Definitely Better With Meds

While I am fully off the antibiotics and prednisone prescribed by my doc for the upper respiratory illness I contracted over the holidays, I can't actually say that I feel all that much better. Well, I'm not as tired and not having coughing spasms. But my sciatic pain has crept back, as well as the inflammation in my gums. Both had been banished for the past week but have returned. 

The sciatica was so uncomfortable last night that I didn't fall asleep until 4 AM and only after rolling onto my side. Worse, I've been sporadically lightheaded and feel like there's a weight pressing on my chest. My pulse rate and BP are normal though. I have fleeting thoughts about going to Urgent Care but they're only open until 8 PM tonight. 

I did make it to the gym today, if only to get in some cardio (elliptical #1 since Wind Breaker reclaimed #3) and a paltry set of pull-ups. Those definitely don't feel right, especially triggering a flash of sciatic pain during the dozen or so reps that felt cursory and not at all normal. My sciatica doesn't normally twinge unless I curl my legs up, but today the nerves seemed inflamed without much provocation. 

Afterward, I did a limited set of movements in the Aerobics Room. Dead Bugs okay. Push-ups making my foot numb and exacerbating the sciatica. Air Squats okay. I've been going to physical therapy, and while I was on prednisone, it was fine. Tomorrow, I suspect it will not be fine. I see my glaucoma doc next week. I wonder how my IOPs will be... I hope this chest pressure goes away... it feels like I have a large pill stuck in my throat but further down. My face has been flushing intermittently as well. Very weird. 

8 Jan 2026 12:48-1:56

Thursday No Meds

Bare Basics after 3 weeks

Sleepless w/d meds

Precor elliptical #1 

Program 2 — right calf pain

Time: 30 + 5 (5294)

Distance: 2.72

Cal: 296

Avg Hr: 148, 184-48!? seriously? 

New FB: 42-119

HGPU 14 (sciatic pain during)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5 (mild sciatica)

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25 (sciatic pain)

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:16)

Blew It All on Cardio

I haven't been to the gym since before Christmas because this cold really wiped me out. It didn't have a lot of obvious symptoms though. Just fatigue, a mild sore throat, runny nose (but I always have that), and a dry itchy cough that graduated into a middle-of-the-night non-productive cough spasm that made my abs sore. The kicker happened between Christmas and New Year's when I took my kid to a doc consultation (for his feet) and I needed to ask a question. 

Instead, I was beset by such a paroxysm of coughing that my face turned red, tears streamed down my cheeks and I couldn't talk for 10 minutes. Nurses looked at me like I had the plague. My kid offered me water but I was afraid of spitting that all over the floor. I even had a cough drop in my mouth at the time! Eventually, the fit subsided and I could talk to the doc in a whisper. I called my GP that day and got an appointment 3 days later. 

I tested negative for everything (Flu A, Flu B, Covid). But my HR was higher than normal (70) and I felt exhausted. My blood pressure was good though -- I credit the half a banana I now eat with my morning vitamins every day. But my upper airways sounded raspy, there was wheezing and constriction. The PA (doc was overbooked) prescribed antibiotics, prednisone, an albuterol inhaler, and plain dextromethorphan cough syrup (without the mucous producing guaifenesin). I literally felt 100 times better the next day. While the prednisone did not have a mitigating effect on my chronic sciatica (unlike last time when my sciatica magically disappeared for a few days), the antibiotics did relieve sensitivity in my mouth. (I still have to reschedule to see the periodontist!)

I have one more day on antibiotics but my week is busy and I had today available to hit the gym. Finally. Cardio was decent, but it took everything out of me. Guess I'm still sick. Cuz pull-ups were weak. I got a dozen and then I was spent. The Senior class had vacated the Aerobics Room a few hours previously so it was decently cold. I'm still not doing Hip Bridges but managed everything else okay. Even push-ups were taxing although I got my 25, it wasn't my arms that were tired, but my lower back. Dead Bugs, thankfully, were effortless. Thank goodness something was. That, and Air Squats were okay too.  

I have four more sessions of physical therapy for my sciatica. It's okay, but it's not offering me the relief I would like. I get to see the orthopedic doc next week to determine next steps. My spouse thinks I should just visit a chiropractor and pop the errant chiclet back into position. I don't think it's that simple. The last therapist I saw (it's always someone new) decided that it was a piriformis issue and not a lower back one. I've heard that before. Another therapist determined it was a spinal stenosis problem with narrowing of the spinal column. I don't think it's that... but the symptoms match. Of course they do. 

Meanwhile, I read a scary article about flexible joints being associated with collagen disorders like EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (my hubs' niece is afflicted with this) and vascular problems like aortic root dissections, aneurysms... There's a family history of strokes and aneurysms on my mother's side of the family, the side that carries the genes for my ultra-dry scaly skin and ridiculously wrinkled palms and fingers (a skin protein disorder) and no doubt, the rolling veins, impressionable skin, Raynaud's syndrome, inability to deal with compression... 

And what might be a telling sign of this ultra flexibility? Why the ability to cross your thumb over your palm and reach past your little finger. Referred to as the "thumb-palm test." Like, who can't do that?! 

5 Jan 2026 1:06-2:16

Monday Easing Back but on Meds

Bare Basics after 2 weeks

Precor elliptical #3 (1:43)

(needs hard reboot)

Program 1 — right calf pain

Time: 30 + 5 (5390)

Distance: 2.78

Cal: 305

Avg Hr: 155, max hr 201?!

New FB: 50-143

HGPU 13 (still sick)

Skip 10 Hip Bridges (really painful)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

Hamstring stretches

DeadBugs 20 x 5 (mild sciatica)

10 Piriformis stretches

Skip hip bridges

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga 

Sometimes Saturday Makes Sense

I looked over my schedule for next week and realized that today was my best bet for hitting the gym since the next several days appear to be rather busy. The weather is a bit wild lately, with temps reaching mid 50s yesterday with accompanying high winds and torrential rain. There was a brief pause in the weather and we got to witness a huge rainbow in the middle of town. Today, mildly cloudy and temps plummeting 30 degrees into the frigid 20s. I'm not even sure when the Winter Solstice is this year. I'm guessing it's tomorrow. Which is great, cuz I'm tired of darkness shortening the day so suddenly. Okay, I just checked. It's tomorrow at 10:03 AM.

The gym was shockingly crowded for a Saturday, especially given that it's the last weekend before the Christmas holiday. But then again, colleges have all let out and a lot of companies have employees take leave this time of year. I reach the elliptical machines at the same time as Wind Breaker. Luckily, we each have a specific machine we prefer so there's no conflict. Not until #3 gets fixed, if ever. Then he's going to want to pedal that one, like he did before it suffered all sorts of dysfunction. 

There are a few treadmills out of commission as well. But at least there is hope for the dry sauna. It's been broken for months now but a sign promises a new heating element to be delivered next week. I don't often frequent the sauna, but when my head cold was at its worst, I did want to sit in there for some relief. 

Cardio was better today although still not even close to making it past 2.8. But closer. And the pull-ups were really good, until they weren't, which was around rep 17. I might've been able to muscle past the 18th rep but that would've required some minor kipping, and my sciatica aches a lot by the end of the set. Sciatic pain is the reason I've paused doing Hip Bridges. The last time I did little ones, it wrecked the rest of the routine. My glutes ached through push-ups, something that normally never happens. Both my feet went numb during Bird Dog planks. That shouldn't be happening either! All because of a few small movement Hip Bridges. 

Physical Therapy is scheduled for twice a week so my next session is Monday morning. No time for the gym since my kid also has a routine exam scheduled. Then back to the dentist on Tuesday to resolve some gum issues. Looks like the gym might not happen until Wednesday, Christmas Eve. I wonder how crowded it will be. The gym is closed on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, but open usually a half day on other holidays, like New Year's. Cuz resolutions! 

20 Dec 2025 1:55-3:10

Saturday Frigid Cardio Late!

Bare Basics

(Gym scale reads 11

Precor elliptical #3 (2:33)

(needs hard reboot)

Program 3 — right calf pain

Time: 30 + 5 (5362)

Distance: 2.77

Cal: 304

Avg Hr: 154, 196-70

New FB: 44-144

HGPU 18!

   Skip 10 Hip Bridges (really painful)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

Hamstring stretches

DeadBugs 20 x 5 (mild sciatic pain)

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 30

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Feels Like A Setback

I  thought I was making unexpectedly good progress with my sciatic pain. Until yesterday, when I had a routine procedure at the hospital. It wasn't the tests, it was the stroll across the vast wind-swept parking lot. A few steps in and my foot went numb, progressed up the calf and gripped the limb like a metal claw. Skipped over the thigh and latches onto the right glute as I made my way down the hospital corridor to the registration center. A long wait on standard office chairs that are always too tall for short people like me. 

Then another long amble until I got to the radiology department. I'm able to get a copy of my X-rays on a CD but warned that this service will no longer be provided in the future. I'll have to contact that 3rd party, set up an account, give lots of personal info just to access a new portal, all to access my own data. Every new middleman is another access point for unauthorized data thieves. 

The only bright spot was that the mammogram tech was a woman who was literally shorter than me by a few inches. We commiserated on our height challenged status, although she is much more proportional so she really needs petite clothing. I, on the other hand, have the body length and upper limbs of a larger person, with forearms, hands, calves and feet of a much smaller person. Indeed, my hands were much smaller than hers. 

Temps are rising and my dogs got to play with other dogs today. As long as there's snow and ice at the dog park, the problem dogs (with their fragile owners) won't appear. I got to the gym so much later than I had planned, but at least I got there. All the Precor ellipticals were vacant but I still got on #3 with the broken phone holder because it has a smoother glide. A good 20 minutes into my cardio and Wind Breaker shows up to pedal #1. The HS kids started trickling in. I'm tired but manage a decent set of pull-ups. 

I have trouble getting to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last night, my college kid finally got home hours later than expected. Apparently there's a house with our same address but in a different town, one right on the Hudson, and that is where the GPS took them. My kid wasn't driving. Wasn't even in the front seat so not navigating either. Four college kids learned an important lesson about paying attention to details: make sure the address is located in the correct town! Then my kid went out to hang with HS friends and shared a meal at an all night diner. Yeah, I was a college kid once too. Still, I didn't go to sleep until well past 2:30 AM last night.

The worst part of today's workout: my routine in the Aerobics Room. And it started with a few gentle Hip Bridges. Which really hurt, made my glutes ache and set the tone for the entire rest of the routine. Even normally benign Dead Bugs were uncomfortable because that sciatic bundle had been primed. Pretty much every movement hurt. The Bird Dog planks made my feet go numb almost immediately. Push-ups exacerbated the discomfort, although the Air Squats were relatively easy and painless. 

I have another PT appointment tomorrow, and probably not enough time for the gym. But I could go on Saturday. Because Monday there's another PT appointment, and I've also set up doc appointments for my kid. Because glaucoma can be hereditary, I'm having my kid see an ophthalmologist again, just to determine a baseline for their optic nerves. If everything looks good, I think we can check back in 10 years... I like to be proactive when I can. 

We had unexpected visitors to our yard... a large flock of wild turkeys. We do hear them in the surrounding woods, but have never had them march through the yard and out into the street and driveways. Quite a sight. Not sure hunting season is over, but Thanksgiving is. 
 

18 Dec 2025 1:23-2:37

Late Thursday Cardio!

Bare Basics

Precor elliptical #3 

(needs hard reboot)

Program 2 — right ft numb

Time: 30 + 5 (5232)

Distance: 2.74

Cal: 298

Avg Hr: 149, 175 max

New FB: 4

HGPU 17.5

right foot numb & throbbing lower calf/glute

10 Hip Bridges (really painful)

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

Hamstring stretches

DeadBugs 20 x 5 sciatic aggravation

10 Piriformis stretches

  Skip hip bridges

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 30

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

It Might Be Working

I woke up to my phone telling me it was 5F outside. Uh, nope. Too cold for me, the dogs, the car. I'll wait until it's at least double digit temps. We did get to the park a few hours later and it was in the teens, so slightly warmer. I'm still very happy about that heated water bowl I bought a few seasons ago. It works great as long as I bring water with me since all the filled gallon jugs inside the shed have frozen solid. Also ordered a new box of Hot Hands. (The knock-offs at Job Lot can't compare and do an abysmal job.)

I had another PT appointment this afternoon so my foray to the gym was brief. But better than nothing since I have a dentist appointment tomorrow, and the annual boob squish test on Wednesday, where hopefully, I'll also be able to grab an actual copy of my spine X-rays. The gal on the phone said I was lucky to make this request while the hospital was still making CDs. They had two CD writers, one broke and will not be replaced, and the radiology department is phasing that service out anyway. In a few weeks, only digital copies will be available and I'll be forced to go to a third party for access. I'm not a fan of constantly having to open new accounts for third party apps just to get info from my docs. 

I get to the gym later than I'd like but with enough time to get basics done: cardio, pull-ups, stretches and core body weight exercises. The gym isn't very crowded. Wind Breaker was pedaling Precor #1 and the rest are vacant. I don't mind using machine #3. Today I put on a pair of joggers with pockets instead of my usual gym pants. The pocket is just big enough to hold my phone without stabbing me in the hip or abdomen as I pedal. 

I was able to pedal fast enough to make it past 2.7 so that was good. The machine read ridiculous HR numbers, peaking at 217. Yeah, I'm not buying that. Pretty sure I'd actually feel my heart beating out of my chest if it was going that fast. I barely registered a sweat but I was warm enough to do a decent of pull-ups. Those last 3 were hard though and I felt my lower body reflexively curl up. 

I limped off to the Aerobics Room. Not sure if they had the Senior class earlier. (There's still a lot of snow and ice from yesterday's storm.) I do a quick stretch and most of my routine, still skipping hip bridges but everything else is okay. Push-ups are surprisingly weak and I struggle from fatigue. Yeah, going to bed at 2:30 and getting up around 8 isn't enough sleep time. No wonder I still haven't gotten over my head cold! 

There are completely different staff at physical therapy today. The 6-7 exercises are mostly the same, with some new ones. I had a discussion about working through the unpleasantness of numb and tingling feet. Some movements exacerbate this while others offer relief. My lower back has been achy all weekend, something that has never bothered me before. But the sciatica has been less intense. Which suggests that the therapy is somehow working. 

I lugged two wheelbarrows of firewood into the house on Saturday to prepare for the polar vortex that hit us. My hubs shoveled my car out on Sunday after the snow/ice storm so I could take pups to the park. Dogs aren't satisfied with walks down the road in the morning. They need run time. I have another PT appointment on Friday. My kid should be home from college (and final exams) by then. I've been sorting out his room and I'm still not done yet. Maybe tomorrow after the dentist...  

15 Dec 2025 12:28-1:33

Really Frigid Monday Cardio etc

Bare Basics w PT @ 2:30

Precor elliptical #3

(needs hard reboot)

Program 1 — right ft numb

Time: 30 + 5 (5230)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 297

Avg Hr: 167, 217?!

New FB: 41-145

HGPU 18

right foot numb & throbbing lower calf/glute

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

Hamstring stretches

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Conflicting Therapies

I've had two PT (physical therapy) sessions this week. I also went to the gym twice. Going to the gym was less painful. Well, the first PT session was more a consultation with me doing a number of movements to confirm that the issue is inflammation concerning the L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae. Yep, that's a lower back issue. It's good to know that the sciatic nerve is actually more like a giant thruway with many lines of traffic. While strength hasn't been impacted at all, the nerves that convey pain are wide awake. 

The therapist suggested some forward bending movements to alleviate the pain and numbness, akin to toe touching. Except there's no way in hell I'm gonna be doing 10 toe touches in the middle of the grocery aisle when my calf seizes up and my butt feels like I've been kicked by a horse. The second appointment saw me in an actual therapy session with a different guy who explained that the 6-8 movements they had me do were to strengthen weak areas, and to increase my pain threshold. Lovely. 

Also, since my hamstring have been unusually sore lately, he remarked that they were too tight and needed to do a hamstring stretch daily. It's relatively simple but requires a belt or length of rope to slip over the foot and then the leg is straightened and the foot is pulled toward the chest. Of course, you need to be laying down to do this. I left that second appointment really sore and achy. I guess that means it's working? 

I got to the gym later than I'd like but at least I made it. It wasn't busy and Wind Breaker was pedaling elliptical #1, preferring the clunking to the ambiguity of machine #3. I don't have a problem with #3 and was glad that there wasn't an OOO (out of order) sign on it. Those signs tend to stick around for months because parts and services are really expensive and hard to come by. I have a place to put my phone and since the programs are unaffected, I'm able to do a cardio routine. I'm not as fast as I used to be: the sciatica slows me down a lot. Pedaling slower means I don't get the distance. Now I'm happy I made it to 2.7. I get a set of pull-ups done. Kids are starting to trickle in from the HS.

The yesterday's therapist encouraged me to lift weights again. I think he's had too many clients lose muscle strength through inactivity due to pain. I admit that I haven't pushed any DBs around for a few months now! But unlike most people, I haven't really lost any strength. I don't have time for the 3 heavy sets today. I got to the gym late and the day is short. (It's dusk by the time I drive home and there are deer standing at the road's edge. I hate driving at night because the headlamps of oncoming cars blind me and this is very stressful.)  

The Aerobics Room is icy cold and I have it all to myself. People occasionally pop in for a quick stretch. I grab an elastic rope off the wall where there are dozens of varying colors and lengths. Some people use them as jump ropes. Others attend classes where these stretchy ropes are part of the routine. The hamstring stretches are easier today, probably because I'm a lot more warmed up than I was at yesterday's appointment. I do everything in my routine plus the ham stretches and butterfly hip opens (those use a band but I don't have one). Everything except for those hip bridges. Because I'm not ready to deal with that kind of pain yet. 

Someone mentioned their spouse was seeing a doc for their lower back pain. It's been several years now since a tree limb caused major damage. Now they're scheduled to have a nerve ablation. I had no idea that was a treatment for sciatic pain; I'm only familiar with nerve ablation for cardiac issues (someone from the dog park had it done recently). I guess if this therapy thing doesn't work, there are other procedures that aren't surgery. Whew!

 

12 Dec 2025 1:14-3:06

Frigid Friday Cardio etc

Pushing thru Sciatica — EZ pacing

Precor elliptical #3

(needs a hard reboot)

Program 1 — right ft numb

Time: 30 + 5 (5164)

Distance: 2.71

Cal: 293

Avg Hr: 148, 188-77

New FB: 39-129 (?!)

(1:52)

HGPU 18 

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Incline Flys (slow & super EZ)

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:09)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:16)

20/15/20 x 25/15/25 reps (2:25)

  Skip Hip Bridges

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

3 x 30 sec Belted hamstring stretches

3 x 10 hip butterflies / glute clenches

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 Piriformis stretches

  Skip hip bridges

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25 (sciatic pain)

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Hard Reboot

I haven't been to the gym in nearly 2 weeks. Correction: I've been to the gym but only to enjoy long hot showers with great water pressure, but haven't exercised in 12 days. Mostly because I needed to get over this nasty and persistent head cold. The one that came back with a vengeance after my kid returned to school and I could relax knowing the entire carpool was safe and sound. Not that I stayed in bed. Lugging firewood into the house is a strenuous activity and my body reacted accordingly with extreme fatigue and a renewal of nasty head cold symptoms. I will spare you the sticky details. It involved a lot of tissues. 

Today is the first day that the symptoms aren't overwhelming. I'm still a tad sick according to my sinuses, but at least it never progressed to a chest cold. I also finally made it to the gym to exercise. All the elliptical machines were vacant except for #1 which Wind Breaker was pedaling. Curious. I get on #3 and see that it needs a hard reboot because the display at the bottom of the console that shows resistance and elevation show 000, basically an error message. The phone holder is still broken (missing), and now one of two tiny shelves on the console is also missing. Those can also hold small thin phones but are positioned to block information windows above them. 

I waste a lot of time looking for the reboot/power button and can't find it. I ask the front desk to help me reboot the machine, and they can't find it either. They put a call in to the more experienced staff. I just hope they don't take the machine out of commission. It's still usable, just not quite as informative. I can still punch in my program and do the routine. I'm barely able to hit 2.7 but I do work up a decent lather. I'm okay with that considering it's been nearly 2 weeks and I'm still recovering. I even get a decent number of reps for pull-ups at the Stretch Cage, although the last 3 reps had me fighting the urge to curl my lower body. 

The Senior Class has been over for a few hours and the room is nicely chilly. I do my routine and skip all the problematic movements. Push-ups feel pretty easy. I have an appointment with the Physical Therapy tomorrow that's been prescribed by the orthopedist who basically told me everyone develops back issues, and the insurance won't authorize an MRI without physical therapy first, and sciatica and vertebrae slippage is common as we age. Gee, that's so encouraging. I'm still hoping to gently convince those errant vertebrae to slip back into position, but the orthopedist said that wasn't realistic. I can still hope though. 

Meanwhile, an Alberta Clipper weather system has dropped temps to unseasonable depths and I'm glad I have firewood in the house. Tonight is forecast to dip to 7. It's early December and we're not suppose to see single digits here yet. The weather is wild lately. I'm just glad our town does a great job paving the roads and keeping them plowed and salted. They are as smooth as glass... 

8 Dec 2025 1:01-2:13

Frigid Monday Cardio etc

Bare Basics w Sciatica (EZ pacing) after 12 days

Precor elliptical #3

(needs hard reboot) 

Program 3 — right ft numb

Time: 30 + 5 (5168)

Distance: 2.72

Cal: 294

Avg Hr: 63?- 192, 148

New FB: 43-181 (?!)

(1:40)

HGPU 18

right foot numb & throbbing lower calf/glute

(1:53)

   Skip Hip Bridges

20 Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

10 Nerve Flossing

   Skip hip rotations

DeadBugs 20 x 5

12 nerve flossing x 2

10 Piriformis stretches

   Skip hip bridges

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 25 x 2

   Skip Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga