It's Complicated

Xrays (left) and MRI scan (right)

It's complicated has become a meme for how convoluted something we thought would be simple has evolved into a tangle akin to a bag of yarn attacked by feral kittens. I had an appointment yesterday with a well-regarded neurosurgeon and I brought my X-rays and MRI images. The doc was noticeably older than his profile pic but he was amiable and more importantly, he patiently explained what he saw as the issue and the solution. I'm not sure if I should've mentioned my theory that I have loose ligaments etc due to some defective proteins related to skin and other tissues. But it probably doesn't matter, because the doc said because there were two issues, a movement of a vertebrae forward and a narrowing of the spinal canal, that would require a surgery more extensive than I had expected. 

The doc would shave the vertebrae and widen the canal, securing the bone in place with screws to prevent further slippage. Ugh. It's essentially a vertebrae fusion and there's a recovery time associated with that. Maybe even an overnight stay although some resources say it could be a same day procedure. But it is surgery under general anesthesia. Double ugh. The doc suggested I do the cortisone shot first. It works well for some people. I recall that when I had to take prednisone for the never-ending cough last winter, my sciatica felt soooo much better. But of course, I need to also consult with my glaucoma doc cuz cortisone shots could cause a spike in IOPs, but not always. It's not like it'd be in my shoulder or neck or anywhere close to my eyes, but still, better to be cautious. 

Now my quest is to find a pain management doc since they're the only ones who are licensed to do these sort of things. Ugh. My health insurance provider has been messing with their website, making it impossible for me to even log in to see what local doctors are in-network and what their office hours are, or even just their contact info. Instead, I'm stuck in endless security identification authentication loops and I finally called their service line, but they weren't really able to help me either. I got the number to their tech help but they were closed and the automated message said to call during business hours, except they didn't say what time zone they're in, so that'll be a hit or miss type of call(s). 

I got to the gym later than I wanted but I still did everything on my list: cardio, pull-ups, weights, mat movements in the much too warm Aerobics room with a fly buzzing about. Cardio hurt most of the time except while pedaling backward at higher elevations. Pull-ups felt better than expected but not by much. I haven't been brave enough or masochistic enough to attempt push-ups lately although Air Squats weren't horrendous today. 

I pushed some DBs and modified the reps according to how my shoulder felt. Oddly, the position that aggravates my sciatica the most is standing upright with legs shoulders width apart and moving arms laterally with DBs. It's the same when I stand in the Aerobics Room doing arm circles. I'm not sure why this position causes such distress.

The one pain management doc I've located doesn't have any openings for new patients until October. I was hoping for sooner. I'm still waiting to see if the health insurance rep has managed to email me a list of pain management providers in my area in my network. Today, the sciatica isn't horrible. I wish it was better. I'm not happy about doing spine surgery but I also need to be able to shovel my own damn driveway. I'd like to be able to do pushups without worrying about whether I'll be able to limp out of the room afterward.  

After the surgery, whenever I schedule it, I'm not going to be able to drive for a few weeks. That's not going to go over well with my pups and their park time. Walking up and down our short road isn't enough. Today we were at the park for an hour and it was pouring. I was inside the shed and one of the pups came inside to dry out after being thoroughly drenched. The other one doesn't trust the tiny building and laid out on the fake grass licking water off his muddy legs. 

The park is a 5 minute drive from my house, so I think we'll still be going there even after surgery. I'm hoping I recover faster than the weeks and months suggested for recovery. There's going to be rehab. I wonder if I'll have to put the gym on pause. I am absolutely dreading this. But I really want to be able to continue doing pull-ups and pushups into my old age and right now I'm having trouble seeing that future. 

1 September 2026 1:18-3:20

Sciatica Tuesday

Rain Rain SCIATICA

Precor elliptical #1 (1:55)

Program #2

Time: 30 + 5 (5202)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 296

Precor HR: 195-84, 144

Google Health: 43-169(!)

(Foot numb / calf clenched )

HGPU 15.5 ugly

Sciatica

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Bent Over Flys (slow & EZ)

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:22)

15 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:30)

Inclined Reverse Flys

20/15/20 lbs x 20/15/20 reps

Set 1 (2:41); Set 2 (2:52) 25/15/25

Balmy Aerobics Room w Flies!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (3:00-3:19)

20 Hamstring / 20 nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

50 crunches x 2

Numb toes intensify during crunches if feet on floor; better if knees to chest

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (mild sciatica!)

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Moving Forward

Because I'm still upset that my health insurance pulled a bait & switch on my ability to see an acupuncturist in-network, I spent an hour on the phone yesterday making sure that I could see the neurosurgeon and that he was indeed in-network. Then I spent an hour or more figuring out what I needed to make an online appointment, only to discover that this only entitled me to see one of five docs in the practice, but not the one I wanted. Which meant I had to call. 

Luckily, all my info posted to their intake site so it was easy to fill in a few blanks with an actual person. More surprising was the fact that they could see me this Monday. I figured it'd be a few weeks or maybe even months. This was quick and kind of threw me off balance. But maybe it's a sign that it's time to get this spinal stenosis fixed. Or at least I hope it can be fixed. Or at least, not worse. 

There is a genetic component to spinal stenosis; my dad developed this condition in his later years and it greatly hampered his ability to walk through NYC. After he passed, my brother and I were sorting through his effects and found unopened packages of fentanyl patches for pain relief. I feel the same way; the most I will do is pop some ibuprofen and acetaminophen at 5 AM because laying down is not a good position for this nerve inflammation. 

I got to the gym much later than I had planned but I had errands to run beforehand. Temps had been reasonable during the week but it was downright hot today. The gym wasn't ice cold. The Aerobics Room was almost steamy, which is kind of disgusting. My pedaling still hurts a lot. (It doesn't help that the Precor is so old that parts are falling off, like the little shelf to the right that I normally prop my phone on. The left side shelf isn't as useful.) Pull-ups hurt even before I reach overhead and only get worse. Today I went back to doing the Triceps routine with some DB lateral delts and biceps. 

Fancy box has its own light

The only position that seemed to really aggravate my sciatica was DB Lateral Delt Raises and that was based on the stance. That, and standing upright while doing arm circles. At least the Air Squats were less painful today. Standing properly does not make my sciatica happy. When my kid was home from college, they remarked that I was standing and walking funny. Yeah, I think I'm listing to the left to compensate for my right side aggravation. 

My husband showed me he was paying attention when he put a box on my table. I'd asked him for Australian black opal stud earrings and he actually got them for me even though I'd barely given him any notice. It'd be nice if he'd actually waited until our actual Silver Jubilee anniversary, but he said he was worried about losing them, and I know what that's like: buy something early and hide it to keep it safe, and then you hide it too well and don't remember where it is after a few months. They are fancier than I expected, and he admitted that he knew that but given the short notice, he didn't have a lot of choices. I'm pleased though because they are extremely pretty earrings. 

I am a bit perplexed by the Google Health app that now powers the FitBit watch on my wrist. Today, it tells me that I've exceeded the weekly cardio goal of 150 minutes. I've only been to the gym twice this week and count two sessions of 35 minutes. That's 70 minutes. I guess the app is counting all the other walking about? 

28 August 2026 1:34-3:25

Sciatica Friday

Sunny & pleasant & SCIATICA & old equipment

Precor elliptical #1 (2:12)

Program #1

Time: 30 + 5 (5186)

Distance: 2.71

Cal: 294

Precor HR: 141, 196

Google Health: 43-132

(Foot numb / calf clenched )

HGPU 14.5 very ugly

Sciatica makes this so painful

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (2:25-3:01)

30 lbs x 24/22/20/24 reps x 3

(Progressive decrease until set 4)

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 2

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 2

Balmy Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (3:05-3:25)

20 Hamstring / 20 nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

50 crunches x 2

Numb toes intensify during crunches if feet on floor; better if knees to chest

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (mild sciatica!)

Skip Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Tired of the Increasing Limitations

It's been a week since my last gym foray, and a lot has happened in that short interval. My kid went back to college, my dog got X-rays, my husband returned from months away in Australia. My kid is safely ensconced at school and classes have started. The dog's odd rib lump appears to be composed of calcium and cartilage, perhaps a sort of bone callous. The husband raved about how great the food was over there in Oceana, did several loads of laundry and then slept for a good day and a half. 

I did also repot a bunch of my supermarket Venus flytrap plants as some pots appeared overcrowded, and one with a wee baby plant sprouting up at the edge (it got its own pot and I split a bigger plant in two -- their tiny rhizomes remind me of baby bok choi plants), and an outdoor plant looked relatively unhappy compared to two other plants that might be different subspecies based on coloring and size of their traps. It got repotted and actually looks happier now. When you buy them from the grocery, all the label says is Venus flytrap, as if they were all the same, but assuredly, they are not all the same.  

I have been dragging my feet about making the appointment for a consult with the neurosurgeon, because surgery, even laparoscopic surgery, is an invasive procedure that no one should take lightly. But the increasing discomfort of my inflamed sciatic nerve (bundle since it's not one giant nerve) is creating limitations in my daily activities. It's not getting better. I don't really have great days anymore where there's no pain. Instead, I monitor how often I cave to the pressure to pop some OTC NSAIDs, preferring to limit myself to just a single acetaminophen (500 mg) and 2-3 tablets of ibuprofen (200 mg each) all at once. 

I took that at 5 AM today when I couldn't go back to sleep because there was no position that didn't hurt. After 15 minutes, I was asleep until my phone's alarm chimed and I got up to take the dogs to the park, like I do every morning. I stopped going to the chiropractor because I didn't feel any improvements, not even with the decompression machine. The only movement that offers any relief is laying on my back and pulling the afflicted leg up and forward for "nerve flossing." It's rather painful, but as the old adage can be paraphrased, "It hurts so much that it feels good when you stop."

Barely anyone was at the gym when I arrived, and I arrived late. But it was also quite a nice day outside, sunny and not blistering hot, plus school in our county starts before Labor Day (as opposed to NYC where it starts immediately after the long weekend). No one else on the elliptical machines, and only two people on the treadmills. Eventually though, the gym did fill up a bit. 

Getting started on the Precor was painful. Pedaling the lower elevations was unpleasant with my forefoot growing numb and tingly, and the outside of my calf burning. There was less discomfort when the program increased the elevation. Pedaling backward was easier than moving forward. I'd probably progress if I suffered through cardio more than once a week, but lately I have had other things to do. I'm lucky to have registered the distance and steps that I managed today. It could've been worse. What seemed odd was the low HR the Precor was reporting. I've never seen this machine report 71 bpm. It sounds entirely reasonable but we all know that these machines are horribly inaccurate, not that the FitBit is that much better. But it does seem more likely with a range from 42 (while I was sleeping) to 118.  

VFT rhizomes

I did work up a mild sweat but that was hard to achieve. I would've had to pedal faster and I'm not really able to maintain it because of all the discomfort. I managed pull-ups but even before the first rep, my right leg was buzzing and the foot had gone numb in the toes. Because I knew I was reluctantly skipping push-ups later, I decided to revisit the DB routine with some modifications: less reps so as to baby that wonky right shoulder. It's my entire right side that appears to be failing me: right eye has much worse vision loss due to glaucoma, right shoulder has an undiagnosed joint issue, right lower limb has progressing sciatica. The left side seems relatively unscathed. Like I was two different halves, and I am by no means visibly symmetrical either... 

While I kept the higher reps with the lighter warm ups weights, I dropped the reps once I picked up the 20s. Those really shouldn't feel heavy but it's been more than a few months since I last did these exercises so maybe next time I'll add back a few reps. The Aerobics Room was a bit warm and totally empty. Nerve flossing gave me relief, while other exercises toyed with nerve aggravation. I've revamped my routine to complete skip everything that makes my leg hurt worse. Except for Air Squats. Those never used to bother me. Now they do and I do my 25 reps but slower and much more deliberately. 

Yeah, tomorrow I have to reconfirm with my health insurance company that they cover this doctor, that he's in their plan. New reports have come out in favor of acupuncture as a lower back treatment for pain but I doubt that the insurance company will change their stance on it. Which makes no sense. They'd rather pop you full of addictive pain meds or subject you to surgery than allow you to potentially gain relief from a few sterile needles...  

25 August 2026 1:09-3:01

Sciatica Tuesday

Sunny & pleasant & SCIATICA

Precor elliptical #1 (1:46

Program #3

Time: 30 + 5 (5132)

Distance: 2.70

Cal: 292

Precor HR: 71-129, 175

Google Health: 42-118

(Foot numb / calf clenched )

HGPU 15.5 ugly

Sciatica makes this so painful

Incl DB Press s/s Lateral Raises s/s Rev Bent Over Flys (slow & EZ)

10 lbs x 25/15/25 (2:07)

15 lbs x 25/15/30 (2:15)

Inclined Reverse Flys

20/15/20 x 15/15/15 reps

Set 1 (2:25); Set 2 (2:36)

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (2:43)

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

50 crunches x 2

Numb toes intensify during crunches if feet on floor; better if knees to chest

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (aggravating sciatica!)

Skip Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Defintely Not a Fan

I went to see two cover bands last Friday and it just confirmed what I had suspected. Everyone was all excited to see Love Sexy, a cover band for Prince and that didn't really thrill me. But another cover band, Side Car doing The Cars, with immensely danceable songs, well, that was exciting. And I went to the show just for them. 

The venue wasn't very crowded, and it was kind of sad how barely anyone got up to dance for the opening songs and the Side Car band. I thought they were really good. But everyone jumped to their feet to wave their hands at basically undanceable Prince songs. I could barely keep myself from yawning. Seriously. I suspect the Queen cover band, Extreme Queen, this Friday will be much better than the faux Prince. I don't even care if no one dances to it, but I probably will. 

Meanwhile, I took one of my dogs to get X-rays of the bony knob on his rib, and the consensus was that it was a benign bony growth, that warranted monitoring but nothing immediately alarming. I finally put the butterfly bushes and coneflowers I bought several weeks ago into the ground, and have been visited by a few Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and a lone Monarch. The milkweeds, unfortunately, are being devoured by brushy Hickory Tussock caterpillars... 

It's been nearly a week since I last made it to the gym. My sciatica is progressing and not in a good way. Mostly, it gets in the way of things I want or need to do. Yes, I went dancing last week in spite of it. Because sitting around doesn't make it better. Cardio warms all the muscles and ligaments so eventually I feel better, but I'm always surprised at what movements make my foot go numb, or worse. The elliptical is both good and bad, depending on whether I'm pedaling forward or backward, and at what elevation. I used to exit the elliptical feeling looser. Now, I'm happy if my foot isn't completely numb or glute isn't sore. 

Pull-ups definitely make the pain worse. Reps are a struggle and ugly to boot. My right shoulder is aggravated doing normal everyday chores, like backing my car into the driveway. And that's with power steering! There were a lot more people in the free weight area today, and one was quite annoying. A tall middle-age dude, (maybe he was trying to impress the thin leggy blonde HS girl?) kept grunting with every rep of bad form DB curls that were obviously too heavy for his abilities. 

I tried to minimize damage to my wonky elbows and shoulders by cutting the reps slightly for the tricep supersets. Everything else was routine. The Aerobics Room was cool and I spent a lot of time doing hamstring stretches and nerve flossing because my sciatica hurt so much. I really hate it when my foot goes numb and my calf feels like half an electrical fire. 

Butter Swim Blueberry Biscuits

I made an interesting observation that my sciatica is aggravated by crunches if my knees are bent and my feet flat on the floor, but less so if my knees are pulled close to the chest. So, I did 50 reps of one and then the other to compare. Guess I'll skip the feet flat on the floor next time. Just like I've skipped Bird Dogs, Dead Bugs, and Push-ups. And I really hate myself for quitting push-ups. But I need to be able to walk out of the Aerobics Room. It's quite the bummer when even innocuous Air Squats cause aggravation. I'll probably make an appointment for a consultation with the neurosurgeon in the next few weeks... 

My kid is leaving for Senior year of college a few days earlier than expected because the friend that is driving has work commitments. The dorms won't be open yet so I've booked them a hotel room close to campus. Meanwhile, my kid decided to remake the Butter Swim Blueberry Biscuits from a few weeks ago. They are delicious, but sooo fattening. Maybe not as fattening as the Blondies with candied bacon (homemade) and toffee chips (my god that non chocolate "fudge" was absolutely fabulous), but damn close. I tease my kid that if this biomedical engineering thing doesn't work out, they can always open up a sweet shop. 

18 August 2026 12:33-2:28

Sciatica Tuesday

Drop off pup at vet

Precor elliptical #1 (1:10)

Program #2

Time: 30 + 5 (5212)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 296

Precor HR: 145, 184-120

Google Health: 44-122

(Foot numb / calf electric)

HGPU 15 sciatica ugly

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:23-2:02)

30 lbs x 24/22/20/24 reps x 4

(Progressive decrease until set 4)

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 3

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (2:04)

20 Hamstring / nerve flossing

50 crunches x 2

Numb toes intensify during crunches if feet on floor; better if knees to chest

20 Piriformis / hamstring / nerve flossing stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (sciatica!)

Sciatica is Becoming a Problem

I finally made it to the gym but since I already had too much to do, it was an abbreviated session with just cardio, pull-ups, and stretch time in the Aerobics Room. My sciatica is getting worse, maybe due to inactivity, so I made an effort to do the important movements, but even those hurt in unexpected ways. 

Cardio on the elliptical was painful, with a sudden awareness of a new soreness at the back of my thigh just behind the knee as well as a persistent lower back ache. The big toe, right outer ankle and calf intermittently tingled and burned or buzzed numbingly. Overall, extremely unpleasant and it shows in the loss of distance and steps in the same 35 minute session I've been doing for years. 

Pull-ups were barely tolerable and I didn't have time for the step machine. I skipped really painful movements in the Aerobics Room, so no Dead Bugs or Bird Dogs, and today I even skipped Push-ups because the normally benign Air Squats were also exacerbating my sciatica. That's new and a tad alarming. It feel like the condition is progressing, and I'm now contemplating which office of the neurosurgeon will be easier to drive to, because sciatica makes driving itself rather challenging. 

I had a chance to see Les Mis as performed by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare company this evening, and eat at the newly renovated Folio farm-to-table restaurant. It was quite lovely, and although I wasn't familiar with any of the music or lyrics sung at the performance, I quite enjoyed the fantastic vocal talent, the costumes, and ingenuous set design. Unlike movies or television, live performances require a 4-dimensional creative simplicity unmatched by green screens and special effects. 

I could follow the storyline only because I'd watched the original b&w 1935 movie Les Miserables when I was a child. (The musical version is a lot closer to the actual book than this old movie.) Later, we had a discussion about the historical framework of Les Mis, with me stating that this obviously occurred in the 1800s due to the costumes and the lack of any mention of a king. My friend, who actually lived in Paris for several years and has seen Les Mis at least 8 times, said she just assumed it was during the French Revolution. Good grief. Sorry, that's a facepalm moment showcasing how oblivious people can be... 

Meanwhile, I have taken my dog in for a visit to a new vet to assess that worrisome bump on his ribcage. The vet agreed that it seems too solid to get any material from a needle biopsy so blood was drawn to assess the dog's suitability for sedation and x-rays. He's scheduled for that procedure next week. I'd like this to be nothing but a benign bony growth. It could be an embedded lipomas (aka infiltrative) but that seems unlikely. I'm hoping it's nothing, but since it's bigger than I first noticed it, it's something. 

An interesting aside: on the records from our previous veterinarian, our pups were rated at 2.5/5 and I was immediately concerned. We all assume that this works like most ratings, with 5 being the highest and the best (a 5-star rating) and that "1" is awful. I had to look up the veterinary standards to discover that actually, 2.5 is perfect. Perfectly in the middle, where 1-2 is weak, emaciated, malnourished and 4-5 means overweight, flabby, etc. I felt a lot better after that. But the one dog is still scheduled for x-rays next week. 

12 August 2026 12:54-2:06

Abbrev Sciatica Wednesday

HVSF Les Mis

Precor elliptical #1 (1:32)

Program #1

Time: 30 + 5 (5092)

Distance: 2.69

Cal: 289

Precor HR: 141. 184

Google Health: 46-129

(Foot numb / calf clenched / back thigh starts at knee moved up to glute)

HGPU 15

Sciatica makes this really painful

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (1:47-2:06)

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

50 crunches x 2

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Skip Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25 (sciatica!)

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

Ruining My Posture

I'm in danger of ruining my posture and my gait because this unrelenting sciatic pain has me curled forward like an elderly arthritic. I'm standing lopsided and probably favoring my right side, putting a lot of stress on the left. 

Once I get things like my kid back to school, my car repaired properly, and one of my dogs diagnosed, I'll look into making an appointment for myself with the neurosurgeon about fixing the diagnosed spinal stenosis. Meanwhile, I have an appointment tomorrow with a new veterinarian because I found a hard lump on one of my dog's rib cage that I'm fairly certain isn't a benign lipoma aka fatty tumor. I've had pups with those and this is not that.

I did make it to the gym today. We're in the middle of a heat advisory that hopefully breaks this evening. My sciatica makes it hard to carry my gym bag, makes it hard to pedal the elliptical, makes it super hard to do pull-ups. I needed a change so today I pedaled the Intervals program for 25 minutes, and later added an additional 10 minutes on the step machine. Slow and easy, but still sopping with sweat. The a/c is on but it's so humid that the gym is barely cool. The locker room is positively balmy and warrants cold showers. 

No weight lifting today. I spent a lot of time in the Aerobics Room trying to relax my aggravated sciatic nerve, and avoid all the movements that have caused the most pain. No Dead Bugs. No Bird Dog planks. I stubbornly refuse to give up push-ups, and they hurt, but not to the same extent as Dead Bugs. I don't know why this exercise specifically causes so much trouble. But Air Squats are fine. 

I still have 3 plants that need to go into the ground but I'm not digging my yard with temps in the 90s. Luckily, torrential rains have mitigated the heat and nothing needs watering. If anything, there's flood watches in various neighborhoods. 

The dreaded spotted lantern fly hasn't made much of an appearance either, although I did find a nymph (juvenile form) in the dog water bowl at the Bark Park this morning. Rinsed that out and dispatched the critter. I hope tomorrow will be cooler. This heat is making me consider installing a second a/c unit in my little house, and I know future summers promise to be even hotter. 

7 August 2026 1:26-2:55

Sciatica Heatwave Friday

More heat & humidity & hungry

Precor elliptical #1 (1:54)

Program Intervals

Time: 20 + 5 (3194)

Distance: 1.84

Cal: 189

Precor HR: 128, 198-97

Google Health: 44-119

(Foot numb / calf clenched / glute)

HGPU 15

Sciatica makes this really painful

Matrix StairMaster (R) (2:05-2:15)

Manual timer 8 + 2 cool down

Speed 3 (38-36) / 2 (26)

Steps 342

Floors 21

Cal: 54

Hr 104

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (2:26-

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Skip Dead Bugs too painful

25 crunches x 3 (hungry!)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 26 (stressful sciatic)

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga

August So Soon

I inadvertently took a week off from the gym and the results are not good. My sciatica is worse and oddly, so is my right shoulder. While pedaling the elliptical forward and back is mildly painful and I busted a sweat, it was the Stretch Cage pull-ups that really hurt. At least I made it past a dozen, but just barely. I can't be slacking and skipping gym days like this. That hasn't been productive although I have been busy. 

The heat makes planting pollinator flowers difficult since I tend to overheat and run back into the house to cool down by sticking my head under the gooseneck faucet. I can barely get a shovelful of dirt out before hitting rocks and I need to dig at least as deep as the pot I'm transplanting. Out of six plants, I've managed to replant 3 and only because the two herbs got put into bigger planters, and not into the ground. I don't think the rosemary or the thyme will survive winter unless bringing them into the unheated garage is enough protection, but I suspect not. That's the plan for the Venus flytraps as well, because they actually need winter dormancy to survive long-term. 

The other plants, purple coneflowers (echinacea) and butterfly bush are plants that'd do well between the recurring milkweeds I have. But I don't know if they'll survive our winters. Fingers crossed. I only have one coneflower in the ground so far. Only three more holes to dig out. I'm waiting for the heat to lessen and I'd be willing to dig while it's raining, although that could be quite messy. None of this is helping my sciatica. And of course, there's the issue of biting insects. 

I did view a quick post promoting vanilla extract (diluted with water in a spray bottle) as an effective bug repellent. I'd be willing to smell like cake if that meant no more insidious insect bites or oily residue on my skin! Unfortunately, it's stated that vanilla only works for 30 minutes and only repels mosquitoes. So, those pesky deer flies, horseflies, ticks and fleas won't be dissuaded. 

The free weight area had been crowded with kids but was fairly empty by the time I was done with cardio and pull-ups. I did see more girls today. Girls, not women. I also tried not to stare at weird "trendy" workout routines, like the middle-aged dude doing DB presses while laying on a big ass stability ball. Out of the corner of my eye, I think I see him bouncing the ball while he's laying on it. What the actual F? That's a good way to slip and tear a pectoral muscle. In the back of my mind is the story of a local chef who was doing squats on a stability ball. (Sorry but that's pure idiocy.) He did slip and fracture his leg, and was in recovery for months. The restaurant he was affiliated with had to close and change ownership. Serious consequences for stupidity. 

My right shoulder has been recalcitrant with odd painful clicks as the arm rotates in the socket. Sometimes it aches for no reason at all. Today is one of those days, and I have to modify the tricep exercises to mitigate any damage a full range of motion would cause. There are fewer people in the free weight area now and I'm able to complete my sets without any issues, although I do suspect there might've been some curious glances from the "children" playing with weights. 

There had been a Senior class earlier in the Aerobics Room so I wasn't expecting ice cold, but at least it wasn't greenhouse balmy. And there wasn't any painful low-frequency vibrations rumbling through the walls and floor. My sciatica hasn't been alleviated by cardio or weights. Dead Bugs makes it so much worse and I struggle with the sets as my right foot goes numb and electricity zaps my calf and makes my ankle feel like it's on fire. It hurts so much that I actually ditch the last set and only get 4 done instead of 5. And there's no way I'm doing Bird Dogs later. 

The only thing that sort of hurts but I can power through it are push-ups, and that's only to rep 26. This sciatica really sucks, especially as it impacts movements that "on the surface" have nothing to do with glutes, calves, feet... but yeah, push-ups are a full body exercise and that means core and lower back, so there's that. 

I have a chiropractor appointment right afterward, and I can't say that I feel better. Again, this is probably because I need to hit the gym more regularly and definitely more than once every 10 days. Ideally I'd be exercising at least 2-3 times a week. Maybe I'll get back to that once my kid is safely back at school, and I actually get some repair work done to my "rusting undercarriage old Subaru that steers and accelerates like a dream" but seriously needs beaucoup bucks worth of work before the oil pan and associated parts disintegrate and fall off. Yeah, there's that. 

Meanwhile, my kid decided to make cinnamon apple cupcakes with streusel topping from scratch, and they are absolutely delicious. Much more successful than the char-siu bao aka Chinese roast pork buns, although those were tasty too. I guess if this biomedical engineering thing doesn't work out, my kid can always work in a pastry shop. 

But they did have useful experiences at their summer internship, and has been told that once they graduate with a BS (Bachelors of Science), if they wanted, several departments would be interested in hiring them. I think that's awesome, not that my kid is interested in living out on the Island, but these are difficult times and opportunities should never be discounted. 

5 August 2026 1:02-2:47

Sciatica Wednesday

Summer Heat & Humidity

Precor elliptical #1 (1:38)

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5254)

Distance: 2.74

Cal: 298

Precor HR: 142, 184-77

Google Health: 42-129

(Foot numb / calf clenched / glute)

HGPU 14.5

Sciatica makes this really painful

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:50-2:19)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 3

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (2:25)

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Dead Bugs 20 x 4 (painful numb foot)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20 

Push-Ups 26

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:47)

Don't Skip Bug Spray

Multiple bites

I admit that as a certified bug magnet, I was tempting fate by walking my dogs in the evening without dousing myself with insect repellent. I had been relying on my bug pants and hooded jacket, and gloves. But that left my face exposed. In the morning, because I'm at the dog park for at least an hour, I normally dab picaridin on my face with the the sprayed back of my hands. For a 10 minute walk though, I didn't really want to do that. Unfortunately, biting insects can sense tasty meals from quite the distance and attack exposed flesh at light speed. I never saw these buggers, but I did feel the stinging bites as I slapped my face while keeping a grip on my two dogs. 

Char-siu

The first time this happened, I slathered my face in hydrocortisone cream and forestalled any allergic reactions. The second time I wasn't as fortunate and suffered a huge amount of swelling on my cheek, eyelid and next to my nose. Dabbing topical Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream next to your eye is not ideal. I had trouble seeing out of that eye and kept pressing a cold pack against my face. It was still swollen the next day but not as noticeable. Luckily, today everything feels normal more or less. 

Baos steaming

I've been remiss in my garlic consumption lately so for the past two days I've indulged in an old favorite: perfectly ripe avocado smushed onto toast and covered in crushed fresh garlic with tomato slices and a sprinkle of salt. No doubt I'll be slightly less skeeter attractive now. My kid's kitchen project this weekend was char-siu baos aka Chinese roast pork buns. Pork loins marinated and roasted, chopped and mixed with onions and honey. Bao dough kneaded, risen, shaped around the filling and then steamed. I was lucky to get two out of the ten that were made -- the rest wound up split between my kid and the kid down the road who served as sous chef and dishwasher. 

I got to the gym today in spite feeling surreal fatigue. Today was the last Monday I'll have to get up at 4:30 AM to drive my kid to the train station since the unpaid internship ends this Friday. Apparently there's a presentation due! My kid will be home for a few weeks where I'll be scheduling appointments with the dermatologist, dentist, pediatrician, but there will still be time to hang out and socialize with friends before the next school term begins. 

The gym is relatively empty, as was the parking lot. Maybe there wasn't a Senior class today? I'm relatively early. The kids come in later. I pedal and feel my lungs ache from a week of inertia. Not great stats but hey, at least I made it to the gym. Wind Breaker shows up a few minutes after I start pedaling. I see a few regulars scattered throughout. Pull-ups are slightly better than last time, but again, the sciatica really curls my toes and makes those last reps ugly and painful. 

The free weight area isn't as empty as I'd like but I can still access a flat bench and the weights I want to use. Kids come and go on the surrounding benches. I see the married couple working legs in the hack squat machine and then DB shoulder presses. My right shoulder has been wonky lately, clicking and catching depending on rotation. It's not as if I've been doing anything particularly physical either. A damaged joint that never properly healed is exacerbated by simple movements, like trying to keep the dogs from tangling me up in their leashes. Or backing my car into my narrow driveway. You'd be surprised at how daily mundane movements add up. 

The Aerobics Room is warmer than expected but at least it's empty. Unfortunately, since it's situated at the back of the storefront it's subject to loud noises and vibrations from trucks unloading in the rear parking lot. Today, the noise and air pressure was almost painful and I removed my earbuds several times. An empty Aerobics Room with a wood floor and mirrored walls makes a perfect amplifier for low frequency vibrations. At least the room is empty, so I can count aloud which helps me keep track of my reps. That gives me an extra push-up rep before my right leg complains too much. 

I've been going to the chiropractor once a week, mostly to spend a few minutes in their decompression aka traction device. I can't say that I feel better afterward, but I don't feel worse. I'm still eating a mix of ibuprofen and acetaminophen daily but limited to just once daily. It's not doing my stomach any favors. Someone gave me the name of a pain management office that's in my health insurance plan. I'd really like that to include acupuncture, but it won't. (Most pain medications are contraindicated for glaucoma patients.) And I'm still looking at micro neurosurgery to actually fix the spinal stenosis problem instead of just masking the symptomatic pain. But in my head, I'm not there yet.  

27 July 2026 12:22-2:15

Sciatica Monday last predawn train

Another Stormy flood watch

Precor elliptical #1 (1:00)

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5207)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 296

Precor HR: 142, 176-?

Google Health: 44-124

(Foot numb)

HGPU 17

Sciatica makes this really painful

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:12-1:45)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 3

Mild A/C in the Aerobics Room!

20 Piriformis/Hip flex 

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Dead Bugs 20 x 5 (numb foot)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 31

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:15)

Heat, Smoke, Haze, Floods, High Winds

It's been a week since I last made it to the gym. I haven't been sick, other than the persistent ache and discomfort from my inflamed sciatic nerve bundle, but I've had other things to do. I did go dancing last Friday night so I'll consider that an hour or two of moderate cardio exercise. 

The band, Reality Bites, was great and effected appropriate costume changes for whichever band they were covering. Most of it was dance worthy, except for the Beastie Boys, a band I've never liked. Better yet, I scored a pair of free passes for the next Friday or Saturday show. Or I could take myself twice. The BBQ buffet wasn't as good as last time, but the band was better so there was more dancing. Very worth it. 

The weather has gone from an overcast orange haze due to the Canadian wildfires to blistering hot to flood watches and tornado alerts. The weather is too exciting lately. I would've gone to the gym yesterday but my sleep deprivation got the better of me. Every Monday I get up at 4:30 AM to drive my kid to the Metro North station to catch trains and connecting buses to the unpaid summer internship out in Long Island. There's only a few more weeks until that ends, then a few weeks before back to college!

It's hard to go back to sleep after the drive to and from, and then the subsequent dog walk once I get back home. And the sleep deficit appears to be cumulative because I'm unable to sleep more hours during the week to make up for Monday night's paltry duration. At some point I'll wind up napping with the dogs in the late afternoon when I just can't keep my eyes open. Meanwhile, I've decided I need to try actually reading a book again. Not an e-book or a story on my phone, but an actual paper pages book that I hold in my hands. 

I've found that I've fallen prey to device distraction: it's too easy for my attention to wander these days. The only downside is that I'm reading Christopher Buckley, an extremely erudite and witty writer with an extensive vocabulary. So every 5-6 pages I'm scrambling to look up a word definition. I've read Little Green Men before, but it was so long ago that I've forgotten a lot of the juicy details. It's actually quite a pleasure to reread this again. 

I got to the gym and expected it to be more crowded due to the bad weather. I was not expecting the gym to be so warm. Between my fatigue and the unpleasant warmth and humidity, I did not have a great cardio session on the Precor. But I did get 35 min done. Of course, the FitBit never registers this event as using the elliptical. It thinks I'm doing a leisurely stroll. It doesn't register weight lifting either. I have to manually enter that. And there's no category to apply my paltry pull-ups. I'm happy I made it past a dozen, but just barely. I'm sure if I increased my frequency, I'd see better numbers. But, well... 

The free weight area is at first super crowded and I glom a bench between a bunch of guys. I don't see any women or girls beyond a few cable machines and the treadmill. By the time I'm done with my routine, most of the guys are done as well. The weights feel okay. My sciatica feels okay. At least until I enter the warm and clammy Aerobics Room and get to Dead Bugs. Lately, those make my right foot numb and tingly. I'm not torturing myself with Bird Dogs. Doing push-ups is torture enough. 

The sun had come out and bright light was blazing through the big picture windows. By the time I'd done showering and changing, the skies had turned gray and it was raining when I walked back to my car. There are flood watch warnings. Not sure if we're really susceptible to tornadoes although some have touched down in the past. 

ShopRite is selling pitiful, light-starved Venus flytraps again in those protective plastic death domes that trap moisture and reduce light. These plants need full sun! The center plant doesn't even appear to have any traps at the end of its leaves. The plant to the far left has a flower stalk, an act of desperation when a plant will plow all their energy and resources into before succumbing. If the plant is happy, it'll also flower but that's not what's happening with these poor specimens.  

I'm not sure what's happening to major clothing retailers like The GAP, a store I trust to sell me good quality underwear and jeans. The email sales I'm seeing seem much more than just summer inventory clearance. Pants that retailed for $90 are being offered with massive discounts and can be purchased for roughly $20 and free shipping. I bought two pairs barrel-leg faded print jeans. Even better is that they come in a short length so I don't have to hem them. The pockets are reasonable but truthfully, they could be a skosh deeper. At least they're not faux finger-tip pockets. Those suck. 

21 July 2026 12:58-2:43

Sciatic Tuesday

Stormy flood & tornado watch

Precor elliptical #1 (1:34)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5094)

Distance: 2.69

Cal: 289

Precor HR: 136, 196-109

Google Health: 44-140

HGPU 15

Sciatica makes this really painful

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:45-2:16)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 3

No A/C in the Aerobics Room!

 

20 Piriformis/Hip flex 

15 Hamstring / nerve flossing

Dead Bugs 20 x 5 (numb foot)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20 

Push-Ups 30

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:43)

Not Worse

Brownies

French boule

I have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon but figure I can squeeze in a quick gym session. I'm tired though from getting up at 4:30 to drive my kid to the train station to make it to the internship office bright and early. I won't see my kid again until Friday evening, but it seems to be working out. Only a few more weeks and then a few weeks at home before the long trek to school. This weekend, we were treated to a lovely French boule and very fudgy brownies, courtesy of a late night baking spree. I learned that the key to a beautiful crusty bread is to bake it inside a Dutch oven. I have a turquoise blue enameled one I bought on sale from Amazon some years ago. I should use it more often. 

It's nearly 1:30 by the time I get to the gym and it's surprisingly empty. The Senior class has long gone and it's reasonably nice outside. This is the week that a lot of families take vacations. The next heatwave is scheduled to start tomorrow and last for a few days. I'm not at all happy about it and have already decided to add an additional air conditioning unit to my house, probably later in the summer when they go on sale. Summers is slated to get hotter each year and I'm not good with persistent heat. Neither are my dogs. 

My sciatica has been persistent. At least it's not progressively worse. But that and the fact that my right shoelace has untied itself makes this elliptical session less than stellar. The sciatica intrudes during time at the Stretch Cage during pull-ups. I can only get 15 and those last 3 are ugly. I don't have time to push any weights and head directly to the Aerobics Room. There is a small Latina sweeping the floor there. I can never predict when she's going to be cleaning. I thought it was Wednesday but today is Monday. At least she doesn't attempt to mop the floor by my head when I'm laying on the mat doing hamstring stretches.

I added Dead Bugs back to my routine. It didn't aggravate my sciatica too much today, and I was bored with the crunches: they started to hurt my neck and right glute, so what was the point? I'm going to delete the flat hip rotations too. Rotating my lower body with knees bent to the right was okay, but moving to the left caused the right glute to ache a lot. It stays aggravated and the movement doesn't serve any good purpose. Push-ups makes the numb foot burn and the fire reaches up the side of my calf. It's become routine. It's painful but not debilitating. I haven't lost any strength although today's workout wasn't great. I'll probably try again later in the week, and maybe I'll have time to push some weights around. 

Meanwhile, I have to figure out how to glue one of my kitchen cabinet doors together after it split apart. It's cherry with an irregular tone. I like it but I've been told that it's considered a defect because of the uneven colors. These cabinets are about 35 years old and the manufacturer isn't around anymore. Wood glue and some clamps should work... 

13 July 2026 1:28-2:42

Abbreviated Sciatica Monday

Chiro appt spinal decompression

Pre Heatwave 85°F

Precor elliptical #1 (2:06)

Program 3

Time: 30 + 5 (5172)

Distance: 2.71

Cal: 294

Precor HR: 158, 180-116

Google Health: 44-122 (?!)

(Foot numb / ankle calf glute)

HGPU 15

Sciatica makes this really painful

20 Piriformis/Hip flex 

12 Hamstring stretches

Dead Bugs 20 x 5

Flat hip rotations 10 (numb foot calf!)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20 (sciatica ramp up)

Push-Ups 30

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:42)

Temporary Reprieve

Dog park post storm

The heatwave has broken and we were inundated with torrential rain and high winds. Several localities reported damage consistent with intense micro bursts, or mini tornadoes. Trees are down everywhere and many areas are without power. Luckily for us, we only suffered a blip in our power hours after the storm had passed. A big limb fell at the dog park but otherwise, the only casualty was my outdoor Venus flytraps whose moat overfilled with rainwater and tipped over. I set them back up while it was still raining, and today the moat surrounding the plants is halfway up their pots. They'll be fine, especially since temps are lovely now, in the mid 60s, but promise to rise up into the 80s by week's end. 

I finally made it to the gym after a week. My sciatica has been aggressively difficult and I've spent a few days laying on a yoga mat on the floor while adjusting my hips and legs, to no relief. That sciatic nerve bundle has been so inflamed that more often than not, my big toe throbs as if it were stricken with gout. Which is not what is happening. I actually sought relief by hanging from the chin-up pair in my hallway. It does double duty as a place to hang wet delicates since there is some airflow there. Airflow is the enemy of mold and mildew. 

I got to the gym earlier than usual and immediately was able to access Precor elliptical #1. While I was pedaling, a woman I had waved at in the locker room (she was on the phone) stopped by to ask what was what. I still plan to go to a local venue in a few weeks where the theme will be 90s music. I went a few weeks ago to see the Meat Loaf tribute cover band, All Revved Up, and there was great energy with a lot of dancing. It is one of the things I miss most from my youth: club dancing. I'm still hoping to find a few locals to meet up with while at the Reality Bites show but a lot of folks have made other plans, ranging from an annual colonoscopy to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. (Yeah, I'm going to the latter as well, but to see Les Mis mid-week in August.) 

My time on the elliptical was okay. Not great, but not horrible. My foot was numb, my calf burned, and my glute was sore. None of that felt better at the Stretch Cage. I got a set of pull-ups done: the first dozen were fine and the next four were much more difficult. Sciatica didn't start to hurt until I got tired and my body tried to compensate by curling my knees upward. Somehow that makes sciatica so much worse. 

Because I have a vague recollection of sciatic relief doing pullover movements, I decided that the Triceps routine would be best. School is out and there are pockets of young boys and lone teenage girls in the free weight area. There are also a variety of men from college to seniors. No older women, unless you count me. It works though: after the Tricep routine, I barely feel any discomfort in my leg or hip. It doesn't last though; as soon as I lay down in the Aerobics Room to do crunches, I feel my foot go numb and start to burn. I haven't even done anything to aggravate it except for lie on the floor with my knees bent and my feet flat. 

The button I should wear but

The only movement that's a bit of an expected struggle are the push-ups. I'm fine up to rep 20. Then each rep gets progressively harder and the last two make my lower back ache. It also aggravates my sciatica. I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow where I'll lay on a table with weird restraints around the torso and hips to foment a sort of gentle traction on the spine. I'm still popping ibuprofen (and sometimes acetaminophen) like candy. 

I saw some cute buttons online and I'm tempted to buy some. I did buy a bumper sticker for my car. My car that I have never put a sticker on ever, but since I'll run it until it falls apart and never sell it, well, I can put this one sticker on it. It's for SAD: Stay Another Day. It's important. 

Planning on seeing a band on Friday with a friend at a different local venue. This group plays old favorites from James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Paul Simon. Yeah, I'm sure I've got scratched up vinyls of Browne and Simon & Garfunkel in my garage somewhere. I even bought myself a portable chair that won't aggravate my sciatica too much because being short means I don't fit into most regular seating without having the seat edge dig into the back of my thighs with my feet dangling. Turns out that "beach chairs" that sit low are perfect for us shorties. It hasn't arrived yet but I'm quite excited to test it out.  

7 July 2026 12:32-2:24

Aching Sciatica Tuesday

Post Floods Rainy Cool 65°F 

The button I like but shouldn't

Precor elliptical #1 (1:09)

Program 2

Time: 30 + 5 (5212)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 296

Precor HR: 150, 203-109

Google Health: 42-124

(Foot numb / ankle calf glute)

Chatting while pedaling

HGPU 16

Sciatica makes this really painful 

I like this one too

Skull Crushers/RipSkulls (1:20-1:52)

30 lbs x 24 reps x 4

S/s with

Standing DB Laterals w/ 10 lbs x 15 reps

15 x 15 x 3

S/s wit

Seated DB Alt Curls w/ 10 lbs x 12

15 x 12 x 3

Skip every exercise that aggravates my sciatica. Sciatica not active; just the burning big toe

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (1:55-2:24)

12 Hamstring stretches

60 crunches knees bent feet flat (!!!)

40 crunches knees to chest

(Discomfort mud right back)

Flat hip rotations 10 (numb foot calf!)

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20 (sciatica ramp up)

Push-Ups 30 (ok until rep 20)

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:24)

We're Having a Heat Wave

When I got back to my car

Today is July 1st, and the first day of a heat wave that originated in the mid west. I finally went to the gym, but it was an abbreviated workout since I had an appointment later in the afternoon. Yesterday, I ran a bunch of errands which consisted mostly of driving to different stores, searching for items on a list, standing in line and then driving to another store. By the end of the day, my sciatica hurt so bad that driving was excruciating. The afflicted leg/foot is the driving leg/foot so controlling the gas & brake when people are acting like they've never operated a motor vehicle before can be maddening. 

The only relief I got was falling asleep on the floor on a yoga mat with my feet up on a footstool. It was some relief, and my leg stopped throbbing long enough for me to walk the dogs later. Today, my right side didn't hurt nearly as much, but it's a cumulative disorder. The more standing and walking around, the worse it hurts. Exercise helps mitigate some of the stress, especially when I avoid all the movements that aggravate it. 

The gym is relatively empty. The a/c is on but it's definitely not ice cold. The Senior class has concluded and I'm hoping the Aerobics Room isn't warm and humid. Although older folks don't generate a lot of heat, they are sensitive to overly warm environments. My leg and foot bothers me as I pedal the elliptical, but considering it's been a week and I felt quite incapacitated yesterday, I thought today was reasonable. 

I managed a decent set of pull-ups, but it's the sciatica that makes me quit. I have time for the Aerobics Room and a nice shower before making it to a chiropractor appointment where I will finally start spinal decompression therapy. I've made a point of skipping anything that aggravates my sciatica, so no Dead Bugs or Bird Dog planks. Because I didn't push any weights around, I felt confident that regular two-legged push-ups would be fine. They were fine. I even remembered to count aloud. 

The spinal decompression machine resembles a weird medieval rack where they secure your upper torso and then gently pull on your hips. Then there's a pause, then it pulls again, then a pause. This continues for about 10 minutes. I don't feel much different afterward. I'm not sure if it's more effective than just hanging from the Stretch Cage, but I can't actually do that for 10-15 minutes, so yeah, probably more effective. 

I did have a consultation with the acupuncturist last week. That doctor agreed that spinal decompression can be effective pain relief for sciatica. Unfortunately, even though my health insurance claims to cover acupuncture and even lists acupuncture providers, ultimately, buried in the fine print several levels down, are clauses stating that they, in fact, do NOT cover acupuncture or acupressure therapies. What the actual fuck?! It's infuriating. 

I'd like to file complaints for deceptive marketing and practices, but I also don't want to be kicked off my health insurance. Because mega corporations like giant healthcare companies can do awful things like that. We are such a wealthy nation and it's criminal that we don't provide basic standard healthcare for all citizens like all other industrialized, civilized countries. We are literally the only one. 

Meanwhile, it's scorching hot and will be for the next several days. The local day camp at the park actually closed at 12:30 (Early Dismissal) due to the heat warnings. I don't even know if they'll bother to open for the next two days. I've made it a point to bring the dogs to the Bark Park 30 minutes before camp starts so I don't have to deal with the hassle of camp staff and parents. 

The dog area is mostly shaded by big trees so has been decently comfortable, although my pups are a breed (Korean Jindo) that notoriously hates the heat. I always bring a gallon jug of water although not everyone else does, and they should. Today, we were there two hours and there were several other pups to play with. Even my stubborn boy (who spent most of the time laying in the dirt) was ready to go home by then. 

1 July 2026 12:49-2:05

Abbrev Aching Sciatica Wednesday

Heat Warning 96°F

Precor elliptical #1 (1:28)

Program 1

Time: 30 + 5 (5244)

Distance: 2.73

Cal: 297

Precor HR: 126, 182-105

Google Health: 43-127 

HGPU 15

Sciatica makes this really painful

20 Piriformis/Hip flex (1:39)

12 Hamstring stretches

Flat hip rotations 12 (numb foot calf!)

50 crunches knees bent feet flat 

50 crunches knees to chest

12 Piriformis stretches

Child’s Pose

Cat/Cow stretch 12

Child’s Pose

Fire Hydrants 30 x 2

Arm rotations 20

Push-Ups 30

Air Squats 25

Neck Stretch / eye yoga (2:05)