OK, there is one disadvantage to taking the guai later in the day...

OK, so as I wrote, I've been taking the guai later in the day so that I could have mornings free of cycling. I'm still at that stage where the guai makes me feel worse instead of better. So, if I have something that needs to get done in the morning, I wait until lunchtime to take the guai, so I can at least have a few productive hours a day. Once the cycling starts, it is soooo much harder to do even simple tasks, such as getting housework done, or focusing on a piece that needs to be written for a freelance client.

Ah, but there is one drawback.

Yesterday, I woke up and I was feeling pretty good. Clear headed. Joints not too stiff. After breakfast, I sat down to get some stories written for a client newsletter. I had some very productive time, which felt awesome. Lunchtime came and went, and I didn't want to stop because good bursts of creativity are still somewhat rare at this stage of cycling. So, I munched on some cheese and nuts at my desk and kept working.

Evening time came and I realized I hadn't taken any pills all day. A good sign to be sure. Had my head started pounding, I would have been reaching for some muscle relaxants, and Tylenol, and Ibuprofen, and Sudafed, and anything else that could help dull the pain.

Ah, but I never remembered to take the guaifenesen either.

Oh well, what's one little missed dose going to do?

Plenty, apparently.

Today, I felt dreadful from the moment I woke up. From the moment I opened my eyes, I knew it was going to be "one of those days." The muscles on the back of my head were clenched so tight, it hurt just to lie on the pillow. Like someone had clubbed me on the back of my head and it was one big bruise.

"Come on, Mommy! Get up!" My son said, tugging on me.

I struggled to comply, but all I could think was: "I'm still exhausted. I want to go back to bed."

I staggered down the hall to the shower. The bottoms of my feet hurt just to walk on them. Not a good sign.

I set the shower as hot as I could stand it, and did my best to stretch out the muscles in my back and neck. After much stretching, and using up almost all of our hot water, I finally was rewarded with a really loud 'CRACK!' out of my neck.

As the day went on, I was able to stretch my neck more and more, and get a couple more satisfying pops and clicks. (Yes, I know chiropractors hate it when you act as your own chiropractor and adjust yourself, but my back and neck need adjusting so often I have to either do it myself, or move in with a chiropractor. Since I'm rather happy with the husband I have, that means I've learned to do these adjustments on my own.)

I wore the stiff neck collar a neurosurgeon had given me two years ago. It takes the weight of my head off of my neck, and allows the muscles to relax.

I put a hot rice pack (some rice tied in a tube sock and heated up in the microwave) on the back of my head.

All of this helped, and along with a whole bunch of over-the-counter painkillers, the headache dulled to a manageable level.

I still felt dead exhausted, and didn't want to move my limbs at all. After trying unsuccessfully all morning to focus on work, I decided to go the gym.

"Well, exercise couldn't possibly make me feel any worse..." I reasoned. Plus, I'll admit my son's constant chatter was irritating my headache, and I thought some time playing with the other kids in the Kids' Club at the gym would do him some good.

I sat down on my favorite exercise bike and set it on the easiest setting.

Owwwww! My leg muscles screamed at being asked to move.

No! No! No! screamed my legs.

You will do this, ordered my mind.

I kept peddling, hoping the pain would diminish as time went on, rather than get worse.

It took about 12 minutes, but finally the pain began to ease. After 20 minutes, it didn't hurt to cycle anymore. After 30 minutes, I could feel the cloud of fatigue lifting. I stayed on the bike for 50 minutes, then did some light weights.

When I left the gym, I still felt like I was having a heavy cycling day, but I felt better, and that was enough.

Still not sure if this was just regular cycling crud causing the heavy symptoms, or the result of missing a guai dose. Either way, I'm glad the day is over and I hope tomorrow will be a better day.