March 2019 - The Lupus Lifestyle

I did a triathlon today!

I enjoyed doing the race with my friends Lauren M, Lauren P, and at the last minute
my brother, Casey!

One year ago I did my first sprint triathlon and it was in part to prove to myself that I could do it, lupus or not. That was almost two years after my diagnosis. It was something I never could have imagined doing when I was at the height of my symptoms. As I look back it was a milestone, a “take that lupus!” moment.

One year and a lot of lifestyle changes later, I finished my second sprint triathlon but this time my motivation was different: I did it for my sister.

I’ve always known that exercise was an important part of my self-care for lupus. It helps with mood, joint pain and stiffness, constipation, circulation, weight, etc. But knowing something is good for you doesn’t make it magically easy to do. I struggle to get myself to exercise especially when I’m having a flare or am fatigued. I convince myself that I need sleep more than exercise (which is probably true sometimes but not as often as I say it). But recently I have recently gained a new motivation for exercising.

As I’ve written before, my sister sustained a spinal cord injury which has left her paralyzed from the waist down. She gave me a new perspective on exercise and movement in general: don’t take it for granted. “Don’t take walking for granted.” “Don’t take being able to use the stairs for granted.” “Don’t take the ability to get up off the couch for granted.”

I never thought to be thankful that I could run…but I am. Sometimes I feel odd doing all this exercise (running, swimming, cycling, yoga) when she can’t do any of it at this point. But my sister is a huge advocate for me getting enough exercise because she knows it’s good for me and because I can, and that’s not something to take for granted.

So today, be thankful for the movement you do have. Take the stairs, park a little further away from the store, walk around for 5 minutes during lunch, play with your dog, do some yoga or chair exercises, whatever it is that gets you moving and don’t take the ability to do that thing for granted. 🙂

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture with my sister but it was great having her, her husband ,
and my sister-in-law there to cheer us on!

P.S. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes in the past year and my race time, weight, and difference expressions in the pictures from one triathlon to the next show it. I’ll be writing more about the changes I made soon!

My sister is my best friend, mentor, support system, encourager, motivator, inspiration, role model etc.

I’m the oldest but Carla (middle child, though by only 7 minutes) quickly established that she was not to be bossed around. Being the non-confrontational person that I am, I lost control of the siblings probably before Carla could form sentences. Not that this is a bad thing, Carla is a natural leader whereas I am much better as a support person.

It was Carla, not my parents, who told me to knock it off with the PDA with my high school boyfriend. It was Carla who kept me driving safe before she even had her license. It was my sister who got me exercising regularly in college and every time I’ve had time I’ve had to restart after that. It was my sister who went out with me in college when I needed to get away.

She suffered with me when my heart was broken. She dealt with sharing a room with me for years. She kept me on task when we studied at home together. She helped me eat better even from far away, making me throw away those donuts I bought while she was on the phone to make sure I did it.

This doesn’t mean I haven’t taken the big sister role when needed. My dad’s favorite story to tell about me was when I slapped an older boy hard across the face because he was bullying my little siblings. No one messes with my family.

Long ago, I decided to write a post about my sister and how she’s one of my biggest supporters and how important it is to have people like that in your life, who call you out and push you to be your best. This is still true of my sister and I am so incredibly thankful that she is alive today.

My sister has been through so much! (For those who don’t know, my sister was shot in October 2018, sustained major internal damage and is paralyzed from the belly button down.)

Months after deciding I wanted to write about my sister, this blog is finally being written because I can’t hold it in any longer. My sister’s life has completely changed but everything I love about her remains the same. She makes me laugh, makes me feel loved when she laughs at me, is open and honest with me, pushes me to be better, accepts me as I am, encourages me. She sees those who are hurting or ignored and intentionally seeks them out to befriend them. She is kind and engaging with everyone she meets. She is witty. She is strong. She has a contagious smile. She is determined. She is human.

These past several months have been hard, there’s no candy coating it. Of course, she’s had a very difficult time but she has taken it all with faith and hope.

Carla often says she doesn’t know how to take it when people say that she’s an inspiration to them, she’s just living the best she can. But I think people see a glimpse of what I see every day – Carla is a fighter but she does it with such grace that you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. Trust me, she’s fighting and I’m so glad she is. Selfishly, I’m so glad she’s here with me.

I also want to give a shoutout to my amazing mother, sister-in-law, sister’s sister-in-law, and sister’s mother-in-law. They have been put through so much the past few months also and have risen to the occasion and shone. I love them!

I hope you have a strong, beautiful, amazing woman in your life. Make sure to love on them today and always!

Archives for March 2019

Don’t take ________ for granted

My Sister – International Women’s Day