Body
I figured out earlier this week that I have piriformas syndrome again. I’m not sure if that is why my hamstrings, hips, and lower back have felt so fucked up lately, but it’s definitely the primary source of acute pain. I spent a full 24 hours wallowing in this development – it took MANY months for driving to not be agony the last time I had this – but then I bought a glute program by the woman whose posts taught me about piriformas syndrome and helped me understand how and why such a small muscle in my butt cheek could cause me such distress. The program is specifically for people with periformas syndrome and lower back pain and I feel confident that it will help me feel better a lot more quickly than I did last time (it took me two full months to figure out what was wrong in 2022 – I am so glad I found this woman’s site). I am kind of flummoxed by how a failure to activate my glues is the root cause of the vast majority of my chronic pain. I really hope this program helps me to learn how to activate them when appropriate (I can already tell from just one session that I do NOT activate them when I should, I’m not sure how this deficit started, but I’m aware of it now and awareness is half the battle.)
Health
The shaky feeling has mostly passed, but I had some bouts of it yesterday. I still have whatever virus ravaged my family, but I’m coughing a lot less (and more productively) and while I still have sinus stuff going on, it seems to be improving (I might have an actual sinus infection, but so far it’s not too painful so I’m holding out on seeing someone – I hate taking antibiotic unless necessary). My husband, who originally felt bad last Wednesday, only just went back to work today. He worked a half day from home Tuesday and a full day from home Wednesday, but he’s been miserable. Whatever we got was the worst virus we’ve had in a long time. I’m trying hard to take care of myself right now; I’ve been going to bed really early, and resting during the day at work. I’ve also been doing a lot of hip mobility work, which keeps my anxiety about my chronic pain down. I just hope I start feeling really better soon.
Goals
I still am no closer to articulating goals for 2025. I haven’t even done my January Must-do and Hope-to lists and that was one of the goals I wanted to make for this year (writing and posting them monthly). I hope I can get something up this weekend. But I will say, one of my goals is to respond to comments within 24-48 hours. I’ve been responding to every comment since the new year (I think!), and responded to many of them in the last week of December. I just wanted to mention that here, since some of you comment!
Kids
The 14yo swam twice this week and says her shoulder is doing a lot better. We are pretty on her to do her PT at least five times a week, and I’m so glad it’s actually helped. I really hope she nips this in the bud early and it doesn’t come back again. She missed the sign up for swim team at her school (because all the sports teams push out info ONLY on Instagram! WTAF!), but she emailed and it looks like she can still participate. There is a meeting tomorrow after school at 4pm (that my husband saw on Instagram) and she plans to attend. She is clearly nervous about swimming on her school’s team, but I think it will be a great way to meet new people and push herself physically. I really help her shoulder allows her to participate.
The 11yo really should be wearing deodorant and washing his face every day, and showering more often, but he is NOT interested in hearing anything about any of that. He got all the necessities for Christmas, but he chafes when I ask if he’s used any of them. The next few years are going to be so fun!
Speaking of fun…
I have a couple fun things to look forward to this weekend, and this month. Tomorrow I’m having dinner with some high school friends. I have three hours between work ending and when we meet, and I decided NOT to try to run, because I don’t want to start the weekend feeling shitty. Instead I’m going to go for a walk either with a work friend (if she’s available) or by myself. I’m proud of myself for making that decision.
Saturday is book club and it’s at a local wine bar. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone.
I’m seeing three Sketchfest shows over the long weekend later this month, two with my parents (a live read of Airplane and a conversation with Albert Brooks) and one with my husband (a newish comedian he really likes). I always love seeing Sketchfest shows and am looking forward to them.
Final note: I’ve been following the coverage of the fires really closely. Most of my college friends live in LA, and while none of them are in immediate danger, two of their parents have lost their homes and one of their sisters has lost her house. I spent a lot of time at one of those now-gone houses – I stayed for a week there with my daughter when she was a baby! – and I can’t believe it’s gone. This is the house of the parents’ of my friend how had the mental health episode two winters ago. They have had such a hard go of it and I’m devastated for them. I’m devastated for everyone in LA. I had no idea that they were not getting any of the rain that came through Northern California. We’ve gotten a fair amount of precipitation, and I didn’t realize that Southern California only got like five minutes of rain all fall and winter. I don’t really know what else to say about it, except that it’s in my thoughts a lot right now.
Thanks for the link to the piriformis – I’ve been having the same problem and find bus/train seats agony at the moment. Which is not ideal given my monster commute.
Ugh, I got sick at New Year and still feel pretty rubbish. I rested the first 3 days (we were at my parents so I just laid on the porch and read) but then we had a long travel day, and I was straight back to work/life. Today, my husband and son got up for school and I just went back to sleep. Everyone I’ve talked to says this latest cold is hittting hard.
Could you take yourself for a little coffee with a notebook, and brainstorm some goals?
Is there anything worse than having it hurt when you sit down? The worst!
I’m sorry you also got something awful that is lingering forever. I am soooo over this. My sinuses are a block again and I’m wondering if I should get checked out for a sinus infection. Blerg. And the coffee shop idea sounds awesome. I have so much going on this weekend it might be hard to get away, but I will try to sit down with a notebook and brainstorm somewhere, even if it’s in my house. 😉
I had a similar problem with butt activiation and it too sooo long to figure out. I learned that you can’t activate your butt if your abs aren’t working correctly. and both don’t work correctly if your posture is wrong. (pelvis and ribs).
one thing that helped me with getting muscles to work correctly is feldenkrais (feldenkrais project has free exercises, including one called ‘buttocks’ that would probably help). It’s more like moving meditation than exercise and I honestly don’t love doing it. but it’s been sooo helpful.
Thank you so much for the tip and the link! I am definitely not engaging more core correctly either and my posture is shit (I push my pelvis out and sway my lower back). It’s all so interconnected – no wonder everything hurts! I’ll def check out the feldenkrais project. I need all the help I can get.
My advice for the 11 year old is to work with him to make checklists which you post in the bathroom – a morning routine list (including deodorant) and a bedtime routine list (including wash face). I’m having to do the same with my 12 year old. It’s harder to get mad at a list and easy to get mad at mom for reminding over and over.
I hope high school swim team works out, there are a lot of nice, hard-working people on swim team and it can introduce some good peers.
Oh, I love the idea of a list to post on the mirror! I will definitely do that. Thanks!
I had Piriformis syndrome for m years. It would fade and come back and nothing really helped. It was painful to drive because the pain was in my hamstring and would activate when I braked. Finally, four years in, I got a sports massage because I had a tight IT band on my other side while I was training for a marathon. He worked my lower back a lot and the right side as well and it went away for two years. It felt miraculous. And then came back two years later after a transatlantic flight. It finally went away for good when I was pregnant with my first. I remember all that sitting pain and constantly stretching that did nothing!
I’m sorry you also had piriformas syndrome. May I ask how you found out that was what it was? I was shocked by how hard it was to figure it out myself. And it really is crazy how stretching and trigger point release doesn’t do much for it in the long term. I really do think learning to activate the glutes properly will help me manage it. It helped last time, and then I stopped doing the glute work and now I have it again, and my back is jacked. Ugh. Getting older is rough.
I was surprised about the rain stats too – probably bc I “know” more in NoCal and had heard about atmospheric rivers etc! I’m so sad for them and hope it will be over soon. SO, so scary and hard.
There is so much Influenza A going around here, wonder if that is what your fam had (people getting sick with it even if vaccinated). Gah always something!? We also have to remind our tween boy frequently about deodorant . . . lol. AND FINALLY I am so annoyed on your behalf about insta only announcements! That hasn’t happened to me yet and I will be MAD if it does. No one should be forced to use that platform.
We all got our flu shots so I would be really bummed to hear that is what we had. But I do know other people who feel sure they got the flu. We never had fevers or shivers or body aches so I think it might be just a bad, bad cold. We were wondering if it was RSV actually. And yes, the Insta stuff is insane. Drives me crazy. I am def going to say something to the admin about it.