I have had some questions about what I do on my home rehab days.  As I have gotten stronger, I have been able to add more exercises and a few more reps.  My PT has discussed with me that less weight, and higher reps, help create energy in the tissue. 

I have learned on my own that one of the most important parts of rehabbing with EDS (for me) is making sure I work all areas of my body-arms, core, back, legs, neck…If I only work one area, the other areas start to feel like they are coming “unglued.”  I have also learned that rehab for me must remain very consistent.  Otherwise, within a few days of not rehabbing, I feel a lot more pain, and like my body is starting to fall apart.     

If you recall a while back, at my last monthly appointment with Larry (Sports Med doc and the “captain” of my medical team), I was given an old fashioned homework assignment.  After having a mental breakdown in his office, he gave me this task…To watch Apollo 13, and relate it to my EDS and POTS by creating any craft project I want.  All he told me was he wanted me to pay attention to the energy conservation theme. 

I watched the movie on Monday (yes, I had a whole month and procrastinated until the day before just like the old days) and ended up taking 6 pages of notes.  It took me 4 hours to watch the 2.5 hour movie because I kept rewinding to make sure I had info, space lingo, and quotes correct.  Then I went to work on my “crafting.” 

So today I got to therapy ready to get on the full body gym, and my PT pulled me into one of the exams room instead.  She said we were going to talk first today.  Uh oh.  She said she was watching me on Monday and was worried that I am overdoing it, and that we need to think more about pacing.  Ughhhhh, “pacing”…I have developed a strong dislike for that word ever since I was diagnosed.  She asked me how I have been doing after therapy and I was honest.  I said some days I feel great and do completely fine and other days I crash hard.  She asked me about how I was after Monday and I admitted that I went to Meijers afterwards (I was supposed to go straight home and rest), and by Tuesday morning I was throwing up and had to sleep during the day.  Busted.