I’ve been doing trying to do yoga daily since my surgical recovery started in June, 2009.

The current problem is that coughing fits related to a bout of food poisoning around Thanksgiving seriously aggravated my new peristomal hernia – which impacted curtailed my yoga practice. These days, I’m limited by abdominal discomfort to simple breathing exercises, stretches, a modified Sun Salutation series on a really good day.

The intraoperative radiation I received as part of my 2008 surgery has bitten me, hard, with neuropathy in my left foot – neuropathy that flares if I stand too long, walk too far, or try to climb too many stairs. Reiki has helped manage the neuropathy, but when it gets a head of steam on, the pain extends all the way up the back of my left leg and ends at my left butt cheek. Not pleasant to stand. Not pleasant to sit. Not pleasant to move. In fact, when that kicks in, meditation in a laying-down position is just about the only thing that will get me through the night. Cold makes it worse. Did I mention that central NY has been in a deep freeze (under 20 degrees) for most of the week prior to Christmas, and that the temps just broke into the high 30s today?

I know, I know – all of these things are impediments. And/Or excuses.

But I have to find a way to continue to be active.

So today, I did a yoga practice – sitting on the floor, legs extended. It was mainly stretching, but it was a practice, holding poses and being conscious of breathing for 15 minutes, no matter how much it hurt to stay motionless.

And then, I did a little hip-hop along with one of the FitTV exertron women. Not much – just 10 minutes of loose dancing. The dogs and I took a long, full circuit of the property walk this morning, and we’ll be taking full-circuit walks as often as we can, barring deep snow or ice-covered sidewalks. I can’t risk a fall, and I can’t tramp through deep snow anymore either. Ice is the most dangerous – balancing while holding two dogs who might be heading in different directions can get too tricky to handle.

But I keep looking harder and harder at the Wii Fit – and telling myself that there are at least a dozen other ways I should spend $350 (console, $199, balance board and Wii Fit, another $150.) Maybe there will be ways I can figure out how to (safely) use my Pilates Performer. Maybe using my stepper for 5 minutes every day won’t be too hard with my numb left foot. Maybe it’s time to bring my folding XL Glider downstairs and see if walking weightless is less painful.

I dunno. I have to take another tack – ’cause what I’m doing ain’t working!