Category: Uncategorized

September 15, 2020

Smell the Flowers, Blow the Leaves

COVD-19 is a serious virus

Strangely enough, this is my first post since 1 year ago today.

I have just recovered from the most serious illness of my 65 years – COVID-19. I never imagined I would get infected, but I did. As of this writing, it’s been a 29 day miserable odyssey.

In my case, I developed a dry hack on the 15th of August. The next day my upper bronchial tubes felt infected – swollen and sore. I took a CV test at Piedmont Hospital the next day. They stick the long swab way back in your sinus tube to the point of near pain. I had a video appointment with my provider at the VA clinic on Monday, the 17 of August, My Athens VA provider, Ms. Hawkins, prescribed a Z-pack which is Azithromycin along with some cough syrup, and an inhaler. My cough was not so bad. After the test at the ER, I was sent home. It hurt to breathe.

The next week at home was miserable. Lack of sleep, complete loss of appetite, diarrhea, and chest congestion and the overall pain and misery that goes with it all. It was on the horrible side, I scarcely recall the entire week.

Cathy called our primary GP and he suggested getting evaluated at the hospital on Monday, the 24th of August. Once triage was complete, I was taken to an isolated room off the ER. They monitored me for several hours there. After observation and numerous tests, I was admitted to Piedmont.

I spent the next 7 days in an isolated room complete with a large hepa-filter fan blowing the room air outside. This was Day 10 after feeling ill. I had IV ports inserted in both arms. The next 7 days were also miserable for me and mentally challenging. There were numerous medicines inserted into my system. The first 4 days, I had pneumonia. The administered antibacterials and antivirals after a few days the pneumonia cleared up. However, the other symptoms remained.

I have Type 2 Diabetes and it was running very high. So, I received insulin shots regularly. Normally, as I do now, I treat with Jardiance and Metformin only and it i kept under control. I also received injections of blood thinner daily in order to prevent blood clots as I had been lying down for 9 days prior to entering the hospital. They gave me Corticosteroids daily. This STRONG medication mimics cortisol, a hormone that is naturally produced by the adrenal glands in healthy people. This medication makes your entire body “amped up”. It wires you like a high voltage infusion. It is an overwhelming drug that makes a person’s mind race.. In addition to the steroids, I got 6 treatments intravenously of Remdesivir. This drug has not been approved by the FDA. It’s an antiviral drug that has shown effectiveness with SARS-COV2 and MERS. It was a week of intense medications and they took their toll on my overall being. On top of it all, my oxygen levels were low (87% – which should be 97-99%) and I was placed on .3 liters per minute. The nurse suggested that I do what I could to exercise my lungs. At this point if I took a deep breath, it was very painful. I used the spirometer during the day to exercise my lungs. I had a wonderful nurse for a day or two who was very upbeat, supportive, and cheered me up and on as much as she possibly could. One day, Monica ( I called her Santa Monica) told me, “Smell the Flowers and Blow the Leaves”. This was her illustration of how to breath. I also used the Spirometer to breath into as a pulmonary exercise. I did both and over time it help as my oxygen levels improved. Every day seemed a blur. I took a shower each day after the nurse taped plastic over my IV ports. It was unnerving since my balance was unsteady and my breathing was compromised. By the time I dried off with towel and put my hospital gown on, I was exhausted and my oxygen level was low. I spent the next 30 minutes recovering. I felt so weak that is was unnerving.

After 6 days, the doctor told me that if I could sleep without oxygen for a night, they would release me to go home. My oxygen was dropped to .2 liters per minute. I did sleep oxygen free overnight without any complications. I was elated. Cathy picked me up and took me home. That was about 5pm on Sunday the 30 of August 2020. It was a wonder-filled ride home. To simply to look out the window and see everything after being in a CV ward room for a week was so nice. I felt like an 8 year old checking out the world after a week in an isolated hospital room.

Cathy had the master bedroom all fixed up. I spent time in a chair or in the bed when napping. The first week I felt very weak, exhausted from lack of good sleep. I had a video appointment with Dr Chisom by GP on Monday The 31st at 830am. The medical equipment people brought an oxygen concentrator to our home. I remained at .2 liters perminue for a little over a week. Once my oxygen got back up to 95+, I dropped it to .1 liter per minute. The first week back was rough. I remained exhausted and my sleep cycles were in chaos. The steroids continued for 3 days after my return home. They had a strong effect on me and my mental state was not normal. I was hoping that I would quickly return to what I thought of as normal.

The initial video appointment showed the doctor how sick I still remained. I asked for some Ambien for sleep since that is what they gave me in the hospital along with the melatonin I normally take. I learned the hard way that Ambien can have side effects. When I woke to go to the bathroom one night, I was totally disoriented. One night was very dangerous a I literally fell backwards into the garden tub and had a time getting out of it. No more Ambien for me! I was scraped up, bruised and very sore for several days after that.

My senses of smell and taste were highly diminished. They remain in that state up to this writing, I missed the smell of things and, of course, the taste of food. It seems slowly improving. – very slowly.

I had a video appointment on the 11th of September. I made a list the day before with remaining symptoms. At the top of the list was continued sleep deprivation. So, my doctor prescribed Lorazepam (also known as Ativan) to take at bedtime. It is a relaxant. This medication worked but has a short half life – about 4 hours. The doctor said that if I woke in the middle of the night, I could take another. The problem is that, for instance, I would sleep a deep sleep from 9pm and then at 2am I would be wide awake. I did take another pill at 2am but it did not put me back to sleep. I believe the steroids were behind all of this. Still working on my sleep cycle. I napped during the day. Today, I will attempt the go through the whole day without a nap. Not sure if these naps (1-2 hours) are working against my nighttime sleep. I reviewed several other symptoms that have remained with the doctor. After meeting with him virtually, he told me that my body has antibodies and that I have been simply inoculated and get out and move around. No restrictions and no isolation. This was Day 30. I was declared by my main provider that I was non-contagious and not susceptible to re-infection. This was the most exciting day after 30 days of misery. I still felt rough and was continuing to recover. This meant that I could be close to Cathy. We could be together in one room. It was a reunion for us after several weeks being separated and isolated. My smell and taste were still diminished. I was still very weak and short of breath after any activity.

Now, I am taking short walks, moving freely about he house and attempting to be active and build up my body and mind. I won’t see the doctor for a month unless anything comes up. I am on FMLA an will continue to re-gain my strength, This is day 31 for me. Although I am not contagious, I continue with a few symptoms. It’s GOOD to be ALIVE!

Last and definitely not least, I have to send a profound thank you to those that sent flowers, cards (I loved the huge card with my co-workers kind, well-wishing comments. It is AWESOME), the texts and calls. I appreciated those things so much. The most wonderful person, my wife Cathy, has been a life-saver taking care of my every need. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate her. She made me feel like a king.

September 17, 2017

Tips Learned During the Great Depression

1. BUY LESS – Spending creates more spending. Sometimes it feels like the more you buy, the more you need. Spending less stops this cycle.

2. MAKE DO – flip side of buying less is to make do with what you have. That means getting creative with what you have already.

3. DIY – We’ve lost a lot of the skills we used to have. DIYing is a great way to gain back those skills. Learn to lay tiles or pavers, paint, hang pictures or doors.

4. MAKE YOUR OWN – Need a new table, bench, or set of shelves? Try your hand at making your own. Improvising for purpose also helps save money and creates utility.

5. REPAIR – It’s too easy (and often cheaper, unfortunately) to toss what’s broken and buy a new one. But if you can, repair instead of replace. It reduces landfill, which is also an important consideration.

6. MAINTAIN WHAT YOU HAVE – One of the most important ways to save money is to maintain what you own so that it lasts as long as possible. A maintenance schedule helps you keep track of maintenance tasks.

7. REPURPOSE REUSE – In the past, nothing was thrown away, everything had a second or even third life. Bread bags can be used as freezer bags or garbage bags. Old clothes can use cut down into new clothes or used in quilting or in cut into rags (saving the buttons and zips of course). Containers, jars and boxes can be repurposed for storage.

8. DITCH DISPOSABLES – On the other hand, the first ‘R’ in the maxim is reduce, so it’s better to avoid than reuse or repurpose. Disposables force you to spend money on the same thing week in, week out. Reusable alternatives means you have a once of payment, saving you money over the years.

9. MEND CLOTHING – and make it last as long as possible.

10. SEW YOUR OWN – and if you make your own clothing, linen, bedspreads etc., you’ll be more likely to want to make it last as long as possible after putting in all that work.

11. BUY SECOND HAND – and save you money, reduce consumption and keep things out of landfill.

12. WEAR AN APRON – an apron will protect your clothes from stains, helping them to last longer.

13. LEARN A HANDICRAFT OR MORE – handicrafts make useful hobbies. Avoid boredom and end up with something useful as an end product.

14. INCLUDE HOME REMEDIES – I’m not against modern medicine, it’s a wonderful thing and we use it a lot. But there’s a place for home remedies too, and they can be just as effective as modern medicine or compliment modern medicine when it comes to symptoms management.

15. CLEAN NATURALLY – Natural, homemade cleaners are usually just as effective as chemical cleaners, but they are cheaper and reduce the toxic load in the home.

16. USE A HOT WATER BOTTLE – a cheaper way to warm the bed and stay warm in winter.

17. PUT ON A JUMPER – layer layer layer before turning on the heat.

18. SPEND MORE TIME OUTSIDE – too hot inside? Take your inside work outside and enjoy a cool breeze in the shade.

19. HAND WASH – rather than relying on the washing machine all the time.

20. WEAR CLOTHES MORE THAN ONCE – if the clothes aren’t dirty, wear them again before washing and reduce the number of washes you do.

21. WEEKLY WASH DAY – having a weekly wash day may seem a bit out-dated, but in a time when people wash towels and clothes every single day washing things like towels and linen weekly instead of daily will reduce your number of washes.

22. HANG CLOTHES TO DRY – instead of using the dryer. Raining? Here are some ways to dry clothes without a dryer.

23. BAKE WHEN THE OVEN IS ON – make the most of the oven and throw in a slice or some bickies while you’re baking something else.

24. HAVE A BAKING DAY – Ever read old books and they’ve always got a chocolate cake or some bickies in a tin in the pantry. That’s thanks to the weekly bake day. We have the benefit of being able to freeze our baking for later.

25. PRESERVE – Freeze fruit and vegetables or make jams and other preserves so that today’s harvest doesn’t go to waste and you can make the most of it out of season.

26. SAVE GREASE – and cook your food in the saved fat. Potatoes fried in bacon fat – cheap and delicious.

27. HAND WASH DISHES – washing in a dishwasher saves you water, but it can cost you a fortune in electricity. Instead, hand wash dishes in minimal water to save.

28. FORAGE – an almost forgotten skill, feed yourself for free with plants that grow around your neighbourhood (not the neighbours veggie patch, though). Just make sure you know how to identify plants before eating them.

29. SCRAPE THE LAST FROM THE JAR – a small rubber spatula is the perfect tool for this. Making jam milkshakes with the last bit in the jar is another alternative.

30. HAND MIX – or grate or chop. Use manpower and save.

31. COOK FROM SCRATCH – and eat healthy food that’s cheaper than processed and packaged food.

32. HEAD TO TAIL EATING – The most nutritious part of an animal is the organ meat and it’s cheap, but it’s rarely eaten. In the past, no part of the animal go wasted – from sheep’s head stew to making stock from the bones and sausages from the intestines.

33. DON’T BUY WHAT YOU CAN MAKE – yoghurt is a good example of this. It’s easy to make at home and costs a fraction of the price of store-bought.

34.MAKE SOAP – most soap from the supermarket is stripped of glycerine (the good stuff for your skin) and includes chemicals. Make your own better quality soap. If you use scraps, it will cost you next to nothing.

35. DRY YOUR SOAPS – Soap, whether hand made or purchased, will last longer if it has been dried. Place your soap in your clothes cupboard to dry out, give your clothes a nice smell and to ward of silverfish.

36. REUSE WRAPPING PAPER AND CARDS AND SCRAP PAPER – back to waste nothing. Save on wrapping presents by keeping and reusing wrapping paper and cards. Use junk mail as scrap paper and envelopes for the shopping list.

37. CURL YOUR HAIR WITH RAGS – instead of using a curling iron and save electricity.

38. SQUEEZE OUT THE LAST OF THE TOOTHPASTE – by rolling the tube to use up every last drop. Use a q-tip to get out the last of the lipstick. Cut open the shampoo bottle or add water to use the last drop of shampoo.

39. FLUSH LESS – If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down. Do I need to say more? A brick or a bottle of water in an old fashioned toilet will reduce the amount of water per flush, but if you have a modern toilet, this probably isn’t necessary.

40 SHOWER LESS – eww right? But why shower on days that you’ve spent all day lounging around at home? People haven’t always had (or needed) the luxury of showering every day. A sponge bath will save water and is sufficient to get clean on many days.

41. REUSABLE FEMALE HYGIENE PRODUCTS – thanks to modern updates, this doesn’t mean using rags every month. The Mooncup, for instance, is a better, healthier, more convenient alternative to disposable products and it saves you money.

42. USE THE LOCAL LIBRARY – the local library has so much more than just books. Watch DVDs, use the computers, borrow puzzles and board games, listen to music. And most importantly, use the books to learn new skills.

43. ENTERTAIN YOURSELF IN USEFUL WAYS – Useful hobbies like gardening, sewing, handicraft, woodwork, tinkering, DIY etc. will not only keep you entertained, they will make you happier and save you money.

44. FREE ENTERTAINMENT – Instead of spending time at the shops, cafes, theme parks or even in front of the TV or Xbox, frugal entertainment includes hanging with friends, picnics at the park, a day at the beach, playing board games, reading, telling stories.

45. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT – Getting involved in your local community is a great way to meet new people, be happier, give back to the community and enjoy yourself at the same time, without spending money.

46. GROW YOUR OWN FOOD – Even just a few herbs on a windowsill is a good start towards supplementing your budget with your own fresh produce. Organic food comes at a premium, but home grown organic food will save you money.

47. COMPOST – In the spirit of waste not, composting scraps to add to your veggie garden is the ultimate in recycling and saving money.

February 10, 2016

List of Alkaline Foods

The majority of the world’s population today consumes too many acidic foods. This is having a major impact on global health and health related issues. Foods like meat, dairy, grains, and processed foods whose consumption is on the rise are highly acidic and can do great harm to the body, whereas most vegetables and fruits are alkaline and support good health. Here is a list of alkaline forming foods along with a list of acid forming foods:

Very Alkaline Forming