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| Day 2: Chill Out |
Here's my stats:
Weight: 194
Size: 14
Blood Pressure: 145/87*
Feeling: Pre-Cryo: Okay, a bit stressed Post-Cryo: Pretty Good!
* I take medication for chronic hypertension.
Day 2 started off with a bit of stress for me. I mentioned yesterday that I am dealing with a sick pet and today was the day to take her to the vet. I headed there in the morning honestly not knowing if she would be coming home again ever...so, a bit of a sniffle and a few blinked back tears and onward with my day.
Pre-Cryo:
I hit my bed late last night, thanks to that nap I mentioned and the Excedrin I took for my headache. Both of which I knew would reward me with a late bedtime, so I wasn't surprised. I went to bed around 1 am and watched television until 2 am before turning it off and falling immediately asleep. Before sleep, I noticed I was slightly stiff in my back and my neck and got up to change my pillow. I think I mentioned that I have a disc issue in my neck and the "wrong" pillow (too flat, too firm, too fluffy, etc) can put me completely off for days. I'm like the princess and the pea that way...or in this case, the princess and the pillow. Once I found just the right pillow for the night, I was perfectly comfortable and sleep rewarded me with a restful night of deep, dreamless sleep.
I woke up refreshed and, despite my stress about the day ahead, feeling pretty stable and calm. There were a few threats of wet eyes that I fought back as I loaded up my kitty, but overall physically I was doing well. No aches, no pains, plenty of energy. I actually woke up 15 minutes before my alarm (unusual for me!) and was ready to get on with my day. Mornings are my worst enemy and I usually have to be summoned with promises of massive caffeine infusions and some sort of pagan ceremony to crawl out of bed. Today, even despite the dread of the appointment, I popped up willingly and was up and at 'em.
My only complaint of the morning is a very slight sore throat...
The appointment, by the way, was mostly non-surprising. Possible kitty kidney failure. Tests were run, results are pending. Kitty is home and now we wait.
Post-Cryo:
As I write this, it's been several hours since I "froze" and I'm feeling good. The weird thing is that after the cryo, for about an hour or two, my slight sore throat seemed to diminish almost entirely. It's back ever so slightly now, but it's still very minor and I'm throwing vitamin C at it.
This is usually the time of day that if I am going to start wanting a nap, my energy level starts to droop. I should mention that my husband and I are both self-employed, which means we work most often from home and often at all hours/days - so naps are possible on occasion and are fully justified by the fact that sometimes my weekends are sacrificed to work. The point is - I'm not feeling a nap right now. Even though the weather is a bit gloomy (perfect nap weather...) and my bed is awfully comfy...and...I'll stop now before I talk myself into a nap that I don't need. My energy level is very good. My focus is very good. I feel productive and I have a genuine desire to get things done. I am mentally thinking ahead even now to what I need to do next and what I can do next.
The other thing that I am just now realizing is that I haven't eaten. That is not on purpose, and I don't recommend it - I'm usually not one to skip meals (I think the 194 lbs above proves that), but apparently my appetite is down, because up until this moment when I stopped to think about it, I had not even realized that I hadn't eaten a single thing since dinner last night. I'm officially in the danger zone where eating now will affect dinner, so I may grab a small snack, but the truth is - I'm honestly not hungry at all. I also have noticed that I am drinking more water with less of a desire for sugary drinks. I have a tendency to get hooked on sweet drinks (hence the 194 lbs) and every chance I can get off of them, is a VERY good thing - but hard to do. I am definitely not craving the sugar right now and water is satisfying me. Between that and the lack of being hungry is intriguing. Whether that is cryotherapy and my metabolism or stress (which I am not really feeling) or related to this slight sore throat, I can't say right now. But - noteworthy...
I have no pain. No stiffness anywhere. No headaches. Overall, aside from this tiny throat tickle, I feel perfect. If my throat were clear, I'd be 100%.
Emotionally, I feel great. Which is an odd thing to say, since things are not great. The pet I am worried over is one I am very close to; a cat that I have had since she found us in 2009 and decided to stay. She is obsessively attached to me and, although I joke about her being a menace and a terror, I adore her. She's spirited & feisty and I joke often that she is me in cat-form. While she has fought some battles in the past, my gut tells me that this might be the last of her nine lives... I should be far more wrecked, stressed and worried right now, but instead, I am calm even while I am a bit sad. I feel as though I am just waiting for the next steps. I know I will try my best to do what I can and wait for her to let me know what she needs me to do. If she has one more fight left in her, we will fight. If she is ready to let go, I will honor that for her. There will be tears, but I know it will be another part of the process of loving a pet. Sometimes we have to let go. My head is as clear as it can be on the matter. Other stresses, like a busy schedule, a heavy workload, family, etc. are not weighing particularly heavy on me either. I am - at peace. I can accept that I will do my best and it will just have to be enough. (Sounds pretty mature, huh?).
The emotional balance is a very good thing. Typically, I am a bit of an anxiety-ridden, worrying, insecure, impulsive, obsessive kinda girl. You know, your average drama queen. But, hey - I wear crowns well.
It's only day two, but perhaps the cryotherapy is contributing to a better balance.
Overview:
It's early in the cumulative cryotherapy experiment, but I'm hopeful. One thing that I noticed was that I did not feel the cold as much today. My temps were between -220° and -250° for my three minutes and I remained comfortable. Another person did not have that same impact for her second day, she was cold and was counting down the seconds, so this seems to be specific to me. I'm feeling good, energetic, focused, calm and balanced. Most of those words do not generally describe me, so let's call day two a success.
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