Women v. men

My observation is that any male emphasis on exercise arrived in the forum in the last few months. When I first joined posts seemed to be about the changes (physical and mental) required to manage one's life around pmr and the emotional journey resulting from things that one suddenly can't do and the uncertainty the disease brings. Perhaps that's what I needed at the time, but then again, no matter how hard I tried exercise was off the agenda.

Certainly the course of the disease for male and female may be different.but there also seems to be broad differences between everyone.

Common threads seem to be about what is pmr and this brick wall walked into, about activities lost and hope of a return, about how to function normally, about what does each new symptom mean, about tiredness and fatigue, about pred side effects and alternatives, about relationships and the need for communication, about pred reduction, about diet and weight, about how to remain positive along with need for support, about depression, and of course about exercise and mobility in all its forms.

There are subjects specific to pmr, and there are also subjects common to any chronic disease along with why pmr is different.

Some people seem to focus on one or a few aspects and treatments. Some with absolute certainty that their approach is working for them and should be adopted by others. Some appear more holistic and work on multiple, connected, fronts, possibly eschewing the magic wand.

For me, exercise is just one aspect of life. And not a very agreeable one. I've always struggled with the thought of exercise for the sake of it. I can't spell routine. Gyms are monotonously boring places for me. I take my exercise as a means to an end. I walk in order to be somewhere, not to walk. I did, and am again beginning to, do a lot of walking. Up and down steep, interesting, things. I doubt I'll ever wake up in a morning and announce I'm going for my daily walk. I hope I never stop waking up to the prospect of walking up .... whatever its name is. And along the way I'll wonder at nature.

I tend to notice the journey that posters are going through and how their posts change over time. There seems to be an initial coming to terms with the ailment, a period of adjustment, a wondering about the future, a frustration at not knowing how long, an alarm at the next new symptom or side effect. This seems to be followed by a period of stability, of living with it, of trying to break out of it. For the fortunate, of whom I consider myself a lucky one, there is a steady reduction in symptoms and pred, with a slow return of some things lost. For the very fortunate some sort of almost complete remission. For the unfortunate a long lingering condition with all that entails.

But just to confirm your suspicions about males and posts about exercise. My achilles tendon is still a bit painful but stable after a few weeks. I'm able to walk up hills again though taking a bit of care. I've even allowed myself a packet (or two) of chocolate biscuits.

Just where I'm up to in my poly whatsit journey. Ready to vanquish it completely though not quite there. Very different to my thoughts of two years ago when wondering what on earth was happening to me. Scary, if I recall correctly.