Venus Williams won today!

[jpd54]

 Venus won her match today.  I don't know how she does it.  But hurray for her!!  (I know.  I'm an ex-teacher and you aren't supposed to start a sentence with "but".)

  I admire the way she just keeps going!  I wish I could.

             Jennifer

[wildforwater]

Go Venus! BUT, yes, hurray for her! 

I don't think she ever let Sjogren's get ahead of her.  She kept confident and she kept moving so that she would not lose her muscle strength, flexibility, etc. That and maybe some extra meds on match day probably did the trick.

Maria

[Tivia]

Go Venus! BUT, yes, hurray for her! 

I don't think she ever let Sjogren's get ahead of her.  She kept confident and she kept moving so that she would not lose her muscle strength, flexibility, etc. That and maybe some extra meds on match day probably did the trick.

Maria

I envy her partly because she can get the best medical treatments and help, and partly because she was able to keep going. This stuff knocked me down for over a year without any type of exercise. To say my body deteriorated is putting it mild, as more things piled on I became weaker and weaker. I wish I had her strength and outlook.

[wildforwater]

I envy her partly because she can get the best medical treatments and help, and partly because she was able to keep going. This stuff knocked me down for over a year without any type of exercise. To say my body deteriorated is putting it mild, as more things piled on I became weaker and weaker. I wish I had her strength and outlook.

I'm sure she does, and I have to admit I'd love to be in her shoes, but a great part of it is outlook and self-motivation.

As most on the site have read, Sjogren's completely knocked me down for a whole year too. I basically went to work and came home and crashed.  The weekends were spent entirely on the couch.  I became so depressed, my symptoms worsened, my muscles were wasting and I gained ten pounds. 

By January of this year, I couldn't stand myself. I was so sick and tired of who I was becoming.  So, I got off that couch and went back to the gym.  I was weak and tired, but little by little, I gained my strength back, lost the weight and I'm now enjoying my sport of competitve cycling...not on the same level, but I'm out there. And I promised myself I would never let Sjogren's get the best of me again.

Of course, the rest of my life "suffers" because I'm ususally wiped out after riding...no perfectly cleaned house for me...but I guess you have to choose what makes you most happy.

I only keep writing this in the hopes that it will encourage at least one person who is able to push themselves a little harder than normal to reap in the rewards.

Maria

[Tivia]

I try to ride my bike when I can, its been terribly hot though so I had to put that away for now. I need to do more I see my stamina and endurance just getting worse and worse, I feel like a veal calf some days. As funny as that sounds I believe thats what happens to us when we stop doing things. We become like those poor calfs used for veal, weak and anemic with no stamina. My good friend moved away 2 years ago to Houston to pursue her career, that was a bite for me we were workout buddies. 

[wildforwater]

Tivia,

You are a strong woman. You can do this on your own.  No workout buddy needed.  When I started cycling, I knew no one. All I knew was that when I got on my bike, I felt freedom.  Nothing like the wind in your face as you use your own body to power where you want to go.  Then one day, I went online and found a great cycling club in my area.  I immediately joined it.  The rest is history.  I have tons of cycling peeps and I'm on a racing team with some amazing women.  When I'm not feeling well and ride very slowly, they ride at my pace with me.  When I'm feeling great and kicking it, they route me on.  I love this sport.

Take it one day at a time.  First a half a mile; next time two, followed by ten...and so on and so on.  I promise the endorphins you get from riding will be better than Prozac (which I am on too  ).

Maria

[Mexgal]

Yeah for her.  Good job.

I too wish I had the access to her doctors, etc.  And would love to know what meds she takes.

I push myself out the door everyday to walk/hike down and up our mountain on cobblestone streets.  I walk my two adopted street dogs about 4 miles everyday...accept when I am having a bad flare..then I give myself permission to just lay on the couch all day and watch mindless TV. 

[Emanuela]

She said that she is on a vegan diet and that was part of the "solution" of her symptoms...am I wrong?

Here in Italy, many people are getting incredible benefits with similar diet. Much of them exterminated cancers in the last stage! The cancer simply disappears!

A TV program is investigating these cases. The theory behind this diet is: cancerous cells are fed by a acid environment (inflammation). The diet turns body alkaline(no more inflammation) and, in this way, cancerous cells cannot survive or replicate any more.

The same diet should be good for our diseases! I'm trying to introduce more vegetables and cut meet as much as possible. The only problem with this diet is that you are supposed to don't eat any more flour and all industrialized products (conservants). Do you imagine italians that don't eat pizza or pasta? huahauhauahuahauha

Emanuela

[slccom]

Venus is out on the third round. She just doesn't have the stamina she did when she was a) younger and b) before Sjogren's.

Sharon

[Nancy60]

I just saw today her sister Serena was having problems today with poor eye hand coordination, stumbling etc...and they had to forfeit their match.  They attributed it to a virus. I hope that is all it is!

Nancy

[Mexgal]

I just saw her sister as well.  She sure did not look to well.  Hope it's temporary and viral.

[SjoGirl]

For those in need of a workout buddy, you can join groups online. I have a Fitbit and haven't joined a group yet, but could if I wanted to. Not the same as having someone to chat with, but then again, sort of like this group. We all support one another even though we've never met.

[slccom]

For some of us, talking while walking is an added stress, so the online buddy system is a good idea!

Sharon