exercise intolerance

 Today is the 6th day of the 6th week, the 9th day of the 2nd month, the 40th day of 2024, and:

• Chocolate Day
• Gwyl Mabsant
• International Winter Bike to Work Day
• National Cut the Cord Day - celebrated since 2020
• National Develop Alternative Vices Day
• National No One Eats Alone Day
• National Toothache Day
• Pizza Pie Day
• Read in the Bathtub Day
• The Inbox Day
• the earliest day that People's Sunday [the first Sunday of Lent] or Clean Monday [the first Monday of Lent] can occur, while March 15th is the latest.  [Of course that would put Ash Wednesday as the 4th]
• the New Moon 6 PM EST
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 34m 32s of light travel time from Earth, or 24,365,000,000 km / 15,140,000,000 miles / 162.87 AU 

Quote of the day:

" Do not become annoyed when faced with difficulties. To do so merely adds difficulty to difficulty and further disturbs your mind. By maintaining a mind of peace and nonopposition, difficulties will naturally fall away. "

~  Master Sheng-Yen, “Nonopposition”

So for some time I have been complaining about shortness of breath and fatigue, both to the point where I find it impairing my mobility.  I have been seen and tested by a a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a nephrologist, and there is nothing wrong with my heart, or lungs.  The kidneys are struggling a bit, but this happens when you have blood sugar issues.  

Today my GP told me I have "exercise intolerance" which means I have "deconditioned" my body and the only solution was to start re-conditioning it again.  I responded to the doctor that I have been trying since the tests back in the fall to "do more".  Apparently I am just not trying hard enough?  

How did it come to this?  

From what I have read, it only takes four or five weeks for an older couch potato type to start losing muscle strength.  I had noticed all the way back in 2019, after being hospitalized for five days with vertigo and then slowly recuperating, my mobility had suffered.  Certainly, my lack of stamina was very obvious during the visit to Universal and WDW that December.  Perhaps it would've bounced back eventually as I resumed my regular activities, but then we all stayed in our homes due to COVID - and I wouldn't even venture down that elevator to take a walk [most of the residents didn't mask even at the height of the pandemic].  And after the inflammation of lungs from the Ozempic allergic reaction, I wasn't doing much again all through the spring of last year. 

I want to whine that this is not my fault.

I want to point out that all my life I have spent my time reading, crafting, playing online, and yes, even watching TV, and I have always done these things without ill effect [other than being a bit flabby].  

I want to whine that I am going to be 74 years old and I am still working full time [but then I have to add I sit in front of a computer all day when I work] 

I want to point out there may be unaddressed medical issues - the blood tests just completed show anemia and thyroid issues among other things.  I want to find out why I am running a low grade fever.  I want an answer to the rectal bleeding that happened last week.  The doctor did recommend continuing to follow up with the gastrointestinologist, pointed out that Ozempic permanently paralyzing a part of my gut was unlikely since I only took it for nine months and never made it to full dosage, and gently repeated her diagnosis.  

I want it to be a medical issue that once fixed will make it easy for me to move normally again. 

But I am not Aunt Mary.  I can't be running from one doctor to another just because I don't like being told I'm old, fat, and out of shape.  And Grandmom Hughes always said "use it or lose it" so I guess I had better buckle down and get serious or I am going to continue to lose my mobility and will be in a wheelchair [actually used one the last time I flew in December to get to and from gates, altho that was because my daughter ordered it because she needed it.  I was embarrassed how much I appreciated it].

Chair yoga, more walking, more steps, leg exercises, even touching my toes - so far I haven't seen any improvement.  I guess the real problem is that I haven't been doing them consistently enough to build up my stamina and endurance. Should "only" take three or four months to start seeing a difference., so by Juneteeth, I should be feeling perkier.

Supposedly.