If you follow my blog, you may know that I have cerebral palsy and this week has been my first episode of true discomfort and pain probably in six months. My blood pressure continues to improve with my return to a healthy diet.

Being a few days in to whatever this recent situation is, I took it easy on Sunday and struggled with intermittent but intense pain in my lower body yesterday– primarily lower back and hip on my right side and quads on both sides. My legs burned as I tried to stand, and my back and hip would experience searing pain that felt almost electrical if I moved wrong, and no matter what I did I could not ascertain what “wrong” was. I would say my pain level yesterday was about an eight.

Last night, I slathered myself with a sample of Mountain Ice that photographer Joan gave me and went to bed early. (Mountain Ice feels very similar to the Arthritis Relief CBD cream I order from Charlotte’s Web, which I haven’t had to use in months!) I woke every couple hours in pain and had to stretch and rotate.

Little foster cat tripod Louise slept in my armpit with my arm scooped around her all night, which she never does when I am restless. I think she knew I was hurting.

I thought I felt a little better this morning, but very quickly at work the familiar pains returned. Yet, they did not impact my performance as much as they had the day before. I didn’t have the burning in my legs, though I did still experience some shooting pain, especially when I tried to walk after standing at my table for two hours. I would say the pain was about a six today.

And then my poor toe– if you’ve been around my blogs for a while you’ll know I have a toe that burns as well– it started bothering me again for the first time in weeks. I’ve been religious about putting my gel sock on my toe and the irritated, swollen portion of the toe had completely healed. Not any more.

I ended the day at slightly more than 93% of fully performing according to the Stitch Fix metrics, which yesterday I ended at 86% so that pleased me.

I see the chiropractor tomorrow, so I hope her combined chiro/physical therapy brain can offer some insight into what happened. I regretfully canceled the gym for tomorrow as if the trend continues, I don’t want to risk impeding further improvement by overdoing it.

What I ate today:

• 4:30 a.m., one cup Eight of Clock coffee, medium roast, with half and half
• 6 a.m., first breakfast, Kind Breakfast bar, oatmeal peanut butter
• 8:30 a.m., second breakfast, Fage Greek Yogurt with honey
• 11:30 a.m., lunch, overnight protein oats with cacao, peanut butter and chia, banana, an unsweetened latte from the work machine, one peppermint Hershey Kiss
• 4 p.m., herbal iced tea (rooibos)
• 5 p.m., penne with red sauce, three small meatballs, air-fried asparagus

(and about 56 ounces of water)