As itโs abundantly clear that Iโm not making a big song and dance over the fact that Iโve now surpassed the 3000 post mark here on Beyond the Sphere, I thought Iโd give a quick health update. Nothing to do with the coronavirus or anything like that, I hasten to add; this is a Feel Good blog after all.
Long time visitors may remember in November 2019 I came down with Bellโs palsy, and lost all movement on the right-side of my face. And as I was recovering from that, I was hit by a car driven by a raving lunatic (and that is the last Iโll mention of that in this post!).
Iโm pleased to say I now have full movement in all of my face once again. It wasnโt really paralysed for that long, being honest. I made sure I got myself plenty of rest, and took the prescribed steroid medication as prescribed. I was also given tablets to reduce my blood pressure, as on the day I was undergoing checks in hospital (they had to make sure I hadnโt had a stroke) my blood pressure was through the roof.
On the whole, Iโm generally quite healthy. I get colds and hayfever and a strange itchy skin every now and again, but I can handle them, and otherwise Iโm generally OK. I feel fine, and felt fine even with the facial paralysis. I am overweight, however, which can cause a few issues.
I was sent for a blood pressure 24 hour test shortly after getting the movement in my face back, and the clinician took my blood pressure before fitting me with the monitor. โThatโs high!โ she exclaimed. โBloody high in fact!โ. I could actually feel it rise even more at those words, as the clinician covered her mouth with a subdued โOops.โ She had to get somebody else into the room to take a manual reading, and give a second opinion, which was pretty much the same. My blood pressure then was 205 over 115.
If you arenโt sure what the numbers mean in a blood pressure reading, Iโll quickly give a brief explanation. The reading is actually two measurements, one of which is the highest pressure when the heart pushes blood out. This is the first number in the reading and is called the Systolic pressure. The second number in the reading is the Diastolic pressure, and this is the lowest pressure when the heart rests between beats. Both numbers are measuring the millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Ideal blood pressure readings are between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. 140/90 and over is considered high blood pressure.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and not getting enough exercise all contribute to high blood pressure, as does consuming too much salt. I donโt smoke or drink, but I fitted comfortably in the last three categories. And at 205/115 mmHg it is safe to say my blood pressure was high in those readings.
It turns out my blood pressure was slightly higher than the โgoodโ range, but it was inflated as I have a condition called White Coat Syndrome, or White Coat Hypertension. What this means is that whenever Iโm around a doctor, or clinician, or in that kind of environment, by blood pressure is phenomenally higher than what it really is. The 24 hour reading revealed that my blood pressure was 154/95.
My doctor told me to get more exercise, watch my food portion sizes and eat more healthily, cut down on salts and sugars, and try to get my blood pressure to 140/90 or below. He said I will feel a lot better without the need for taking medication for lowering blood pressure if I did this. This was in the first week in January.
Since then, I have heeded my doctors advice. Iโve drastically reduced the amount of salt I eat, as well as fats and sugars. I eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and make sure I exercise daily. I mainly do thirty minutes of running on the spot each morning, plus a few other stretching exercises in the evenings every other day.
This work, Iโm pleased to say has definitely started to pay off. I still have quite a way to go, but I know Iโll get there. Iโm enjoying what I eat (which I will admit slightly filled me with dread at the very beginning!)
When I first started this new regime, on 11th January 2020, I weighed 17 stone 12 pounds (250 pounds or 113.4 kilos). Today, March 7th, Iโm 16 stone 4 pounds (228 pounds or 103.4 kilos). Which means Iโve currently lost 1 stone 8 pounds (22 pounds or 10 kilos). In writing the numbers donโt look much, but I measure my weight every morning and record the scores on the doors on a spreadsheet, and then convert it into a chart. I think it looks quite impressive:
Iโve hit a few plateaus along the way, and there have been quite a few ups and downs with the weight, but generally it is moving in a nice downwards direction.
So, thatโs the end of this little, and most probably boring, health update. Iโm still rotund, only not as rotund as I was, and my clothes are hanging off me just a tad. Iโm not going to buy any thin clothes until Iโve reached the point where I want to reach. Right now, Iโm not sure where that is yet, but I donโt want to get ahead of myself just yet.
Iโm taking each day in turn. Enjoying my transformation. And still checking my blood pressure weekly. Ooh โ my blood pressure today was 115/82. Which is classed as being in the โgoodโ range, but not ideal. The 115 is ideal, but I still need to work a little on the 82.
I am a work in progress.
We all are really. Itโs life. But we can and do have control over our bodies if we focus and work a little harder.
And seeโฆ not one mention of my reaching 3000 posts on this blog. Iโm not one to make a big song and dance out of such a thing.
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