Last posts on health

I decided not to wait.

2008-11-04T23:09:00+01:00

I wonder what ties this blog entry to 3. I guess I'll just try to connect things.

03 November 2008
I was in Shang and Mega; was supposed to meet Jeff. We didn't meet. Time conflict. Anyways, while killing time before our supposed meeting, as usual I was loitering in PowerBooks. I was still deliberating should I buy Breaking Dawn or wait further. And should I opt for the former, I was wondering if it's in Mega-PB or Shang-PB. Rachel, my textmate of the day, told me, "Hindi naman siguro tatanungin ng tao kung saang branch ka bumili." [People won't ask which branch you've bought (Breaking Dawn).] Yeah, right. Heehee.. I was just being choosy. I care where my 12% VAT goes.

By the way, I decided not to wait. I've finally bought Breaking Dawn in Shang-PowerBooks. Delaying so means going to bookstore again. I just have to stop being tempted. Books are so tempting. I need to buy clothes too. And besides, I have enough books unread at home. Don't forget my nursing books! *sigh*

And because I came home quite late (than my usual around 6 o'clock) I decided to sleep early. I was also tired. I already have Breaking Dawn with me. I so wanted to read it already but I might not be able to sleep before midnight and I'd be accountable to God. It was so tempting to read, even just a few pages. But I know myself enough that I'd probably end up sleeping at the time when I'm supposed to be waking up.

Oh book! How do I resist thee?

04 November 2008
11:40, UMak Library. I started reading Breaking Dawn, only after I've read a couple of pages from my MCN notes. Of course, I still need to fill my head with nurse's stuff and not just vamp stuff. It's not healthy, I know. I've suffered enough of that. But of course, my impatience grew every minute. I just wanted to dig into the story. I decided to wait no further.

As for the "3" thing, I was with three of my batchmates. Not so hang out thingy though, just got near them. I had my own table, one like those in FHS' canteen.

Btw, it's U.S. Presidential Election Day. I wonder how America's doing. It's still 16:50 something in Uncle Sam's watch.

05 November 2008
03:30. I woke up around this time. I can't remember what woke me up, maybe risk for aspiration. I can't even remember anything from my dream. The only memories bombarding my "empty" brain was Breaking Dawn stuff. I hate it, seriously. Someone was also lurking in my mind, which I've come to get used to. I've learned to cope with that, somehow.

I've been trying to extract anything from my brain about what it was up to before I came into consciousness. I have theories on why I couldn't remember a thing. My subconscious was strong enough to wrestle with my consciousness. Or maybe the "thing" would just cause me anxiety, thus subconscious was on the go protecting myself. But I'd bet on this theory: I have a bad memory.

Whatever I had on that dream gave me a bloody headache. Or maybe I had headache that's why I woke up. Either way. my headache is alarming/bothering me. I have headaches every month, at least twice. What actually bothered me was something I've read in my Nx notes. Headache is one of the signs and symptoms of HPN. The last time I had my BP taken, it was 120/70. That may be a couple of months ago but my BP had always been 90/60 since we started having RLE rotations. That was August 2006. Yes, for two and a half years my BP had always been in the threshold.

The other thing that bothered me, which I've also read in my Nx notes, was pain in MI can cause shock. I was not having MI. Angina? hopefully not. Anyways, I wondered if a headache can cause shock. Seriously, what was I thinking? If you think I'm crazy, don't worry I've thought of that eons ago.

With these concerns in mind (I'm just making my head ache more) I decided to get up and go on hydro therapy. I'm not really fond of analgesics; thanks to my high pain tolerance. Btw, I still have a headache. Right temple. -_-

Music:
Chris Tomlin - God of this City

Persistent Headache

2008-10-07T12:33:00+02:00

This is the third day that I'm having a bloody headache. It's so troublesome. I hate it. My pain scale ranges from 7-9 out of 10. My physical pain tolerance is going down.

Also, I must remind myself that if I accomplish nothing tomorrow it'll be certain that my headache will be persistent. I want it not!

Music:
The Mitch Hansen Band - I Don't Know

Health and Hobbies

2008-10-06T19:04:00+02:00

When I checked my inbox in Hotmail I found out that my request to be included in the fanlisting of Alice Cullen has been approved. Yeah, I do join fanlistings and I've been doing that since God knows when. Bleh!

@~~>----------<~~@

I still have a troublesome cough. Thank goodness it's not as worse as it used to be during the past week. But I still hate it. I hope everyone in the house with cough will get well soon.

@~~>----------<~~@

There was a Julius Caesar (Shakespeare) book in a bookstore in Market! Market! that only costs phP49.00! I wanted to buy it buy decided otherwise. I'm saving my money for another book, though also a work of Shakespeare. I wasn't also in the mood to read something politically-related. I just want pure fiction/fantasy/suspense/thriller. Nothing so serious.

Btw, I still haven't finished reading Mario Puzo's The Dark Arena and David Cole's Shadow Play. -_-

How I hope it rains with money on or before the 18th of this month. I so want to buy lots of books, especially classics.

Music:
Snow Patrol - Run

Bloody Back

2008-10-02T15:21:19+02:00

I'm bloody back! Alack!!

I thought this blog was no longer inaccessible. Thank God I was bloody wrong. Something must've just happened. Of course. The past three days have been bloody horrible. I got flu and it was bloody horrible. I've been absent for two bloody days. I could've forced myself to attend the review yesterday, but I had to recover. Bed rest, more of it.

Rest. In peace.. I still need enough rest to recover from my cough. No need for bloody adjective there. I don't cough with blood. No way!

But the fact remains that I am sick. And I need to recover. SOON. Or I might end up in the greatest fear of the unknown. *sigh*

Music:
Paramore - Emergency

madness, Measurements of

2008-09-19T12:00:00+02:00

There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.
-- Salvador Dali

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
-- Krishnamurti

Surviving moment to moment....

2008-09-03T01:35:39+02:00

Whoah. First time blogger here. *looks around* Seems like a lonely place!I'm not sure what to say. I've mostly come to this site to gather my thoughts on my continual medical situation that I have been going through since I was twenty. This writing below I did back last year very briefly explains the gist of all the issues that have been going on in my life for the past 10 years, so I'll use it as a base to elaborate in future blogs, but even with it's help I honestly don't know where to start. Here is what I wrote in July last year:I'll try to keep this short. I'm thirty and am in a bad place. Soon before my 21st birthday, I was diagnosed with a softball sized tumor in my chest, and went through years of treatment to shrink it and recover a portion of my health, and I recently detoxed off of opiates (Oxycontin) last July, which was less than pleasant. I won't go into details, but suffice to say I'm trying to resume where I left off at twenty. My parents have been supporting me throughout and I am more grateful than I can express. But now that it's time for me to "grab the reins" of my life I find that I'm truly struggling to get back on my feet. The physical aspects and treatment of my disease were absolutely horrific and miserable to go through, however they were a cinch to deal with compared to the mental ones. Many harsh realities about life have been brought to my attention which I would have much rather remained ignorant about, at least until I had the slightest amount of maturity to even begin to comprehend what was occurring and what was in store. I seem absolutely incapable of relating to my peers. I am not interested in the things that many my age seem to be infatuated with (cars, drugs, rock n roll, who really GIVES a SHIT??), with the exception of women. Even then, it is hard to start, much less hold, any relationship whatsoever when my focus is on staying healthy. That is all that matters, nothing else. My sense of hope is fading, and I am beginning to not care about anything anymore. One thing that truly bothers me is my sudden affection for atheism. Not weak atheism either, more like stubborn atheism. As hard as I try, I cannot see the other side. Life is bleak without faith, and believe me....there is none to be found here. I was just beginning to have a foundation to stand on when I was 20, and then my diagnosis shattered it. I don't know what to believe anymore. A lot of things I believed turned out to be utter bullshit. Nothing makes sense. Things are spinning in every direction and attempting to hold onto anything is an exercise in futility that ultimately ends in frustration. I have no ground to anchor myself down to to be able to see or believe anything relative to that grounding. I have no direction, no ambition. I have no sense of who I am, or any sense of security and feel like I'm at the will of someone else. Like I mentioned above, this is one of the realities I'd rather not know: anything can happen at any time. I have no control, not even an illusion. This frightens me to my core, and I don't know how to deal with it. Death confronted me at 20, and how am I supposed to deal with that? As best I can? All I know how to do is embrace it, and that is (was) utterly terrifying. I have no work experience for seven years, nor do I have a degree…..only a few college credits. A large majority of my twenties were spent simply attempting to survive physically and emotionally; life was put on hold for quite some time. I have been out of the swing of routine for so long it's seemingly impossible to get back in. My left arm is slightly disabled (which is to say I can't lift it or any weight above my head with it), and I suffer from constant burning pain and occasional intense pain from the remainder of the growth in my chest. Bed has become my greatest refuge, unconsciousness is a short lived respite that comes not often enough, and suicide is becoming more and more attractive.That gives a very brief, but incomplete, overview of what I've been through and how I felt back then (my attitude has gotten better, but my diagnosis has gotten much worse, but more on that later.)I’ll start at the beginning I suppose. I was diagnosed with what is known as a Desmoid tumor in July of '99 a month before my 21st birthday. This type of tumor is also know as an “aggressive fibromatosis” in medical jargon and is considered benign in nature (therefor not technically considered cancer as it does not metastasize), however it is locally aggressive and can be life threatening depending on its location. Anyhow, I had been working at the YMCA at the time and was teaching swim lessons to kids and lifeguarding. On my off time I occasionally surfed which brought on extensive pain down the left side of my back after a day out. Despite how intense it was, I shrugged it off as a pinched nerve and went to see the doctor, who prescribed me anti-inflammatories and sent me on my way. They didn’t help at all, and I stopped surfing as the pain was of such intensity afterwards that it made going out really unenjoyable. The pain persisted, so again I headed to the doctor’s office to see what was really going on. This time she told me to take off my shirt for a closer look. After I did so, she took a glance at me, stared wide-eyed for about two seconds and hastily told me that I needed to get into the MRI A.S.A.P. Later that night, I received a call from her, one that I’ll never forget. She told me I had a softball sized mass in my left chest reaching up to my neck, and that I needed to come in immediately the next morning. I remember asking her if it could be cancer, and she said yes. From that point on everything was a haze…..like watching myself in the third person. I called my mom, and she flew in from out of state and was with me within two days.The haze turned into a blur of activity. Needles. Pokes and prodding. Blood samples upon more blood samples. X-Rays. There seemed to be an endless array of procedures to go through, and my body did not feel like it was mine anymore. After a while I learned to detach myself mentally to an extent which helped get through most of it. The biopsies were not enjoyable to say the least, and in total I had four done: two needle and two surgical. The first was a needle directly into the tumor through the muscle and tissue that connects your neck to your shoulder. No anesthetic was given for this. She simply pushed the needle in, and then proceeded to pull it out and push it in five to six times rapidly, which caused my left arm to twitch and flail like a fish out of water as it was what I assumed to be hitting my nerve. The next one was under local anesthesia on a table which went smoothly enough. Both came up inconclusive. My next one they sliced into the same area as the first needle, and this showed spindle celled sarcoma. They said with a tumor of such size I was not expected to live more than a few months, however due to the size of my tumor they were astonished I was still a walking, talking, overall healthy looking guy from the outside with no apparent illness. So I was scheduled for ONE more biopsy, and this one was to cut directly through my chest wall into it and take a slice out. Things did not go as well as planned however. During the operation one of the surgeons accidentally cut open my subclavian artery, which caused a major gusher. From what I was told, I had lost 3/4ths of my total blood volume on the table before they eventually got it under control and gave me massive tranfusions. All I remember was waking up in the ICU, my throat parched and irritated from the trachea tube and almost not being able to lift my arms off the bed. I can’t exactly remember how long I was in the hospital for, but I was unconscious most of the time.The recovery sucked. It SUCKED. I had a huge swollen 5 inch scar on my chest that had an open hole at the edge of the stitches that leaked lymph node fluid constantly, so my bandages had to be changed every few hours. It took about two weeks to heal over. As I finally began to get better physically, I soon began to notice things that I had been completely blind to before. I finally saw how huge my upper left side of my body had become. It was almost twice as large as my right side, yet I hadn’t even noticed it all those months (possibly years) leading up to the diagnosis. How could I have been so blind? I was utterly shocked and freaked out. Well, that’s enough for now.

Death of a Mother

2008-09-01T02:25:00+02:00

Who wouldn’t get stressed because of a mother’s death? Even tough woman Angelina Jolie lost weight last year because her mother died. How much more do we expect from Ely Buendia who had heart surgery last year and lost his mother two days before the concert?

Stress can either be positive or negative. I think the recent cut-concert last Saturday with thousands of fans who attended was really overwhelming. It was a positive stress to Ely’s heart. But stress is a stress.

Enough. Wala akong balak mag-layout ng inference or disease process dito. XD

Music:

Eraserheads - Pare Ko

Holistic Acid Reflux Treatment Helps Thousands Worldwide In Quest For Heartburn Freedom

2008-08-21T13:19:17+02:00

Former heartburn sufferer launches a unique step-by-step acid reflux treatment to help sufferers worldwide in their quest for lasting acid reflux cure and a sleep without pain.July 10, 2008 -- After suffering from severe acid reflux for more than 17 years, trying almost every conventional acid reflux drug and treatment, Jeff Martin, a 42 year old research expert, health consultant and nutritionist from California, began an extensive 11-year research to find an alternative cure for acid reflux and create the ultimate holistic system for curing acid reflux and achieving lasting freedom from heartburn and digestive disorders.Learn more: http://www.HeartburnNoMore.com"Acid reflux sufferers are getting tired of being exploited", Says Martin "There are too many marketers and charlatans out to make a fast buck on the expense of the vulnerable. Acid reflux sufferers simply cannot afford to spend their hard earned money on pricey heartburn cures and quick fixes only to be disappointed time and time again."Through his research, Martin realized that there is an abundance of heartburn cures that focus merely on the symptoms of acid reflux, but very few if any that focus on permanently fixing the root cause. "The sad truth", adds Martin, "is that even the so called natural approaches to the treatment of acid reflux that are aimed to cure acid reflux from within, are either unrealistic, impractical or are often the same one- dimensional gimmick cures disguised as holistic solutions." According to Martin, in order to permanently cure acid reflux one must approach the disease from a holistic multi-dimensional perspective as oppose to tackling only a single factor that leads to heartburn formation. Furthermore, the program must be practical and logical to use."There is simply no other way, but the holistic way", says Martin, "The Heartburn No More™ program was born out of these necessities."Learn more: http://www.HeartburnNoMore.comThe Heartburn No More™ is a unique step-by-step holistic acid reflux treatment, consisting of several sub-plans each designed to tackle a different factor responsible for acid reflux. The main idea is using both the powers of the body and the mind to help the body heal itself from the inside out and prevent the recurrence of GERD.In a down-to-earth, often very personal and moving style, Martin guides you through the entire process of getting rid of your acid reflux holistically, and achieving heartburn freedom, without the costs and side effects of conventional medications and antacids.Targeting acid reflux sufferers who have tried or wish to avoid conventional drugs and harsh over the counters, the Heartburn No More™ program has been proven effective with all types of acid reflux (Hiatal Hernia, Gastritis, Esophageal Reflux, or Bile Reflux) and in all levels of severity.Since its release, in early 2007, the Heartburn No More™ program, the result of 11 years of research and experiment, has literally helped thousands of people worldwide to achieve permanent heartburn freedom.In a message to Martin, Greg Nicotero a 37 years old from the U.K, writes: " I’m only 3 weeks into the heartburn no more program and by following the principals of your program I am already experiencing significant relief in my acid reflux condition. I have been battling with acid reflux, food intolerance and leaky gut syndrome for 7 years and I am so thankful for the invaluable knowledge I have received from your book. I will definitely recommend your book to anyone suffering from digestive disorders and chronic heartburn. People can surely use your knowledge and expertise to recover form this painful condition and take responsibility over their health and well-being. This program is the answer to my prayers.""No, I'm not a doctor", laughs Martin, "but I sure am proud to have created a program that truly helps other acid reflux sufferers to end their physical pain and anguish for good and gain their lives back". The Heartburn No More™ program includes an exclusive one-on-one counseling provided by the author.For additional information on how to cure acid reflux naturally go to:http://www.HeartburnNoMore.comhttp://www.acidrefluxatoz.comContact:Jeff MartinHigher Ways Publishing INCSupport@HeartburnNoMore.comhttp://www.HeartburnNoMore.comTEL: 510-217-9223

Psoriasis

2008-07-28T12:57:00+02:00

Psoriasis is a disease which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp and genitals. The cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition. There are five types, each with unique signs and symptoms. Between 10% and 30% of people who develop psoriasis get a related form of arthritis called “psoriatic arthritis,” which causes inflammation of the joints.Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis. About 80% of people who develop psoriasis have plaque psoriasis, which appears as patches of raised, reddish skin covered by silvery-white scale. These patches, or plaques, frequently form on the elbows, knees, lower back,and scalp. However, the plaques can occur anywhere on the body. More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis, and approximately 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. An estimated 20% have moderate to severe psoriasis.

Nothing's EZ~

2008-06-29T18:05:00+02:00

Yoo~

Hmm.. to-date as weighed at home, should have lost like 10-11kgs. The fats are cooperating well and I have grown to love garnier even more as their bodyfit firming hydrating lotion really leave on a hydrated feel... so smooth~

This morning Polin Aunty came.. haha! We asked alot of qns, asked on career lah.. and for my case, its gonna be a life long uneven ride according to her, and thus "job-hopper" shall be thye name! We asked about love too~ Guess wat? Next year shall be when the peach blossoms luck bloom! Haha! At that instance, that gut feeling that I had to do something about my weight sort of makes sense now... wat? preparing for that someone's arrival? LOL

Anyway, I recalled the instance that I felt the urge and seriousness in my attitude to start getting aware of property came to mind. Its like then, I got serious because a Need is coming by... So we shall sit back and see if this is really how my body works... Giving out signals according to the Timing in Life.

Spoken a little more and there I found out that the way to a healthy body is not stopping at the weight problem. The root of problem lies on my stomach and digestive system. More work to do now that the aunty has w'orked it out' for me.

I believe, that aint gonna be EZ but Im sure I will pull it off quite well. Its gonna feel real good to accomplish the goals you've set an to proof something's right and so forth. I wana have a taste of that!

Bikini suit >>> shall be my christmas present for myself!

FS.Rain | Celsius
a.k.a. Fangru

Colonoscopy

2008-06-10T15:00:00+02:00

I had my first colonoscopy yesterday, due to some ongoing symptoms I won't divulge here. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected based on what I had read online and heard in passing (so to speak ... so many puns available for this kind of thing ...). Reading about other people's colonoscopy experiences (especially this one; read it in reverse) did help me in preparing for my own, so here's my story.

The official instructions I received said that on the day before the procedure (i.e., Sunday, the day of the prep), I could have a light breakfast, plus as much clear liquid as I desired -- which included non-red/blue/purple jello and popsicles, black coffee and tea, and soup bouillion -- and then after taking the prep, only the clear fluids. Knowing that the intention of drinking a gallon (4 liters) of electrolyte solution -- the Golytely 'prep' -- was to thoroughly cleanse my bowels (whoo-ha!), I thought it might make sense to eat lightly for several days before the prep, to have less bowel 'material' to clear.

So, on Friday, three days pre-procedure, I had no breakfast, a lovely buffet lunch of mostly seafood and salads, and for dinner I split one small appetizer (a yummy crab fritter) with my spouse, and had a glass of white wine while listening to some jazzy music at a local venue.

Saturday, two days pre-procedure, I ate a very light and bland breakfast (2 scrambled eggs and half an English muffin), no lunch or snacks, and about 2 cups of rotini pasta with soy sauce and one soy hot dog with a little cheese for dinner, with a small glass of white wine. Again, pretty bland. No snacks afterwards but plenty of water and tea all day.

Sunday, the day of the dreaded prep, I had some black tea in the morning while hanging out in worship service, a little water, then nothing until THE PREP, which I started at 3, an hour before the time specified in my instructions. I usually go to bed early and was hoping to preserve my sleep as much as possible, without constant trips to the bathroom.

My prep was Golytely (get it?), the gallon of saline electrolyte solution to be drunk 8 oz. at a time, every 10 mins. Besides eating lightly and blandly, well ahead of time, I did several other things that I think helped the prep go smoothly:

* I had asked my nurse if a little Crystal Light could be mixed with it; the manufacturers' instructions say nothing can be added, but I had read online of people adding Crystal Light and that sounded good to me. She told me, off the record, that I could add up to one tub to the mixture; she recommended the lemonade flavour.

* I made the solution, with the Crystal Light Lemonade mixed in, the night before I needed to ingest it, so it had a good long time (about 20 hours) in the refrigerator chilling.

* I started drinking the Golytely at 3 p.m. I drank an 8 oz. glass and actually, it tasted fine to me. It was the hottest day we'd had here so far this year, in the mid 80s, and the solution was almost as refreshing as cold lemonade. Seriously. Nothing like as bad as I'd heard. Not soapy. Though my instructions said to drink it every 10 mins, I stretched it to 15 min. intervals.

I had my first serving of Golytely at 3, and the next seven servings -- I was measuring roughly, so it turned out that a serving for me was actually closer to 10 oz. -- every 15 mins. thereafter. The instructions are to drink each serving all at once, not sipping it, and that worked fine for me. But after two hours, with about 80 ounces inside me and with nothing coming out, I was feeling full to the brim with liquid. I wasn't nauseous, but I was rather bloated and I couldn't drink anymore, so I waited a half-hour, until 5:15, and chugged down another dose. Still nothing. I started Googling to find out how long it should take before the first bowel movement. The Golytely site said things should be moving in an hour. I was getting worried.

By the way, during the time I was drinking, I watched an episode of "House MD," walked around and weeded the garden, sat in the sun and read a book, did several crosswords, ran up and down the stairs doing the usual household things. In short, other than being tethered to the kitchen, I lived my usual life. I also did my regular half-hour weights workout right before starting the whole procedure.

At 5:30, with still nothing happening and no room to ingest more liquid, I called the hospital for the physician on call. By the time he called me back, about 45 mins. later, I could report success! Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes after starting the prep (90 ounces in), it began to work its magic.

Not to go into too much detail, but magic it was! About 20 more oz. and 3 hours later (8:30ish), I was done. Even the first bowel movement was mostly liquid, and after the first four bowel movements, everything was pretty much clear. I had no cramps, no pain of any sort at any time. I ate an orange popsicle and some orange jello to celebrate, drank some water, watched a Poirot, and settled in to sleep.

I got up around 2 a.m. to go once more (very little), and from then until I got up around 7, my stomach made gurgling, burbling sounds that kept us pretty well awake. (The dog, as usual, slept fine.)

The instructions for procedure day (Monday) allowed 1-2 glasses of clear liquid but nothing within 2 hours of the procedure, which was scheduled for 12:15. I drank about 8 oz. water from 8-9 a.m., then nothing else but a stick or two of (non-red/purple/blue) sugarless gum, which I had cleared with the nurse. I was thirsty and restless, ready to get the colonoscopy over with. I worked in the garden, weeding and watering, took some photos, did a short workout, cleaned both toilets :-), and generally occupied myself until the golden hour.

We arrived at the clinic (a separate building near the hospital) at noon. I gave the receptionist the medical history form I'd completed and she gave me a form asking questions about the prep, including "Did you have a good result?" :-) It also asked whether I drank all the prep (no) and if no, how much did I drink. I drank about 110 ounces in total, a little more than 3 liters. We had a very short wait, of about 5 minutes, just long enough for me to witness a woman post-procedure who was shivering, her teeth chattering, and who said as she was led by the nurse through the room, "I was awake for the whole thing." Yikes! That's exactly what I didn't want to be.

After I'd undressed, donned the back-tying gown (made of rather heavy fabric) and the fun, colourful socks I'd brought with me (bring socks!), and stowed my belongings in a "tamper-proof" plastic bag, I met my prep nurse, Erica, whose manner was comforting, warm, and calm, and who gave me plenty of time to respond to her questions and to ask her questions about the procedure. She had me lie down comfortably on a wheeled cot, took my vitals (BP, pulse, temperature, O2 saturation; listened to heart and lungs), and went through my medical history and asked for clarification and elaboration of some of it (mainly about my arrythmia). She prepped and inserted an IV port in my hand, in a vein near the top knuckle of my right ring finger. I felt only the first little sting of the needle to find the vein, then nothing when she inserted the actual IV port. She hooked me up to a saline drip, which I couldn't feel.

I asked her about the Versed (Midazolam, a benzodiazapine) and Fentanyl (an opiate) I would be taking via the IV during the procedure, stressing that I wanted as much as they could give me so that I was not alert during the procedure. She said I'd be awake -- i.e., "breathing on your own," which to me isn't necessarily a sign of being awake, as I breathe on my own every night while I am asleep ... -- but that I would be comfortable and in no pain, of that she could assure me. (Previously, another nurse there, by phone, had told me that I would be awake and that I would know what was going on but that I wouldn't care.) As soon as she was finished and leaving the room, another nurse, Rachel, came in to wheel me in my comfy cot to the procedure room, which was filled with machines and monitors. Also cubbyholes labeled "large forceps," and such.

Rachel didn't have Erica's bedside manner -- she seemed sort of depressed to me, maybe she was just tired -- and didn't speak much as she got me situated, put the pulse thingy on my finger, and attached transmitters to me so they could monitor my cardiac function throughout. When I mentioned my desire to avoid pain, she said I might feel some cramping when the scope went around corners. That was (scary) news to me, after what Erica and the other nurse had said. I could see on the monitor that I was slated to receive "moderate sedation," which I guess is the norm.

Erica came in, squeezed my shoulder, and wished me good luck.

Geoff, another nurse, came in and chatted too loudly and casually for the psychic space I was in just then. I felt vulnerable and anxious, which was partly from not knowing what would come next, and also, I think, from what felt like the subtly oppressive and overbearing presence of the room. What kept me from getting really worked up was my tiredness, from lack of calories and nutrients, and from lack of sleep the night before. I just didn't have a lot of resistance available. Geoff and Rachel did engage me in conversation as we waited about 20 minutes for the doctor to show up. (They had to page her.) We talked about our dogs, mostly (after their question, asked separately by each, "What do you do for work?" fell flat), and then Rachel and I talked about how we each came to live where we're living. At some point, I think when she said that her parents divorced when she was 18, Rachel reminded me of my youngest sister, and as I was making that connection, I saw my pulse drop to about 70. We also found that we both had family living in the same very small town about 500 miles away. Small world.

The doctor (Dr. S.) entered, sat near me, and briskly began to tell me all the bad things that could happen. She does about 1,000 colonoscopies per year and finds about 40% of people have polyps. Removing polyps can be dangerous: from 2% to 4% of people have complications from polyp removal that might require emergency surgery or another scheduled colonoscopy to remedy. She told me that there is a 5% polyp miss rate and a .5% cancer miss rate.

She also brought up the fact that I had called her office last week to talk with her nurse about why I needed this procedure. (Sidebar: That nurse, Chris, was great, chatted with me for about 20 minutes, went over my medical history, explained why based on that history she thought the colonoscopy was needed -- which my primary care physician had not done and for which she wanted to charge me $100 for a phone consult! Chris was reassuring, detailed and forthcoming in her information and tips.)

Dr. S. said that based on my recent medical history, she thought I needed this done. Her tone seemed mildly reprimanding to me. By this time, of course, I was in the room, seconds from the procedure; obviously, her nurse's arguments last week had been persuasive or I wouldn't have been there. Why reiterate now, except to berate? Maybe she meant it as reassurance, but her manner was not reassuring, it was aloof and businesslike. As she spoke, she was rapidly making notes, not looking at me except briefly every now and then. She never smiled, or I couldn't detect it if she did. She seemed to be reading a script, which I'm sure she was, performing five or so of these things each working day. I hoped that she was like my dogs' former vet, a man well-known both for his excellent veterinary care and for his dismal people skills.

For about 5 minutes, I just lay there while Dr. S. did something at a terminal behind me. By now (in fact, since shortly before the doctor came in), I had a little oxygen nose tube, which was irritating. I kept taking it out and trying to readjust it so it felt better. Finally it did. I heard Dr. S. tell Rachel and Geoff that I was ASA1, or something like that, and I asked what it meant. Rachel told me that level 1 meant that I was at the lowest sedation risk. I asked her to give me all she could. :-) Then she did.

Geoff asked me turn onto my left side, and he removed the blanket and gown from my backside. I mentioned that I have sciatica in my left leg and he asked me if the position was hurting. It wasn't and I remember thinking that if it was, it wouldn't be for long! The last thing I recall is either Rachel or Geoff asking me how I was feeling. The first time I said I was a little dizzy or woozy, the second time I said I was getting sleepy (or maybe vice versa), and then I went into the happy world. I'm not sure of the exact time but it was about 1 p.m. (I think they paged Dr. S. at 12:40 or so.)

The next thing I was aware of was being in the prep/recovery room again and being asked about my spouse coming in with me. I think I told the nurse (another one, Holly) his name, so they could call him in the waiting room, and then he was there. It was 2 p.m. I was feeling groggy, sort of very sleepy and a little dizzy. Not too unpleasant. I was still hooked up to the IV when my spouse came in (he says -- I don't recall). Holly told me that they hadn't found anything of concern during the colonoscopy and she gave me some papers. She told me no driving or alcohol for 24 hours (the first nurse, Erica, also told me this). She unhooked me and said I could get dressed and go when I wanted.

I'm missing parts of this because what I remember next is looking down on the bed and seeing my clothes in their "tamper-proof" plastic bag, and I don't remember standing up. It was sort of like being in a dream, when you can't recall how you got from point A to point B. I remember that I was unsteady standing up but I managed to get dressed, apparently, per spouse, without help. I remember leaving the room, thanking Erica, who was standing in the hallway outside the room, and feeling quite unsteady on my pins as we took the elevator down and walked to the car. I was a bit clammy, like when I have a minor case of the flu, and when we hit the outside air (still in the mid-80s), I felt too warm and slightly nauseous.

The feeling cleared quickly and from then on, it was clear sailing. Oh, did I mention that I had not one moment of gas or bloating (that I'm aware of) after the colonoscopy? My spouse had had a half-hour of it after his so I was expecting some, but I felt great immediately. The only lingering effect is a bruise on the inside of my right knee, which must have come from the pressure of it on my left leg, due to the position I was in for the procedure.

When we got home, my spouse encouraged me to eat but I was too sleepy. I went to bed from 2:30-4:30, woke up feeling great, and we went out to dinner, where I had more mostly bland food (ravioli, small salad, diet Coke). Then we took a short walk downtown and I had most of a glass of iced tea at a cafe. We ran a couple of errands while walking, and when we came back to the car to go home, I sat on something we had bought a half-hour earlier and thrown onto the front seat (a box of pasta), which is unusual behaviour for me -- not to recall that something was in that seat, and not to notice that it was -- and a sign that I was still a bit foggy, I think.

I had a couple of small bowel movements in the evening, mostly liquid. My stomach gurgled off and on. I slept well and woke up very early (5 a.m.), thanks to my deep naps of yesterday.

This morning I had my usual soy sausage, tea, and juice with vitamins. My stomach is still gurgling from time to time but I'm feeling fine.

Based on my experience, and remembering that I am not a medical professional!, I recommend, if you are in good health, either juice-fasting or eating a light and bland diet for at least 2 full days prior to the procedure (3 or 4 days of light eating might be better). Add Crystal Light to Golytely -- that's unofficial, of course, as the Golytely people say it's verboten. (NuLytely has its own "flavour" packs -- from what I read online, orange is the best bet.) In any case, make sure the stuff is thoroughly chilled. You might not have to drink all the liquid, if your movements are clear (straw-coloured with little particulate matter). Stay near the toilet for about 5-6 hours from the time you start the prep but don't be surprised if it takes 2-3 hours to get things moving. My urges to go weren't sudden but they were pretty constant, about every 15 mins for a couple of hours. Bring socks with you to the procedure, especially in winter (but many medical centers are cold year-round). Don't plan to do anything much for at least 3-4 hours afterwards, and in fact, another instruction from Holly was that I shouldn't do anything requiring judgment for the rest of the day/evening, like cooking. I did actually cook three things around 8 p.m. without any trouble, but my spouse was there in case I spaced.

All in all, a pretty good experience, one I wouldn't mind repeating, and I can't say that about many medical procedures.

17 June update : So, I'm trolling around online, now that I have the official report of my colonoscopy and its findings in hand, curious about how much Fentanyl and Versed other people got. I got 200 mcg Fentanyl and 10 mg Versed "in small aliquots" (bit by bit through an IV), and based on my online research (e.g.), that seems to be a lot, like twice the normal dose, for which I am very grateful. As noted in my procedure report, "She tolerated the procedure well." (I hope that's not some doctor shorthand for "It was awful but she can't remember and we're not telling.")

Anyway, came across this hilarious and factual-sounding colonoscopy story from poopreport.com and felt it would be a disservice to keep it to myself.

Healthy Eating Habit–Avoid Late Dinners

2008-06-02T15:55:30+02:00

Healthy Eating Habit–Avoid Late Dinners:With our busy lives we are always tempted to put of dinner until the last minute. Try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed. This will give your body a chance to digest most of the food before you rest for the next 8 hours.A strategy that has worked well for me is to plan dinner for the week ahead of time and making sure I have every thing I need in the house. It allows me to get dinner started as soon as I get home and cuts out the extra time it takes to dig through the cupboards trying to find something to make and then running to the store to get the remaining ingredients.Take a few minutes one day a week and plan the entire menu. Make a grocery list and shop for everything you need for the next few days. You may even want to post your menu on the fridge so other family members can get a head start on dinner if you have a late meeting at the office.

Obesity and Hoodia Gordonii

2008-05-22T18:13:11+02:00

Thursday, May 22 2008 @ 05:14 AM Central Daylight TimeObesity and overweight are serious medical conditions that lots of people are facing right now. It is a fact that these are threatening conditions that can affect people’s health and well being.Yes, overweight and obesity can affect your health. Actually, it can give you the risks of having health problems which range from psychological to the physical. There are plenty of health problems that you can get with obesity and overweight such as social isolation, low self-esteem, depression, psychological disorders, tiredness, breathlessness on exertion, heat intolerance, type 2 diabetes, hyper-insulinenia, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, gall bladder disease, sleep disorders, kidney stones, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cardiovascular disease (CVD) - including heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina and abnormal heart rhythm, stroke, some cancers such as bowel cancer, cancer of the kidney, endometrium, breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, and prostate, osteoarthritis, back problems, gout, polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), fatty liver disease, stress urinary incontinence, fertility complications, pregnancy complications and death.Knowing the fact that obesity and overweight is a huge problem, you need to do something to fight it and lose weight. Yes, you have to lose weight to gain good health and bring back that confidence you once have.Maybe you are seeking for ways to lose weight. Have you heard about hoodia gordonii? Hoodia gordonii is an all natural appetite suppressant that can safely make you lose weight. Yes, indeed, it is known without any harmful effect, reason why there are plenty of people who are taking it to lose weight and gain their desired weight.Hoodia gordonii comes in different forms such as pill and liquid. Before deciding which form you will use, you need to gain better understanding on how to use it. Before each meal, you are advisable to take about 1 to 3 doses of it. In your first week, you need to take one dose of it 45 minutes before your meal. It is recommended to take 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. In taking water, it can help you process and absorb the active ingredients of hoodia gordonii.In order to see great results, you must monitor your eating habits; you need to take foods with proper nutrients. And it is best to do exercising. There are lots of physical activities that you can do, just pick those that can make you enjoy and have fun.The most popular form is the diet pill. Typically, diet pills are being sold by the bottle which can last in a month. You do not need any prescription, so you can buy diet pills that you can use for few months supply, actually, even a year supply, if you wish to buy it already.If you are having problem in swallowing pill, then you can go with the liquid form. The liquid form works just like the pill one; it can also effectively make you lose weight without any side effects. So, if you want to lose weight, you can take hoodia gordonii.Eliza Maledevic Aysonhttp://hoodiaremedy.com

How Did I Get Rid of Migraine!

2008-05-19T13:47:16+02:00

Migraine is also known as sick headaches as it is accompanied by vomiting and nausea. Persons who are suffering from Migraine only will know how dreadful the pain can be. Migraine can last for even three or more days. Many of the migraine sufferers have told that before it strikes them it gives indication that they experience seeing black spots or blurry vision or lines in front of their eyes. Migraine attack is commonly seen in persons who have a hectic schedule and hence the person has to be blamed for migraine formation. Prevention is better than cure. It is advised to slow down personal and business stressful life.But once migraine has struck, the sufferer can either opt for fresh air or have some coffee or get a good massage or apply heat lamp on the back side of the neck in order to get relieved from migraine pain and to restore blood circulation. Nutritional approach is also found to be very helpful for the migraine sufferers. The sufferer is recommended to consume high mineral, high vitamin and high protein diet and apart from these he can also consume additional supplements. It is always recommended to consult with the doctor before taking any natural remedies as the reason for migraine attack may not be known to the sufferer exactly.When I was suffering from a severe form of migraine I browsed the web for some info to get rid of the pains and found http://www.shunmigraine.com that has several informative articles to keep different types of migraines at bay.

Weight Loss Sunglasses ?

2008-05-15T08:23:54+02:00

Lose weight seems no longer far more to reach...It seems all as easy as you put on a simple of glasses ...but how? If diets have just never worked for you due to your lack of self-control and your love of all things buttery, maybe it's time for some stupider methods of weight loss. Enter the Weight Loss Sunglasses. Yep, these guys are tinted blue, the "least appetizing color of the spectrum," sure to make that ice cream sundae sitting in front of you look downright disgusting.See more weight loss sunglasses

Sites, health.

2008-05-10T20:20:00+02:00

Just a few Websites to try now and then.

NOT INSTEAD of your GP of course!

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

http://www.besttreatments.org/ Common health probs.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ General Health.

http://www.food.gov.uk/ Food.

www.cancerhelp.org.uk

http://www.quackwatch.org/ Worth a peek.

http://www.mht.org.uk/ Mental Health.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/ Heart Issues.

http://www.strokeassociation.org.uk/ CVA, Stroke.

Sites. Health.

2008-05-10T20:15:00+02:00

Just a few Websites to try now and then. NOT INSTEAD of your GP of course!www.nhsdirect.nhs.ukhttp://www.besttreatments.org/ Common health probs.http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ General Health.http://www.food.gov.uk/ Food.www.cancerhelp.org.ukhttp://www.quackwatch.org/ Worth a peek.http://www.mht.org.uk/ Mental Health.http://www.bhf.org.uk/ Heart Issues.http://www.strokeassociation.org.uk/ CVA, Stroke.

Please visit

2008-05-02T14:51:10+02:00

all parents, please visit my site for information to make sure your child is safe anywhere near the water.www.ceffoundation.org

Pills that make you ill?

2008-04-18T19:10:00+02:00

Another health scare made front page news this week. A Danish study pooling 67 randomised trials with 232,550 participants concluding that taking "beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E significantly increased mortality". And taking vitamin C had "no significant benefit".

The mass media attention is fuelled by our mistrust of 'nasty chemicals' which we forget are in natural foods as well as - in pure form - in test tubes.

The BBC website reports that "After various factors were taken into account and a further 20 studies excluded, the researchers linked vitamin A supplements to a 16% increased risk of dying, beta-carotene to a 7% increased risk and vitamin E to a 4% increased risk." Scary stuff? Maybe, considering how many vitamins are both naturally present in and added to foods, including bread and cereals. How many realise synthetic vitamin A is added to cod liver oil pills, usually taken as a traditional 'natural' remedy?

One blogger at least believes it is all lies, damn lies and statistics. Letters from a Tory reports that the studies used on average a dose of around 8 times the recommended amount for vitamin A, and other averages were also well above recommended amounts.

Does that make pills that deliver 100% of RDA 100% safe? I still somehow doubt it, so I'll mostly be sticking to as much fruit and veg as possible, including my own list of so-called 'superfoods' which, whatever the exact merits of the claims made for them, just happen to be delicious:

Broccoli: rich in vitamins A and C and anti-cancer ingredients, reduces cholesterol and has anti-viral benefits*
Garlic: regulates blood pressure, anti-viral and good for the heart
Mushrooms: anti-viral
Spinach: high in beta-carotene, good for the eyes, bones and more*
Cooked tomatoes: anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory*
Watercress: anti-cancer properties
Turmeric: anti-inflammatory and anti-viral, resists Alzheimers
Ginger: anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, promotes healing
Oily fish: anti-viral and good for the heart
Raw olive oil: anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering
Apples: cholesterol lowering, eliminate toxins*
Blueberries: over-hyped but taste good!*
Cranberries: good for the kidney
Grapefruit: anti-coagulant, and more
Kiwifruit: high in vitamin C, anti-oxidant, eye protecting*
Pineapple: anti-inflammatory
Pomegranate: good for the heart?
Strawberries: lower blood pressure, anti-ageing and good for the heart
Walnuts: anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering*
Green tea: anti-oxidant and makes you feel good
Dark chocolate: lowers blood pressure and makes you feel good
Red wine: lowers cholesterol and makes you feel good

*I'm able to cut down on food miles by growing these at home.

”Sicko” Sick society, USA!

2008-04-05T14:50:00+02:00

I rented a DVD of Micheal Moore's documentary film "Sicko."

The film described how terrible the U.S. medical system is. 50 million of Americans don't have health insurance. Even if you have one, the insurance company wouldn't pay for your treatment by making up technical problems.

Once you get a serious disease, you might bankrupt. Insurance companies and the government don't want to provide national health insurance like Canada, England and France. Of course, in my country Japan does. You government prioritizes money over human lives of the poor people. They say national health insurance is socialist idea that restricts individual freedom.

My opinion for the realities presented in the movie was that America is no longer role model for the world. Such scary society. Spending so much money on invasion of Iraq and other parts of the world, killing innocent civilians outside the country and leaving sick people die inside. Pathetic!

Well, I wouldn't say my country is best nor other country in Europe. But USA is trush. I know nice Americans personally but where they come from is sick land.

Recently I've been regretting that I tried to imitate as many things from USA as possible in the past. There are things I should learn from them but they have things I never want to learn from.

Overall, the country is arrogant, corrupt, and undemocratic society. Who wants to live?

Is this the World's Oldest Painting?

2007-11-18T14:20:04+01:00

11,000-year-old painting surprisingly modernist in styleDAMASCUS -- French archeologists have discovered an 11,000-year-old wall painting underground in northern Syria that they believe is the oldest in the world.The two square-metre painting, in red, black and white, was found at the neolithic settlement of Djade al-Mughara on the Euphrates, northeast of the city of Aleppo, team leader Eric Coqueugniot told Reuters."It looks like a modernist painting. Some of those who saw it have likened it to work by (Paul) Klee. Through carbon dating we established it is from around 9,000 BC," Coqueugniot said.Mustafa Ali, a leading Syrian artist, said similar geometric design to that in the Djade al-Mughara painting found its way into art throughout the Levant and Persia, and can even be seen in carpets and kilims (rugs)."We must not lose sight that the painting is archeological, but in a way it's also modern," he said.France is an important contributor to excavation efforts in Syria, where 120 teams are at work.

Acne-Skin-Care-Products B-Vitamin-Hype-With-Ambitions-of-Fighting-Acne-Rosacea-and-Tumors-What-Can-This-Vitamin-Really-Do-For-You What-Is-Acne--A-Brief-Users-Guide-For-Parents-Teens-And-The-Rest-Of-Us

Syria was at the crossroads of the ancient world and has thousands of mostly unexcavated archeological sites.

Bigger Brains, Better Genes

2007-09-16T18:14:02+02:00

These are among the benefits of exercising more and eating healthier.

Full story

Guilt-ridden confessions

2007-07-13T17:55:00+02:00

I became aware of a fact - my boss has been working REAL HARD, real late (wee hours of the morning), even had work done at home...
As for myself, I have tons of work piling up, unable to finish during NORMAL working hours due to several meetings (with staff who walked-into my office and those scheduled ones) and other distractions. I did stay back quite frequently in attempt to complete some tasks, but its never possible to complete all that were 'due' for that day. With that, the vicious cycle of accumulation and tighter datelines kept coming back... STRESS is just one of the end/side products of such cycles.

Realisation brought back recollections of then, those times which I had just started work and was blindly putting in much time and effort with the many hours of OT to finish as many tasks as possible at work, while I was even studying part-time. That was also the period of time which I neglected the rest of the population of concern. Yet, those efforts weren't exactly appreciated. Thinking back, if I had been here with these great people in this current organization then, my efforts would have triggered satifying results and my 'spirit' may still linger. Now, I thought, I have made up my mind before ending the previous job, to not delve too much and indulge myself in work... This decision, is distrubing me, and costs me several restless nights filled with exhausting dreams, I think.

I would love to 'switch' back to my workaholic mode, but I am also afraid of the impending 'dooms' if I were to activate it. Energy is also one of my concerns, I felt old, somehow...

I guess, I need more time to think about this... More than I had expected...

FS.Rain

Magical Thinking vs. Positive Thinking

2007-07-11T01:20:00+02:00

Revolution Health distinguishes between the power of positive thinking and the fallacy of magical thinking:

"Magical thinking ascribes excessive value to a treatment, while positive thinking understands the limitations of treatments and yet respects the reality of the mind-body connection.

"Let's consider back pain, for example. A magical thinker would look for the 'secret cure' for their back pain, and turn over every stone -- fully anticipating that he would discover a miracle solution that others don’t know about. He would read books promising the ultimate back treatment 'that your doctor doesn’t want you to know about' and would spend a great deal of money on treatments that have been rumored to have some benefit in treating back pain (without any supporting evidence). ...

"A positive thinker, on the other hand, will realize that back pain is difficult to treat, has variable causes, and responds to different therapies based on an individual's unique circumstances. A positive thinker would have a realistic view of recovery, would accept the limitations of therapeutic options, but would focus on his abilities rather than his disabilities and look for ways to make the best of his current circumstances."

Speaking of which, if you want to impress magical thinkers and others, learn how to cold read a room: "Cold reading is a classic trick used by magicians, soothsayers, TV psychics, and other entertainers and charlatans. By asking a person the right questions, listening carefully, and making a guess or two, you can convince even many skeptics that you really are able to communicate with the spirit world."

Risk Assessment, Scapegoating, Escaping Death

2007-05-18T18:35:00+02:00

Dave Pollard writes about a study that researches "the risks of various 'voluntary' activities: non-critical medical therapies, job and transportation choices, and hobbies" and figures the comparative risk of fatality for people engaging in these activities for a year.

His analysis is that the report is an "illustration of the degree to which we mentally miscalculate the risks we face in our everyday lives, seeing some things as much safer than they really are (e.g. firefighting) and other things as much more dangerous than they really are (e.g. drowsy driving)." He also cites the example of SUVs being slightly less safe to drive than convertibles.

What interests most is this comment:

"This delusion of danger, and the illusion that something can or has to be done, that someone -- British cows, Canadian farmers, Chinese cats, Firestone, Saddam Hussein -- must be brought to account in order to give us back control, is literally making us all crazy. It causes us to believe we cannot let children out of our sight even for a moment. It causes us to wildly change our diets, to avoid visiting whole countries, to fingerprint whole nations of visitors, to suspend civil liberties, to put barbed wire around our communities, to drink only bottled water, to wear masks, to introduce five levels of increasingly hysterical 'threat' to everyone's safety."

Here's the usual human way of controlling anxiety about chaos, scariness, death -- blame and sacrifice someone who (or something that) is seen as the cause of the anxiety. Drunk drivers, speeders, bad parenting, tyrants in other countries, sick cows, Chinese manufacturers, terrorists, toy makers, fat people, medical practitioners, gun makers, lax drug agencies, add your own favourites ... In general, we can feel justified blaming anyone who acts mean, lazy, irresponsible, greedy, impatient, selfish, sick, with expediency, etc.

Don't misunderstand. People are culpable for actions that hurt others, especially with intent to do so. And -- removing all the people who hurt other people (and animals, and the Earth itself) from the Earth would leave it an empty planet. 'Bringing to account' everyone who deserves it may rectify some situations, bring with it a sense of justice or fairness, and restore 'wrongdoers' to the community; but it will never prevent human death. We can't escape physical death no matter what we do. Fitness, good diet, relief from environmental toxins, scrupulousness to avoid accidents and injurious situations and people -- all the health and safety precautions in the world -- will not result in physical immortality. It's funny how we seem to think it just might.

An Alzheimer's Story

2007-04-13T21:25:39+02:00

I cried listening to the interview aired on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday with Tom DeBaggio and his wife, Joyce. Here's an introduction to their story, from the NPR website, which links to the audio interview and provides excerpts from DeBaggio's books Losing My Mind: An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's and When It Gets Dark:

"For more than seven years, All Things Considered has followed the story of Alzheimer's patient Tom DeBaggio.

"DeBaggio started an herb farm and nursery in Northern Virginia and wrote an authoritative guide to herbs. He also wrote two books about what it was like to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He described it as 'the closest thing to being eaten alive slowly.'

"DeBaggio was 57 when he was diagnosed in 1999, and his decline has been clear in the intervening years." ...

"In unpublished writings about Alzheimer's, Tom DeBaggio writes:

"Now that I have skinned the tree, whistled a dirge for friends gone, waggled a finger in disgust and anger, it is time to be silent and wait for the next tear to fall. This is the way the world ends, with clouds of spit ringing your mouth and stuttering screams of helplessness, as it was in the beginning. Go on. Keep going on. Struggle to stay alive, even as the dark night falls with angry shouts and burning tears."

Hypertension - Treatment of High Blood Pressure

2007-04-10T03:15:00+02:00

It may sound like ancient marketing spiel, but there are good reasons why the Japanese call reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) the "mushroom of immortality." Although it won't make you immortal, it has been used as a high blood pressure treatment for over 2,000 years. For the past 30 years there has been more scientific study into reishi as a treatment for high blood pressure symptoms, and it hasn't been found wanting.You have many choices to make before and during treatment of high blood pressure symptoms. Patients already receiving standard high blood pressure treatment such as statins often seek out complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for treatment of high blood pressure."Complementary medicine" is medicine used alongside standard treatment. "Alternative medicine" is medicine used instead of standard treatment. Ask your doctor what approach you can safely try, complementary or alternative, and how to safely add reishi to your high blood pressure treatment.Reishi is known to lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and also strengthen the heart. Ask your doctor these questions about reishi for the treatment of high blood pressure:1.- What possible benefits can I expect from reishi? (The short answer is: a lot! Besides its use as a high blood pressure treatment and a heart-healthy herb, it can regulate the immune system, inhibit tumors, resolve allergies, improve lung function, boost endurance, and treat insomnia, liver disorders, anxiety, herpes, HIV, asthma and bronchitis.)2.- What are the potential risks of taking reishi? (Reishi is an extremely safe, non-toxic treatment of high blood pressure and has no known side effects, with the exception of detox symptoms for the first few days of taking reishi if the body is overly toxic. These include dryness of the mouth, throat and nasal areas, stomach upset, and loose stools.)3.- Do the possible benefits outweigh potential risks? (As a high blood pressure treatment, you must decide. High blood pressure symptoms or detox symptoms?)4.- Will taking reishi change the way my prescription medication works? (Very possibly. Studies confirm reishi is often such an effective treatment of high blood pressure symptoms that it may alter effects of prescription hypertension drugs. So it's possible dosages of prescription medications for high blood pressure treatment may need to be adjusted by your doctor.)5.- Are there studies showing this approach to treatment of high blood pressure symptoms is beneficial? (Dozens.)Many people try reishi as a high blood pressure treatment and say it that helps them feel better in other ways, as well as lowering blood pressure. Often, a drop in high blood pressure symptoms when taking reishi can be noticed after just 10 days. Many patients report the full benefits of taking reishi for two months. Reishi can be taken by a healthy person as well to prevent a variety of ailments.Reishi should not be a substitute for your doctor's recommended treatment of high blood pressure symptoms. If you decide you want to add reishi to your high blood pressure treatment protocol, it is very possible that you may soon need a lower dosage of prescription medication, and only your doctor can adjust that. Of course, your doctor wants you to be healthy. Armed with a wealth of information about reishi as a high blood pressure treatment, hopefully you will be able to get your doctor's cooperation in carefully monitoring your blood pressure after you start taking reishi and making necessary adjustments to your medications.

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Sientifically talking :“Life is summarized in Respiration, Alimentation and Sex”

2007-04-07T19:12:17+02:00

Talking scientifically, without considering feelings (love, passion, mercy...) or considering entertainment (art..) or whatever, there are three MAIN MAJOR and VITAL needs that we can’t live without: Alimentation, Respiration and Sex. It has been proved that our body depends on those three key words to maintain life: If one of them is missing, the basic metabolism will enter in disorder and end with death. We all agree that respiration is on the top of the list: no one can live without air...and personally, if they close my noise and mouth and will be told to chose between Billions of $ or that one deep fresh breath that i will be struggling for, of course the air will define my life more than the money...it is really precious.Thinking of the alimentation, the example of the house comes to my mind: to build a house, we need materials for construction; same thing with the body: to build our structure we need materials also...our materials are brought via nutrition and food. But, some houses may be destroyed if the basics are not well done...a strong wind can take it in his journey. The body is same, if we don’t eat the necessary demanded components (water, glucides, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamines and fibers) we will be stuggling with some sickness and diseases.When it comes to sex, different points of view may be elaborated according to religion, belief... but at the end sex is a simple matter of priorities. It was classified as an indispensable element for life. If we begin with the body...the body doesn’t know where to lead us, exept into more and more sensations of the flesh....sensations that must, by certain physiological laws, eventually cause the body to become immune to sensation, needing ever more and more stimulation....until finally like a drug, the tolerance level is reached. That fulfilling sensation and activity is required by the body and the brain...and no one can escape it. If your reason and mind do, your body won’t; and vice versa. Sex is not a sin; only the mis-use of its energy is a sin. No one can live without sex, if they don’t do it with a partner, they must be doing it secretly by themselves...Breath deep to be conscious of the air value. Eat healthy to protect your life and boby. Find love to enjoy sex because “Using the body as an instrument for sex alone, without feelings or love, is like listening to a symphony but using only one speaker.”

Women and Health!

2007-03-31T14:20:00+02:00

Well, there I was, a woman over a certain age and a male doctor about 16 years old.Ok, I do exaggerate a little.But what is it about ladies of a certain age? We are either "going through the menopause." Neurotic or both. Seems we are not to be taken seriously. Maybe it is just me. Maybe the doc was too young? He did ask in the middle of my consultation, if I was a worrier? That put me right off my stroke. I mean, after being asked that, was it worth going on? So, I will suffer a while longer and go and see another doc. To me it seems to be wasting the doctors' time. But I tried with just the one appt. I usually ask about a few things when I am there so perhaps the poor kid, (doc.) thought I was a bit "strange." But diverticulitis is not good and neither are the hot flushes that make ladies of a certain age feel terrible. Mine have been going for years now, just getting fed up with it all. Day ten of the no smoking. Gosh, it is hard work!

Good Days, Bad Days

2007-03-28T13:55:00+02:00

I felt so happy

running naked through the fields

wind in my hair, gathering daisies

not one worry about what I revealed

But then they said "I had too many bad days"

and they put me in here

"because that really would be for the best

since I did not see things clear"

Now I'm contemplating suicide

sitting quietly in my chair

daydreaming about jumping off this building

in which nothing seems fair

and they say "I have more and more good days

it's looking better every day

maybe I could go home soon"

while I drift even further away

Death as Punishment

2007-03-23T17:20:00+01:00

I could probably cite hundreds of articles and essays in which the idea of illness and death as a deserved punishment for sins either of omission or commission is expressed or subtly embedded. This happens to be the one I came across today, and she says it so well I want to repeat it here.

Cathy Seipp died Wednesday after a five year battle with lung cancer, at the age of 49. Apparently she was a devoted mom, a bit on the grouchy side, an unorthodox soul, and "the social, spiritual, and pugilistic core of the Los Angeles media scene."

Her friend Susan Estrich eulogises her, including some of Cathy's owns words concerning lung cancer:

"I'm beginning to feel a responsibility to point out that lung cancer, which kills more people annually (about 163,000) than the next four most common cancers (colon, breast, pancreatic and prostate) combined, is terribly underfunded compared to other diseases: $950 in research money per lung cancer death, compared to $8,800 for breast cancer and $34,000 for AIDS.

"That's because the vast majority of lung cancer (about 85 percent) is still caused by smoking, even though the rate for lifelong nonsmoking women like me (and Christopher Reeve's widow) has been going up for some mysterious reason, and the general attitude is that smokers deserve whatever they get.

"But half of all lung cancer patients have been nonsmokers by the time of diagnosis, sometimes for decades, like Warren Zevon. If they deserve to get sick, then I suppose so do people who are overweight or don’t exercise or who have promiscuous sex with strangers, all of which are contributing factors for various illnesses that get much more sympathy in the form of research dollars. Maybe the amount of attention we pay to a disease should have less to do with how many celebrities, magazine editors and junk bond kings carry its banner, and more with how many people actually die of it."

Maybe it's more complicated than that -- for one thing, tax dollars spent on x are tax dollars not spent on y, which might be equally or more beneficial than x, and if we can prevent a disease rather than spend money to cure or treat it over and over, all the better for everyone, including the would-be patient -- but at the core in our culture there is an element of blame, of just desserts, of some kind of justice done when a person becomes ill or dies because of what we think we can identify in our wisdom as bad choices, rather than simply an acknowledgment and sorrow that there are consequences that follow all our actions, including ones we make blindly, as children and teens, ignorantly, addictively, imitatively, thinking we are choosing a lesser evil over a greater one, and of course genetically, by being born to our parents.

Update 3/27: Weirdness surrounding Seipp's funeral and an vengeful imposter website.

Once more....................

2007-03-22T20:25:00+01:00

Day one once more! Usually, when I have tried to give up smoking before, day one has been quite good. Today though, I feel really fed up, a bit miserable. Not exactly bad tempered but not my sunny, usual self. Perhaps it's because, this time I am really going to stop! Yes, I thought that every time but maybe, just maybe, this is the time. They say, when you stop smoking it is like losing a friend. You miss them, you grieve. They are on your mind a lot, sometimes you are just aware that something is missing from your life. Which, let's face it, it is. But I know that I want to stop, I know that I should stop, I know the price has gone up, I know it's bad for your health, I know it's bad for other people's health, family and such. Yes, I know all these things.

Depression?

2007-02-16T14:55:00+01:00

Like the Lady below, "I am not amused." Is it because it's winter or what? I feel really fed up. Got that awful feeling, nothing to look forward to. Another birthday looms. Am I depressed? If I am, it's not serious depression. Just possibly, plain fed up. I would hate to be clinically depressed. My heart goes out to people who suffer from that! When I was younger, I used to get fed up but always thought that something nice would be round the corner. I lived in hope. But that feeling is no more. I mean, it's not as though I am very ancient. Just going on 63. I have my health, ok, not as nimble as I was but nothing I can't handle. I have given up the cigs. That might make me feel cheesed off. But I should be really pleased with myself. So why aren't I? It has been a hard slog, but apart from a minor blip yesterday, I have got over the worst bit. At least I hope so.

Information on Pseudomyxoma peritonei

2007-02-07T05:22:14+01:00

A very close friend of mine gave me the following message yesterday:

you have a larger network than me, could you leave a msg about PMP cancer on your blog somewhere, so if anybody have information, we could get more informationI know it's not appropriate, not necessarily on your blog, any public websites

I've met the sufferer of Pseudomyxoma peritonei and am afraid that I don't know anything more than what's on the wikipedia and national health service pages. It seems very scary and unformtable, but if you have any additional information about this illness, I would appreciate a comment or an email.

Week Five.

2007-02-06T22:36:49+01:00

Received an email today from the Quit site, I have not had a fag for five weeks! Golly, it has seemed to have flown by yet some days seemed to last forever.It's hard work is this giving up job. lol I notice, at bedtime, I don't wheeze now. Funny really, but there, in the back of my mind, I still fancy a cig, well to be honest, more than fancy one, I could "murder" one. This feeling is getting less though. At first, cigs were always on my mind. Even if I didn't really think of them, I always had a feeling that something was missing.It was my idea to stop. I know my husband didn't like me smoking. He never stopped me though. Sometimes the odd remark of how it wasn't long since I had put one out and now I was having another! So I was not under any pressure. Money? No, not really, could afford 10 a day quite easily.Health? Yes and no. I do have slight asthma, I used to get a chest infection at least twice a year but since being on inhalers, none. I did cut down on the cigs though. But otherwise, I have been lucky, up to now anyway. Suppose I don't know, long term, what damage the cigs have done to me.I still work 2 shifts a week as a nurse. People say how well I have done. The site says how well I have done. My granddaughter is proud of me. But until I can get through a few days without thinking about cigs, I just cannot relax somehow. I will overcome this!