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.