Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Often I feel sorry for myself, thinking about all the things I CAN'T do. I'm sure many of you feel the same. I think it might be fun to take a look at some of the things that we still CAN do that make us happy! Everyone will have different things on their lists, but the point is to list things that bring you joy even when you are battling this condition.

Here are some of mine...

1. Snuggle with my cat(s)
2. Watch daytime television (I sure do miss Oprah though!)
3. Make an ice cream sundae (soy vanilla ice cream, melted chocolate chips, roasted peanuts yum!)
4. Cut some fresh flowers from my garden and display in a pretty vase
5. Shop for treasures at the thrift store, antique market, etc., or when I am not up to leaving the house, online shopping! (warning, very dangerous!)
6. Make some popcorn and watch a movie with my husband
7. Recline on a lounge chair in the backyard, reading or bird watching
8. Try a new recipe or bake an old favourite (I choose simple recipes with few ingredients so that even when I'm not feeling well, it's quick and easy!)
9. Relax in a bath with Epsom salts
10. Call a friend

Hope to hear from all of you with some of you favourite CAN - DO activities!

1. I took up genealogy when I went out on disability. I can access many sites, at home, for free by logging in through our library. Two years ago I added some Scrapbooking to my genealogy to "spruce" it up.
2. My husband is a serious classical music lover. We have watched a number of classes put out by the "Teaching Company". The Teaching Company also has alot of very interesting subjects. They are about a Freshman level college course level. Our library has many of them plus if you wait until they go on sale they can be up to 70% off which makes them affordable.
3. I took up investing. I didn't know a thing about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. I started with the book "Investing For Dummies." At least I have a basic understanding now of what all this stuff is when I meet with our financial advisors. I opened an online trading acccount and have learned alot about how to read trend lines, etc.
4. Last year I took up cheese making. We have a friend who owns a cow and I get milk from him. It has been a HUGE learning curve. I have learned that I need to do simply recipes because I can't stand for 1 hour at the stove cooking the curds. I have finally developed a great farmhouse cheddar that gets washed every few days in white wine to kill the mold. I have a couple of recipes for soft cheeses, like a cream cheese, that are really good. One has toasted almonds and honey the other has vegetables.
5. I exercise every morning no matter how good or bad I feel. My hubby and I took up swimming when I went out on disability and we swim 2 mornings a week together. The other mornings I do a very "dumbed" down yoga routine. Many times it means doing only the warm up sequences on my video and watching the rest. I also do a spray and stretch routine.
6. I joined a book club that a friend belongs to but they spent most of the time talking about other things than books so I discontinued that activity. The one good thing about this book club was most of the time they met at different homes and I could lay down.
7. Much to my husband's dismay we watch all the Oscar movies. Part of his dismay is because that means foreign films that you have to read subtitles. I get them for free through the libary.
8. I got a bunch of books out of the library on edible landscaping and have been designing some of the landscaping around our house to include berries bushes and fruit trees. Thank goodness our landscaper is game for my adventures.
9. Recently the library had a display on weaving. I have always wanted to learn how to weave but right now don't feel like I have the time to add such an activity.
10. I play the piano but it is really hard for me to sit much more than 20-30 minutes to play. I'm finding it harder and harder to use the pedal on the piano. I have been thinking an instrument like the marimba would be fun to learn how to play and I could stand. EVen though standing for more than 30 minutes can get quite painful.
11. I am a Foodnetwork addict. Over the last 2 years I have narrowed down the number of shows I watch. My sons complain all the time why did I wait until they were grown and out of the house before I became a good cook .

I do have to admit there are two things that I really, really miss and can't do.
1. I miss my job. I had the greatest job and I miss it just as much today as when I went out on disability 3.5 years ago. I still have the goal of going back to work part-time.
2. I miss belly dancing. I belly danced for about 8 years before all of this started 5.5 years ago. I have thought that this would be a good time for me to get better at the rhythms and my zill skills but at the moment I still can't bring myself to do that. I had two other women that I performed with. We did shows for the State Fair and at local events. We also did some hula, which was alot of fun, for weddings and fund raisers.

Ok, sorry for ending on my bummer note but maybe this will get me ambitious to start working on my zills!

Forgot, (see there are soooo many things to do!)

1. I am learning how to make my own Cordials and plan on giving them away as Xmas presents. I'm just getting ready to start a cranberry cordial and over the weekend I'm going to get raspberries and blackberries to start those. I might even safe sum for us for some tasting . Or my cheese might get a little drunk (Oh, I mean dunk ) in some.
2. I have often thought about wine or beer making.
3. I started making all kinds of jams last year. This year I'm trading some of my jam for organic chicken. I also give away my jam as Xmas presents and it is great for all the "hard to buy" people on the Xmas list. Everyone loves homemade gifts esp. if it is food. The company "Ball" has just come out with a jam cooker which means I wouldn't need to stand at the stove and stir the jam but it is almost $100.00 so I might ask for it for Xmas.

Distraction is a great way to keep our minds off of our pain.

nyt, thank you for sharing! Cheese making sounds wonderful! I think I would enjoy the eating more than the making though

It's amazing that we can still do so many things that make life worth living, even more amazing is that I bet so many people we encounter on a daily basis probably have no idea that we are suffering with chronic pain because we choose to be happy in spite of it. I never hide the fact that I have pain if someone asks, but I think it is important to shift the focus and conversation to other things and take our minds off it.

nyt you truly are an inspiration Mind, when I pop round to yours I expect fantastic nyt fayre.
Personally I can do everything really (Hhmm well, can NOT run any more, do a SLR, stand on tip toe or sing but the last one's been a long standing thing . That list could go on for ever ) It's all a question of how deep into the red to go at the pain bank really. Some things are worth the overdraft.
I do have more time so I am able to do more for my family, in particular my parents, time wise.
I can usually accommodate family and friend requests for get together's, which used to be hugely irritating when impossible.
Babysit my great grandchildren. Only have grandchildren. . . but they are great!!
Dedicate myself to a complete beauty regime, involving home spa treatments, natural and holistic products and nail polish. Pahhhh! no, couldn't keep my laugh in long enough to keep that one going. But I could do it, couldn't I , well I have had botox, just in me bum!
Enjoy the sunshine.
Painstakingly mix countless colours of glass mosaic tiles for our shower so that it filters from white at the top with amazing ambers reds and golds to a deep brown at the bottom. It's lovely.
Learn such a lot about me bot!
Be amazed at the generosity and care
that people, who may never meet; share.
Become a poet
Listen with keen interest to my husbands entertaining motor bike tales (laughing again ) No honestly, it's true, I know who Ben Spies is and Nicky Hayden!! Can the Americans say as much?
Helen

Wow Helen I would love to see a photo of your tiles...they sound great.
Yes we can still do so many things, I love to read, watch more detailed tv programmes like political ones and have a debate with friends about the content.
I am more of a googler these days and shop online more.....I do enjoy browsing I have to admit.
I have done more knitting whilst lying on my couch on ice for my neice which gives me great joy especially when i choose a difficult pattern that take s a lot of concentration.
I love to cook....im a real foodie my weight tells the real story of this hahaha...I love to go to my local library and choose a different cookery book and try out some recipes.
I love to pick my herbs in my garden and know that I have planted them......even though the planting causes me a lot of pain at the time, when I pick them I dont think of the pain, more of the taste!

Life is good if we want it to be!

Whatever way we see that success it is our own choice...we have our personal limitations and goals.
I am not the person I was 10 years ago but I am happier now knowing that I am trying to do my best .....of course it depends on the day!

Like that idea Sunil, we ARE all superstars
It seems that we sometimes can't totally overcome this adversity, but yes Amanda, we try our best for ourselves and others too.

Well its that time of year, the garden needs an injection of colour with bedding plants etc......i went today to buy some swearing that I wouldnt plant them all at once....guess what I crawled on my knees and managed it and even managed to water them all in....I know that tomorrow I will suffer but I did it! The rewards of their blooms will be great in a few weeks so i can put the extra suffering on the back burner for now and hug even more ice than normal!

1. I can reach out.
2. I can watch my garden grow (first time ever)
3. I can cook vegetarian stir fry meals for one without feeling guilty. (My family loves MEAT and Ispoiled them with variety and time-consuming meals, but I can eat the same thing day after day. A quick stir fry is all I can manage.)
4. I can take time for quiet meditation.
5. I can listen to audio books.
6. I can make kale or spinach shakes. (Another fast fruit & veggie meal)
7. I can ask the existential questions I've been saving for a rainy day.
8. I can let myself remember what I like, what I want for my life.
9. I can watch Swedish films in the daytime.
10. I can listen to my kids sort out snacks, tackle chores, and resolve arguments without me. (Amazing what happens whenI can't micromanage!)

Thanks forposting this. It feels good to...#11:

11. I can count my blessings!