So it is President’s Day Holiday, I remark with no enthusiasm whatsoever. Federal holiday. No mail delivered today. I’m really not interested in celebrating the subject of it. I’ll save my patriotism for Independence Day.
A boring day and cloudy, but spring-like sunny weather is in the forecast for the rest of this week. A massive flock of birds flew in from the WSW, paused here, then headed NNE. Storms arrived last night later than forecasted because of slower than expected easterly drift of the long line from south to north – storms on the line moving NNE as the line itself drifted WNW. Same line of storms that dropped tornadoes in Texas doing a lot of damage. Just heavy rain for a few hours with mild t-storms here in Norman Oklahoma. The danger of flooding in the neighborhood I live in will be gone soon as construction of the new storm drainage system is completed under West Lindsey from 24th SW east to Berry. The process is disrupting businesses along both sides of Lindsey as the street itself is completely replaced, along with new wide sidewalks. The work has made it difficult but not impossible to go to nearby Dollar General and the Homeland grocery store. Due to be done by Christmas. Same time the new bridge over I-35 to the west will be done. The storm drainage system turns south at Lindsey and 24th SW to Highway 9, then over to the river.
Season 7 episode 11 of The Walking Dead on AMC TV last night was another good one. Nothing of interest on TV today, even with it being the final free day for the Showtime promotion available to Cox subscribers and a few others.
Above photo taken with my cell phone camera when I moved in – November 2015. The building has three entryways like that on both sides – my south facing and the north facing side, four apartments accesses from each, a total of 24 apartments per building in the complex. Mine is up the stairs and to the left – that’s my private balcony with the old French doors seen in the upper left of the photo. Now as March 2017 approaches, my next door same level neighbor is moving from the one-bedroom to a 3-bedroom as the rest of his family from Florida has joined him here. He was to start a carpet installation business – didn’t work out, and now does maintenance work for the apartments along with one other maintenance man. So I’ll have a new next door neighbor soon. I’m told it is a woman who lived in the complex before with a daughter, moved away, and is returning to live alone.
I continue to be on the mend this Monday…
Swelling of feet, ankles, and lower half of legs including knees, began with an attack of heat rash on my ankles, but might be associated with liver damage caused by taking too much Tylenol [Acetaminophen] for pain as one of the triggers. It’s in the Excedrin I take for migraine headaches. Ibuprofen helps knock down the inflammation.
I’m managing the right side groin hernia well enough. I made a support to help hold it in – cut the elastic strap from two pair of briefs, one for the belt and one for the strap. The kind sold through Amazon for this problem cost over $30 each, and those are the least expensive. I’ll buy one next month to try it, but otherwise better to make my own for less money and a better fit. The recent commercials on TV for class action lawsuits regarding harm to patients of the mesh operations for such hernias has frightened me away from getting such an operation. An “elective” anyway, not covered, unless it gets worse and becomes an emergency.
I believe Celiac Disease damage to my small intestine contributed to the hernia caused by part of the small intestine pushing through weakened tissue at my groin. The horrible painful Celiac Disease rash began about the same time I got the hernia. Genetic, my sister was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about 8 years ago. Now I have all of the symptoms. However, now that I’m one a gluten-free diet, the rash and other symptoms are decreasing – the rash is about 90% gone. Likewise, the other painful rash caused by attacks of Advanced Crusted Norweigen Scabies (mites worse than bedbugs) has decreased 90% – the bugs are dead, finally having killed all of them – so what remains is skin damage yet to heal.
A gluten-free diet is not enough to knock down the related rash. I’ve discovered other triggers, and I’ve read that some other victims of Celiac Disease have made the same discoveries – tied to Celiac Disease but indicating other disorders. What I now so far know I can no longer consume:
- Caffeine (no more coffee and soft drinks containing caffeine).
- Ice in drinks, usually crushed ice I let melt in my mouth (now triggers skin rash) – helped to reduce anxiety in the past (ice addiction is symptom of anemia), and Dr Pepper was used to knock down attacks of depression.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup, and perhaps corn products.
- Ketchup, tomato paste, tomatoes, tomato juice and possibly vegetable juice.
- MSGs [Monosodium Glutamate], which has also triggered migraine headaches.
- Sugar (fluctuating hypoglycemia low blood glucose could cross over into becoming diabetic).
- Wheat (gluten) in any form.
Same time Celiac Disease onset included my sense of taste going haywire. Most meats suddenly tasting like muddy cardboard, making me nauseated and unable to keep down. I first noticed it with scrambled eggs – still taste bad today, but my landlady suggested trying hard boiled eggs. So I did. Excellent taste, no negative side effects. For a few foods I’ve regained my sense of taste and appetite. Such as all-beef hot dogs (Ball Park are best), diced up, added to no-beans chili, with American cheese, all mixed together in a bowl. I just can’t have the hot dog buns for chili cheese dogs anymore because of wheat to avoid on the gluten-free diet. Also taste and craving returned for simple salad – I prefer the light green crunchy lettuce – with Ranch dressing. When my father had his history of bleeding stomach ulcers like I’ve been having, the one food he was still able to eat without causing pain was simple salads. I finally remembered an old home remedy for stomach ulcers pain being a spoonful of baking soda in a half cup of cold water. Works well – ending my near extreme constant pain, and I’m able to sleep better at night now. Previously, whole milk knocked down the pain, but then became less effective with the onset of Celiac Disease symptoms.
Increasing iron intake to boost hemoglobin production is working to get my body to produce new blood faster than it is leaking out from my bleeding stomach ulcers (no longer repairable), so I will live longer now if that continues. Oh, joy, I might actually live long enough to see a real Walking Dead zombie apocalypse and end of the world! Maybe I should write a personal ad: “Seeking ride aboard interstellar ark with a hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy.”
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Lantern Timeglass Journal 