Painting my Weekend Wonderful....

It has taken me almost three weeks, but I have finally beaten back my bronchitis, and am feeling human again! It has been incredibly frustrating along the way. I find I am not as good a patient anymore as I used to be. A day or two of downtime is about all I have the patience for any longer, so being forced into longer periods of inactivity has resulted in a very cranky girl! You need only ask my husband who has had to put up with the brunt of my displeasure.

I spent most of last week using every ounce of energy to simply get through work each day. I'd have one good day to be followed by two bad days. I ignored my inner voice Friday and went out for dinner with with friends. It was a fun evening, but I paid for the late night the next day and had to divert from our original plan to explore mountain homes in Bryce. I knew that I needed to continue to lay low, but by Saturday afternoon, I was TIRED of riding the couch. I decided I had to do something or go crazy. I suddenly found myself volunteering to help my husband with his latest home improvement project....staining the deck. My husband looked a little stunned when I made the offer, not just because I generally leave the home improvement projects to him, but he knew I was feeling poorly, and that almost always involved a couch and a TV. He looked about ready to protest, but I pointed out that I could sit and paint as easily as I could sit and watch TV. If I felt bad, I would stop.

For those of you who don't know my history, I had an uncontrollable cough for a year and a half. While I know this is hard to envision, it actually caused a broken rib, resulted in a hospitalization for exhaustion and while the doctors struggled to determine the cause and cure, left me bedridden for months. Ultimately I was able to have surgery to correct the underlying problem and regain my life, but damage was done to my lungs and vocal chords during that period. I am much more prone to get bronchitis and it can be very challenging to treat both the bronchitis and resulting cough once it starts. For most people a cough is an annoyance, for me a cough is a harbinger of everything bad, and is something to be treated with much care and concern. 

Painting, however, proved to be the prescription I needed this past weekend. I worked for small periods both Saturday and Sunday staying outside long enough to feel like I made a difference, but not long enough to wear myself out. It provided a much needed distraction from my circumstances. Other than finding myself covered in paint spatter from tip to toe (apparently I am a little challenged with a roller) it caused no ill effects. I woke Monday morning with a slight ache in my thighs from squatting and a little stiff from leaning over to get the back of each day, but with definite improvement. It was the first time in weeks, I woke feeling like I could start working out again. I would be smart and start slow, but I was back in business and back on my journey.