My Mom asked me the same question she asked me two days ago as she helped to get me out of bed. She asked me what I was smiling about. Today, seeing that this was the second time that she has asked me this in a couple days. I told her that I was NOT smiling. I told her that I was gritting my teeth.
My sleeping habits have changed so much over the years! While I was still working, I used to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to be at work by 7:40. As my disease progressed, it got progressively harder to get out of bed and ready for work. I had first hour prep and after providing a doctor’s note regarding my condition, and I was able to arrive to work as late is 8:45 because second hour started at 9:15.
While I was still working and before I started working out at Barwis, I slept like a vampire. I laid flat on my back and did not move the entire night. Once I started working out at Barwis, I was able to move around a little bit in bed as I slept because I was regaining muscle strength and flexibility.
Michael Rhoades challenged me to lay on my stomach for 10 minutes before I went to sleep to help my muscles that stay contracted all day because I am seated. This was extremely difficult in the beginning and I could only last four or five minutes at a time.
Now, fast forward to a second knee surgery and it’s painful to sleep on my back because it really hurts my knee. Rather, now, I sleep on my left side so as not to put pressure on my right knee because my right knee is on top of my left knee.
Fast forward a little bit more and being four years after surgery and four years removed from working out at Barwis things have changed again. My Mom will help me to get into bed and she will cover me as I am laying on my left side. Then, she will tuck the covered underneath me and grab my right hand and pul me toward her so I can lay mostly on my back and will mindlessly play Word Connect or solitaire on my phone as I try to relax in order to fall asleep.
Currently, I am watching Bridgeton which helps me to get into a mindset to drift off to sleep. Because my Mom has tucked the covers under me, I can roll over to my left side by grabbing the edge of the bed. And now, almost 4 years removed from knee surgery, I can lay on my stomach for most of the night. I really should tell Michael Rhoades about this!
Anyway, so when the morning comes, or almost afternoon, sometimes I can roll back over onto my back by myself so my mom can put my shoes on for me and other times I need my Mom to help me. As I am rolling over onto my back by myself or she is helping me, I grit my teeth because it is painful. I kind of like that my struggle looks like a smile even though it is NOT!!!