working out for Disney

[StarWarsGirl]

Good evening.

I rode about 7 miles on my bike today on the trail. Might not seem like a lot but on a trail where you can't coast and you go uphill, it's a lot. My Fitbit says I burned around 500 calories.

Tomorrow we're going to an Orioles game, so I'll probably just get some steps in by walking around. Monday I'll probably restart the elliptical training. I'm sure B wants to go back to HP next week.

Speaking of which, he did well with his second shot today. He came home and napped, and he said he has a sore arm, but no major effects. My dad gets his second shot in a few weeks, and then everyone besides me will be vaccinated.

 

[Songbird76]

No, never heard of that, and I walk all the time. (Perhaps it might be some sort of fluid buildup type of thing?) Do you ever check your own blood pressure, or have you had it checked in the past year --maybe in a yearly checkup from your doctor?

But I have zero medical expertise or training, so this was just a thought only, off the top of my head -- and feel free to take it with a grain of salt, so to speak. If you have any concerns, maybe contact your doctor's office, at your convenience. Doesn't sound like anything major, but sometimes just having a physician give you an informed answer, can provide you with peace of mind.

My blood pressure has been fine. I have it checked when I go for my diabetis checks and it's been really good the last few times. I do remember when I was in my 20s, my mom was gone for a few days so I didn't have to cook for her and it was such a pain to cook for just myself, so I got some TV dinners and stuff. My fingers got all swollen and itchy, and I went to the doctor and he said it was probably the high amount of sodium in the pre-packaged foods making me retain water. Sure enough, as soon as I stopped eating that junk, the swelling went away. But this isn't the result of sodium intake. But it could still be a water retention thing, I suppose.

 

[Songbird76]

Good evening.

I rode about 7 miles on my bike today on the trail. Might not seem like a lot but on a trail where you can't coast and you go uphill, it's a lot. My Fitbit says I burned around 500 calories.

Tomorrow we're going to an Orioles game, so I'll probably just get some steps in by walking around. Monday I'll probably restart the elliptical training. I'm sure B wants to go back to HP next week.

Speaking of which, he did well with his second shot today. He came home and napped, and he said he has a sore arm, but no major effects. My dad gets his second shot in a few weeks, and then everyone besides me will be vaccinated.

Everyone BUT you will be vaccinated? Aren't you the one that everyone in your family worried about because you are higher risk? And now they all qualify before you do?

 

[Figgy1]

Good morning it cold and raining Today is yoga and enough cooking to get my steps in. I'm making baked ziti a rice and beans, a stir fry, hot and sour soup and maybe a pineapple upside down cake. One of my boys has been joking he's going through a growth spurt

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Everyone BUT you will be vaccinated? Aren't you the one that everyone in your family worried about because you are higher risk? And now they all qualify before you do?

I would have to be vaccinated at a hospital because of my risk of anaphylaxis. Right now, none of the hospitals have appointments. At this point, I'm considering just not getting vaccinated. Work said I can continue working from home, and Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia don't plan on lifting their mask ordinances, and neither does Hilton Head or Disney, so I can continue what I've been doing, and those around me are getting vaccinated.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I have a question for you seasoned folks. I've been going out and walking every day I don't have to work, and I try to walk at least 4 miles per day. I've started noticing that towards the end of my walk, my hands swell up and the base of my fingers up to the first knuckle turn pink, almost like I'm wearing pink fingerles gloves. Anyone know what could cause it and is it something I should see a doctor about?

I suffer from finger swelling during long walks. I don’t get it when running. A doctor told me it’s likely because of my hand and arm position when I walk. They are usually moving down at my sides when I walk, but up in front of me when I run. She felt it caused fluid build up and ultimately swelling in my fingers because of my walking hand position. It can sometimes be hours before the swelling goes down enough for me to get a ring on my finger.

 

[Songbird76]

I would have to be vaccinated at a hospital because of my risk of anaphylaxis. Right now, none of the hospitals have appointments. At this point, I'm considering just not getting vaccinated. Work said I can continue working from home, and Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia don't plan on lifting their mask ordinances, and neither does Hilton Head or Disney, so I can continue what I've been doing, and those around me are getting vaccinated.

Right...but what about things like trips to Hershey or Disney or wherever? Those are still risks, especially being in enclosed spaces like planes. Are they requiring any sort of proof of vaccination for travel there? They just said on the news this morning that Americans will be allowed to travel to Europe this summer, IF they are completely vaccinated. No word on whether it works the other way, so no idea if I'd be allowed to travel there, but it's a moot point now anyway...I can't plan an international trip on such short notice and I still have not heard anything about being eligible for the vaccination, so I wouldn't qualify to travel yet anyway.

 

[Songbird76]

I suffer from finger swelling during long walks. I don’t get it when running. A doctor told me it’s likely because of my hand and arm position when I walk. They are usually moving down at my sides when I walk, but up in front of me when I run. She felt it caused fluid build up and ultimately swelling in my fingers because of my walking hand position. It can sometimes be hours before the swelling goes down enough for me to get a ring on my finger.

Well that could very well be it. I do keep my hands down at my sides when I walk. Thanks for the response! I'm thinking of calling my doctor, but I feel kind of bad doing that right now when doctors are so busy and other people have much more serious issues. I don't want to take up their time for something trivial. But at the same time, if it's NOT really trivial, then I'd feel really stupid for not asking about it.

 

[Songbird76]

So I found another hidden gem in my town and it's actually really close to my house and I never knew it was there!!! My house is kind of near the outskirts of town. Just in back of my house is an area of grass where a lot of people walk their dogs, and since we don't have a dog, I've never gone there. There are also some really quiet streets with the really big, nice houses. My doctor used to have his office in one of the houses there...not sure he lives in that house or not, but the the practice moved to a new building years ago. Anyway, those streets are all just big circles with a few houses on them and they are kind of isolated little streets off the main path. In between these streets are wooded areas with hiking paths. I had no idea they were there. So I took my camera out yesterday to try to figure out how to use the Aperature, Shutter Speed, and ISO settings. I asked @fractal for some advice to pick out the camera, and asked him what settings he used on some recent photos he posted so I could try to learn what to do. I didn't do too well, but I came home and googled some information and found a begginers guide that explained what each of the settings does and how to manipulate them to get the kind of photo you want, so I will go out and practice again tomorrow. But here are a few of the pictures from yesterday's 5 mile hike BEFORE I had a clue.



I want to go back and find some of the same things and experiement with the settings, like maybe start with one one of the aperature setting and take several pictures in sequence, changing the setting each time toward the other end of the spectrum to see what it does, just to get a feel of what works best. And eventually, I want to work on portraits, and have E model for me so I can learn to do those. I want to be able to take pictures of wildlife in Yellowstone, and of character meet and greets in Disney, etc...so I really want to learn to get a good shot! I am going to practice a lot. But at least I have some interesting subjects for practice.

 

[MinnieM123]

Well that could very well be it. I do keep my hands down at my sides when I walk. Thanks for the response! I'm thinking of calling my doctor, but I feel kind of bad doing that right now when doctors are so busy and other people have much more serious issues. I don't want to take up their time for something trivial. But at the same time, if it's NOT really trivial, then I'd feel really stupid for not asking about it.

Anything that bothers a patient is not trivial, so no need for the hesitation. Also, here, during the height of the restrictions last year, many family doctors assisted patients via Zoom, or telephone calls. So even if the medical people are busy, they still could maintain many office visits that way, as not every patient actually needed to be seen in person at the doctor's office. So if you call your doctor's office, they could tell you how they'd prefer you to proceed -- either via computer or phone, or to schedule an in-person visit.

 

[Songbird76]

Anything that bothers a patient is not trivial, so no need for the hesitation. Also, here, during the height of the restrictions last year, many family doctors assisted patients via Zoom, or telephone calls. So even if the medical people are busy, they still could maintain many office visits that way, as not every patient actually needed to be seen in person at the doctor's office. So if you call your doctor's office, they could tell you how they'd prefer you to proceed -- either via computer or phone, or to schedule an in-person visit.

Oh, calling and asking how they'd prefer you to proceed has been standard operating procedure for decades. You can't just call in and make an appointment. You call, tell them what your problem is, and they will decide whether or not you can come in. When A was 3 weeks old, he developed a cough and was having trouble nursing because of it. E was a year and a half old at that point and was coughing as well. With a brand new baby, we were visiting my in-laws a lot, and since he was born in December, it was also the Christmas season, AND we have a lot of December birthdays in the family, so we had spent a LOT of time with family. Then we found out that one of the aunts had whooping cough and had been at my in-laws' house visiting and my MIL had been coughing and couldn't kick it. So when A started coughing and had a fever of like 104, we called the doctor and explained that this aunt had whooping cough and my MIL had been tested and her test was "inconclusive" but that she had spent time with the aunt who was positive, and that we had spent a lot of time with my MIL as well. They wouldn't even let us bring him in and wouldn't give us antibiotics. My nephew's doctor gave him antibiotics without even testing him, just to be on the safe side. Our doctor said they were too busy and didn't have any appointments, but kids often develop high fevers, so no, we couldn't bring him in. I was so mad. He was only 3 weeks old and hadn't been vaccinated yet, and newborns who get whooping cough often need to be hospitalized. We waited until the evening and called urgent care....they told us basically the same thing, nope, they didn't need to see him. He wasn't around the aunt, so he was probably fine. They didn't care that his fever was high, that he couldn't nurse, or that my MIL possibly had it. Unless it was a confirmed case, they didn't need to see us. But that's another reason I hesitate to call...for something minor like this, it's likely that they won't do anything about it anyway.

 

[fractal]

So I found another hidden gem in my town and it's actually really close to my house and I never knew it was there!!! My house is kind of near the outskirts of town. Just in back of my house is an area of grass where a lot of people walk their dogs, and since we don't have a dog, I've never gone there. There are also some really quiet streets with the really big, nice houses. My doctor used to have his office in one of the houses there...not sure he lives in that house or not, but the the practice moved to a new building years ago. Anyway, those streets are all just big circles with a few houses on them and they are kind of isolated little streets off the main path. In between these streets are wooded areas with hiking paths. I had no idea they were there. So I took my camera out yesterday to try to figure out how to use the Aperature, Shutter Speed, and ISO settings. I asked @fractal for some advice to pick out the camera, and asked him what settings he used on some recent photos he posted so I could try to learn what to do. I didn't do too well, but I came home and googled some information and found a begginers guide that explained what each of the settings does and how to manipulate them to get the kind of photo you want, so I will go out and practice again tomorrow. But here are a few of the pictures from yesterday's 5 mile hike BEFORE I had a clue.

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I want to go back and find some of the same things and experiement with the settings, like maybe start with one one of the aperature setting and take several pictures in sequence, changing the setting each time toward the other end of the spectrum to see what it does, just to get a feel of what works best. And eventually, I want to work on portraits, and have E model for me so I can learn to do those. I want to be able to take pictures of wildlife in Yellowstone, and of character meet and greets in Disney, etc...so I really want to learn to get a good shot! I am going to practice a lot. But at least I have some interesting subjects for practice.

Those are nice shots! I used a similar approach to learn photography; putting the camera in Manual mode and experimenting. You begin to get an intuitive feel for how changing one setting will effect your exposure and adjust your other settings. If you want to shoot something at f/1.8 on a sunny day, you know that your shutter speed is going to have to be fast and your ISO low. The great thing about digital photography is you don't have to worry about the cost of buying and developing film. Just keep shooting!

In 2011 I took my new camera and hobby to WDW and shot 80% manual and got a few good pics, maybe one great photo and hundreds of terrible to bad photos, but I learned a lot about exposure on that trip.

Let me know if I can be of any further help - you are just starting on a very steep learning curve - excited for you!

Here's a book that helped me when I first started...

Amazon product ASIN 1607748509
and a decent website to peruse...

https://digital-photography-school.com/

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Right...but what about things like trips to Hershey or Disney or wherever? Those are still risks, especially being in enclosed spaces like planes. Are they requiring any sort of proof of vaccination for travel there?

Well, in order to get the vaccination, I'd have to get it at a hospital. I went on two different hospital's waiting lists over a month ago and haven't heard back. I can't go to my doctor's office or a mass vaccination site because of the risk of anaphylaxis. And then I would have to wait 45 minutes at a hospital before leaving. But I'm not even sure I'd want to do that because the last time I had a vaccine other than a flu shot, I reacted several hours later. Thankfully, I just stabbed myself with an epi pen and calmed the reaction, but there's always the risk that an anaphylactic reaction could kill you.

As for the trips around, no vaccination cards are not required; just masks and temperature checks. HP is outdoors; we don't even eat inside unless it's raining (PA is still at 50% indoor dining capacity, though). They have two rides that are inside, but the queue lines are outside. WDW is also really safe. As long as the mask requirements and temperature checks are in place, I feel fine about it.

I actually haven't been sick in over a year. Not a cold, nothing. Ironic that the year of the pandemic has been my healthiest year ever.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Well that could very well be it. I do keep my hands down at my sides when I walk. Thanks for the response! I'm thinking of calling my doctor, but I feel kind of bad doing that right now when doctors are so busy and other people have much more serious issues. I don't want to take up their time for something trivial. But at the same time, if it's NOT really trivial, then I'd feel really stupid for not asking about it.

I guess it's your call if you want to involve a doctor. I found a few articles on it...

Why Hands and Fingers Swell When You Exercise

Do you notice your hands swell when walking or doing other exercises? This condition may be caused by arm motion, metabolic changes, or hot weather.

www.verywellfit.com

Here’s Why Your Hands Swell While Running or Walking and How to Address It

We asked a medical doctor about this common hot-weather problem.

www.runnersworld.com

The Link Between Swollen Hands and Exercise | Livestrong.com

If your hands swell after walking or other exercise, that's usually not a problem. But if you experience painful swelling, arthritis might be to blame.

www.livestrong.com

There's more out there...but this is a start. I've had this much of my adult life. I just make sure to never walk or run in rings and give myself lots of time afterwards for the swelling to go down.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Whelp, did an hour on my elliptical. This matches my record. Movement may be optional for the rest of today. I have no idea how I hit 184 with my heart rate.

 

[Songbird76]

Those are nice shots! I used a similar approach to learn photography; putting the camera in Manual mode and experimenting. You begin to get an intuitive feel for how changing one setting will effect your exposure and adjust your other settings. If you want to shoot something at f/1.8 on a sunny day, you know that your shutter speed is going to have to be fast and your ISO low. The great thing about digital photography is you don't have to worry about the cost of buying and developing film. Just keep shooting!

In 2011 I took my new camera and hobby to WDW and shot 80% manual and got a few good pics, maybe one great photo and hundreds of terrible to bad photos, but I learned a lot about exposure on that trip.

Let me know if I can be of any further help - you are just starting on a very steep learning curve - excited for you!

Here's a book that helped me when I first started...

Amazon product ASIN 1607748509
and a decent website to peruse...

https://digital-photography-school.com/

Thank you so much!! I'm really having fun with it, but there IS a very steep learning curve. I think that's the most important thing....just taking LOTS of pictures and see what works and what doesn't. I got some decent sunset shots tonight, but the pictures of the ducks didn't want to come out right. Those were the only ones where I controlled both the Aperature and the shutter speed. I left the shutter speed and ISO on auto for the others, so I guess I need to practice shutter speed a lot.

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I was trying to get the sun between the trees, which I did, but everything else looks washed out....I don't know how to get the really rich colors, but still get the rays of the sun. The other ones I took, the sun didn't have the visible rays.


This was the best of the duck pictures. It's not bad, but it could be better. The other ones were more grainy....not sure what I did wrong.


For some reason all the sunset pictures looked alike, no matter which aperature setting I used. But I had shutter speed and ISO on auto, so apparently that's where I need to change settings to see a difference?


This is the only clear shot I could get of the moon, and I had the aperature set to....2.8 I think? But I think it had more to do with me holding the camera steady while I was zoomed in....I think I need a tripod for this sort of shot.



I guess I'll go out and practice shutter speed tomorrow and see what I get. Thank you so much for the tips, @fractal ! You've helped so much already!

 

[Figgy1]

I love being up when nobody else is I got my steps in cut out shorts and a tank top and am heading off to get in a practice

 

[Figgy1]

@Songbird76 did you ever figure out the cause of the swelling. Hopefully it has stopped

 

[Songbird76]

@Songbird76 did you ever figure out the cause of the swelling. Hopefully it has stopped

No, but I took a water bottle with me the other day and noticed I didn't swell as much. And I don't think I swell up when I walk at work, and I drink water throughout the evening there, so it might be that. For now, I'm just keeping an eye on it and trying different things to see if it helps.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

No, but I took a water bottle with me the other day and noticed I didn't swell as much. And I don't think I swell up when I walk at work, and I drink water throughout the evening there, so it might be that. For now, I'm just keeping an eye on it and trying different things to see if it helps.

I don't know what your temps are like right now, but mine is always worse in warmer weather conditions.