Exercising to Fitness

We have been told that we should exercise to fitness in order to delay the onset of symptoms of Huntington's Disease. While this is good advice, "fitness" is a very personal condition.  I remember when my daughters were participating in high school and college sports, "fitness" described a very highly developed combination of strength, endurance, agility, and power that took months of conditioning to develop. I never had the opportunity to take part in girls' sports while in school, so I really never experienced that sort of fitness.

While I was in college, though, I started the practice of taking very long walks (several miles), often including my trek to various jobs around town. For the most part, I have continued this practice ever since, sometimes adding long bicycle rides as part of my routine. For me, this custom has given a very good aerobic workout throughout the years. Nine years ago, when I tested positive for Huntington's Disease, I really started to make exercise a priority. I know some friends and family members wondered why it was so important to me, but I believe that it has accomplished the goal of postponing the development of signs of HD. In the winter, I go to the gym, and spend as much time as I can, usually about an hour, on the arc trainer, treadmill, and recumbent bike. Last year, I started to add weight training, using the machines at the gym. My workout is mostly aerobic, though. 

This past summer, I started to take much longer walks, from two to three hours, and I started taking large doses of ibuprofen and arthritis strength Tylenol, to keep my joints from causing pain. When I went for my medical check-up, I had high blood pressure (for the first time in my life). Since then, I have almost totally cut out painkillers, and my blood pressure has gone down.

The long walks and other exercise give me a great appetite! Maintaining a slim frame has never been my priority. Some feel that having a slightly higher body weight might postpone symptoms. Taking creatine does help your body maintain water in the muscles, making weight loss more difficult.

Nearly One Hundred Percent of the Possible Sun

We are having a string of beautiful, unseasonably sunny days, to which I have heard more than one weather man describe as "one hundred percent of the possible sun." I love that phrase! In fact, having been warmed by the constant sun for the last week or so, I can say that it has affected my soul, too, in a very positive way; also as a result of some very wonderful news that we received last week.

On Friday, we were at the neurologist's office, with the same cast of professionals that gave me my cloudy diagnosis nine years ago. We were there to learn the results of my baby brother's DNA test. He is the father of three, and has the love and support of his wife, but it was still a difficult decision for him to be tested. One look at the happy smiles on the faces of the doctors, nurse, and even someone passing in the hall, and we all knew that my brother's results were negative for Huntington's Disease. I've been smiling ever since!

I'd love to illustrate this blog with a photograph of my handsome brother, with his beautiful wife, sitting beside the twin five-year old boy and girl, with their seven year old big sister. But I can't do that, because now my brother will have to put HD on a back-burner, since it won't affect him or his offspring.  He can still participate in fund-raisers, but he doesn't have to worry about being an activist. Of course that's a great blessing, and we thank God for answering our prayers!  But, there's one small part of me that will miss having my brother able to do clinical trials with me.