Category: Health & Well Being

A Lot Of Effort For A Little Prick…

Alright, this post will be a bit of a rant so I’m warning all of y’all to buckle up. Next week, I’m schedule for my bi-yearly visit to my endocrinologist where we examine my state of existence as it relates to Diabetes and how I’m managing. For the most part, I tend to make things pretty boring for my doctor, with level blood test results and a blood glucose log that you could easily cross-country ski on. My last visit, which was back in September, wasn’t as good as previous ones by virtue of having come off of CGM. This was mainly the fault of my insurance company, which put a cap on how much they would cover and I couldn’t see clear to pay the hundreds of dollars each month for them, myself. But I digress…

My point is that for the first time, my A1C’s were off, my blood sugar results weren’t as pretty as usual and I had some ‘splainin’ to do. I always find it hilarious when a doctor picks out one random bad reading off my blood log and asks, “What happened here?” Dude, I have difficulty remembering what I had for breakfast YESTERDAY… You really think I remember why I may have suffered a high or a low at that particular time? And that’s the caveat, that these appointments usually require a bunch of steps on my part prior to showing up. These steps including getting extensive blood work where I’ve been fasting for 10 hours or more as well as uploading my insulin pump to a database, which always seems to be an issue (apparently because I use an MacBook).

One of the biggest issues with visiting my endocrinologist is the need fr scheduled blood work. This blood work needs to be collected no later than 10 days before the appointment but I’ve had instances where I’ve gotten it two full weeks prior and been told that the results were too old. So not only do I have to time it as closely to 10 days as possible, I can’t really get a leg up and do it earlier. Fun times. If you haven’t guess, this post is a rant against getting my blood work done. Like I said, buckle up.

In order to understand my frustrations, we need to go all the way back to the early 80’s, when Diabetes treatment was a joke (at least in my home town) and they still operated on babies without anesthesia because they thought infants felt no pain. Yeah… THAT decade! Anyway, any time I needed blood work, it would always require showing up at the hospital first thing in the morning. There were no other times to get it done. No appointments and no “save my spot.” You needed to show up, get registered and sit and wait. Here’s the clincher: you’d rarely ever wait more than 15 minutes.

Fast forward to February 25, 2022. I was slated to go to a local blood collecting lab, which seems to be the only way to have your blood work done in Regina unless you’re actually admitted in the hospital. And it’s not that this is a new thing. Even just ten years ago, I would STILL go to the hospital to get blood work done in New Brunswick. So, I don’t know what the problem is out here, but I digress… I woke up in the low 3’s, so there was no way in hell I could keep fasting and make it through the inevitable long wait at the blood collection lab.

I bolused with some fast-acting carbs but the damage was done; I had broken my fast and my test results would be tainted. I also felt like a freight truck hit me, so I ended up calling in sick for work. It wasn’t a great day and when i had my levels up, I fell back asleep and surprised myself by waking up past 11 am. I can’t remember the last time that happened and it only happened because my blood sugars bottomed out. Brutal. Anyway, my chances of getting my blood work done was out the window and I faced a unique problem. If I waited until Monday to get the blood work, I would be below the 10-day requirement.

That wouldn’t be a lot but I know it would be enough to elicit comment, especially if the lab didn’t have enough time to analyze the results. Luckily, we live in the modern era and I was able to check online and discover that my closest blood lab was open on Saturdays. Score! It also opened at 7:30 and was open until 3 pm. Bonus! I wouldn’t have to get there at the butt crack of dawn and wait in line in the cold with everyone else in the city who were rushing to get their blood work done. Or so I thought… getting it done on Saturday also meant that it would be over ten days to my appointment but not so long before as to elicit comment. Alright, let’s do this…

Given that it was Saturday morning, I apparently thought it was a good idea not to set an alarm, the night before.I awoke just after 8 am and my first instinct was to grab a can of energy drink and go sit on the couch to enjoy some weekend silence before everyone woke up. But as I made my way to the fridge, some post-sleep clarity kicked in and I remembered my blood work. I grabbed the requisition form, jumped into some clothes and bolted out the door. Everyone was still asleep.

I got to the blood lab and noted that there were two people in line outside the door. This wasn’t as bad as compared to other days but as I stepped out of my car, I noted that a few people were walking towards the line as well. I didn’t want to make a scene by running ahead of anyone, so I continued at a normal pace, which resulted in having four people ahead of me outside instead of two. It was only -16 degrees before the wind factor, which was a lucky thing. Had it been in the -30’s before the windchill, there’d be no human way in hell I’d be standing in line outside.

The time was 8:46 am, which is important to note. Some chairs in the waiting room were empty, which made me wonder why some of us were waiting outside. There were no restriction notices on the door, nor any explanation around why we were made to wait outside like pack animals instead of inside the warm lobby. By the time I got inside the lobby, it was about 9:20 am. Some of the people who got in ahead of me overheard one of the technicians saying it would be at least an hour’s wait. At least four people stood up and indicated they were leaving as they didn’t have an hour to wait. I felt this thinned out the herd and made it so that I cold potentially get through faster. I was wrong.

My name was finally called at about 9:40, almost an hour after I first stood in line. The only consistent part of their process was the truth behind the hour-long wait. Despite being caffeine-free and on an empty stomach, I was surprisingly patient. maybe it was the perspective of seeing everyone else getting angry, frustrated and making a scene, that helped me to recognize how I sometimes tend to fly off the handle. I was ushered into a stall and asked to remove my coat.

Once I was seated, I was still made to wait for fifteen more minutes before a technician came over and mechanically asked for my name and date of birth, followed by drawing the blood and dropping a container in my hands to collect a urine sample. I went and peed in the little cup and walked out of the blood lab at about 10:05 am, ironically right at the moment when my wife asked me what my ETA was. I could sense the tension in the room as I walked out and couldn’t help but feel that there’s got to be a way for this process to be moved along faster.

That first gulp of caffeine went down smooth, like the very nectar of life was infusing my body with the ability to face the day, despite the first couple of hours having elapsed already. I don’t work as a lab technician and I don’t collect blood samples for a living so I can’t put myself in their shoes. But from the outside perspective looking in, it seems to the common person that this process can see that there should be something done to make the process smoother and quicker. The only saving grace is that my next appointment will likely be in September and waiting outside won’t be such a big deal. Small favours… ☯️

It’s Never Too Late, Until It Is…

“It’s never too late…” How often have you heard that saying throughout the course of your life? It’s a well-known utterance, usually accompanying someone who is doing something said to be beyond the social or physiological limits of their current state. I’ve often read inspirational stories of people in their 70’s getting their PhD’s or parent and child graduating from the same college at the same time, together. Imagine how awkward THOSE frat parties would be? But to some, age is just a number and time seems infinite. I recently read a story about how Willie Nelson earned his fifth degree black belt at the age of 81. You can read that article here.

The big problem with this concept, and trust me when I say that I’m not TRYING to be negative, is that eventually it DOES become too late. Exceptional accomplishments much later in life are the exception, not the rule. This doesn’t make them impossible, simply improbable. And doing so is extremely subjective. Perhaps one person’s specific factors won’t allow for the same level of accomplishment as another. This is true of any point in life, not just the latter part. But eventually, the rigours and responsibilities of life start to accumulate one can find themselves at the mercy of responsibility instead of enjoying the freedom of their own potential. What’s possible becomes a fevered dream, to be dwelt upon during fleeting moments drowned in a cloud of reminiscent drunkenness.

I know that some of this likely sounds negative as hell and once again, it’s totally not meant to be. But since I’m throwing out sayings and utterances, another important one to keep in mind would be, “life is short.” And it is. None of us have any idea when life will take a turn towards that dark tunnel with the light at the end of it, so we should take full advantage. If you spend your life saying that it’s never too late, eventually, time will run out and it WILL be. Although one can always try their best to shoot for the stars, it’s important not to wait on the things that matter to you. Want to train for your black belt? Today is the day you should get started. Want to get on a diet and start losing weight? Don’t wait, get at it. Tomorrow is one more day that you haven’t done what you need to do. “It’s never too late?” Sure, until it is…

Never forget that life should be a pleasant experience. But that takes effort. Happiness should be the first and last thing on every person’s mind in a day but we cause our own suffering, and feeling a sense of loss over the “what if’s” only contribute to that suffering. Despite the pleasantness, life also wasn’t meant to be easy. And one shouldn’t mistake an easy life with happiness. One is not synonymous with the other. One can easily find happiness while still navigating the difficulties of life. What one should never do, is put off the things they want to accomplish. Because eventually, inevitably, the time will come when it WILL be too late. Food for thought… ☯️

Like A Hamster On A Wheel…

One of the big things I enjoy doing for fitness is cardio. There’s something pleasant about pushing oneself to go farther and faster, all while burning calories and fat. Given that my knees are pretty shot from three decades of fight training, I usually opt for cycling because it allows maximum distance while still getting a good burn without all the impact on my knees. This is why I opt for the elliptical during the winter. But despite having the centre of gravity equivalent to a rock, I can run. I usually choose not to, but I can.

During the late autumn and winter months, I’ve taken advantage of using the gym located in my office building. I’ve posted videos of what that location has to offer and it’s served me well. But in recent weeks, I’ve come to find out that circumstances may take this location away and I’ve once again found myself in a position where cardio will take a back seat. I mean, let’s be honest… I have free weights at home. I have a punching bag at home. And I now have a dojo at my disposal. This means that cardio is very literally the only reason I would use the gym location in question.

I’ve gotten rather lazy in recent weeks, missing some classes and negating the aforementioned cardio. There are a number of reasons behind this, including but not limited to the increased work load that has kept me from taking time to run at work. And I kind of enjoy spending some time at home, you know? With this in mind, I started looking for something I could do at home. A traditional elliptical machine or stationary bike would be too heavy and cumbersome to get downstairs, not to mention it would cost a fortune.

My GoZone “Walking” treadmill…

Enter: the GoZone Walking Treadmill. I purchased it from a local retail outlet and I usually don’t make it a point to endorse any particular distributor, but it doesn’t take a genius to guess what location I’m talking about, given the brand name. Pricing in at about $250, it’s currently on special for about $160. It supports a maximum weight of 265 pounds but only weighs 40 pounds, itself. it doesn’t boast a handlebar with a bunch of fancy buttons and displays but it definitely serves the purpose for an at-home workout area.

Digital display

I started by plugging it in to a nearby wall socket and set upon my laptop for music/streaming. It comes with a small, handheld remote, which controls speed and time. The digital display alternates between elapsed time, speed (in mph), distance (in miles) and energy burned. There’s a memory key on the remote that allows you to set maximum distance or time, and a rounded button for speed adjustment. Maxing out at 6 mph (approximately 10 kph), it allows for a reasonable jog. It wouldn’t be fitting for someone looking to train at hard running but definitely serves its purpose for some at-home cardio.

I’m not keen on the fact that it looks as though I have boobs…

I hadn’t run or performed any significant cardio in months, so I decided to test the treadmill out by running a simple mile (1.6 kilometres). I had Disney+ playing on the laptop and I was watching “According to Jim.” The mile crept up quickly and I could feel the shin splints building as I neared the end. It was a good burn, albeit brief, and once I stopped, my core temperature decided to catch up and I was sheathed in sweat. my blood sugars also dropped, making me grateful for training at home. Nathan also hopped on and trotted for almost half a mile.

Being old and out of breath is no joke…

Honestly, I was a bit concerned that the track would start to falter with me running on it. But it held up pretty well. I don’t know how long this thing will continue to work as smoothly as it does but it will make an excellent addition to my fitness routine. Given the low, reasonable cost, light-weight design and portability for storage and reasonable speed, the GoZone “Walking” treadmill is definitely recommended. I keep putting “walking” in quotations because I’ll only ever use it for jogging. ☯️

Self-Care First…

If you’re anything like me, you work pretty hard towards taking care of others. Whether you’ve found your calling by pursuing a career that allows you to help others or you do volunteer work or perhaps simply take that extra amount of time in your daily routine to throw on a load of laundry, do extra dishes or extra cleaning around the house, helping and taking care of others is an important part of one’s life. If there’s anything that life has taught me, it’s that everybody needs somebody and helping to care for them takes many forms and is important.

That is to say, it’s ALMOST as important as taking care of yourself. Great strides have been made in the past couple of decades towards acknowledging one’s mental health as an integral part of a successful, healthy life. Of course, some have been wise enough to acknowledge that, long before it started being well-known. The important thing to remember is that you’re no good to anyone else unless you manage to take care of yourself first. I’ve previously written about the need to take time to do things for oneself, whether that means reading a book or taking a drive on your own.

Your mental health depends on it, which is why it’s so important. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced toxic relationships where I’ve been hindered or prevented from taking proper care of myself. Not only does this make life far harder than it needs to be but the toll it takes on a person is substantial. All that being said, there are three things you should never have to explain or justify. And those three things play an important role in your well-being. In fact, they represent some of the basic needs that all people have. Here they are:

The Need To Sleep

Sleep is an integral part of a person’s health. Without proper sleep, a person can expect difficulty concentrating, blood pressure issues, cardiac issues and a whole score of health-related issues that no one wants to deal with. When you feel tired or sleepy, there’s no reason you should have to explain the need to sleep. There’s nothing worse than being tired and wanting to lie down, only to have someone require an explanation or accuse you of being lazy.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, sleep counts as a physiological need, which is the bottom and first layer of needs. At its most basic, everyone sleeps. And the reality is that if one doesn’t sleep, one will eventually succumb and die. Work and familial obligations notwithstanding, you shouldn’t have to explain if you need to lie down and grab a quick snooze.

The Need To Eat

Another bottom level and basic physiological need, eating is subjective to the person. The rules of survival are pretty simple; if you’re hungry, you should eat. Now, bear in mind that hunger can be attributed to more than simply the need for food. Dehydration can cause feelings of hunger, so it’s important to maintain proper hydration levels by sipping water throughout the day. Emotional issues can also cause a person to compulsively eat, which isn’t directly associated to hunger but can cause a person to eat outside the regular boundaries of one’s three meals.

But if you find yourself hungry for the the old fashion reason, that being that you need food in your system, this isn’t something that you should need to explain or justify. In past relationships, I’ve actually had partners who have commented on my eating habits and have accused me of “eating too much” or gaining unnecessary weight through excessive eating. Although I’m not exactly the skinniest dude on the block, I also know that my weight is consistent with my age, size and activity level.

The Need To Recuperate From Illness

This one is near and dear to my heart, especially since I was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes when I was 4 years old. Throughout my childhood and into my teens, I would often have friends and later girlfriends, comment on my mood, health and energy levels as Diabetes took its pound of flesh from me. Even into adulthood, I’ve had difficulties when trying to explain or justify needing some down time to myself when overcoming a cold, flu or something Diabetes-related.

I remember one time, I was dating a local woman in on of the towns I was posted in. We went out to an even this one evening when nausea and stomach pain seized me. I told her I would be going home to rest and I could tell she was clearly upset by my early departure. She even made a passive-aggressive comment to others about how we had to leave because I was “not feeling well.” It wasn’t until she came in to check on me the following day and saw the state I was in, did she realize that I was genuinely sick and wasn’t making excuses.

The experience left a sour taste in my mouth and helped me realize that one should never have to explain or justify needing time to medically recuperate. And taking care of one’s health is the second level on Maslow’s Hierarchy as part of one’s Safety Needs, one step above basic physiological needs. I don’t think I need to explain why it’s so important to maintain one’s health and well-being.

This post is effectively an opinion piece. Perhaps there are other needs you feel would be more important and that you dislike having to explain or justify. If so, feel free to share them in the comments section. At the end of the day, the lesson here is that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Otherwise, the whole house of cards will falter. And as I said earlier, you can’t help others or take care of them before first taking care of yourself. ☯️

Ignorance Isn’t Always Bliss…

As I get older, one of the big things I notice is the increased amount of pain and discomfort. It isn’t a constant, debilitating pain, of course. But it’s usually just enough that it sits on the present fringes of my consciousness, a steady companion as I make my way towards the latter portion of my life. For example, just twenty years I could get a night’s sleep, whether good or bad, step out of bed and hit the ground running. Now, it takes several minutes for my body to acknowledge and accept that I’ve woken up, everything cracks and settles as I sit up and then my knees and joints scream at me as I get them moving. Such is life.

One of the important aspects about any pain and discomfort that we feel, is recognizing the need to seek medical attention. We’re often ignorant of this, whether due to the inconvenience of trying to get in to see a medical practitioner, which is not an easy in modern days, or the stubbornness of believing that pain is temporary. It often is, but we allow ourselves the indulgence of a far longer wait than we should, in some instances. This can lead to complications that one can ill afford, especially if you’re dealing with Type-1 Diabetes on top of things.

From a martial arts’ standpoint, many injuries will be suffered during training. Bruises, scrapes, blisters, pulled muscles, torn muscles and even broken bones are al injuries that I’ve either suffered or seen during my many decades of training. Most things can be healed with a bit of rest and time, specifically things like bruises and pulled muscles. But even those can lead to complications if left unchecked. If bruising begins to inexplicably spread or change to unusual shades of colour than what your bruises typically look like, there may be something more serious happening beneath the surface.

Pulled and damaged muscles actually take much longer than people assume. If left to heal properly, it can take several weeks for muscle tissue to return to its former state. If it’s been several months and the pain still persists or has worsened, that’s a sign that ice packs or warm baths won’t help any further. Medical examination may be required. Trying to return to your normal activities without allowing your muscles t properly heal will aggravate an existing injury and potentially cause others. Broken bones are a problem all their own. Besides the broken bone, certain breaks can cause a kink of nerves, restricted blood flow and circulatory issues.

It goes without saying (despite the fact I’m saying) that broken bones shouldn’t be ignored and require medical treatment. The old belief that you won’t be able to move a limb or use the part of the body if your bone is broken is myth. You’ll still be able to walk on a broken leg as movement is done through your muscles. That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt like hell and cause al kinds of damage, though. I’ve been lucky enough to get through my life with only mild fractures. I’ve only had to be casted once and have otherwise never needed to be laid up.

Numbness and loss of feeling is also an important concern. If you have pain somewhere in your body and start to notice numbness or loss of sensation in the extremities, this could suggest that whatever your injury may be is causing lack of circulation or kinking a nerve. None of that is a good sign and should prompt you to get the injury checked as soon as possible. trying to “tough it out” can lead to nerve damage and loss of extremities if blood flow is hindered.

Having Diabetes adds a whole different flavour to injuries and I recognize that I’ve mostly been speaking about internal injuries that show show a great deal of much on the surface. But cuts and open wounds are especially difficult, since people with Diabetes will have difficulty healing in a timely fashion by virtue of neurological and circulatory issues. Not only will injuries take longer to heal, but T1D’s are prone to infection, which will make matters all the worse. This is why it’s so important to maintain good blood sugars and seek medial assistance if injuries appear red and angry, ooze any kind of fluid and it appears as though they aren’t healing properly. ☯️

Hot Or Cold, The Debate Rages On…

Water. Fluid of life. Our bodies are primarily composed of it, we need to drink copious amounts of it on a daily basis to stay alive and maintain our internal bodily functions. In fact, the average adult needs to drink anywhere from 3 to 5 litres of water a day in order to meet that requirement. This is dependent on size, weight and even gender. And I should clarify that we also take in a certain amount of water through food, as well. So it ain’t all about chugging it down from a glass. Wait, whiskey has water, right? Moving on…

When I was younger, I was always discouraged from drinking icy cold water. There were a number of reasons behind this, including the contraction of tissues that could make it harder to digest food properly, shocking one’s kidney and causing bodily cramps. Most of the time, this was encouraged by Sensei, who explained it was preferable to sip water at room temperature; a practice I maintained for years afterwards, thinking that he had a point. Although how you choose to take in your H2O and like most things in life, there’s a good and a bad side to everything. And the temperature of your water is no exception.

I decided it might be time to examine exactly what is so bad about drinking cold water. Is it genuinely bad at all? Turns out a lot of people wonder that very thing. I’ve read a number of different articles and papers on the subject and they’re al pretty consistent in terms of current findings. My preferred one is posted by Healthline.com, which may be bias on my part since it’s one of my favourite websites. But the article addresses some of the pros and cons of drinking cold water.

One of the points the article mentions that appeals to be is how practitioners of Chinese Medicine have a belief that drinking cold water with a hot meal creates an imbalance. On the flip side, consuming hot water is said to improve breathing, which is likely one of the reasons why people are encouraged to eat chicken noodle soup or hot tea when trying to recover from a cold or flu. All that being said, the article suggests that drinking cold water can cause increased congestion and migraines in people who suffer from them.

Cold water can be beneficial during fitness routines. Not only will the cold water help keep your core temperature cooler as you exercise but it may also help you burn more calories since your body will fight harder to warm that same core temperature up. That’s assuming you can actually get your hands on cold water. My current gym doesn’t even have a water fountain available and if I bring cold water, it’s warmed up by the time I get to the gym, workout and finally take a drink, it’s pretty much reached room temperature.

I can easily agree that the consumption of cold water on a hot summer day may SOUND like a good idea in the moment, but it could potentially increase the mucus in your throat and the difference in temperature between your core and your water can cause cramps, pains and shock the body in uncomfortable ways. I’ve also gotten a mild version of brain freeze on days I’ve come back from cycling and chugged water from a refrigerated water bottle. So while the jury may be out, it’s up to the individual person to decide how good or bad the consumption of chilled water could be.

One way or another, any water you get into your system is good. There isn’t enough evidence either way to suggest total overall benefits or loss of drinking cold or hot water. My older brother, the Light rest his soul, used to enjoy a cup of hot water at supper. Without tea in it or anything. He used to say it helped him digest his food. Maybe there was something to that. As long as you’re getting enough water to stay hydrated and healthy, that’s what’s important. And for my Dia-buddies currently reading, proper hydration can help with proper blood sugar control. ☯️

A Prime Example…

I made reference in my post yesterday, during my not-so-subtle jab at the current state of the world, how this past week has been a bit of a rough one. There are a number of reasons for this and most of them are the result of compounding effect by virtue of medical issues, scheduling issues, triggering issues as a result of PTSD and just plain old life not caring about my plan.

By the time Monday had rolled around, the weight of the previous week had already caused me to sit in a dark corner holding my knees and rocking like a injured school girl, so I tried to find balance by setting some clear goals for myself. One of these goals included making it to all three scheduled karate classes for the week. Monday night would have been the first, which was scheduled from 8 to 9 pm.

This is a bit of a later class than I’ve ever been used to, with the majority of dojos and schools I’ve trained in ENDING their classes around the time that this one is slated to begin. I got home from work last Monday in reasonable mood and hellbent on making it to this class. I helped with dishes and my wife made a wonderful supper of pizza rolls made with crescent roll dough. They were delicious. They were also difficult to carb-count for…

I took what i thought was a reasonable dose of insulin for the amount of pizza rolls I ate. Although I prefer to err on the side of being slightly above normal than below with my blood sugars before engaging in exercise, I’m also aware that there’s a significant level of grogginess that can accompany high blood sugar (not to mention the damage I’m causing to m self) so it’s often a bit of a balancing act. I often fall off the high wire in these balancing acts, and the results usually fuck my night like a bad prom date.

Since I had arrived home a bit late to start with, my window of time was reasonably shortened from what i would usually enjoy but I partook of a dose of caffeine to give me a boost and ate appropriately to prevent an over-filled or bloating tummy. Within an hour, I noticed I had dropped to about 4.5 mmol/L, which isn’t BAD per se, but I knew I would have to wolf down some fast-acting carbs to compensate so I could make karate class.

Within fifteen minutes, my blood sugars had dropped into the 3’s, leaving me dizzy, groggy and sweating like Peter Griffin during a heavy meal. Bear in mind that this was WHILE I was hungrily downing jelly beans like they were going out of style. I hadn’t actually taken enough insulin to prompt this sort of a reaction, especially in light of the fact that I had basically eaten dough with a bit of meat in it for supper.

I had an hour. I worked towards ensuring my gear bag was packed and ready to go, including a book on techniques I had borrowed from the dojo that I intended to return. I worked through that hour in trying to get my blood sugars to level out. Needless to say, they didn’t. Ten minutes prior to the start of class, I was still sitting in my home office with my head in my hands, munching away and trying to bring my levels up. I had barely grazed the 4.0 mmol/L mark.

My wife came to checks on me and I explained what was happening. She passively suggested that given these things tended to happen on karate nights when i was trying to make my way out the door, maybe my body was trying to tell me something. Maybe it is. Who knows? Once I had successfully made my peace with missing Monday night’S class, I changed into some sleepwear and sprawled on my couch to recover and cuddle my toddler. Within the next hour, just long enough to have completely missed class, my blood sugar levels boomeranged in the other direction.

A part of me acknowledges that this is a prime example of life not caring about one’s plan. I may have planned and intended on getting to class that night, but fate and my body had different plans, effectively destroying the goal I had set for the week before I even had a chance to attempt it. Such is life. But like waking up in a bad mood, this somewhat set the tone for my whole week. Luckily, I did make it so some classes.

Long gone are the days where i could rush off to a fitness class, train like a man possessed and throw caution to the wind as I would neglect to worry about my blood sugar levels until AFTER class was done. As I’m getting older, I need to acknowledge that life has changed. And as I’ve written before, one needs to change with it in order to ensure the proper progression of life. My solution will effectively be to have a light snack in the mid-afternoons on karate days and have supper AFTER class. This will help ensure that my blood sugar levels accommodate what I’m trying to accomplish. I’ve only just started returning to karate. It’s not time for me to stop, as much as my Diabetic body is telling me I should. ☯️

A Little Trip Down Memory Lane…

Every once in a while, it’s nice to let one’s head cool a bit and reflect on something fun and awesome. I had the opportunity to do this a few days ago when I downloaded an album I found in iTunes. The album was Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet,” and the fond memories those songs brought out of my subconscious were worth the low, low price I paid to buy the album. Believe it or not, I first heard of this album while watching a 1987 comedy flic called “SpaceBalls.” The movie featured one of the album’s songs in the first ten minutes of the movie and I was hooked. Let’s take a trip down this old man’s memory lane, shall we?

It was the early 1990’s. I had just sat down with my father on a quiet evening to watch a movie he had rented. That’s right, kids! Back then, you had to pay money to borrow a movie for the night like some sort of beggar. Scrolling through a streaming service wouldn’t be a thing for almost twenty years. I wasn’t much of one for comedy back then, but he assured me it had a science fiction vibe similar to Star Wars. I was reeled in. Although he wasn’t wrong, the shitty effects and poor story line had me yawning within the first few minutes. And then it happened: the scene showing the protagonist’s spaceship with his trusty sidekick rocking out to “Raise Your Hands” came into view. I couldn’t help but be immediately taken by the sound and solid riffs of the song.

I was already aware of Bon Jovi but since this pre-dated Google and the ability to immediately search things online, I had no idea what song I was hearing or even that it belonged to Bon Jovi. By the end of the movie, I had forgotten about the song and the feeling it elicited within me. But I would eventually come back to it. And no, before anyone asks, I wasn’t bright enough back then to watch the credits to the end where they display the songs and artists. And since I held my silence about how much I liked the song, I couldn’t even benefit from the fact that my father might have recognized it or suggested the credits thing. We do dumb shit as kids. What can I say?

In 1994, I purchased my first car. It was a 1986 Toyota Tercel hatchback, 3-speed manual. It was an absolute piece of shit car, but I had purchased it with my own money and honestly I only had two concerns: that it had air conditioning and a tape deck. The car’s body could have been covered in polk dots for all I cared, provided those two items were present. CD decks wouldn’t be a common thing for another couple of years at that point and most retail location still carried a healthy library of tapes and newly released albums.

So in those first few weeks of vehicular freedom, I made my way to my local retailer and decided to pick out a couple of tapes to play in the car. I remember feeling a sense of freedom and it was one of the first times I was able to feel as though I was starting to step into a more mature level of pre-adulthood. This excitement was mildly offset by the anxiety at trying to purchase something I knew was “in” and “cool,” so that any of my counterparts at school that heard the music coming from my car would approve. Such is teenage life, right?

That’s where I landed on two cassette tapes. the first one was AC/DC’s “The Razor’s Edge.” this was because I was absolutely enamoured with “Thunderstruck” (and still am) after watching a local martial artist perform a nunchuck demonstration to the song. The second was Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet,” because “You Give Love A Bad Name” was on one of my father’s medley tapes and “Livin’ On A Prayer” played at most of the few school dances I attended. It was enough to earn my stamp of approval and I bought both tapes.

It wasn’t until I played the entire first side of the tape and flipped to “Side B” that I was taken aback at hearing “Raise Your Hands” for the first time since watching SpaceBalls with my father. I was overjoyed at the discovery and pretty much kept playing the song on repeat until I finally wore out the tape, which sucked. Yes, folks! These were the first-world problems of the time. When CD’s became a common thing a short while later, I purchase an adapter to play CD’s through my tape deck and purchased a CD copy of Slippery When Wet.

Why am I writing about this? Well, besides the obvious fact that this is my blog and I can write about whatever the hell I want, I recently had the chance to rewatch SpaceBalls through one of my streaming services. I honestly can’t remember which one and it doesn’t matter. The point is that the days of CD’s and tapes are long dead and gone but my taste in music hasn’t significantly changed. So I immediately Shazamed the shit out that song and downloaded the album. For the first time in over twenty years, I am once again the proud owner of “Slippery When Wet.”

I’ve had the pleasure in recent days of reliving all the teen nostalgia, the campiness of “Social Disease,” the cool story behind “Wanted Dead or Alive” and the raw, emotional richness of “Without Love” and “Never Say Goodbye.” I have a lot of good memories of that music, playing like the soundtrack through my formative years along with Van Halen, April Wine and the Eagles. Some of the memories are great, some are bittersweet and some are a touch on the inappropriate side that I would likely be better off not sharing here.

Memories are particular, because people usually treat them in any one of two extremes. Either they live within their memories, which isn’t a good thing. The only way to move in life is forward. Or they completely forget about the things of the past, which is also not good. Rather, the way to live in a healthy manner is to treat these memories as a lesson to guide you through life and something to aspire to. Good memories serve to show us that not all steps in life will always be mistakes. And the good feelings and good times attached to those memories show us that there is good in life and we can aspire to enjoy it. Food for thought…☯️

Choices And Consequence… A PTSD Perspective…

Anyone who reads my posts on a daily basis may have noticed that I’be been a bit grumpy in my writings in the past couple of days over the weekend. There are a number of reasons for this, including my foolish disillusioned belief that people will do the right thing, when given the opportunity. Despite the fact that I keep being proven wrong in this aspect, I continue to believe. And I suppose that isn’t a BAD thing, per se. But it’s consistently setting oneself up for failure. I thought I had left the pains of seeing the negative side of people when I left the policing world but once again, I was wrong.

I don’t often talk about my PTSD… This isn’t out of some inflated sense of manhood where I don’t feel as though I can share. Quite the opposite. I simply have coping mechanisms that are outside the norm, including meditation, martial arts, physical fitness and my family. But in most instances, it’s difficult for someone who hasn’t really experienced the same things as I have, to understand. I could go into depth on some of the things that brought my mental state to where it’s at but I wouldn’t want to risk painting a word picture of those horrors for fear of not getting any sleep tonight. And I wouldn’t want to subject any of you to those images, either.

One of the big problems with PTSD, besides it being inherently a problem in and of itself, is that one never knows exactly what might trigger it. I remember the story of a colleague who was involved in a search and rescue effort for a small child. The child was located and was unfortunately deceased. This would be a lot for any human soul to bear, and police are no different. He was fine for years, continuing his career and carrying on his duties to the best of his abilities. Then one day during a traffic stop on the highway, he spotted a small, white object on the edge of the roadway between his cruiser and the stopped vehicle.

When he leaned forward to see what it was, it turned out to be a tiny children’s sneaker. The colleague immediately threw up on the roadway and collapsed. The sneaker had brought it all crashing down and triggered that person’s PTSD. And that’s often the way of it… You never know when someone or something will be JUST enough to bring something to the surface and cause a debilitating situation. I believe that some of the scenarios I had to deal with last week may have done just that. Considering I’m quite happy with my life as it currently plays out, my work, my home and my family are all blessings and I’ve finally returned to karate after years of being without a dojo, a resurgence of the life I left behind upsets me to no end; a fact readers would have gleaned from my last two posts.

There are a lot of things that tend to help me when something like this hits me. For example, I had the pleasure of my wife’s company last Saturday evening. We got a babysitter for he boys, went out to dinner and spent some time wandering the city and making a few stops, which is a favoured activity for both of us. This made for a smoother weekend and allowed me to let go of some of the tension in my body as a result of the things I had dealt with the previous week.

It isn’t always that easy. I remember a few years ago, when I was still with the Force, my wife and I went to a restaurant for breakfast. It was a pretty typical outing; we chose a location together, got seated and ordered some food. By the time we had started eating and got halfway through our meal, my body flushed and it suddenly felt like I was surrounded by the other people in the restaurant. Oddly enough, it felt like I could hear every conversation and noise in the restaurant simultaneously. If this were a cheesy action movie, I might have almost been inclined to think I was developing superpowers. No such luck.

I started to tremble, I paled and started sweating profusely. I felt an irresistible urge to get out of the restaurant. My wife was able to recognize something was wrong. Considering my blood sugars were fine, the only thing I could attribute the current situation to is that I had been triggered by something. We paid the cheque and quickly left the location. It took a while for my pulse to slow and for me to calm. To this day, I have no idea exactly what in that restaurant caused the issue. But this is how it often happens.

If I’m being honest, writing when I’m that state of mind likely isn’t the best thing. After all, complaining about myself is not what I started this blog for. But it does serve a purpose as it raises the topic, which is significantly important. Considering it’s the beginning of the week and I’m facing several days of the same, here’s to hoping it will better. And that’s the key; ensuring that every step one takes brings you that one step forward. And that step will be positive. ☯️

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… ☯️