Since Feb 27th

In the 27 days since Feb 27th, when I last saw my cardiologist, I have:

  • … reduced my weight by 6.6 kilograms (though I’ve probably lost a little more fat, as it’s apparent, when I’m in short sleeves, that I’ve put on muscle mass). One of the professors I work with was teasing me that I will be the next campus hunk. (She didn’t say what I would be a hunk of, so I’m taking it as a good thing.) My current total is 103.4, as of yesterday morning. Even if I’m on diuretics (which speed up weight loss, but only temporarily) I think I’ve made a substantial advance.But at the same time, it’s interesting that, having taken three days off last week (Thursday, Friday, and I only went swimming on Sunday) I returned to exercise stronger, and maintained my weight for the week.
  • Reduced my blood pressure considerably. Before meds, I was 160/110; on Feb 27th, I was 130/90; today, I registered as 120/70. (And that includes a certain degree of white coat hypertension, plus some Korean hospital hypertension. (The hospital I use is a bit crowded and noisy, with appointments scheduled routinely at 4 minutes long — so lots of people are coming and going constantly — and with lots of older people milling around, cutting in line, and talking a little frantically. No soothing music, no calming pastel colored walls…  The hospital environment frankly stresses me out more than my cardiologist, who’s one of the nicest and most competent doctors I’ve had anywhere.)

So anyway, I’m pleased. I did my exercise for the day this morning (including a hike with one of the teachers — Wednesday morning is our regular shared hike), and the day was busy with a faculty meeting, a doctor’s appointment, a student consultation… I think I’ll head off campus and watch a movie make myself some boribap and practice a couple of tunes on my soprano saxophone before hitting the regular Wednesday night kaffeklatsch this evening in the building where I live.

Ooof, and then I’ll reply to some sadly neglected email and edit this story that’s been waiting, and do some class prep. After all — tomorrow I still need to fit in a couple of workout, right? No rest for the wicked.

3 thoughts on “Since Feb 27th

  1. I hope this is not a strange request.

    I have no plan to be in Seoul in the near future but could we meet up for a swim sometime? There aren’t that many good pools in Korea, even in Seoul (you do live in Seoul, or nearby, right?) so I sort of collect locations of good pools.

    I understand workout etiquette and would save the chat for before and after the swim.

  2. WLS,

    Thanks. Encouragement is very welcome! :)

    Kwangdongbrian,

    Well, I certainly wouldn’t call the pool I go to a good pool — in fact, after being told there isn’t another in the Yeokgok/Sosa area, I’m planning on researching pools a little East of Bucheon, to see if there’s another pool nearby that has saner hours.

    The hours are nutty, especially on weekdays — one hour in the morning, three in the afternoon, one in the evening. It’s a pain in the ass. However, if you happen to be in Bucheon (not Seoul, but only about 40 min away from Jongro 3-ga by commuter train) then you’d be welcome to join Gwen and me (and maybe Mark) for a swim. But you have to promise not to laugh at my crappy technique. :)

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