Filling Our Days
Now that I'm not working, I thought it was going to be long, boring days of nothing to do and feeling depressed. To my amazement, it is nothing like that at all. Due to the severity of my COPD, there was no way I could continue doing the type of work I had been. I also volunteered which I loved but that also proved too difficult to carry on with.
What I enjoy
The one thing I thoroughly enjoy is not having to get up early and rushing about to get out of the door. When I was working, that would always happen. I've always been an early riser which is good. I have noticed that the mornings are the times I have the most energy so I take my meds and then have a shower. Hubby is always around when I have a shower as a precaution. It's not a nice feeling if I need him to help me but there have been a few times when it was really necessary.
The routine continues
After all of this, about an hour and a half has already passed from my morning routine. Breakfast consists of cereal or toast and a well-earned mug of tea. My exercise routine consists of 10-minute warm-up stretching and getting as nimble as possible. Then it's onto the upper body, using 2-kilo dumbells and marching on the spot which takes a massive 40 minutes. Wind down is a 5-minute slow stretch.
By then I'm starving so I usually have a banana and grapes. Yes, rest is so important, but the buzz is so amazing physically and mentally. I sit down and record my achievements. If I can do 20 minutes in the afternoon, I use my exercise pedals to add to the daily exercise program.
Filling my days
The days are mine to fill which I enjoy. If the weather is nice I will go out for an hour on my mobility scooter which has been a lifesaver. I now have so much freedom to get out and about either with my hubby or on my own. When the weather is wet, I stay in doing what I want to do which can vary from knitting to reading, to my newfound hobbies of drawing and painting.
I was so lucky to find some free online art courses last year through our local college which I eagerly signed up for. Why I chose art I've no idea. My dad was a well-known artist here in the UK also my sister is a very talented artist so I'm not sure that I belonged in that category.
Either way, I've absolutely loved doing the courses. They definitely fill my days and offer a variety of things to do. I prep and cook the food and if I'm using the oven my hubby bends to put things in there and gets them out. We do work well as a team.
Pamper-session
My days are fun-packed. Yes, I do have days where none of this applies and those days are spent curled up on the bed with a book and a TV remote at my side. I call it a pamper session which we all need from time to time.
Editor's Note: We are heartbroken to share that Debz passed away in October of 2021. She is deeply missed but her positivity and resilience live on through her articles. Thank you for everything, Debz.
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