Category: health

Would you expect a sick person to solve a Rubik cube?

Ian HunterLeave a comment

I am into the 5th day of a bout of flu

I did get the flu shot but this variant of the virus snuck through anyway

Its not been a smooth ride but I am now seeing the light on the other side

I have been reflecting on the worst moments and how my wife helped mitigate them

The joint and muscle pain was very uncomfortable but Tylenol took the edge off it

My wife has a huge supply which she dispensed every 6 hours like clockwork

There were no issues in taking that medication

Next was the fever which started mild on day 1

But seemed to be more severe on Day 2

My trusty digital thermometer was pulled from the bathroom drawer

I lay back with the probe under my tongue for ages waiting for the beep

No beep sound and the display indicated low battery

My darling wife rushed out to buy a new battery

She came back with a new thermometer

Saying it was about the same price as a pack of batteries

She left the thermometer by my bed for me to use

It was still in the thick clear plastic packaging

I looked for a way to open it with a hinge or door

It appeared to be welded shut all around

I had to cut open the thick plastic with scissors

Not an easy task when you are feeling like crap with a fever

I eventually got the packaging to release its prisoner

My temperature reading was 101.4F

I may have gone up a degree while struggling with that stupid packaging

On day 2 I had an annoying chesty cough which got progressively worse

I started taking cough syrup every 12 hours from a part used bottle

I finished that bottle on Day 3 but my darling wife came to the rescue again

She had already bought back up supplies 

I tried to open the new bottle but the cap would not turn

It was covered in a sort of shrink wrapped tamper proof cover

With no visible tear off strip to open it

After 5 minutes of fumbling and broken fingernails I reached for the scissors

That shrink wrap was so tight it was a struggle to find an edge 

Eventually I got the scissor blade to cut through it without lacerating my finger

Only to find the cap spun freely and would only open when pushed down hard

Not an easy task when you are not on your top form

Imagine how difficult this packaging saga would be for somebody with arthritis 

Why do they make it so difficult the get into these products

Sick people should not need to solve Rubik cubes and escape room clues to open medication

Hay fever or cabin fever

Ian HunterLeave a comment
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

I stepped outside to watch the sunrise today

within seconds I was sneezing and my eyes were watering

spring and summertime here is notorious for allergies

but how can anybody be allergic to sunrise

pollen clouds fill the air like CS gas at a riot

the once silver paint on my car was turned yellow

our house siding needs power washing annually

and all because the pine trees are such messy lovers

don’t think its over when the yellow dust clouds are gone

grass pollen is invisible and will fire up your allergies

then there is ragweed to irritate your respiratory system

the list of plant based airborne attackers is endless

pollen is the malware of the air we breathe

Russian hackers shake the trees to release more pollen

forcing you to stay inside and surf the web

virus loaded fake adds for Claritin await you

better drive to the pharmacy to buy your antihistamine 

weaving through the wrecks of sneeze induced crashes

to find all the shelves totally bare of allergy medication

memories of shopping for bread and toilet rolls before a hurricane

maybe stay inside and tape up all the doors and windows

live in a hermetically sealed bubble breathing through a hepa filter

disconnect the internet and go off the grid to be totally virus free

which one will get to you first……..  hay fever or cabin fever?

Its only a cold

Ian Hunter1 Comment

Its only a cold

Starts with a sniffle

Then a scratchy throat

Its not so bad

Its only a cold

Now your throat is on fire

Your limbs are aching

Its not so bad

Its only a cold

You are completely congested

Your sinus cavities hurt a lot

Its not so bad

Its only a cold

Now you have that tickling cough

It keeps you awake all night

Its not so bad

Its only a cold

Your nose is red from blowing

Your voice is all croaky

Its not bad

Its only a cold

Three days sick and low energy

You want to feel better

Yes its officially bad now

Its only cold

But it makes your life miserable for a week or so

There is no cure

Try not to infect others

Take a journey without a destination

Ian Hunter4 Comments

I cycle 30 miles three or four days a week

My legs are strong but my upper body needs strengthening

So I joined a gym in December and it never seemed crowded back then

Come January and the place is overrun with new year resolutioners

I talked to the staff and learned its the same thing every year

Membership explodes in January but the rush only lasts a month or so when many drop out

Most of them are looking for the quick fix instant results that never happen

Perhaps they stop going to the gym and buy those magic weight loss pills instead

I wonder if snake oil salesmen see a big jump in revenue every February

Some will be disillusioned by March and resort to plastic surgery for weight loss

Others will stop dieting by April and promise to get fit and healthy on January 1 next year

Exercise and healthy eating is a lifestyle that requires a long term commitment

For sure we all fall off the wagon occasionally but you must get back on again quickly

The best way is to be totally honest with yourself 

If you want to change yourself then accept it will be a journey without a destination

Happy Healthy Friday and every other day to you all

The empty chair

Ian Hunter1 Comment

Standing by the balcony railing

His health was rapidly ailing 

Admiring the spectacular view

Picking out the spots that he knew

Recalling the happy times he spent there

As he sampled the cool morning fresh air

Every breath calming his mind

Accepting he would soon leave this all behind

Not wanting to linger and whither away

He decided that this was his final day

Stepping onto the empty chair

Over the railings and flying through the air

Eyes closed as he accepted his fate

Time slowed down and made him wait

Confused and perplexed as he opened his eyes

Looking at his bedroom ceiling in surprise

Things are not always as they seem

It was all a vivid technicolor dream

He quickly stepped out of bed

Images of the balcony view filled his head

He stepped outside to see the same view

Picking out the spots he knew

Recalling the happy times he spent there

Next to the railing was an empty chair

Lost mojo

Ian Hunter4 Comments

got covid

short illness

got better

not fully

brain fog

daily fatigue

no diagnosis

no tests

all guesswork

internet search

Dr Google

most likely

long covid

how long

nobody knows

maybe weeks

maybe longer

maybe forever

hopefully not

saying prayers

covid gods

take covid

away please

for good

restore energy

lift fog

normal service

resume soon

difficult writing

in fog

need light

and energy

wide appeal

lost mojo

please find

will exchange

for covid

You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone

Ian Hunter8 Comments

That song is stuck in my head right now

As I lay in bed on day three of having Covid symptoms

Yes I am fully vaccinated and boosted but I still got a breakthrough infection, presumably Omicron

So here are some of the things that are gone from my life right now

Fresh air… I am confined to the bedroom in a condo with no balcony access due to external renovation

People… my darling wife is caring for me but she has to stay in the spare room while I am infectious

Exercise…..I don’t have the energy to do anything right now, my bike is looking at me like a sad puppy

Good health….I am not expecting to die from this Covid infection, however, flu like symptoms are no fun to endure for three days (or more?)

Clarity….my brain is foggy and I get tired just thinking

Freedom…I am not a prisoner but I am confined to barracks for a while

I could list many more things that I miss right now but I wanted to reflect on some positives

I have had time alone to check in with myself

I made some commitments to change things about myself that need fixing, things I have been putting off for too long

I plan to reach out to some friends who I have not been in touch with for too long

The next time its safe to actually see friends, they are going to get extra strong hugs

Time for me to rest now, be safe out there all you cheeky monkeys

You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone…….

Remember that line please

When I take a breath

Ian Hunter1 Comment

When I take a breath

In moments of reflection

I do so consciously

Its my moment

When I take a breath

I am in control

I can hold on to it

Its my breath

When I take a breath

A full deep breath

I feel energy

Its my energy

When I take a breath

With deep focus

I can feel a heart beating

Its my heart beat

When I take a breath

I pause to give thanks

Trees made that oxygen

Its my oxygen

When I take a breath

I accept the gift of life

I am grateful

Its my life

When I take a breath

I feel something pure inside

To be shared

Its my love

Let your white knights do training exercises

Ian Hunter3 Comments

A few days ago I had my second shingles shot

The side effects were pretty severe

Muscle pains and fever knocked me out for 36 hours

I wanted to understand why my body was reacting this way

So last night while sleeping I asked for a meeting

I requested somebody in charge of my antibodies to explain everything to me

A nice chap called James showed up

He introduced himself as the COO in charge of my body’s defenses

James explained that he has been working diligently since I was born

As I new baby my defenses were under developed

Daily attacks from viruses, bacteria, toxins and pathogens threatened my existence

James said that each attack was fought off by front line soldiers in my white blood cells

They are the white knights who engage in hand to hand combat with these enemies

Over time they build up experience of which weapons work best for specific invaders

The white knights have access to huge armory of weapons stored in my body

I asked James what the shingles vaccine was all about

He reminded me that I had chicken pox as a child

The white knights spent a couple of weeks slaying most of the chicken pox viruses

But a few escaped and went into hiding in remote parts of my body

They can reemerge many years later in the form of a shingles virus

Nobody wants the extreme pain and discomfort of shingles said James

He congratulated me on deciding to get the shingles vaccine

I sent out extra white knights to battle with the shingles viruses

They captured multiple virus particles and brought them to the armory

Shingles weapons were developed and manufactured in the armory for future use

I asked James why I was so sore after the shingles vaccine

He explained that the vaccine distributed inert shingles virus particles all over my body

The white knights set out to destroy them and evict their remains

Unfortunately the intense fighting creates inflammation in your muscles

The massive activity in your blood stream raises your temperature for a while too

James said this only lasts a day or two at most

Then the new shingles weapons are put back in the armory in case of future attacks

I thanked James for his explanations and suggested he give the white knights a day off 

Sorry I cannot do that said James, that would allow the enemy to sneak in and make you sick

James explained that my white knights work 24/7 to keep me alive and healthy

I asked James what I could do to help the white knights do their job

Eat a good diet, exercise and try to sleep well without too much alcohol or stimulants he said

Oh and never pass over an opportunity to get vaccinated he stressed

Think of the vaccination as a training exercise for your white knights

Having more weapons in their armory improves your chances of living a long life

I thanked James for the meeting and slept soundly the rest of the night