Daily Routine 4 Evenings

Evening Routine

       Even though I’ve already talked to you about my bedtime meditation/exercise/relaxation program, there’s much that I’ve added and I want you to get the full benefit of a complete and concise description of my routine.

Dinner

ANY Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Kashi Entrée

OR

Lori’s Cappuccino Protein Milk Shake

·       Large plastic mug

·       Blender

·       2 small scoops vanilla or chocolate ice cream

·       2 TBS cappuccino powder

·       1 scoop protein powder

·       1 TBS Benefiber

·       ½ cup skim or 2% milk ( start w/less, add more if needed)

Have attendant get ingredients into blender for you and blend until thick and creamy yet thin enough to drink through straw. Check blood pressure, this meal will definitely lower it. Take all evening vitamins and supplements.

Vitamins & Supplements

·       Vitamin C – 1000 mg

·       Vitamin E – 400 mg

·       Soy isoflavins – 750 mg

·       Red clover – 430 mg

Bedtime Muscle Flexion/Relaxation & Meditation

After getting tucked into bed for the night I begin my muscle flexion/relaxation meditation routine. My attendant makes certain my body is straight and my hips level. Also, all of my ranges of motion exercises have been done and my catheter site has been cleaned and dressed.

I begin with my feet and toes and as I imagine and visualize my feet straightening and toes spreading wide apart, I try with all might to actually make these movements happen. And after a few moments, I can actually FEEL my toes moving! And they really do too, because I’ve shown Eric and Kristi and they both see small movements in my toes AND feet!

Then I move my flexing and relaxing up my body in a somewhat orderly fashion by next flexing my quads ( upper thighs) as tightly as I can while thinking about how hard and strong they used to be. I do 100 repetitions on every muscle I work on. Then I go on to my inner thighs pretending to move to squeeze my heels together until I swear I can feel them touch. Then relax. And once again squeeze, 100 times. Next I think about spreading my legs against heavy weights over and over again. Finally I will push down with my toes to flex my calves and hamstrings. I do this one last because I need to have my feet up to perform all the exercises before it.

Then I move on to my mid-section. Tilting my hips up, pulling my abs in, and trying to lift my knees off the bed; I flex my lower buttocks muscles together as tightly as I can. You are probably asking yourself how can she “tilt her hips, pull in her abs, even think she could lift her knees off the bed let alone flex her buttocks muscles being paralyzed from the chest down?

(to be continued)