Halloween...

It's Halloween & the end of October.  October was a pretty good month this year.  I'm going to be a little busy today, so not much of a post today.  The Great Pumpkin is on tonight & we'll be watching it.  Whatever you call it;  Samhain, All Souls Eve or Halloween, have a great one.  

Cya...

Baton Rogue...

According to this article, Baton Rogue had the HIV highest transmission rates, not the most cases, but still.   New Orleans placed at 5th in the nation.  Not something you want your city or state known for.  

I can't say that I'm shocked.  These areas have been economically hard hit since Hurricane Katrina.  They have a large minority population & a known issue with every factor that contributes to HIV transmission; lack of HIV education/prevention, high incidence of drug use & a high rate of poverty.  

I've listed these fringe factors before.  Louisiana has a huge number of marginalized people.  Case after case has shown these people to be more prone to being in situations that lead to HIV.   This isn't just about people living in the southern USA.  It's about people living in isolation, being marginalized & disenfranchised.  

Until we get everyone involved with the fight against HIV, this virus isn't going anywhere.  We can't be satisfied that the mainstream, white, middle class, straight person got the info.  Everyone must be included & involved.  I see an article like this at least a couple of times a month.  People almost always react like it's something new.  It's not.  How much longer before we realize this disease doesn't care who it infects, so we can't care who we treat.  Everyone must be educated, tested & if need be treated.

Cya....

New Test...

This article talks about a new test using nanotechnology that can provide better diagnosis of not just HIV, but some cancers such as prostate.  The test is supposed to be exceptionally easy to use & more cost effective.  This would allow a wider use of the procedure & make it more readily available in resource strapped areas.  They mention this application might be useful in detecting other illnesses as well.  

If this works it could provide a needed push in testing.  The ease & cost factor will be huge.   The test is more sensitive.  I wonder how long it will be before this available on the market?  

Cya...

Someone Else's Story...

I'm not really blogging today, just relating.  This article on a family's journey with HIV is powerful & poignant. Through all my experience with HIV, I've been grateful I don't have children.  Read the article.  I don't think I'd have the strength the father did or possibly the kids. This is just another example of how much worse things could've been.

Cya..

8 More Days...

Just over a week from now, I'll be done with Day Light Saving Time.   I hate it.  It screws up my light.  I'm not a morning person, but without the morning light coming through, I don't tend to wake up on time or as well.  I feel rushed & robbed at the same time.  I like my slow wake up period.  

This morning it was so overcast, I overslept & didn't get much of anything done.  I felt hurried.  It agitated me & that isn't good for my health.  This time manipulation BS needs to end.  Just set the clocks & leave it alone.   Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up better & get things done.

Cya...

As Planned, No...

The adage, "Nothing ever goes as plans," holds true in my life.  My roomie & I are trying to lose weight & I  noted some time back weight loss was a weird process.  I wasn't losing the way I thought I would.  The process has been irregular, uneven & even lop-sided.  You're body loses the inches like ice cubes melt.  The thinner ice goes first.  The ice with the most friction or light then goes.  The last to go is the thickest, least affected part of the cube.  Finally, though, it does melt away.

The saga of weight loss makes you notice the little things.  The strange lines developing on your feet.  The fact you fingers look different.  Where the hell did those cheek bones come from?  Those type of things. Those little points of change are what you can focus on to keep going.

Little things are important.  I read a blog post today.  I was about a small collection of personal items & knick-knacks this woman had.  There were only a few items in the picture, a small bird, a key, a monocle & some rings.  Nothing was of much monetary value, but of huge sentimental value to her.  She expressed this in such a way, I'm sure every time she looks at them, they give her joy.  Not because of the thing, itself, but because of the meaning wrapped up in it.

Nothing may go as planned in losing weight, dealing with HIV or just life in general, but we still have these small things.  These little bits of joy that can come into our lives if we let them.  If we recognize them.  When February comes & my year of exercise has passed, maybe I'll have lost 30 - 40 pounds, so be it.  Maybe it won't be the 50+ I wanted.  Still, I have each & every little pound gone that I did lose.  I have the new lines in my feet, I can see it in my face, my clothes are looser & my blood pressure is lower.

Some people say the Devil's in the details, others say its God.  Regardless of whose where, the details, the little things, make up life.  It's the proverbial smelling the roses along the way.  This process I'm going through  with my roomie to get to a point where we're thinner & healthier, is just that a process.  It's series of little steps & changes that in the end, will add up to something more.  Each step along the way is just as important as the other.  Each one brings us something, some lost point, some new unseen or new lesson learned.

The plan may go awry, but that doesn't mean your goal or your journey will.

Cya...

Good Trip...

We had to go run some errands today.  I don't mind doing errands, but I get anxious about going all the way to Fort Smith, AR just to pick up somethings.   Normally, the drive is frustrating & we never find what we needed.  Then we have to drive home empty-handed & irritated.

All the stars must've lined up today, because this was a good trip.  We needed to hit a couple of  places.  I've gone to Michael's a lot, but I've never bought yarn there & figured it was at best a 50/50 shot.  PetCo was the next place & it is normally a disaster for us to try & get anything at this store.  As it turns out, they had what we needed & well-stocked. 

We got what we needed.  The drive was pleasant.  I got in some more walking.  All in all, it was a good trip.

Cya...

Permission....

I've talked about my decision to alter my schedule so it doesn't leave me running all day.  Somehow, Wednesday mornings always wind up being crammed full.   I was trying to get my regular stuff done, the things that needed to be done on that day finished & exercising.  I was trying to cram way too much stuff in far too little time.  It was rushing me.  I hate being rushed.

I was left feeling tired & irritated.  I wasn't happy that I hadn't gotten everything done that I'd wanted to.  Finally, I accepted there wasn't enough time to accommodate everything & something had to give.   I let Wednesday mornings become a stretch only morning without any further exercise.  

I only did stretches this morning.  I got through the rest of my morning things & got breakfast around.  I managed to gather trash & take it to the curb.  I did all this & I didn't feel hurried or frantic.  I managed to get some steps in later in the morning, almost noon.  

I still managed to get through what I need to do.  I just prioritized for the day.  I have to say giving my self permission not to exercise on Wednesday mornings has greatly improved this day.  I am not ragged or tense.  I did get some exercise in before noon.  I'm very happy with this decision.  What does it matter if I get my morning regimen in, if I'm left stressed, tired & anxious for the rest of the day?  This is a better approach for me.  Sometimes you have to reexamine things & restructure them.

Cya...

Measles....

This article addresses something I'd never even heard of before.  Children born to HIV + women, even thought they may not be + themselves, are far more susceptible to measles.  This is based on the finding that + women pass on weaker/fewer maternal antibodies to their offspring.  

This lessened immunity opens the door for measles.  How many other illnesses fall into the same category.  How many other instances of maternal antibodies are weakened or diminished? 

This is a remarkable finding.  If HIV can affect this type of transferred immunity, what other illnesses can?  Then you have to consider the people in the world who either don't have access to or refuse vaccinations.  I'm interested in seeing how this research develops.

Cya..

Deeper Sleep...

It was warmer yesterday & we had to open the windows & turn on some fans.  The light lull of my fan & the cooler temps made me sleep much deeper than I had in a while.  That's something people overlook when trying to lose weight or just stay healthy.   A good night's sleep can have more impact than a workout.  

I'm not giving up on my exercise, but I am making some allowances.  There's only so much time in the day & I won't rush to get things do if I can help it.  If it means something has to be skipped, limited or postponed,  so be it.  

I woke up this morning & for the 1st time, I realized how tired I'd been the past few days.  I was trying to get up when the light was weird, I was trying to get all my morning stuff done & exercise & whatever else might pop-up.  This morning, I said enough at least for today.  I did a light version of my morning stretches, went shopping & I've done the dishes.  

That's all I'm doing today. I'm taking today to just relax & recharge.  I don't think enough of us make a conscious decision to just stop.  If we do stop, then we feel bad that we didn't do more.  Today is about recharging & destressing.  My other chores & more exercise will still be there tomorrow.  So, now I have to catch up on some recorded TV & then I'll just surf.

Cya...

Stress...

Halloween is just 10 days away.  That leaves only 64 days til Christmas.  I'm not promoting the holidays here, I'm making a point of the season.  That's not mentioning Thanksgiving, Elections or other significant days on the horizon.  This is the time of year when people get tense & fractious, so why not do a little to ease the stress.  Let's try these, shall we: 

• Don't pick
• Let it go 
• Choose your battles
• Say the appropriate niceties
• Acknowledge
• Apologize

During this pre-holiday & electoral season, try ( I mean it, really try) not to show your ass.  Don't pick fights just because some one disagrees with your politics or you're bored.  If someone's being trying, then just let it go, it or they are probably not that important anyway.  If you must war, choose your battles wisely.  Only skirmish over things significant worth, not just because you're cranky or the other person is being an ass.  Take the time to say the appropriate niceties, like thank you & you're welcome.  Acknowledge people.  This can mean complimenting something they've done or simply holding the door open for them.  Finally, if you're at fault or wrong, just apologize.

This won't eliminate all your seasonal stress, but it certainly can't hurt.  For someone who is chronically ill, these things can make a huge difference.  I might not always follow my own advice, but I probably should, especially that let go part.

Cya...

EMR...

I've talked about EMR's (Electronic Medical Records) before.  There are some worries these records could be hacked.  Then there is the fact, these EMR's help medical staff when dealing with patients' medical needs.

This article discusses how EMR's helped lower the case of prescription errors in hospitalized HIV patients from 16% to 1.1%.  That's over a 90% reduction.  That's huge.

The problem lies in most medical professionals unfamiliarity with HIV medications.  They aren't aware of how these regimens work & what drugs may react or interact with these HIV meds.  Anyone on a regimen knows there are things we can ingest that will alter how our meds work.  Some foods, supplements & other medications will do this.  These interactions can increase or decrease the efficacy of 1 or more of the drugs being taken in tandem.  

Unfortunately, many patients whose regimens are altered in hospital, often stick with the wrong regimen until they see their primary care provider again.  By this time, the consequences could be quite pronounced.  These interactions could lead to toxicity or even viral resistance.  

Even if you are concerned about the safety of your medical records, which is a valid point, the benefits would seem to outweigh the danger.  Hopefully, the results from this study will be repeated & the application of EMR's will increase.

Cya...

A Little Busy Today...

We had to take the van in to have the fuel filter replaced.  We didn't need to spend the $, but it was better than having the car really screw up later.  It went better than we thought it would.   I took it by the mechanic's yesterday to have the oil changed, when they told me I should consider changing the fuel filter.  

Our mechanic's pretty forthcoming about things & has never screwed us over, so we trust him.   We dropped it off last night, because neither of us wanted to have to get the van there by 8 AM.    They told us it would be around $200, ouch.  

Good news, they called at about 9 AM & said it was done.  When asked for a total, they said $109.  That was almost a $100 less than we were expecting, so that was great.  Still, it bit into our morning & altered our schedule.  We'll have to do shopping tomorrow morning.  But overall, it wasn't a bad experience.  

Cya...

Think Fast...

Even though they can save lives, some HIV meds can also negatively affect a person's cognitive ability as they age.   This article talks about how cognitive therapy can aid in this condition.   Much of the therapy is based on speed of process.  How fast can your assimilate data, judge it & react to it.   It sounds sort of like taking your SAT's or GRE's.  

This therapy was show to improve the condition & it also provided a non-pharmaceutical based approach to handling the issue.  This is something, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about in the future.  If this can work for people with HIV, maybe it can be helpful for others.

Cya...

DC Senior Talk...

I've blogged about the greying of the HIV before.  Many believe by 2015, over half the HIV + population will be 50 or older.   This article discusses a new tactic in Washington DC, that aims education & testing at seniors.  

According to this, seniors are far less apt to talk about STD's & if they do turn out to be +, they're diagnosed much later.  This late diagnosis increases their risks to already be suffering AIDS related illnesses & complications.  It also adds to the probability they've already further spread the virus.  

However, 1 in 5 of newly diagnosed HIV cases are people who are 50 & above.  These people have all the same risks as anyone else.  Many people, even other seniors, don't want to deal with the fact these people are still having sex.  Many of these people came from a generation when safe sex wasn't concept talked about to anyone other than sailors hitting risque ports of call.

I'm interested in how all this will pan out.

Cya...

Left Alone...

Recently there have been reports of HIV transmission rates in Australia increasing.  Like many countries  they've been fighting the virus since the 1980's.  They thought they were getting a grip on transmission rates a decade ago & they had plateaued 5 years ago.  They were incorrect, the numbers of new cases has increased.  They're looking into earlier treatment options now.  

What I took away from this article, is that every weapon that can be used in the war on HIV is of vast importance & should all be used in concert.  From education, testing & treatment, no one is more valuable than the other.  Most of all, health professionals can't be allowed to become lax.  There has to be a constant push to be aware of HIV & how it's transmitted.  There has to be a nonstop drive for people to get tested frequently.  Then there is an utter necessity to treat these people as early as possible. 

Without any of those 3 things, this battle against AIDS will not go as we've hoped.  We will lose this war if we can't manage to provide education, testing & treatment.  I really don't understand why that is so hard to understand.  

Cya...

Not So Good...

I'm still not feeling that great.  I have a sinus issue going on & it isn't pleasant.  I woke up feeling dehydrated & groggy.  I tried to get more rest last night to help deal with the lack of sleep I got the night before.  Between the stress of Saturday night's storm drive & the sinus problems, I'm still pretty shot.

At least we got the shopping done & I managed to get my flu shot.  That'll probably be all I do today.  My health yucks are killing my exercise.  I thought about doing some steps today by head is not in a good place & I don't trust my balance.  This Fall is being rough on my health.

Cya...

Rough Night...

I took my roomie to a party last night & went to see the movie Looper.  That initial part went alright.  The movie was OK.  Then the ride home began & things went downhill.  We drove into a hard rainstorm.  It took forever to make it home due to the downpour obscuring the road.  To add to that, the battery light in the van kept coming on.  We stopped a couple of times & the light was out when we restarted the care, but it came back on again later.  The van's electronic system hates the wet stuff. It always gets freaky in moist weather.

We made it home earlier than I expected, but it was still late.  I looked at some stuff & went to bed.  I was tired from the rough drive.  My legs are still stiff.  About 4:30 AM, there was a loud commotion out on the porch.  Thinking I might see a skunk, possum or even a person, I peeked out the shade & flicked on the light.  I saw nothing.  When I stepped out, there was a snapping pitbull, one of my "lovely" neighbors dogs. 

It had wrecked everything on the porch.  I called the police & they came shortly.  I had to retell my encounter to them.  I have no idea what happened to the dog.  Afterwards my cats began acting up & I had a coughing fit.  It took me almost an hour to get back to sleep.  I was not happy when it was time to wake up.  My energy is spent & I didn't find any good articles.  I'll write more tomorrow.

Cya...

Transplants...

For the past few days there have been articles posting about + people now more readily receiving organ transplants.  There was never any actual ban on HIV+ people receiving transplants, but they rarely did.  The process to determine who gets a transplant is in part based on life expectancy.  In the not too recent past, people living with HIV didn't have that great of a life expectancy & were often rejected as recipients.

Things have changed.  With new drug regimens & earlier treatment, the lifespan of + people has greatly increased.  These organs could greatly impact the lives of those living with HIV & their loved ones.  Each day, something comes along & HIV becomes less & less of a death sentence.  The steps we take forward are just the obvious ones.  When they made the drugs to fight HIV, they increased our likelihood of survival.  I'm fairly certain they weren't thinking, "Hey, if we do that, these people could get organ transplants."  Why would they?  Every step taken or action performed always has unintended, unimagined & possibly unseen consequences.  

This is very interesting news.

Cya...

Countries Saying Enough...

Indonesia has joined the ranks of nations across the globe that have said that pharmaceutical patents are keeping the cost of meds so high their people can't afford them.  These countries have addressed meds affecting HIV, HepC, cancer & others. What sometimes happens, is that the given country overrides the private patent for government use, thus allowing them to develop & sell an affordable generic version of the medication.

Many pharmaceutical companies are screaming & saying it'll prevent them from developing new medications in the future.  What they're not acknowledging is that these nations are doing whatever they can to save their people.  To me that's what these leaders should be doing.  The lives of their people are more important than some profits to these drug companies.

What's not being address is that this is little more than privateering, a nicer name for government-approved pirating.  I support that these countries should do what they can to save their people.  However, I also acknowledge the, "I can't afford it," argument is used by many who pirate movies, games, software, etc..., some of which the person might actually need. 

I'm not trying to make a pro-piracy argument here.  I'm trying to point out the greed of many companies producing a myriad of things around the world has gotten to such a point, that even upstanding countries are having to consider such tactics as piracy, even if they call the maneuver something more legitimate sounding.  At some point these corporations are going to have to be put in their place & I think countries, such as Indonesia, are beginning to do just that.

Cya...

Another Thursday...

Today is trash day & I'm always a bit happy knowing that stuff is out of the house.  Today is also rather odd, because its numerical date is 10-11-12.  According to some, it's supposed to be a lucky day.  So far for me, it's been a pretty good day.  

I've gotten my exercise done.  I've done some chores.  Mostly I've just had a good night's sleep & have gone about my day.  

It's another Thursday & I'm fine if it isn't special.  I'm content just as long as nothing goes too sideways.  The weather's nice, I feel reasonably well & nothing's broken today.  To me, that's a good day.  It really does pay to be pleased when the small things go right.  

Cya...

Losing Sunlight...

For some people losing sunlight can be problematic.  It can be an issue with seasonal mood disorder & a host of other Vitamin D deficient ailments.  For me, it's more a matter of timing.  I've lost my morning routine due to the lack of early morning light streaming in through my windows.  This light allowed me to slowly register it was morning & begin to wake up.

Now, that light is mostly absent & even though I wake up when I'm supposed I feel totally cheated.  Beyond that, I'm groggy & slow to get started.  This alters my entire morning & impacts the rest of my day.  Fortunately, Daylight Saving Time ends in a little over 3 weeks & I'll have more light again.

People often overlook & even dismiss the impact environmental factors can have on them & their well being.  Ambient light, noise, temperature, humidity, etc., these can all heavily influence your life & health.  Take time to notice how you react to such things.  When you're feeling off but don't know why, take stock of these factors & see if any of them are affecting you.  I know this lack of light is affecting me & I'll be very happy when the clock rolls back to give me my extra hour of sun in the morning.

Cya...

Living On The Fringe...

This article that came out today goes over something I've covered before in this blog.   This piece talks about  how people who are farther removed from society are more negatively impacted by HIV than others.  Ethnicity, education, gender & income all have a huge impact on how likely your are to die from HIV.  The more marginalized a person is, the less likely they are to survive the virus.

Like it or not, we are not an integrated society.  Some groups are pushed to the edges & others choose to self-segregate.   Regardless of how they got there, many people live on the very cusp of society.  These people are the most at risk of dying from HIV &  likely, the most apt to spread the illness,  

When they say all men are created equal, what they really mean is, everyone is equal as long as they're:

• Male
• White
• Of a mainstream religion
• Reasonably educated
• Reasonably affluent
• Straight

The further a person is removed from those traits, the less "equal" they are.  I get it, resources are limited & you want them for you & yours, classic conflict theory.  Just do us the favor of not acting like we're all equal.  I'm sure I received better care than some lesser educated, person of color.  However, I'm also certain that  I received inferior care compared to some affluent, straight, white man.  Medicine should not be a place of inequality, but it is.

Cya...

Product Placement...

Articles were scarce today, so I looked at what Google had to offer from the last 24 hours.  I got titles like:

• HIV Basic Information
• Get The Facts About HIV
• Diagnosed With HIV-1?

Those  all sounded good.  Then I wondered why I hadn't seen these before.  I found out all 3 sites had something in common.  They were all product placement sites for HIV meds.  This pissed me off.  Why the hell would commercial sites get preference over relevant information sites?

Then I noticed that my AdBlock extension had not engaged.  I reset the extension & refreshed the page.  When I did that all 3 of the above listed sites vanished.  Now, for the latest entries for the last 24 hours I see:

• HIV Latest News:  Times Of India
• HIV and AIDS News
• POZ Blogs

That was a crappy discovery.  I shouldn't be surprised, but I am disgusted.  When you're looking up info for HIV, you're hoping to find useful information, not a commercial for some med.  I know Google has to make $, but does it have to list these sites 1st?  A big thanks to the guy who made AdBlock.

The point is, commercial sites aren't usually the best sites to go to for information on anything.  They usually have their own agenda which might vary greatly from yours.   I'm not going to list any sites of preference, because they would change depending where you are in the world.  However, there are a lot of good non-profit sites & governmental ones that should provide better info than someone hocking their wares.

Cya...

Yard Work...

Not much going on today other than some yard work.  Which is mostly done.  I think it's actually done, but the moment I say that, something else will need tending to.   I meant to spend about 15 minutes out there & wound up spending 45.  That could prove to be a mistake, hopefully not.  I try not to push it any more when I do things like this, but sometimes I just get caught up in what I'm doing & push on.  I'm really hoping I didn't push it too far.  I don't think so.

That's one problem with being +,  I never know exactly how much energy I'm going to have in a day.  I have to be careful not to over exert & knock myself out of commission for days.   Unfortunately, that's a lot easier to do than I'd like.  The rest of my day will be devoted to getting small things done & food together.  Hope you all had great weekend.

Cya...

Disease Free...

A lot of hookup sites have people who pitch themselves as disease-free.  According to this article, they may have to start proving it.  According to some clinical studies, people who were interested in the at home HIV tests, were interested in using them on would-be sex partners, as well as themselves.

I can imagine the shock if someone got a partner home & said OK I'll need about 30 minutes for you to take the test & the results to show.   Getting ready to hop into bed with someone is not the place you want to find out that you're +.   I get wanting to use every available means to be safe, but this is dubious.  

Any test can screw up.  What if the person you brought home does turn out to be +?  What if you do turn out to be + & your would be tryst partner is a blabber mouth?   So, if the test says the person is negative will you still use a condom?  Or will you risk the possibility the test was wrong or the person has another STD?

I don't support at-home testing for reasons I've already detailed in this blog.  I really detest the idea of would be F-buddies suddenly becoming lab techs.  This is just inappropriate.  I'm sure a lot of people will see it as being just fine & a literal godsend, but I see as a potential disaster in the making.    I haven't supported OraQuick for personal use & I won't support it for this.

Cya...

Yesterday's Goof...

Yesterday I blogged about my 1st yard work of the season.  It didn't go well.  I had shaky arms for an hour afterwards.  The goof here was that it was my own doing.  It wasn't just that I did the yard work, but that I did it without the right gloves.  

I had on my typical gardening gloves.  Normally, those are enough for doing things in the yard, but not weed-eating.  I have a pair of shock absorbing gloves that I should've wore & didn't even think about them until this morning.  I did more yard work & weed-eating today with the right gloves & have very little shaking in my hands.  

The point is that my shaky arms were my own fault.  I should've remembered I needed the other gloves.  I failed to employ a basic work philosophy, "The right tool for the right job."  The gloves I wore yesterday were not the right ones & I paid for it.    If I had stopped & thought about it a little more, maybe I might've used the right gloves.  

Today, I took my time & remembered the right gloves.  I did the work & I am sitting here with no shakes or aches.   A lot of what happens to us in our lives boils down to bad choices we made.  We get in a rush.  We don't stop to think the matter through.  In the end a lot of the unwanted in our lives is their because of our own doing.

Cya...

Shaky Arms...

Did my 1st bit of yard work of the Fall.  Not much, thankfully the rechargeable battery on the weed eater doesn't last long.  I know that sounds counter productive & for most people it probably is.  However, after doing very little work I'm happy it's over.

1. I ran the weed eater over an overgrown patch of mint
2. I edged part of the drive
3. I trimmed a few unruly limbs from bushes
4. I sprayed weed killer along the drive
5. I gleefully poisoned a large fire ant mound
6. I replaced the tools & other things

After what amounted to about 20 - 30 minutes of work, my hands are weak & arms are shaking.  I get this every time I use power yard tools. It goes away in a bit, but it's always weird when it happens & I have to be careful how I hold things.  It isn't making typing all that much fun either.  So that's my day so far & this post has to come to an end.  

Cya...

Consent...

In the USA, for the most part you have to give your consent to be tested for HIV.  There are a host of reasons why from privacy & to being in the right place to handle a possible + diagnosis.  There are steps to be performed before being tested for HIV.

This article goes into account of a woman that was tested without her consent under the guise of another medical test.  I support much more aggressive testing.  But, this not only ruined her trust in her physician, it also broke the law.  

This woman had been asked for permission to perform the test before & had denied it.  Later she was covertly tested.  She was informed she was + without any preparation or support.  This doctor & all those  knowingly involved should be prosecuted & lose their licenses.  

This woman was already physically unhealthy & stressed.  Then out of the blue this jack ass nonchalantly informs her, "Oh BTW you're +."  I'm sure it didn't go exactly like that, but it might as well have for all the negative impact it had on the woman.

She's suing the doctor.  I hope she wins & this arrogant ass of a physician is duly punished.   A person should be made aware of any & all tests to be performed on them, end of statement.

Cya...

September Exercise Woes...

It seems I'm still paying dues for exercise I did last month.  1st, I got sidetracked by a foot issue.  Which led to me overcompensating & making the other foot sore.  When, that healed up, my allergies kicked in hard, making it hard to breath while I was doing my steps.  But I got back into it.  It seems somewhere down the line, my lunges, reverse ones or something else strained an abdominal muscle.  It's fine most the time.  But if I lean this way & reach with my arm another, then wow, that hurts.  It's better today, but it's hard to exercise & not stimulate your abs.  Maybe tomorrow will be better & I can get back into the swing of things again.  

Cya...

PS:  Sneezes & ab issues are not a good combination.

Cya September...

The door's closed on September 2012 & October is here.  It wasn't a bad month, a bit warmer than I would've liked, but other than that it was OK.  Now, here we are in October, the year is winding down.  Fall is here & the biggest kid holiday is drawing closer.  I din't have a lot of plans for September.  I was just riding out the rest of Summer.  My roomie is being industrious & making some plans for the upcoming month.  I'm not sure if I will or not.  I want to keep up my exercise & watch what I eat a bit better, but other than that, I haven't got anything planned yet.  I do need to get a flu shot sometime soon.  Here's hoping every one has a god October.

Cya...