Keep It Coming

Today is Thursday, September 21, 2023 and I’m happy to be ending the week with more good news. I had my fifth appointment with my nutritionist at Amiri Hospital at 9:00 am this morning. Although we saw a slight decline in my muscle mass in early August which was right after I got sick, we saw an increase in my muscle mass the following appointment in late August, and even more of an increase at this morning’s appointment! This upward trend in the past couple of months has really put my mind at ease and comforted me knowing that all my hard work exercising is actually paying off…That coupled with all the protein supplements I’ve been taking! As you can see from today’s results pictured above, the muscle mass in my right arm, my left arm and my torso is still below the low range but at least all these numbers are the highest they’ve been since June. My left and right leg are within the low range but have increased since last month’s check-up so woohoo! I’m happy ألف الحمد لله. My nutritionist told me to continue doing my what I’m doing in terms of my exercise routine and my diet and hopefully we’ll see even better results at my next check-up in early November.

After my nutritionist appointment at Amiri I decided to pass by the office and see my colleagues that I haven’t seen since being admitted at the hospital in May. It was a lovely feeling to be received with such a warm welcome from all of them. They were all so happy to see me looking healthier and stronger than I did back in May right before being admitted. I’ve been meaning to pass by and see them all for a while now but it was just never the right time for me…I’m so glad that I finally went this morning.

Last night was Open House at my kids’ school and I was so glad I felt good enough to attend it. It was a wonderful feeling seeing other parents (some friends, some acquaintances) that I haven’t seen in months. Many were genuinely happy to see me out and about, walking around, climbing up and down the stairs and just overall physically in a better place. I heard a lot of “You look great!” comments which is always wonderful to hear الحمد لله. I think many people just don’t know what to expect to see…They’ve heard or read about what I’ve gone through and in their minds they may have a certain perception of what I’d look like and then when they see me they’re shocked (in a good way) that I look ‘normal’ now. Which I’m grateful that I do because I know I’ve come a looooong way in terms of my physical capabilities and I’m slowly, slowly heading towards my ‘normal’.

With the great news on Sunday regarding my CK level, the good news this morning about my muscle mass, and the lovely praise I’ve been receiving from people who haven’t seen me in a long time, I must say that this week has been good to me. Actually, it’s been great! There’s one thing I’ve noticed about myself that I need to be aware of and not let it get the better of me…At times like these I tend to push myself a little thinking ‘I’m feeling better now, so I can do more’ when I should really be careful and keep taking things slow. I’m still in recovery mode. My body and mind still need time to continue healing. Yes I’ve come a long way and yes I feel much better than I once did ألف الحمد لله…But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to handle the load I was once able to just yet. I have to remember to be kind and gentle to myself. This is something we all tend to forget about in our busy, non-stop lives. I hope you all enjoy the weekend ahead and remember to be kind to yourselves. Ciao!

الْحَمْـدُ للهِ حَمْـداً كَثـيراً طَيِّـباً مُبـارَكاً فيه، غَيْرَ مَكْفِيٍّ وَلا مُوَدَّعٍ وَلا مُسْتَغْـنىً عَنْـهُ رَبُّـنا.