And it's Friday

Some of my malaise of yesterday might actually be viral :(

I've had a few little stomach uncomfortable-nesses the past few days, tended to ignore them. But this morning...yeah, without getting too graphic, it seems my gut transit time has sped up a good bit. (Yes, I'm at work. I was already at work when I realized this was what it was).

Though "small stomach virus" could also explain the higher diastolic bp readings these couple of days, so that might actually...well, I might actually feel better about it. (I never get very sick with GI things; I rarely throw up - I have to be very, very sick for that to happen - and mostly what I get is stomach cramping/lack of appetite. Both of which I have had. I think the fact that I eat large quantities of yogurt and take a probiotic are why I don't get quite so sick).

Also, I felt VERY chilled when I got home yesterday. Found my thermometer. My temperature was 96.1.

That's....kind of concerning. Except it was very cold over here yesterday and even with a thermal cami on under my blouse, I was shivering when I walked out of the lab (it's colder over there).

I looked up what a low body temperature could mean and the three most likely (and least-concerning) ones were

- you just naturally run low (My typical body temperature is closer to 97.9 than to 98.6)
- you were in a cold area for a prolonged time (And I suppose it's possible a little virus could mess with one's body temperature control, if virus this be)
- you're hypothyroid. (That's also possible, given the occasional fatigue I've felt this winter, and my perception - rejected by both my mother and the woman who cuts my hair, so I don't know - that my hair is thinning). I will find that out after the bloodwork is done next week. I figure the worst of it is, if I'm hypothyroid, it means another medication to take, so, whatever. And the fatigue hasn't been crushing (and usually is tied to an extra long day of work) so if I'm hypothroid, it's not very far advanced yet.) Though I hope if I have to go on thyroid boosting meds, they don't cause anxiety. I know *hyperthyroidism* can lead to anxiety and lost sleep, so I wonder what taking a medication to increase thyroid activity if it's low would do.

And anyway, when I took it this morning after a long night in a warm bed, it was 98.5. So I'm inclined to go with a combo platter of "your natural temperature runs low" and "you were in too-cold rooms for too long yesterday"

But yeah. And on other fronts, perhaps slightly-less-bad news than what I originally interpreted. And although that doesn't change the facts for the several people I am still "holding in the light" because they recently lost loved ones (another source of my sadness), still, I will grasp at any hope these days.

And yes, I did, like a good Neo-Victorian Lady, take to my bed last night. I wound up sleeping for perhaps 10 hours (though much of it was somewhat broken sleep, I remember a couple times I woke up and looked at the clock figuring it had to be close to getting-up-time, and it was only an hour later than when I last looked at the clock.

My sleep pattern has changed recently. It used to be, if I had a very "intense" and image-filled dream, it was right before I was set to get up - so I'd drag out of bed with those images still in my head, and set off for exercise...

Now, I tend to have the really "intense" dream during the first sleep of the night, and I wake up, discombobulated, and think "Surely it's almost time to get up" and then realize I can still see the glow from the fairy lights (which, yes, I still have up) in my living room, and so I know it's still before midnight. (They are on a timer that runs from about 3 pm until midnight. I should adjust it a little; I had them set to come on when I got home/when it was starting to get dark but I don't need them on so early now. Then again: they are LED and draw little enough electricity). So I don't know. I will say though there is a particular pleasure in waking up thinking you almost have to get up, looking at the clock, and seeing it's still only 11:45 pm or so.


One other thought: I didn't work out yesterday (was planning to when I got home, because it seems like overtaxing muscles followed by sitting in my chilly office is bad for me...) because I got side-tracked, but if I had some little GI virus maybe it was for the best. If I feel up to it I will do the dvd work out when I get home today. I need it; I can already feel my hip starting to gripe me again (combination probably of walking fast over rough terrain on Monday and then not doing a workout yesterday)

ETA: Temperature this afternoon was 98.1, so I am wondering if it was just a transient drop in body temperature from being in a too-cold place. And I feel much better now.