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| 9/26/16, Day One |
The stats aren't pretty, but they're real and I'm nothing, if not real, so here we are:
Weight: 194
Size: 14
Blood Pressure: 137/84*
Feeling: Pre-Cryo: Okay Post-Cryo: Pretty Good!
* I take medication for chronic hypertension.
Pre-Cryo:
Last night I slept for about 6 1/2 hours and had a decent night of sleep. As a chronic insomniac, that's always appreciated.
My energy level pre-cryo was just "ok" in the morning. I would have loved to crawl back into bed and sleep more, if I'm being honest. I was woken up a bit earlier than usual which may be a factor and couldn't fall back asleep after.
Pre-cryo, I was also achy. I was actually in a perfect cryotherapy moody. I had done some heavy lifting for a charity/volunteer event over the weekend and my back, neck and right knee were all feeling some minor pain. Nothing severe, but uncomfortable enough to give me an all over "yuck" feeling and make me wince a bit with almost every movement. Not only did I want to go back to bed, but I wanted a heating pad with me...
My mood was also "okay". I was upbeat about heading for my cryotherapy appointment, especially since I always enjoy going to the office. I was mildly stressed about some other things - a sick pet I am worrying over, a child heading back to college today after a long weekend home, a ton of work to do and some medical test results I am waiting on. Overall, I was doing "okay". I wouldn't call it a great day, but I wasn't going to whine about it too much.
My digestive system felt "off". A heavy meal the night before was weighing on me. I was slightly hungry, having missed breakfast.
The Cryo Experience:
If you haven't done cryo before, let me give you a brief overview (with a promise to post a video in the very near future!). You strip down. Girls get fully undressed (no jewelry, no creams or lotions on the skin for 2 hours prior to the appointment - make-up is fine, since your head is above the chamber), Men wear underwear. This might seem unfair, but apparently men can suffer a bit of a freezer burn issue on their genitalia otherwise. You step into the chamber in your robe, wearing plastic gloves and socks only. Some places ask you to bring socks, while others provide them for you. Once inside, you hand your robe to the attendant and slip on the heavy gloves to protect your hands as the process starts.
First timers usually do two minutes. The normal time is three minutes. Every 15 seconds, you do a quarter turn to ensure that the jets of cold dry air don't just hit one spot of your body and the attendant will typically remind you to turn. During this time, the temperature drops to an average of -230 to -260° or slightly lower. It might sound pretty extreme, but the reality is that cold is cold. You will feel as if you are standing naked in a freezer for that brief time. It's cold. Very cold. But it isn't at all unbearable. I actually like it. It wakes me up, it revives me, it energizes me. Some people don't love it, but everyone agrees that it's fast and it isn't awful.
Your legs might feel a slight burning sensation. Fortunately, I mean very slight. This is similar to the burn you might feel after climbing a few flights of stairs. To me, it feels like the blood in my legs is frozen and they feel "crispy". In actuality, your skin doesn't "freeze" - the cold only penetrates a very tiny depth, so you have nothing to fear. I tend to start marching in place if I need to in order to relieve it.
Time goes fast. The attendant can keep you posted if you like, with an encouraging "Only 30 seconds to go!" Feel free to ask. The moment it ends, you are handed your robe and you can step out. The second you step out, you warm up in an instant. There is no prolonged cold, your body instantly warms you back up. In fact, I often keep water with me to sip because I will feel too warm after.
Normally, you will step onto a vibrating plate for 1-2 minutes after to get your blood flowing and help cleanse impurities.
Post-Cryo:
As always, I felt energized and refreshed. My mood was elevated and I was laughing and having a good time. The aches I had felt earlier were completely gone.
I was no longer very hungry, although I was aware that it was lunchtime. Probably because my husband kept asking what was for lunch. Once home, I served him leftovers and had some myself, though I was full after a small amount and didn't need anything else until dinner time. No sugar or snack cravings, which is notable.
I did develop a headache and need a nap around 4:30 pm. I know that it was unrelated to the cryo, since I have done cryotherapy many times without ever having a headache after. It had been a long weekend with very little sleep and I suspect it had finally caught up to me. I tend to get headaches when my neck muscles are tight and they had been tight over the weekend and this morning. I'm super sensitive to which pillow I sleep on and the wrong one can put me into a migraine. The weather was a bit stormy and I took advantage of it to take a catnap. In the past, I might have napped too long, but after a short bit, I woke up on my own and felt refreshed and revived. I still had a bit of a headache, so I took my first pain reliever of the day (Excedrin). The pain in my knee has returned slightly after about 5 hours, but only very slightly (I think I twisted it a bit). I'm not limping or in any major discomfort, I just notice it when I stop to assess. My back pain is still mostly gone after 5 hours post cryo, though I feel a small tightness returning. I did a very unusual amount of heavy lifting this weekend, which is not my normal routine, and there is no doubt I am paying the price. It does not feel like a strain - it feels more like post-workout muscles might feel, so I don't think this is a bad thing. Imagine the way your legs might feel two days after "leg day" at the gym and you have an idea of what I mean. Not really "painful", just tight.
So - there you have it. Day one, in the books!
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