“Cock-a-doodle-doo
Cock-a-doodle-doo
Cock-a-…”
The faint sound of the alarm rings without a shrill so as not to shock my nervous system.
Some mornings I switch it off mistakenly in my sleep as my finger is accustomed to muting the sound by sliding across the screen
Some mornings I awake, drowning in an unshakeable state of fatigue. My head aching and heavy with what feels like a sack of cement weighing down upon it. One eye half open, one eye half closed I force my uncooperative body up and stagger to the bathroom. Make ablution, pray and let my body cave into the pillow once again. Sleep overtakes not even 2 minutes later.
Some mornings I awake, waiting on my eyelids to flutter open slowly as the pupils dilate and adjust to the softest light setting…
“Hasten and come towards success
Prayer is better than sleep”
The muadhin melodiously chants the call to prayer, in a manner that clutches the soul and imbues tranquility.
Rub eyes, perform ablution, once the water hits my face, most traces of sleep are wiped away. I then offer my prayer in a state of mindfulness.
At a time when most are still sleep, you awoke me to converse with you in the stillness
Al-Fajr – A beautiful prayer appointed at dawn
When life is blown back and our souls are reborn
How grateful should I be
Thou guided and blessed me
With the most beautiful way
To commence the day.
I stretch my empty and needy hands towards the sky
Express gratitude and beseech from the one Most High
The birds are hymning melodic praises
And the sun in all its splendor, rises
Early morning regimen
💊 Mix my first lot of meds so my engine can rev into first gear… The cardiac capsule has to be taken on an empty stomach to work better into the system, although it can be taken at any other time during the day if another is required in the event of an emergency. Most days if I exceed my exertion limit, 2 has to be taken.
Stomach is then full (early satiety caused by Gastroparesis). I cannot eat breakfast or have anything more.
☀️ Enthusiastic to bond with my “soul mate” and satiate a parched body, I step outside to revitalize the spirit with a dosage of fresh air, early morning sun, and recite my daily portion of the Holy Qur’aan while having a slow stroll for as long as I can manage. Once my walking limit terminates, I sit down on a wheelchair and complete the rest.
🧘♀️ Each recital renews the spirit and strengthens the mind to deal with the challenges of the day ahead. I also witness unexpected miracles and blessings during the remainder of the day.
How can a person not witness good descend, when their day begun with an attractive force and source of manifold light
The verses of the noble Qur’aan
Nourish the roots of Imaan (faith)
Without it my heart feels desolate
And all vigor drains from my spirit
🏋️♀️ Physiotherapy excercises (related in the series Breathe your best)
🖋️ Switch on my gadgets and begin drafting chapters / work on calligraphy orders / ambassador correspondence
Late morning
💤 At about 8:30 / 9:00 I nap for +- 3 hours.
🕛 Awake around 12:00 / 12:30…
Afternoon
Awakening is not a simple matter of flinging the eyelids open and jumping out of bed. The Autonomic Nervous System controls pupil dilation and constriction. So our eyes take longer to open fully and adjust to light settings.
Sit fully upright
Brace yourself for standing up slowly
Standing for us is a form of excercise on its own lol.
💊💉 Take my second round of meds. While waiting for it to digest;
🧘♀️ Perform afternoon prayer and then eat
Or if I’m extra dizzy – sober drunk and need to wait for my meds and fluids to kick in full swing, I eat a little first and hang around for a longer time until I’m more stable to move around.
(Some days, by the time the dizziness stabilizes, it’s already 3:30 / 4pm +-)
🗒️ Thereafter resume drafting chapters / calligraphy / ambassador work… Depending on the priority / deadlines / what’s more suitable for me to focus on at the particular moment
🧘♀️ After the late noon prayer I usually go outside for a stroll according to how long I can manage / or split the time into other self / personal tasks – pack washing into the cupboard, help around with things that I can manage like lending a hand to prepare food for myself etc… Don’t act like a handicap for things I can be a part of lol
Evening
📿 Night prayers etc
💪 Between the above, is all the hardcore work…..
Additional breathing excercises a Dr recently added onto my list – Diaphragm training. Teaching the upper accessory muscles to only assist breathing when they should – as a back up in extreme need.
The physical and mental overall benefits of these stretches and excercises are superb. It prevents the mind and body from becoming stagnant and stuck. Releases negative emotions and gets the hormones to secrete happy vibes…
Joints are loosened. Blood circulates better into motion. Muscles are strengthened. Stiffness is released and your body is able to function in the most optimal way.
But it also drains me out because the heart works overtime and cannot meet the required pumping output as the level of work increases. So usually I need a rest after any of it.
💪 Spirometer “excercises”
Is a device to help keep your lungs in the best and strongest state possible. It trains your breathing rate and teaches you how to take slow deep breaths.
Im touching the tip of these points because they deserve more elaboration so more will be explained amd shared in future posts, god-willing.
(Deep breathing keeps your lungs well-inflated and healthy)
💉 Nebulizing sessions
My pharmacist advised I do it 3 times a day for maximum benefit but I cheat sometimes 🤫 because it tends to become tiring having to do or take something at different points of the day another. Although I notice a bigger difference if I do as instructed.
💪 Neck stretches to provide relief from coat hanger pain (explained in chapter 199), and release the prolonged stiffness from sleeping in a recumbent posture.
I have to take a face cloth and wet it with hot water, then place it on one side of the neck while doing a stretch.. 30 seconds either side…
If the neck stretches are not done with diligence, it results in total disaster. Such as; relentless migraines, or the neck muscles will form into knots and severe spasms that I cannot turn my head at all.
This is a brief outline of the way my days rotate. No 2 are the same. As you can see, most of my usable hours are averted into taking care of the body so it can function to the maximum level possible. But on some days, in spite of all the above, it gets thrown off the charts. Either by weather changes or an unpredicted factor. Inconsistent sleeping patterns. Stress / shock etc
(Due to overall Small Fiber Sensory Polyneuropathic pain or sudden chest pain, sleep patterns fall out of control)
A pertinent point to note;
Sometimes we get so caught in the wind up of unending appointments & treatments, that we sink into a routine of living for treatments, instead of doing treatments to live..
Small steps towards a little shift in perspective and mindset can revolutionize your life
Life with severe chronic illnesses is a repeated cycle of the following pattern:
Some days you are brimming to capacity with vibrance
Some days you thrive
Some days you survive
Some days you barely hold on…
I haven’t yet seen another mode of living by excluding any of the aforementioned points.
On this account, it is crucial for our healthy peers to be aware of this cycle, lest any behavior during survival mode be perceived as personal…
(Please remember:
This schedule is based on what works for me. Everyone’s situation is different. Some have partners. Some have kids. Some are grandparents. So they implement a routine and coping mechanisms that are suitable for them. I’m only providing a rundown of mines 😉)
Another point:
I literally had no clue that readers were unable to comment on the previous 5 or 6 chapters until it was brought to my attention.
Also don’t recall changing any settings or intentionally switching off comments, so I’m not sure if it happened automatically after updating the application which is a bit weird, or perhaps I done so in a drunken state without realising anything lol. Quite possible.
Everything has been reset again to ensure readers are now able to comment. But if you still cannot, please notify me via whatsapp or somewhere.
Shukran to all loyal readers for their continuous support ✨💝
Swimming Through The Waves 