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.