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A Convincing Belief That Figi Water Helps My Knee Pain

A Convincing Belief That Figi Water Helps My Knee Pain

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About six months ago, I went to my Kaiser doctor complaining of knee pain. My doctor took X-Rays and found mild arthritis.  She prescribed a cream Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel.  You squeeze this like toothpaste on to a plastic scale to help measure the correct dose.  I spread it upon my knees and it was a near perfect solution.  I was amazed that a product applied to the skin could provide such relief.

Totally unrelated in any way to the knee problem was my quest to find a better bottled water.  I did the usual Internet search and a number of web sites offered suggestions.  What convinced me to try Figi water was an Internet story about how NBA players really needed this water because they felt their basketball playing was improved.

The Bottled Water Obsession Taking over NBA Locker Rooms

How can water improve your athletic skills, I asked myself.  Well, I tried it out.  I could not detect any different flavor from the cheaper bottled water I was buying in the super market.

But, over a rather short time, a few weeks maybe, I found that my knees were feeling better, less pain.  Could this be the Fiji water?  I looked at the label and it showed the following:

  • Silica 93mg/L
  • Calcium 18mg/L
  • Magnesium 15mg/L
  • pH  7.7

My Internet research findings really supports the importance of taking silica, calcium and magnesium!  I recommend that you take the time and look for the health benefits of each.  I found the results to be astonishing.

Experiment followed:  I decided to stop applying the diclofenac sodium gel when I looked at it’s side effects.  Since stopping applying the gel, I have not noticed any knee pain increase.  In fact, my knees feel pretty darn normal except I can not put my knees to the ground and then try to stand up without some pain and struggle.

Let me warn you that this water is typically more expensive.  I go to COSTCO to get it cheaper.  I recommend that you shop around for the best price.  There are different water bottle sizes.  I love using the 500 ml because this size bottle fits into our car door side pockets.  This size is also perfect for  taking to the gym.

Dilemma:

#1:  Prior to my discovery of Figi water I was prescribed with diclofenac sodium gel for my knee arthritis problem.  Here are the side effects:

“Stop using diclofenac and seek emergency medical attention if you have signs of a heart attack or stroke: chest pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, feeling short of breath.”

Also call your doctor at once if you have:

  • the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild;
  • swelling, rapid weight gain;
  • severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears;
  • little or no urination;
  • liver problems–nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain (upper right side), tiredness, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
  • low red blood cells (anemia)—pale skin, unusual tiredness, feeling light-headed or short of breath, cold hands and feet; or
  • signs of stomach bleeding–bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

Common side effects may include:

  • heartburn, gas, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting;
  • diarrhea, constipation;
  • headache, dizziness, drowsiness;
  • stuffy nose;
  • itching, increased sweating;
  • increased blood pressure; or
  • skin redness, itching, dryness, scaling, or peeling where the medicine was applied.

Source: https://www.rxlist.com/voltaren-gel-drug/patient-images-side-effects.htm

I have quit applying diclofenac sodium gel to my knees since using Fiji water.

#2  After, I discovered Figi water, I made the mistake of trying to improve my knee conditions prior to a trip to Alaska.  I was given Kenalog-40 by orthopedic surgery at Kaiser.

Side effects of Kenalog-40 include:

        • allergic reactions,
        • sleep problems (insomnia),
        • mood swings,
        • headache,
        • euphoria,
        • spinning sensation (vertigo),
        • dizziness,
        • nausea,
        • bloating,
        • appetite changes,
        • stomach or side pain,
        • stomach upset,
        • acne,
        • scaling or other skin changes,
        • a wound that is slow to heal,
        • thinning hair,
        • bruising or swelling,
        • sweating more than usual,
        • irregular menstrual periods,
        • redness or pain at the injection site, or
        • weight gain.

Source: https://www.rxlist.com/kenalog-40-side-effects-drug-center.htm#overview

My dilemma is that Figi water comes with health enhancements while the pharmacy solutions come with pure scary warnings  that might make one’s health condition worse (see lists above).

Update for using Kenalog-40:  I go to a gym every day and I can only do 100 lbs on a leg press.  The day after receiving Kenalog-4o I was able to go up to 130 lbs with almost no knee pain and 140 lbs the second day!  A down side with Kenalog-40 is uncontrolled  hiccups which lasted two days.  It is not common to have hiccups.  It started just after the injection.

Disclaimer:  The above health situation is singular, in that the test was not scientific.  There was no control group and only one sample, me.  I share this story because it just might help some one else.  Each person is different and your experience might not be the same as mine with this product.  The cost, to see if this works for you, is the cost of buying a pretty good water.  The cost of this water should be higher than the pharmacy approach.

By the way,  I found out that my Kaiser Orthopedic surgery doctor only buys Figi water.  He does not recognize any connection between drinking Figi water and improved health.

I have absolutely no connection to any product listed in this blog piece.  I get no benefit, in any way, from this recommendation except the satisfaction that I just might be successful in helping someone else.

 

Posted April 25, 2019
Revised April 26, 2019
Revised April 28, 2019
LG V30 Cell Phone Does Work With Fitbit Ionic

LG V30 Cell Phone Does Work With Fitbit Ionic

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LG V30 Cell Phone Does Work With Fitbit Ionic

I had a Fitbit Blaze and was really disappointed using it with my LG V30 cell phone. I did research and found some people claiming the Ionic would properly marry with my phone.   I found a good price in a local store and purchased it.  I have since found the Ionic to be pretty good marriage to my LG V30 phone.

Ionic wrist strap: Odd concept and a bit hard to attach. I personally do not like it. I found that the wrist band needs to be very tight to get best heart rate readings.
Link to phone: Good. Way better than the Blaze.  But, my wife and I went to Alaska where there was no WiFi.  We were in a location where the time change was one hour and the Ionic would not sync with the phone as to time for the whole trip.  I find it incompetent that the Ionic needs WiFi to sync and can not rely on Bluetooth.
Messages between phone and Ionic: Acceptable
Fitbit Cell Phone Application: Very good. (See below)
Global Position System (GPS):  Yes

Ionic Applications:

I did remove all the paid to use Ionic applications. I am nearly totally against paying monthly fees when not a necessity. I make it a habit to check my monthly credit card payments to see if there is any charge that I do not recognize. This is how I discovered money being sucked out of my bank account.  It is really easy to remove or add applications when using the cell phone Fitbit software.

Time: Accurate.
BPM or heart rate beats per minute: Way better than the Blaze but far from being accurate most of the time. The user understands that the unit not tight to the skin can make for a bad reading. For me, this feature is useless.  It is almost always in error.
Steps: I can only guess it to be somewhat accurate.  When I get to the steps I set for the day, 10,000, the Ionic gives you a short fire works award display and it vibrates.
Calories: I have no idea how the Ionic comes up with this calculation. On the cell phone, you need to input what you eat using the cell phone application and then the cell phone unit does the math to deduct your exercise to come up with your calorie total.
Timer: Very good. Stopwatch and countdown included.
Alarms: Very good.
Tips: Not impressed.
Wallet: No verdict as I have not used this feature.
Relax: Never used this.?Exercise: Very good. You need to go to your Fitbit application on your phone and look for “Exercise Shortcuts” when viewing the Ionic sub menu. You can choose up to 7 items out of 9. You slide the one’s you like the most up to the top by placing your finger on the short 4 horizontal lines just to the left of the exercise.
Coach: Not impressed. I do not use it.
Settings: Includes some simple settings for you to consider and set.
Vibration: This occurs for alarms, rewards, notifications, etc.  Very good.
Display:  I found this display to be clear, sharp and detailed.  Very good.
Mileage: This pops up when you choose to walk or hike from the Exercise option. No way so far to determine how accurate it is but I just love to see how many miles I walk or hike.

Here are the free Ionic applications I have added:

News: Fair. Not as elegant at the NY Times
NY Times: Very good.
Weather: Pretty darn good. You can also add more than one weather reporting location for a total of 3.
Stocks:  Good for stocks that it offers but it does not track all stocks.
Torch: In case I need a flashlight the Ionic screen turn white and bright.
Med ID: A very nice simple application to show emergency responders some of your important medical information.  The problem for me is all the data disappeared from the Ionic.  My cell phone shows all the correct data but none of it transferred to the Ionic for some reason.  I sent the developer an e-mail concern and here is his reply (December 25, 2019):

“The data missing from your phone was not your fault. With fitbit’s new release of their 4.0 operating system I needed to change the way that the data is transferred between the mobile device and the watch to accommodate the new Versa 2. Unfortunately that means the data needs to be re-entered. I apologize for any convenience that causes and I didn’t try to work around that issue but there was no way to avoid it.
I’m including a link below to my support page with detailed instructions on how to make sure that your data gets saved back to your watch.
Jason Olsen”

Wiki Places: Shows local places to consider visiting.
JayPS Maps: I can not use this application when I walk because I always run Exercise > Walk or Exercise > Hike. The Ionic is not able to run two applications at the same time so this application has never been used.  I am keeping this application as a backup to help me find my location in Alaska.

TIP: when looking at the clock face, use your finger and swipe downward and you should see news and notifications.  It took me quite some time to discover this.

NOTE: I gave my Fitbit Blaze to a friend who has a Apple cell phone and it works perfectly with that phone.

Disappointments:

  • When I set my Ionic to track my walk or hike, the unit seems incapable to multitask.  I can not see my messages or any other application.  Only one application at a time seems the rule.
  • A friend of mine, sent me a image with text message.  The text went to the Ionic.  The image did not and I do not expect it to. But, I think the image locked the text message into my Ionic so I could not get rid of the message.  I tried everything.  Nothing worked to erase the text message.  Finally, I had to press the left side button switch and the bottom right side button for a very long time to initiate a device reset.  The reset did erase the message.

Summary:  I have slowly warmed up to this device partly because it has taken me a lot of time to explore it’s many capabilities.  I have slowly grown to appreciate this Ionic and the cell phone Fitbit application because the marriage between the two really expands beyond them rated and used separately .

 

Posted April 18, 2019
Updated: December 27, 2019
Physical Fitness Toilet Lesson

Physical Fitness Toilet Lesson

I made the mistake of telling the gym trainer guru, Hans Hoeller, that I had dropped my leg press weights down to 130 pounds.  He asked me how much I weigh and I told him 165 pounds.  He then told me that my legs probably weigh 10 pounds each, below the knee,
which left 125 pounds for me to lift my body off a toilet.  I got the message.  I am now doing 150 pound leg press with 10 reps followed by 190 pound leg press with 10 reps and finishing with 200 pound leg press weights with 10 reps.  Because I am working to improve my fast twitch muscles, I wait about 1 to 2 minutes between sets.  I had no clue that there were fast and slow twitch muscle fibers until I learned this from Hans.

 

 

Updated: September 26, 2020

How To Experience A More Relaxed Workout In Trekking Class

How To Experience A More Relaxed Workout In Trekking Class

I am over 70 years of age and have a rare form of blood disease that is not curable and I sometimes don’t have a lot of energy.  I must work out every day as a personal ideal but I do like to throttle back my exercise depending upon how I feel.  The problem taking a fitness club trekking class is the instructor takes a look at you and seems to make a snap judgement as to what level you can perform in their class.   Thus, there is this constant battle of my trying to arrange my own workout intensity against the perceived wishes of the trainer.   Over the years I have devised a list my own rather devious methods for managing my trainer and my workout.

  • Join a class. Do not receive individual instruction.  In a class, you can better hide from the trainer and do what you want for speed and incline.
  • Always show up late so you can take a spot away from the trainer.  You really want to be to the far right or left side of a trainer that faces the treadmills.  The most deadly spot is taking a treadmill right in front of the trainer.  Showing up late also shaves off total class time.
  • Tell the instructor you need to warm up, thus you can typically use much lower settings of incline and speed for a while.  Almost all trainers understand that a person arriving late must warm up.
  • Keep doing your warm up until the instructor spots the fact that you have been warming up for the past half hour.
  • When the instructor tells you to go up to a high speed, don’t if you don’t want too.  To hide this fact, just appear to run faster by taking shorter strides.  If the instructor likes to walk around to spot speed and incline, put a towel over the display panel to hide the readouts.
  • Try not to take a spot next to the student who follows exactly what the instructor tells the class.  Try to find other students that also shave off speed settings and chose a treadmill next to theirs.  You really don’t want to be running next to a person at speed 6 while you are at 5.
  • Many treadmills have at least two methods of entering speed.  Choose the slowest method when going up in speed.  The treadmills at my club have direct speed enter as one method and up and down arrows as an entry for the second method.  I chose the up and down arrows and press them slowly.  I often can shave off 15 seconds or more from a speed increase.  Obviously, choose direct entry for speed when going down in speed if it is faster.
  • Try to distract the trainer by conversation and then try to detect if they can remember the last speed and incline number.  Often times an instructor will call out the same incline and speed because they were engrossed in telling the class a story.   Most often some knucklehead student reminds the instructor we already are at that speed and incline which really ruins it.
  • If you are caught with a lower treadmill incline than the other students, pretend that you failed to hear the last directions.  You can also pretend to be in a meditative state and failed to hear anything.  This works best if you hold the hand rail and close your eyes to paint the picture that you are zoned out in some Zen moment but make sure you can run a treadmill with your eyes closed.
  • Having loud conversations with a person in the next treadmill often works for explaining that you did not hear the speed of 6 when you are currently at 3.  This really works if the person you are taking too also is at the same speed and incline you are.
  • I also have razzed the instructor occasionally with comments that in past months they were setting lower work out speeds but now are being more aggressive. If the instructor is motivated to think about how this might have happened you must measure if this turns out well for you or not.
  • I found out that I can clip some time off my class by removing the cover shirt that I wear over my tank top.  It is safe to do this off the treadmill and then I walk over to the bins used to house our workout bags and place the garment into the bag and walk back.  Bathroom breaks are also in this category for shaving time off and getting a recovery.
  • If the instructor likes short recovery times, challenge and complain.  This really depends, obviously, on the instructor as to how successful this plays out.