1 Week Update

I am so happy that I began this blog so many months ago.  It has given me an invaluable tool to be able to revisit where I was one week after my first venogram.  I just read that post,"It's the little things..." from March 9th.

I feel much less anxious today than I did back then.  There were SO many unknowns in March.  Would I improve?  Would it last?  How much would I improve?  Would this treatment be the answer to my prayers?

Edited to add:  There are still many unknowns, but having past experience gives me great peace and strength to deal with all of these questions.  I'd just as soon have it all fixed on the first try, but that doesn't seem to be how this whole treatment is panning out for the majority of us. 

So much pressure to put on my poor veins and myself!  Today I can confidently say that this treatment DOES work for me.  It was not placebo.  Unfortunately, many of the improvements didn't last very long after that first treatment.  Losing my balance after being able to enjoy it for only a few short weeks was especially cruel.

I now know so much more about this procedure, and more importantly how my body responds to it.  I will trust my instincts more this time around.  I know that if symptoms begin reappearing or get worse, that I am most likely restenosing. 

But right now I just want to focus on feeling as well as I do!  I exercised for the first time a couple of days ago.  I was amazed that I was able to work my muscles to the point of feeling them burn.  What a delicious sensation.  For as long as I can remember, fatigue would overtake my muscles long before I could get to that point.  The day before my procedure I was unable to lift my knees so that my thigh was at a 90 degree angle.  If I got to 45 degrees I was lucky.  But then it would flop to the floor.  I couldn't do it more than a few times with each leg before they simply would not budge.  Fatigue.

So I stood at my kitchen counter on Thursday and slowly marched, getting those thighs horizontal TEN times each!  And I was able to control their return to the floor.  No flopping for me.  I went to the family room to do some of my floor exercises next.  That is were I felt the burn of muscles doing what they were intended to do.  It was exhilarating!

I took yesterday off from exercise because I had real life tasks to do.  I still have to pick and choose my battles.  Today is Saturday.  I am going to do it all again, and add the bike, too.  These may be baby steps that I am taking, but they are the steps that are moving me forward.