Vacation in mountains

[geneva]

Runnergirl, I always enjoy reading your posts and sharing your accomplishments. Your encouragement is always welcome!

[MomtoGiuliana]

Runnergirl--thanks for this post of encouragement! I think you are right that many of us can again develop good exercise tolerance. The body, and the mind too, are amazingly resilient. Like you I needed a lot of reassurance from doctors that exercise would not be dangerous, or set me back. In fact, my specialist kept pushing me to exercise, regardless of high heart rates and other symptoms, insisting that I might at first feel worse, but in time would see improvement. I am not at all back to my previous level of fitness, but I am improved from over a year ago. I can now climb three flights of stairs easily, for example! There has been a lot of good discussion on this forum about exercise--clearly there are some postures that bring on symptoms and should be avoided, and as you say, you have to adopt the tortoise approach. It is slow going to see improvements.

Thanks geneva for your comments. I am excited about this trip!

Katherine

[Guest GayleP]

Runner Girl,

Thanks so much for your encouragement. I think it's great that you're continuing to exercise and avoid getting deconditioned. I know how hard that must be to push yourself when you are feeling symptomatic.

I believe I've had a mild case of dysautonomia my whole life because I've fainted since childhood. I'm sure being physically active helped me to avoid becoming symptomatic sooner.

My doctors have all said that I can push myself as much as I want so it's just a matter of me getting over this hump which is basically that I can't walk more than 20 minutes at time without becoming extremely fatigued. Nevertheless I'm still determined to get up to a half hour and to try to take a bike ride again. I won a bike a few years ago and have never been on it. Sometimes I'm shocked when I realize just how deconditioned I've become.

Anyhow, thanks again. Keep us posted if you end up doing Rainier.