Circulation
I’m not sure how long its been now, but for some time I have been plagued with numb toes. It really has no adverse affects and I have had it checked out vis-a-vis diabetes and it’s not that. My glucose levels and my A1C are all in line and my doctor agrees that its not diabetic nerve damage. I’ve been to a neuropathist and besides telling me what I know that there is some nerve damage in my lower legs down to my toes, she also told me its a problem that afflicts my pinkies on my hands, which was news to me. Thanks for that. I now find myself occasionally thinking about my pinkies in ways I never had before seeing that specialist. I am convinced that the neuropathy in my toes is a function of the “mild” (according to my doctor) case of edema I have that causes my ankles (particularly the right one) to swell a bit. That swelling goes down overnight when my feet are elevated, but it is otherwise with me most days. Once again, mildly annoying, but not exactly life-changing and it hasn’t really deteriorate in the past five years, but it certainly hasn’t gone away either.
Part of my getting healthier initiative this year is to see if I can get that edema down and maybe even regain some feeling in those numb tootsies. I went to the gym today and did 20 minutes of cardio on the recumbent bicycle and then some mild weight machines. I’m determined to make that a more regular thing. I am shooting for 5-6 days per week at the start and then will see where it goes. I may choose to swim some days, but if not, I will find another aerobic exercise that suits me. I particularly want to be sure to work that hinky left hip and do things that keep those ankles and feet moving to improve lower leg circulation.
While i was watching the last season of Better Call Saul, I saw that Saul (Jimmy) started to use a device in his office that had him lying on the floor with his ankles in the device, which gyrated back and forth, moving his legs from the hip down from side to side. He claimed to some visitor that it was specifically to improve circulation and that it had good aerobic benefits to use the machine. He mentioned something about the device helping him to center his Chi. I’m not exactly a student of eastern medicine so I had to look up Chi and what Merriam-Webster Webster tells me is that it is, “vital energy that is held to animate the body internally and is of central importance in some Eastern systems of medical treatment (such as acupuncture) and of exercise or self-defense.” I have no idea about the condition of my Chi, but I am sure that it could always use some improvement. So, I looked up on the internet what sort of machine Saul was using and sure enough, Google told me that it was something called a Chi Machine. I want on Amazon and found one that looked exactly like Saul’s that is made by Daiwa. What I also learned was that these Chi Machines have been around for about thirty years and that people swear by their holistic benefits if you use them for 15 minutes a day.
I’m no physiologist, but something that elevates and wiggles my feet seems like it might logically help my edema and my numb toes, not to mention my hinky hip flexor. I have no idea if it will have any aerobic benefit as the literature claims, but it falls into that “can’t hurt” category that seems to make it worth trying. So, I bought one and took delivery today. I plugged it in and read the directions, which were to let it wiggle your feet like it did for Saul and to work up to the intensity of the wiggling and the duration of the wiggling to suit your sense of well-being. I lay down and let the wiggling begin. I could tell after a few minutes that hyper-extending my legs like that would not help my knees and sure enough, the you-tube video on the device suggests that you may want to put a pillow or ball under your knees. I will do just that the next time I use it, which will presumably be tomorrow. Kim says she likes the look of the device, so she says she will be trying it out herself. Who knows, maybe I will start to regain some feeling in my toes. I’m not sure what I will do if that happens except be somewhat more satisfied with my state of flexibility and general good health.
The weather on the hilltop has been a bit cooler than I like this week. The sun has been shining, but the temperature has only gotten up to the low to mid 60s in the middle of the day. It’s warm enough to do chores around the property, but not warm enough to feel comfortable wearing shorts, which seems like what we are supposed to do on this hilltop. The spring flowers are all out in their glory, especially the brilliant ice plants with their iridescent colors that fold up at night and fully open as the day warms. It’s still too early in the season for the flowering trees yet, but I can see the buds on the branches wanting to find the justification to burst forth. This year I am clear that my tulip tree is in fine shape, given its expansive fall blooms. But I have four new trees that I’m watching to see how they do this spring. There is the Jacoranda from which I am expecting purple blooms in the summer. There is the coral tree, which should bloom beautifully between now and May. There is the pink silk tree which should bloom with its wispy flowers in July. And there is my new purple crepe myrtle as well as my old red crepe myrtle, both of which are quite bare so far, but which should start blooming between May and July. This whole Chi Machine business has me wondering if I should go and shake these trees every day to improve their circulation in hopes of promoting early and fulsome flowering. Just a thought.
I spent some time in the Cecil Garden today for the first time this year, doing some watering and cleaning the basalt column fountain, which for the first time, I have kept circulating all through the winter months. Despite the cool weather, that column has managed to continue to grow algae and has a thick coat of it at this point. I have a few brushes that work well on removing the algae when it is at normal levels, but with the thick growth at this point, I am fairly certain that I will need to shut it down tomorrow and apply a thick coating of 30% vinegar solution to kill the algae and give the column a fresh start for the season. I remember last year when I had Handy Brad and Omar clean out the circulating pump and it was filled with algae, so I definitely want to get out ahead of that problem if I can. Nature is amazing. All it takes is a small crack in a rock or little water and sunlight and something will manage to grow. I understand that I am hardly the first to discover this phenomenon, but it is amazing nonetheless.
It seems that the secret to all things is to keep the circulation moving and then maybe the restorative powers of nature can do their job and bring things back to life. That’s way at I want with my toes and trees, but I will try to do the exact opposite with the algae. The world needs more toes and trees and my garden needs a bit less algae. My spring project is all about circulation.