Yep, it’s a post about things I don’t fully understand so take this with a grain (or five) of salt. This year, 2021, has started as a rough one for me. It started with panic attacks caused by me not being able to breathe properly. A trip to the doctor on the second and I was diagnosed with bronchitis. Medicine later and I was still sick. On the eleventh after another trip to the doctor, a chest x-ray later, an emergency room visit for CT images of my lungs and I was diagnosed with pleurisy. Different medicine and a bit of time before going back for a check-up and to confirm no change. The check-up was on the twenty-first and I received more medicine. On the first, I had a new patient appointment and told the NP what I was experiencing. My diagnosis was changed to costochondritis and I was given yet more medicine.
So, what’s happening? Not covid, I’ve been tested a few times and it’s been negative every time. So why is breathing painful and difficult? I’ve had lots of questions and not many answers. Laying down for bed a few nights ago, I thought of the exercise I’ve given up after all this started. I started thinking about all the things I want to fix about myself. One of those things is my posture. Since becoming disabled, my posture has become atrocious. I started thinking of the anatomy of the torso (What little I know, at least) and visualizing how the lungs would be impacted by a slouched form.
Then I started googling if posture affects breathing. Low and behold, it does. Continued looking up exercises to do to correct posture. Plenty. I was trying to get into yoga last year and it’s something I’m interested in. I need to continue it. Continued looking stuff up and discovered that poor posture can be a death sentence for people with disabilities. It can cause serious issues that lead to excessive pain and twisted spinal columns.
This isn’t something I can put off starting to work on.
As I’ve started stretching, I’ve noticed it does help my back pain and walking. So I’m gonna keep doing that because it clearly helps me. It hurts my chest a bit with breathing but the yoga breaths help. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Breathe with my diaphragm. It’s a bit hard to get into the rhythm but it’s very relaxing once I fall into it. The breathing helps me with my stress and anxiety, the stretching helps with back pain and posture.
The only thing is the couch and chair I sit in. They very much hurt me to sit on. Genuine pain. I haven’t found a solution for that particular issue yet. But the other stuff is helping me in between sitting on the pain causing furniture.
Short post. I’m still sick or my lungs and heart still hurt but it’s better than it was. This is just a check-in post. Remember in these trying times to wear a mask and wash your hands even if you’ve been vaccinated. We got this y’all.
~ Jessa Sage ~
A Girl With A Story 