cureLauncher.com

It is probably safe to say that all of us, in some way, shape, or form has had their lives touched by cancer.  We all know somebody, whether it be a family member, friend, or coworker who has had to battle a cancer.  Perhaps you yourself has been on the receiving end of the diagnosis of cancer.

The care and treatment of a diagnosis of cancer has improved in leaps and bounds over the years.  Several cancers, if found and detected early, can be treated successfully.  Still, I can think of no other diagnosis that can bring a sense of fear and shock than the doctor informing you or a family member that they have cancer.

Thankfully, there are medical researchers out there working diligently to further enhance the treatment of cancer to continue to improve survival rates.  They are working on experimental drugs and conducting clinical trials to come up with the latest treatment breakthrough.  These trails need money to be conducted.

You can now have the opportunity to help with these critical projects.  Through a website called cureLauncher.com, you can now search for project where you can donate to cancer research projects.  Currently, they are trying to fund a study of a new chemotherapy drug for breast cancer patients who have had the cancer spread to brain.

If you would like to take a more active role in the treatment of cancer, please check out cureLauncher.com.  Perhaps you will find a project you believe it and perhaps you can help fund the next treatment to help defeat cancer.

Got My CPAP Machine

Image via WikipediaIt has been a long road to discovering about my sleep apnea and my need for a CPAP machine.  It all started a little more than three months ago when I had a small scare while taking the garbage out to the curb for pick up.  While carrying the bags, all of a sudden my whole left side started tingling.

I went to the doctor that morning and my doctor ordered a series of tests.  First, he did a full blood workup and discovered that I had a low Vitamin D level, which could put me at risk for high blood pressure (which I have), heart attack or stroke.  I have since been taking Vitamin D supplements on a daily basis.

Another test ordered was a sleep study to test me for obstructive sleep apnea.  Untreated sleep apnea can also put you at risk for those same health problems.  I had the first study in July.  That study showed that I had sleep apnea.  I had a follow up study in August so they could determine the level of pressure that I would need from the CPAP machine.  Last week, I met with the doctor who ran the sleep clinic, and he wrote my prescription for the machine.

Finally, after three months of tests and doctors visits, I got my CPAP machine.  My insurance company required a particular company to provide the machine. A technician came to my office yesterday to show me how to operate and care for the machine.   The care of the machine seems to be pretty straightforward and simple.  The company also set me up for automatic replacements every few months for my mask, tubing, and filters.

My wife, and I, were both concerned about how loud the machine would be.  The good news is that the model they provided for me is whisper quiet.  The other good news is that my wife told me that I did not snore last night either.  It is obviously too early to tell if the machine will improve the way I feel during the day and how I sleep at night.  Last night, I stayed up too late watching football, so I was pretty tired today.  Still, no snoring and a quite machine are a good start.  If nothing else, the lack of snoring will make sleeping better for my wife.

Sleep Apnea Results

Image via WikipediaBack in July, I started the process of getting checked out for sleep apnea.  I had my first sleep study done on July 27th.  Two weeks later, I received a call stating that they needed me to go in for a second study.  At first, I thought something had gone wrong with the first study, but instead they told me I had mild to moderate sleep apnea and they wanted to see how I would respond to a CPAP machine.

On August 11th, I had my second sleep study so they could determine if the CPAP machine was the right treatment for my sleep apnea.  It usually takes a couple weeks to get the results back from the study as they have a lot of data to analyze.  Two weeks ago, I received a call from the doctor's office that runs the sleep clinic saying I needed to schedule an appointment to go over the results.

He proceeded to explain to me how when we are awake, that the air opening in our throat remain open because we are alert.  When we sleep, our muscles relax, and the opening narrows.  In my particular case, due to the shape and position of my chin and jaw causes my throat passage to be a little more narrow than average.  When sleeping, the passages can completely block the passage.

He then went over each of the two sleep studies with me.  First, he showed me the charts of the initial study.  He could identify each episode that occurred throughout the evening when my air passages were blocked and I stopped breathing.  During each occurrence, he showed me how my heart rate increased and my oxygen level dropped.  These episodes happened several times over the course of the night.  

Another thing that he showed me from the initial report were incidents that he called "brain arousals."  Each time that my air passages were blocked and I stopped breathing, the brain responded.  I would wake up enough for the brain to send a message out that would allow me to breath again, without fully gaining consciousness.  It was a lot of stress through the night, so no wonder I never feel refreshed when waking.

Next, he showed me the results of the study with the use of the CPAP machine.  Through out the night, they monitored my snoring and as my snoring would increase, they would increase the air pressure from the CPAP machine.  In the early part of the evening, I had more blockage episodes, but as they increased the pressure, those episodes decreased to less than one per hour.  This way, they would be able to identify the proper pressure to set the CPAP machine to.

The doctor said that normally with my mild sleep apnea, he would recommend some lifestyle changes including weight loss.  However, due to some other conditions that I have such as my high blood pressure and a history of blood clots his recommendation is to treat the sleep apnea with the CPAP device.  My insurance requires that I get my machine through another company other than the clinic doing the study so I was unable to get my machine right away.  I should have it early next week.  I am anxious to see if if it helps.

Almost There

Image via Wikipedia

It has been almost two months since I had a small health scare.  I was carrying two garbage bags out to the curb for trash pick up when mgr whole left side started tingling.  It shook me up enough that I ended up taking a sick day and went to the doctor.  Though I did sit in the car and contemplated going to work.

My first thought that day was that I might have been having or getting ready to have a stroke.  Since that day I have had a series of tests done.  My blood work up revealed that I had a Vitamin D deficiency.  I have had two sleep studies done that revealed that I am suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnea and will need to use a CPAP machine.  Both of those put me at risk for heart attack or stroke.

About two days before the incident, I was feeling rather poor and tired.  I decided that I needed to get serious about changing my diet, start eating right and lose some weight.  Earlier in the year, I had lost about 20 pounds, but fell back into my bad habits and quickly gained about 15 pounds back, making me like a lot of people who struggle with weight.

I am glad to say that I have been feeling a bit better these days.  I have not started the CPAP machine yet, but estimate that I will get the results from the most recent sleep study in a couple weeks.  At that time, I should be able to start that treatment making me feel even better.

These days, my diet consists of a lot more fruit, a lot of salad, and I usually only consume meat with my evening meal.  Occasionally, I will add a protein or nutrition bar, and some nuts.  I have more or less cut out all junk food and alcohol.  I am supplementing my diet with Vitamin D supplements and a multi-vitamin for men over the age of 50.

I had been hoping that I could get down to under 200 pounds before we headed off to the beach this week.  This morning, I looked down at my digital scale to see a reading of 201.5 pounds.  It has been several years since I have been under 200 pounds, but I am almost there.  Ultimately, I would like to lose another 20 pounds or so, but I am happy with the 25 pounds that I have lost since the incident.

It is hard to change bad habits.  In the past, I have been able to lose a lot of weight, but each time I did so, I would lapse back into those bad habits and gain it all back and then some.  However, in the past I had never had a health scare that forced me to take stock of things.  In the past when I decided to lose weight it was tied to vanity and wanting to look better.  I am hopeful that my health scare has prompted some permanent behavior change.

Related articles

• Does Sleep Apnea Cause Dementia? (psychologytoday.com)
• Sleep Apnea Makes Quick Return When Treatment Stops (nlm.nih.gov)
• New Study a 'Wake Up Call' For the Urgent Need for Sleep Apnea Treatment (prweb.com)

CPAP

Image via WikipediaA couple weeks ago, I had my sleep study to check for sleep apnea.  They said that it would take about two weeks for them to review all of the data and to get back to me with the results.  Originally, they told me they would send the results to my doctor and that I would hear from him once he had the report.  Consequently, I was a little bit surprised when I received a phone call from the hospital where I had the original test done. 

When I picked up the phone, they told me that they were calling to schedule another sleep study.  My initial thought was that they were not able to get a good enough reading during the first test.  For one thing, I never sleep very well when I am away from home.  After they hooked all the wires to me, it felt like I had 10 pounds of wire hanging off of me.  All of that combined, and I felt like I was awake most of the night for the test.   

When I asked why the need for the second study, I was told that I was diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea.  The recommendation is that I used a CPAP machine when I sleep.  They want me to come in for the second study while using the CPAP machine.  The purpose of the CPAP machine is to provide air pressure to prevent the blockages that occur while sleeping if you are suffering from sleep apnea.

I have some mixed feelings about the CPAP machine.  I have read that people who use the CPAP machines successfully experience better sleep and feel more rested when waking.  Consequently they tend to be more alert and have more energy.  Successful use of the device also helps to reduce the risks associated with having sleep apnea.

On the other hand, I have also heard that some people have trouble sleeping while using CPAP.  I also worry that device will be loud, though it will probably be better for my wife than my incessant snoring.  The other drawback is that you are told to use the CPAP machine every night, and most likely every night for the rest of your life.  That means I will have to take it with me whenever I travel, so I will have another thing to lug around with me on my trips.

I am scheduled to have my follow up study next week.  I am hopeful that using the CPAP device will have the desired results of better sleep.  So often, I go through the day feeling completely drained and exhausted.  It will be nice to wake up and feel like I actually got some rest.  With any treatment, there are potential side effects.  Hopefully they will be minimal. 

Related articles

• Snoring and Sleep Apnea (dickstersrandomthoughts.com)
• CPAP Machine And MAD Mouthpiece Best For Obstructive Sleep Apnea (medicalnewstoday.com)

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

I snore.  Apparently, according to my wife, I snore rather loudly.  To hear her talk, when I snore, I am not just sawing logs, but I am a veritable sawmill.  She claims that sometimes my snoring is so bad she thinks that the bed is vibrating.  So, I am having a sleep study done to check for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition that can be life threatening if left untreated.  Those who suffer from the condition will stop breathing during sleep.  These stoppages can last several seconds and can occur several times throughout the night.  Consequently, oxygen levels in the blood can fall leading to the potential of having high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.

I have several of the signs and risk factors for sleep apnea.  It occurs frequently in middle aged, overweight men.  Thankfully I have been losing weight of late and according to the BMI charts have recently crossed over from obese to overweight but still have some more to go.  I also have hypertension, which sleep apnea can lead to if left untreated.

Some of the other symptoms that I have besides the loud snoring include waking frequently during the night for urination.  I have always attributed a lot of that to having an enlarged prostate, but it could be a part of apnea if that is the diagnosis.  Another sign is that I rarely wake up feeling refreshed and I usually feel sleepy during the day.

I am having my sleep center done at a local hospital.  However, the hospital room is not your typical hospital room.  It is set up similar to a hospital room.  The goal is to create an atmosphere conducive to falling to sleep.  Unfortunately, I usually have more trouble sleeping when not in my own bed.  I am also wondering how I will be feeling with all of the electrodes hooked up to me to measure everything when I sleep.

They say it usually takes a couple of weeks for the results of the study to be analyzed and a determination to be made.  If at that time they discover that I have sleep apnea there are a few different treatments.  Continued weight loss would be a given.  There would be the possibility of being put on a CPAP device that forces air through the nasal passages to prevent the obstruction from occurring during sleep.  Other options include oral devices or possible surgical procedures.

Related articles

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• Hotel Becomes Snore-Proof (foxnews.com)
• Really? The Claim: A Tennis Ball on the Back of Pajamas Can Cut Snoring (well.blogs.nytimes.com)

Mozart and Me

Image via WikipediaThe other day, I was going through one of the many news emails that I get at work.  The emails usually involve the food and retail industries.  There was one particular in one of the food science emails that I received that immediately caught my attention.

The headline read,"Deficiency in D major: Did vitamin deficiency led to Mozart’s untimely death?"  Having just been diagnosed as having a Vitamin D deficiency myself, I was very interested to read about this new hypothesis on the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Without a doubt, Mozart was one of the greatest and most prolific composers of the classical era.  I have gone through phases where I listed to classical music, and I have several CDs of Mozart's music.  Sadly, he died at the relatively young age of 35.

The study says that Mozart suffered from a variety of illnesses during his life, including pneumonia, sepsis, heart disease, and kidney disease.  All of these maladies have been linked to vitamin D deficiency.  It also states that with relatively low sunlight in Austria for six months of the year make it difficult for a person to produce vitamin D naturally from sunlight.  Combine that with the fact that Mozart did most of his composing at night, and slept during the day and you see the potential for the lack of vitamin D. 

It is a hypothesis, so we don't know if a vitamin D deficiency did lead to the early death of Mozart, but it is an interesting hypothesis.  If nothing else, it helps to show the importance of vitamin D supplementation if one does not get enough exposure to the sun to produce sufficient vitamin D.  Plus it is kind of interesting to think that I might have something in common with one of, if not the, greatest composers of all time, even if it is just a vitamin D deficiency.  Now off to take my vitamin D supplements.

Related articles

• Mozart Probably Died Young From Not Getting Enough Sun (businessinsider.com)
• Mozart may have lived longer if he had spent more time in the sun (3quarksdaily.com)
• Mozart's Death Was Written in the Key of (Vitamin) D (livescience.com)

Vitamin D Deficiency

Image via Wikipedia

I have been feeling a lot better since I experienced tingling in my left side three weeks ago while carrying garbage out to the curb.  When I saw my doctor that day, he had a technician draw blood for a complete blood profile and put me on 5000 IU of Vitamin D.  Earlier this week, they called me in to the office to discuss the results of the blood profile.  It turns out, I have a Vitamin D deficiency.

According to WebMD, some of the traits that may put you at risk for a Vitamin D deficiency are not getting enough in your diet, too little exposure to the sun, and being obese.  I do not consume a lot of food rich in vitamin D.  As for sunlight, I do not get to spend much time outside.  I get in the car early in the morning, spend the day in the office, and drive home at the end of the day.  I do not consider myself to be obese, but acknowledge being overweight, however, if you put any stock in the BMI charts, I guess technically I would be considered obese.

Symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency include bone pain and muscle weakness though many people do not notice the symptoms.  Being deficient in vitamin D can lead to a host of other problems.  Among those are increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment as you get older, and cancer.  Some research also suggests that vitamin D can help with treatment and prevention of diabetes, hypertension (which I have), and multiple sclerosis.

Needless to say, none of those things are very appealing.  I am currently back to trying to eat right and lose weight.  I have dropped most of the weight that I regained after I fell off the diet wagon a couple months ago.  Vitamin D supplementation has become a regular part of my routine along with all of the other medications that I take.  All of my other blood levels were in the normal range, but I will probably start to take fish oil capsules again for the Omega 3's.  So, do yourself a favor and get plenty of sunlight, vitamin D, and have your levels checked out.

Related articles

• Reuters - Heart risks lower in men who get enough vitamin D (thorns2roses.wordpress.com)
• Vitamin D Supplements Can Help To Prevent Type 1 Diabetes' by 30% (education.com)
• Vitamin D Testing: Optional? Not Anymore. (alternativendhealth.wordpress.com)
• The Truth About Vitamin D Deficiency (workingwellresources.com)
• How can I combat my vitamin D deficiency? (zocdoc.com)

Not a Happy Camper

I was not a happy camper this morning.  This morning, I was scheduled for the first of the tests that my doctor wants me to have done since my little scare on Friday morning.  I had a 9am appointment at my doctor's office to have the carotid doppler exam.  The exam uses ultrasound to measure the blood flow through the carotid arteries to the brain.  Below is a picture of my appointment card to show that I did in fact have a 9am appointment for today.  I have blocked out any identifying info of the doctor's identity.

I showed up at the doctor's office about 10 minutes early.  The office was completely dark.  The office usually has people in it prior to opening, and the door is usually unlocked a little early as well. You can imagine my dismay when I looked at the office hours sign that was posted outside of office door that showed that the office did not open on Wednesday's until 12:30.

I immediately called the doctor's office and heard the message stating the Wednesday office hours.  I pressed the button to be connected with the answering service.  They reiterated the posted office hours, but took my number and said they would get a message out to the doctor.  I continued to wait outside of the doctor's office for about 15 to 20 minutes waiting for a return phone call.  It never came.

I was totally pissed off thinking I was going to have to reschedule the test.  I was just getting ready to head home when I saw one of the nurses from the practice walking towards the office.  As she was approached the door to unlock it, I saw the technician who was to perform the test approaching with her equipment.

The test ended up taking about 15-20 minutes.  The tech said that they would have to review the images and the results would be sent to the doctor in about a week, providing they did not find anything that needed urgent attention.  Here is hoping that I don't hear back from my doctor until sometime next week.

On a somewhat related note, I was also scheduled to get MRIs performed on my brain and my neck tomorrow morning.  Unfortunately, I just got a call from the radiologists office informing me that the pre-certification for the tests had been denied.  According to my insurance company it was denied because I had not met the medical prerequisites for the test.  The test is normally given to people after they have a stroke, not to see if they are at risk for one.

I am hoping that my doctor will be able to get the necessary approval so that I can get these MRIs done.  My doctor has not yet arrived at the office yet, nor is the person who handles the referral process for him since they do not open until 12:30.  Hopefully, they will be able to talk to the insurance company to get these tests approved.  I freaking hate insurance companies.

Small Scare

I had a bit of a scare this morning.  The last few weeks, I have been starting to feel a little more run down than usual.  I attribute a good bit of it to my having put on part of the weight that I had lost earlier in the year. 

I had lost about 20 pounds by cutting out drinking, junk food, and a lot of bad carbs.  Unfortunately, since the baseball season started in April, I have been partaking of too much stadium fare.  A little bit would probably be OK, but when I fall off the wagon, I usually jump off full bore.

Anyway, back to the scare.  I was all set to head off to work this morning.  My lunch was packed, I had brewed some tea to drink on my commute.  The only thing left to do was take out the garbage.  I was walking to the curb with a bag in each hand, when all of a sudden I felt a tingling sensation all up and down my left side.

I have been having a bit of a problem with my right arm where I would experience some occasional weakness and numbness, but it usually happened if I slept on my left side or rested my elbow or wrist on a hard surface for an extended period of time.  This was different, and a bit scary.

The sensation did not last long, probably just a few minutes.  I sat in my car and debated whether or not I should head to the office or not.  Discretion being the better part of valor, I decided to call out sick to work and try to see my doctor.

I was able to get in to the doctor's office to be checked out.  His first thought is that I may have a pinched nerve, but he wants to run several more tests to be certain.  I have to go back in to see him next week when a technician will be in to run a carotid doppler exam.  I also have to schedule an MRI on my brain and neck.  He is also concerned about possible sleep apnea, so I also will need to get sleep study done. 

Hopefully there is nothing seriously wrong.    I hope the fact that the doc sent me on my way means he doesn't think it is too bad.  I definitely need to clean up my eating habits and take better care of myself.  If you happen to be of the prayerful type, I appreciate any positive words on my behalf.  We will keep you posted of the results.

Related articles

• How eating junk food destroys brain cells that control weight (news.bioscholar.com)
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Growing Older but Not Up

Image via WikipediaAbout 10 years or so ago, I worked with a guy who was about 15-20 years older than I was.  He was a wise and intelligent man that spoke in a rather simple way.  One might think from listening to him speak that he was a southern, redneck country boy, but his manner of speaking belied his intelligence.

As he was approaching retirement age, he began to suffer from an assortment of maladies that slowed him down a bit.  He started having problems with his feet and had to sit on a padded cushion at this desk.  In spite of his pain, he kept up a good sense of humor regarding his aches and pains.  He frequently told me that growing old wasn't for sissies or cowards.

More and more each day, I am coming to understand what he was talking about.  I am only 50, but each day seems to find new aches.  I have been suffering from BPH for a few years now, and my doctor has me on Avodart.  I usually end up waking up at least once during the night to go to the bathroom.  I am not sure I know when the last time I got a solid eight hours of sleep.

In addition to the BPH, I have been developing arthritis in my wrists.  It is particularly bad in my right wrist.  Since I am right handed, it can be a little more aggravating since that hand gets a lot more use throughout the day.  Past issues with knee and back pain tend to flare up a lot more easily these days.

The latest issue to come to the forefront for me is some foot and heal problems.  I wake up each morning with a great deal of pain in my right heal.  At first the doctor said it was Achilles tendonitis.  Then he said it was plantar fasciitis.  Either way, it hurts to walk or stand on my feet for long periods of time.  Because the pain is in my heal, it also sometimes flairs up while I am driving as my heal rests on the car when my foot is on the gas.

Still, in spite of it all, I keep trying to keep up with those younger than me.  I must have been crazy yesterday.  Normally, I work from 5pm-11pm when delivering pizzas on Saturday night.  One of the other drivers needed yesterday off, so they asked me come in at noon.  I needed the money, since my care needed a major repair earlier in the week, so I agreed. 

I ended up working a little more than 11 hours yesterday.  Not only was it a long day on my feet, but the temperatures in the early afternoon topped 90 degrees.  Needless to say, my dogs are barking up a storm today.  But, I made it through it, and earned a little extra dough.  On top of that, I learned a new aspect of the pizza business.  In my three years delivering, all I had done previously was deliver pizza and cut and box orders.  Yesterday, I actually helped to make the pizza.  So it just goes to show you, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Nothing Ever Goes as Planned

Image via WikipediaAs is usually the case, things don't always go as planned.  I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather, so I decided to take the day off to get a little extra rest.  I woke up around 10am to start burning some DVDs to take out to my son at school when we took his medications and DVD player to him.

Unfortunately, shortly before 2pm, we received a call from the school saying that our son was in the infirmary with a fever, and they thought he might have an ear infection.  We called our doctor to see if we could get an antibiotic prescribed, but they would not call in a prescription without seeing our son. So we scheduled an appointment with our doctor for Saturday morning, and we headed out to the school to pick up our son after only five days of being back at school. 

We walked into the infirmary and saw him lying in bed underneath a blanket.  As soon as he saw us, he perked right up and asked us how many points he earned for being in the infirmary.  My son loves earning points for any time he does anything like go to school.  Then he proceeded to tell me which bridges we would cross on our way back to our house from the Eastern Short back to Bowie.

Monday, we had a terrible time taking him back to school.  He is now home again after only four days back at school when he was scheduled to be there for five weeks.  Granted, he is sick this time, and he needs to see his doctor, but it doesn't make it any easier.  Depending on how he feels, I hope we will be able to take him back to the dorm on Sunday.  If not Sunday, then it will probably be Monday.  Either way, I expect another difficult day.  Wish us luck.

Related articles

• Ear infection - acute - All Information (umm.edu)
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A Cure for What Ails You

Image by skampy via FlickrIt wouldn't be the holiday season unless somebody in the house was sick.  It seems that this time of year, somebody is always sick.  Even when I was growing up, one of my siblings or I or all of us, came down with something.  The worst was when we all came down with the chicken pox around the same time.

This year has been no exception.  It started off with my son.  About a week or so before Christmas, he came down with a bad cold.  Those are difficult for him because he doesn't understand the concept of blowing his nose, and frequently wipes his nose on his sleeve.  Also, he has a difficult time coughing up flem.  He usually ends up gagging and throwing up.  We can never seem to get him to move to spit in the sink or toilet.

The worst of his cold was over shortly before Christmas.  Unfortunately, about two days before Christmas it hit my wife pretty hard.  With her, these things frequently turn into bronchitis.  She has been so bad off for the past four days, that she passed on going to my sister's house on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas day, we were supposed to go to her parent's house, but she stayed home.

I have been fighting the beast for a few days now.  It has not hit me quite as hard as the rest of them, but I am still having some of the effects.  First thing in the morning has been the worst for me.  I wake up completely clogged up. So, last night I decided to see if I could knock this thing out of my system by fixing myself a good old fashioned hot toddy.

For those that don't know, a hot toddy is an alcoholic beverage that is supposed to help cure your cold.  There are many different varieties, but most consist of a liquor such as whiskey or rum, honey, lemon, and hot water.  I made mine with Captain Morgan spiced rum, lemon, and honey.  It was quite tasty, warmed me up, and while drinking it helped clear my nasal passages.

Unfortunately, while it cleared my sinuses and helped me get to sleep a little more readily, I still woke up pretty clogged up this morning.  Though I do have to say that the cold didn't bother me as much during the day as in previous days.  I think before I turn in tonight, I will have to fix myself another hot toddy.  Maybe two. 

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Have You Missed Me?

Image by alvi2047 via Flickr

I usually try to post something on this blog every day or two.  My last post was done on Sunday, but it was a Music Monday post, so I almost don't count it,  It is not that I have been exceptionally busy the last few days, though things are pretty hectic at the office right now.  I have been more than a bit under the weather.

It all started on Sunday.  My son decided at the last minute that he wanted to go to the Bowie Baysox game.  My brother in law had offered to buy tickets, so off we went.  As is usually my custom, I had a few large (24oz) draft beers while enjoying the game.

After the game, I went home, had dinner, and took a little nap on the couch.  When I woke up after my little siesta I had the worst headache.  I really did not have that much beer to have such a horrible headache but I chalked it up to the beer anyway.  I also had chills resulting a shakes.   I went to bed early that night.

Monday morning, I woke up and got ready for work.  I felt kind of achy and alternated between sweating and having chills, so I took my temperature.  It was 101.  Being the macho guy that I am, I thought I would be OK and headed off to work. Besides, I have a ton of projects on my plate write now.  I was wrong.  I felt worse as the day progressed and left the office about 1pm.  When I got home my temperature had risen to 103.

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I felt like shit, my head hurt, my body ached, and my balls ached.  The boys don't like it when your temperature gets too high.  I called out sick, made a doctor's appointment, and headed back to bed.  Shortly before my doctor's appointment, my temperature was 104.4.  I thought I was going to die.  He basically chalked it up to the flu, gave me some Tamiflu, and sent me off with an admonition about getting the flu shot.

I have to say that the fever this week has left me somewhat delusional.  I would lay in bed listening to the TV with my eyes closed, and some strange images would appear in my mind's eye.  I really can't describe them other than to say they had nothing to do with what I was listening to.  I also have been convinced for the past few days that Jack Black had died. Thanks to Al Gore's Amazing Internet I verified that was not true.

I still had a 102 fever when I woke up this morning, but today is the best I have felt all week.  I am feeling a little more "normal" each day.  Fortunately, it is the weekend and I have two more days to rest and regain my strength.

High Blood Pressure

Image via Wikipedia

I am on medication for high blood pressure. I have been on it now for about a year. To be honest, I thought that I would be on it much earlier than that. My mother has been on blood pressure medication since she was in her 30's.

There are a number of risk factors for developing high blood pressure, or hypertension. There are a number of factors that can put you in a high risk class, some you can control, some you can't.

Those factors that you can not control include race (blacks are more prone to high blood pressure), age, and family history. As I said, my mother developed hypertension in her 30's and I am in my late 40's, so I have two out of the three risk factors there.

There are a lot more factors that you can control, but it isn't easy. I won't list all of the factors, but some of the strikes against me are being overweight, not as active as I used to be, stress, too much alcohol, and too much salt. It is not that I put salt in my food, but I do eat a lot of processed foods which contain a lot of sodium.

The bad thing about hypertension is that often there are no symptoms. That is why it is often referred to as a silent killer. Left undiagnosed, and therefore untreated, can have devastating consequences. Among the possible conditions that hypertension can lead to are damage to the arteries, aneurysms, heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

One of the reasons that I decided to post about this particular subject is that we had a recent close call in the extended Dickster family.  Over the holidays, somebody we knew suffered an aortic dissection.  Fortunately, they were able to call 911 and get treatment, but it was close.  This person suffers from hypertension but failed to take their medication, so they did not have the disease under control.  They are currently recovering and improving but still has a ways to go.

So my admonition to everyone is to check your blood pressure on a regular basis.  There are enough automatic blood pressure machines in the grocery stores and drug stores that you can stop and check it now and then.  See your doctor and get checked, especially if you have any of the risk factors.  And for goodness sake, if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication, PLEASE TAKE YOUR MEDICATION.  Your life depends on it.

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Flu Shot?

I rarely get a flu shot.  About the only time that I have ever gotten a flu shot was when I went to the doctor for something else and he suggested I get one.It is just not something I ever really think about, and I rarely (knock wood) get sick.  So in all likelihood, I probably will not get one this year, especially when I saw this news story on my local news.

The story of Desiree Jennings is frightening.  Up until August, she was a healthy, active, 25 year old woman training for a half marathon and a member of the Redskins cheerleading squad.  In August, she decided to get a seasonal flu vaccination at a local grocery store.  Ten days later, she came down with flu like symptoms.  Her condition has deteriorated and now she has difficulty walking and speaking.  Her doctors say she has had a very rare reaction to the vaccine and it has brought on a neurological disorder called dystonia.

Millions will get a flu shot this year without any adverse affect.  For the vast majority of people, it is completely harmless, and I am not suggesting anybody not get a flu shot because of the case of Desiree Jennings.  I doubt that I will get one, but I would most likely not have gotten one regardless of this story.  However, as a father of an autistic son, I have read the stories of those who think all the vaccinations our kids have to get possibly contributing to the rise of autism.  As much good as vaccinations do for us as a whole, it is important to keep in mind that they are not completely void of risk.

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