Getting back to "normal"

I'm 31. Will be 32 in July, which frightens me a bit. In my teenage head, I had this ideal plan that by now I'd have a couple of kids and be a stay at home soccer mom. I have a furry kid, Dillon, who is pretty much the cutest mini-labradoodle ever. She's such a good dog, too! I also have a great husband, Matt. We've been married for a year and a half and I must say, this married thing works well for both of us.

I guess my biological clock is ticking. Both Matt and I want kids, but the main issue is me and my body. I have been dealt a fantastic trifecta of auto-immune diseases: asthma, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. The asthma and UC are pretty well under control, although both flair occasionally. The RA, on the other hand, is a nasty little bugger. I was on remicade for about 7 years. When I stopped using it last year, I was receiving 8 vials once a month via IV. Needless to say, my veins are pretty scarred and my fear of needles is little to none. My body built a resistance to the remicade, thus rendering it not as effective as it once was. As much as I secretly enjoyed my 4 hour IV respite, it is more convenient to do my own injections. Now, I inject Humira once a week. I was at every other week, but two weeks ago bumped up to every week, along with a hefty dose of medrol (similar to prednisone) and methotrexate. Thus, my body is a nice lab of biologic drugs - probably not the best for hosting a little one.

On top of all of that... there is more... I had my second hip replacement on Nov. 22. I'm back in full swing again now, but it takes a lot out of you. Hip one was done Jan. 18, 2010. They should last me a good 20-25 years from now, which is good, but I really do like my surgeon and he'll be retired by then. The hips were from hip dysplasia (yeah, google it - dogs come up first). I was born with it.

I'm currently working on getting myself back into shape after my 6 month exodus to the disabled list. Oh, I broke my collarbone downhill mountain biking over labor day weekend.

Oops! I had a plate put in a week and a half later and was released from the arm sling at the beginning of November. Just in time for the new hip!!! Thus, I'm hitting the gym pretty hard now to get rid of the excess baggage that sitting on my ass doing a lot of nothing gained me. But, I am now caught up on a few favorite shows on netflix - so I guess I did gain something along with those ten pounds, right?!

I digress, so with this menagerie of health issues, I should be bitter and sad, but in reality, I'm pretty ok with it all. Yeah, it sucks and there are days that I curse my predicament. This whole "no cure" thing for the trifecta of bad body juju is rather frustrating. It could be worse, though. I am fortunate that they have made medical advances that allow my fingers to still function and not have joint damage. I am able to still do most things. I can ride a bike - most of the time - except when I go over the handle bars and break myself. I don't recommend that version of bike riding. I just learn to take things at my pace. I guess I don't worry about the rat race of it all. I have learned to listen to my body and know when I can push it and when I need to stop. I also sleep 8 hours a night or more. Otherwise, I really hurt, so I guess not having a human kiddo is helpful in that regard!

Matt is awesome about everything, too. Sometimes I really don't get him and his selflessness when it comes to me. I was (and still am pretty much) fiercely independent before we got married, so having someone to help around the house, to care for me, to vacuum, to grab something for me downstairs is pretty wonderful. I'm incredibly lucky to have a husband who understands me and loves me, despite the messed up package that he signed up for!

So my goal is to lose my 10 pounds by June. I'm about to start traveling for work again, so that always interrupts my nice little schedule I make for myself for exercise, but I think I can accomplish my goal. This past Sunday, I got back on the snowboard! It wasn't too bad. I was honestly quite nervous. The only part that was a bit rough was skitching in the lift line or at the top of the mountain, but the actual descent was good. Kinda like riding a bike, I still remembered how! And, most importantly, I didn't fall.

Monday, I took the day off, as I was hurting something fierce. My hip flexor and the inside of my left leg (new hip) were pretty angry at me and my shenanigans the day before! By Tuesday, I was on the elliptical. Wednesday was intervals on the bike and water aerobics. Water aerobics has become my new favorite thing. It is a great workout, I'm able to go my pace, the jumping is buoyed off by the water and you can really add some resistance if you want! Thursday was weight training. I'm going to try this for the next month: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/chris-powell-training-plan-1. I like that I have one set of weights the entire time, which makes my life a lot easier at my super crowded gym. Friday was my first reintroduction to spin class. I'd forgotten how much the hooha can hurt after that regimen! This morning was weights again followed by water aerobics. I think tomorrow is going to be an easy day. Will likely take the dog on a walk to the dog park.

So, that is all for now. I have a few ideas of additional posts that I'll try and get out. Wednesday, I head to SXSW in Austin for the interactive sessions, so I'm sure there will be lots of fun pictures and stories of the nerdisms and spring break for grown ups!