Health update

Nothing to worry about.

I first went to the gym on 10th December last year, and if I'm honest, used every excuse not to go in the following weeks and months.

We went maybe once or sometimes twice a week, but didn't really get into it, and not increase the resistance or time I was on the bike.

At some point, Jools asked when I was going to increase like I said I would.

Good point.

I mentioned India before.

This part is not pretty, so those with weak constitutions should skip to the next paragraph.

I have had sores, blisters, but what I now know to be ulcers for some time. I didn't realise how serious they were. I put it down to thin skin from an infection, but not only did ulcers form, but it was easy to knock my legs and the skin just tear, and take weeks to heal.

In India I had multiple ulcers and cuts, and getting bandages and platers to treat them in the high humidity and heat proved difficult. When I got off the aircraft at Delhi aiport prior to the last trip to Jim Corbett, not only could I not catch my breath, mut the ulcers were weeping freely.

Yuk.

I struggled for the rest of my trip with breathing, and when I came home the symptoms made my doctor think I had heart disease. But tests showed I didn't.

On top of that my legs and feet were swollen, not pretty.

One time I went to the chiropracticor, he told me the truth and the only way forward was increasing blood supply, by exercise.

So, once the new refurbished gym reopened in July, I really got down to it. Increasing time in two then five minutes to 40, then increasing the resitance.

I would do more than forty minutes, but that is when the bum gets numb, but for now I am happy with what I am doing.

My feet would shrink after exercise, but would return to being swollen by evening. Then one day, they didn't. And as I wear shots to the gym, Jools walks behind me on the narrow path, and she said whe could bee muscles and tendons in my legs.

My hope was to lose weight, but it ddn't seem to be working. About six weeks ago I tried on all my old trousers and jeans, and found just one pair just about fitted.

But rather than give up, I just carried on.

Yesterday, I tried the trousers on again, and the first pair of jeans I tried fitted. In fact I needed a belt.

So, for the first time since 2017 I am not mearing cargo pants.

I am now at the point to try a different piece of eqipment: maybe a treadmill or cross trainer, this will really step things up.

But this also goes alongside the fact we are eating less, sometimes skipping a meal, and cutting booze out at least two days a week, and cutting almost all wine out. In fact this week for the first time I had wine for weeks.

The ulcers have just about stopped, but the skin is fragile. Their colour is near normal, and the pins and needles and vagueness I had in them is long gone. The marching and standing I did in London two weeks back would not have been possible without the work and time in the gym.

And without Jools kicking me up the backside, asking difficult questions, I might not have gone, and so might not be here now.

I think about that a lot.