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
(needs hard reboot)
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
Arm rotations 20
Push-Ups 25
Air Squats 25
