Learned Something New!

One of the silver linings to the immense blackness of the cloud which is Lockdown is the things we learn because we're forced to confront ourselves. A new skill to combat boredom, a new language to understand world news better, relaxation techniques to reduce stress and anxiety, a new recipe for bread omitting the ingredients you don't have on hand! The list is endless and endlessly encouraging. Just yesterday, I learned something that both terrified AND emboldened me to learn more. I like to say "I bite bullets"--in other words I read the stuff that's difficult to hear, I watch the YouTube videos that "traumatize" me with their lack of a filter. It's better to know than not to know. Then you can be proactive about the added challenges you might face, which lifts your mood considerably! What I learned from a concerned friend who used to be in the medical field is that Cerebral Palsy patients have added difficulty breathing. Since the condition is neuro-muscular AND a Central Nervous System depressant, not only is it a very bad idea for me to drink at all (one drink is as bad as two for me) but I ALSO need to be hyper-vigilant about how much good air I take in, my posture, my blood oxygenation (there are YouTube videos on how you can tell without a machine), and my circulation! Sheesh. Long checklist. But there are things I can do! Just now I looked it up, and found the following link to the ways CP can affect all muscles in the body, but particularly those concerned with breathing and swallowing: https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/associated-disorders/respiratory-health/ Since these muscles also stiffen with age, it makes total sense why the elderly are likewise suffering more severe consequences from the evil Covid19. And suddenly everything I've previously read or discovered about my condition makes total sense! And it's like putting a puzzle together. It "makes my brain warm" with increased knowledge. And fills me with excitement. Although it was frightening AT FIRST to hear--there was about a second where I panicked--in the next second I found a video on how to improve your breathing/strengthen your lungs in defiance of the Virus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwrtgWQeDc I felt much better knowing I could do something, but that didn't answer all of my questions. I wanted to know how to INCREASE my lung function. I've always known that having so many brain surgeries to treat complications from Hydrocephalus made my voice quieter, my breath weaker. But until yesterday I never knew there was anything I could DO about it!! So even learning all of this new stuff wasn't scary; it wasn't overwhelming. I became voracious. And later that night I discovered an article on something I'd always avoided--breathing through a straw. THAT can increase lung function and capacity!!! HOW could I not have known this before???? Why is it not common knowledge? During the course of learning that, I also discovered that straw breathing has a multitude of benefits, including the reduction of ANXIETY! And I know we're all suffering from a lot more of that these days. Read more below: http://elementalhealthandnutrition.com.au/straw-breathing-anxiety/ I absolutely love that every article I've included comes from a different part of the world--United States, the home of an Irish doctor on Youtube, and Australia:) Indeed a pandemic is EVERYBODY'S problem, not unlike a world war. So like a world war, solving its problems should be a world wide affair. I know that I'll be following the advice I've gleaned from each and every one of these sources, wrapped up in the safety of globally-sourced intelligence. Although just for good measure, I've started taking the last of my Mucinex to make absolutely sure my airways are clear:) THAT is entirely my own idea because I have a lot of post-nasal drip from seasonal allergies (yes they're allergies; I have itchy eyes) and I don't want that mucus lingering in my system! The longer it stays, the more likely it is I'll suffer. And I'm doing everything possible not to suffer.