Middle Ground

There has to be some middle ground somewhere. I am one of those people who usually goes all or nothing. The back issues just never go away. After not doing my "stretching" exercises for a while I thought I really must do them. I mean really, the back thing is aggravating. I also thought I might as well start riding my stationary bike again. The last couple of years I have required more chocolate than I should have. Well you understand. So I went on the "I am going to get back to where I was and even better" routine. I added four more stretching exercises, ones that still would not cause a strain on the dumb OA in my back. That made about nine stretching exercises and then I added riding the bike. I decided I should ride a little conservatively so I only rode for twenty minutes at a medium pace. I was doing so good. I was so proud of myself thinking hey I can do this, I can "get back to where I was." Not quite two weeks later I started having this back pain. The stupid one that also makes my left leg hurt. Dang, dang, dang. I knew what was going on. When this happens the only thing to do is stop and rest. Dang. Rest. Yeah I can read, use the computer and knit but the whole time I am doing this there is still the stupid pain. When I went to the doctor yesterday I brought up the "back thing"..... again. So apparently now the stationary bike is off limits. Without support my poor little back just does not want to ride. This is now added to no stairs if there is an elevator available. I am also suppose to get a back brace support to help reduce the stress on my back. Apparently the pool is supposed to be the best thing for me right now. Not the swimmng but basically just walking in the pool doing laps like you would if you were a mall walker. So here is what I have decided. I am not going to "get back where I used to be". I have a new norm and I need to think how I can do what I want to do without wrecking myself anymore than I already have. I want to be able to play with the grandkids so if that means adapting I am going to do it. Now with my personality it will be hard not to do things that I want done because "if I do not do it it won't get done because no one else will do it". But here I am.