A Day in My Life

Every morning, I drink 20 ounces of water with some good stuff thrown in (it's essentially vitamin water). Sodium is probably the most valuable electrolyte to me at this time, but I think mostly the benefit is getting the fluid onboard first thing.

After a cup of coffee, I usually make a smoothie with blueberries, spinach, oat milk, and some protein powder. It theoretically takes care of my daily fruit+veggie needs, but really I think it's a backup in case eating goes sideways.

Hydration is important, especially in Arizona and especially, as it turns out, in me. It seems to help with some of the light-headedness that happens with movement, but really I just know I feel better.

Sometimes I have a little conversation in the morning, but it's also the time I usually appreciate solitude. On mornings like this, when I wake up at 3:30 am and can't get back to sleep, I sort of relish the quiet, and watching the sunrise.

Nearly everything I ate back home for at least the past couple of years was processed food in some way, frozen or snack things, occasionally fast food. After years of trying to get and stay as healthy as possible, the effort became too much. It was like living in a food desert, I suspect – eventually it's just simpler to eat the crap right in front of me than expend the energy on better nutrition.

So this part is better, definitely. I believe I've had two pieces of frozen chicken here, and maybe a meat pie, but everything else is fresh, nutritious, and on the light side. Oh, I've had Chinese once or twice, Indian at least once, some great Mexican food, and I believe I've had a couple of my favorite childhood touchstones (i.e., Whataburgers). But that's just a quality of life thing, and it's rare; I'm doing well in this regard with this change in my life. New place, new food. New everything.

I work on getting horizontal after exertion of some kind. If I'm out in the car for a bit, or I come back from the gym, that sort of thing. Lie down, elevate my legs above my heart, take it easy for a few.

Usually once or twice a day I have a mini-crash, when fatigue just overwhelms me and I have to lie down, sometimes taking a short nap. And then I'm good.

What else? I help out around here as I can, vacuuming and wiping counters, cleaning my bathroom, the sort of thing I can do when I have some energy, and I'm cautious to get off my feet from time to time.

Several times a week, I drive a few miles northeast of here to get my hyperbaric oxygen treatment. I've had around 30 hours of it so far; my aim was always whatever I could manage, but with a goal of 60 hours. That seems to be the number tossed around.

Because I was sick for a couple of weeks, I didn't go to the gym, but also it's been hard to get a routine. I've been slightly overdoing it, I think, on days I feel well, and then losing a day or two for resting, so I'm just trying to be smart here. Good luck with that.

But the gym is wonderful. I have a nice routine, doing a cycle of machines (upper body) but only for one set each (about 12-15 reps using pretty light weight, 70 lbs or so), focusing on the resistance. I also get on the recumbent bike (fighting gravity is a always a losing proposition for me, and the recumbent makes it easy to get some cardio without standing upright) for 15-20 minutes.

And on days like yesterday, around 107 degrees outside, I went to the pool. I got in and took some laps (this is Senior Citizen Land, so it's mostly designated walking pool, which is fine with me – unless I swim laps, and no thank you at the moment, what else is there to do in a pool anyway?), made conversation with some strangers, and then hit the jacuzzi for a bit before LYING IN THE SUN for a few minutes (all caps because I swear, sunbathing? We've got to be talking at least 45 years, for me) to dry off.

This makes me feel fantastic, truth. Sometimes it exhausts me, sometimes exhilarates, but either way this is good.

I'm having lunch with two old friends next week, maybe more. My wonderful host and friend, Lori, does a lot of stuff with her four grown daughters, so she always invites me and usually I go. They're used to me (I threw up in one of their bathrooms but I cleaned the toilet for her, so), and they know when I go somewhere to be quiet and possibly sleep that there's a reason.

And every morning I wake up, walk outside, look at the golf course that runs into her backyard, and bask in the cool sunlight (at 5am anyway), just standing there in my gratitude and being grateful.