Sorting out

[liv]

I was a good girl and went for an optician's checkup today. There is nothing physically wrong with my eyes, (my prescription has changed by a quarter of a point diopter in 5 years). The optician defined the vision problems I've been experiencing sporadically as "visual migraines", and thinks they may be caused by high blood pressure. So I'm going to get that checked out tomorrow. High blood pressure is a lot less scary than some of the stuff I'd been imagining; there are well-defined things you can do about it.

Also, I have come to a decision that I do want the job I've been talking about in friends locked posts. So I have booked flights to Australia for mid November, with a stopover in Singapore so I can see SC. Many thanks to everyone who encouraged me and gave me sensible advice.

lethargic_man, you might like this silly discussion about bentsching from baraita. Anyone else who likes puns relating to bits of Jewish liturgy might also enjoy it, but I'm not sure how many of those are reading other than beckyzoole herself.

Comments

[lisekit.livejournal.com]

My mother started cooking with a product called Lo-Salt, which is some kind of low sodium salt alternative, but it tasted awful. So what they did in the end was, over the course of about a week, just gradually cut out the salt in cooking until they got used to eating none. You can get used to it pretty quickly that way, it seems.

My dad really got into his jogging, but you could try anything that raises the heartrate - swimming, or cycling, or an aerobics class with a buddy if you find having somebody else with you is motivational, or the gym if you don't fancy running around in the cold in winter!

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I used to use Lo-Salt; it tasted just like salt to me. AIUI it's potassium chloride, which chemically is very similar to sodium chloride. TBH I don't know if there's actually any medical advantage to it, given that your body spends a third of its rest energy pumping sodium ions in one direction across your cell membrane... and potassium ions in the other.

[liv]

IIRC reducing dietary sodium isn't just to save the membrane pumps energy, it has a signalling effect as well. It is obviously the case that K⁺ and Na⁺ ions are biologically distinguishable, or there wouldn't be a sodium/potassium pump in the first place!

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Actually, I can't remember what the point of the pump is. I thought it was something to do with homoiothermy, but on reflection that doesn't sound right; IIRC homoiothermy's maintained by futile cycles of biochemical activity somewhere-or-other.