Tag Archives: health

Gall Bladder Removed

Those that know me know I have been struggling with digestive problems for quite awhile. Things really started ramping up almost 2 years ago. Since that post I also have had several ‘up all night with incredible pain’ attacks that I supposed was the gall bladder passing stones. Well finally got that ultra sound done and yep.. a very sick gall bladder.

So on 19 November 2012, I had it removed, laparoscopic surgery.

It’s been 2 weeks now and the small incisions are mostly healed, and the soreness is going away.

As to what foods I can eat without pain, well the fact is I also have inflammation (gastritis) of my stomach lining due to use of Advils over a very long period of time. This was one reason it was so hard to diagnose just what was going on with me. So I still am off coffee, chocolate, spicy food, and fried foods. I have to be careful with onions, garlic and peppers, but I am not giving them up.

They say that the lining will heal with the use of PPI (prilosec type drugs) and I have been using that one for awhile. It will be wonderful to be able to go to a potluck or out to eat and not be afraid of food. At least now I can eat knowing I won’t have one of those horrendous gall bladder attacks ever again!

Facebooktwittermail

Time Keeps on Slippin’

I missed spring, summer and most of the fall. It is now winter, with rain and gray days, running the generator way too much as there isn’t enough solar to keep our small system going.

I haven’t been off the land to town in over 44 days now! Thank the goddess for internet as it seems to be my main social contact. I try to phone someone every few days, but talking on the phone is just not my thing. And my throat / voice has been stressed and strained and talking just makes me cough more.

I am now on day 3 of antibiotics (AGAIN) for the tickle – wake – me – up all night cough – all day cough, that developed as I was finally getting rid of the ‘end of summer colds’. I obviously have something going on that is causing this, (bacterial infection?) but no diagnosis.

I want to wax eloquently about how great a garden we had this year, we actually made tomato sauce to can last week end. I picked off 4 large flats of green and pink tomatoes to ripen off the vine. We dug some red potatoes a couple days ago that were just sooo goood. (carrots too) and peppers. I have 10 good sized butternut squash to store for the winter, and several acorns to eat up. I love being able to go into the garden to determine what’s for dinner, but those days are over for this season.

November is just around the corner. Russel’s Aikido school, Mateel Aikido will be celebrating 25 years this month. There is a big retreat planned for the weekend of Nov 19 – 21, with Sensei Frank Doran headlining. There is a Mateel Aikido facebook page that one of the students put up, that you can check out.

I have been dreaming of a warm sunny relaxing massage filled sauna taking swimming several times a day eating only good food retreat with mountain views. Just a few days (maybe more!) to detox, relax, and rejuvenate. Maybe southern California, as I need to get my passport redone before I can go to Mexico. But this is just a dream at this point.

Election in few days.. will be interesting to see where the ‘collective we’ end up with regards to Prop 19, CA governor, and some local issues.

Facebooktwittermail

End of Summer Colds

Russel started working back at the schools on last week, by Wednesday (Sept 13) he came home with fever and chills which launched into a full on sinus & head cold.

I managed to keep feeling good until Sunday, the 18th, when a cough started and by Monday I was full on into a head cold as well.. and still today. All the usual aliments, stuffy nose, running like a faucet, sinus head ache, coughing, sneezing and feeling miserable.

This is just a bit much to take on heels of just getting over by 70 day bout with coughing. We also had a brief weather change in there a few days of gray cloudy weather and rain on Monday.

Today if was foggy all morning and now the sun has appeared, seems we are in the middle of Indian Summer .. with the full Harvest Moon just yesterday along with the Fall Equinox… changes coming. I just wish I felt better as there is soooo much to do.

OH and by the way Facebook is down today! My connection to the world, at least I can keep talking here, but really don’t know how many of my friends actually check this site out?? So if you do come by, please drop me a note, ok?

Facebooktwittermail

Start Antibiotics

Whatever I had / have I don’t think it was any kind of allergy. I started on antibiotics July 31, after many really bad days of coughing day and night. I finally called the doctor and specifically asked for antibiotics and codeine cough syrup (which did not help at all).
Within 4 days of starting the antibiotics, the cough was almost gone, by a week into the antibiotics, it was gone and energy was returning because I was sleeping. It actually felt like life was starting again!
After 3 months of this thing dragging me down.

So now, August 15, I am 2 days off the antibiotics and have just a light cough occasionally.. has me a bit worried that I will fall back into what ever it was, but I am trying to get stuff done while I have some energy.
And no spring cleaning was done this year.. and if it didn’t have to happen for the last several months, it didn’t .. so I have a ton of stuff to do to catch up.

Speaking of getting stuff done. I tried my first pickle-canning July 26, using zucchini instead of cucumbers. We just opened a jar a few days ago and they are quite tasty!

zucchini dills

Facebooktwittermail

May into June Allergy into me

I didn’t mean to abandon my blog. Again. I do have some beginning posts of content being organized that I plan on adding either here or in my other website, www.creationdreams.net, when it gets updated to WP.

So in early May, Russel’s sister Carol, came to visit, (May 5-9) and Russel was running back and forth into town to bring Carol out here.

Russel Wisby & Carol Nelson

It was a nice visit and the weather was good, sunny and warm, but the evening we were to go to Shelter Cove, my 4 Runner wouldn’t start. I had had some problems with it the day before in town, and we figured out the alarm system, that we never used, decided to say a door was open and wouldn’t let us start it up.. quite the drag. I stayed home and Russel took Carol out to the cove for dinner.

Then it rained again.

I took the 4 Runner to be fixed by Leo’s. Sunny breezy day after a good rain in May. I need to focus on the rest of the garden planting.
And returning to the Bruce bubble .. where life is just sublime.
I spent the next week working on www.cockburnproject.net, and staying in that Bruce bubble.

I was feeling pretty good for me, and starting to plan out all the projects I wanted to accomplish this spring, before Russel leaves for Aikido Summer Camp on June 13.

On Friday, May 14 – I went into the Farmers Market. How fun! So many happy smiling faces, and lots of good connection. Feels good to be out and seeing people on a sunny bright day! And preparing for the Russel’s upcoming Mateel Aikido workshop at Beginnings this week end and potluck on Saturday. I prepared a non-bean enchilada dip and a pesto, pasta and pine nut salad for the potluck. It was a warm and sunny day on Saturday too, and as always the Mateel Aikido potluck was a blast with good friends and lots more socializing.

2 days of socializing had taken its toll on my, throat hurts from talking so much, my life in general is so isolated that 2 very social days in a row wipe me out! Which is how I felt on Sunday.

Then it rained — again.
Continue reading

Facebooktwittermail

Almost ready to go Live ..again

Well I have all but year 2009 posts transferred to this new blog. In doing that many emotions have crossed my mind, some not much fun.

Once 2009 is done, I will need to set up spam blocking for comments and turn them on, test a new gallery short code page and wait till WP 3.0 is done beta testing and ready for prime time before I change this theme, which I am not liking much.

Spring is upon us here, as well as a Bruce Cockburn tour, anad some health issues that I truly hope are resolved quickly and painlessly.

I use Facebook every day..but I am looking forward to longer postings here, and hopefully turn this into more than a personal journal.

Facebooktwittermail

Going to Michigan Again

I am getting ready to go back to Michigan and visit Dad. This time flying alone, Russel needs to stay here and work while school is still on. Not having Russel to power me through the airports will be very different.. I haven’t flown alone in over 20 years. Funny how dependent we get on one another.

Dad is done with treatments, and getting weaker all the time. He still is eating and walking slowly, but having a hard time getting up from a chair. He is clear headed and we talk every couple of days. But how long he will stay in this place is anyone’s guess.

They don’t know if the last round of radiation helped shrink the brain tumors, and won’t even do a scan for another month. Meanwhile the spots on his lungs have grown. The writing is on the wall I guess.

Home Health are coming in now 4x a week for a few hours
in the morning to help with bathing and such. Sue is handling most everything else.

My being there will mostly help me I think.. they are fine and family is abundant, but I only have one Dad, and I would like to see him at least one more time while he still can laugh and be with me.

So I leave April 25 – May 9 unless I need to stay longer. Sue keeps saying he isn’t dying yet, but I am not so sure.

I wanted to book this general time in February, but at that point Dad was improving fast and really thought he would be out planting his garden and mowing the lawn this year.

So I wish I had (booked then) as I wanted to catch a Bruce Cockburn show in Ann Arbor at the Ark on the 20th. But trying to book so late I couldn’t get a flight that met my needs until the 25..oh well. I do hope he makes it to California sometime this year.

Facebooktwittermail

Paddle Out for Randy Today

Going to Michigan .. again

The ‘paddle out’ for Randy is today. We are in a winter storm warning.. with rain snow and freezing temps. I hope everyone makes it over the hill safely. A lot of the Aikido family and Randy’s surf family will be there.

Russel has been sick with a chest cold for over a week now. Today is his birthday and he still feels punky. But he is going to the paddle-out.

I have been making all the travel arrangements and contingency plans for being able to get out of here and to Arcata to catch a flight on Tuesday 16. Flying into Salt Lake City then Detroit.

We will be at Dad’s Dec 16-Dec 28. I am hoping my nieces show up at some point and my brother. Dad is eating better now and we just hope for improvement in energy and well being.

To all who may come here:
Hold those you love close. Enjoy each minute as your last.
Happy Solstice !! (early )

Facebooktwittermail