January 20, 2010

Snow Go... Now!

Woke up this morning, got out of bed, peeked out of the window. Snow? No. Thank goodness. Went for a pee. Peeked out of the window, thwump... the clouds just did the dirty on us and deposited a healthy smattering of snow all over the place. Great. And its not easing up in the slightest.

Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but today I've offered to help out my neighbour delivering sandwiches to local businesses as she's got personal stuff to get done which is important and she's short staffed and I volunteered. Meh. And now it's snowing. The thrill of standing out in the snow pimping bread and meat isn't enthralling me in the slightest, but you know I said I'd do it, so I'll just get on with it. If anything it'll give me something to complain about later.

And it did. It was cold and wet (yes wet because the snow was wet, not fluffy like you'd see on an idyllic Christmas card) and the punters weren't all that interested. Also, interestingly and not surprisingly the smell of hot bacon rolls does little when one is trying to be virtuous and sticking to not gorging out when the mood takes.

Wet and sodden I came home, had some lunch and thought better of going to the gym since I thought it'd be nice for my knee to recover a bit more, after all I have just got in and out of a car 20 times which as you can imagine doesn't do wonders for a dodgy right leg with no cartilage on the outside of it (don't forget, I'm british, we drive on the right!). Besides, I'm going to the gym later on today for my SMINDE meeting, I don't want to appear to be over-enthusiastic.

Talking of which, the meeting itself was hmm, well I'm going to reserve judgement for now. I will produce a full summary at the end of the 12 week course. Plus points however is the challenge of a weekly weigh in. Negatives, I was easily the fattest person there with I would guess a good 6 stone on each and every other participant. That in itself is demoralizing.

Anyway, onwards and upwards (or preferably downwards if you relate this to weight).

Posted by Abi at 3:36 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2010

Pork & Mindy

So, today has been one of those days where I've not managed to muster the enthusiasm to do anything of consequence. Don't know why, but I suspect "winter" has got something to do with it. I hate short days, I hate cold weather, and joy, more snow has been forecast. Great! Bah Humbug.

Some excitement however in the form of a parcel arriving from France which contained the cute little knitted sweater that Phil's mum had made for Rupert from a pattern in my doggie knits knitting book. No sooner was it through the door it was on Rupert (see Photo). Not sure entirely what he made of it, but I think it looks cool, and the aim of it is to keep him warm when he gets his monthly crew cuts (though he's not been cut for 2 months now so he's a probably a bit woolly to be donning a further layer of insulation just at the moment, but is due a cut and blow dry in a week or so. Anyway, a big thank you to Sylvia for making it for him, one day I hope my knitting will be up to par so I can create something as complicated!

Other exciting news in the form of me actually getting to the gym for the second day on the trot, and I signed up to the "Sminde" meetings they run which are suppose to help with weight management. Phil aptly came up with a funnier name being the "pork & mindy meeting" which in truth brought a smile to my face so that's what I'll call it from now on :) The first meeting is tomorrow so we shall see what that brings.

**UPDATE**: second trip to gym without a break probably not a great idea, knee now swollen. Fantastic!

Posted by Abi at 9:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2010

Knee'd to try harder

Up early this morning as I've got to be at the Nuffield for 10AM for my 6 week check up on my knee, so after rushing around like a fool and then realising I was an hour ahead of myself I actually had plenty of time to get there even though that involved hitting Oxford just past the rush hour which meant there was quite a bit of traffic.

I wasn't kept waiting long at all at the hospital where I saw a physio who explained what had happened to my knee quite thoroughly. I had a bucket handle tear to the lateral meniscus which had managed to completely detach itself, flip over and wedge itself in the space where the anterior crucial ligament and posterior crucial ligament are usually found at the centre of the knee. So it's no wonder I was in agony with it. Needless to say there wasn't a cats chance that the surgeon would have been able to reattach it as everything was mullered in there.

Aftercare? Well the usual really, try to lose weight (which I'm already trying to do), sensible well cushioned shoes from now on and just be a little careful with what I do with it. Pretty sensible stuff I suppose.

When I'm finished at the clinic I then make my way to the model shop to get Phil's glow plugs that he wanted but the shop is shut despite the telephone message stating that they were re-opening today after having a short break away. Oh well. So I make my way back home where I've a nice load of work waiting for me.

Once the work was done I then decide to take Rupert out for a walk as I can't remember the last time I did that and I took the neighbours dog with us so he could have a bit of company. I also strapped myself up to my heart rate monitor to see how many calories I could burn, and for the 45 minutes we were out I shed 175 calories so not too bad at all :)

When Phil gets home we then head out to the gym - something we've been threatening to do for a while, but with the all clear from the doctor to start going back again today seems as good a day as any to make a fresh start. We've decided that instead of flogging ourselves twice a week with 2 hour sessions we're going to try and go more often but only for 45 minutes at a time, and tonight that worked as we both felt we'd had a good work out but were not unfathomably knackered. I also spoke to the owner on our way out to explain our absence and she was very supportive, also she mentioned her weight loss support group she runs *again*, so maybe I'll sign up for this round of meetings.

Back home and its veggie sausages, mash and veg for tea. Hmmm. A veggie sausage whilst interesting is not a cut above one rammed with meat. Nonetheless, it was nice to have something rather than nothing!

Posted by Abi at 9:03 AM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2010

Eye see, or perhaps not.

I have Phil for company today as he's got an appointment with the eye specialist this afternoon after his last visit to his optician earned him a referral to the hospital because the pressures in his eyes was just above the normal limit. I need to play taxi for him as some of the tests they may do could render him temporarily blind and he wouldn't be able to drive himself home, so we head out around lunch time to leave plenty of time for arrival as we didn't really know what the roads and traffic would be like.

When we arrive at the hospital we have to wait around for a while, but Phil eventually gets taken in for a quick eye test and then another wait later he is called in to see the specialist. Now, I wasn't in the room but Phil tells me afterwards that the woman he'd seen had told him that his eyes were in the most terrible state and he was suffering from a bad case of Corneal Neovascularization due to the type of contacts he was wearing. Nothing wrong with the pressures, but he was about to go blind because he'd been stupid enough to take the advice of an optician who had prescribed 30 day continuous use contacts, something that only people with 3 fingers and no opposable thumb should be allowed to use. The remedy? No more contacts for a month, and if he does go back to them he has to use daily ones instead.

So, we've got two extreme opinions here, Boots say "use the contacts for 30 days, after all they're approved by the governmental health authority to sell over here and we check your eyes every 6 months and haven't noticed this particular problem with your eyes, plus we don't really want you to stop paying us £16 quid a month". The Doctor says "Contacts are the spawn of the devil. You are either too stupid or incapable of changing them daily. Begone!!".

As you can imagine this has left Phil a bit shell-shocked. It took him ages to get the hang of contacts and now as he's reaping the rewards for all his hard work someone either wants to take the prize completely away or leave him play with it even though his eyes might drop out. So, we decided to go and see our doctor who recommended we get an opinion from an optician who has a special interest in contacts, and if that doesn't work go private to seek a second opinion.

Phil and I both think that there is a middle ground to be had here, it's just a case of finding it and perhaps rendering the services of a more experienced eye care professional regularly to keep those capillaries at bay.

So, can you guess what my mission is for tomorrow?

Posted by Abi at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2009

Raise a hand if it hurts

Not being the type that is easily discouraged by my dad's dental issues, today it's my turn to sit under the glaring light of misery as I have got a dentist appointment to sort out a tooth that has been giving me jip for a couple of weeks now.

I've been putting the treatment off because I was not willing or able for that matter to pay the £ 300 that the local private dentists wanted and had been unable to find an NHS dentist remotely close to where we live to get it sorted, but by chance after a bit of ringing around I was given a number to ring and voila, as easy as it is to extract a tooth I got myself on to an NHS dentist books. So I made an appointment and by 12 noon I am sitting in the chair and having my tooth assessed.

So, she starts off by tapping my teeth to figure out which one is causing the problem, identifies it and then x-rays the tooth and its surrounding neighbours to get an idea of how bad the problem is. As it happens, it's pretty bad and she announces to me that I need a root canal treatment. Great! Luckily on the NHS this costs about 46 quid, so that's a relief.

I then get numbed up and given the statutory advice of "now, if anything hurts just raise a hand and we'll stop" and after a few minutes the dental nurse approaches with the suction pipe. No sooner had she gone within 50 paces of my bad tooth I was metaphorically clinging to the ceiling and recoiling from the complete AGONY of having freezing cold air sucked away from my apparently rather raw nerve. So no need to raise a hand, I had in fact raised my entire body! I mean the pain was so bad I ended up in tears... tears for god sake! This was exactly what I was hoping to avoid as the last time I went to the dentist they didn't wait long enough either and the exact same thing happened, so if I was every verging on the edge of a dental phobia I think I'm probably now 2 steps closer to it becoming an issue.

Several more injections and topical application of local anaesthetic later my face is numb enough that I wouldn't have felt a truck driving into it and the dentist continues to drill my tooth, file out the canals and then pull out the nerve. She then dresses it and I am out of there as fast as my stumpy legs can carry me (after making an appointment for next week to get it filled).

As you can imagine the rest of the day was spent unwittingly chewing my own face off until the anaesthetic stopped working, and doing actual work. Oh, and popping pain killers like skittles :)

Oh, if anyone else is struggling to find an NHS dentist, then ring 0118 918 3359 - they'll help you out.

Posted by Abi at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2009

Zapped!

Finally, the day has arrived where I get to start on the long and well trodden path of diagnosis under the NHS. 6 months after my first consult with my GP about my knee problems and today is the day where I get to see the Registrar who will assess my jointy type problems.

So up fairly early to make it in time to the clinic where I'm whisked away to X-ray as soon as I arrive. Luckily I'd had the foresight to put a pair of shorts on under my jeans so when the technician asked me to whip my jeans off I wasn't the least bit coy! A couple of clicks later and I'm sat waiting for my appointment with the Registrar.

He was a plesant enough chap though a little clinical if you'll excuse the pun. The x-ray came up just fine with no sign of bone damage which is a good thing. However, it does mean the increased likelihood of it being a cartilege or ligament issue so I'm now going to be booked in for an MRI scan on it to get a good picture of what's going on inside. If it is what the doc suspects it will mean I'll have to have key hole surgery to fix the problem and will have to wait about 2 weeks to recover.

Not too bad I suppose, but it will scupper my gym regime for a short while, but the benefits of being able to be fully mobile again? Well, I'm willing to be laid up for a fortnight if that's the case.

Posted by Abi at 6:43 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2006

Vocabulary

• bored
• fed up
• lathargic
• miserable
• snotty
• partially deaf
• phlegm
• aching
• weak
• coughing
• wheezing
• sneezing
• tired

All of the above pretty much decribe how I feel today. Nuff said.

Posted by Abi at 9:27 PM | Comments (1)

May 30, 2006

Back On The Treadmill

On my own today after the bank holiday where I had Phil to keep me company for 3 rather than the usual 2 days at the weekend.

I don't get up to much really... I go the gym and feel horribly ashamed about how my fitness levels have plummeted due to my absence, but happier in the fact that I've actually got off my arse and gone. It was a bit like visiting a nursing home however since the place was inundated with OAPs, who were using most of the equipment and also walking very slowly between everything.

I also get around to ringing the double glazing people and arranging a date for them to come out and check our letter box as it appears to have sprung a leak somewhere around the edge which is letting water in, which while isn't a major pain it still would be much better if there wasn't a leak at all. The chap was very helpful and said he'd be out Thursday to fix it (from what he says it probably just needs some sealant around the edge, which should have been done at the factory but was probably missed).

The rest of the day is just miserable.

Posted by Abi at 9:30 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2006

Introductions

At work today and again I'm busy for all of it whilst trying to get my inbox down to a reasonable size. But work isn't important today, I've got much more exciting things to look forward to.

You see this evening after work I have my first face to face meeting with my newly instated personal trainer which whilst for the first few moments was a little terrifying, I think we'll get on just fine. :)

To cut a long story short, the meeting went a little along these lines...

I was early so was minding my own business sat in the reception of the gym reading a magazine and chatting to the bloke on the desk, who was very personable, when all of sudden this shadow is cast over me which even by it's mere existence was somewhat intimidating. As I look up I am confronted by a chap who is about 5 foot 10 and built like a greyhound, not a scrap of fat on him and more muscle than a genetically modified beef cow. With his shaved head I could only liken his appearance to an army corporal or sergeant, but such illusion was only temporary when I notice he is clad in very little other than some tiny shorts and a tight sports vest.

But despite my initial shock and horror of thinking I'd signed up with a drill master, he was in fact a lovely fella. He showed me around the gym, told me what he'd expect we'd be doing and what to prepare for and even took the time to have a look into my eating habits and the like to get an idea of my intake and where it could be improved.

So I've now got my first session, which includes my fitness assessment booked in for Monday, I have a feeling I'm gonna be knackered at the end of it!

Posted by Abi at 9:27 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2006

A Shock

Buggering blast - I gave myself a bit of a shock today and dusted off one of my keep fit videos and decided to give it a go. I almost wish I hadn't because the depressing fact of the matter is that after being on the lazy wagon for the best part of 9 months I've sadly lost the meager fitness level I achieved the last time I was making a regular habit of exercise.

Half way through the tape and I feel like I'm dying - I can hardly imagine that some months ago I was screeching at the TV to tell the bint to get on with it, stop talking and put a bit more effort in. It seems therefore that the last laugh is now on her as she knowingly stared at me through the plasma with that look of "Who's the fit one now bitch?"

Oh well I made it through in the end, but I have to say it was the longest 50 minutes of activity ever in the history of the longest minutes of the universe - I'd even go so far as to say time was going backwards!

Not much went on today really, though I did manage to make a list of everything I need to do before I go away. I like lists, they keep me on track and I get a sadly satisfying gratification from ticking things off the list when I've completed them.

Posted by Abi at 9:50 PM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2005

Quit Smoking - 1 Week!

So I've made it, I week gone without a cigarette passing my lips, and I have to say that I feel quite proud of myself and astonished that I've devoted enough will power to get me through the cravings and the like. I honestly didn't think I'd do it, and half expected me to cave in at any point, but I struggled through - even if it was to the detriment of turning down an offer for a night out in london knowing that I'd be surrounded by smokers, a situation where the most strongest of will powers probabably wouldn't have prevailed.

I guess to keep the momentum I should make a list of pros and cons so far of not smoking (for me anyway):-

Pros	Cons
Saved £17.50	Sleepless nights
Don't smell of smoke	Cold sweats (day 3 & 4)
Got blood pressure down to normal	Being an angry and frustrated bitch
No more nicotine dependancy	I've eaten a lot
Have gained about 1 hour in every day through not smoking
Reduced my risk of getting lung cancer
Dont feel like a social reject when smoking in a public place
Sense of smell and taste much improved
Dont plan my day around cigarettes

I'm sure that there are plenty more, but you get the general gist of things, pros outnumber the cons.

Posted by Abi at 10:09 PM | Comments (1)

September 29, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 7 - Occupied

With the success of diminished cravings yesterday due to being kept busy at work, I attempt to simulate the events to and keep myself out of the "devil makes work for idle hands" category.

So in the morning I do various bits and pieces, like tidy up a bit and do the dishes, and stick some washing on. I also pour over a job application that I'd asked for to get a feel for what it is they are looking for, and if therefore I should bother applying in the first place. As it goes, I think I may have a slim chance so I may well apply.

Then in the afternoon I'm kept out of mischief by settling down and doing some work that I've been meaning to do for quite a while. I've been avoiding it insofar as that I'd started and not finished it some time ago, and since then couldn't quite face up to picking it up from where I'd left off.

But the idea that I might crack under boredom pressures and slip in a sly ciggy was enough incentive to relight the torch and get on with it. And that's what I do, but I start from scratch rather than spend hours trying to figure out wtf I'd done which I've no doubt saved me an hour of pondering why I'd done what and cussing myself for doing it shabbily.

By the time Phil comes home I'm in full swing of things and as usual, compulsively completing work like there is no tomorrow. But despite my fervent work ethic I seem to have forgotten that we need to eat tonight. That can only mean that we need to get take out, and fish and chips wins the vote.

We have a relatively early night, but not before I fix a bug in my code that had been narking me for most of the day - well, I probably wouldn't have slept too well knowing it was lurking.

Posted by Abi at 9:38 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 6 - Busy

Today hasn't been too bad on the old quitting front. I thought that going to work could have 1 of 2 results. 1) It would be worse because I was in a familiar routine of having a smoke at certain times of the day at work, and I may not have any work to do which means I'd get bored which means I'd think about cigarettes even more. OR 2) It would be better because I'd have so much stuff to do I wouldn't even have time to think about smoking.

As it happens lady luck was shining on me because in fact I did have a lot of work to do today which kept me more than busy, and I think the only time I thought about smoking was when I was in reception telling a former smoking buddy that I'd given up and gone cold turkey, not seeing the point in using quit smoking aids since they prolong the nicotine withdrawal.

So for once I was grateful to be in work, and managed to get through quite a lot of my inbox to-do's, as well as finishing off some work that I'd been trying to complete for a couple of days.

When I get home I take a look at the triops to see how they are doing. Out of the 7 or so babies that we had, 3 have survived and 2 of those are now about 2 cm long - I've now got to start feeding them carrot and fish as special treats, which will probably mean I'll have to make their water changes a bit more frequent too.

After tea I watch Vanity Fair whilst Phil does some work and then reads his book. The film is ok, but I've a feeling its another of those whereby it does not justice to the book - I guess the only way I'll find that out is by reading it.

Posted by Abi at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)

September 27, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 5 - Narky

Day 5 it is then, and the cracks are starting to show. I'm in a pissy mood with everyone and everything I come across including myself. Having nothing to do for a modicum of seconds is enough to send my brain into a nicotine deprived hissy fit whereby all I can think about is having a smoke. I'm going insane.

So it appears that the only way I can muffle the screams of nicotine currently deafening me by my inner voice is to try and avoid it. Play music loud, eat stuff, keep my hands busy or try to get compulsively involved into something other than getting wrapped up in the vicious typhoon of cravings and will power.

Some shopping eases the problem for an hour or 2, and I pick up Rick Steins Fruits of The Sea. I'm not a fish lover, but tonight we've got 2 tuna steaks to eat and not knowing the first bit about how to cook fresh tuna I decide the book might give a fairly good indication. I also pick up some bits and pieces that I need to do the tuna, including a griddle pan and a salad dressing shaker (that didn't have anything to do with the tuna but I thought it would be a cool idea). On another unrelated note I also buy Burnout Revenge for PS2, the adverts look appealing enough so I figure it would be worth giving it a go (besides, I liked the last one!).

By the time I get home its not long until I have to start preparing tea, which was a Grillade of Tuna with Olive Oil Mash, and very nice too - the homemade tomato sauce that went with it was delish! Phil has a go on Burnout Revenge whilst I'm faffing around with the last bits of tea, and then we eat. And, for a new and untried recipe I have to say it was very nice, I even managed to cook the tuna right (not dry and not raw either).

The rest of the evening is spent watching some TV and bidding on a few more things from ebay - this time mineral rocks. We didn't get the one we really wanted, but nonetheless, have some fab curio items on their way.

I really should think about getting a display cabinet for all our funky rock things.

Posted by Abi at 9:42 PM | Comments (1)

September 26, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 4 - Eating

Hmmm, another day at home today and so the added disadvantage of easily becoming bored, a factor I have already identified as a trigger for me smoking. So to try and circumvent it, I've tried to keep myself busy doing things.

Unfortunately those things seem to be revolved around food. I went to the super market and did the shopping (and managed to buy about 20 quids worth of stuff more than we'd usually get) so that wasted an hour or two. I then did very little indeed apart from eat. I guess I can live with the weight gain for the time being (in particular the first couple of weeks where by I'm replacing cigarettes with food) but I plan to put a stop to the binges as soon as the cravings subside. And to be honest, today they've been pretty harsh, and I think that's probably to do with the fact that I've got no nicotine left in me. I certainly felt it this morning when I woke up with the shakes.

I'm not happy with the fact I'm eating enough to sustain an elephant at the moment, but if it stops me from smoking then what the hell. I can lose the flab again once I've won this particular battle - fat busting is for another time and place at the moment. In terms of priority I think quitting smoking must come before losing weight.

Anyway, what the hell I shouldn't be making excuses, I'm proud that I've got this far and managed to do something beneficial towards my health, even if it is to the detriment of my waist line. Smoking aids are crap IMHO, the fake inhalers make you barf they taste so foul, and as for the patches, well even at the lowest level they made my heart rate jump sky high and brought me out in a rash. And the gum? Well that's just plain disgusting. So I'll stick to my remedy for the time being, and save a very substantial small fortune on not forking out on nicotine replacement hoaxes, or cigarettes for that matter.

I figure I've saved £10 on cigs so far this week - that's 10 quid towards a new camera lens.

Its now been 72 hours+ since I stopped smoking:
Breathing becomes easier.

What this means
Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase.

Posted by Abi at 9:14 PM | Comments (2)

September 25, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 3 - Shopping

We're up relatively early today (well Phil more so than me), and after a little breakfast we head out to Telford to do some shopping.

We have a good look around, and pick up the Da Vinci code for Phil's Mum and also a new vase to put our bamboo in since it's outgrown its current receptacle. So even though we didn't come back with mounds of merchandise it was sufficient to keep me busy and not think too much about ciggies, which is good.

Phil's dad then cooks a lovely Sunday dinner and we're just about to leave when Phil gets struck down with a terrible bout of indigestion and doesn't particularly want to sit in a car for a couple of hours just yet. So we go for a brief walk to see if that helps (which it doesn't) and finally resort to filling him up with fizzy pop, making him jump up and down several times, and then seeing if he can burp to try and relieve some of the excess gas which is making him feel so ill.

It sort of works, and despite not being 100% himself we head off back home, making a quick stop at Ikea in Birmingham to check out their lounge and dining room furniture and to get some catalogues as well.

I guess we get home at around 5.30 and Phil goes to bed and watches the Grand Prix in the comfort of a king size duvet, whilst I do very little indeed apart from watch TV and try to ignore the fact that I really really want a cigarette. I'm brave though, the raisins kick in and I'm good.... I'm guessing the domino's helped on that front as well however. It is however becoming increasingly hard to ignore the urge to stuff a stick in my gob. I hope I've got enough will power to ignore the cravings.

Its now been 48 hours+ since I stopped smoking:
Nicotine is eliminated from my body.

What this means
As well as being highly addictive, nicotine has a number of unpleasant side-effects on the body. It can act as an emetic (cause vomiting) and it can produce stomach upsets. It raises blood pressure, and increases the likelihood of hypothermia and seizures. Get rid of the nicotine and you will get rid of these symptoms. Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved.

Posted by Abi at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 2 - Raisins

We are going to Phils parents this weekend, which as it happens is dead handy on my "I've quit" campaign because not being in familiar surrounds will make me less susceptible to nipping out for a ciggy as and when I feel like one.

So after we've packed the bag we head of to Shropshire and arrive just in time for lunch. For the trip I'd packed some small boxes of Raisins, which I ate every time I had a craving for a ciggy, or was just plain bored. And I have to say they worked! Yes, not only did it give my hands something to do (the raisins are dead fiddly to get out of the boxes) they also gave me a satisfying sugary warm feeling too, and a sustained one at that, all of which helped me overcome the 5 minutes or so where you'd be pretty much willing to chop off your own hand in exchange for a ciggy. So I'm sticking with the raisins, not only are they better for you than chocolate (or cigarettes for that matter), they taste ok too!

We then give Phil's parents their presents that we bought back from Greece for them, including some olives, a bit of local art and a lump of petrified wood, all of which I think were appreciated. We then head out and take a look at Ironbridge Gorge, the site of the very first bridge made completely of iron, and now a world heritage site.

In the evening and I'm still cigarette free! Yup I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself. We go out for a very nice meal near Phil's parents and I have some very nice calf's liver served with bubble and squeak (mashed up vegetables) and a super ice cream filled brandy snap basket for pudding. All very nice indeed.

But it's not long after we get home that I'm ready for bed (feeling tired) and that's what we do, head to bed and hopefully add another 8 hours to my no smoking marathon.

Its now been 24 hours+ since I stopped smoking:
Carbon Monoxide is eliminated from my body

What this means
Carbon monoxide from smoking can also produce distortions of time perception, psychomotor and visual impairment and negative effects on cognitive skill. Reducing the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will reduce these problems. Carbon monoxide reduces the uptake of oxygen from the lungs - the higher the levels of carbon monoxide, the lower the levels of oxygen. Oxygen is vital for the functioning of all energy systems in the body; so as soon as you cut carbon monoxide levels, you will experience enhanced energy levels. Look forward to better sports performance, with stronger endurance, lower levels of fatigue, improved recovery after exercise and a lower heart rate for each level of exercise.

Posted by Abi at 10:25 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2005

Quit Smoking Day 1 - Sleep

So, I'm biting the bullet and finally giving up the cigs today. And it wasn't even a premediated though either, it was just a decision I finally came to whilst have a cigarette just before I left work at 5.

I don't know why either, but everytime I've tried to quit and have put some thought into it, it's always ended in failure, so maybe the brute force tactic might work, who knows.

So before I made that life altering decision I had to do work from 9 - 5 which was awful. I had to do a new site, and had built the template from the design's I'd be given, only to realise that the content didn't match the design at all and I had to rip my work apart and start again in order to get some kind of perceptable navigation running across the site. The joys or not getting a spec, or a badly written one. Sometimes the latter is worse than the former.

Anyway I get through work, then decide to give up the fags on the spot and ultimately end up home, where I while away the non-smoking hours watching tv and eating fish and chips. But the time I get to go to bed it's been 5 hours since my last cig, long enough to have a craving, but not long enough to do anything about it. So I figure that if I now go to sleep for 8 hours or so I'll have gotten over some of the habit cravings you initially have to deal with - so thats what I do.

Its now been 20 minutes + since I stopped smoking:
My blood pressure and my pulse rate has returned to normal

What this means
Raised blood pressure and high pulse rate both put strain on your heart, increasing your risk of a heart attack. The minute you stop your risk is reduced.

Posted by Abi at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2005

Gimme 5!

I woke up this morning with only 2 goals for the day:-

1. Do some exercise
2. Wash the car

Seemingly though I've only managed to complete one of them and that was to get some exercise. Having done Leslie Sansone's Walkaerobics programme for about a week now, I've found that walking really is quite a good option for me to get some exercise (bad back, dodgy knee etc) - and it is much more low impact than perhaps bounding up and down on a step or rampaging along a treadmill for what appears to be infinity and without a change of scenery.

So with that in mind, and the fact that I need a ladle, I plan a walking trip to Homebase and then back home again. Phil kindly offers to keep me company and so we head out at about 11.15 am. 2 hours later and 5 miles of treading tarmac we finally get home!

Blisters allowing we both then hop into a steamy hot bath (with muscle soak) and try to revive what remains of the muscles in our legs. A brief nap later and I get on with Sunday dinner (the second I've ever cooked). Not bad either - but I'm pretty sure after 24, we'll both be ready for bed again.

Posted by Abi at 9:12 PM | Comments (1)