tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15252760029998394242024-02-19T21:51:43.716-05:00My Journey To WellnessGregory P. JohnsonGreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-50437559192329639602022-08-12T09:59:00.000-04:002022-08-12T09:59:06.329-04:00Oxcarbazepine<p> 01/28/18-08/04/22 - No seizures. </p><p>08//06/22 - I woke up in the ER at Yale-New Haven Hospital (thinking that it was actually a dream for a while) after I was previously and unknowingly taken to Middlesex Hospital due to my first seizure since having brain surgery.</p><p>This isn't a very exciting post...</p><p>I have now been prescribed 600mg of Oxcarbazepine per day (300mg every 12 hours) to treat the further potential of seizures.</p><p><br /></p>Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-26832139570731544292020-05-12T15:03:00.000-04:002020-05-12T15:03:50.274-04:00Turn, Turn, Turn...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W4ga_M5Zdn4" width="459"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">To </span><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>Everything</b></span><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> (Turn, Turn, Turn)</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">And a time to every purpose, </span><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>under Heaven</b></span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><i><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></i><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>A time to be </i><b>born</b><i>, a time to die</i></span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A time to plant, a time to reap</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A time to kill, a time to </span><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>heal</b></span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span class="lf-line js-share-line" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A time to laugh, a time to weep</span><br />
<br />
For me, my Journey to Wellness is about to take another turn...<br />
<br />
Today, May 12, 2020, I received a call from my ID doctor re: my blood count from Thursday's (05/07) recent test shows that my white blood cell count is dropping. Being that this is the <i>potential</i> issue from the Linezolid that I am taking, I am being switched (again) to a different antibiotic. Tomorrow, I get to go to New Haven for a 3+ hour infusion with a vancomycin-related drug - <b><a href="https://www.drugs.com/cdi/oritavancin.html" target="_blank"><i>Oritavancin</i></a></b>.<br />
The overall plan is to do this IV tomorrow and Wednesday of next week. Of course, the weekly blood tests on Thursday will continue to happen in order to monitor the future progress of my WBC.<br />
After we (I) am done with the IV next week AND the results from the following blood test, I'll be going back on the Linezolid for another week to finish off the 6-week antibiotic plan...<br />
<br />
As it stands, we'll see how things go with this turn...Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-58008469058108212782020-04-19T14:36:00.000-04:002020-04-19T14:55:04.949-04:00Wow! (Round 2)<div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">About a year ago, I posted <a href="https://gregorypjohnson.blogspot.com/2019/03/wow-or-should-i-say-owww.html" target="_blank">Wow! ...or, Should I Say, "OWWW!"</a>... Today, I m adding to the Wow! of my life experiences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif;">What I have done all of my life was/is to wake up (at some point of my day), eat my breakfast, and then brush my teeth and other morning routines like shower, shave, etc.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Well, today, my current routine has changed for various reasons.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a test planned for Covid-19 to makes sure that I am "clean" for tomorrow's surgery.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Given my 'planned' surgery for tomorrow, I need to stop eating before 8 pm, tonight.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have stopped taking my supplements due to the surgery (<i>supposed</i> to be clean for 7 days, prior to surgery).</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I type this, we are in the car and heading to the location for the virus test.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Prior to this, I brushed my teeth. Moments after brushing my teeth, I thought about the fact that if I didn't eat breakfast, that would effect my hunger through the rest of the day and tomorrow due to the necessary fasting for surgery.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">...excuse my absence for a bit... It's pretty difficult to type this out while on the road (using my phone) to the test...</span></b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I'm back home and back on the laptop and running Conan the Barbarian in the background...</span></b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, according to the note they handed me, the test results will show up on MyChart is 5 days... </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From my personal experience, without the ability to confirm or deny any viral infection, I can only compare my physical condition to those that <i>may appear</i> if I am infected. According to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank">CDC:</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">These symptoms may appear <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">2-14 days after exposure to the virus</span> are:</span></i></a></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fever</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cough</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chills</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Repeated shaking with chills</span></i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fsymptoms.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">New loss of taste or smell.</span></i></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So far, I have been clear of all of those symptoms! As well, with my experience this morning, I am even more sure of it. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last couple of months, I have been intermittently fasting through the day(s). Generally, my intake of food has happened between noon and 8 pm. As a result, waking up and brushing my teeth/mouthwash happened 4-5 hours before eating anything.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, with my upcoming fasting due to surgery, I decided to shift my intermittent fasting from 12 pm-8 pm to 8 am-4 pm. Of course, I decided to make the shift <i>after</i> I brushed my teeth. That meant that I made and ate my breakfast with a relatively clean mouth. Let me tell ya... while I grew up with the mindset that it made more sense to clean my teeth/mouth after eating my breakfast (as opposed to going through the day with the remnants of the crumbs from my breakfast) and going through the rest of the day with a clean(er) mouth, I'm turning to the idea of brushing my teeth first.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not a big factor in the survival with life, but..</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At any rate, there has been<i> NO </i>loss of taste or smell!</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-56487099819060502472020-04-08T19:03:00.000-04:002020-04-08T19:03:00.962-04:00A Change of Pace; Round 2My current plan is to drop almost all of my vitamin supplement intake for multiple reasons:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>For at least a week, prior to surgery, I am not supposed to be using ANY supplements. After 6 surgeries, I'm still not sure why I can't use vitamin supplements.</li>
<li>The cost of buying supplements.</li>
<li>The waste (given my minimal disabilty income) of purchasing single vitamins (A, C, D, E, etc.) and a multivitamin is a little much.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Well, my first reason is probably my least impactful. back in March, when Surgery 7 was originally scheduled, I stopped my vitamin intake. When the surgery was canceled, I went back on my use of supplements. The main reason that I'm thinking of this is that I will eventually have to stop using the supplements prior to the surgery - whenever it finally happens.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The second reason is a little more impactful. With the current situation, income is very limited. The last thing that I need to spend it on is my supplement intake. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The third reason is just by my own choice. I found a good multivitamin through Vitacost. It uses 2 capsules per day, according to nutritional info. My goal was, and still remains, to use one per day just to insure the intake of the vitamins. It also increases the number of days that one bottle wil last.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, after I run out of my current stock on hand, my plan is to stick to the multivitamin and the vitamin D until the week before my surgery final occurs. After that, I will re-evaluate how things are going...</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-5790881361199661982020-04-07T18:08:00.000-04:002020-04-07T18:08:43.804-04:00A Change of PaceWith the <i>thrill </i>of Covid-19, lots of things have changed while some remain the same... (Now, I have The Song Remains the Same going through my head!)<br />
<br />
Today, two days earlier than expected, I received my recent order from Amazon: a case of Bai Puna Coconut Pineapple, Organic Chia Seeds, and Organic Stevia Powder. While I have consumed both the Bai Puna and the chia seeds, this will be my first attempt to use stevia powder. Sure, I hve consumed several things with stevia as a sweetener all ready included on the list or ingredients. The difference is that I don't add sugar/sweetener to anything. For instance, the tea I drink is always unsweetened.<br />
One of the things that I like to drink, though, is Kevita's Lemon Cayenne water kefir. That uses stevia as the sweetener and it delivers only 5 calories per 8 oz. serving. I really like the limit in sugars, the taste, and the probitic effect that the kefir provides. I don't really like the price that one bottle costs, though. The best price that I can find it for is about $3. Not really expensive, but...<br />
<br />
So, here's my plan! I'll brew some tea - either green tea or Bigelow's Lemon Ginger tea - and add some lemon juice, cayenne, and the stevia powder. I'll be lacking the benefit of the kefir but I'll gain the benefit of the lemon/cayenne. Bigelow's Lemon Ginger <i><b>IS</b></i> marketed as probiotic. It includes the ingredient of<b> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://bc30probiotic.com/what-is-ganedenbc30/" target="_blank">Ganeden BC30 probiotic</a><a href="https://bc30probiotic.com/what-is-ganedenbc30/" target="_blank"> </a></span></b><a href="https://bc30probiotic.com/what-is-ganedenbc30/" target="_blank">(follow the link to learn more about that)</a>.<br />
The RIGHT thing for me to do would be to squeeze my own lemons (and use grade B maple syrup) for the Master Cleanse, but that's not my current goal. I simply want to add the benefits of the lemon/cayenne beverage to my consumption without the price.<br />
For dinner tonight, I'll be consuming about 5g of net carbs for the whole meal... chicken, cauliflower, cheese, and lemon ginger tea with the said added ingredients.<br />
<br />
I definitely plan on increasing my lemon/cayenne tea over the next, couple of days. So, we'll see how well the added stevia powder works for me - I may just not like it...Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-5254383617981602292020-03-27T23:06:00.000-04:002020-03-27T23:06:48.131-04:00Comedy or Tragedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuJcKTtjWG-Ru0ixV15JcVRQf5oRs02EUsH7tVxzYbPmS4mPEVIjDgM2JAcf4SFWVB8vgD2DfFxSEznYR2Gl7HsE37aNKQdOXOB6lKGEG2NdCXdqU15DTDQtxExtjlEBqKbGWY_A2s038/s1600/comedy+tragedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuJcKTtjWG-Ru0ixV15JcVRQf5oRs02EUsH7tVxzYbPmS4mPEVIjDgM2JAcf4SFWVB8vgD2DfFxSEznYR2Gl7HsE37aNKQdOXOB6lKGEG2NdCXdqU15DTDQtxExtjlEBqKbGWY_A2s038/s200/comedy+tragedy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I think that I had a dream where I was performing on stage... No, wait... I DID perform on stage for many years of my life. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What I have recently been thinking, though, is that maybe it would be a good thing to do to return to the stage. However, to do so as a stand-up comic! I mean, I have a LOT to talk about. As well, I could react to my experiences with either comedy or tragedy... The way things currently stand, I'll be going back in for surgery - the <i>current</i> planned date is Wednesday, May 13. The result will be having a dent in my head. Given previous experience with this, said "dent" will be a sizable concave in my head as seen is the following picture:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabeyMMAyibwu9dto4GoQSHaedE9MKebXAACQfwhSYMS_p8XN24LLCA3msoX8MiFYmcZaQKCqEBM4XQSbCFANI7Hks0DtbnJ6f5FuTCi2vQr9YQbQu_mPhsxiT99HkNAP3U_Xz-zGALQTu/s1600/hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabeyMMAyibwu9dto4GoQSHaedE9MKebXAACQfwhSYMS_p8XN24LLCA3msoX8MiFYmcZaQKCqEBM4XQSbCFANI7Hks0DtbnJ6f5FuTCi2vQr9YQbQu_mPhsxiT99HkNAP3U_Xz-zGALQTu/s200/hole.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am only guessing that the result from the upcoming surgery is going to mimic this appearance.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I could definitely be depressed from the results of my health. I could blame the things that happened to me during my life. I could be sequestered and isolate myself at home.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...Or</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I could enjoy the good things in my life. I could share the experiences with others and, maybe, encourage people.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I actually looked in to visiting the hospital after my own recovery to visit the patients. I would share my story and/or get their stories... Basically, just to let them know that they are in the best hands.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While this is still a possibility, I'm not sure if is the best thing for me to do.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Laughter is the best medicine...</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The other side of the coin is that stand-up comedy can be a very healing tool to use - not just for the comedian, but also for the audience. I mean, if I can go on stage and just get a laugh from the hole in my head - well, why not? Further, if I can encourage others by relaying my story through humor, I think that would be a great thing. Granted, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I need to revisit my past and construct my comedy bits. While I have worked with comedians - from follow-spot for Jay Leno to security guard for Joan Rivers - and have performed comedy skits and plays on stage with others, I have never <i><b>been</b></i> a comedian. So... Why not now?</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-42944803923145297992020-03-26T21:37:00.000-04:002020-03-26T21:37:59.562-04:00Seventh Inning Stretch...May not be the best title for this post due to the fact that the MLB is currently on hold due to the Coronavirus that is going around. This is, however, my own stretch...<br />
<br />
I was scheduled for the 7th surgery for my skull to remove the implant on 3/11. It didn't happen because the surgeon, himself, was sick. (Hmmm... Coronavirus?) The surgery has been rescheduled for 4/15. Today, I got the call that ALL surgeries are being delayed even further. Instead of 4/15, I'm looking at 5/13 for the planned surgery.<br />
<br />
The good news? I was finally given the permission to WASH MY HAIR! Due to the most recent surgery - and the resulting stitches - I have not been allowed to even get my head wet. I was starting to develop cradle cap! I'm still limited to using baby shampoo to wash my head - but, at least I finally can! As of this writing, I have been able to "clean up" the cradle cap. It didn't happen entirely with the first shampoo but, as of today, I'm all back to normal - well, MY normal at least!<br />
<br />
Further, other thoughts have come to mind...<br />
...but, I'll update you on that in another post!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-330476625999681642020-02-17T19:04:00.000-05:002020-02-17T19:05:14.976-05:00The New Chapter: Whole or Hole? That is the Question!Six days ago, last Tuesday, I had the appointment to remove the remaining stitches from my head. Unfortunatly, the seam didn't completely hold... I had about 2 mm split open as soon as the stitches were pulled. In the picture below, you can see the scab representing that opening. The 'dimples' also visible in the picture are from the fact that my skin that is covering the insert filling the hole in my skull is extremely thin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HvmOSyzIN5XNuo1EgrWDgKFF78J0s5FnZUSeX1v8VHKZwDmcyUSieDhs_XXG4WkJEaTuLimX0uo1S3OZWdoLdgPnRsAA0bi7IZudxvXlChx3vtPYPAcT9SKHhXi_xv1i14kWvoTETxkq/s1600/IMG_20200211_155255392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HvmOSyzIN5XNuo1EgrWDgKFF78J0s5FnZUSeX1v8VHKZwDmcyUSieDhs_XXG4WkJEaTuLimX0uo1S3OZWdoLdgPnRsAA0bi7IZudxvXlChx3vtPYPAcT9SKHhXi_xv1i14kWvoTETxkq/s320/IMG_20200211_155255392.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Today, I went back to visit the plastic surgeon, Dr. Alperovich, to see where I can go next. Basically, I was given two options... (I was given these options at the previous visit, but more detail was provided at this appointment):<br />
<br />
1) I could go back to having the hole in my skull - thus, requiring a helmet.<br />
<br />
OR<br />
<br />
2) Have a relatively major step to 'fix' my skull by taking muscle from a different area of my body (likely, from my back - the latissimus dorsi, specifically), replacing the 'plastic' part of my skull with a new one to avoid further infection, and covering my head with the scavanged muscle from my back - sans skin.<br />
<br />
This is rather upsetting to only have those 2 choices - neither choice being all that wonderful.<br />
<br />
At this point, I'm pretty sure that I'm going with the hole in my head option over the muscle-head option! (After making that statement, I'm even more convinced that that is the way to go...)<br />
<br />
I think that the major downside to this part of my journey has resulted in a weight gain that I'm not thrilled with and the relative lack of exercise due to the limitations placed on me by the stitches. I basically wanted to positively effect the recovery of the implant/stitches by strictly following the instructions that I was given. It didn't work...<br />
<br />
I was in the best shape of my life - with some difficulties that I had to deal with - when I had the hole in my skull. I had already taken on the keto diet to starve the tumor in my brain and was continuing with that aspect. I was at 15-ish% body fat and at the right-ish weight for my 6'2" height due to the exercise that I was doing. My overall mobility was cosiderably more limited than it was even one year prior, but I dealt with it through other means. (As I finish with this post, I've come to a conclusion...)<br />
<br />
My plan is to go forward with keto, exercise, and a hole in my head!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-62949434526064662432019-08-09T20:33:00.000-04:002019-08-09T20:33:53.422-04:00Busy Day...Today, I had 2 different doctor visits and stopped for a blood test between them.<br />
<br />
The first was wth <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/joachim_baehring/" target="_blank">Dr. Baehring</a>. With this, we verified that I have <i>at least</i> two more cycles of Temodar chemotherapy followed by another MRI to judge the progress. <br />
My next cycle will start about 10 days from now and after I get another blood test next week to make sure things are doing well. Also, I'm taking a mini vacation next weekend, so I want to be back home before I start the chemo.<br />
After these next two cycles and the MRI, it is expected that I will be done with chemo!<br />
<br />
The second appointment was with <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/michael_alperovich/" target="_blank">Dr. Alperovich</a>. He's the surgeon that has been closing me up after the last 3 surgeries - trying to fix the skin on my skull. In this meeting, we discussed when and where we will be going for the next 6 or so months...<br />
Three weeks from now, I am going in for a CAT scan. This will start the next process. I will have a balloon installed under the skin on my skull. After that, the balloon will be inflated every week for several months to stretch my skin. Depending how it all goes, the plan is to reopen my skull, remove the balloon, and replace the missing bone of my skull with an inactive compound - an internal 'helmet' - that fits the hole in my skull.<br />
The weekly pump of the balloon is expected to start in October, proceed until January or February, and have the rebuilding of my skull after that.<br />
This is not a speedy process!Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-76438981185329983682019-04-10T16:59:00.003-04:002019-04-10T16:59:27.239-04:00Here I Go...Tomorrow, I start the next phase of chemotherapy. Instead of giving PCV another chance, the doctors are switching me to Temodar. This <i>seems</i> to be a fairly basic chemotherapy... For the next 5 days, I'll be starting the day with the anti-nausea Zofran on an empty stomach. 30 minutes later, it's the Temodar - 300 mg of one oral capsule. An hour later, I can go through the day as I normally do. 21 days after the next 5 days, I get to go in for a doctor's appointment to get a blood test and a follow up.<br />
<br />
I hope everything goes well...Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-10881217221920465642019-03-22T14:27:00.000-04:002019-08-10T11:05:02.492-04:00Wow! ...or, Should I Say, "OWWW!"Alright, "Owww" might be a little too intense to describe the current muscle soreness; I'm just <i>somewhat</i> surprised by how I'm feeling right now. "Why?" you say?<br />
<br />
<h3>
Well, I'll Tell You...</h3>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="background-color: black; color: yellow; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "varela round" , sans-serif;">[</span><span class="fine" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "varela round" , sans-serif;">music begins playing, the townspeople begin dancing and singing, "He's going to tell, he's going to tell!"</span><span style="font-family: "varela round" , sans-serif;">]</span></span></h4>
</div>
<div>
...sorry for the reference to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."</div>
<div>
On Sunday, a delivery was made to my front door... The source was Amazon - the person who ordered it is still unknown. In the box was a 7" Amazon Kindle Fire! Well, that was great! For no other reason, using the tablet meant that I could use my MacBook Pro a lot less! The only downside to the tablet - it doesn't use the Google or Apple app stores. Some of the apps that I would like to use on it just aren't available.</div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
The Good Thing...</h4>
<div>
My 51st birthday - the first year of the second half-century of my life - was Wednesday, March 20. I decided to look into one of the things that I have wanted to do for a long time - yoga! For one reason or another in the past, I just never had the opportunity to really give it an attempt. Well, while browsing the Amazon app store, I discovered several yoga-learning opportunities. One of them - unrelated to the physical yoga - was 'Brain Yoga.'</div>
<div>
"Well! That could be cool!" was my thought. So, I downloaded it. Today - Friday - makes the third day that I have used this app. I'm pleased with the app - even though I really haven't dug too far into it. We'll see how it goes...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not meant to be my main focus, Brain Yoga didn't end my search... I also found 'Simply Yoga'. This had 2 versions - Free and Pro. While the Pro is only $4.99 and given my lack of experience with yoga, I didn't feel right - or, ready - to be going with the Pro version just yet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yesterday, I discovered that the app could be viewed on my Fire TV! This made it a lot easier to view the video while learning how to do the different positions.</div>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
The Results...</h4>
<div>
Well ...hence the title of this post... I AM SORE!<br />
<br />
I started my day, yesterday, with free range eggs and grass-fed cheese to make my omelet. After doing some chores, I did some calisthenics like I normally do. I am always trying to improve myself physically.<br />
After lunch of plain yogurt, Garden of Life Protein powder, chia seeds, and hemp seeds along with some KeVita water kefir, I decided the weather was not good enough for me to go for a walk that I wanted to do. As a result, I decided to give 'Simply Yoga' a try. I mean, why would I download an app if I was never going to use it?<br />
<br />
I didn't very far into the 'work out'! Due to my current lack of physical abilities, I was unable to do the 'Sun Salutation' movement. I am just not that mobile to work my way from the standing 'Mountain Pose' through the 'Sun Salutation' and back to the standing 'Mountain Pose'.<br />
The third pose - and, my main target! - was the 'Warrior II Pose'. As it begins from the Mountain Pose, I was all ready to go. This went really well - except for the shakiness in my hands by the end of the pose!<br />
The next two poses were the 'Chair Pose' and the 'Deep Forward Fold'. Considering this was the first time for me, I handled them fairly well. I definitely need some work on them, though...<br />
Sixth in line was the 'Tree Pose'. There were two reasons that I couldn't go through it, though. 1) This pose required me to stand, balanced on one leg, and 2) I was already too tired to even give it a shot!<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
We'll See...</h4>
</div>
<div>
As it goes, we'll see how much more I might be able to handle some of these yoga poses. I'll try to learn more and try to master the ones that I can do. Hopefully, my overall movement and abilities will improve.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-71825009745840288302019-02-26T17:31:00.000-05:002019-02-26T17:32:46.845-05:00Recent Update Re: MY Life, the Universe, and Everything...<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
42</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div>
Thank you, Douglas Adams. I couldn't resist using a quote from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series in the title of this post.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, on Sunday, I had an MRI to check on the progress from the PCV chemotherapy with an appointment on Monday to review the results... Well, there wasn't any growth from the tumor. The downside is that there was also no reduction in the size on the tumor. The discussion that we had kind of still supported PCV. Basically, it seems to be too soon to really see any positive results.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, due to the other things that I had experienced from PCV led my neurologist to switch me off of it and onto Temodar chemotherapy. First off, it seems that Temodar is even more simple than PCV. With this, there is a 28 day cycle, but only 5 of those 28 days involve orally taking the Temodar. 23 day later, I'll repeat the cycle. Of course, during the 28 day cycle, I'll need to get blood tests to monitor the results/recovery from the side effects of the Temodar. Otherwise, there is no IV involved like there is with PCV. As well, there are no diet restrictions like the two weeks of the "P" during the PCV. The only similarity is to take the oral meds on an empty stomach.</div>
<h3>
No Rush to Chemotherapy</h3>
<div>
Due to the recent (round 4) surgery, we are also not rushing into Temodar. We are going to wait until the stitches are removed before we move forward. Currently, the plan is to have a follow up on 03/15 with the surgeon to do that very thing - to remove the stitches. If it is a go, then I will meet again with the neurologist to plan the schedule for Temodar. <i>Hopefully</i>, once I restart on chemo, I won't experience similar issues with the side effects!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-41576845084469379782019-02-23T03:24:00.000-05:002019-02-23T06:47:59.192-05:00Wishes, Dreams, ... LifeHere it is. I've been writing this 'poem' for a couple of months - really, it has been since surgery #3. I wasn't <i>too</i> focused on it, but just writing down some thoughts as they crossed my mind. Last night was when I really focused on it and decided to make the video behind it, too.<br />
<br />
So, here it is... Let me know what you think?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://vimeo.com/319122302" target="_blank">Wishes, Dreams, ... Life</a></div>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/319122302" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1elTGUOUbylk_hEMPEY-sf7FgR-3dQb3rbkZz6DurIITGGnvuNH6PnRpA3PKe9CzEp6PJSCMTdycLw1qZlZCpR_J9NAWc8R6eVMhHWmbwSaAul3ur0roLwSjUkMnUgUBRoF76bEkV1Vx1/s320/sunrise.jpg" width="320" /></div>
</a></h2>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-33804161326640224092019-02-09T00:06:00.000-05:002019-02-09T00:08:26.712-05:00A Busy Two Weeks!OK, so... LOTS of unexpected events in my life over the last two weeks! ...and, not for the best.<br />
<br />
Today, I returned home from my surgery (round 4) and hospital trip, but here is where it all began...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Monday, January 28 - </h3>
<div>
This was day 21 of my PCV chemotherapy - the last day of taking "P" (Procarbazine) during this cycle. Everything had been going just fine - until this point.</div>
<div>
Later that day, I started to break out in HIVES! In addition to that, I got extremely dizzy when I stood up. Twice, I had to let Ginger out to take care of her business. She made it out the door....I made to the floor! I didn't pass out, but I totally lost my balance. Fortunately on both occasions, I didn't hit anything but the floor on my back. No major pain, but we did call 911 the second time and I ended up at Middlesex Hospital. All they did while I was there was to measure my blood pressure in 3 different positions - lying, sitting, and standing. Due to the major drop in blood pressure while I was standing - 61/40!!! - they determined orthostatic hypotension being the cause. They basically just told me to keep hydrated to compete with the results.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Tuesday, January 29 -</h3>
<div>
After returning home, things went fine - but only for the next day. This time, when the dizziness kicked in, I didn't land as well! As a result, we drove to Yale-New Haven Hospital. They came up with the same diagnosis, but the hives had also really blown up! My arms and feet got really swollen! I was admitted to the hospital, but had to wait for a room. While I was in the emergency, they took a biopsy from one of the hives and started me on Claritin. Things progressed in my visit, got better, and I went home a couple of days later.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Monday, February 4 -</h3>
<div>
This time, I noticed that the stitched seam in my head had reopened in two places - again! Off to the hospital - again! Once again, I had to camp out in emergency until a room opened up, but surgery was planned for Wednesday. Rae, not having to work on Tuesday, stayed with me hoping to see some progress...<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Tuesday, February 5 -</h3>
<div>
I <i>WAS </i>scheduled for the IV of the "V" (Vincristine) on this day - day 29 of PCV - but that had been cancelled due to the breakout of the hives the previous week. The MRI that was also planned didn't happen (and, I hadn't gotten the results from the biopsy!) Without any other progress, Rae had to go home to get some real sleep before her job on Wednesday.</div>
<div>
I got the visit from most of the surgery team. The plan was to have the neurosurgeon present, but only would jump into action if there were problems that he needed to work on. Otherwise, the plan was to have the plastic surgeon to remove the titanium mesh that replaced the section of bone and restitch the seam.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Wednesday, February 6 -</h3>
<div>
Well, they moved me out of the emergency division into a room. About an hour later, I was headed to surgery...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...a couple hours later, I was back in the room and had a major headache (I wonder why!?!). Recovery began. Considerably uneventful. I had two IV imports, but never had either of them used after surgery. My only negative issues that I experienced during my stay had to do with the seeming miscommunication between the doctors and nurses. Depending on who I talked to, there were different rules for me. No major problems, though.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Friday, February 8 -</h3>
<div>
As I type this, I am back home. I now have the pleasure (please read the sarcasm) of wearing a helmet any time that I go outside! Considering that my skull is no longer complete, serious damage to my brain could happen with any trip, fall, or other hit to my head. Otherwise, everything should return to normalcy. We'll see how things go over the next couple of days.</div>
<div>
MRI?</div>
<div>
PCV round 3?</div>
<div>
As Chicago would sing, "Where Do We Go From Here?"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-74807443416329215622019-01-28T16:26:00.000-05:002019-01-28T16:30:50.393-05:00Chemotherapy - Round 2, Day 21Today, I finished with the "P" of the PCV chemotherapy. So far, there really has been no issues with the possible nausea from the medication! I still haven't bothered/needed to take the prescribed Zofran to fight the nausea.<br />
Next Tuesday, day 29 of the PCV cycle, I'm heading to the hospital for the intravenous "V" and have also scheduled an MRI to take a closer look to see if there is any progression of the tumor - positive <i>or</i> negative.<br />
<br />
I really need to comment on how blown away I am at the simplicity of chemotherapy for a tumor in my brain! Knowing what I did about chemotherapy - not previously having experienced it, personally - I didn't expect it to be so simple. The only downside - that <b><i>I</i></b> have experienced - is the time that I have to spend at the hospital during the cycle. The actual IV only takes about 15 minutes. The visits for the IV take about 2-3 hours! Of course, they have to get the vitals - temp (98.4!), blood pressure (124/82!), weight (164.6!), etc. - <i>and</i> draw some blood to test those levels. While the lab checks the blood, I wait...and wait...and wait. Also during that time, my doctor comes in to do a quick check-up. Considering that the IV visit is only twice during the 29-day cycle, I really can't complain.<br />
<br />
Other than the chemo, my focus today was to get some exercise! My goal was to do several sets of the '<a href="https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-6-best-kettlebell-exercises-you-need-to-do.html" target="_blank">kettlebell swing</a>' among other things. Can I just say that <b>I love</b> that particular exercise?!?<br />
I wanted to go for another walk after my weight training, but it is just a bit too cold. I mean, it <i><b>IS</b></i> January, after all!<br />
<br />
With all things considered, it has been a great day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-11874870738057777772018-11-25T14:35:00.001-05:002018-11-25T14:35:12.696-05:00Chemotherapy - Day 10Things are going fine, so far. Rather than wasting your time reading these posts, I decided to only add a 'chemo-post' if things start to go wrong...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-30742834129309151702018-11-24T22:31:00.001-05:002018-11-24T22:31:16.384-05:00Chemotherapy - Day 9<h3>
Day 9 - </h3>
<h3>
Prescribed:</h3>
<h4>
<ul>
<li>Procarbazine (Matulane) - 100mg (for chemo)</li>
<li>Doxycycline, 100 mg (for previous infection)</li>
<li><i>also Zofran - 8mg (to prevent nausea)</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
6:30 AM -<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Again, I didn't take the zofran to prevent nausea. There seemed to be no issue, yesterday. If nausea kicks in, I can/will see if zofran works for me... As it is, I only need to take the procarbazine for chemo, today. I still have to avoid the tyramine foods.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
8:30 AM -<span style="font-weight: normal;"> I'm supposed to give it one hour after the "P" before I eat, but I wasn't in a hurry - or, terribly hungry. I ended up cooking an omelet - just eggs and shredded cheese - and I'm not having any issues...</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
10:00 PM -<span style="font-weight: normal;"> No issues today. I just took the doxycycline and done for the day. I'm pleased with the way the day went.</span></div>
</h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-34336324248041568512018-11-23T19:17:00.001-05:002018-11-24T07:42:07.231-05:00Chemotherapy - Day 8<h3>
Day 8 -</h3>
<h3>
Prescribed:</h3>
<h4>
<ul>
<li>Procarbazine (Matulane) - 100mg (for chemo)</li>
<li>Vincristine - intravenous (for chemo)</li>
<li>Doxycycline, 100 mg (for previous infection)</li>
<li><i>also Zofran - 8mg (to prevent nausea)</i></li>
</ul>
</h4>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>6:30 AM - </b>While I now have Zofran on hand, I don't want to use more than I need. I'm giving today a test. If procarbazine - the "P" - doesn't cause me to get nauseous, I'm not going to take the Zofran. As such, I only took the prescribed 100 mg of "P," this morning. I'm drinking a lot of water with it.</div>
<div>
Today also introduces the need to avoid the tyramine foods. This shouldn't be a major problem, for me. There are many things on the list that I don't like to eat, anyway. The problem is that aged cheese <i>is</i> on the list and I do like to eat a lot of cheddar and Swiss cheese - also, I'm not supposed to eat any beef jerky...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>7:45 AM - </b>Breakfast. Here comes the real test for nausea. It's one thing on an empty stomach but, now that I'm eating, we'll see...<br />
At any rate, I'm sticking to the keto diet.<br />
<br />
<b>9:30 AM</b> - just got blood drawn for testing the levels before the IV and waiting for the results.<br />
<br />
<b>10:15 AM</b> - I just got the results through email! It's really scary that I have access to the results this fast through the internet! Everything looks normal except the BUN - that's a little high. Still waiting for the doctor to approve the "V" as a result of the blood test.<br />
<br />
<b>10:45 AM</b> - Doctor meeting... Still waiting for "V" - this time, for the pharmacy to fulfill the prescription.<br />
<br />
<b>12:00 PM</b> - Finally heading home. The IV shouldn't have taken so long. Literally, it was a 2 mg dose of the vincristine in 25 g of saline.<br />
<br />
The rest of the day was uneventful. No negative reaction to procarbazine or vincristine - yet!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-17268878504183553682018-11-16T22:40:00.000-05:002018-11-23T06:57:55.008-05:00Chemotherapy Begins...Not an exciting title to this post. Sorry...<br />
<br />
Today, 11/16/18, I began the PCV chemotherapy and I decided to log my experience with it. I will be updating the post as the day progresses and will continue to do so in my real-time.<br />
<h3>
Day 1 - prescribed:</h3>
<b>Lomustine/CCNU, 210 mg (for chemo)</b><br />
<b>Doxycycline, 100 mg (for previous infection)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>5:30 AM</b> - The only thing scheduled for PCV today is one dose of the "C" - <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682207.html" target="_blank">lomustine/CCNU</a> (210 mg). Taken on an empty stomach. I was <i>supposed</i> to have a prescription for <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601209.html" target="_blank">ondansetron (Zofran)</a> (8 mg) to treat any nausea caused by the lomustine - taken 30 minutes before taking the "C" - but the prescription wasn't issued in time for me to pick it up, yet.<br />
I'll brew some pau d'arco/taheebo tea for the day (my plan is to brew enough to fill one of my 64 oz. growlers for later use).<br />
<br />
<b>11:00 AM</b> - So far, so good. No reaction to the "C" but the morning got away from me and I am just getting my breakfast! I was not intending an intermittent fast. I'm taking my multivitamin with my 'brunch.' We'll see how it goes.<br />
<br />
<b>5:30 PM </b>- Just got back from the pharmacy to pick up the ondansetron prescription. Fortunately, I haven't needed it! Prepping/eating dinner. So far, I haven't experienced any nausea. With my dinner, I'm taking niacin (500 mg), potassium (200 mg), omega-3 (1500 mg), vitamin D3 (2000 IU), vitamin E (400 IU), and vitamin K2 (100 Mcg).<br />
<br />
<b>8:30 PM</b> - Snack for dinner. Supplements: niacin (500 mg), potassium (200 mg), magnesium (160 mg), omega-3 (1500 mg)<br />
<br />
<b>10:30 PM</b> - doxycyclineAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-76562873871472555922018-11-13T15:36:00.000-05:002018-11-13T15:36:23.048-05:00Good Times, Bad Times...<div style="text-align: left;">
Thank you, Led Zeppelin - "Good Times, Bad Times, you know I've had my share..."<br />
<br />
That's been my share for the last couple of months - good and bad times. As I mentioned in the last post, <a href="https://gregorypjohnson.blogspot.com/2018/07/getting-back-into-it-to-t.html" target="_blank"><i><b>here</b></i></a>, I didn't start with the chemotherapy due to the spiked creatinine levels and potential kidney issues. Well... shortly after that, I ended up back in the hospital for a third surgery! The stitched seam from the second surgery had *popped* open and exposed my brain to the air. As a result of the surgery, I ended up back on vancomycin. This time, they only scheduled 1,250 mg twice a day instead of 1,500 mg three times a day. I didn't have the same negative reaction - Red Man Syndrome - this time!<br />
Due to the possible source of the creatinine spike - muscle soreness - I didn't do ANY exercise during the recovery time... 6+ WEEKS of NO exercise! As usual with vancomycin, my appetite disappeared. This time, I tried to eat every day, but my intake was still only about 1,000-1,500 calories each day. On June 1st, I weighed in at 210 lbs., 24% body fat - fairly normal for me. As of today - Nov. 13th - I weighed in at 160 lbs. and 13.6% body fat! At one point, I was down to 156 lbs. - at 6'2" tall, that's not a terribly healthy weight!<br />
<br />
...good times, bad times.<br />
<br />
<i>...excuse me for a minute - I need to answer the phone...</i><br />
<br />
Well, while I'm sitting here and typing this post, I got that phone call... Apparently, I should expect a delivery for one of the three components for the PCV chemotherapy - specifically, the "C" - tomorrow morning. I haven't gotten any information regarding the second component - the "P" - as to when I should be receiving that but it will come from a different pharmacy than the "C." As far as the "V" is expected, that is actually an IV that I will have to spend at least an hour at the hospital for.<br />
Once I start the cycle, I will take "C" on day 1. Then, nothing until day 8. On day 8, I start the day with the "P" on an empty stomach and, later, head to the hospital to get the IV of "V" that will take about an hour. I, then, stay on "P" everyday from day 8 through day 21. The last part of the cycle is a second IV of "V" on day 29 <b>BUT</b>, I <i><b>then</b></i> need a blood test every week until I restart the cycle. Oh, and an MRI.<br />
<br />
...good times, bad times.<br />
<br />
More on the "good times" side than the "bad times"...<br />
Given that the doxycycline *apparently* didn't have much impact on the creatinine, I'm back to exercising!<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-45836306940472371602018-07-02T14:14:00.000-04:002018-07-02T14:14:55.296-04:00Getting Back Into It - to a 'T'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Alright, the title of this post is a <i>little</i> too focused on the topic, but... </div>
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I've been trying to do more exercise in order to recover from the events over the last 6 months. Five to six days per week, I've mostly done exercises that only rely on bodyweight - sit-ups, push-ups, planks, etc. - but, I also have a 20 lb. bar that I use for things like bench press, bent-over row, clean and press, and more. </div>
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In addition to the exercise, I also spend time online trying to earn 'bucks,' points, cash, and bitcoins. One of the sites that I have been using is <a href="https://www.inboxdollars.com/r/1448646854/7" target="_blank">InboxDollars</a>. Over the years, they have changed how you can earn dollars. Today, I was watching video clips on the site to earn some cash. I saw one video that showed the <b>'Bent-Over T' </b>exercise. Given that you don't need equipment to do this exercise, I <i>had </i>to try it! I couldn't download the video I saw there... so, I recorded my own (it's not a spectacular video because I had to use my phone):</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5VM0L02W7szjV2BXTbDPL6QXJ52HDIO9f7-yZMnyzloAbKA95w1m3yY2iWyO7x5nxbXPM1deMAfrq9c2rGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
In my 'test' for the exercise, I did a superset: 20 reps of the bent-over row (not shown in the video) with the 20 lb. bar and followed immediately by 15 reps of the bent-over T. It felt <i>amazing</i>!<br />
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<h4>
Change of Plans...</h4>
<div>
The original plans for today were for me to start on the PCV chemotherapy for the first cycle. However, those plans changed because of a blood test that I did from the week before. I was told that my results may indicate problems with my kidneys. Therefore, I need to do further testing. I have an appointment coming up on Thursday.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing... the doctor that called me re: my blood test told my that the test indicated that my <b>creatinine</b> was high and that indicated that my kidneys may have been affected by the various meds that I had been using. The immediate result of the phone call was that I should stop taking the doxycycline that he had prescribed to me. The upcoming appointment was the only, other result that was generated.<br />
<br />
<i>Except</i> for my research...<br />
<br />
When I got to view the results, this is what I saw:<br />
<br />
<table class="components" id="components1474" style="background-color: #be9e6f; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7) 0px 1px 3px -2px; clear: left; color: #363636; font-family: Calibri, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 754px;" summary="Table of test result components"><thead style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><th id="components1474_col0" scope="col" style="background-color: whitesmoke; border-color: rgb(219, 219, 219); border-style: solid; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: #1b6dd1; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 5px; text-align: left;" title="Result Component">Component</th><th id="components1474_col1" scope="col" style="background-color: whitesmoke; border-color: rgb(219, 219, 219); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: #1b6dd1; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 5px; text-align: left;" title="Value of Component Result"> Your Value</th><th id="components1474_col2" scope="col" style="background-color: whitesmoke; border-color: rgb(219, 219, 219); border-style: solid; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; color: #1b6dd1; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 5px; text-align: left;" title="Range of Normal Values">Standard Range</th></tr>
</thead></table>
<br /><table class="components" id="components1474" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7) 0px 1px 3px -2px; clear: left; font-family: Calibri, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 754px;" summary="Table of test result components"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<tr class="odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td class="nameCol srchbl" headers="components1474_col0" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">BUN</span></td><td class="valueCol" headers="components1474_col1" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">30<span class="unit" style="font-size: 0.909em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> mg/dL</span></span></td><td class="rangeCol" headers="components1474_col2" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">8 - 18 mg/dL</span></td></tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td class="nameCol srchbl" headers="components1474_col0" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">Creatinine</span></td><td class="valueCol" headers="components1474_col1" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">1.90<span class="unit" style="font-size: 0.909em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> mg/dL</span></span></td><td class="rangeCol" headers="components1474_col2" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">0.50 - 1.20 mg/dL</span></td></tr>
<tr class="odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td class="nameCol srchbl" headers="components1474_col0" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">Calcium</span></td><td class="valueCol" headers="components1474_col1" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">10.3<span class="unit" style="font-size: 0.909em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> mg/dL</span></span></td><td class="rangeCol" headers="components1474_col2" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">8.8 - 10.2 mg/dL</span></td></tr>
<tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td class="nameCol srchbl" headers="components1474_col0" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">BUN/Creatinine Ratio</span></td><td class="valueCol" headers="components1474_col1" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">15.8<span class="unit" style="font-size: 0.909em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></td><td class="rangeCol" headers="components1474_col2" style="border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; font-size: 1em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">10.0 - 20.0</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
</div>
The line that mattered most to me was the BUN/Creatinine Ratio. Yes, the BUN and creatinine were higher that the norm, but the ratio fell right in the middle of the standard range. So, I looked into what the ratio meant. This is what I found:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">BUN stands for blood urea nitrogen. Creatinine is a natural product of muscle breakdown that occurs at a low level in the body. Both BUN and creatinine are filtered by the kidney and excreted in urine. For this reason, BUN and creatinine are used together to measure kidney function.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span>
The problem that I have with the doctor's decision is the fact that the creatinine results were not compared to the BUN and it seems that he didn't take the ratio into his judgement. Also, the 'muscle breakdown' is also a common result from exercise! Maybe, just maybe, the exercises that I have been doing for the last several weeks had an effect of the creatinine results?!?<br />
<br />
At things stand, we'll see what the appointment on Thursday shows...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-57999130132745172882018-05-21T21:19:00.000-04:002018-05-21T22:47:29.676-04:00The Peak of the MountainIt has been two months since my last post because my journey has taken something that seems to be a mountain climb - and not in the best way. I'm still striving to reach the peak.<br />
<br />
For most of the month of April, you would have found me camping out in the hospital and it wasn't my focus to update this blog.<br />
<br />
To start it all off, I woke up one day with the left side of my head <i>very</i> wet - almost like I was trying to wash my head while I was asleep. It turned out to be leakage from the surgery 'scar.' I washed up and went through the day without any further leakage - until the next morning. Again, I woke up to wetness. It wasn't quite as wet as the day before but, instead of what seemed to be clear water, I was now dealing with brownish pus. We scheduled a doctor's appointment to get this thing examined for Thursday, April 12. Literally, 10 seconds after the doctor met with me, he sent me to the Emergency Room to check in to the hospital and get round 2 of surgery done the next day.<br />
<br />
Well, surgery was done around noon on that Friday. This time, they re-opened the original scar and cleaned out the growing bacteria. They couldn't seal up my skull with the bone this time so they used a web of titanium to replace the bone. After the surgery, they started me on two antibiotics to further fight the infection - vancomycin and ceftriaxone. These were administered through the 24/7 IV (intravenous) that I was hooked up with. The vancomycin was the main antibiotic they were focusing on. For this, I got 1500 mg over 1.5 hours every 8 hours. The ceftriaxone was meant to support the fight. I don't remember the dosage, but this was added every 12 hours through the IV. This schedule was intended to go for the next 6 weeks.<br />
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For the next couple of days, nothing changed - except they moved me into a private room.<br />
<br />
April 16, there was someone standing outside of my room and making a call to my wife to inform her of what was about to happen... In order for me to continue with the IV at home, I was getting a PICC - peripherally inserted central catheter - that ran from my upper arm all the way to the superior vena cava. Also, at this point I was no longer on the IV 24 hours - just when I was getting the antibiotics. Since the install, the PICC was used for all of the IV and all of the blood draw for testing.<br />
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Wednesday, April 18, I was scheduled to go home, but a woke to seeing dried blood on the pillow. It turned out that a small area of the stitches was bleeding a little bit. As a result, I got re-stitched... and had to stay another day to make sure this stitch worked.<br />
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Thursday, April 19 - I'm home! Due to the time I left the hospital, I only had to do one more dose of the two antibiotics. A major change was with the ceftriaxone - it was administered through the PICC from a large syringe instead of a standard IV. For this, I would simply attach the syringe to the PICC and take the next 10-15 minutes to slowly empty the syringe. The vancomycin was the standard bag - 1500 mg on vancomycin in 250 ml of saline. For the next couple of days, everything seemed to be going alright until late, Saturday evening. I started feeling the flu-like symptoms. It was too much like what I went through so many years ago thanks to Rebif. Things got worse on Sunday. We called the visiting nurse to get checked on. By the time he got here, it was already decided that I would be going back to the hospital.<br />
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Sunday night, there I was... the Emergency Room - actually, I should have mentioned earlier that Yale-New Haven does not have an ER; theirs is an Emergency Department or ED. Originally, they put me in a room and started the blood draw, vitals, etc. It also came time for me to get my antibiotics. They, apparently, didn't want to use the PICC for any of my tests, so they had already shot me up with a new IV on my left arm. Immediately, the message was delivered that we would hold on using the ceftriaxone AND the seizure medication that I was using at the time - I would only get the vancomycin until further notice. The next day, they moved me upstairs to room 4830. This room had three beds. Both by the window were occupied - the third became my new location. Fortunately, that didn't last long! The guy next to me got to go home shortly after I arrived and I got to move to the window. That left Joe and I as roommates. He was a great guy and we hit it off right away.<br />
As the meds turned out, I was officially taken off of the ceftriaxone and returned to the seizure medication. The next day, we got another roommate - Anthony. Dealing with the results of a stroke, Anthony actuality liked the bed that I vacated. He wanted the control over the privacy and control over the lights that he couldn't do with daylight from the window. The result was that Anthony, Joe and I formed a great bond. If one of us was sleeping, the other two would carry on a conversation.<br />
<br />
Other than getting several doctor visits, no much happened for the rest of the week - except they decided to go back to using the PICC around Wednesday...<br />
<br />
On Saturday, the message was delivered that I would stay on the vancomycin - but slow down the input to at least 3 hours per session AND need to use 25 mg of Banophen 15-30 minutes prior to my IV. "Why?" you ask. Well, this was prescribed to help fight off the Red Man Syndrome that the vancomycin was presenting.<br />
<br />
Finally, on May 2, I was sent home. Since then, I have used my 3 doses per day of vancomycin - but my appetite has disappeared. Most days, I ate nothing. Others, I couldn't stomach more than 200-300 calories for the whole day. Nothing tastes good!<br />
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As of today, May 21 (and my mom's birthday!), I have added some plain, whole yogurt to my diet. If nothing else, my plan is to consume a couple of tablespoons to add the probiotics to my digestive system. Today, I was able to stomach breakfast, lunch, and dinner of 2 tablespoons of yogurt for each 'meal.'<br />
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So, while I am hooked up to the IV, I'm posting my experience with my climb of the mountain. Hopefully, I'll reach the peak soon!<br />
<br />
Oh, and let me just note that, since the original operation on January 29, I have not experienced any seizures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-11888452397396974902018-03-21T18:15:00.000-04:002018-03-21T18:15:18.830-04:00What Is This All About?Wow - a LOT ha occurred since my last trip on my journey... On January 29, 2018, I experienced brain surgery on what turned out to be a TUMOR IN MY BRAIN!<br />
<br />
While the long-time-ago-diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has not been ruled out, what was diagnosed as a MS <i>lesion</i> in my brain was changed to a <b style="font-style: italic;">LOW GRADE GLIOMA </b>tumor! It's kind of amazing what a relatively-new-to-me neurologist will discover after 10 years - and rather upsetting that three <i>other</i> neurologists will just stay with the original diagnosis AND try to prescribe a different MS drug. Although I am still trying to find a local primary care physician, all of my other doctors are located at the Yale-New Haven Hospital - not too far from home, but not too local, either.<br />
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<b>So, why am I actually writing this - or, as the title says, what is this all about?</b> Mainly, my focus that I want to share is what I have been trying to do that would only help the matters of my health.<br />
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A not-so-long time ago in a galaxy - well, <i>this</i> one... I have found something that is supposedly beneficially to healing cancer. <a href="http://www.paudarcoteaclub.com/" target="_blank">Pau d'arco tea</a> is that thing! Check out this <b><a href="http://www.paudarcoteaclub.com/" target="_blank">link</a> </b>for the information that is already spelled out - no need for me to copy it here. I've started using the tea daily - 2-3 servings each day. It's how I start my day every day. Recently - well, today before writing this post - I made a 64 oz. bottle of tea to refrigerate. This was actuality a mix of 3 different teas... I used the pau d'arco, added Bigelow's Lemon Ginger tea that gives me the benefit of probiotics, and some green tea that is just all-around beneficial in so many ways.<br />
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Another step on my journey is to stick to a low/no carb diet. Sugar is a cancer fertilizer! There are so many recommendations out there that say low/no carb is the way to go. This isn't new to me, but certainly a diet that I haven't done in a while. I had great success with it in the past and actually like where it can take me again - in addition to what it can/might do for me in the tumor situation. Both the positive and negative of the low/no carb diet is the tie to the Atkin's diet. Almost all Atikn's products are poisoned by sucralose - something that I WILL NOT CONSUME IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. It's not like I can't eat what I want to, though. There are plenty of better options than Atkin's products.<br />
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<b>What's coming up for me is my journey through chemotherapy. </b>In this case, I'm looking forward (sarcasm, intended) to the course of PCV chemotherapy. From what I've read, it could be a lot worse. This particular series involves 29 days of my life with a 'time-off' of 6-8 weeks between each session. During 2 weeks of that 29 days, my diet will be restricted due to the drug that is used during that time. I won't be able to eat most cheeses, anything fermented, and a number of other things that contain tyramine.<br />
On the positive side is the fact that the doctors do not recommend any radiation treatment!<br />
<br />
<b>So, that's where my journey is currently. </b>We'll see how things progress...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-8563267905608120702017-10-13T13:35:00.000-04:002017-10-13T13:35:22.533-04:00Oh My! So Good!...and crazy simple! Last month, the family went to the Eastern States Exposition - better known as The Big E. The weather was fantastic, it was great family time, and it planted a seed (pun intended) for the new path on My Journey to Wellness.<br />
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The seed that was planted was my discovery of the booth of Hempfully Green Healing House on the Vermont property of The Big E. While hemp is closely related to marijuana - like cauliflower is to broccoli - hemp lacks the quantity of the psychotropic compound "THC" that marijuana has but still has the compound "CBD" that provides the primary benefits of hemp! It's kind of like comparing kombucha to vodka - both have alcohol, but you won't get drunk from kombucha.</div>
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The next step on the path was to find a good source of hemp seeds/products to add to my diet. This was a big step! My focus was to find viable hemp seeds that I could sprout to gain the additional benefits. While there are organic sources, everything that I could find was hulled and can't be sprouted. I did find a potential source for viable seeds, the cost was too high - 2 oz. for $20! If my interest was to plant and grow hemp, that might not be so bad. That's not my goal, though. I simply want to gain the additional benefits of the sprouted seeds and there is no way that I can afford a daily 'snack' for $20 each! So, until I can find a good source of viable, sprout-able hemp seeds, I'll go with the organic, shelled seeds.<br />
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Call it faith or fate... my next step came from <a href="https://oceanstatejoblot.com/" target="_blank">Ocean State Job Lot</a>. Last week, they had a 40th anniversary sale - everything priced less than $10 was on sale for 40% off - so, we went shopping! Ocean State Job Lot has an amazing selection of <a href="https://www.bobsredmill.com/" target="_blank">Bob's Red Mill</a> products - most of which qualified for the sale. I picked up the <a href="https://www.bobsredmill.com/hulled-hemp-seed-hearts.html" target="_blank">Hulled Hemp Seed Hearts</a> and the <a href="https://www.bobsredmill.com/hemp-protein-powder.html" target="_blank">Hemp Protein Powder</a>.<br />
<br />
Last night, it took another step on the path - and, the source of the title of this post... Certainly not a great recipe but it was so good! I made a simple mix of the seeds, protein powder and ...drum roll, please... peanut butter!<br />
<br />
Today, while composing this post, I took a relatively short step on the path. I made the same mix that I did last night but added a tablespoon of coconut oil. I'm thinking that I am going to cut out the peanut butter from the mix...</div>
Greghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03055403466114543868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1525276002999839424.post-58170058878429700882016-12-14T17:33:00.000-05:002016-12-14T17:33:15.755-05:00The Thrill!I went grocery shopping yesterday and got really excited when I found a new item in Stop & Shop's "Nature's Promise" section of the store! As I was picking up my fertilized eggs, raw cheddar cheese, and <a href="http://amzn.to/2hmU2tw" target="_blank">GT's Kombucha</a>, I found that they had added a new item there - "Nature's Promise" Organic Kombucha! OK, so perhaps I was a bit too thrilled by my discovery, but it's always great to find a new option for something that you really like. The primary benefits of Stop & Shop-brand items are that they are less expensive and as good or better than the brand name options.<br />
<br />
Well, as it turned out, I <i>was </i>a bit too thrilled... There were 3 flavors of "Nature's Promise" kombucha available. I chose 2 of them - "Ginger" and "Raspberry Lemon Ginger" - to try. The results? I didn't like either of them.<br />
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The result? The thrill is gone... <a href="http://amzn.to/2hGzbSN" target="_blank">B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09436941632621986089noreply@blogger.com3