Monday, July 5, 2010

EDS Hang-overs

We'll see how long I can write before this post stops making sense. I've been feeling gross, and the melatonin (my best friend) is kicking in.

This weekend I over-did it. Still learning to take it easy and not really liking it.
Saturday morning I got up to go for a paddle. This came with much excitement and anxiety. I wasn't sure if it was still on the "can do" list. Shortly after getting on the water (like five minutes) I realized that it was no longer on the list of things I can still do. I was hoping I'd get one more summer out of a canoe and go out with a bang like I did last year with kayaking. From the get-go, I could feel the tendons pulling in my arms and wrists. My hands weren't happy with the paddle, they got cramped and my fingers started subluxing. Shoulders started to dislocate and then my hip followed suit. It was really frustrating knowing that I used to easily be able to spend the entire day on the water, in different conditions and now I can't last 20 minutes on flat water. One more thing I have to let go..ugh! The one positive thing that came out of it, is that I can still have some of the most excellent naps in a canoe. There is nothing more relaxing.....nothing.

Sunday, I met with a bendy friend and 4 other friends for the Pride Parade. What could be better than celebrating peace, acceptance and love ? We started with chilling out in a park then migrated to a sushi restaurant. My bendy friend and I both have TMJ issues, and I've got the awesomeness that is dysphagia. I couldn't eat any of the seaweed, and a bunch of other things on the menu. There was also a lot of choking involved. yay. Eating took a lot of effort and energy from both of us, we were tired just from eating. We then walked around for a while finding a good place to stand for the parade. With over 1 million people, sitting wasn't really an option unless you had some wheels. Not to mention, that it was HOT out. The parade was fabulous, in addition to my bendy friend and I being so excited that we lasted as long as we did. Sadly, it wasn't long enough and we had to go find somewhere to sit. After the parade we all went to another park to relax in the shade and cool down. By then, my body had enough. I had a massive headache, everything was dislocating and hurting. Walking was hard, I looked really drunk...Sadly there was no alcohol involved. After a while, we got up and walked around some more. By then my bendy friend hit her threshold and needed to go home. Ten minutes later I was in the same boat.
I stumbled home (literally) feeling like I had been hit by a truck. By then, my headache was killer, and everything hurt more. That's when the puking started. When I over-do it, I don't always realize it because of my insanely high pain tolerance. Instead of feeling pain, I puke... that lasted about 8hrs. 30 hours later, I'm still feeling gross. I've done everything possible to help but I think it's something that I need to just ride out.

I'm getting my wheels sometime this week. I'm not excited that I need it and can't even walk around for the afternoon anymore. I will say looking forward to surviving a night out with the girls, and just participating in life without the EDS hangover.

My bendy friend is also going to the EDNF conference, we're really looking forward to it. Just imagine, a whole bunch of people just like you where you're "normal"...Can't wait, T-8 days!!


" I bet if we drink enough we would start walking like we're sober"
(From a conversation I had with a fellow bendy)

3 comments:

  1. Thats awesome that you went to Pride with another bendy friend! =) even if you guys both felt run over at the end.. =(

    love the alcohol quote! I have a theory about myself.. I always injure myself doing the most normal mundane crap, but i've *never!* fallen down or hurt myself when i'm drinking..

    So my theory is that alcohol improves my balance and helps keeps my joints together heh so maybe i should take up alcoholism and call it good? hah jk..

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  2. I'm currently experiencing an "EDS hangover" (I'm going to borrow this saying excessively). I hope you feel better soon.

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  3. OMG! I'm not the only one who gets the puking and the head then!!!

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