Various Varicosities
In my family, my Dad had considerable varicosities in his legs. He did not complain about them much but did say they were quite itchy. My mother did not experience any varicosities. In us kids, I have one sister who has very significant varicosities much like my Dad had, but the rest of us are varicosity free (well, one other sister had temporary gestational varicosities).
Even though it was a bit ahead of time in the semester, I was thinking a bit about one of my lectures about cardiovascular physiology, and was reminded about how I do talk about varicosities fairly extensively. One of my favorite stories associated with that topic is about how cashiers (like in a grocery store check-out line) have had thick, rubbery mats in their cashier's booth since roughly the early 1970s. Because a cashier is on his/her feet for the entirety of his/her shift in a relatively stationary pose, cashiers used to be very prone to developing persistent varicosities. But researchers discovered that UNEVENLY surfaced rubbery mats in a cashier booth would force the cashier to keep shifting his/her weight back-and-forth during the workday and the muscular contractions of the legs would be sufficient in most cases to prevent the development of varicosities from long-term standing. This is because the leg muscle contraction would push against the veins in the legs, helping them get blood more easily back to the heart, instead of having blood pool in the veins (leading to varicosities). So, since the 1970s, cashier booths almost always have a thick, uneven, rubbery mat in them... not to be "cushiony" but instead to force the cashier to shift his/her weight back-and-forth.
Fortunately I do not have any varicosities. But, I DO have very prominent arteries and veins that are noticeable under the surface of my skin. I have always had them, but they became even more prominent when I lost weight long ago. My hands and my feet especially show a very prominent and strong arborization of vessels. I have been told by a variety of clinicians that I would be an easy "delight" to obtain a blood draw from if that ever became needed, because my veins are so easy to see (and feel).
Thursday's teaching was QUITE busy, but overall rather fun. I am still relishing the memory of going to the Cigar Shop on Wednesday because I was delighted to have "Clif" and "Norm" to talk with..... even though it was not Thursday. That has me feeling hope that it will pleasant each week until I can really rejoin the Retiree's Cigar Group at the start of July. Because the fellows know I am not yet retired, I have jokingly told them that I am actually in their "Apprenticeship Program" so that I can learn to become a good retiree.
In the glove box of my vehicle, I have ALWAYS kept an older, "less special" pipe, and a small pouch of pipe tobacco (I do not really like that phrase... what I am meaning more is that the pipe is not a pristine, "perfect" specimen.... instead it is a well-worn, well-loved pipe that is sturdy and strong, but not needing a lot of care). I hadn't thought about this pipe in a while, but on the way home from the U yesterday, I dug it out of the glove box and was looking at it and remembering many of the enjoyable times I had indulged in my pipe tobaccos with it. I fiddled with it all the way home on the drive and gripped it between my teeth a fair amount of time too. I could even taste a a gentle, very pleasing remnant/residue of a particularly pleasant vanilla tinctured burley I have always especially liked... on the stem. It was extremely pleasant to have while driving home. It had me yearning to readopt my old, daily ritual of enjoying a pleasant pipe whilst I drove home each evening in my trusty steed. That ritual was such a beautiful transition from work to home. It in many ways helped me to "reset" my mind and focus each evening.
PipeTobacco
