Respiratory Attrition

Anyone who has gotten injured or sick will tell you the road to recovery can be exasperating. After catching bronchitis multiple times this last year I finally find myself inching along toward the much-coveted goal of healthy. The breaking point that launched my yearlong battle with the bronchial tubes probably started with the decision to do a Spartan Sprint sick last June (2019). Note to everyone, if you have a fever and feel like death, stay home. No matter how much you hate heights and don’t want to be left out.

As the summer progressed the coughing waxed and waned depending on chill factor and activity. An overnight camping trip in Capitola, horrendous coughing. Backpacking in Catalina, not too bad until day 3. Training for a tri sprint in the summer in the Central Valley, unhappy lungs. Doing the tri sprint with a used-up inhaler, bad news bears. By September an ultimatum was given to me by my boss, two weeks to make a doctor’s appointment or else she was taking me to a doctor herself. (Apparently even before Covid-19 people coughing in the office all day was annoying.) 

Since that initial doctor visit it’s been an up and down journey of lungs looking and sounding better, only to get unhappy again. Looking better, unhappy, better, unhappy. And then January hit. I don’t know what I had, maybe the flu, maybe something else. About four prescriptions later I was less miserable but down for the 10 count for all practical purposes. Which is when I was temporarily moved into my parents. Months later, I am still here partly due to the lockdown that has swept through California and I find myself champing at the bit, wanting to start working out again. 

 

The weather is lovely, the sun is out, and I don’t want to be cooped up. The problem, whenever I push too much my body protests and I find myself back in bed. So, I’m trying to take it slowly, five sit-ups here, ten squats there, an occasional ¼ - ½ mile walk. Patience is not my virtue and there will definitely be future vents posts about workouts/exercise. Today’s purpose, however, is to set the stage so when these posts come around y’all aren’t all puzzled at the slow nature of my progress. 

For everyone who hasn’t been working out recently and wants to start it up again, good news, you can join me on the less intimidating, snail paced progress train! For those who miss their gyms and normal routines, I feel you bro. Having an active life cut off at the knee’s sucks. It takes some adjustment, but I’m holding out hope that no matter where you’re starting from, progress can still be made. Otherwise, I might as well just go back to bed now.