Convos and Massages

I can never express enough how beneficial I find getting a massage. For someone who has all over body pain, spending 45, 60 or in today’s case, 90 minutes having a RMT deep tissues massage you can completely change how your body feels. Normally, I have a massage very 2 months, for 45 minutes to an hour. Because of Covid, I haven’t had a massage since February. I also normally feel good but sore after a massage. Today I just feel amazing. My body needed it, and needed it more than I could imagine. Luckily, I have insurance that covers it. If I didn’t, I know I would find a way to work it into my budget. Finding an amazing RMT is also something I can’t emphasize enough. I told mine about my hip tear, explained what type of tear it was and how it was giving me referred pain in my leg. She not only worked the hip and the thigh, but made them feel so much better. I know it’s a bandaid of sorts but sometimes that is enough to get you through, when you have chronic pain (or rather I should say ME because I can’t speak for everyone).

Image from: https://www.wellness-within.ca/massage-st-albert

I also always have interesting conversations with my RMT. I know some people like to go and just chill and relax and not talk at all during their services. I get that, and I’ve been like that. I do strongly believe in relaxation and relaxation techniques. However, my RMT is hilarious, engaging, and a great conversationalist. So, I know that when I go for a massage, we will talk the whole time and it will be about very diverse topics. We covered a lot in our 90 minutes today. From systemic racism in the police force and amongst white people in general, to anti-maskers, to Hamilton as seen on Disney+, to the Netflix documentary disclosure and how trans actors should be cast in trans roles. (There were a lot of other subjects by the way, but I feel like this gives you a general picture).

Image from: https://rogersmovienation.com/2020/06/25/documentary-review-disclosure-charts-the-evolution-of-trans-representation-on-film-and-tv/

What I’ve found is that because she’s intelligent and does research, we have these amazing intellectual conversations that are good for both of our minds. I’ve been talking a lot of about self-care in school. I’m taking a group counselling course in my master’s program. Last week, a partner and I ran a group on self-care for a few of our classmates, and this week one of the group’s I’m participating in is on self-care. One of the aspects of self-care that can easily be overlooked is the psychological. We need to engage our minds, whether through reading or good conversation, in things that we don’t normally engage in. It helps with our overall well-being. Reading, writing, watching a documentary, going to therapy, or having these types of conversations can fuel your mind, taking care of it. So, we can say that today I have already done some physical and mental/psychological self-care and it’s only 1pm.

Image from: https://bccampus.ca/2020/06/18/why-self-care-isnt-selfish-caring-for-yourself-during-covid-19/

If you’re looking at increasing your self-care, look at these different areas:

Physical – healthy eating, taking your medications and going to appointments, exercise, massages, physical intimacy with your partner.
Psychological – listed in the previous paragraph!
Emotional – hobbies, pets, social activism, volunteering, being in tune with your emotions
Spiritual – mediation, yoga, forgiveness, church, being in nature.
Personal – setting goals, family time, reading, learning something new, spending time with friends
Professional – not taking work home with you, taking appropriate breaks, taking mental health days, taking vacation time, setting boundaries

Reference:
https://crmhs.org/mental-health-self-care-2/

From Virtual Dating to Real Dating? Pandemics, Reopening, and Chronic Illness

As we move into reopening phases in many places, some of us might be looking to take all of our virtual experiences and start going back to the “old ways.” Whether that be just seeing our friends in person (crazy thought after so many months, I know!) or going on actual dates, the thought that we don’t have to solely rely on online contact is amazing. Yet, for those of us with chronic illness, slow and steady might be the best course of action.

I miss getting coffees liket

I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t start doing “real life” things again. I have started to see some friends in person, and I’ve been back to work where I deal with the public consistently (some lady refused to sanitize her hands but then proceeded to put on a face mask which made me laugh at the lack of logic but okay). What I am more cautious about is heading on dates. For one, assuming any date goes well, there is potential for kissing at the very least (if not more) and exchanging saliva with a stranger when there is still a pandemic going on is probably not the best idea. As cases do become lower and lower that may change, but for now I’d still rather play it safe than risk getting an illness that could be made worse by my underlying illness.

Me at work… keeping others safe from me, and hoping they’ll keep me safe from them.

There is also the strong possibility of a second wave to come yet. If we look back historically to the flu of 1918, the second wave was much worse than the first. And though, yes this is a coronavirus, not a flu, a second wave could be terrible. While I am happy to be a risk taker in many areas of my life (adventure travel, moving provinces or countries at the drop of a hat, changing careers, starting blogs and podcasts, etc) I am not one to compromise my health more than it already is. Does that mean I won’t go on any dates until we have a vaccine? Unlikely, but it does mean I’ll be a little more selective of who I date (as if I’m not selective already lol) and how quickly things move.

Remember when we could share drinks with our friends without a worry?!

What are my other chronic illness warriors thinking about dating right now? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.