Oops, I Did It Again

Having acquired a figure 8 resistance band recently, I tested it out on my upper body even though I'd bought it to replace the resistance band that I used for my leg exercises. It turned out to be not that suitable for this purpose and I was tempted into using for strengthening my upper body.

This turned out to be a mistake because I quickly aggravated my internal problems in the area behind the breastbone. The pressure increased on my lungs and esophagus and possibly even my heart and the damage may be irreversible. I simply don't know and once again my fragility in the area of the thymus gland is exposed. 

I cannot apply any more stress to that area or the results may be fatal. If I do have a thymic cyst than its rupture could well lead to septicemia. I have to proceed with far more caution. This can well be my New Year's resolution or I may not see another. It is New Year's Eve so I won't make any unrealistic resolutions about exercise regimes.

Exercise Video

Overall my physical activity has focused mainly on working around the house which is demanding enough on my diminishing strength. I go for the occasional walk but should do this more regularly, although I've noticed that there are indoor walking in place activities that might be more suitable to my situation. The exercise video link above is a good as any to start. I've downloaded it so I can play it on my phone which will make it easier.

Vitamin B12 Dangers

I came across an interesting tweet recently that concerned Vitamin B12 supplements. Here's the content:

Dr. Dennis Walker
@drdenwalker

URGENT: Go to your medicine cabinet right now and look at the type of B12 you are taking. If it says “cyanocobalamin,” any where on the label, then throw it in the trash immediately. Although it the most common form of B12 in the world, cyanocobalamin is a synthetic, man-made form of B12, which includes “hydrogen cyanide." Look for vitamin B12 supplements in the form of adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin, & hydroxycobalamin.

RT for others awareness
Last edited 5:17 AM Nov 25, 2023 1.3M Views

This was interesting because there's a popular B12 supplement that I've taken over the years that has cyanocobalamin in it.

Just another reason not to trust BIG PHARMA, even when vitamin supplements are involved. Here is a link to a YouTube video that discusses the problems associated with cyanocobalamin and that recommends supplements that contain methylcobalamin instead. Many energy drinks contain cyanocobalamin in high amounts as do fortified grains. Here is an excerpt from his comments to the video:

The best form of vitamin B12 is the natural version called methylcobalamin. This version is the active form of vitamin B12 and stays in the body longer than the synthetic versions.

Potential benefits of methylcobalamin:

• It may help improve sleep

• It can decrease the need for sleep

• It can help you wake up feeling alert and refreshed

• It can help you fall asleep faster

• It's great for the nervous system (especially the myelin sheath)

• It supports healthy eyes

• It increases melatonin

• It decreases homocysteine

• It can help regulate cortisol

• It supports the red blood cells

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Not consuming foods high in vitamin B12

• Stomach inflammation

• H. pylori

• Low stomach acid

• Gastric bypass

• Inflammation in the intestines

The Benefits of Tapping

I watched a reel on Instagram by @mikechangofficial in which he expounds on the benefits of tapping. Here is a link to the reel.

I tried it out briefly tonight and it felt good. I should incorporate into my daily exercise regime which is pretty much non-existent at the moment. First thing in the morning would be a good time to get myself kick-started. I have been doing a reasonable amount of gardening which I've found is an inadvertent way of exercising. The constant crouching down and getting up is equivalent to doing full squats and the pushing, pulling and digging is all beneficial. It's important that I keep doing that.

I've been applying a steroid cream to the persistent sore on my lower right back. It's troubled me for well over a year and I usually cover it with a band-aid and forget about it but I happened upon it as a possible remedy. So far I've been applying it for a few days and it's certainly become less sensitive. Here are some details regarding it (courtesy of Bard):

Mometasone furoate cream is a steroid cream that is used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and allergic dermatitis. It works by reducing inflammation, itching, and redness.

Mometasone furoate cream is available in a variety of strengths, and the strength that is right for you will depend on the severity of your skin condition. It is important to use mometasone furoate cream as directed by your doctor, and to not use it for longer than you are prescribed.

Some of the common side effects of mometasone furoate cream include burning, stinging, itching, and dryness of the skin. These side effects are usually mild and go away on their own. However, if you experience any serious side effects, such as skin thinning, skin discoloration, or blistering, stop using the cream and contact your doctor.

Mometasone furoate cream is a safe and effective treatment for a variety of skin conditions. However, it is important to use it as directed by your doctor and to be aware of the potential side effects.

Mometasone furoate cream is usually applied once a day to the affected area of skin. The amount of cream you will need to use depends on the size of the affected area. A pea-sized amount is usually enough to treat an area the size of an adult hand.

You should wash your hands before and after applying the cream. Apply a thin layer of cream to the affected area and rub it in gently until it is completely absorbed. Do not cover the treated area with a bandage or wrap.

Mometasone furoate cream is usually used for 2 to 4 weeks. However, if your skin condition does not improve after 2 weeks, or if it worsens, you should see your doctor.

Here are some additional tips for using mometasone furoate cream:

• Do not use more cream than you need. Using too much cream can increase your risk of side effects.
• Do not apply the cream to your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Do not cover the treated area with a bandage or wrap unless your doctor tells you to.
• Do not use the cream for more than 4 weeks without talking to your doctor.

While I'm reluctant to use medications like this, I'm sure that this is what a doctor would have prescribed for me and fortunately I was able to obtain it over the counter at a local pharmacy. The sore is located in a site that is impossible to view and so I'm reliant on an outside observer to report on changes in its appearance.

Overall I'm feeling stronger than I when I first returned to Jakarta about three weeks ago. Soon after my arrival, I began cleaning up the back garden but found the heat and humidity very tiring. Perhaps I worked too hard for too long too soon. I've scaled back my efforts now and do a little each day.

The lifting of pots however, has irritated my  umbilicus but it's not too bad. I haven't done much walking but I don't want to overdo things. Gardening is enough at the moment. Once the garden has been tamed, I can resume some walking - ideally of a morning. I haven't weighed myself in a while but I feel "heavy" so I should begin monitoring it again.

Otitis Media Effusion

Otitis Media Effusion (OME) or middle ear fluid is the most common cause of hearing loss in children. It affects approximately 2.2 million children in the United States each year and can result from a blocked or malfunctioning Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. OME can cause discomfort, fullness in the ear, and temporary hearing loss. It is often diagnosed by the presence of fluid behind the tympanic membrane without signs of inflammation or infection. 

Figure 1

A visit to an audiologist yesterday confirmed that this is the problem currently affecting my left ear. For quite a few months now I've noticed the hearing in that ear was diminished and it felt blocked. However, some simple external massage of the eustachian tube seems to have improved the condition and I'm now able to pop my ear drum on the left side, which I couldn't do before. I'm confident that with repeated massage sessions the condition will improve even further.

It's interesting that the audiologist's only suggestion was to visit a GP in order to arrange an appointment to see an ENT specialist. No self help suggestions at all, even though the Internet abounds in them. Another name for OME is "glue ear" and there was a popular procedure for children in the 1980's which involved inserting so-called grommets (little tubes) into the tympanic membrane in order to drain away the fluid (glue).

Disintegrating Teeth

Somewhat disconcertingly, the incisor with the hole in it on the upper right side of my mouth, totally disintegrated during the night. I only realised the loss when I was having a coffee and croissant at a local cafe this morning. Presumably, I swallowed the fragments and fortunately didn't choke to death.

While I still have enough teeth to get by, I can't help but speculate how many more will disintegrate in the coming months or years. Anyway, tomorrow I turn 74.5 years old. On that day, I'll be exactly 27214 days old and I'm beginning to feel very old.

Something Amiss

Figure 1 shows a record of my activity over the past few days generated by a pedometer app:

Figure 1

As can be seen, Thursday marked the day when I overextended myself and I spent the following three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) recovering. I did not go for an intentional walk on any of those days. Today, Monday the 2nd October 2023, I did go for an intentional walk although at a very leisurely path. I even rested for awhile on two park benches.

Despite the slow walk, I found that toward the end of my journey my left arm was becoming quite numb. This is not due to an impending heart attack because I've often noticed this before on my walks but never to such a severe degree. On my return home, I promptly took myself to bed for a couple of hours and just rested, lapsing briefly into a dream state. I'd had a good night's sleep and wouldn't normally have been fatigued after such a walk.

In bed, the joint in the pinkie on my right hand began to pain me for a while. Once I got up, I had some lunch and because I was chewing on the right side, I began to experience a dull ache in the teeth there that fortunately subsided quickly. My teeth and gums have almost returned to normal, which is to say I still have a gaping hole where a molar had been on my left side and a hole in one of the incisors on my right side. SNAFU as one might say.

It seems clear that even mild activity is a little much for my body to bear at the moment. My chest discomfort has returned a week or more ago. I'm coming up to the fifth anniversary of when I first noticed the problem. Getting back to being quickly overcome by fatigue, the issue is whether the normal deterioration caused by age is the culprit or whether some other factor is at work. Much as I dislike any medical scrutiny, it might be wise to have a blood test. We'll see. I'll continue to monitor my condition.

Teeth Trouble

There is a hole in one of my upper teeth on the right side. Up until recently it hadn't caused me any trouble but a few days ago it started up in the middle of the night and worsened over the next day or so. I needed to take some Panadol to ease the discomfort. At the same time, the gaping hole where a tooth used to be on the upper left side of my mouth also become inflamed. I was having difficulty eating.

I suspect I walked too far on the day preceding my oral woes but I can't remember the exact chronology. Nowadays, when I push my body too far, I seem to suffer a general collapse. Today, after a couple of days of not walking, my teeth troubles have largely subsided. I have to accept that my body is not what it used to be and I have to "exercise" more caution.

Now that I'm 74 years old, in fact 74.5 years old on October 6th, I have to change my ways and exercise in smaller "chunks". I've written about this before but not really practised it. I need to view the entire day as an exercise opportunity and find what works and what doesn't. I need to be more in touch with my body and view it as something to be bullied into doing my bidding.

This approach worked when I was younger but not anymore. I need to be kind to my body. The discomfort induced by overexertion is a strong motivator. Of course, I worry sometimes that I'm being overtaken by some insidious disease and eventually I may well be. However, the more I listen to my body, the less likely this is to happen.

Treadmill Excesses

A couple of days ago I spent an hour on the treadmill walking at a rate of 5km per hour. Toward the end of my session, I became increasingly fatigued and once I finished I was not feeling well. I came down with flu-like symptoms that were intense enough to prompt me to take two paracetamol tablets. My condition has gradually improved but I still feel far from normal.

Perhaps the events of a couple of day before my treadmill overexertion are relevant. I imbibed too much red wine one evening and blacked out toward the end of my drinking session. By blacked out I mean I don't remember doing what I did until told by others. What I did was quite mundane. For example, vegetarian pizza was ordered but I have no recollection of eating it. This was my only serious drinking session since New Year's Eve where I had a similar black out. It seems that once I consume more that one bottle of wine I'll have a blackout.

This never used to be the case so something is going on metabolically. Here is what I asked Bard:

Why do people who drink too much alcohol sometimes forget what they did during their intoxication, even though they are awake and acting more or less normally.

Alcohol affects the brain in a number of ways, including disrupting the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory formation. When a person drinks too much alcohol, the hippocampus can become impaired, making it difficult to form new memories. This is what causes alcohol-induced blackouts.

In a blackout, a person may be awake and acting more or less normally, but they will not form memories of the events that happened during the blackout. This is because the hippocampus is not able to store new memories while the blood alcohol level is high.

The amount of alcohol that it takes to cause a blackout varies from person to person. Some people may experience blackouts after drinking only a few drinks, while others may be able to drink more without experiencing a blackout. There are a number of factors that can affect a person's risk of experiencing a blackout, including their age, weight, gender, and the speed at which they drink.

The day following my blackout I felt quite vacuous, not physically ill but just kind of psychologically blank. This feeling hasn't really left me and my body is still sore from my back and leg injuries. Though these injuries are gradually fading, I still feel vaguely "fluey". A change has come over me that's hard to quantify. It's just a feeling that all is not as it once was.

Precognitive Dream

One could well ask what a precognitive dream has to do with "staying healthy" but there is a connection as will be seen once I've told my tale. Let's begin with the dream. I'm looking at a street corner where a large dog in lying on its side and there are people around. I wonder what's happened. That was it. 

The next day I walked to Coles, a distance of a couple of kilometres, where I bought some groceries and headed back home. On the way back, my right leg pretty much gave up on me and I had to hobble home looking like an old guy who'd had a stroke. Close to home and opposite the local vet clinic, I sat down on a seat and gathered my resources for the one hundred metres or so that I had left to walk. I was in a bad way.

As I sat there, I looked to my right and there on the nearby corner, opposite the vet clinic, a golden retriever was lying on its side with a woman standing beside the dog. She was holding a pram and just standing there. Presently, a guy came out of the vet shop, picked it up and carried it back to the shop.

Now that's a sight you don't see everyday and what struck me like a thunderbolt was that it was virtually a rerun of my dream of the night before. In the dream I was about the same distance off just watching the scene. The next day, I was sitting on a bench and feeling like what the poor dog might have been feeling. I just wasn't able to go on and thought about phoning and asking to be picked up.

Lately, it seems that every time I say I'm getting better, I suddenly get worse. I'm currently hobbling about and finding locomotion quite difficult. I'm alright if I'm lying on the bed, sitting down or not moving around. My right leg is not weight supporting and my lumbar region is still causing significant discomfit.

What's remarkable however, is the dream and my precognition. Should I draw any deep meaning from the experience? I don't know. Let's see how my recovery goes over the next few days. One thing is for sure: my body is clearly in need of regular maintenance and repair. 

Lumbago

For some reason, the word "lumbago" popped into my head to describe the condition that has afflicted me for some days now since I did some gardening work that involved my needing to bend forward continually while sitting on a low stool. Even while working, I had difficulty straitening up when I got up off the stool from time to time. This sustained strain on my lower back had its consequences and was exacerbated when I did some further gardening work that didn't involve bending forward but did put some strain on my lower back. 

I asked Bard to explain what lumbago was and it seems to describe my current ailment:

Lumbago is a common term for sudden or long-lasting pain in the lower back. It is often caused by muscle strain or injury, but it can also be caused by other conditions, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or spinal stenosis.

The pain of lumbago is usually felt in the lower back, but it can sometimes radiate to the buttocks, thighs, or legs. The pain is often worse when standing up or bending over, and it can make it difficult to walk or move around.

Lumbago is usually not serious and goes away on its own within a few weeks. However, it can be very painful and debilitating while it lasts. Treatment for lumbago usually involves rest, pain medication, and physical therapy.

Here are some of the causes of lumbago:

Muscle strain or injury: This is the most common cause of lumbago. It can happen when you lift something heavy, twist your back suddenly, or sit in a bad position for a long time.

Arthritis: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints. It can affect the joints in your back and cause pain and stiffness.

Osteoporosis: This is a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. It can make you more likely to suffer a back injury, which can lead to lumbago.

Spinal stenosis: This is a condition that narrows the spaces in your spine. It can put pressure on the nerves in your back and cause pain.

If you are experiencing lumbago, it is important to see a doctor to rule out any serious underlying conditions. Treatment for lumbago usually involves rest, pain medication, and physical therapy. In some cases, surgery may be necessary.

Here are some tips to help prevent lumbago:

Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight puts extra strain on your back.

Strengthen your core muscles: Strong core muscles help support your back and prevent injuries.

Stretch regularly: Stretching helps to keep your muscles flexible and reduce your risk of injury.

Lift with your legs, not your back: When lifting something heavy, bend your knees and keep your back straight.

Avoid sitting for long periods of time: Get up and move around every 20-30 minutes.

Use good posture: When standing or sitting, keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.

The good news is that the pain is easing and I'm to move about more easily. I don't think I've done any permanent damage. My mistake was to do too much too soon. These lower back muscles were simply not ready for the sustained strain that I was putting on them. I still haven't learned the lesson that my body is no longer able to adapt suddenly to new stresses that are imposed upon it.

Here is a little about the etymology of the word "lumbago":

The word "lumbago" is derived from the Latin word "lumbus", which means "loins" or "lower back". It was first used in English in the 16th century to describe pain in the lower back.

The word "lumbus" is also the root of the word "lumbar", which refers to the lower back. The lumbar region is the part of the spine that is located between the thoracic region (the middle back) and the sacral region (the lower back).

I do need to allot some time to regular exercises that involve stretching of the muscles in the lumbar area but first I need to let the muscles in that area heal. 

Umbilicus

Recently I was troubled by discomfort in my umbilicus that has never been the same since it was perforated in the course of my gall bladder operation back in mid-2016. The surgery was keyhole and four perforations were made in my body. The diagram below is not my umbilicus but it resembles it.

Fortunately the discomfort dissipated within a couple of days but it's quite unpleasant while it's active. I don't know what brings an attack on but at least it's relatively transient. Many people suffer from umbilical hernias and mine is very mild. I need to reduce the amount of fatty tissue around my waist so that the pressure on my umbilicus is reduced. I also need to avoid any heavy lifting. Hopefully I can avoid surgery.

The discomfort in my chest also dissipated during my recent visit to Sydney where the temperature was higher but now that I've returned to Melbourne the discomfort has returned. It's worse than it was before. Cold is definitely not a friend of thymomas or thymic cysts.

On a positive note, I did a lot of walking in Sydney and will continue to chalk up the kilometres here I hope. I've yet to resume my leg stretching or hand strengthening exercises since arriving in Australia some weeks ago. I don't know why I stopped but I've noticed that once I do, it's difficult to start again. All that can be done is to start again and once started, I tend to continue. 

My weight has decreased to 74.2 kg, down from 74.7 kg on the 5th July. That's a half kilogram drop in a little over two weeks. I'll try to get down to around 72 kg.

The Big Freeze

Arriving in Melbourne in the depth of its winter and during a particularly cold snap has not proved good for my health. While I did do some walking upon arrival, I found that the cold was affecting my chest and so I've abandoned all forms of exercise. I definitely function better in the tropics and I'm looking forward to returning there.

This is the worst shape I've been in since my affliction emerged toward the end of 2018. Even moving about the city proved too much for me yesterday and I was struggling to make it back home. Since then I've spent most the time sleeping. The fact that I breathe through my mouth exacerbates the problem as the cold air enters my lungs directly whereas via the nose the air has a chance to warm up a little. When I consciously breathe through my nose, I find things are better.

There's so little information available about my condition and I'm not really sure what my condition is. My research leans toward thymoma or thymic cyst but most probably the latter as I have a long history of cysts on head and, as I only learned in 2015, cysts on my liver. "14% of patients with thymic cysts also had hepatic cysts" (see earlier post titled Thymoma or Thymic Cyst) and so there is clearly a correlation between the two. 

Hopefully, the temperatures will be warmer in Sydney in a week's time when we visit and on our return to Melbourne five days later. If this sees an improvement in my condition, then it will be strong evidence that low temperatures exacerbate my condition and are best avoided in the future. On an unrelated note, I weighed in yesterday at 74.7kg. This is the first time that I've weighed myself in a while and this weight isn't too bad considering my recent lack of exercise.

Staying Sick

I first showed signs of coming down with a cold on the evening of May 28th and it's now June 16th. I'm still coughing and bringing up phlegm. This is almost three weeks since the onset. It seems likely that I have a condition called walking pneumonia that is described on this site as: 

Walking pneumonia is a mild form of pneumonia. Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes your airways to swell, the air sacs in your lungs to fill with mucus and other fluids, a high fever and a cough with mucus. If you have walking pneumonia, you may feel well enough to walk around and carry out daily tasks without realizing you have pneumonia. “Walking pneumonia” is the common term for atypical pneumonia.

The same site goes on to say that:

The main differences between walking pneumonia and “regular” pneumonia are that walking pneumonia is milder and it usually doesn’t require bed rest or hospitalization. Anyone can get walking pneumonia. You’re more likely to get walking pneumonia if you are two years or younger or are 65 years or older. Walking pneumonia is common. The number of cases fluctuates, usually spiking every three to seven years. Walking pneumonia can occur at any time of the year. However, it occurs most often during the fall and winter. If you have walking pneumonia as a result of a virus or another cause, you have to let the illness run its course. Walking pneumonia is mild and can usually go away on its own without treatment. Walking pneumonia may last from four to six weeks. A cough is usually the longest-lasting walking pneumonia symptom.

This diagnosis seems to conform with my symptoms, the origin was most probably viral and brought home from University by my granddaughter. She recovered quickly as did my wife who was also infected but who is still under sixty. However, my ageing immune system has been battling to fight off the infection.

Naturally I'm concerned that my condition may worsen once I arrive in Melbourne on the 21st June and have to confront the depth of the city's winter. Hopefully my current cough will have disappeared by then. International air travel however, is stressful and puts a strain on the immune system but a recrudescence is possible. 

On the positive side, I have fashioned a new stretch band to replace the one that disappeared and I've resumed my leg exercises. I've also been walking most days and so things aren't so bad.

Getting Sick Again

Oh dear. I wrote fatefully on May 31st that I was starting to recover from my virus attack but things promptly took a turn for the worst for the next three days. I was able to do very little. I developed a wracking cough and an overwhelming lethargy so that I slept for most of the time. It's was only  on June 4th that I could say I'd recovered.

Definitely, transiting Ceres sitting on the cusp of my sixth house was a clear reflection in the outer world of the psycho-physical activity in my inner world that led to my illness. So today, June 5th, I took my first morning walk in a week, proceeding at what for me was a leisurely pace. All I can do is begin again. Pick up where I left off.

Of course, I've misplaced my stretch band that I used for my leg exercises and so I need to either find it or find a replacement. I'm getting sick of getting sick but soon enough I'll transcend illness. While still inhabiting a physical body however, I wish there was a mental technique to distance myself from the suffering for its duration. Perhaps there is. I remember my yoga teacher of fifty years again (Elsa Gartenstein I think her name was) claimed she underwent dental procedures without anesthesia.

Getting Well

I'm off the Panadol now and on the road to recovery, although I'm still fatigued and have spent a lot of time sleeping. My granddaughter succumbed to something similar so she may have brought it back from her university where she says many students are coughing and sneezing. It's hard to know. 

As ChatGPT says:

In Western astrology, the sixth house is commonly associated with health matters, including sickness and ill-health. The sixth house represents issues related to physical well-being, daily routines, work, service, and hygiene. It governs matters such as general health, illnesses, injuries, chronic conditions, and overall physical vitality.

When analyzing a birth chart, astrologers often examine the condition of planets in the sixth house and any aspects they form with other planets. This can provide insights into an individual's health, potential health issues, and their approach to maintaining well-being.

Looking at my transits, it can be seen that the transiting Moon had just entered my sixth house, passing over transiting Ceres as it did. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: transits to my natal chart at
6:29 pm on Monday night

Right now, the transiting Moon is almost at my seventh house cusp and I'm starting to recover. Of course, the Moon passes through my sixth house every month and I normally don't get sick. Perhaps the T-square formed by transiting Neptune opposite transiting Ceres and the Moon with natal Uranus at the apex was the trigger. Again, it's hard to know. My immune system had been weakened already due to my overexertion of some days earlier, as described in my blog post Overdoing It Yet Again.

I've not done any exercise since becoming ill. Perhaps I'll be feeling strong enough to go for a walk tomorrow. We'll see. I intend to proceed slowly. I've managed to misplace my stretch band and may need to purchase or requisition a fresh pair of pantyhose (from which I shaped my previous stretch band).

Getting Sick

I felt the onset of a cold last night and took some Panadol at 6 pm and again just before midnight. It's now 5 am and I may take another dose after my morning walk. My illness supports the notion that the cold virus, as with many other viruses, is always inside us. It only takes a shock to the body in the form of my recent overexertion to weaken the immune system and allow the virus to replicate. To my knowledge, I haven't had any close contact with anyone who was ill.

I haven't been sleeping all that regularly lately which hasn't helped. I don't like taking any medication but I always reach for the Panadol Green when cold symptoms arise. Here is what ChatGPT had to say about Dextromethorphan:

Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a medication commonly used as a cough suppressant. It belongs to a class of drugs known as antitussives. Here are some key points about dextromethorphan:

Purpose: Dextromethorphan is primarily used to relieve coughing. It helps to suppress the cough reflex by acting on the brain's cough center.

Over-the-Counter Availability: Dextromethorphan is available over the counter in many countries, often found in various cough and cold medications. It is commonly found in syrup or capsule form, sometimes combined with other ingredients such as expectorants or decongestants.

Effects: When taken as directed, dextromethorphan is generally safe and effective in relieving coughing. It can provide temporary relief from persistent or irritating coughs.

Recreational Use: Dextromethorphan can produce psychoactive effects when taken in large doses or in ways not recommended. Some individuals misuse or abuse dextromethorphan for recreational purposes, seeking its dissociative or hallucinogenic effects. This is known as "robotripping" or "dexing." Misuse of dextromethorphan can be dangerous and should be avoided.

Dosage and Precautions: It is essential to follow the recommended dosage instructions and guidelines provided on the medication packaging. Taking excessive amounts of dextromethorphan can lead to adverse effects, including dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and in rare cases, even more severe reactions. It is important to be cautious and consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.

Drug Interactions: Dextromethorphan may interact with certain medications, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and other substances that affect serotonin levels. These interactions can lead to a potentially serious condition called serotonin syndrome. It is important to inform your healthcare provider about any medications or substances you are taking before using dextromethorphan.

As with any medication, it is advisable to read and follow the instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer and consult a healthcare professional if you have any questions or concerns about the use of dextromethorphan.

Here is what ChatGPT had to say about Pseudoephridrine HCl:

Pseudoephedrine HCl is a medication that belongs to the class of drugs known as decongestants. It is commonly used to relieve nasal congestion caused by various conditions, such as allergies, sinusitis, or the common cold. Here are some key points about pseudoephedrine HCl:

Decongestant Properties: Pseudoephedrine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which means it narrows the blood vessels in the nasal passages. By doing so, it helps reduce swelling and congestion, making it easier to breathe through the nose.

Over-the-Counter Availability: Pseudoephedrine is available over the counter in many countries, often found in combination with other ingredients in cold and allergy medications. It is typically available as tablets or capsules.

Nasal Congestion Relief: Pseudoephedrine is primarily used to relieve nasal congestion, including stuffy or blocked nose symptoms associated with respiratory conditions. It can help alleviate discomfort and improve breathing.

Duration of Action: Pseudoephedrine's effects typically last for a few hours, providing temporary relief from congestion. The duration can vary depending on the formulation and individual response.

Potential Side Effects: While pseudoephedrine is generally safe for most people when used as directed, it can cause side effects in some individuals. Common side effects may include increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, and dry mouth. It is important to adhere to the recommended dosage and consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.

Legal Considerations: Pseudoephedrine is a regulated substance due to its potential use in the illicit production of methamphetamine. In many countries, it is sold behind the pharmacy counter or subject to purchase restrictions to control its distribution and prevent misuse.

It is important to read and follow the instructions and warnings provided by the manufacturer and consult a healthcare professional if you have any questions or concerns about the use of pseudoephedrine HCl. They can provide personalized advice based on your specific health needs and any medications you may be taking.

Panadol is a brand name for paracetamol and its analgesic and antipyretic effects are well known. Of course I'm mindful that "taking excessive amounts of paracetamol can be harmful and may cause liver damage". I was diagnosed with a fatty liver back in 2009, during a medical checkup but never found about it until 2015 when I read the medical report. 

After my gall bladder removal in 2016, my liver function test came back normal so that was a positive. It would be interesting to know if I still have a fatty liver after many years of sobriety but I don't want to submit to any medical procedures unless I have to. Hopefully I'll be well again soon and can discontinue the use of this medication.

Overdoing It Yet Again

On September 17th 2022, I created a post titled Overdoing It and, well, the day before yesterday I overdid it yet again. I'd gone for an early morning walk and late in the afternoon my granddaughter was keen to go for a walk and so I joined her. However, for some odd reason, I set a blistering pace and paid the price.

Physics Humour

When I got back home, I almost immediately crashed and slept from about 5:30pm to midnight. I felt very weak when I did wake up and my chest was especially painful, even though I'd not done anything to aggravate it via lifting or pushing. This was a surprise and now, after a day of rest, I feel relatively fine. The finer I feel, the more inclined I am to push my physical limits. I still find it difficult to accept the limitations that my body is imposing on me.

If I persist in these recurrent over-exertions, it's likely that I'll simply drop dead sooner or later. What I should have done with my granddaughter is to have gone for a leisurely walk. As it was, she was struggling to keep up with me and she is twenty years old. A kind of madness overtakes me. Sometimes I even want to jog but I resist the temptation. I should be thankful that my 74 year old body has lasted this long and treat it more kindly.

Meanwhile I continue with my leg exercises every day, except when I'm recovering from my excesses, and I've added some balancing exercises. My neck swiveling is repeated several times during the day and I see this as very important. My thymoma, if that's what it is, flares up whenever I overdo things and provides a challenge to my powers of self healing. I believe I could heal myself if I could focus my awareness on my body via regular and intense meditation sessions. 

However, I exist largely in my head and my relationship with my body is not a harmonious one. I want my body to obey the demands I place on it and so it is a sort of master and slave relationship. Alas, the slave is growing weaker and more weary and soon the master will have no slave to command. Instead of doom scrolling on the Internet for a goodly portion of the day, I'd do better to extend the duration and frequency of gentle exercise and include some meditation or mindfulness sessions.

By the latter I mean, simply sitting and witnessing the activity of the mind and body and not being caught up in the flurry of thoughts that is constantly erupting in my head. Such activity needs to be made a part of my daily activity. Staying healthy, as this blog is titled, is not just above being physically healthy. Body and psyche are intertwined.

Walking the Walk

I've been walking fairly regularly lately, missing the odd day here and there but no often. The circuit I walk is a distance of 2.3 kilometers and today I timed myself, roughly, at 26 minutes. This gives a walking rate of 5.3 kilometers per hour which is regarded as a brisk pace.

I completed this walk early in the morning, about 7am, but felt fatigued for the rest of the day. I just had to lay down on several occasions. Perhaps I'm walking a bit too fast. I can ease off the pace a bit and still achieve an acceptable speed of 5 kilometers an hour. I need to experiment a little.

I weighed myself this evening and came in at a hefty 76.1 kilograms which is the heaviest I've weighed since my teaching days. It wasn't all that long ago that I weighed in regularly at about 66 kilograms. This translates to a BMI of 23.99. I don't feel overweight but I am nudging the edge of the healthy BMI range:

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy weight range for adults, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, a BMI of 23.99 falls within the healthy weight range.

My recent regular intake of freshly prepared fruit juices fortified with oak milk may have contributed to my weight gain. I should perhaps just add water to the juices. I really would like to get back down to about 72 kilograms and this should be achievable if I start weighing myself regularly again.

I'm regularly completing my hand strength exercises and leg exercises and have added some balance and flexibility exercises as well. My suspected thymoma has been playing up a little lately but this is normal whenever I exhaust myself like I've been doing. 

I need to add more exercises to my daily routine without overburdening myself. Posting regularly to this blog is a way to reflect on my progress. As I've said before, this should be the blog to which I post most regularly but such alas is not the case. So let's include the above data points:

Date: Friday, May 12th 2023

Weight: 76.1 kg at 9pm

Walking speed: 2.3 km in 26 minutes --> 5.3 km/hr.

Resting pulse rate: 66 beats per minute

Hitting 74

I continue to ignore this blog and have wracked up the following totals for the first quarter of 2023 on this and other blogs:

• Mathematical Meanderings: 43 posts
• Pedagogical Posturing: 12 posts
• Mystical Meanderings: 6 posts
• Alternative Media: 6 posts
• Astrological Meanderings: 4 posts
• AstroWatch: 3 posts
• Staying Healthy: 1 post

As usual, this blog relating to my physical health is rock bottom. So what's the state of play as regards my health? What am I doing to stay fit? What do I weigh? I've taken to walking around the block on most days. I should measure the distance and the time it takes as I used to do back in Oz, after my retirement and enforced stay in that former penal colony. 

I do my leg stretches using the same pantihose that I pilfered from Sabina some years ago now. I try to keep my neck muscles flexible and break up the little spurs to seem to sprouting from the vertebrae. I weigh around 73 kg which is OK. I do hand squeezes using a device to keep up the strength of my grip.

I spend a large part of my life sitting in front of my laptop but I do take breaks, keeping busy with taking out the garbage, gardening and household chores in general. I should be doing more but at least I'm doing something. 

One physical problem that has arisen recently is centered on my umbilicus which can feel very tender if any undue strain is put on it. Even lifting something moderately heavy can trigger it. I used to do abdominal exercises to strengthen this area but I stopped because of the emergence of this problem. I know the groin and umbilicus area weak areas of the human body where hernias can occur.

I think some damage was caused to the umbilical muscles during surgery for the removal of my gall bladder back in 2017. The feeling I get is not really painful but it is oddly disabling as I don't feel like doing anything except to lie down. I seem to get tired more easily these days even after minor physical activity. 

So now that I'm in my 75th year of life, what can I do to improve my physical health? Certainly continuing what I'm doing is a start. That means a brisk walk of about twenty minutes duration most days, leg strengthening exercises and head rotations. It would be good to spend some time each day in a regular exercise routine but I need a suitable environment. 

Ideally, I'd like to turn the downstairs room into an exercise centre, not with exercise machines or anything like that but just a space where I have a mat and maybe soft tiles on which to perform simple exercises. I could have some music playing, a little incense etc. Creating a welcoming vibe would encourage me to establish some sort of routine that might include breathing exercises and meditation.

More time in the garden is also important. Now that a garden seat is arriving, it could be the start of a garden renaissance. This activity is good for my mental as well as my physical health. 

The Morning After

Oh dear. 15 posts to this blog for 2022 compared to 100 for my mathematics blog. It's clear where my priorities are. Nearly all my days are sober nowadays but on New Year's Eve I did cut loose and downed about one and half bottles of wine/champagne. The next morning I felt fine physically but not psychologically. For about three days afterwards, I didn't feel myself psychologically. 

Perhaps my astral body had been knocked out of alignment with its physical counterpart. I didn't feel all that comfortable in my physical body. It was only yesterday, January 4th, that I felt more or less my old self. It wasn't a comfortable experience and I'll think twice before I indulge in the demon drink again anytime soon. Perhaps the link between my astral and physical bodies is more fragile than it used to be in my youth and more easily disrupted.

I do know that I need to be more attentive to my body and more protective of it. To this end I've made my leg strengthening exercises a more or less daily routine along with some full squats and hand grip exercises. I regularly keep my neck flexible by use of appropriate stretches and rotations. I keep busy around the house, going up and down the many steps within it, which proves a good source of exercise in itself. There's a lot more I could do of course but then again any excess on my part is quickly punished. If I do expand my exercise regime, I need to do it by small increments.

My thymoma is quiescent but always present, its effects being felt whenever I put any stress on the area surrounding the solar plexus. When I was heading off to attend a twenty year reunion at a school I used to teach at, I was feeling a little nervous and had an attack of gastric reflux which was unusual for me. This might or might not have been related to the thymoma. Sometimes I forget about it altogether, for a day or two at least.

I keep clipping health articles that I come across to Pocket. I should review some of the articles here while I'm at it. Here's one that caught my attention (link):

Minute-long bursts of vigorous exercise during daily tasks linked with lower risk of death: study

“A few very short bouts totalling three to four minutes a day could go a long way, and there are many daily activities that can be tweaked to raise your heart rate for a minute or so.”

I've long believed this to be true but still fail to practise it because of an ingrained belief that I have to embark on an "exercise session" which I habitually procrastinate about undertaking. If only I could regularly undertake a brief burst of activity whenever the idea of doing so came to mind. 

This site is useful in providing specific burst activities and helpful diagrammatic summaries:

Some exercises, involving bending over, are not suitable for me. When I do this, I really feel the effects of the thymoma putting pressure on things. I'm lucky that the house I live in has so many steps, as this means that even normal movement around the house involves exercise.