Glad to have you back, Paul. When long term illness of any stripe hits, it's a blessing to produce anything at all. My own substacks have been scanty this last year because chronic pain=fatigue, and I'm learning not to beat myself up about it. But I do want to hear about the exercise thing!
Spent some time working on that exercise post yesterday, almost done. And, fortunately, today I was able to exercise at an intensity that validates the point I was making. 😜
So sorry to hear about the bad year, Paul (atop the already not so great years!). I'm happy to see you back on here, yet hope being here is only what you need and want for it to be! Sending love and gentle hugs 💜
I'm interested in hearing about sneaking past exercise intolerance, since I, too, must find a way to sneak exercise past "boss" ailments which have proved difficult to treat by anything other than increased fitness, but which also stand in the way of increasing fitness – especially restoring fitness I've lost since childbearing.
My "bosses" aren't classic exercise intolerance, but instead hEDS injury risk, atopic respiratory problems, and the frequent ooginess that comes with both hEDS and atopy. My kids bring home plenty of "minor" communicable diseases that don't seem so "minor" to me – for example, when my local BigHospCorp's urgent care (negligently, though I doubt I can muster the energy to take legal action) delayed treating me for strep this February, I got reactive arthritis. Fun-o!
Seems I must learn to change my exercise preferences. I like the muscle-feel of more resistance than my joints (less supported by bracing muscle than they used to be) can currently handle. To avoid riling my joints (including one bad knee, and after February, a bad... thumb – now grip strength is a limiting factor), it seems I must avoid loads that conveniently challenge my muscles, in favor of smaller loads used inconveniently longer – placating King TUT (Time Under Tension) the boring, inconvenient way.
For the time being, I've given up on anything more ambitious than a few door frame squats most days, using a thumbless grip and quitting before my muscles really feel it, with a goal of trying this several times per day. It has made a small improvement, though not enough to offset other setbacks.
I look forward to hearing more about the good news Paul and I’m glad you are updating here still when you can. PainScience has helped me so much with dealing with, as best as I can, my own chronic pain issues. The only disadvantage being I know how many medical “professionals” often know so little and not enough to help sometimes. But I’d rather that than false hope.
As suggested by this post, I can't remember why I've followed this. It sounds like the vaccines may have caused / exacerbated your ill health? I hope you find some healing!
Welcome back, Paul. I always enjoy your posts. Your writings are just as entertaining as they are informative - not an easy thing to accomplish.
I too have been going through a long slow healing phase of my life.
I developed POTS after a head injury in the late 90s, had a cryptogenic stroke in 2020, COVID-19 of course in 2022, SIBO in 2024, and on the heels of that, B6 toxicity. Like you, I've had great difficulty getting back to any level of exercise tolerance, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with that. All the best,
Glad to have you back, Paul. When long term illness of any stripe hits, it's a blessing to produce anything at all. My own substacks have been scanty this last year because chronic pain=fatigue, and I'm learning not to beat myself up about it. But I do want to hear about the exercise thing!
Spent some time working on that exercise post yesterday, almost done. And, fortunately, today I was able to exercise at an intensity that validates the point I was making. 😜
So sorry to hear about the bad year, Paul (atop the already not so great years!). I'm happy to see you back on here, yet hope being here is only what you need and want for it to be! Sending love and gentle hugs 💜
I'm interested in hearing about sneaking past exercise intolerance, since I, too, must find a way to sneak exercise past "boss" ailments which have proved difficult to treat by anything other than increased fitness, but which also stand in the way of increasing fitness – especially restoring fitness I've lost since childbearing.
My "bosses" aren't classic exercise intolerance, but instead hEDS injury risk, atopic respiratory problems, and the frequent ooginess that comes with both hEDS and atopy. My kids bring home plenty of "minor" communicable diseases that don't seem so "minor" to me – for example, when my local BigHospCorp's urgent care (negligently, though I doubt I can muster the energy to take legal action) delayed treating me for strep this February, I got reactive arthritis. Fun-o!
Seems I must learn to change my exercise preferences. I like the muscle-feel of more resistance than my joints (less supported by bracing muscle than they used to be) can currently handle. To avoid riling my joints (including one bad knee, and after February, a bad... thumb – now grip strength is a limiting factor), it seems I must avoid loads that conveniently challenge my muscles, in favor of smaller loads used inconveniently longer – placating King TUT (Time Under Tension) the boring, inconvenient way.
For the time being, I've given up on anything more ambitious than a few door frame squats most days, using a thumbless grip and quitting before my muscles really feel it, with a goal of trying this several times per day. It has made a small improvement, though not enough to offset other setbacks.
I look forward to hearing more about the good news Paul and I’m glad you are updating here still when you can. PainScience has helped me so much with dealing with, as best as I can, my own chronic pain issues. The only disadvantage being I know how many medical “professionals” often know so little and not enough to help sometimes. But I’d rather that than false hope.
As suggested by this post, I can't remember why I've followed this. It sounds like the vaccines may have caused / exacerbated your ill health? I hope you find some healing!
Welcome back, Paul. I always enjoy your posts. Your writings are just as entertaining as they are informative - not an easy thing to accomplish.
I too have been going through a long slow healing phase of my life.
I developed POTS after a head injury in the late 90s, had a cryptogenic stroke in 2020, COVID-19 of course in 2022, SIBO in 2024, and on the heels of that, B6 toxicity. Like you, I've had great difficulty getting back to any level of exercise tolerance, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience with that. All the best,
Keith Blackwell, MHS, PT, Dip. MDT
Owner, Essential Physical Therapy