Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

Unfortunate Choices

“It’s my choice…” How often have we heard those words and wondered why these people haven’t given their heads a shake and wondered if their parents built them a swing set facing a brick wall as children? I have to admit that for the most part, I live my life one step removed from mainstream society. I do this for a number of reasons, including my disapproval of how society behaves and how they focus so damn much on “my rights” instead of “what’s right.” The general population believes that it’s inherently their right to enjoy the amenities that modern life provides without accepting the fact that it carries certain responsibilities that most people refuse to acknowledge.

The above illustration resonates with me, especially in light of everything happening within my own country. When faced with a dangerous virus that threatens the general populace, what do people do? Do they follow the rules and do what’s best for society? Do they take steps to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of others? No, of course not. I had a friend who posted a joke about how they intend to block a McDonald’s drive-thru until they brought back pizzas. After all, that’s how things work now, right?

It makes me sad, especially in light of the fact that the actions of others will always inevitably cause suffering in others. These people refuse to understand and acknowledge that for every action is an equal and opposite reaction, and such reactions are not always positive. It can cause immeasurable damage and MUST be considered, despite the fact that most people will refuse to acknowledge it.

Read the text in the above image carefully. In this scenario, an ignorant person decides to dig a hole into the floor of their cabin while on a boat. This person does this out of some morbid curiosity but secure in the fact that it’s “his own cabin.” Logic would dictate that a sane person should KNOW that digging a hole into the bottom of the boat would cause it to sink. But this person seems ignorant or oblivious to that fact, much like most people dealing with the world in “their own way” nowadays.

The meme goes on to demonstrate how the people in the immediate surroundings who are affected by this person’s choice are “pissed,” with the subject in question explaining that it’s his own cabin so why should it matter? The last line is the most important as it reads, “Personal choice only goes so far when we’re all on the same boat.” The lesson here is that the world is a pretty big place but despite it’s size, we’re all on the same boat and one’s choices affect everyone. As Captain Kirk and Mister Spock would agree, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” yes, I just used Star Trek nerdom to validate my point. It totally holds up…

You may think your’e in the right. And so you may be. You may think your cause is righteous. And so it may be. But one needs to seriously consider the repercussions of one’s actions and how it may be affecting others. Scratch that; how it IS affecting others. No one is immune to karma. All of these folks causing suffering on others will eventually face the consequences of their actions. And no, I’m not able to predict the future. I simply have enough objectivity to see how society is reacting when faced with difficult situations. Makes me think that my “one step removed” should be several more. Time will tell… ☯️

And I Wonder Why My Head Hurts…

It continues to amaze me how people are usually so self-obsessed that they believe it’s okay to make other peoples’ lives difficult. And yes, this is going to be a rant post, so buckle up! Folks, it’s important to remember that when you need a plumber, you don’t call the electrician. I’ve made this comparison a number of times before but it applies to quite a number of scenarios. When comparing the two, we can acknowledge that both people are professionals, capable in their respective fields. But you wouldn’t want the electrician dealing with water or the plumber trying to wire something in your house. If I was feeling brave, I’d call that common sense…

In recent times, I’ve come to realize that people believe so deeply in the fact that they’re right that they won’t give two shits about who they cause suffering against in their crusade to prove themselves right. They’re more concerned with PROVING they’re right than acknowledging what should and shouldn’t be done and what can and can’t be done. In a previous life, I had to deal with this a lot as a police officer. People would always ASSUME they had certain rights and they needed police way before they actually did. Even when asked what steps they took on their own before contacting law enforcement, the answer would usually be, “That’s your job…”

And that right there is the big problem. The majority of people are under the assumption that it will always be someone else’s responsibility to solve all their problems. Although a good majority of issues could be solved if one person simply took the time to communicate with another, it would prevent a lot of issues. Instead, these issues are usually off-loaded on others as they try to pretend they have no responsibility for their situation. It’s a trend I’ve come to see more and more of, and there’s no sign of it ever going away.

I’ve often written before how any problem one faces in life holds a three-fold responsibility: some of it is the other person’s fault, some of it is life and out of one’s control and some of it is realistically YOUR fault. That last one is the key component to a happier life. If you can’t acknowledge that you cause your own suffering, you’re missing out on a freedom the likes of which you likely haven’t experienced before. And this goes a long way towards understanding the Four Noble Truths.

In simplified terms, the Four Noble Truths are as follows:

  1. There is suffering in the world.
  2. We cause our own suffering.
  3. We should eliminate suffering.
  4. Practice the Buddha Dharma to end suffering.

This is incredibly simplified, but it applies to daily life even when we don’t realize it. Acknowledging that there’s suffering in the world is the first step. However, it’s the easiest step. One need only look out one’s front window to recognize that there’s suffering in the world. The hard part comes from accepting that we cause our own suffering. This can be a hard pill to swallow. Most people don’t want to admit that they’re responsible for causing some of their own suffering. Unfortunately, this brings suffering to others.

Maybe I’m just pissed off at particular people. Such is life; I’m as human as the rest of you. But in a way, this post helps me recognize that I cause my own suffering. Ergo, perhaps I simply need to work harder at eliminating that suffering. If everyone did just a little bit of that instead of bitching and complaining about everything in front of their face, the world would be a much better place. Food for thought… ☯️

An Itch You Shouldn’t Scratch…

Nobody likes getting injured. For someone living with Type-1 Diabetes, having a cut or scratch on the outside of the body can present a unique set of challenges. Especially if you develop a scab. Everyone dislikes scabs; they’re ugly, they blemish the skin and they usually itch like freakin’ crazy! This is what usually brings people to scratch the shit out their scabs, even pick them off. And speaking from experience, there’s nothing quite like that satisfying feeling of ripping off a scaly scab, revealing the fresh, pink new flesh beneath. But there are some very good reasons why you shouldn’t. And if you know anything about me, you should know that this is where I’ll talk about a bunch of it… Buckle up!

First and foremost, let’s discuss what a scab actually is. A scab is the body’s way of protecting a wound in order to allow the body to heal properly. It usually forms as a red or brownish crust and works to keep germs and other nasty shit out of your wound while the body rebuilds the skin underneath. Most people hate scabs because of how they look and feel. But the reality is that they do a lot to help with the healing process, which is interrupted when they’re scratched off.

According to a post from HealthLine.com on dermatillomania, (a completely separate subject) “Scabs might not seem important, but they play a crucial role in protecting wounds against infections. Beneath the scab, your body is repairing damaged skin and blood vessels. […] When you pick off a scab, you leave the wound underneath it vulnerable to infection.you also increase the amount of time it’ll take for the wound to completely heal.Repeatedly picking off scabs can also result in long time scarring.”

Considering people with Type-1 Diabetes have difficulty healing from wounds due to circulatory problems and neurological issues, there’s no need to add to the pile by constantly picking off one’s scabs. We already have this tendency to be prone to infection when we get injured. The last thing one needs is to make it worse. Injuries that happen to be somewhere where the flesh flexes and moves during daily use are even worse, as scabs will have a tendency NOT to set or will break open and bleed, making the healing process take all that much longer and increase the risk of infection.

Another post by HealthLine.com explains that scabs tend to itch because sensitive nerves beneath the skin are stimulated by the healing process. The scab itself will also cause itchiness, which can be a real pain in the ass. The article goers on to explain that if a wound hasn’t healed within a month, you should consult your doctor. I’l add that if the scab starts to develop an angry, red ring around it and becomes painful, hot or sensitive to the touch, you should seek medical help immediately.

I’ve had a number of injuries throughout the course of my life; some of which have left me with scars. But it’s most important NOT to scratch this itch as it can lead to complications that are simply not worth it. And should you happen to scratch off a scab, bear in mind that you’ve just eliminated your body’s natural bandage so you’ll need to replace it. Keep the wound moist (yes, I said “moist,” let’s move on!) and apply a sterile bandage with an antibiotic cream or salve to help replace what you just compulsively scratched off. Food for thought… ☯️

Some Winter Supplementation…

Most of this material was part of a post I wrote in June of 2019. It was one of my favourite posts and one of the most researched. This is one of those posts where I should point out that I’m not a medical practitioner, dietitian or health professional. So, consult your physician or medical practitioner before starting any supplementation. That being said, this is my third time posting this material in the past three years, and for good reason. I haven’t met a doctor yet who hasn’t recommended using a daily multivitamin to supplement my meals. And since any given doctor has no way of knowing which vitamin I’ll purchase and it isn’t a prescribed item, the conspiracy theorists can’t even spit out their usual bullshit about “big pharma” trying to coerce us into buying them. It’s one of the few things where one needs to acknowledge that it can be helpful. And since the winter weather causes everyone to catch every little bug that comes about, I thought it would be a good idea to remind people of the importance of vitamins and minerals in the everyday diet.

One of the key reasons behind the consumption of food is to obtain carbohydrates for energy. The human body requires energy to carry on normal functions and, well… stay alive! But what else do we get from the food we eat? A proper diet will also include a number of vitamins and minerals that we require to maintain proper health, growth and energy levels within the body. We’ve all heard about getting enough vitamins from a young age. I remember getting my Flintstones vitamin everyday as a kid.

But if you’re like most people, you’re likely wondering what these vitamins are for and what they do. My goal is to cover off the main ones here:

Vitamin A: This is an all-around vitamin that provides a number of functions including but not limited to the proper health of various bodily functions, tissues and helps to fight chronic disease and is known to be good for the eyes.

Vitamin B: This one is a bit complicated, as there is a large grouping of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that fall under the “B” category. In general, B-vitamins are used for energy production, immune function and absorbing iron. Some them include B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate) and B12. There are a few more that I can’t recall, but B12 is considered amongst one of the most important of vitamins overall because it helps you turn food into energy.

Vitamin C: At some points, this one has been referred to as the sunshine vitamin. I’m thinking that’s mostly because people’s main source of Vitamin C is from citrus fruits. But this vitamin also helps with iron absorption, immune function and is a natural antioxidant that helps with the elimination of free radicals. Eating citrus fruits are also what sailors used to eat on long voyages to prevent scurvy.

Vitamin D: This vitamin helps with the strengthening of bones and teeth. Our bodies are designed to self-generate this vitamin naturally through exposure to sunlight, but obviously that needs to be done in small doses. Modern life has created an environment where more people spend their time indoors, away from the sun. So supplementation becomes important.

Vitamin E: A pretty straight forward vitamin, this one helps with proper blood circulation and clear skin.

Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for blood-clotting. In order words, if you’re deficient in this vitamin, small cuts or injuries can cause excessive bleeding that can become dangerous.

Folic Acid: We hear people speak about this one as being necessary during pregnancy. And they would be correct! Folic Acid helps to prevent certain complications during childbirth but is important to everyone for proper cell renewal. This one is also known as Folate, or Vitamin B9 (as listed above).

Calcium: Most people should be familiar with this one. Teeth and bones, people! Teeth and bones! Good calcium levels are required to keep those body parts healthy.

Iron: This helps to build muscle tissue naturally and helps with proper health of the blood. As an interesting sidebar, it’s also what makes your blood red through the reflection of light!

Zinc: Immunity and Fertility. I’m a little unfamiliar with this one and haven’t had the opportunity to research it a great deal.

Chromium: This one is near and dear to my heart. Because it helps to control blood sugar levels. Chromium is what helps all the systems of your body to get the energy they need when they need it. Some traditional medicine practitioners will suggest Chromium supplements for Type 1 Diabetics who may have difficulty in maintaining proper levels.

Magnesium: This one helps your body to absorb all the other vitamins and minerals. It also acts as something of a relaxant to muscle tissue and play a role in proper muscle contraction.

Potassium: This mineral helps with the proper hydration of your body and helps to control blood pressure.

There are many others of course, but I’ve tried to cover off the main vitamins and minerals required for a proper diet. We get most of what we need by eating regularly and including a variety of healthy foods. A lot of people take a daily multi-vitamin, which is fine. But unless you are experiencing symptoms or unexplained illnesses, there shouldn’t be a need to actively try and take added amounts of anything. Your medical practitioner should be able to advise you if further supplementation is required. For example, patients who are recommended to take Folic Acid and Iron during pregnancy.

Obviously, all of this is extremely important; not only for proper health and fitness, which is important to me, but to help with Type 1 Diabetes as well. Taking a daily multivitamin can help to ensure that your body gets everything it needs, in combination with carbohydrates, lean proteins and fibre. My wife Laura originally gave me the idea for this post in 2019 when she asked about B-vitamins. So, I should once again extend a shout out to her for keeping me inspired and constantly feeding me ideas. ☯

Like A Switch…

Unless you were born into wealth, life is a challenge. Hell, even IF you were born into wealth, life is a challenge. And one of the biggest challenges faced by someone with wealth is that they seldom appreciate it by virtue of having lived with it for so long. Most of us, myself included, would be inclined to tell those who claim that money doesn’t buy happiness, that we’d like to figure that out for ourselves. But i digress… The point is that we generally tend to take what we already have for granted. Let’s take running water, for example. Most people in the Western world have running water in their homes and functional sewage. We use these things without thought and appreciation for what a luxury those things truly are. But a quick visit to an impoverished country would wake us to the realities of how well we really have it.

Unfortunately, even if we had all the riches in El Dorado, we’d no doubt encounter something at some point in one’s life that will get us down. An important part of life is to recognize that we cause our own suffering. That’s one of the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha Dharma. But outside of this, there will always be obstacles that make a seemingly good life seem difficult. I’ve come to acknowledge this more than ever before, with some of what’s happened to me in recent years. But it is incumbent on me to do whatever may be necessary to right those wrongs and eliminate the suffering from my life. Such responsibility belongs to all of us. A brief food for thought… ☯️

Live And Learn…

It always amazes me how people underestimate the weather. Especially adults who may or may not have lived their entire lives in a particular area, so should be well aware of some of the risks and pitfalls they may face on account of weather. And it doesn’t always have to be bad weather, either. That makes it even worse. An example of this came yesterday, when I left Regina to travel to Saskatoon for my eye injections. I awoke reasonably early and followed my usual weekday routine of preparing Nathan’s lunch for school, followed by enjoying some caffeine and my breakfast shake.

While I was getting my bag packed for the overnight in Saskatoon, I made a point of checking the weather. One might think this is a worthless step, as I would need to reach the appointment no matter how cold it is but it’s a habit I’ve formed over the years. What’s interesting is that in Saskatchewan, the weather is almost inhumanly cold. I’m talking -50 with the windchill factored in. Meanwhile, most people back home in New Brunswick will consider it very cold in the minus 20’s, which is almost laughable EXCEPT for the fact they get tons of snow. But I digress…

I checked the weather in both Regina and Saskatoon and was surprised to notice that at 7 a.m. with the daylight barely breaking, that it was only -6 degrees out. Most people would think that this is a good thing, as it would mean milder weather for the trip. Well, yes… Maybe but it also means something dangerous that the average person doesn’t consider: the highways will become a skating rink for a short period of the morning as the sun’s heat brings out the permafrost from beneath the roadways. It can make high speeds treacherous and drivers usually pay it no mind or consider it.

I usually don’t take chances with being late at the best of times, so I left early enough to be able to drive slowly and avoid an unnecessary landing in the ditch. I was travelling on the highway and was only doing about 95 km/h on a 110 km/h highway. That sort of driver usually pisses me off to no end, if I’m being honest. But that’s usually in the case where caution isn’t as necessary. This morning it was necessary. It was still early and I had plenty of time to make my appointment so I ignored the drivers who must have been frustrated with my speed, whipping past me on the passing lane; a passing lane that was coated with frost from being used LESS than the main lane of travel…

Then, it happened. I was driving down one side of a valley and slowing so as not to lose control on the way down. The main travel lane seemed completely thawed but I wasn’t taking chances. Apparently, some douchebag in a Volkswagen disagreed and passed me on the left doing a significant amount of speed. His vehicle suddenly veered and bounced off the safety cable lining the left side of the highway. This caused his vehicle to veer towards the right side of the highway and off of the roadway. I came to a stop on the curb, activated my hazard lights and ran back to check on the driver. He was uninjured and was already on his cell phone contacting a tow truck.

I asked him if he needed help and he seemed frustrated as he said he was fine and would wait for the tow truck on his own. I got back in my car and continued driving. I couldn’t help but feel that he was frustrated at me for driving slowly as he likely wouldn’t have had to pass if I weren’t in front of him. But hey, I didn’t ask him to drive fast on a slippery road. This is a prime example of how we cause our own suffering. But the lesson here is that nature doesn’t discriminate nor does it care about one’s schedule. Give the weather the respect it deserves, good or bad. It could mean the difference between reaching your destination or sitting in the ditch, pissed off and late. Food for thought… ☯️

A Little Something To Help The Journey…

As I’ve written in previous posts, I recently started practicing Shotokan karate. I was lucky enough to find a school in Regina and it’s quite traditional and shares many of the same values I was raised on, from a karate perspective. I officially registered with their school this month, making it the first time in over a decade that I’ve been a registered student in any dojo. I missed the majority of classes last week due to other obligations, a problem I didn’t have in my teens and 20’s, and I’ll be missing today by virtue of it being my eye injection appointment.

But it’s been fun and exciting. I’ve already learned some new forms and ways of doing techniques I’ve been using for decades. Learning something new is always a good thing and for me, the stagnation that’s come from training by myself for the past ten years has made me realize I have a long road ahead of me if I expect to regain some of the lost skill I used to have. Recent classes have shown that I lack muscle tone, flexibility and skill in certain areas where I used to shine. Ali used to say that it isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the little pebble in your shoe. Well, I have a lot of little pebbles…

One of the biggest things about karate is that it isn’t a “one and done” where you go to your scheduled classes every week then call it a day. A practitioner needs to focus on lessons outside the class, practicing what they’ve learned and honing it on their own, using class time as a means of obtaining correction and guidance to keep growing further. Otherwise, a 10-year journey will easily turn into a 20-year one. That’s why it’s important to have some tools to help you along your training. For most modern, western dojos, students won’t have access to their instructors outside of class hours. Depending on the style you’re studying, you can be lucky enough to find videos on YouTube that will demonstrate your techniques and katas so that you can practice them and obtain correction. In my day, we had do something different; we used books.

The first book on Shotokan karate I purchased years ago…

I can hear Mr. Miyagi’s voice in my head from the original Karate Kid movie, when he walks into Daniel Larusso’s apartment to fix the sink. “Learn karate from book?” The heavy accent and curiosity made the question seem as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. And with good reason. Book are a fantastic way to supplement one’s training and can contain material that’s valuable to a student’s progression in karate. But it’s important to note that a supplement is all that it is, and that nothing substitutes being in class learning from your counterparts and instructors. But I digress…

The book pictured above is one that I purchased almost five years ago. I was out at a book store and even though I am primarily a Uechi-Ryu practitioner, I was drawn by the book and chose to buy it. In all honesty, I never understood why and with all the material I read in the course of a year, combined with work, my kids and writing, I never gave it more than a cursory glance. Fast forward to this year, where bI’ve coincidentally joined a school of Shotokan. Most people are divided on the concept of all things happening for a reason but there’s something to be said for the fact I purchased a book on a different style of karate, years before I would consider joining one of their schools.

In an effort to try and get a leg up (karate pun fully intended) in my new learnings, I cracked this bad boy open and started using it to learn my first form. Learning from a book can be difficult if you’ve never seen the form done in person, since even if the illustrations are clear you could potentially err in such aspects as what direction to turn and how to place your footing. That’s one of the reasons that I suggest that being in-class and learning first is important, even if you’re practicing at home.

My most recent purchase…

Since I’d been training with Shotokan for a couple of weeks, I decided to get pro-active and look into whether they had some sort of primer of book that would relate directly to the founder of the style. This is where I came across the book pictured above. Some years ago, I came across the book entitled “Uechi Ryu Karate,” by George Mattson. Although written by an American, this book contained all the materials of my style from start to finish and all the illustrations included Master Uechi himself. It’s been an incredible aid in maintaining my katas and techniques, especially since I don’t have Sensei here to correct me.

“Karate-Do Kyohan” is similar in its content in that as far as I can tell, it contains all the pertinent material for Shotokan that covers all levels of training. I was pretty pleased to have found a second-hand edition of the book that someone was wiling to part with. The amount of material is immense and the illustrations clear in such a way that I will be able to get ahead of the curve on learning this new-to-me style of karate.Considering some of the differences in how they stand and their approaches to certain techniques, it will also help me to acclimate to this new environment as I learn one of the more popular styles of karate.

Karate is a life-long commitment. Unless you’ve completely given up on yourself it never goes away, even if you haven’t been in the dojo in years. And with that commitment comes the requirement to work hard and practice OUTSIDE THE DOJO. If all you do is attend class two or three times a week, do your hour then head home… Sure, you may get some fitness and some cardio in. As long as you pay attention and participate, you’ll even learn a thing or two. But if you want to become proficient, you have train outside of class. Take a couple of evenings to contribute an hour to your training. It’ll make all the difference and will help with your proficiency and overall karate journey. ☯️

If Only I Could Bottle That Stuff…

Kids provide an incredible insight to where we’ve BEEN, recognizing the youth and energy of life that we gradually lose as the weight and responsibility of adulthood begins to bear down on one’s shoulders. That may seem like a bit of a morose perspective, but an accurate one. Time creeps up on us all, and very few of us have watched a children at play without acknowledging that we wish we still had their level of energy, enthusiasm and flexibility. Personally, I tend to feel a tinge of jealousy at how my son Nathan is viewing and experiencing most things in his life for the first time.

Yesterday morning was atypical for me, considering my pump had only interrupted me once during the night and I was able to ACTUALLY sleep until almost 9 a.m. What was more typical was Nathan’s behaviour. As soon as my eyes opened, he was at the bedroom door asking me how my sleep was. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think he was sitting outside the door waiting for me to wake up. I responded that it had been decent and he immediately started into a tirade of verbal diarrhea, most of which I didn’t understand. Since the baby’s room was right next to ours, I warned him about waking him and shooed him off.

I was barely able make my way out of bed and to the kitchen to grab some caffeine before Nathan was excitedly asking me if he could wear a particular shirt. I sleepily replied that it was fine, even though it was a short-sleeve shirt and we’re still in the depth of winter. He ran off and it took me a full minute to realize that it was first thing in the morning (relatively speaking) and he appeared to be getting dressed for the day. This isn’t typical for him, with a growing battle ensuing every time I try to get him dressed to go somewhere.

Then it struck me… We had a reasonable snowfall last night and our next door neighbour was kindly using his snowblower on our entire driveway. Nathan is usually a fan of being outside while snow is being cleared. After all, what kid doesn’t like to see a white jet of powdered snow being shot everywhere, right? Plus, our neighbour has a friendly dog, which appeals to any kid. He was dressed and out the door within minutes, which was more than I could say for myself. I made a quick shake of blueberries and spinach and alternated between that and my caffeine, trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. I wish I had his energy…

I’ve always had the belief that life brings movement, movement brings energy and energy brings life… Wash, rinse and repeat. But I would be lying if I said that eventually, one’s energy gets allocated to different things in life. It can be a shame, since the prospect of going outside and clearing snow weighs on me and frustrates me, while my son is fascinated and loves the aspect. It’s this difference in perspective that we lose as we get older and this also affects our energy. ☯️

A Question Of Perspective…

I recently reconnected on Facebook with an old friend that I graduated high school with. It’s one of the few and far between benefits of social media. For the past twenty years, I’ve had no idea where he ended up or what he was doing with his life. It was good to reconnect and see a little bit about his life. He frequently posts motivational and inspirational quotes and I wanted to share this one with y’all because it spoke to me. Plus, it keeps y’all from having to read one of my long-winded explanations of something on your Saturday morning. Enjoy, this one resonates…☯️

When The Day Starts Out Bloody…

I had an interesting incident this morning as I was waking up to start my daily routine. My pump buzzed, pestering me for a blood glucose reading without calibration This is something I’ve come to expect from the pump although it annoys me to high hell, having it occur during the night. To add insult to injury, it happened fifteen minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off. this is especially annoying because fifteen minutes isn’t enough to fall back asleep but it’s certainly enough time to piss me off. But I digress…

As I sat up and silenced my pump and turned off my alarm, I felt a light itch inside my nose. I wriggled my face a bit as I rose and started walking towards the kitchen but the itch was too much, so I scratched it. Now, before any of you get all high and mighty, saying, “Eew, Shawn picks his nose…” keep in mind that your fingers are designed to fit in your nostrils. Ever see someone with small, slender hands? Usually a tiny nose. See someone with massive meat hooks for hands? Typically a massive bulb above their lip. Nature didn’t design us with facial tissues in mind.

Although I want to be clear that I don’t typically go around picking my nose like some obsessed maniac, there will be times when I need to scratch or something, which is perfectly normal. And you all do it. It’s a bit like masturbation. There are two types of people: those who masturbate and those who lie about it. Nose picking falls under that same category. But since I seem to be going off on a tangent here and straying from the topic of today’s post, let’s move on, shall we?

I lightly scratched the inner wall of my right nostril, barely a half centimetre inside my nose. It relieved the itch and I figured all was well. Then, I felt what I thought was a runny nose. This was odd since I had woken up with a dry nose and felt no buildup prior to something leaking out of its own volition. I swipe at the nostril to no avail. SOMETHING wiped away but the leaking continued. I walked downstairs, still in a half-awake state and made my way to the downstairs washroom.

Once there, I looked up and saw something akin to a horror movie scene. My nose, mouth and chin were covered in blood. Not just a tiny trickle, I’m talking saturated. I felt a momentary stab of panic. And I should probably explain that… With the exception of the very few and rare occasions where someone has managed to land a strike to my face, I have NEVER experienced a bleeding nose in my life. Ever. So to have it happen unexpectedly like this caught me by surprise.

I walked to the sink and spat a couple of times, reached down and grabbed some bathroom tissue and pinched my nose, angling my head slightly forward. I remembered the steps to stop a bloody nose from hearing it all through my childhood. Plus, my brother used to get bloody noses quite often as well. Once I had pinched for a few minutes, I took my hand away to reveal that the bleeding had stopped. Perfect. Now, I had to deal with the fallout; blood on the stairs, blood on the basement floors and blood all over the bathroom sink and floor.

Once I cleaned everything up so it didn’t look like a bad murder scene from a horror movie, I took a hot shower and cleaned myself off. Many of you may be thinking, “Why tell us all this? A nose bleed is not a big deal…” Although you would be right, as I previously mentioned, it was my first time dealing with this and all life is experience, so why not talk about it. Plus, it’s my blog and I write about what I want, so there (walks away stomping his feet).

Interestingly enough, i learned that nose bleeds are called Epistaxis and are usually caused by dry air (like using increased heat during the winter) or picking one’s nose. Other common causes can also include the frequent use of nasal sprays, which I do. In reading some articles on WebMD and the Mayo Clinic website, the common thread is that a nose bleed can be considered serious if you have a known injury, such as a strike or impact to the face or head, bleeding lasts for more than 20 minutes or if you’re bleeding so much that your breathing is impaired. You should seek medical attention or contact your doctor if any of these occur.

It was certainly an interesting (and unwanted) way to start my morning. I wasn’t able to clean out the downstairs sink properly before leaving, so I expect it may draw the attention of my family. But what can one do? Just another one of life’s many unexpected scenarios. Today just happened to be my day to experience it. ☯️