January Blahs

My body is falling apart

Published on January 13, 2005 By Draginol In Health & Medicine

I hate Januaries. It seems like that is the time of year that my body decides to make me aware that I'm not a kid anymore. I got a bad head cold which I've never really had.

I just normally don't get sick. And to illustrate that, this past weekend was the first time I've ever had to blow my nose. It's just never come up. That's not to say I've never had the sniffles but I've never had it bad enough where I felt the need to blow my nose until this weekend. Which was a comical scene in the extreme.

Most people I suspect have had to blow their nose since their childhoods. So to them, it's obvious how to blow ones nose. But if you think about it, it's not necessarily obvious. My wife looked on with I suspect some amusement as I mastered the mechanics of forcing air out through my nose. It took awhile and I can't say I enjoyed it. My bellyaching meant little to my wife who has sinus problems. I had long complained about kleenex (since I've never used kleenex before) being around the house and now I was making use of it like it was going out of style.

Plus there's all kinds of new discomforts..aches..pains. Things I never would have imagined 10 years ago. And I'm only 33. I can't imagine what it'll be like to be 40 or 70 for that matter. I think I can understand why people, as they get older, fear death less and less.

Being a sissy, I don't like pain or discomfort. I have a very low tolerance for it. And more and more it seems like there's always something in the background causing some small but noticeable amount of discomfort. Whine whine whine.

Comments

Kobrano

on Jan 13, 2005

Wow! Do I know where you are coming from... None of my issues like this started until I was about 35.. But from 35 to my current 37, its like I always have some issue going on.. Either a headache, backache, neckache, or some type of sinus or allergy issue. I think this is pretty normal. My mom just turned 61, and I noticed a book at her house over the holidays called "Living with Pain". I asked her if she was ok, and basically she said "It seems with every year, brings a new series of aches and pains, thats all."..

So I guess this is just a part of getting old. Pre-30 was best for me, not a single problem, no aches, I was fine, but boy, from 35+ does it suck.

I feel old lately. You are right though, January tends to suck in general, but winters are my worst time for health and well being. Spring and fall are my favorites!

iamheather

on Jan 13, 2005

I do hope you get to feeling better soon, Brad.

I think nose blowing is highly over-rated. I have never had a productive nose blowing experience. It always seems to move the perpetrator further down into my nostils, but not the Kleenex.

John Galt

on Jan 13, 2005

Suggestion from someone that was in your position:

Buy a bowflex. NOW. www.bowflex.com

Work out HARD for an hour every other day.

"But I don't have time for it!"

You don't have time not to do it. Because in another 10 years you're really going to be screwed. If you want to enjoy your life from now on, lifting weights and getting healthy and getting your ass out of that chair that us programmers sit in is going to be the only thing that saves you.

Since I started 3 years ago, I'm down to 9.5% body fat from 27%, doubled my bench press and my arms are bigger around at the biceps than my last g/f's waist.

Why does this matter?

Because my metabolism has increased dramatically, I have WAY more energy, my immune system is way stronger to the point where I'm largely like you now, and don't get sick much at all compared to how I was before. Oh ya, and you'll actually be able to keep up with your kids and not be winded running around the block. All from weight lifting. Don't bother to much with the cardio. A little is fine, but weight lifting pretty much does everything you need, and the bowflex means you won't hurt yourself seriously if you do screw up.

And before you say "I'm not fat", judging by the pictures you've posted, you're what is referred to by the author of Gen X as a "thin fat person".

And to be clear. It will hurt like a bitch the first few times if you're doing it right. You might not sleep the second night because your muscles are so sore. But work out again the second day anyhow. It will actually feel BETTER not worse like you'd expect, and it goes up from there. If you stick with the weight lifting for 2 weeks you'll feel like you're on a high like you wouldn't believe and it just stays there pretty much all of the time.

And hey, you're wife will absolutely LOVE it, but more importantly, you'll love yourself. As someone said "Being fit and strong is one of the best gifts you can give yourself."

Draginol

on Jan 13, 2005

I'll keep that in mind.

on Jan 13, 2005

Lol. Surprised to see someone else have an unusually strong cold. I usually get cold each winter but usually it lasts a day or two, and is very minor. This time, it's really bad. I had to clear my nose many times by now. It's one of very few times I actually considered using medicine to help me, but I didn't use any... yet.

Oh well. Here's to living to old age.

BTW, I usually don't use any medicine unless it's really serious, like back pain so extreme it feels like broken glass. Same for major headache. Sadly, by now my pain tolerance is sky-high because of my back. Once, last summer, I accidentally touched the hot mower muffler with side of my right hand. I didn't even recoil. Sure, I felt pain, but it's nothing compared to what I feel on my back sometimes.

on Jan 13, 2005

Btw, if you haven't figured it out here's few possible tips. I figured it out from those very rare times I got cold bad enough that I need to clear nose.

It's easier when you block one nasal and blow though other one, then do another side. Twice the pressure though one pipe ya know.

Sometimes it helps if you block one nasal and HALF of another. Even more pressure but don't do that too often.

Btw I'm not sure if nasal is right word... It's basically holes on bottom of your nose.

Kobrano

on Jan 14, 2005

Gotta agree with John on this one. I used to work out 3 days a week or more several years back. But as I got busier, the working out took a backseat to business. Big mistake ever stopping the workouts, I should have found time to fit them in.

My new years resolution is to eat better, and work out, so no excuses now! Incidentally, my dad used to be in wonderful shape, but his life was cut short by health problems primarily caused by lack of exercise and improper diet, he was only 60 years old. So John has very valid points, we're just slowly killing ourselves by sitting around.. But its tough, the motivation to go to the club and work out every day is a major obstacle.

Starstuff

on Jan 14, 2005

Btw I'm not sure if nasal is right word...

Nostril
2of them nostrils
they're in your nose.

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