Experiment

As ridiculous as this topic may be, a “test” of the Vienna Sausage was deliberately performed on Tuesday evening as an experiment to observe whether the latter would trigger an SVT or other cardiac event. The skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats were occurring about twice per minute prior to the “test.” What happened next is quite astonishing. Heartbeats returned to the normal sinus rhythm and remained so until the next morning.

After the usual breakfast at the fast food joint in town, the skipped (delayed) heartbeats returned. Consuming food apparently increases the heart’s workload and triggered the palpitations (misfirings of the heart’s electrical pathways). Another EKG was taken with the Watch Series 9 a while later. The readout indicated that there was no delayed or skipped heartbeat. Rather, the culprit was an odd heartbeat with a tall notched T-wave, but with no delay.

A successful “test” of the Vienna Sausage would release the following into the bloodstream:

• Dopamine
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin
• Endorphins
• Prolactin
• Endocannabinoids
• Norepinephrine
• Adrenaline

One or a combination of these substances has the ability to temporarily provide a correction for the palpitations. Suppressing the palpitations would most likely circumvent the triggering of an SVT event. Of course, poor quality of sleep is most likely the primary cause.

Although not truly scientific, the experiment was repeated on Wednesday evening. Heartbeats returned to sinus rhythm with no anomalies. Only about five heart palpitations were detected between then and Thursday evening. Sleep quality was a little better than usual. The gym workout went smoothly. The cardio session was increased slightly in intensity.

The experiment was repeated again on Thursday evening even though no heart palpitations were detected prior. The result? No heart palpitations were detected through the night. Two small HRV spikes occurred overnight, so there may have been a few anomalies. Sleep quality remained unchanged. There was a two-second SVT event during the weight workout at the gym. Then, heartbeats returned to normal. The cardio workout, albeit still reduced in intensity, was devoid of any incidents. What can be made of this?

Another noteworthy observation is the daily prevalence of high anxiety almost the entirety of waking hours (except during gym workouts). The feeling can be likened to a prolonged squeamish feeling in the gut. The elevated anxiety is the most probable cause of sleep deprivation. Of interest, melatonin is one OTC products that can supposedly reduce anxiety.

On a side note, the appointment for the annual physical examination at the Ohua Clinic was mysteriously rescheduled to January 6th of next year. An attempt may be made to change the appointment to an earlier date. Or, perhaps the time has come to find another healthcare provider.

Addendum: The skipped (delayed heartbeats commenced after the shower at the gym and occurring about one every few minutes. Still far better than before the experiment.

Miscellany: Over 30 days have elapsed since the introduction of the Watch Series 9 hypertension notifications feature. The device has been collecting data continuously, but no notifications have appeared even after the 30-day normalization and analysis period.

Gym 2025

Ol’ Lavahead at the Gym (2022)

The tapering of the gym workout commenced on Monday with much consternation. The weight workouts are being adjusted by dropping the maximum weight for each exercise by one notch and (optional) reducing sets at the new maximum by one.

The cardio workout on the elliptical machine was modified as well. The incline is now set at 16 instead of 20 with the resistance reduced to one (from eight). Frankly, the latter modification is no longer reaping any cardiovascular benefits. However, the new settings are unlikely to trigger an SVT event.

The photograph (above) is still applicable at this point in time. There have no external physiological changes since the 2022 year. The haircut is the same, too. Sheesh!

There was a minor bout with food poisoning early Monday morning. The symptoms appeared at 1am, which comprised of abdominal pain. The culprit remains a mystery. The only fresh food consumed included a salad and half of a papaya (procured at the ABC Store). Regardless, sleep was probably limited to a couple of hours and of poor quality. The Watch Series 9 recorded 6.25 hours of sleep, which is definitely doubtful.

EKG of Heart Palpitation (Left)

Sleep deprivation increases the amount and duration of skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats. The palpitations continued all day and into the evening. An EKG was taken and the suspect heartbeat was isolated in the readout (above). What appears to be two T-waves is actually a single tall notched one. The duration until the next heartbeat is long. A heartbeat with a normal T-wave follows. The EKG will be presented to the attending physician at the Ohua Clinic during the annual medical examination scheduled on November 3rd.

The causes for heart palpitations and SVT events are numerous. Sleep deprivation, dehydration, electrolytes imbalance, over-exercise, consuming large meals, diabetes, caffeine, anxiety, stress, heart disease, old age, and so on. The old codger can “tick many of the boxes.” So, a combination is most probable.

As predicted in Notes, the physical body can be maintained during the geriatric years. However, the body will eventually accelerate degeneration on its own accord. Technically, that signals the end of the “good years.” That time is here.

Revision: Workouts at the gym will be discretionary and vary depending on “good” or “bad” days. On “bad” days, the entire workout could be scrubbed.

Addendum: The melatonin countermeasure for insomnia has not been deployed yet. No schedule has been set as of this date..

Miscellany: The Sleep and Chill ambient music controls were added to the Control Panel of the iPhone 16 Pro. There are about four playlists for each genre. It worked the first time. After that, no music and the iPhone became extremely hot. Piece of shit. Back to House Music.

Postscript: Another coffee mug was received from the ABC Store upon submitting $100 of receipts (over a 14-day period) for the gift promotion. This mug will not be given away like the last three. It’s safe for microwave ovens.

8 K’an 2 Sak’

Another day, another brush with death. The latest SVT event occurred on Saturday at the gym. Five minutes into the cardio workout, atrial fibrillation commenced. The duration was four hours, long after the quick return to the “old folks home” in Waikiki. The laundry chores had to performed under the duress of constant heart palpitations. The peak heart rate was 143bpm, and the duration was four hours. A new twist came in form of a brief moment when the heart rate fell to 43bpm.

Oddly, the Watch Series 9 recorded sleep the night before at over seven hours, the first ever in a long time. If that is the case, then sleep deprivation is not the cause. Could the workouts at the gym be just too much for the 70-year-old codger?

There are very few age peers who workout at the gym, whereas most of the other “garden variety” senior citizens are really not doing much of anything. The personal workout has essentially been the same since the minor downgrade about 15 years ago or so. Thus, the weight workouts have multiple sets and high maximum weights. The cardio workout was downgraded to only 30 minutes, but still strenuous. The other age peers are doing much lighter maximum weights, and cardio is restricted to walking on the treadmill or using the recumbent bicycles. The old codger is the only one who is doing workouts that even many younger gym members cannot (or will not) perform. That’s the reason why the old codger doesn’t look like his age peers.

Searching the Net for information about workouts for senior citizens 70 years of age and up reveals that the age peers are following the correct workout protocol. Thus, the time has come to begin tapering (i.e., “throw in the towel”) the current workouts. Quite disappointing, actually. The initial plan was to maintain the regimen for at least another four years. The body obviously has other plans.

On a side notes, a bottle of generic melatonin tablets was reluctantly procured at Target®. The trial run has not yet been scheduled. There are some reported side effects like bizarre dreams resulting from melatonin. Bizarre dreams are already occurring. Will they become even more bizarre?

The “night shift” function on the iPhone 16 Pro has been re-enabled to shift the display toward the red spectrum after 9pm. The “warmer” display setting supposedly reduces blue light exposure and improve sleep quality. The feature was previously disabled because studies indicated that sleep quality didn’t improve much when enabled. Well, at this point in time, every little bit helps.

Towel

The time has come to “throw in the towel.” Another SVT even occurred on Thursday about halfway through the cardio workout at the gym. The emergency cooldown protocol was invoked, but to no avail. The SVT event was five hours in length, ending at 6pm during the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace. Peak heart rate was 153bpm (recorded by the Watch Series 9). No other details necessary.

The SVT events are not temporary. There appears to be a heart malfunction which is resulting in atrial fibrillation. Skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats are also regularly observed. A return to the cardiologist will involve more tests and the dispensing of beta blocker and anticoagulant medication. There are various contraindications associated with both types of medications. And, once put on the medicinal regime, the duration is lifetime.

SVT events occurring a few years down the line are likely to result in a “keel over” event. The heart and the aging body will not be able survive such a traumatic cardiac event. A stroke or heart attack is highly probable in any case. Sleep deprivation is still the most likely culprit. The Watch has logged sleep for several days, none of which even came close to seven hours. There are always several awakenings. From what can be ascertained, there are a series of bizarre dreams during sleep. The nature of the dreams cause the awakenings. The Watch has recorded the heart rate, ranging from 49bpm to 78bpm during sleep. The dreams have triggered the higher heart rates. Clearly, some kind of tranquilizer is required as a countermeasure.

The attempt to reduce saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and starchy carbohydrates continues with great difficulty. Saturated fat, sodium and sugar is very difficult to avoid with externally prepared food (read: frozen meals, even so-called “healthy” ones). Starchy carbohydrates (rice, bread, potatoes) can be effectively reduced. However, weight loss is quite dramatic. Three pounds can be shedded in less than a week, a very alarming situation when already at the optimal weight.

Apples (all varieties) are no longer purchased for lunch. The quality of the apples has been extremely shitty. The inside is soft and mushy. So, bananas are now the only fresh fruit consumed. Raisins are also a diet staple. Junkless® granola bars are supplementing the lunch for now. The return to the venerable Clif® Bars is likely, even though the price has gone up. Subway® and Starbucks® have effectively been phased out. And, no return to Panda Express® has yet been planned.

Well, the time is ripe to also “throw in the towel” on the new cost-cutting measures. Of course, efforts will be made to reduce expenditures on crappy food and useless “junk.” However, if something must be procured, there will be no restrictions imposed on such acquisitions. All personal assets must be depleted before death, which could happen anytime now.

Addendum: Lavender aromatherapy and melatonin tablets are being investigated as possible mitigations for insomnia.

Miscellany: Vision remains stable with a slight degradation in the right eye, according to the optician. The appointment was on Monday morning.

Fuck It Friday - 33

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! Once again, FUBAR is the primary focus of this edition. Yes, this is Fuck It Friday!

The time has come to officially recognize the end of the “good years.” The on-going and new health issues indicate that decrepitude is accelerating (read: FUBAR). The physique is surprisingly holding up with no change in external aesthetics in decades. Of course, internally is where changes for the worst are taking place. Fuck it!

Skipped (actually delayed) heartbeats are now a regular occurrence. The physiological cause is similar to an SVT event except it only affects one heartbeat. The actual trigger is unknown. Consuming a bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte seems to temporarily abate the symptoms. Could vitamin and mineral deficiency be the cause? In any case, the likelihood of a real cardiac event occurring soon is high. Fuck it!

The plan to reduce monthly expenditures has yet to be properly invoked. The possibility of a “keel over” event in the near future certainly negates any need to cut personal expenses. Yeah, death is a real “game changer.” Fuck it!

The new Vans® shoes have finally replaced the worn out Mau’i & Sons® shoes (for gym use only). The Vans® shoes were purchased many moons ago while Ross was still in town. Yeah, ridiculous. The same goes for all the consumables stored in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. “Stuff” needs to be used or consumed. Fuck it!

World events have been FUBAR as of late, eh? The situation in empire is even worse, what with the government shutdown and all. Keeping current with the news has been quite a task. All of the approved sources are perused a few times daily. There has been no desire to add personal commentary in Notes about the latter. Interested parties should review all of the approved Web sites listed in Notes. Otherwise, fuck it!

Anatomy of Insomnia 2025

Sleep deprivation continues to plague the old codger. The target bedtime is set to 11:10pm. The target duration is set to 8 hours. The Watch Series 9 then tracks four out of five parameters to derive the sleep score. Wrist temperature is not included because the Sleep Focus feature is not activated.

As usual, the intent to sleep well applied to last night. Bedtime occurred at 11:05pm. Sometime around 1am, a major bout with post-nasal drip transpired for no apparent reason and continued until 4pm. At 4:30am, the fat ugly ho’ took her mangy mutt out for a walk. The ho’ walks very slow for obvious reasons, so it takes the obese slob nearly four minutes to traverse the length of the parking lot at the “old folks home in Waikiki. The mangy mutt was barking and squealing all the way. At 6am, the sound of the reverse alarm beeping of an unidentified truck broke the silence. At 6:30am, the attempt to sleep was aborted.

The need to “drain the lizard” resulted in eight interruptions. The average amount of time between each “drain the lizard” session was 42 minutes. The cause and frequency seems to be food-related. However, identifying the culprit has been elusive.

So far, the dinner fare has only included salads, frozen “healthy” meals, or a combination of both. Evening snacks are selected from whatever is available, which includes roasted nuts, raisins, Chobani® Greek yogurt, Orowheat® cinnamon raisin English muffins, and Thomas’® cinnamon raisin bagels.

All daily activities have been affected by sleep deprivation including the composition of new posts to Notes. The daily gym workouts are now temporarily modified “on the fly” to compensate for fatigue and to prevent triggering an SVT event. All in all, continued sleep deprivation will likely result in a “keel over” event occurring with a short time frame. A modification of all current policies is imminent.

Addendum: The Chobani Greek yogurt is now suspect. It has not been consumed as an evening snack for a while (until last night). The sugar content is high. Lactose intolerance is also highly probable.

SVT & Shit

The Watch Series 9 is now over 1.5 years in possession. So, the new Sport Loop that was purchased over a year ago has replaced the original. The Watch has served its owner quite well.

The blood-oxygen monitoring and sleep tracking functions were re-enabled a few days ago. Sleep tracking appears to be much more accurate. A new algorithm, you think? In any case, there’s a new Sleep Score function, too. The latest assessment was 70 (out of 100). Sleep deprivation is definitely an issue, eh? Blood-oxygen readings have a wider spread than a year ago, which is not good.

Another SVT event occurred on Thursday upon return from town to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. The palpitations commenced with no apparent trigger. Dehydration was ruled out, as a bottle of water (11 fluid ounces) was consumed during the ride on the bus. The SVT event continued throughout the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace and subsequent return to the mausoleum. The need to “drain the lizard” every ten minutes (an SVT complication) was annoying. A bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte sport drink was procured at Target® to prevent dehydration.

The SVT event ended spontaneously after 3 hours and 45 minutes. The peak heart rate, as recorded by the Watch, was 130bpm. An EKG was taken for the record. This latest incident now rules out dehydration as a cause. The main culprit is insomnia. Of course, heart disease cannot be ruled out.

As for the diet, dinners now consist of salads (mostly from the ABC Store) and Healthy Choice frozen dinners. The current plan is to limit or eliminate breakfast at the fast food joint in town. The Egg McMuffins are probably the “healthiest” selection on the entire menu, but that’s not saying much. An alternative breakfast is being devised.

The Cuisinart® microwave oven is really nice. It’s actually overkill for personal needs. Oddly, no nearby retail outlet stocks any microwave cookware. Specifically, a container made for soup is being sought, but to no avail. A stand or cart for the appliance would be nice, but nothing is available at any local Target® store (in order to obtain free delivery).

The Target® Circle 360® membership has been excellent, primarily for the free delivery. First of all, it was free (as opposed to $100 per year). An additional $5 reward was accrued by making the first delivery order. Then, there are monthly “freebies.” Last month, there was a $10 reward toward purchase of food products. This month, a big-ass container of mixed nuts ($18 retail) was the chosen reward.

Addendum: The Contigo® stainless steel water bottle has only been deployed a few times. Unfortunately, it adds too much weight to the gym bag. The small disposable plastic bottle works fine for now.

Miscellany: A couple incidents involving a 74-year-old fat slob gym member resulted in minor altercations, although the slob appears to want to engage in violence. The incidents were reported to the gym management in order to reduce personal liability in case self-defense requires a homicidal solution. Details may or may not be forthcoming in Notes.

Postscript: Heart disease is most likely the cause of the SVT events. High cholesterol and hypertension have been diagnosed earlier. Perhaps, diabetes has silently entered the fray. Long story short, death may be much closer than previously thought. That presumption will be a real “game changer.”