99 Days: From Couch to Almost Normal Again
A pericarditis journey back to strength and better health (I hope)
Okay, first the disclaimers. I am not a healthcare provider of any sort, nutritionist, physical therapist, or physical trainer. I am simply a chronic pericarditis patient on the cusp of what I hope is my second remission.
Because there are so many more of us suffering from peri these days, due to COVID-19, I felt compelled to share my journey. If you or someone you love has ever been diagnosed with pericarditis, you are one of my people. I hope you’ll follow along here for the duration as I share what is working for me and what is not.
I booked a scuba diving trip for November
I was (am) terrified. I’m a travel writer, so it’s not that I haven’t gone on trips before — several times while in mid-flare. I just beg my doc for a steroid pack to get me back home if things go sideways (learned that on a 2015 trip to Italy, which could have ended badly had I not taken those little white pills along for the ride), make a plan to rest as much as possible, and hope for the best.
What scares me this time, though, is that I feel like I might really have a shot at remission again and don’t want anything to screw that up, including getting ready…
