I was honored that the original blog post was published here: https://booktrib.com/2018/11/meditation-the-opposite-of-the-rest-of-my-life/
Please share your questions or experience with meditation or mindful practices in the comments below.
I am finally admitting defeat. My foot pain, stemming from self-diagnosed plantar fasciitis, is not going to just "go away" on its own. I've been mostly ignoring it for over seven months. I ran all winter and spring, dutifully taking Naprosyn after my runs and stretching briefly but otherwise brushing it aside. I ran a half-marathon in January and kept up with eight-to-ten-mile long runs on weekends. Now I have to stop.
I usually try to practice what I preach as a physician. I embrace a healthy lifestyle, including daily exercise. I'm an ideal MS patient too. I take my medication regularly, and I never miss a test, a doctor's visit, or an infusion.
But cutting back my mileage on runs to appease my sore foot has felt wimpy, even as I limped around the rest of the day.
Now I've resolved to change. I am officially taking a break from running and getting serious about healing this injury. I'm going to be a good patient.
The timing is not quite coincidental. With Austin's high humidity and LOW temperatures in the mid- to-upper 70s, summer runs are usually pretty miserable. Still, the lake beckons, my dog gets antsy, and we have to hit the trail. Just not this summer.
I have to be adaptable – not my strongest skill. In doing so, I will search for the unexpected benefits, the silver lining.
I found one already during our recent trip to New York City. After a long stroll on the first day, through Central Park and the Upper East Side, I realized that my foot would not permit another day of endless walking. I was disappointed: unrestricted wandering is my preferred activity on most vacations.
But our Plan B was even better. Don and I discovered CitiBikeNYC. For $13 each, we bought day passes for unlimited 30-minute bike rentals from any of the hundreds of CitiBike docking stations scattered around the city. We biked through lower Manhattan, over the Brooklyn Bridge (where the bike lanes were much less crowded than the walking lanes), and made our way to Brooklyn Heights, a part of New York City we had never visited. Throughout the day, we alternated biking and walking, logging roughly 12 miles on the bike and much less on foot. We saw far more than we would have without the bikes, and though my feet were still aching at the end of the day, I know the bikes reduced my discomfort.
These last few days, my feet got a real break with my return to work. I am creating a physical therapy plan for myself, and I have revised my daily exercise plan to avoid running or walking. Now I go to spin class, do a 21-minute circuit work-out, hop on the trusty Stairmaster, or swim at Deep Eddy Pool.
I had dinner last night with Jess – my most consistent and much-loved running partner – and her family. It didn't quite replace our therapeutic talks on long runs together, but it was wonderful nonetheless (with the distinct advantage of Jess's terrific cooking and cherry pie for dessert). I just wish I had a treadmill for the dog…
I was sorry to return home yesterday from our first summer vacation. The Austin weather forecast, predicting 95+ degree temperatures every day for the foreseeable future, is contributing to my regret, but I'm also sad to say goodbye to Don's family and to friends who live too far away. I've decided over the years that an important sign of a good vacation is that I don't want to go home. By those standards, we had a pretty great trip.
On the way to the airport for our flight home, we stopped at a café for an early lunch. I challenged Don and the kids, "Name your three favorite things about our trip."
To my delight, no one wanted to be limited to three. Ella suggested we think of our favorite activity from every day, which still proved difficult.
But despite the fun touristy activities – the Boston Duck Tour, the New England Aquarium, the Yankee Candle Company shop near Amherst, a day on roller coasters at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania (where Don took the kids without me) – the resounding highlights of the trip were the opportunities to reconnect with friends and spend time with Don's family.
Early in the trip, we shared a wonderful evening with three of Don's best friends from MIT. Our kids played with theirs. We ate delicious homemade pizza and salad with greens picked out of the garden. The next night was equally terrific with some of my best friends from college. I'd seen them maybe once in the last 15 years. But we shared great memories and still have common interests and values.
After our time in Boston, my very dear friend, Marcia (also from college), joined us for a weekend in Amherst, biking, catching up, and showing off our beautiful Amherst College to my kids. And a few days later, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner with friends Armando and Jack in Greenwich Village.
Of course, spending time last week with Don's mom and his dad, who is thankfully healthy again, left us feeling grateful and loved.
Our time with others enhanced our time together as a family.
I read a New York Times article about half-way through the trip that resonated with me. It was about the Fear of Better Options. I live with this fear, which may be even more acute because of my MS diagnosis. How long will I be mobile? How long will I have the energy to travel? I want to make THE MOST of the time I have, given the uncertainty of my future.
But I also realize that sometimes my insistence on finding the Best Available Option gets in the way of enjoying many other Very Good Options.
We did not have the perfect hotel every night. We didn't make it to a hear jazz in New York City or for a family hike in the Amherst Bird Sanctuary. We had some arguments and whiny kids and rainy days. But by meeting up with family and so many friends, and settling for some Very Good Options, we were able to enjoy the Best Available Vacation.
Please share your thoughts on how to avoid getting caught up in the Fear of Better Options and how to have a great vacation by leaving a comment below.
My 10-year-old was shouting that her red backpack was missing. My husband was carrying luggage out to the driveway, checking his watch every minute and calculating our dwindling time left before departure. My 13-year-old was ready to go but refusing to help anyone else get ready to go. I was trying to decide what to do with the strawberries in our refrigerator that would spoil in our absence. The dog needed to be fed. The thermostat needed to be adjusted. I had to get my sunglasses out of my car and water the plants on the front porch. Why, oh why, do we take vacations again?
A few days ago, we left for our first family vacation this summer. And I was reminded once again why travel – especially family travel with kids – is so stressful.
The pre-vacation period for me is especially hard. I have a recurring dream about packing – always at the last minute – and rushing to the airport, knowing I'll miss my plane. I dread packing, and I'm always sure I'm forgetting something crucial. Finishing home and work projects and arranging pet and plant care is also time-intensive and difficult. And just getting to the airport without a meltdown by at least one of us – well, that may be too much to ask.
Once we get to our chosen vacation spot, the stress may continue. Navigating new cities and towns, staying in hotels, dealing with different time zones and airports all take a toll on our physical and mental health. While I won't pretend to have great advice on achieving family harmony during a vacation, I would like to offer tips on staying healthy while traveling, which is a big priority for me.
1) Get enough sleep: I aim for at least seven hours. Sleep is critical to allow our minds and bodies to rejuvenate after a stressful day. I use ear plugs to reduce the chance that a noisy neighbor will wake me up. And I try to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day (though that's not always possible).
2) Exercise every day: Exercising on vacation takes time and discipline, but it helps me sleep better and deal with stress. I keep a pair of running shoes in my suitcase, and I get up 30-40 minutes early to run, usually every other day. I might explore the place we are visiting or hop on the hotel treadmill. I try to choose hotels with workout facilities or trails nearby. (After getting lost a few times, I've learned to bring a small carrying case for my phone. With Google Maps, I can find my way back!) If I don't run, I use a workout app on my phone, and I do a short workout in the hotel room, usually a combination of strength training and core body exercises. (My kids love taunting me during the workout, so there is something fun about it for everyone!)
3) Stay up-to-date with immunizations: Tetanus shots every ten years and an annual flu vaccine are recommended for everyone. Flu shots do not cause the flu, and only rarely are they contraindicated. Other adult vaccines that may be indicated, depending on age and other risk factors, include Pneumococcal vaccines (PPSV23 and/or PCV13) and the new shingles vaccine (Shingrix). When traveling to exotic destinations, like many parts of Africa and Asia, additional vaccines and malaria prophylaxis may be needed. The CDC website is a great source of information for foreign travel: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
4) Wash hands often: I carry hand sanitizer, and I'm vigilant about using it. Hand-washing may be the single most important way to prevent the spread of infections. Unfortunately, though some people swear by products like echinacea and vitamin C, the evidence that they prevent infection is poor.
5) Eat a healthy diet: Traveling often throws off routines, including dietary habits. But I make a point to try to maintain a healthy diet even when I'm away from home. In particular, I try to eat fruits or veggies with every meal, avoid fried foods and saturated fat, avoid drinks with calories (including juice), and don't go crazy with the dessert. I also limit alcohol to one drink, at most.
6) When traveling outside of the U.S. and Europe, be mindful of food-borne illness. In many parts of the world, it's a good idea to stick with bottled water, avoid drinks with ice, and avoid uncooked or unpeeled produce. Pick up a travel book from the library or do a little on-line research ahead of time to identify any recommended food restrictions for your destination.
7) See a doctor regularly: Preventive care is important for everyone, and even active people aren't immune to common infections and chronic disease. While I don't believe a yearly head-to-toe physical exam is necessary for everyone, regular visits with a trusted primary care physician (usually every one to two years, depending on age, health status, and risk factors) are recommended and are especially important to ensure good health when traveling.
8) Give yourself a day of post-vacation recovery: If possible, I like to return home with at least a day to catch up after being away for vacation. Having a day to do laundry, go grocery shopping, sort through the mail, and prepare for the week ahead, is great for my mental health and make the re-entry process back to reality a lot smoother.
Here's to a healthy summer! Please add more tips in the comments below.