because I hadn't realised how much I was spending vs how much I was now earning. Fingers crossed you can find a place within reach of your gym and budget. The gym has been my lifeline too, a trainer who gets it and is willing to work with your limits makes a huge difference. For the stress all I can say is breathe. I found doing the budget and turning the fear and worry into something concrete helped. But that's me, I need a list of things to do and a plan, once I have that I find I can relax so long as I'm continuing to work on the steps of the plan.

Sue my mum now has a face shield for when she goes somewhere a mask is actually necessary, as well as a letter from her doctor that exempts her from wearing a face cover under the rules. She has a form of COPD so even a simple cloth mask restricts her air flow enough to cause problems. But she is pretty much not going out. even though risk should be low in her area. Tracy yes I too enjoy the "anonymity" of wearing a mask. I'm not sure if I'll feel the same by Summer, but right now when it's cold out, I like that the mask keeps your nose warm when out for daily permitted exercise.

Kittens will be kittens unfortunately, they get into all sorts of places you thought were out of reach. I know you and Kitty will both miss her when she goes but it will give her a better life. Stroke is one time where stubborn is a trait in your favour. Plenty of times I've had to recruit the inner stubborn since I stroked. You go girl and remember we love you and support you.💙

So many ways we are the same even though we are all different

It's scary if you let it be. You need to take care of you and those close to you but still remember there are many many things we have no control over at all, so pick your battles, do what's right for you and try not to worry about what you can't control. I'm not saying this is nice or easy, hang in there HUGS -Heather

Hi Carrie, Everything helps. A lot of this is deciding to be a certain way and then making it happen. You brain will usually try to maintain what you reinforce with it So make a plan and keep working on it and when you fall off, don't beat yourself up, acknowledge it happened and start again. It gets easeir with practice. Breathing and awareness of how your body is reacting to what's happening in your brain also helps. Try to override the physical reactions to mental stimuli so you don't reinforce the stimuli. Consciously control breathing and relax muscles that tense up. Distract your brain with complex but rote tasks e.g. counting backwards from 100 by 3s. or counting out loud by threes when doing something that naturally has a 2 count like walking, can help to let natural rhythms and muscle memory take over a task. Over thinking is helpful for getting started with a "new" movement, but will eventually slow you down. Remind your trainer that you need to do ballistic and reaction training not just slow and controlled movements. Slow and controlled is a great place to start as it builds patterning and strength, but once you've got the basics you need to also retrain your fast twitch responses as well. You can do this! -Heather

yep long car trips are hard. My physio said to make sure you stop every hour and walk at least three laps around the car before you head off again. It does help a lot. That bum cheek gets me even from my ergonomic office chair too if I don't get up regularly enough.

An oldie but a goodie, nothing beats a good "Dad Joke" Just keep on keeping on and doing your best to be your best. Trying gets "trying". As in when I used to moan to my Mum "I'm trying" when I was not doing well at something and she would reply "very!" I vote for doing, overall it's better for your mental health. Hugs to all -Heather

Possibly comes from the south American animal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth But is also one of the seven deadly sins (pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath.) I'm a practitioner of most of these from time to time as are most humans. I'm guessing the animal was named from the sin, given it spends so much time not moving.

Yep bike every day should help build stamina that will be needed for a big project. Sloth is nice but also addictive.

Kitten energy is great. I hope you can find her a good home. She looks like a real sweetie

Amazing isn't it how once you stopped talking about the problem for a few minutes your communication skills came back. Much easier to deal with problems once you start communicating as a person. It always amazes me how this happens. Thanks for sharing both here and with David. Hugs -Heather

Sounds like you are on top of life right now. Best of luck with surgery plans and vein treatment.

At least there are now many types and styles of mask available, so you can have a cute one, or a silly one if you want.

yep getting the car back is a huge step and feels wonderful. yes take it slow and get the lessons. Depending on where you live there may be legal requirements to getting back on the road too. Certainly here, I had to get sign off from doctor and optometrist and then convince a specialist driving OT that I was safe on the road to get my licence back (they are cancelled here once you have a brain injury). OT will also prescribe any necessary vehicle modifications.

true and running away from change only creates more change.

Asha you are not a loser, you are an imperfect human person just like the rest of us. Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. You can't undo the past, but you can acknowledge your mistakes and try not to repeat them. Say sorry to hubby and the family God and you will feel better. Then pick up from now and do your best, that's all any of us can do. Beating yourself up for the past only makes you feel bad, it doesn't change anything. Live your best life now and work for a better tomorrow and it will happen. Maybe not the way you wanted or planned, life is change, but that doesn't mean you don't work towards what you want.

HI Janelle No real need to worry about me. The active cases are mostly in the outer western suburbs well outside my allowed 5km bubble. The more strict lockdown has closed the hospital outpatients rehab this time, which is hard as now the only person I see is my cleaner when he comes in once a week (that's allowed for me because I'm disabled). Most people here are behaving re masks, although when I go for my walk I usually see 1 or 2 people with their mask not covering their nose. I only leave the apartment for my daily walk and to do the shopping.