I Have the Power

I had a great day today! I can't believe how much I was able to do. It was *almost like I was normal me again.

I got eight hours of sleep, which is pretty typical for me. I got up at 7:15--later than usual, but I also went to bed later than usual.

I was less dizzy and imbalanced than I have been in the morning.

I got to work at 8:45, only to find that my pod was HOT. Like 80 degrees. The AC was not on in that area of the school. I immediately went to the administrator and let her know that I cannot tolerate heat. She suggested moving to the library in the middle of the school, which I did when the kids got to school at 9:15. I stayed in the hot area for the half hour before school so that I could plug in to the network. Even in that half hour, I became exhausted and shaky. It started within about five minutes. The heat intolerance is certainly consistent.

After moving to the library, which was not cold but was at least reasonable, I began to feel better after about 15 minutes. I felt fine all morning.

After work, I drove straight to the home of a child I see privately. I work with her upstairs in her bedroom. It was warm upstairs, which worried me for a minute... until I saw the fan in her room. Score! I was just fine.

After working with her, I went to Target. I walked at nearly my normal pace and ended up doing a lap around the store to gather the things I wanted to buy. I was fine.

However, walking out and putting stuff in my car... in the 95 degree heat and who knows how much humidity... then getting in the hot car and waiting for the AC to get going... I did start feeling worse. The store is 10 minutes from home, and I had not recovered by the time I got home.

Upon arriving home, I had to make several trips (that would be in the 95 degree heat plus humidity) to bring things in, including one heavy item from Target and my heavy laptop bag. I got in and was pretty tired and getting shaky. A little tingly. I jacked up the AC, had a cool drink, and sat talking on the phone for about an hour. After that, I was feeling better...

so I decided to unpack in the spare room! Oh, yeah. I worked for an hour in there doing very physical labor.

I am so pleased. I haven't even taken my gabapentin yet, and it's 6:00! Of course, I will take it soon. But it's not like I was feeling awful and needed it.

I am getting pretty good at managing my condition with accommodations and modifications. It's such a relief to know that I can do things to make myself feel better.

*Except for the pins and needles down the side of my right foot all day. I don't think it stopped at all. And the muscles in my legs were borderline cramping, but again, that's all the time now. I'm fine as long as they don't cross that border into actual cramps. Tightness is okay.