My Hibiscus Tea Scare

(DISCLAIMER: I'm not qualified to give medical advice but I will be warning my family and friends about Hibiscus tea. You should always get your advice from your medical team.)

The first time I went to a doctor as an adult (because I cracked a rib while sneezing), I was told I had high blood pressure. I'm sure the ER doctor thought the high reading was because 1) I have white coat syndrome, and 2) I'd cracked a rib while sneezing and was in pain. I was weighing in at about 110 then so weight wasn't a factor.

Fast forward to when I was seeing a doctor for a physical and (still weighing in at around 110 or so), I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (HBP). It runs on my mother's side of the family.

For a long time, doctors tried different meds and combos of meds to get the HBP under control. Finally, a combo worked - at least it worked better than the others - and my controlled BP ran somewhere around 150 for the systolic (top number). Then I got sarcoidosis (and was already weighing in at 140-145 pounds). My blood pressure went nuclear. There were times when the top number went as high as 210.

My BP was still high when I moved to Iowa but sort of under control. Then I started taking a supplement and the numbers were reading as "normal". It was so weird to see a systolic reading in the 110s, 120s, and, at the highest, 130-something. Then this morning's reading scared me.

Last night before bed, I drank half a cup of hibiscus tea. I love tea and always fit some form of it into my day. I start my morning with coffee, have water all day, then have a cup of tea before bed. Chamomile, a fruit-flavored green tea, or a cup of Sleepytime. Last night was the first time in about 5 or 6 years that I've drank hibiscus tea.

I drank the tea (maybe half of the 6 ounces that I brewed) at around 7:30 - 8 o'clock. I had a really good night's sleep but woke up this morning feeling slightly tired. I took my meds for the day, including the BP meds, and then I checked my BP.

My reading was 105/57. This is no more than 5 minutes after taking my meds so the BP meds could not have had time to start working.

Since I've had a lingering bug of some kind for the past couple of weeks, I wondered if that affected my BP. However, my BP reading earlier this week was in the normal 120-something range.

One of my former doctors told me once that, when I am experiencing a new symptom, I should consider anything new about my diet, exercise, or other behaviors. So, when I was thinking about this, I realized the tea was the only new thing I was eating or drinking.

I had already checked if hibiscus tea was okay for CKD patients. But I did a lazy check and, as soon as I saw that it was low potassium, my research was done. If I'd checked further, I would have known that the tea works almost as well as prescription meds for lowering BP.

I have questions:

1. Why isn't the tea prescribed for HBP patients? It can at least be mentioned.
2. How did I know nothing about this tea and its effect on blood pressure?

I  am certainly going to be asking my doc about this at the next appointment. I know that there may be reasons that I am prescribed the meds instead of being told to drink the tea but... C'mon! 

If as little as 3 or 4 ounces of tea can do what a pill can, I'd much rather drink the tea. But I guess the tea is much more affordable than the pills... 

Now, at least, I know. Also, I know that I cannot just keep drinking this tea with a willy-nilly attitude. I can't afford an ambulance if I happen to pass out with low blood pressure. On the other hand, when my BP skyrockets, I think I might have a sip of hibiscus tea...

Peace

--Free

Blood Pressure Update

 When I first posted about my improved BP numbers 5 or 6 weeks ago, I was wondering how the magnesium glycinate and nitric oxide supplements would affect my labs. Well, I had my labs done last week and things were great. It's not uncommon for my creatinine levels to fluctuate. Sometimes the level gets worrying enough that the infusion nurses have to check with my doctor about whether or not to proceed with the treatment. This time, nothing.

None of my doctors seem willing to admit that the supplements have anything to do with the lowering of my blood pressure. They all chalk it up to a change in my eating habits (that ain't happened), my getting more exercise (nope), or cutting back on salt (nope again). I will be seeing yet another new rheumatologist soon and will be asking him about the supplements. 

For now, I am continuing with both the supplements and my regular BP meds. I am still drinking a minimum of 50 to 70 ounces of water daily (usually 70 ounces). I still drink about 12 ounces of coffee daily. And I am still on my pizza kick. 

My salt intake is not down. I'm not bad about having a lot of salt in my diet and I've been eating a variety of meals using the same ingredients.  My daily meals for approximately the last 6 months include homemade dough (made with a teaspoon of salt for enough dough for 6 small meals), mozzarella cheese, about 3 tablespoons of sauce, some black olives, pepperoni slices, and EVOO. If I make a small pizza, I use about 6 slices of pepperoni, a fourth cup of cheese, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Lately, I will have about 3 tablespoons of aioli. Sometimes, I make a loaf of garlic and mozzarella bread to eat with some butter or sauce or aioli. My BP after a pizza for lunch today was 125/64.

By the way, I am using this BP monitor - which is much better than my last one. I like that it has been reading close to what the nurses get during appointments. It also warns the user about high readings and incorrect placement of the cuff. The only thing I regret is not getting it at Walmart where my health insurance would have covered the price.

The big thing is, I guess, whether or not I feel better. The answer is, not really. The only difference is that I don't get as many headaches and my weight is dropping slightly. I still have the fatigue but my doctors say that is due to the sarcoidosis - even though having high blood pressure doesn't help. I still have days when I can't think clearly and I still occasionally have to be really careful about my balance so I don't run into walls or trip myself. 

The reason I am so happy about my blood pressure being lower is mainly because, the better my BP, the less damage to my kidneys. I have a traumatic fear of ever needing dialysis. That will never be on my bucket list.

So, yes, I am feeling optimistic about my kidney health. I still wish every day that someone will find a cure for sarcoidosis but I will take any win I get.

Peace

--Free

IMPORTANT NOTE: Understand that I am NOT offering health or any other kind of advice. I am simply relating my personal experiences. Also, I am not compensated for the products mentioned or linked to in this post. You should always consult with your medical care team before taking anything not prescribed - including supplements in powder, tablet, liquid, or any other form. Supplements are not regulated and, like anything, can have varying quality issues.

**UPDATE** Can’t Wait to Talk to My Doctor

 NOTE: Let me say right here and now that I am not giving or even suggesting medical advice. I don't want anyone to do what I am doing without talking to a doctor. Be responsible and sensible with your health!

***********************************************************************************

UPDATE: It's been 6 weeks since I wrote the original post. When I checked my BP just now, it was:

I really can't wait to show this 
at my upcoming appt!

Just thinking back to the days when that top number was in or very close to 200+ is astonishing. I am still taking the supplements (magnesium glycinate and nitric oxide) daily. The magnesium helps with sleep so I take it at bedtime. I'm not as faithful with the nitric oxide but I take at least 1 capsule a day with my morning medications. I am still drinking plenty of water as I have been for the past few years (at least 70 ounces a day and as much as 85 ounces). My diet has not changed. I eat pretty much the same foods every day: pizza on homemade dough with a lot of EVOO, black olives, pepperoni, mozzarella, sauce, and aioli. If not pizza, I will make a flatbread from the dough, season it and eat it with EVOO and maybe aioli. I basically buy the same groceries every other week and do it all over again. I am not especially watching my salt intake and I am not getting any more or less exercise. 

So, yeah, I am definitely intrigued by the idea of people finding out what causes their particular HBP. 

***********************************************************************************

I have an appointment coming up with one of my doctors and I cannot wait to ask this question: Why don't doctors talk more with patients about supplements?

I think I mentioned here already that I use a magnesium oil spray to help with sleep and anxiety.  I tried Ambien for sleep once in the hospital and... no thanks. 

The only things doctors have mentioned when I've asked about non-prescription meds for sleep are melatonin and St. John's Wort. I hate both of those. One takes hours to kick in and then makes me groggy for hours after waking and the other just makes me feel weird. I already have enough groggy and "weird" to share with a few people.

When I started using magnesium oil sprays and told my doctors and nurses, they seemed to never have heard of it. Or at least not using it for sleep and anxiety.

Recently, I learned that many people - especially in my age group - are low on basic vitamins and nutrients. That didn't surprise me and for years, I have taken vitamins daily. However, I was very surprised to hear about a couple nutrients that could be helpful for me. Apparently, magnesium glycinate can help with (high) blood pressure and nitric oxide helps with blood flow to the kidneys. 

What?????

I checked with one of my doctors about the magnesium glycinate and when I started taking a tablet every evening about 1 or 2 hours before bedtime, I realized what I'd been missing out on. I would go to bed at about 10:30 and sleep like I have not slept in years. I'd wake up feeling very rested and better than I usually do. That energy generally wears off about 4 hours into the day (or, depending on my health, 4 hours in) but that's not surprising and it's still good. I usually wake up ready to lie back down.

After taking the magnesium for a couple of weeks, I had an appointment with my nephrologist. My blood pressure reading was shockingly normal: 116/80. 

Again, WHAT????

The doctor was, of course, very pleased. My normal readings look like 140+ or 135 -  not bad, but could be better, right? The doctor praised me like I was a good little girl for eating better and getting more exercise. I hated to admit it but I did tell him that I hadn't changed anything except for taking the magnesium. He seemed to poo-poo the idea that the supplement could have any noticeable effect. I'm really sensitive and I felt like my hopeful observation had been politely dismissed.

~sigh~

To understand why that blood pressure reading was so significant, you have to know what my readings used to look like.  It wasn't until I was around 35 (young, active, and skinny) that I was diagnosed with HBP. My readings looked like the highest speeds on a car's display - once before finding a combo of prescriptions that worked, the top number was 210. I can't remember the bottom number. That 210 scared my doctor so much that I was sent to the ER to be given treatment. I was advised not to go home until the numbers came down. The thing is, that high number was so normal for me that I didn't feel any different before or after it stabilized to a better reading.

Anyway. That's why a number like 116 was a stunner. So, to continue...

Very recently, I heard about nitric oxide supplements. I searched around on some medical sites (ugh!) for more information. After straining my brain to sort of understand the doctor-ese, I had someone online help me decipher the basics. It turns out that the supplement could help boost blood flow to the kidneys. 

I am a CKD Stage 3b patient - like I didn't have enough to deal with healthwise... Why has a doctor never discussed nitric oxide with me? Why will I have to be the one to bring it up at my next appointment?

The last blood pressure check that I did at home - after I'd been taking both supplements - was once again shockingly good: 112/59.  Even if there is a reason that I should not use these supplements, they should both be something I knew about from doctors.

I really don't want to be ugly about it but I've lost family members to problems with their blood pressure. 

For years, people with high blood pressure were told to lose weight, stop smoking, eat better, exercise more, etc. My sister and my mother tried those things and it changed nothing. Maybe it has something to do with ethnicity or generational bloodlines because high blood pressure has always been a dominant health issue for many black people.  And remember that I said I have not changed what I eat or upped my exercise - and my blood pressure is down. 

 This makes me feel a bit distrustful of the medical profession. Also, I now agree so much more than I did with that silly Chris Rock when he says:

This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder if there really is no cure for the sarcoidosis I have. Maybe there is a cure for diabetes and cancer and many other deadly diseases. But if people get cured, there's no "comeback".

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Forskolin Extract (from Bioscience Nutrition) ***UPDATED***

**UPDATE** Cannot say how very glad I am that I got to try this. Barring any future problems (I don't expect any), I plan on using this for life. Seriously. This morning, my BP reading was 122/93. That's is the lowest I have been in over 10 years. I have not been taking my regular BP RX either. I plan on talking with my doctors about permanently substituting this for my THREE prescriptions. In my initial reviews, I mentioned that I had not noticed other significant changes. Since then, I can report that I am (for the first time in years), having very regular bowel movements (sorry that there's no more sensitive way to say that), and I am noticing a bit of an energy spike. Weight loss changes are slight, but any more weight loss could be due to the cinnamon-honey drinks I am doing.  I will update again as I hear and learn more. I am so happy about the improvement in my blood pressure readings that I could cry. I wonder if some of my fatigue was due to the high BP??? At any rate, this is such a positive change for me that I'm only upset that I didn't hear about the supplement sooner.




I very rarely apply to review supplements like this Forskolin extract.

 The reason I'm wary of supplements is because I take prescribed medications and infusions for existing medical issues. I'm not trying to create more problems for this aging body of mine! So why did I want to give this supplement a try? Not so much for any of the claims made:

1. Sustained and safe weight loss
2. Improves metabolism
3. Fat burner
4. Curbs appetite

Okay, truth be told those are some attractive claims. Lots of products make those same claims though. I wasn't really drawn in by any of that. What got me was what I'd read elsewhere about Coleus forskolii root extract - commonly called Forskolin.

Normally when I look up info on supplements, I don't find anything supporting the claims I want to believe in. Most times, I find that there is just a lot of hype from people selling something, but only "insufficient evidence" from respectable sources. Not this time. I was interested in the claims that this supplement might lower blood pressure and my trusty standby source (you know, until I can check with my personal physicians), WebMD was all over it:

On how it's used...

"Forskolin is a chemical found in the roots of the plant Plectranthus barbatus (Coleus forskohlii). This plant has been used since ancient times to treat heart disorders such as high blood pressure and chest pain (angina), as well as respiratory disorders such as asthma."

... and how it works:

Forskolin works on muscles in the heart and in the walls of the blood vessels. It produces a more powerful heartbeat and widening of the blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.

Still, this caveat was also  part of the article:

Herbal product manufacturers are now producing Coleus forskohlii extracts that contain high levels of forskolin. These preparations are being promoted for the same conditions for which forskolin has been traditionally used. However, currently there is no reliable scientific information that shows Coleus forskohlii extracts taken by mouth are effective. (my emphasis)

I wanted to give this a shot anyway. I'll run down what the Pros and Cons as of just 3 days use.

I can't tell you that I've experienced any boost in energy. I still use my 'strap molasses and my various honeys for that. The first day I took the Forskolin, I was really beat. I was still beat by the end of that day. (I noticed that the extract is supposed to be "good for insomnia" so not sure how that matches with boosting energy???)

The claim about this particular supplement curbing the appetite also is falling flat for me so far. I'm not eating more, but I'm surely not eating (or craving less). Maybe the metabolism part with help me with any weight loss. I've weighed myself so that I can do a comparison when I've finished this bottle, but it's way, way too early to tell anything yet.

None of the claims highlighted on the product page for this particular brand has been happening for me. Still, I am really so happy that I am giving this a try because, guess what? The claims made in general about the extract lowering blood pressure are being proved out for me.

I'm certainly not giving medical advice here (and if I was, you'd be crazy  to take it from me!), but I can tell you how this is working for me.

I currently take up to 3 different meds to try controlling my blood pressure. Sometimes, they work, sometimes, they don't. If I eat ZERO sodium and drink gallons of water, my meds work okay. If I get any kind of stressed out, or eat wrong, well then, my numbers go crazy. I'm always in a struggle to keep my top number under 140, but I've recently had trouble with my bottom number being high.

The first day, I took the supplement, I didn't notice a huge difference in my BP readings. I certainly didn't make any special notes about it in the tracking app I use. 

On Day Two of using the supplement, I checked my BP only because I was stressed. My reading was 140/87. This is a huge thing for me. Normally, the only way my numbers look that decent is if I am completely chilled out and haven't had my coffee yet - or any "forbidden salts" for several hours.

My BP numbers for Day Three were especially good. Not only was I mildly stressed (trying to do some freelance work that's driving me bonkers), but I also hadn't yet taken my prescribed meds. I wanted to check my BP after taking the Forskolin and before taking meds just so I don't get bottomed out. My numbers? 134/97.

Shut the door. Get out of here. Drop the mic.... All that. I'm checking my BP before I even dare take the prescribed meds. It would be so not-funny if I passed out from LOW blood pressure.

I can't wait to see my doctor so we can talk about this. I have some questions for the medical professionals: if this works, why isn't it being used more to treat blood pressure? Are there good reasons that it's not even being experimented with as a solution???? 

Anyway, I will update this post as I use the supplement more. I'm so happy about my blood pressure that I'm not worried about the other claims, but I will follow up on the weight loss thing.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:

In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

**REVIEW** MeasuPro Blood Pressure Monitor

Couldn't wait to do the review for this, but I have to tell you up front: This post is just for people who have to be serious about monitoring their blood pressure. 

Unfortunately, I am one of those people. Due to my genetic history, my illness and, partly, my previous lifestyle habits, I have crazy blood pressure. At one point I had readings with numbers that looked like they were indicating the amount of people who are irritated by Kanye West. (Just kidding, K.W. Don't sue me.) Thanks to good docs and some lifestyle changes, I am more often running numbers in the range of almost-usually-normal. Unless I spend too much time around certain people!

All joking aside, I did have systolic readings in the high 200's. Seriously. Almost dead seriously.

The best thing about my getting this nasty sarcoidosis (other than living through it) is that it forced me to get medical care. Part of my care includes being treated for my blood pressure issues. My part of that care is to regularly monitor my BP in between doctor appointments. This is a machine that's going to make that a lot easier:

Official name: BPM-20A Digital Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor and Heart Rate Monitor by MeasuPro.

Big name for a seriously good monitor. Here's some of what it features:

1. Provides accurate measurements of your blood pressure and pulse rate.
2. Records for 2 separate users.
3. Has a bright LCD display with separate touch buttons for each individual user. 
4. Records up to 120 blood pressure readings (60 readings per user) with date and time memory recall. 
5. Graphical readings are classified in five different levels.
6. Displays are color coded to represent the reading's level of hypertension. 
7. It also calculates and averages your blood pressure based on the last 3 readings and detects irregular heartbeats and any arrhythmias.
8. Arm cuff fits upper arm circumference of 23-32 cm. 

As soon as I unboxed this, I was impressed by how solid and sturdy it is. It's not uncomfortable heavy, but it doesn't slide all around when you sit it on a surface to use it. Also, the cuff is made so well - good fabric and design. For anyone who uses a digital BP monitor, you know how annoying it can be to have the hose disconnect, right? Well, this one attaches securely in a twist-lock fashion.

Of the 8 features I listed, the ones I like best are -

• #4 because I'm forever losing those little BP record-keeping cards the doctors have me use
• #6 because, for some reason, I pay more attention to the colors than I do the numbers, and
• #8 because, well, that's just freaking awesome and it's not something my math-stupid brain would do on its own.

I've decided that, since no one else in the house monitors their BP, I'll use the 2nd-user function for when my meds change or something. Of course, I'll still also record as User 1 to keep the averaging functions straight.

Like I said, this is a monitor for someone who needs to be serious about tracking their BP. Because of all the actually useful features, it's a much better buy than other monitors I've gone through in the past couple of years. One of those other machines was so annoying that, during a prednisone rage, I threw it against the wall when the air hose kept pulling loose. (I'm not proud of that, but I'm honest!) The dang thing was so lightweight that it didn't even damage the wall... 

I forgot to mention that this came with batteries.

There is a spot on the back to connect a DC plug, though the machine didn't come with one. No problem. One of the old machines I'm discarding has one I can use since the plugs are standard.

Basically, this is the best monitor I've used. A lot of times when I review a product, I'll like it a lot with no plans to purchase in the near future. This is one time that I can say that I'll always want to use this particular product. I notice that the brand also has a wrist monitor BP reader. That might be interesting for people who can't use their arm for a reading. My sister, Mike, has a fistula and that would have been a better choice for her. Bottom line though, this brand has truly impressed me with the quality of the monitor they let me review.

As for the price, I've paid the same (or more) for other monitors and they didn't have all the features and weren't anywhere near the quality of this one. So, it's worth every penny of the non-Prime price, but if you do have Amazon Prime, it's a must-have.

Once again, the link to the product is here and it comes with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. 

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ethnicity & Food

Okay, I'm going to piss off a lot of people, but I will go ahead & say it:

Black people (in general & especially) need to eat healthier.

~waiting for hail of stones to stop raining down~

Now that I've gone and put it out there, let me explain what I mean.

Not all black folk eat unhealthily. I know a lot of black (brown, taupe, tan, deep chocolate,etc) people who do watch what they eat and understand why they need to. That said, I also know a LOT of "us" who still use the excuse of "Grandma did" to eat things that are so bad for anyone: lots of pork and "drippings," red meat, salt, salt and salt. I am not joking when I say that I knew an older woman some years back who actually ate salt sandwiches. Did you hear what I said? SALT sandwiches. She would cut up a raw onion, some tomatoes and literally coat this in salt and make a sandwich. Seriously. (She is dead now. Died at around 58 years old.)

My mother was an "old school" foodie - she ate a lot of green stuff, cooked and raw - but she had that salt habit. Salt and pepper were her seasoning staples. She also ate tomato and onion sandwiches. She didn't coat them with salt, but she did use salt.

When babies were born into our family, some of them teethed on pork gristle. Yeah. Kind of gross, but at least there was no salt involved. Yet. (I have one niece who has been a chicken-or-fish-only gal for about 15 years & if I really want to make her ill, I remind her that her teething was done on a pig ear! LOL)

The biggest excuses for a lot of poor eating habits, no matter what your ethnicity is, is: "Mama did it," "It's a black/German/Puerto Rican/Polish/etc thing." Like La Nostra Cosa (hope I didn't mangle that). Yeah, and sometime "Our Thing" will kill your ass. As deadly as it it cool-sounding.

Our family "thing" with food has always been a lot of variety as long as it's battered, buttered, fried or salted. Or all of the above, damnit. I got better about my eating habits as I got older (mostly out of shame), but until I was around 20 and got married, I ate a lot of delicious and bad-for-you food. My first husband was from a country where the food is bland but the people live for-freaking-ever! I'm from Texas. Take a look at what I can tell you about:

Homemade cakes (Pound, Chocolate, Pudding)
Fatback (deep-fried and eaten just like that, drippings poured into vegetables as a seasoning)
Grits, rice and hot cereals (with butter - lots of butter)
Hominy (which is the only "grits" we ate without butter)
Eggs, eggs and eggs (scrambled, sunny-side, runny or hard-cooked - as long as they were salted and sometimes, believe this or not, buttered)
Pork (chops - breaded or not - bacon, skin fried or pickled and funky - aka CHITLINS)
Breads (rolls of all kinds, corn-batter, hoecake, corncake, fried, grilled and sun-cooked)
Greens (always with drippings, salt and a hunk of that damned fatback)

Do you see what I mean about good food & bad habits? It's a joke among black people that we will waste no part of a pig. "From the rooter to the tooter." I mean, seriously, we eat the feet, tails, ears, ass and freaking guts. Ya know. That's not a diet, that's damn near an addiction. I remember the stench that hovered over the kitchen whenever the family sat around cleaning "chitterlings" (my British ex-husband actually called them by the proper name & I damn near laughed my ass into a fit every time he said it. He kind of liked that nasty shit. Ugh!) If the smell of "chitlins" didn't put you off any food until the smell of rotted ass died down, I don't think you can be cured of Pork. You almost couldn't fix chitlins without have the neighborhood knowing. I think the only reason folks eat that mess with so much hot sauce is to give their senses something else to concentrate on while they eat it. I'm sorry, but, damn.

Some food that I heard my parents talk about might not have been bad for the health, but it still just didn't seem right for humans to eat. Let's visualize what "Rocky Mountain Oysters" are, shall we? They are bull's balls. I promise. Apparently, my Grandma Jack just loved her some R.M.O. (What's really nasty is that I hear they have a gelatinous texture. Ewwww!)

But back to my original point. We (meaning anyone who grew up eating unhealthy foods) have got to do better, people.

One of the reasons given for a bad diet (other than the old "Good enough for Mama" excuse) is that "Mama" and her mama & daddy  ate the way they did because of poverty. Okay, a lot of people (especially in this economy) are still feeling impoverished. (And trust me when I say that I can teach you some creative ways to spell "broke.") That's still no excuse not to do what we can. Guess what's free? NOT adding so much salt. NOT adding so much (or any) "drippings." Not cooking everything in a batter or butter or fatty oil.

Guess what else? Not being a diabetic, amputee, kidney patient is cheaper than anything. We can make all the jokes we want about people having "Sugar" (diabetes) and "Salt" (high blood pressure), but that shit isn't even a little funny when it hits home or heart. I know firsthand.

With that little mammy-made rant of mine over, I will say this: I've recently learned that it is possible to do better. And it's not as hard or expensive as we'd like to think and in some ways is cheaper (go price a pound of butter if you don't believe that). It's not easy though. Breaking life-long ways and habits is never easy. Just trying is better than nothing at all.

I recently learned that I can eat my vegetables without curing them in salt. I am having a hard time getting used to eating so many vegetables, but my goal is to eat vegetables as much as I used to eat meat. I'm not giving up on meat (I'd be out of mind to swear off Lucky Wishbone forever!), but I'm not making it a part of every meal as if I can't live without it. I can and of I get any sicker or broker, I will have to.

For Memorial Day, I had a two burgers. One beef patty during the barbecue we had and one Portabello mushroom later when I went back for more. It wasn't bad at all. I consoled myself with the fact that I could have just a thin beef patty but a fat-ass mushroom burger! I think it's partly in the seasonings and partly in the mindset.

As I try new vegetable dishes, I tell myself what my former mother-in-law told me was an old English joke for the newly married virgins: "Just close you eyes and think of England." That never fails to crack me the hell up! I just close my eyes and think of life not on dialysis or in and out of a hospital.

Good eating, everyone. After a couple rough days, I'm having a lucid one so I'm off to work on the book.

Peace
--Free