Morning or Evening Person

Summary: People who ranked higher for conscientiousness and lower in openness tend to be morning people, a new study reports. Researchers say the link between personality traits and morning/evening chronotype is partly due to genetic factors.

Source: University of Warwick

The link between the different hierarchies of personality, sleep patterns and even genetics has been discovered by researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick.

A typical example of a morning person is thought to be someone who wakes up naturally at 6am, goes for a jog, showers, has breakfast and is ready for a productive day at work by 9am. Whereas an evening person struggles to get up in the morning and feels more productive in the evening.

Researchers from the University of Warwick with colleagues from the University of Tartu have recently had the paper, ‘Personality Traits Relate to Chronotype at Both the Phenotypic and Genetic Level’ published in the Journal of Personality, in which they have analysed the relationship between sleep timing (chronotype), preference to the morning/evening, and personality traits at a phenotypic and genetic level.

Ultimately the researchers have found that the relationship between personality and morningness-eveningness is partly due to genetic factors.

Using a large-scale sample of participants form the Estonian Biobank researchers asked them to answer questionnaires about their sleep timings and personality, personality was also assessed by someone who knew the participant well. Once answered researchers were able to identify the phenotypic relationships between the sleep and personality.

However they were also able to calculate the genetic correlations through summary statistics of large genome-wide association studies of personality and sleep preferences.

Personalities can be divided into three hierarchies: personality domains, facets and items, researchers analysed all three, but in particular they found on a domain level that people high in Conscientiousness and low in Openness were associated with being earlier chronotypes (i.e., they went to bed and got out of bed earlier).

On a facet level, researchers found that less straightforward (a facet of Agreeableness) and excitement-seeking (a facet of Extraversion), yet more self-disciplined (a facet of Conscientiousness) people were more likely to have earlier chronotypes. Higher Conscientiousness and lower Openness were also genetically related to preference for morningness.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy can:

Educate the immune system to recognize and attack specific cancer cells Boost immune cells to help them eliminate cancer Provide the body with additional components to enhance the immune response

Cancer immunotherapy comes in a variety of forms, including targeted antibodies, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer, tumor-infecting viruses, checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, and adjuvants. Immunotherapies are a form of biotherapy (also called biologic therapy or biological response modifier (BRM) therapy) because they use materials from living organisms to fight disease. Some immunotherapy treatments use genetic engineering to enhance immune cells’ cancer-fighting capabilities and may be referred to as gene therapies. Many immunotherapy treatments for preventing, managing, or treating different cancers can also be used in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapies to improve their effectiveness.

Unleashing the power of the immune system is a smart way to fight cancer:

1. The immune system is precise, so it is possible for it to target cancer cells exclusively while sparing healthy cells.
2. The immune system can adapt continuously and dynamically, just like cancer does, so if a tumor manages to escape detection, the immune system can re-evaluate and launch a new attack.
3. The immune system’s “memory” allows it to remember what cancer cells look like, so it can target and eliminate the cancer if it returns.

Unhealthy Lifestyles

Despite the remarkable improvements in U.S. mortality levels and longevity during the 20th century, America’s unhealthy lifestyles are undermining the nation’s wellbeing and imperiling its future.

In addition to inflicting a sizable human toll, unhealthy lifestyles are exacting substantial costs from families, employers and the U.S. economy.

Over the last 40 years, America’s life expectancy has fallen behind those of other developed nations that culminated in an unprecedented decline in longevity since 2014. Recent declines in life expectancy were driven by increasing mortality rates among working-age adults, specifically those of lower socioeconomic status. Also, noteworthy differentials in life expectancy at birth have persisted among America’s major groups, namely, Hispanics (81.8 years), whites (78.8 years) and Blacks (74.7 years).

Prior to the pandemic, America’s life expectancy at birth of 78.8 years lagged behind the levels of many other developed countries. Life expectancies at birth above 83 years, for example, were experienced in Australia, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland.

Many social, economic and political factors are behind the comparatively lower levels and recent declines in U.S. life expectancies, including the absence of universal health care, public health crisis, inadequate federal drug oversight, lower levels of educational attainment, deindustrialization of American jobs, systemic racism and unhealthy lifestyles.

Particularly noteworthy, unhealthy lifestyles that are contributing to rising levels of preventable deaths are cigarette smoking, obesity, alcohol misuse and drug overdoses.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S., with nearly 500,000 deaths per year and smokers dying 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. For every American dying from smoking, no less than 30 others live with a serious smoking-related illness, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and various lung diseases.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Consciousness

 

The Best Diet

 

Almost 14 Years

Six months from now, I will be celebrating the 14th year passing since I was diagnosed with cancer...  and, five years into my treatment for non-Hodgkin's 'B' cell Lymphoma and probably because of certain treatments, I was diagnosed with Melanoma that subsequently moved from my foot to my groin to my neck where it was surgically removed and found to be dead because of my radiation and immunotherapy treatments.

After my two cancers were under control, my Oncologist informed me that he wasn't sure if he could stop them from growing because both of them had turned aggressive, but he stayed with the most recent protocols in fighting both cancers and did not back off on either one; consequently and fortunately, the two different types of treatments complemented each other and he was able to get both my cancers under control, at least for the time being.

I told my Oncologist that he should published his treatment of me and get some national credit, which he declined and said he was just fine with his life as it currently was.

Looking back at these 14 years, there were times where I was sicker than a dog and vomiting so consistently that my wife had to take me to the ER...  those were days that I would rather not relive under any circumstances unless I absolutely had to.

• Am I lucky?
• Did I have the right Oncologist?
• Was God looking out for me?

Ya know...  I think it was a little bit of all three...  but, to be quite honest with you (not to imply that I have not been), I have felt and continue to feel that there is something left for me to do...  and, that is why I am being kept alive.  I have no idea what it might be but I have spent my entire life preparing for it nonetheless.

Living with cancer is not as comfortable as one might think it is, especially if one is doing fine and feeling good, but there is a constant threat hanging over one's head as to what might happen...  if this...  or if that...

Plus, one must eat differently than others.  One must not drink alcohol if in very small quantities like a glass of wine once a week or once a month.  One must stay out of direct sunlight with UV clothes of the highest sunscreen.  One must get a good night's rest and one must learn to manage one's stress as it does have an impact.

I find myself eating lots of veges, onions, garlic, peppers, black beans, fruits, and other foods high in anti-oxidants.   I may have a hamburger and/or a hotdog once a year.  But, I may have a pizza every other month.

The killer of all cancers is a LOW IMMUNE SYSTEM and more people die of some other disease that they die of their cancer because of their low immune system.  For example, I would not have survived COVID.

The one thing that I do not get enough of is exercise but my fatigue which is minimal most of the time is still strong enough to provide me with the motivation to exercise...   even just walking around the community for 30 minutes would help.

Cancer Treatment on Dental Care

Most of the literature that revolves around cancer treatments, including radiation, as it pertains to harming one's teeth, states that this might happen if and when the radiation is around the neck or above...  and, while I believe that the literature is correct in its analysis, I believe that it fails to properly address the long term impact of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy on one's teeth.

I say this because, I am in my 14th year of cancer treatments that includes over 150 infusions (both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, 6 radiation treatments, and about 3 years now taking daily immunotherapy pills.  Here recently, I have had 3 situations where parts of my tooth have chipped off while eating, causing 3 crowns, and 1-2 root canals...  and, I say 1-2 because I have yet to find out the exact status of this 3rd chipped tooth.

Interestingly, all of my life, all of my dentists and there have been several have told me that my teeth are very strong and that I should experience minimal cavities, and minimal problems with my teeth...  and, that I should consider myself fortunate.

SO...  why were all these dentists wrong?  Or, were they wrong?  

Sure, I can accept the fact, that as one ages, one's teeth has to age as well but not after being so solid and strong...  I would think...  therefore, the only other factor, and yes I do take proper care of my teeth, is all of my cancer treatments has had a cumulative  effect on my teeth.

Helping the Gut

Changes to gut microbiome are known to impact metabolic health. Physiologists at Laval University in Canada have discovered that diets containing low fiber and high fat cause significant shifts in the gut microbiome-;the collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other multicellular microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal system. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. The research paper has been chosen as an APSselect article for June.

Researchers used a mouse model to determine the key dietary factors affecting gut microbiome and how they contribute to obesity and other metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Mice were fed varying levels of low-fiber, high-fat diets which changed their gut microbiome.

More than 34 million people in America have diabetes, and the overwhelming majority of these individuals have type 2 diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Marette's team hopes to test the findings from the animal model in a new upcoming clinical study involving humans. The goal is to help define novel nutritional approaches to prevent unhealthy changes in gut microbiome and intestinal function to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases.

Read the full article, "Dietary fat and low fiber in purified diets differently impact the gut-liver axis to promote obesity-linked metabolic impairments." It is highlighted as one of this month's "best of the best" as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.

Keeping Brain Healthy

As researchers work to discover the causes and prevention of age-related cognitive decline, a growing body of research points to lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, as possible prevention measures.

Dementia, characterized by a deterioration of memory and thinking, affects approximately 50 million people worldwide, with 10 million new cases per year, the World Health Organization estimates.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and affects 5.7 million Americans, two-thirds of whom are women over age 65.

As the Alzheimer's Association states that deaths from Alzheimer's disease increased 145% between 2000 and 2019, there is a growing sense of urgency to uncover prevention methods that can be practiced from an early age. One way to do that could start with what you eat.

"Nutrition plays a huge role in most body functions and how we function, including aging," says Liz Weinandy, M.P.H., RD, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. For example, a 2019 study of dementia-free elders published in the journal NeuroImage found that distinct nutrient biomarker patterns were associated with cognitive health and functional brain network efficiency. 

A 2015 study in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia showed that adhering to the MIND diet was linked to lower rates of Alzheimer's. And another 2015 study from the same publication found a link between the MIND diet and slower rates of cognitive decline.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Mind Body Connection

FROM JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE...

Mind-Body Connection is the belief that the causes, development and outcomes of a physical illness are determined from the interaction of psychological, social factors and biological factors.

Your emotional health includes:

• your overall psychological well-being;
• your feelings about yourself;
• the quality of your relationships, at work and at home;
• your ability to create and use positive coping skills;
• your ability to manage your feelings.

Emotional health can be affected by the stress from both good and bad life events like marriage/divorce, promotion/lay-off or the purchase of a house/home foreclosure. It also can be affected by daily routines such as fighting rush hour traffic, meeting a deadline, unrealistic self-expectations, and interpersonal relationships.

And your body responds to this stress and to anxiety or depression. For example, when you’re stressed—even by something positive—you might develop high blood pressure, a stomach ulcer, back pain, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, and you may have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Some tips on how to improve your mind-body connection & emotional health

Practice stress management techniques. Stress management techniques, including writing, participating in a hobby, using a creative outlet, volunteering or meditating, can help you focus on things that are happening in the here-and-now.

Calm your mind and body. Relaxation methods, such as meditation or deep breathing, are useful ways to bring your emotions into balance.

Invest in you. Sometimes it can be important to schedule time just for yourself, to do whatever it is that you need to do to help yourself emotionally. What do you like doing? What are you passionate about? And invest in all areas of your health: nutrition, fitness, relationships, work-life balance and personal hobbies.

Develop resilience. People with resilience are able to cope with stress and emotions in a healthy way. Resilience can be learned and strengthened with different strategies. These include having social support, keeping a positive view of yourself, accepting change and keeping things in perspective.
You Can Help Your Patients Find Their Emotional Balance

Johns Hopkins Medicine has developed Balance, a two-part program to help individuals be emotionally fit.

Here’s how it works. Individuals take an online emotional health assessment that will reveal their level of stress, anxiety and other emotional vital signs. The assessment is free and confidential. And it can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

When they submit their completed assessment, they’ll immediately receive their results, and based on their results, they may be eligible for a confidential consultation with a Balance Care Concierge. This is a specially trained, master’s level, licensed clinical social worker who will talk to them about their results and what support they may need and want.

The Care Concierge will work with the individual to create an action plan, and connect them to the resources that will help them get into good emotional shape. And the Care Concierge will follow the individual’s progress to make sure they’re getting the right care at the right time from the right resources for them.

Here are a few comments from recent Balance program participants (names cannot be shared, to protect participants’ privacy):

• “It was positive and nice to talk to someone other than myself who really listened.”
• “[My Care Concierge] was easy to talk to and actually listened to what was going on with me. He provided positive feedback and resources that were very helpful.”
• “I liked the fact that I could do a consultation by phone[. I]t was very convenient.”
• “The advice and the techniques the therapist gave me were very useful and made me look at things in a different way to help me deal with my anxiety.”
• “[My Care Concierge] was an incredible listener, very informative about the help that could be offered to me and made me feel like this was the first time I have hope for getting real hope. She was wonderful.”
• “Talking with someone was a step forward.”
• “Easy and convenient. Provided options and flexibility to fit my needs.”

Solar Fields Music

 

Tantric Music

 

Good Health Friday

My reports from the Oncologist are back and my blood works has improved, my red blood cells and white blood cells are still low below the norm, but my body seems to be dealing with the two types of immunotherapies that are being pushed into my body to fight Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Melanoma.  My thyroid is not getting worse.  My nausea has all but disappeared.  My fatigue has all but disappeared as well.  I am on a routine of monthly IVIG which over a couple of months will assist in my improvements.  And, it appears that all my internal organs are functioning the way they should.  My sinus infections are gradually disappearing and the antibiotics are improving my facial skin infections.

I will continue to have a CT scan every three month but it will no longer be swapped out with a PET scan until some metabolic activity shows up on the CT scan...  The urgency there has been somewhat mitigated although it could worsen in time...  but, I don't think about that.

My heart monitor showed that I have no signs or any concern for afib returning so I am off of Xarelto and my bruise will begin to fade and my arms will look normal again.

My blotchy skin on my arms, face, neck, and shoulders is a sign that the drugs are killing the cancer and returning it to its normal pink color.

My cancer journey began in 2007 and in 2021 and after 13 years of treatment, I am beginning to show better than normal improvement, given where my Oncologist said I was 2 years ago from the standpoint that he was not sure he could stop what was happening to me.  At the end of 2021, I will end my 14th year and begin my 15th year...

Time flies when you are having fun...

Ten Million Dollar Man

While this is still considered to be Opdivo Day and I receive my 30 minute infusion of an immunotherapy drug for Metastatic Melanoma, I am still ingesting two 140 mg tablets each day to prevent my Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma from growing as well.

The cost of my monthly Opdivo Infusions is roughly $33,000 each month which does not include the cost of the infusion room, the cost of the lab work that must be performed, or the doctor's visit which in my case is every other month.

So, one could easily estimate that this treatment alone is about $500,000 to $600,000 each year.

My Imbruvica pills that I take daily cost about $150,000 per year and the cost of 2 CT scans each year are $3,000 and 2 PET Scans is $10,000 per year...  so my annual costs are about just under $700,000 annually...

Now, does this mean that the Hospital that I go to actually pays that much or is each fee negotiated with the insurance company and the pharmaceutical company?  My guess is that negotiations are taking place all the time between those three...

To date, the retail price of my cancer treatments, various tests and procedures, and doctor's visits is probably around $10,000,000.

My Monthly Dose of IVIG

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a blood product prepared from the serum of between 1000 and 15 000 donors per batch. It is the treatment of choice for patients with antibody deficiencies. IVIG temporarily increases the platelet count in about 80 percent of ITP patients.

If antibody levels become too low, doctors sometimes recommend that people with lymphoma receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to bolster their immune system and help protect them from infection.

IVIG is produced by pooling antibodies from thousands of blood donors. The antibodies are purified and sterilized to prevent the transmission of any infection.

What does it involve?
IVIG is administered via intravenous infusion in a medical setting. IVIG treatment is commonly given once a month while antibody levels are low. Antibody levels may rise with effective lymphoma treatment or recovery from chemotherapy or stem cell transplant. As Ig levels rise, you may need IVIG less frequently.

COMMENT:  Since I am being treated with immunotherapy for both Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Metastatic Melanoma, my Oncologist has recommended that I be given IVIG on a monthly basis to bolster my immune system, my low platelet counts, my anemia, and my constant sinus infections, and facial infections that have resulted from over a decade of cancer treatments.

I notice a change after each treatment in that my overall mental and physical health seems to be more vibrant, although that could be psychological...  and if it is, I really don't give a damn because the bottom line is that I feel better.  The only downside is that all my treatments come with steroids and that keeps me awake at night and since I have chemo treatment the next day EARLY...  then I need to fall asleep quickly.

Are You In Good Heath?

It is relatively easy to answer question once one understands the different areas of being in good health...  and, there are 7 of them actually:

1. Physical Heath
2. Environmental Health
3. Intellectual Health
4. Vocational Health
5. Social Health
6. Emotional Health
7. Spiritual Health

Many people refer to this as the SEVEN DIMENSIONS OF WELLBEING...

Physical well being revolves around exercise and eating healthy.

Environmental well being revolves around having respect for the earth and all that grows from the earth.

Intellectual well being revolves around learning new things and keeping your mind open to new ideas.

Vocational well being revolves around enriching one's life as one may want/need it to be enriched.

Social well being is simply connecting with others and having others in your life consistently.

Emotional well being is having a positive attitude towards life which generate a positive self-esteem.

Spiritual well being is having a set of core beliefs and values around which you live and base your life.

Perianal Abscess

 

While this is not something that one usually likes to discuss on social media, I am forced to disagree with myself here and post this information because it most definitely pertains to my cancer journey.

This morning I woke up with discomfort in my anal region that I attributed to either a bruise or a strained muscle or tendon because I had been on my hands and knees recently to stain some deck boards using muscles that I seldom use these days...  so, I ignore it.

Later in the day when I had a bowel movement and as I was cleaning that area, pain shot through me like I had been stuck with a knife.  After completing that task with diplomacy, I asked my wife to take a looksee but she thought I was being ugly until I explained what I was experiencing.  She saw what looked like a large cyst or pimple that was larger than normal on which she put some Polysporin and suggested that we do this twice a day.

A variety of things could cause this but basically it is an infection that is brought about by a low immune system being the most common or other diseases like Crohn's disease or diverticulitis.

Easy & Inexpensive

 

What Not To Eat

 

Thinking Out Loud

My time to awake each morning is usually between 7:30 and 8:00 am each morning and I go to bed at night around 10:00 pm so I am receiving about 8-9 hours sleep minus the 2-3 times that I get up each night to urinate which is rather normal for a person of my age; although, I have heard that as we get older that we actually need less and less sleep.

Each morning when I awake, I still feel a little sleepy but rather than go back to bed, I force myself mentally to get up and begin my day and within minutes my sleepiness has faded and oftentimes has disappeared completely.  First, I give our 3 cats a treat, then take my thyroid pill, then put a little food in the cat's 3 bowls, then prepare my coffee...  all of this takes about 15-20 minutes.

Cable FOX News is selected on our big screen and I sit on the couch, drink coffee, and begin to write...  and this, is my daily routine unless I have an early morning appointment with the doctor.  My appointments at UT Medical at usually in the mornings so I can find a parking space and are in the afternoons at all my other appointments.

I have been mowing the yard once a week on Thursdays, vacuuming our above ground pool every Saturday, weed eat every other Friday, take the recycle out every other Thursday, and the trash out every Friday, and whether I need to relax or not, I get into the hot tub for about 45 minutes every other night.  The time in the tub is fine because I have turned the temperature down to 98 degrees...  it is the massage jets that I really want to use.

My life is like this now because my cancer treatments are preventing my two cancers from growing as I get a CT scan or a PET scan every other month.  Regardless of my cancer(s) and their diagnosis, I eat healthy focusing on fish, chicken, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and Pita bread.  I consume no alcohol, minimal soft drinks...  but, I do treat myself to a loaded PIZZA every other month.

My  daily nausea and fatigue has disappeared as have my night sweats although there is always the fear and/or concern that they could always return on day.  I also live with the THREAT that my cancers either one or both could TURN AGGRESSIVE as well.  My treatments are all immunotherapies plus my monthly infusion of IVIG to help bolster my immune system to fight infections.

My12 year treatment has left me with a damaged Thyroid and a very low immune system along with anemia.  My skin is blotched all over my arms, neck, and face as if I had suffered burns from a fire.  My vision is slightly less than it was along with a reduction in my hearing.  My teeth seem to be unaffected by all the treatment.  The thinning of the hair on my head is due to old age not my cancer treatments.  Fortunately, all my internal organs seem to hold steady with their functionality, including my heart which was damaged 12 or so years ago.

I am a 73 year old man that seems to have the health status of a rather healthy 73 year old man...  the only exception is that I am not exercising like I should be exercising and if I do not return soon to that exercising, my body will pay the price over the next few years.  However, I am still doing yard work from time-to-time which is good but hardly makes up the difference.

Care & Feeding of the Elderly

There is one critical issue that many of us overlook, for one
reason or another, and that is the emotional support that the elderly need for their peace-of-mind and quality of life.  Oftentimes, we simply ignore our elderly from many perspectives.

• We call them on the telephone rather than visit
• We don't invite them on our family vacations
• We treat them as old and feeble when in their presence
• We don't look through their eyes
• We have little in common with them
• We don't respect their age and wisdom
• We criticize them on how they raised us
• We do not maintain any communications at all
• We assume they can take care of themselves
• We assume they don't need us as we don't need them

The elderly are not infants or children but they are human beings and like to be in the presence of family and participate in the activities of their children's families without obligating too much of their time or trying to control their development.  They just want to participate in the sharing.

Unfortunately, many children (myself included) do not include their parents in their activities from time-to-time.  From my perspective, I visited my parents during the Holidays like Christmas and Thanksgivings but not necessarily birthdays or other holidays.  I would call or send a card.  However, my wife invited my mother once, when we went to Myrtle Beach, SC.

Once my father died, I only visited my mother quarterly, even though I would talk to her on the telephone every Sunday...  Now, that I am her age, I realize my phone calls were not enough.  I rationalize my absence by the fact that my sister and her husband lived nearby.

For all intents and purposes, I ignored my parent's mental health making the assumption that they had each other or that my mother had the people with whom she lived with at the Retirement Center.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND............  AS IT IS MY TURN NOW.............

Life and Living

Some of us older folks have difficulty getting out of the bed at night when they have to go to the bathroom and it is cold in the bedroom...  whereas, there are others who get out of the bed regardless of the temperature in the bedroom, once they have to go to the bathroom...

In what camp do you sit?

My nights are typically spent with having to go to the bathroom at least twice each night as a matter of routine...  a third time seems to be optional for me and may or may not take place...

I don't worry about it anymore...  I just get up and pee.

But, every once in a while, my upper body sweats and that is totally unpredictable as well. These sweats are not as profuse as they used to be, where I had to put on a bathrobe because both sheets were wet.

Night sweats occur from not just having cancer(s) sometimes but also results from the treatments that are used to fight the cancer(s)...  so, in my case there is a double whammy.

Fortunately, both my cancers are under control and my days are developing new routines; however, once in a while, I simply feel bad...  Not tired...  Not fatigued...  Not nauseas...  and NOT experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms and yet, I just don't feel well or as some say...  don't feel 100%.

Of course, I think a lot of people have those days and have no underlying illnesses that might precipitate them...  it is just part of life and living.

Routines

Every other day, whether I am going anywhere or not or whether I feel like it or not, I take a shower and changes my clothes...   I don't know if this actually makes me feel better or what, but it is very easy to let yourself go, if you do not have to go anywhere at all for 14 days...  and, even though it is unusual for this to happen to me with all my appointment, it does happen.

Outside of that routine, I have 7 pills that I take each morning before noon and 7 pills that I take right at bedtime.  I also take a thyroid pill each morning right after giving the cats their morning treats and 30 minutes before I have anything to eat.  I usually don't eat anything because I never feel hungry until about 11 am.

I try to eat my heaviest meals at breakfast or at lunch and have my lighter meals at night...  so, for me that typically means swapping dinner and lunch as I usually just have a sandwich for lunch.  However, if my wife and I go out to breakfast or lunch, then if it is breakfast, I will skip lunch, and if it is lunch, I will skip dinner having snacks instead.

Routines are wonderful as long as one has the discipline to follow them otherwise there is no need to even start a routine...  at least in my opinion.

Facial Skin Infection

For the last two months, I have been taking Minocycline, which is an antibiotic designed to eliminate infections on the surface of the face that appear like raised bumps (but not acne) that itch and when scratched, a yellowy ooze comes out of them.

The medicine was prescribed by my Dermatologist who said I could take these pills twice a day until the infections cleared up, or I could take them until, he saw me again in 3 months.

I decided to take them for 2 months which ended yesterday and that I would see what happens to my facial skin before I return to my Dermatologist in a month, especially since there were no side effects that were associated with stopping this medication, "cold turkey," as is the case with some meds.

Besides, I was really concerned with the negative impacts of long term usage of this drug which he implied I might be taking for a while...

I only want to take those meds that I absolutely have to take to regulate my body appropriate for its age and on-going medical conditions.

Brain Massage

 

Eat Vegan

 

Last Night or Early This Morning

 

As is normal for me after making sure I am hydrated during is day, is frequent urination at night...  or, early in the morning of the next day...  BTW, I am seeing a Urologist to make sure this frequent urination is not the precursor for something else.

Anyway... during one of these visit, I was standing in front of the commode and felt faint...  this condition increased until I felt like I was going to pass out and just barely made it back to the bed to lay down to keep that from happening..

The sensation continued even though it was somewhat offset by remaining on my back when my upper body get extremely hot and I started experiencing a light sweat.  After about 20-30 minutes all sensations disappeared and as was able to fall back asleep.

I used to experience this about every 3-4 months but then for almost a year they did not happen and I thought I had outgrown them for lack of a better word.

Interestingly, I went to the ER once when it happened during the day in NC, and after several hours of tests and doctors drawing conclusions, they could discover why it had happened...  other than my blood pressure might have temporarily dropped.

There are certain disadvantages to growing old...

Unanticipated Controversy

Fourteen years ago, my wife and I purchased an above ground pool along with a Hot Springs Prodigy Spa or Hot Tub...  a year or so later, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's "B" Cell Lymphoma and a year or so after that, I experienced a rather serious heart attack that caused the surgeons to want to perform a triple bypass...  a second recommendation and I was left with the option of installing 5 stents instead.  A couple of years after that, I was diagnosed with Melanoma that later moved to my groin and and a sentinel biopsy was perform resulting in the removal of lymph nodes and my left leg experience lymphedema...

All of these conditions are not necessarily conducive to spending time in a Hot Tub, let alone spending in a Hot Tub several times a week...  and yet, that is exactly what I have been doing for the last 14 years.  Oddly enough, my time in the hot tub does not seem to be adversely effecting any of my conditions...  at least not yet...   but, with that said, I am not spending as much time in the hot tub as I used to spend.  And, when the weather gets warm, I turn the temp down from 104 to 98 or 95...  I still get the benefits of a heated massage.

However, one issue that I did not anticipate was the fact that as I age, it gets more and more difficult for me to lift my leg over the side of the hot tub in order to lift and pull my body inside...  and,  it is increasingly more difficult for me to reverse the procedure when extricating myself out of the hot tub.  

I have built myself a little bench, but I have it too high, so I need to cut it in half or possibly more than that in order for it to become a helpful too/aid.

Preferential Treatment for Blacks

I just heard this morning that Harvard University it going to start giving black and Hispanic heart patients preferential  treatment over white patients as part of the BLM/WOKE movement...

Being a heart patient for over a decade and having 5 stents inserted into my heart arteries by a New York Presbyterian Hospital Cardiologist in NYC, this news gives me a lot of concern...

Race and Color should not be used to determine whether a person gets treated or not...

If this trends starts moving throughout our society, then we are facing a race war in this country and if it has to take place over our medical delivery system, the SOBEIT...

BTW...  veritas means TRUTH...

Maintaining Charts

Currently, I am maintaining two charts daily and have been doing this since 2020 which, I suppose, makes me kinda odd, given the fact the few people do what I do...  and, maybe that is good.

I designed these charts myself using Excel and since I have taken no classes in MS Office, consider myself to be self taught.

My first chart is where I have been recording my daily morning weight standing on the scales only in my underwear but after I urinate, just in case I can eliminate a little more fluid which I believe is responsible for my fluctuations in daily weight amounts.

My second chart took me a little longer to complete as it is more detailed and color coded, but I use this chart to daily record my daily intake of calories as they relate to breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks as well as the five food groups: protein, dairy, grain, vegetables, and fruits.  I have also listed the RDA for each group.

At the beginning of my recording counts, I would be completely accurate regardless of the amount and while I still am accurate and relatively honest, once I approach 2,000 calories for that day, I stop recording, and I do that because it hardly ever happens these days, since I am pretty much centered on 1,600 calories each day without fail.

When my wife and I are going out to dinner, I also decide in advance what I will order and look up those calories and write them down before we go out, so that all I have to do when I return is confirm the data.  This is my procedure as well if we go out-of-town as I always take my laptop with me and make sure I have a WIFI connection; although, my phone is always connected to the Web and should I forget my laptop, I can always use that.

My Fluctuating Weight

Most of the people do not really care or pay attention to their weight and while that is fine for them it is not fine for me.  About a year ago, I was hospitalized with a staph infection and lost 10 pounds. I lost another 10 pound just by counting my calories and keeping my intake level at 2000/day.  Then I had a colonoscopy and lost another 10 pounds...  and, while I have about 20 more pounds to go until I am at the weight I should be for my age and height, I want to maintain my current level and not let it creep back up.

My scales are not the most expensive kind and have been fairly accurate with the digital scales at doctor's offices; however, my weight can fluctuate 2 pounds from one day to the next and according to my daily calorie chart, I am eating the same calories from one day to the next for those 2 days specifically.

SO...  why the change?

And, when my weight is down and I decide to eat more than I should at least for that one day, my weight does not change at all as far as those scales are concerned.

While this might not bother other folks, it bothers me...  which is odd because one would think that I have more serious things about which to worry these days...