Wii Fit- Day 3
Today was my third day of exercising using Wii Fit and I actually looked forward to it. I have never, ever in my life looked forward to exercise. I am ecstatic that I found this program and that it works for me. I unlocked several new activities today and spent some time trying to learn them…but mostly, I tried to master some of my favorite activities (and beat some of Ed’s scores 
).
The most surprising thing to me is that I LOVE step aerobics. Who knew?! I would never, ever take a step class with real live people. I would be too self conscious and it would bother me that everyone (perception or reality) knew exactly what they were doing. There are plenty of DVDs out there…but with size zero little girls bouncing around and giving you sugary sweet encouragement…not my cup o’ tea either. The step routine was easy to learn and quite fun. I completed the routine twice and was able to unlock the advanced step routine. I loved the variety in the routine and completed it twice as well. You heard me…I did FOUR step routines in a row. And I probably would have done more if Ed had not come home when he did.
In all, I received 30 minutes of credit on Sunday, 30 yesterday, and 50 today. You only get credit for the time you are actually moving so it took over an hour for me to get the 50 credits (the only complaint I have about Wii Fit is all the advice it wants to give me when I just want to MOVE). I’m also still keeping up with my Ab Lounge and it gets easier every day.
There are two benefits to Wii Fit that I neglected to mention yesterday. In every strength and yoga activity, there is an indicator that makes you aware of your balance. It helps you to know that you are doing the activity correctly and helps you to improve your posture and balance. You receive points based on how well you maintain your balance.
That brings me to the second benefit…competition. You receive points for every activity. At the end of the activity, Wii Fit shows you your rank compared to your past scores and to anyone else who uses your system. Ed and I are very competitive. We want to constantly beat our own scores…and each other. I am very highly motivated to do my best and work hard because I want to see my name in that number one spot. Incidentally, I am ranked #1 in a lot more activities after my day at home today (both of my girls were home sick today). I hoping I am able to hold on to or beat my high scores for a little while longer!
It was a big deal to me to finally master the ski slalom. I ski as slow as possible and would never, ever dream of doing that in real life…but it sure was fun in my virtual Wii world!
My favorite thing of the day was unlocking the balance game that involved penguins. You tilt the iceburg to help the penguin catch fish. Too cute!
Ed and I had a rock concert for our children after dinner and my arms were burning by the time we were done. Rock Band isn’t frivolous…it’s exercise! I have a muscle that has been bothering me today and I realized when I sat down to drum that it is because of the foot pedal! I switched to using my left foot tonight so maybe I will have matching muscle pain tomorrow!
Hailey did yoga with me today and she and Leah were both great cheerleaders when I am exercising.
I’m wondering if I will overdo it if I spend more time doing Wii Fit tonight….
Wii are lovin’ it!
**Comments were inadvertently locked for this post and have now been unlocked.**
It was Christmas morning yesterday at the Page house…after much discussion, we purchased a Wii today along with Wii Fit and Rock band. These items are mine and Ed’s Christmas gifts to each other. We bought them now because a) Target had them on sale b) they were actually in stock and c) they are going to be harder to find the closer we get to Christmas.
Let me tell you a little bit about why we choose this gaming system and the two “games” and what we think of them so far.
THE Wii GAMING SYSTEM
I have wanted a Wii pretty much since they came out. Lindsay and I tried one out for a few minutes at Wal-Mart one day and although I had no idea what I was doing (it was a surfing game and it was HARD), I loved the concept and thought it would be a lot of fun.
I have never been very good at video games. Tetris is about the only game I can do well. I don’t like video games where you are basically just moving your thumbs really, really fast. From everything I read about the Wii, it sounded so much better and more fun because you were using your body, not just your fingers.
We went to a party on Friday night and our friend Jonathan watched the girls. He brought his Wii and the Wii Sport disc with him so that I could try it out. I was hooked in a manner of minutes. Lets just say I am now sore because I have bowled so much the past three days. I like tennis and boxing as well, but bowling is by far the game I am the best at so of course it was the one I wanted to play the most ( I am thisclose to breaking 200).
Do we like it?
As Hailey would say, “we don’t like it, we LOVE it!” I love that the console is very small and can easily travel to the grandparents houses so that we can play with them as well. With minimum instruction from Jonathan, we were able to start playing right away without having to read any manuals. If he had not of been here, I think we could have figured it out on our own without reading anything.
I love the customized “Miis”. You make your own character by personalizing face shape, skin and hair color, hairstyle, eye color and shape, and more…you can even change your height, weight, and shirt color. When you play a game, you are likely to see your family members’ Miis show up as well. At one point Hailey was my soccer coach and she thought that was too cool.
The best thing to me about the Wii is that you can be very active. Ed and I boxed against each other tonight and I was about to collapse by the time we were done. When my Mii got up after being knocked down, I begged her to stay down…silly girl got back up to fight another round. Hailey is all over the place when she is boxing – she is really a site to behold.
Wii Fit
Although I have wanted a Wii for some time, the launch of Wii Fit made me even more excited to own one. There are so many cool things about Wii Fit.
To start out, you provide your birth date and height. You then step on the board and perform some simple tests. The program calculates your weight, your BMI, and your Wii Fit Age. You can then set a weight loss goal for yourself.
There are four categories of activities to choose from: strength training, aerobics, yoga, and balance activities. A very neat catch is that not all activities are available to you when you first start the program. As you exercise, you earn Wii fit points – these points “unlock” new activities in each category. I unlocked two new activities my first time exercising.
The only areas I have tried so far are balance games and aerobics. My favorite aerobic activities are hula hoop and running. In hula hoop, you are literally moving your body as if you were hula hooping. Then, they throw more hoops at you and you have to lean your head to catch them. Yeah, can’t do that yet! I have terrible balance! In the Basic Run, you are running around a little Wii town and there is a runner in front of you that you are to keep pace with. It helps you to keep a steady pace and not run too slow or too fast. I loved it!
Like I said, I have terrible balance. I am always running into door frames and I don’t stand or sit still very well. The Wii Fit made it very clear that this is an area I need to work on. There is a game where soccer balls are being kicked at you and you have to lean left or right to hit them with your head. There are other objects being thrown at you and you are suppossed to lean to avoid them. Somehow I do a better job of getting smacked in the face with the flying cleats than I do of hitting the balls with my head.
In “Table Tilt”, you are the table and you start off with one ball and one hole in the table. As you lean, the table leans. You have to move your body to make the ball fall down the hole. As you progress, you get more balls and more holes. Fun AND frustrating.
There are two ski games in this category as well: ski slalom and ski jump. Hailey and I both love the ski jump the best. You have to bend your knees as you are going down the slope and then you quickly stand up and hold your balance to complete the jump.
One of the new activities I unlocked is the tightrope. You walk in place to walk the rope…but you have to keep your center of gravity in place or you will fall off. To make it even harder, there are times that you have to “jump” over objects by bending your knees and then standing up quickly. I haven’t been able to do that yet and Hailey thinks it is funny that her dad was able to do it before me.
Your Wii Fit Bank keeps up with the time you spend on each exercise. You also get to put a stamp on your virtual calendar to indicate that you worked out that day. You can view charts that track your progress towards your goal. You can also password protect this information so that other users cannot see your weight, age, and BMI.
If you have fibromyalgia, this is a great exercise option for you. You can choose low-impact options, you can pace yourself, you can track your time and your progress, and you can switch activities frequently so that you are not overtaxing any one muscle group. Balance is an issue for a lot of people with FMS and these activities can help you become aware of your center of gravity and improve your balance in a fun and engaging way. Yoga is wonderful for FMS and is a great activity to begin and end your exercise routines so that you are working on lengthening and strengthening your muscles. I AM sore, but if you have FMS, you know that there is “good” pain and “bad” pain. This is a “good” pain because it means that I have done something GOOD for myself. I exercised and had fun without overdoing it and making it so that I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning.
I am very excited about this program and hope that I continue to look forward to exercising.
(As a side note to those of you who read my blog regularly, I still love the Ab Lounge and try to use it twice a day. I think it is a great complement to this program).
Rock Band for Wii
We have Jennifer and Billy to blame thank for our new obsession. After playing Rock Band at their house, we couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is a lot of fun and very addictive. The Rock Band set comes with the game, a guitar, a drum set, and a microphone. There are color-coded “frets” on the guitar and the drum rims are also color-coded. Colored rectangles move down the screen to tell you what “notes” to play. There are various play modes and skill levels.
Although I failed at my first attempt to play the drums at Jennifer and Billy’s house, I have gotten up to 97% correct on my favorite song with 144 correct notes in a row. There is just one spot that I can’t quite master yet. I took the tutorials for the guitar but it doesn’t really interest me. There isn’t a tutorial in the world that could make me a better singer. By default, I get to be the drummer of the house. That works out great since Ed loves the guitar and doesn’t care for the drums.
The girls love to “play” the guitar. Leah looks adorable with the guitar strapped around her neck! Hailey is doing so great with her reading that she can actually handle the singing pretty well on her own. If you know Hailey, you know that she is loving having a microphone!
We LOVE the Wii, Wii Fit, and Rock Band. We had a great time playing it as a family. I know we will get many hours of family bonding, friendly competition, exercise, fun and laughter out of these purchases. If you have been considering buying a Wii but have been on the fence, I say go for it! I don’t think you’ll regret it! There were 6 left at Target at North Hills when we were there yesterday.
Four Things I love
1. After much online research, I purchased an Ab Lounge Ultra at Sears for $99.99 ($169.99 most places). I have started back at Slender Lady on Hawkins but I wanted something that would do more to target my abs (thanks to having two children and not listening to my midwife’s advice to do lots of sit-ups in the weeks after my girls were born).
This product had rave reviews and I was even able to find several very positive reviews by people who have fibromyalgia. I had to drive to the Sears at South Point to get this particular model for this price, but I am so glad I did. I can feel that it is working without feeling too sore. I was able to make it to 80 reps tonight but then Leah told me I was finished. I thought it would hurt her feelings if I didn’t listen so of course I had to stop.
Best of all…I have lost 4 pounds in the past week.
2. 
WellPatch Migraine Cooling Therapy Pads are one of my absolute favorite products. My wonderful husband went out after 8 last night to find these for me. We can’t always find them so I was extremely grateful when he came home with two boxes. I have had a headache for over a week now. It gets better and worse, but it never completely goes away. I took 2 Imitrex yesterday and except for letting me sleep for an hour, they really didn’t help. By 8, I was in tears and at my wit’s end. The first cooling pad felt good but didn’t give me complete relief. I put a new one on around midnight and was finally able to sleep. These are so wonderful. If you suffer from headaches, I encourage you to give them a try.
The link above will take you to the company’s website and all the official information about what they are and how they work.
3. Carolina Cake Truffles from Amy’s Confection Company
Yeah, yeah…it makes no sense that I would include exercise equipment and sinful chocolate in the same post. So sue me. They make working out worth it.
You can read the Carolina Cake Truffle Story on Amy’s blog. You can read Lindsay’s account of our first taste of a Carolina Cake Truffle on her blog.
Our children aren’t allowed to have their ears pierced until we think they are responsible enough to take care of their ears and their earrings themselves. Likewise, they are not allowed to have a Carolina Cake Truffle until I think they can truly appreciate how exceptional they are. These babies are not to be wasted!
If you are not lucky enough to live in Sanford, never fear! You can order YOUR Carolina Cake Truffles online! You won’t regret it! (well…if you get addicted, you might regret the repeat charges on your credit card, but you only live once!).
Note to my Far Away Sister…remind me before you come here next and I will buy you some. You will LOVE them!
4. 
I LOVE this movie and FINALLY own the DVD…which I am watching right now. LOVE. IT.
The Lost Day
First of all, our Depot Park event was a success. There was a great turnout and I think the kids really enjoyed the activities we had planned for them. By selling raffle tickets, t-shirts, and Fourth of July trinkets, we made a little over $300. Being able to publicize our center and our upcoming fundraising carnival was awesome.
When I got to Depot Park, I carried two tables and several heavy boxes to our area. At the time, this was no big deal. I knew that the sustained muscle contraction from carrying these items was not good for me and might make me sore the next day but I had no idea what was truly in store for me.
Our area was shut down and packed up by about 5:45 but I wanted to stay and watch Ed in the pie eating contest (you can see the video on Billy’s blog and some photos on Jon’s blog. I will post my photos when I get them downloaded. Bob Heuts got 1st, Jon 2nd, and Ed 3rd). By the time we got home, I was dehydrated, shaky, and ready for bed so I ate a light dinner and went to sleep.
I woke up a few hours later in pure agony. Now, I had two children without epidurals…I don’t use the word “agony” lightly. My arms from the elbow down were…I really can’t even find the words to describe the pain. It was not a normal muscle pain. It was like carpal tunnel magnified by 100 and it was all up and down my arms. I applied ice, I applied heat, we used my TENS unit…nothing seemed to work. Thankfully, I had some Tylenol 3 left over from when I was having jaw problems and I was able to take that. It did not take away the pain, but it did take the edge off and let me sleep.
The pain continued throughout the day yesterday. I HATE applying ice but I had ice on my arms almost all day – even when I was asleep. It did not take away the pain, but it would numb my arms enough that I could not feel the pain. Thankfully the drugs let me sleep most of the day. I really only woke up enough to take drugs and eat enough food that the drugs would not hurt my stomach.
I think the worst part is that I know better. I shouldn’t carry heavy things. I shouldn’t carry even light things for long because it is still a sustained muscle contraction. But I hate standing back and watching people do things for me that I should be able to do myself. Why is it so hard for me to swallow my pride and ask for help? Hopefully this experience will stay with me for awhile and I will ask people to do things for me without worrying about what they think of me when I do it.
The Spoon Theory
I get a lot of hits on this site from people searching for information on fibromyalgia. I don’t want this site to be all about fibromyalgia…just because I have to live with it doesn’t mean it has to BE my life, but I do want to occasionally post things that will help people with FMS or people who love someone with FMS to better understand and cope with this frustrating syndrome.
I found the website www.butyoudontlooksick.com tonight and read this story. Although the writer, Christine Miserandino, is a woman with lupus, her spoon theory is a very accurate description of what it feels like to live with fibromyalgia.
PLEASE, if you are my friend or family member, I would really appreciate you reading this spoon theory. I really think it will help you to understand me and the choices I have to make. There are times that I do things because I feel embarrassed to not do them or to ask for help. I don’t want to seem weak or to risk having people think I am a hypochondriac. I always pay the price for pushing myself too hard…and then I have to answer to Ed who knows that I know better.
If you don’t know me personally but you know someone who lives with a chronic illness or if you yourself have a chronic illness, I encourage you to read this article.
Thanks for taking the time to read the spoon theory.
Living with Fibromyalgia
Although this is the longest I have gone without a blog entry, I did not drop off the face of the earth. For reasons unknown to me, my fibromyalgia (FMS) has flared over the past week and so I spent most of the weekend in bed or on the couch. I had no desire to be sitting up typing on a computer.
I was diagnosed with FMS when I was sixteen. After being in a minor car accident, I began having problems with relentless muscle pain and I could not get enough sleep. I have no idea how I managed to keep my grades up because I remember crashing on the couch every day after school. I would wake up in time for dinner and then do my homework and go to bed. My poor boyfriend would come over and end up playing Nintendo with my dad while I slept on the couch (thanks for putting up with me, David!).
My mom stood by me and listened to me. She did not brush off my problems. She took me to the doctor and we were very fortunate that he had a personal history with FMS. It is believed that it takes most people an average of 5 years before they finally get a diagnoses of FMS. The doctor gave us a couple of articles to read and it was a huge relief to know I was not crazy.
I have been examined by many different doctors since then…unfortunately, they ALL wanted to see for themselves that I had FMS and would use trigger points as an indication. To meet the diagnostic criteria for FMS, you have to have widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body and 11 of the 18 trigger points have to test positive (I have 16). To test positive, the patient feels pain with a minor touch (just enough to change the color of the skin). We aren’t talking minor pain. We are talking get-the-blank-off-me P.A.I.N. If one of my trigger points is touched (even just slightly brushed), I will feel the pain at that spot for up to five minutes.
Sustained muscle contractions or repetitive movements today can keep me in bed tomorrow. Simple things like peeling potatoes, sweeping, or carrying a bag a long distance can cause inflammation in my neck and shoulders which will cause the pain to spread throughout my body. Holding my head up is a huge chore. You will notice that I frequently prop my head up with my hand. At home, I usually sit so that my head is propped up on the couch or chair.
I have had EEGs, EKGs, MRIs, X-rays, and countless blood tests. At 18, I was told by a PA that he thought I had a brain tumor (because of recurrent migraines and dizzy spells which are both symptoms of FMS). During my pre-employment physical for Glaxo, the Dr. told me I should be on disability, not working full time. I was 22. My pregnancies were so problematic and taxing on my body that our midwife told us point blank that we should take measures to ensure that I never get pregnant again. (because I know you’ll read this, thank you Kim for being such an understanding boss when I was pregnant with Hailey!)
I write all of this not to gain your sympathy, but to gain your understanding…not just for me, but for everyone who struggles with a chronic illness. I have had to endure too many co-workers who believed I was lying when I said I was sick or unable to come to work because it hurt to move – especially since to them, I would have seemed just fine the day before. Thankfully this has not happened as much since we purchased a Sleep Number Bed (my what a difference a bed can make!). Encounters with some past co-workers have made me apprehensive about getting too close to people or opening up to people about FMS and how it affects me. I don’t want to feel the deep hurt of having my pain and fatigue being discounted by someone I trust and feel close to.
I put on a good “face”. I have gotten so good at putting on a show and smiling through the pain that I have very few people that truly understand me and what it takes for me to get through each day. The aches and pains? Think about how your muscles feel when you have the flu or when you exercise your whole body after months of not working out. The fatigue? Imagine going to bed night after night and falling asleep, but waking up feeling like you just closed your eyes. The mornings? Imagine having to be helped out of bed in the morning because you hurt so much it is difficult to even lift your head.
God truly blessed me with a husband whose mother also has FMS so he understands me like almost no one else can. God also blessed me with a mother-in-law who not only has done a ton of research on FMS, but who is also a physical therapist and can provide me with therapy when I most need it. Ed has learned some of her tricks and is able to help as well.
I have taken so, so many drugs and I worry about the long-term effects. I think I have taken every sleep drug on the market. My current drug cocktail was working until this last flare up and I hope I don’t have to adjust it. However, I did just see that a new drug (Lyrica) has been approved by the FDA for treating fibromyalgia. I can’t wait to talk to my doctor about it and see what she thinks. Many thanks for those of you that read this entire post. Thank you for stepping into my world for a few minutes.
The following is from the Lyrica website. to learn even more, visit one of the FMS sites listed on the right.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia affects 2 to 4 percent of the population, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Scientists believe that the condition may be due to injury, emotional distress, or viruses that change the way the brain perceives pain, but the exact cause is unclear. People with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and spinal arthritis may be more likely to have the illness.
According to ACR, people with fibromyalgia can have abnormal levels of Substance P in their spinal fluid. This chemical helps transmit and amplify pain signals to and from the brain.
Researchers are looking at the role of Substance P and other neurotransmitters, and studying why people with fibromyalgia have increased sensitivity to pain and whether there is a gene or genes that make a person more likely to have it.
A Million Thanks to my family and friends who provide me with much needed support and encouragement every day! Thank you Trina for caring enough to ask about FMS last week and (without realizing it) helping me to decide to write this very personal post.
sooooooooooooo sleepy…
I just got back from a two day leadership conference in Winston-Salem. We stayed at Graylyn which I will write about later when I have had sleep. Each room is very different. My friend and I were assigned to the lady of the house’s dressing room. I spent the night not sleeping in a very firm, over-filled twin bed. We had a long full day and dinner was not over until after 9 and all I wanted to do was sleep but I could never quite get there. That is one of the worst things about fibromyalgia, you can never get “deep” sleep without drugs and if the sleeping conditions are not just right, you can’t get to sleep at all.
However, it was very easy to get out of bed because I knew I got to take a shower in a marble shower with SEVENTEEN shower heads…seriously. The one over my head was as large as a dinner plate. We have to re-do our bathroom at some point (our closet is behind our shower and it is the only thing I hate about this house) so maybe I can convince Ed that we need a shower like that!!
My friend Trina offered to drive when we were about 30 miles from home because I was struggling. Just to give you an indication of my state of mind, I said OK and almost put the car in park without even slowing down. very scary. Thank God I was able to get my kids and get home okay.
