Back on the Band

For the first time in over a month I did my leg strengthening exercises using my make-shift stretch band. This has always been an important part of my very limited exercise regime but my health has been so fragile over the past month that I eshewed even that basic exercise. However, I felt strong enough to resume but I have to be circumspect and not overdo it. A couple of days ago I actually went for a walk around the block for the first time in well over a month. Afterwards I felt very tired but apart from the fatigue there were no consequences.

Of course it is still a mystery as to what was wrong with me. It may have been the sourdough bread and even if it wasn't, I don't want to risk a recrudescence of my earlier symptoms. Sourdough bread is definitely off the menu now and forever. If I do suffer a recurrence of my symptoms then the culprit is most likely BAM but I'm hoping that it's not. Meanwhile I can enjoy my good health and keep my fingers crossed.

My departure to Australia is looking more like mid-June now which is close to the June 22nd danger date that I predicted earlier in the year. Of course by that time the biting cold of a Melbourne winter may have taken its toll and I'll be sick as predicted. However, my departure is at least a month away so let's see what happens in the interim. Hopefully I can stay healthy.

Oscillatory Exercises

It really is time to get serious about my health. I've made 139 posts on my mathematical blog as of the 18th November this year which is about 12 posts per month. By contrast I've made 19 posts to this blog so far in 2024 which is equivalent to about 1.5 posts per month. I need to experiment with different exercise regimes and nutritional supplements and see which ones stick.

Advice from old people is especially valuable obviously and a case in point is the concept of oscillatory exercises promoted by some silly old bald bastard like myself with a YouTube channel called I AM LONGEVITY. 

In a video titled Oscillatory Exercises: How To Keep Your Muscles, Joints, Tendons, And Ligaments Young, he says the following:

In this video, I discuss a novel exercise training method called "Oscillatory Training." 

Oscillatory training involves rapid, small-range movements where muscles contract and relax quickly. This type of training enhances neuromuscular performance, strength, power, and coordination by accelerating the relaxation of antagonistic muscles and improving force production. The exercises often involve pulsing actions that engage muscles continuously, promoting improved muscle engagement and athleticism.

In addition,  this type of training protects and strengthens ligaments, tendons, joints, and muscles. And helps them work as a team when needed. 

Furthermore, this specialized training helps recruit and active all the motor units, including the slow and fast, and their corresponding muscle fibers, including Type 2a and Type 2x fast-twitch muscle fibers.

I also show you some sample exercises you can incorporate into your regimen. Oscillatory Training is a primary reason I have good mobility, balance, coordination, and much more, even in my 60s.

Enjoy the video!!!!

As he explains in his video, the idea of oscillatory exercises involves quick movement within a narrow range and does not involve full stretching. I like the idea and just have to develop some ways to incorporate it into an exercise session without overdoing it and injuring myself. This activity is more in keeping with real life movement rather than say slow stretching exercises where is strive to increase our range of motion. In oscillatory exercises, the range is deliberately restricted and quick repetitions are carried out.

Cracked Rib and Other Ailments

Leaning into a garbage bin to retrieve a rock that had tumbled in along with the garden refuse that I was discarding, resulted in a pronounced crunch that left me feeling that my one or more of my lower ribs had cracked. I don't know for sure if it has but the area remains very tender and I have difficulty in moving from various positions.

A couple of weeks earlier I was suffered for a couple of days with discomfort in the right unguinal area after a lot of up and down movement in the garden. I didn't have any herniation but the sudden onset of symptoms was a bit of a shock. The decrease in the strength of my leg muscles is disturbing. Today I was bending over repeatedly and putting all the weight on my right leg as I plucked out grass shots from the wood chip in the garden. I soon found that the leg was becoming fatigued.

Gardening has the benefit of making one realise where the weaknesses are in ones body. The unguinal discomfort and today's rapid onset of fatigue in the leg muscles remind me that I need to do a lot more strengthening exercises for my legs. I have started doing some regular isometric exercises for my upper body and a little for my legs. 

As I do so, other problems emerge such as discomfort in the bony protuberances on my hands and elbows. The latter is termed the medial epicondyle (the bony bump on the inner side of the elbow) joint while the former is the pisiform bone. To quote: 

Pain and tenderness on the palmar and ulnar aspects of the wrist in the area of the pisiform bone is fairly common. Chronic pain in the pisiform area may be due to tendinitis of the insertion of the flexor carpi ulnaris, bony fractures or osteoarthrosis of pisotriquetral joint which is the second most common degenerative arthritis in wrist after the scaphotrapezial osteoarthrosis. Source.

My right shoulder continues to bother me, especially when lying horizontal in bed. If I raise my upper body a little using two pillows, the pain subsides. The discomfort from my thymoma is ongoing but only manifests when getting out of bed or doing stretching movements. This and these other disabilities don't encourage exercise but I need to persevere nonetheless or I'm to find myself increasingly incapacitated.

A few days ago I weighed in at 70.8 kilograms and in fact over these past months I've been hovering around 71 kilograms. If I drop below 70 kilograms, it will assuredly be due to sarcopenia so I must strive to maintain muscle mass.

Source

Just as I track the properties of the number associated with my diurnal age EVERYDAY, I should be equally diligent in tracking all exercises and activities associated with my physical health. Should it be a physical diary or an electronic one? What do I track? 

... to be continued.

Tooth Extraction

The decaying canine on the upper right side of my mouth has gone and only a gaping hole remains. So it goes. I had to wait two hours before entering the dentist's surgery but after that it all went smoothely. I fear that there may be more problems ahead but for the time it's all good. Only a few hours after the extraction, I can eat and drink normally.

I have taken the once-a-day pain killer that was prescribed and the fingers of my right hand are feeling a lot more flexible. Whether this is the result of the medication or not remains to be seen. I'm not in any pain so I won't take the medication again and I'll see if the fingers still remain relatively flexible tomorrow. I hope that's the case (see addendum at the end of this post).

Getting rid of the chronic abscess that lurked above my decaying tooth can only have a positive effect on my overall well-being. I've currently been advised by my psychic healer not to eat fried foods, peanut butter, egg yolks, baked beans and a plethora of other foodstuffs. If my stiffness disappears completely, then I can perhaps indulge in some of these forbidden foods again if the prohibitions can be at least relaxed in the future.

My umbilicus remains sensitive and this inhibits me from doing any exercises that put a strain on that area and my thymoma inhibits me from any exercises that put a strain on the solar plexus area. The stiffness in my hands doesn't help and so overall my upper body is slowly atrophying due to sarcopenia. I need to develop an exercise regime that maintains muscle mass in my upper body without exacerbating my existing sensitivities.

Walking regularly helps to thwart sarcopenia in the leg muscles but additionally I need to return to my squats and other leg exercises. Since my fall, I've noticed that my leg muscles have become noticably weaker. I tend to sleep in two sessions nowadays: two or three hours before midnight and then four or five hours beginning from four, five or six in the morning. Currently I weigh around 71 kilograms.

Of course, having completed my course of antibiotics, I need to rebuild my gut biome. To this end, probiotic foods like Kimchi, a spicy fermented Korean cabbage rich in beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus Kimchi, and Kombucha, a fermented tea drink that may contain probiotic bacteria depending on the brand and brewing process. Choose kombucha with unpasteurized and unfiltered varieties for the most potential probiotic benefit.

ADDENDUM 

My fingers remains flexible and no stiffness has returned. I asked Google's Gemini about the pain killing tablet that I took yesterday. Interestingly, the medication is an anti-inflammatory drug as well as having pain-killing properties. The dosage that I took, 120 mg, is quite strong and I may still be feeling its effects. If the stiffness returns then we'll know that I definitely have some sort of chronic inflammatory condition. If it doesn't then I'll be very much relieved. Clearly it's not a drug you would want to take in over a long period of time. Here was Gemini's response to my query:

Etorvel (Etoricoxib) is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to manage pain, inflammation, and stiffness caused by various conditions. Here's a breakdown of key information about Etorvel:

Uses:

Treats pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with:

• Osteoarthritis (wear and tear of joint cartilage)
• Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic inflammatory joint disease)
• Ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of the spine and large joints)
• Gout (sudden and severe joint pain caused by excess uric acid)
• May also be used for short-term relief of moderate pain after dental surgery.

How it Works:

Etoricoxib works by selectively inhibiting an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). COX-2 plays a role in the production of prostaglandins, which contribute to pain, inflammation, and fever. By blocking COX-2, Etoricoxib helps reduce these symptoms.

Dosage and Administration:

Dosage depends on the specific condition being treated, its severity, and the patient's individual needs. Always follow your doctor's instructions for dosage and duration of treatment.

Etorvel is typically available as tablets and is usually taken once daily, with or without food.

Side Effects:

• Common side effects of Etorvel include:
• Stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, indigestion
• Headache, dizziness
• Upper respiratory tract infection
• Fluid retention

Important Considerations:

Risks: Etoricoxib can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and stomach ulcers, especially with high doses or long-term use. It's crucial to discuss these risks with your doctor before starting the medication.

Contraindications: Etoricoxib is not suitable for everyone. Inform your doctor about any allergies (especially to aspirin or other NSAIDs), a history of stomach ulcers, heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or liver disease.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Consult your doctor before taking Etoricoxib if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.

Interactions: Etoricoxib can interact with other medications. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you are taking, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

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.

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.

Post Caffeine

It's been more than a couple of weeks now then I quit caffeine and I can say that I haven't felt this good in a long time. I'm sleeping better, my head is clearer and I have more energy. With our maid gone, I'm finding that just doing chores around the house is sufficient exercise for me. Fortunately, our house has many steps and this is what makes the difference. I'm not roaming around on the one level but constanty climbing or descending. 

It was only a couple of days ago that I resumed my leg exercises after a break of a couple of months. I want to continue these. It was last night that I resumed my faux sit-ups but paid the price today with discomfort in my solar plexus area. Prior to this I'd been feeling very little discomfort. I'm debating whether to continue these or not. As usual I launched into the faux sit-ups at my pre-break levels, ignoring common sense that would have warned too much too quickly.

Normally I weigh myself before breakfast but today, even after eating a breakfast of two pieces of toast and two cups of water, I weighed just 72.5 kg which I'm happy about. Overall though, the increased feeling of well-being is more than adequate compensation for foregoing the stimulation of caffeine via tea and coffee. The world may still run on coffee but not my world. I'm finally free of it. 

Weight Stasis

Oh dear, it's June 13th and I'm still a little above or a little below 74 kg. There's been no substantial change in over two weeks. I've been diligent in my walking by going for a 30 minute brisk walk each day while trying to avoid snacking between meals. I stopped entering the weights in the spreadsheet because clearly the average was around 74 kg. I would still like to get down to 72 kg but clearly it will be a gradual and lengthy process.

The key is to increase the amount of exercise that I do while eating normally. Apart from the daily walk, I'm largely sedentary. Fortunately, the house that I'm living in has lots of stairs so there's energy spent there just moving around inside. The opportunity for step-up exercises is thus ubiquitous and I really should make more use of this. Every minute of every day is an opportunity to exercise and by exercise I mean something as simple of neck rotations to ward off the ravages of calcification as I age.

Hidden Hazards

Yesterday morning I tested out my mini-trampoline for about half an hour. I was basically just stepping up and down on it, and certainly not bouncing. The exercise seemed innocuous enough. However, I seem to have paid a price. Yesterday evening, I skipped my evening meal because my appetite was gone. During the night I felt somewhat nauseous and didn't even feel like breakfast this morning, although I did eat some toast later.

I think what happened was that the continuous up and down motion aggravated my thymoma. The motion of stepping up and down on the trampoline is quite different to that of walking. It would seem that my thymoma, probably an encapsulated cyst-like object located directly above my stomach, was bobbing about and pushing and pulling against things in a more extreme fashion than normal.

Despite my exercise routine being slow and sedate, it was enough to cause me serious concern. My reaction emphasises how fragile my body has become and how cautious I need to be when beginning any new exercises. My chest still feels sensitive and I have a general malaise.

The Septuagenarian Shuffle

A meaning of shuffle as a verb is to walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground. That's kind of what I've been lately as a form of exercise and, given that I'm almost 73 years of age, the term septuagenarian shuffle seems appropriate.

Why am I doing this? Well, sometimes the weather outside is too hot or it's raining and even if I do go for a walk, the environment through which I'm walking is none too salubrious. My alternative solution has been to put on my wireless earbuds and listen to music while shuffling about inside the house. The first tried it for 30 minutes and this morning I managed 45 minutes. 

Of course there's plenty of shuffle music out there that one can shuffle to but it's a little too energetic for someone of my age. I just listen to one of YouTube Music playlists and today I was listening to a playlist that I'd compiled in July of 2019, consisting mainly of fairly sedate songs.

It's not that I couldn't work my up to incorporating some shuffle moves, there are plenty of tutorials on how to master the moves. The following video tutorial has attracted over 16 million views since it was first put up in January of 2017.

The key point is that exercise needs to be simple and executable at any time or place. It shouldn't require specialised equipment. The shuffle is ideal in this regard. It's better when done to music but that's not absolutely necessary. Although I've started out with a slow shuffle of 30 to 45 minutes, there's no reason not to try faster movements that are the length of just a single song like the a-ha video above.

Here is a video of a 70 year old dancing with his granddaughter.

The story accompanying the video is as follows:

Shuffle dancing is becoming a very popular trend across China. The dance originally started in Australia back in the 1980s. Named “The Melbourne Shuffle”, the dance is becoming a modern type of square dance and is turning out to be a popular exercise/weight loss routine for many elderly and middle-age people in China.

Not only is this dance a brilliant form of exercise, but it’s also bringing people of different generations together. Videos have been popping up on social media platforms including TikTok (mainly a younger user base) sharing videos of themselves shuffle dancing with their parents and even grandparents – many of which have gone viral.

The story continues here.

Overexertion Monitor

For weeks now I've regularly gone for a morning walk of about twenty minutes duration. Usually my granddaughter accompanies me but lately she's been sleeping in and I've walked alone. The problem with solo walking is that there is no one to alert me when I'm walking too briskly. A couple of days ago, I overexerted myself in such a way. 

The next day one of my lower molars, the site of a botched root canal over seven years ago, began giving me trouble. It took a full day to settle down again. For that day and the next I forewent my daily walk and only resumed today, ensuring that I didn't overextend myself.

Annoying though this molar has been over the years, I've now realised that it can serve a useful function because it only flares up when I'm stressed physically and, possibly, psychologically. Thus it can serve as an indicator on the general health of my body and psyche. Once the tooth stirs, I need to rest physically and resolve any psychological stresses.

I've written about the dangers of root canals in a post on 23rd November 2018 titled Root Canals: Drilling for Dollars on my Alternative Media blog. In making this current post, I reread this earlier post and it made for disturbing reading, particularly the following anecdote:

Root Canals and Heart Disease: My Personal Story

By: Dr. David Friedman

We’ve all known or heard of someone who died suddenly of a heart attack for no apparent reason. That 50 year old neighbour, seemingly healthy with no history of cardiovascular disease, found dead in his back yard after having a massive heart attack. What if this deadly heart attack could have been prevented by a simple visit to a dentist? Sadly, I could have been that man found dead on his lawn, had it not been for a dentist who saved my life. 

Those that know me say I make the energiser bunny look lethargic. I wake up each morning with vigour and I always embrace the day with zest. I believe in seizing life to its fullest. About a year ago that all changed. My zig no longer zagged. I started going to bed tired and waking up even more exhausted. I was experiencing headaches and having a hard time concentrating. I went to see my doctor who did a complete physical and he discovered I had developed high blood pressure!! What?! How could that be possible? I’m a nutritionist. I eat clean and I exercise regularly. When the results of my blood test came back, I learned that I had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is produced by the liver and rises when there is inflammation throughout the body. CRP is considered one of the major predictors of a future heart attack. My CRP measured a staggering 9.8 mg/L! Anything above 3.0 is considered a very high risk for heart attack and stroke. 

The body produces CRP during the general process of inflammation which is why it is called the “marker” for inflammation in the body. Your level of CRP is a good indicator of how at risk you are for developing cardiovascular problems.   In fact, research shows CRP predicts cardiovascular risk more accurately than a person’s cholesterol levels. Data from the Physicians Health Study, a clinical trial involving 18,000 apparently healthy doctors, found that elevated levels of CRP were associated with a 300% increase in the risk of heart attack. 

In addition to an elevated CRP, my white blood cell levels were also high, meaning my body was clearly fighting some type of infection. This internal inflammation was causing a chronic low grade fever, high blood pressure of 170/110; normally my levels are 120/82, and a resting heart rate of 90; normally I’m at 50. With all these factors, I had “the perfect storm” for a massive heart attack! I immediately went to a cardiologist who performed a stress test, EKG and a nuclear heart scan. The findings showed my heart was normal and I had no blockage whatsoever. This was great news; however, I was anything but normal. As the months progressed, I felt even more miserable! No one could give me any answers. I only knew my body was suffering from systemic inflammation but I had no idea why. 

Then one day while at a writer’s convention in California I met a dentist named Dr. P. Piero, from Michigan. He had just authored a book and was sharing it with me. As I thumbed through the pages, I noticed a section on C- reactive protein.  I asked him why a dental book would have a section on this inflammatory marker? What he told me next would finally bring answers on why I was having so many health issues. Dr. Piero told me that the number one cause of elevated CRP is a bacterial infection in the gums (i.e. a tooth abscess). This creates inflammation inside the gums, which enters the blood stream and travels throughout the body. I explained to him that I did not have any tooth pain so this couldn’t be the culprit. He then asked me if I have had any root canals? I told him I’ve had three. Dr. Piero shared that in a root-canaled tooth, the nerve is destroyed so I may feel no pain. 

When I got back home, I made an appointment with an Endodontist who discovered one of my root-canaled teeth was so badly abscessed it had eaten away part of my jaw bone! I made an appointment with an oral surgeon who had to extract the entire tooth and cut out the infection in my jaw bone using a tiny saw. The excruciating pain I experienced was beyond words! He would later pack cadaver bone inside the hole in my jaw, which will need to sit for approximately 6 months before I can get a dental implant. 

The oral surgeon that performed the procedure explained that a root-canaled tooth is essentially “dead” which makes it silent incubators for highly toxic bacteria which can make their way into the bloodstream leading to a number of serious medical conditions—many not appearing until decades later.  Within two days of having this failed root canal removed, I felt alive again! My energy, drive, endurance was back to normal! My heart rate and blood pressure were normal. After getting another blood test, I was happy to see my CRP was now at a normal level of 1.4 mg/L! 

If you are told by your dentist that you need a root canal, there is a safer alternative. Instead of opting to keep a dead tooth that will rot in your mouth, opt for a dental implant. Trust me, it’s MUCH cheaper in the long run and safer! Had I not met Dr. Piero, I feel certain I would have ended up a healthy nutritionist found dead in my yard from a fatal heart attack. 

The next time you go to your doctor ask him to check your CRP level.  I believe this should be a routine part of everyone’s annual physical. There are two tests for CRP. One can show a non-specific elevation of CRP that occurs with general inflammatory changes in the body; the other test is called hs-CRP – highly sensitive CRP – which is a measure of inflammation in blood vessels. This is the test needed to help establish heart disease risk. Thankfully, more and more doctors are realising the importance of measuring hs-CRP levels along with cholesterol to determine the risk of heart disease and to evaluate disease progression and prognosis in those who already have cardiovascular disease. Be sure and ask your doctor for this test to determine if you are at risk.

The person is question discovered that one of his root-canaled teeth was so badly abscessed it had eaten away part of his jaw bone. I know from visiting a dentist in Australia a few years ago that this is what has happened to me and indeed part of my jaw bone has been eroded by the abscess that resides permanently at the base of my dead molar. I don't know what my CRP levels are but at least my blood pressure and pulse rate are not a cause for concern.

I don't like the idea of having the tooth removed, cadaver bone being packed into the empty socket and experiencing excruciating pain. I guess I'll just have to live with it and ultimately die with it, the latter hopefully not too soon. Clearly the abscess is still there which is why it flares up whenever the immune system is weakened by overexertion. All I can do is monitor it.

The Alexander Technique

From time to time, a momentary madness overtakes me and I forget I'm 72 years old. Such was the occasion when I encountered two stationary escalators and challenged my 18 year old granddaughter in a race from the bottom to the top. She quickly outpaced me which is not surprising but more disturbing was my body's reaction to this short burst of intense activity. It wasn't good and I know realise that I have to cease and desist from such foolhardiness.

I need to be very cautious and not indulge in any sudden, intense or unusual activities. It's important to gently put my muscles through as wide a range of activities as possible, in anticipation of future exigencies. Lately I've started to do some isometric and limited push/pull exercises for my arms. Due to my thymoma, I've deliberately avoided working the upper body and concentrated instead on my lower body. However, this imbalance needed redressing.

The discomfort caused by my thymoma has gradually increased and seems at time to affect the depth of my breathing. Any overexertion quickly magnifies the intensity of the discomfort and leads to a feeling of nausea and a burning sensation. As I've mentioned before, I must strive to spread my exercises over the course of the day and not concentrate them into too small a timeframe. I still do my ten squats and leg band exercises each day.

Hopefully I can use this blog to catalog my activities and display new exercises and techniques. I've known about the so-called Alexander Technique for many decades now but have not made much use of it in my daily life. I have a book in my library titled "The Alexander Technique Workbook" by Richard Brennan.

Interestingly, it's published in Australia in a street parallel to where I grew up in Brisbane.

I'll attempt to make my way through this book and hopefully gain some insights into how to improve my "health, poise and fitness". The author of the book is still alive and well as his website attests:

Biography of Richard Brennan

Richard Brennan is an Alexander Technique teacher, author and Director of Training at the Alexander Technique Centre based in Galway, Ireland. He is a leading figure in helping people to resolve back and neck problems. His belief is that the root cause of most back pain lies in poor postural habits.

First Career, and Back Problems 

In 1976 Richard developed painful back problems and sciatica while working long hours as a driving instructor. After several years of pain, and having tried various orthodox and complementary treatments, he eventually found relief by having Alexander Technique lessons in 1984. He found the Technique so effective that he soon decided to undertake the three year full time teacher training course in Totnes, Devon, UK, approved by STAT, the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. He qualified in 1989 and joined STAT.

His work as an Alexander Technique Teacher 

Richard established his first practice in Totnes, Devon, and began lecturing and teaching around the UK and Europe. He began writing his first book about the Technique in 1991, and since then has written six more books, and his eighth book is due to published very soon.

Richard moved to Galway, Ireland, in 1997. He runs a busy private practice there. He founded the first Alexander Teacher Training College in Ireland in 1998. He is co-founder and President of Irish Society of Alexander Technique Teachers (ISATT), established in June, 2004. In 2007 the training course became approved by the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. It is also approved by the Irish Society of Alexander Technique Teachers (ISATT).

Richard travels internationally, giving talks and courses on the Technique. He has taught the Technique at many educational centres, including Galway University, Limerick University, Middlesex University, London, and Dartington College of Arts. He was a guest presenter at the AmSAT annual conference in San Francisco 2009 and in Los Angeles in 2014. He was a Director of the 10th International Alexander Technique Congress, held in Limerick, Ireland in August 2015, which over 700 people attended. He established the International Alexander Teacher’s Convention in 2013, held in Dublin, Ireland; the next one will take place in 2017.

Books and Articles 

Richard is the author of eight books on the Alexander Technique which are translated into nine languages, and a book on the topic of stress. His latest book, How to Breathe, is due for publication in 2017. He has written many articles on the Technique and has published two CDs.

Richard has featured in several newspapers and magazines including The Irish Times, The Sunday Tribune, The Irish Examiner, Cosmopolitan, Hello and Home and Country. He has appeared on BBC 1 & RTE 1 and has been featured on BBC Radios 4 & 5 and on local radio around Ireland and the UK.

Approach 

Richard has a practical approach to helping people find their own solutions to problems such as pain, stress, and obstacles to performance. His greatest personal satisfaction comes when he can help others to get out of pain, especially when all other attempts have failed, just as he himself was helped after years of struggle in the 1980s by his Alexander Technique teacher, Daniel Reilly.

Richard aims to make the Alexander Technique accessible to a wide audience. He has been a pioneer in helping to make the technique accessible to many thousands of people.

The author says early on in the book that "when you begin to become more aware of yourself you will be astounded at how much effort it used to take to perform very simple actions". I thought immediately of my guitar playing where I have a tendency to press down very hard on the strings with my left hand. The muscles of my fingers are thus very tense which impedes fluidity of movement and causes the fingers to tire quickly. This is one area that I can work on every time I pick up my guitar. I have lots of bad habits.

Source

What stuck in my head over the years, since first reading about the Alexander technique, was  the door handle exercise in which you observe how much force is applied when simply opening a door. It was quite a discovery to realise how much extra and unnecessary energy I put into this simple task.

Somatic Renaissance

I'm waxing grandiloquent with the title of this post but so what. This year, now more than half over, I've made 70 posts to my Mathematics blog and NONE to this blog. This post is the FIRST of the year. The numbers attest to what I already know. I exist largely in my mind and any awareness of my body is largely unconscious.

Unless my tired old body malfunctions, I simply take it for granted. However, increasing stiffness in my neck has caused me to regularly swivel my head about in an effort to break up what seem to be little spurs that are forming in my vertebrae. This motion is essential in reducing the tendency of the neck vertebrae to fuse together. 

Figure 1: source

I can only surmise that the development of these spurs is the result of degeneration due to old age. Cervical Spondylosis is the term for it. See Figure 1. My vertebrae can't be too compressed because I've managed to maintain my height over the years and have not "shrunk" as some old people do. My posture is reasonably good I think. 

So these neck stretching exercises are a daily routine along with exercises for shoulder mobility. As for walking, one of my favoured activities, it's become less appealing. I don't cover my face with a mask when I'm walking but keep it under my chin. Nobody seems to mind but there's always the possibility of encountering the mask mafia in the form of vigilantes or official enforcers. 

Figure 2: source

So I've taken to just a sort of tip-toeing around a confined area as a substitute. This seems to work well enough. Even here, it's easy to overdo things. This very morning I tip-toed around for a little too long and suddenly started to feel nauseous. Whether this was related to my thymoma I don't know but my ongoing affliction plays up from time to time whenever I push my body a little too far. 

I'm temporarily suspended my ten deep squats a day because I started to develop a sore right hip that was impeding my mobility. I may replace those with more shallow squats. I still use the band for leg exercises although I've suspended that as well while my hip is giving trouble. Suspension for too long though is not a good idea as muscles seem to lose their "memory" very quickly as you age, becoming flaccid in the absence of regular reminders.

Figure 3: source

Surprisingly my weight is 70.9 kilograms, so I've not put on any weight. I just feel more flabby. The key thing is to adopt new exercises and activities cautiously and not to try too much too quickly. My propensity to overload is growing daily and may one day prove fatal. Meanwhile, it lives, it breathes, it survives. By "it" I mean this fragile vehicle that for the moment my consciousness is attached to. For how much longer, I don't know.

Figure 4: source

Health Report

Oh dear, my last weigh in was back in Australia on the 24th October 2019. I weighed 65.9 kg. Today, on the 9th December 2020, I weight 71.4 kg. That's an increase of over 8% or, another way to look at, is that back then I weighed 92% of what I weigh now. I couldn't help but notice that the blubber was accumulating and so I took the plunge and bought a pair of digital scales. 

Over the past week, I've been taking an early morning walk of about 2.5 km and I'll gradually increase this distance or maybe go for an afternoon walk as well. I think a reasonable weight for me would be about 68 kg. I was definitely too thin when I was hovering around the 64 kg mark some years ago. 

I'm also thinking of buying a sphygmomanometer to measure my own blood pressure but also my wife's. Her sister, a couple of years younger than her, died recently of a stroke after suffering from high blood pressure for a number of years. She was overweight however, unlike my wife but it will still be a good idea to monitor it.

I also want to start measuring a resting pulse as that's a good indicator of increasing fitness. I could also measure it at the start and finish of a walk. Right now, sitting here and typing this post, it is 69 beats per minute, which is OK. I can record all these details in the Samsung Health app on my Android phone.

Meanwhile I perform my hip-strengthening and flexibility exercises on a daily basis but of course I could do a lot more. One thing at a time however. For the moment, I'll focus on increasing the distances that I walk and monitoring my weight. I know from experience that walking is the easiest way for me to lose weight.