Doctors and Fear

 Before I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, I had never been seriously ill. When I was a kid, I did have some kind of repair surgery on my kidney. Since then, though, the only problem I had was undiagnosed high blood pressure. Being young and always under 115 pounds, I didn't think I could have HBP. That, folks, is one of the reasons it's called a silent killer.

Anyway. Once I started having my blood pressure treated, I had no more serious issues. Good thing, since I have always had a fear of doctors.

When I began treatment for sarcoidosis, I trusted all my doctors, nurses, and other medical caregivers completely. To be fair, at the time, I had some of the best doctors one could ask for. However...

Recently, when I was reevaluating my eating habits (I've put on weight from being laid up with that "flu-monia" I blogged about), I realized something. I should not be taking the vitamin D pills that I have. 

There are a couple of things that I've had hammered into my head about my health (as regards sarcoidosis and CKD). One is to watch my intake of sodium. phosphorous, and potassium. The other is to watch my calcium intake. 

• Calcium (High calcium levels can damage kidneys)
• Vitamin D supplements (this vitamin affects calcium retention.)

Well, for the longest time (at least 3 years), I have been taking a daily vitamin D tablet -  250mcg (10,000IU). I have always had this on the list of medications that I present every time I go to a doctor's appointment. Why has no one on my care team ever sounded the alarm on this?

Of course, I immediately stopped taking the vitamin. Also, I am going to be asking my care team about this whole thing.

I really, really count on my doctors a lot - or, at least, I did. For one thing, I have some sometimes serious cognitive issues. I have trouble remembering things and there are times when I really have trouble with comprehension. For instance, just to maintain my blogs, I have to keep notebooks of information and I have to edit and re-edit posts on Word docs before I actually send a post "live". The same thing goes for anything that requires near-complex thinking.

This situation makes me question whether I can count on my care team to really have my back. I am not questioning their character or kindness. My thinking is that they are overwhelmed with patients and sometimes things slip through the cracks.

My confidence is shook. I already keep a notebook to remind me about things to do with my overall health. I'm starting another one to document every single thing I do as far as food and medicine and how I feel from day to day. I need to keep track since I can't count on anyone else to do so.

I'm going to pass along something a social worker said to me when I was being released from the hospital after being diagnosed: "Be your own advocate". At the time, I lived with family and they did that. Now, it's up to me again.

Peace

--Free

Obsessed With Pickled Veggies (Because I'm Fat)

UPDATE: After a convo with a neighbor, I wanted to add something to this post about sodium content in vinegar. I made a rookie mistake and used the wrong type of vinegar the first time around. It was "seasoned" and did have sodium. I have since realized I should also use non-seasoned vinegar. I purchased some more vinegar (rice, red wine, white wine), and none of them contain sodium. The same goes for ACV. Read the labels before buying any. 

Another tip I am following is to skip adding salt to my home-made pickling recipes. I thought that it was a must to add salt. I do still add a bit of sugar.

A preamble:

I'm so mad at myself. I have gained some more weight. I realize it might be because I have been laid up sick but, still. I am not happy. So I am really going hard on changing up my eating routine. Well, mostly, I am just finding ways to cut out carbs. I've said goodbye (for now) to my homemade pizza dough and I will not be re-stocking the delicious little potatoes I love to air fry. So, for a while, I will be blogging mostly about how I am preparing food and my meals. Now, on to the first food post...

Pickling veggies is one of those things I wish I'd been doing forever. Seriously. It's so dang easy.

So far, I have pickled onions (red and yellow) and red cabbage. All it takes is your choice of vinegar, some water and seasonings (salt and sugar at a minimum), and some clean jars. I went with rice vinegar and of course, I included some garlic for my seasonings. I love me some garlic and the next thing I will pickle is a big bag of garlic cloves!

Since this was my first time pickling anything, I followed the directions from this dude.

He was funny but got right to the point. I like that he gave some pointers about choosing between different vinegars. You know I have now subscribed to his channel!

Here are my first results. Like I said, I will either be pickling a whole jar of garlic or adding several cloves to the other veggies I pickle. 

I can't quite catch the vivid color of the cabbage.

What I like about having the pickled veggies is that they can be used as condiments or as snacks on their own. While I have been under the weather, I haven't been much for fixing meals. It's nice to be able to snack on some of these tart veggies.

One mistake I made was to try using the same vinegar for both veggies. This rice vinegar is not strong enough to affect the cabbage (or else it takes a while longer???) so I had to add some Apple Cider vinegar to my bigger jar of cabbage. The rice wine though is my favorite flavor overall.

(this is "seasoned" & has sodium)

Another thing I like about pickling veggies is that I can save some things before they have a chance to go bad. I always end up with a little more cabbage or some onions left before I can use them up. Now I can just pickle them and get at least another week or more from them. Of course, I am going to be vac-sealing some of these jars and I have to pay attention to possible spoilage.

I don't think that my onions are going to last long enough to spoil. I cannot stop nibbling on them. Because I am not eating my usual carb-loaded snacks during the day (and because I am sooo sick of boiled eggs), I love chomping on the onions.

By the way, I am so slow that it took a couple of days for me to realize that the vinegar is sort of doing the same thing to the veggies that lemon or lime does to the ceviche shrimp I loved when I lived in Alaska. I mean, I know that pickling is not exactly like doing a ceviche prep but you know what I mean. 

Anyway, I will have to talk next time about what I haven't been doing with my Foodi all this time...

Peace

--Free

Fighting This "Flu-monia" (Includes a Recipe)

 Well, it is almost 3 in the morning and I am wide awake That's because I have been doing nothing but sleeping for the past few days. I was so sick, I thought I was going to have to go to the ER. Seriously. So I am really happy to be feeling (cautiously) better.  Earlier today was the first time I've been up for longer than it takes to hit the bathroom. I ate a little something and took a quick wash-off in the sink. I'm not ready for standing in the shower yet. But I'm feeling SO much better.

Keep the prayers coming though. I still have the cough...

Anyway, I am breaking the forced blogging "fast" by talking about food. I was not able to able to enjoy any food until the meal I had earlier and I had to go easy on my tummy. The only good thing to come of this recent flu-monia or whatever it is, is that I lost 7 pounds. (Is it wrong to be kind of thrilled with that?)

Okay, back to the food talk. Since I'm not really up to being on my feet too long, my meal had to be easy and quick. I decided to do French toast (sort of) in the waffle iron. It came out surprisingly good. My recipe:

• a slice of thick-cut white bread
• 2 small eggs
• a couple tablespoons of milk
• some brown sugar
• a little vanilla paste (thinned with a bit of the milk)
• a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
• a pat of butter

I mixed the ingredients and dipped the bread in it. I used the butter to coat the iron before I "waffled" the coated bread. (I also made a couple slices of bacon in the waffle iron. It's a simple, heat-and-cook situation.)

What I liked was not having to flip the toast like I do when cooking in a pan. Instead of syrup (because I have none), I sprinkled the top of the hot toast with some more brown sugar. This recipe is going to be a repeat for me. The bacon wasn't as crisp as I like but that's because I got too wiped out to let it cook longer. I can't wait until I can give it another try.

I am now in love with the idea of cooking things with the waffle iron. Mine is a small and cheap one but it's good enough for what I need. Because my iron is so small, it's perfect for portion control.

When I shared the news that I was up and eating, my little brother warned me not to plan on doing a lot right away. The last time I felt like I was kicking whatever this ickiness is, I relapsed quickly.  I've been calling it the "flu-monia" because of the symptoms. My rheumatologist is over 2 hours away so... If I spike a temperature, I will seriously hit the ER. I really, really hate the hospital. Just thinking about hospitals gives me anxiety.

I am hoping that I really am on the mend this time. If so, I will be back to update the blog. But, first, I have to get my sleeping schedule back to normal!

Peace

--Free

Thoughts , Prayers & Whine :-)

I thought I'd better come over and post an update and say that I will certainly be welcoming all thoughts and prayers sent my way. 

For the past few months, my sarcoidosis has been kicking my behind! That's why posting has been sort of erratic. If it weren't for the drafts I save up, I would have almost nothing to post...

Not to whine but - well, okay, maybe a little bit - I've had COVID again (which I thought was going to kill me), then a cold followed. Oh, goodie. My big fear is that I'll get something respiratory and die in my sleep. Seriously, breathing can be a struggle with sarcoid. Anyway, most of the cold symptoms when went away (as in the chills, itchy throat, and aching head), but it left behind this crazy cough! I can't hardly sleep or do anything because of this cough. I heard from someone that it might be that 100-day cough. Whatever it is, it is the worst. I can barely leave the apartment because I don't want to get too far from the bathroom toilet or the shower.

I love these guys!

I told my rheumatologist about the cough when I saw him in November. When I told him I'd already had it for a couple of weeks, he didn't seem too concerned. I still have the cough (it's slowly getting better) but I'm hoping that my upcoming infusion will help. Please, Lord, and thank You.

Because whining is so much fun, let me keep the train rolling...

The cold had me so hoarse that I couldn't talk sometimes. My voice is finally coming back but it's still raw-sounding.  I already have a "throaty" voice so I don't want to end up sounding like a man-ling! LOL

I just wanted to post to explain the erratic blog upkeep. I'm hoping this gets better soon because it's starting to wear me down. I had serious bouts of the blues last week. And, oh, yeah - even better, I'm having trouble finding a dentist to treat me with my "pre-existing condition". Between the coughing and sleepless nights, I am afraid to complain about how badly my teeth hurt.

But, as a reminder to you all (and myself), life is still a blessing. 

We have all made it to 2024 when many others did not. I know that many other sarcoidosis sufferers have lost their battle so I am grateful for every single day. No matter where each of you are in life, be thankful that you are here to fight another day. It sounds trite, but, seriously, just keep your head up.

When someone asks in passing how I'm doing, I'm tempted to let them have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Then I remember that I am blessed and just say that I am fine. Unless we are friendly. Then they do get the truth!

Also when trying to make it to the bathroom!

If you are healthy, be thankful. If you are sick, keep fighting. 

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream

(I just realized that I didn't publish this back in Sept or Oct of 2023 so... here it is.) 

This is one of those products that has been hyped hard - and for years. I think I first saw this about 7 years ago. I never bought any because I have other creams and balms that I love. However, when I had about 12 dollars left on a gift card that was expiring, I decided to use it on this. 

tiny jar

For the tiny 1.5oz jar, the price I paid (with tax) was almost $15. That is a little bit insane. 

For some reason, I didn't pay attention to the size of the jar and some other details when I ordered this. Other than the price, the writing on the jar is a little bit creepy for someone who is not a pagan... (The backstory of the brand is really weird, just in case you think I'm being silly!)

Just reading a tiny snippet of the backstory got a little weird for my Christian self. Weird, or funny...

"The Story of Egyptian Magic begins in 1986 at a Chicago Diner when an elderly man approached Westley Howard (The name Mr. ImHotepAmonRa was then known as)..."

Then I took a good look at the front of the jar...(There are reasons some of us don't mess with a lot of popular symbols.) 

I'm pretty sure a Wiccan wouldn't be thrilled using holy water

 What the Beelzebub Crowley is that all about?  🤨 I'm not trying to buy a jar of something whipped up by the dark arts.  🤣I was just wanting to see what all the hype was about a product with some basic and interesting natural ingredients. 

Anyway... After I finished getting over the symbolism and general weirdness, I opened it up to take a look. If nothing dark and wicked flew out, I would give the product a try. 

What this looks like is a slightly yellow-tinged version of any petroleum jelly or CeraVe ointment I've used.  Some reviewers say that there is a smell of beeswax but I got zero scent from it. The texture is more solid than pet jelly and I had to scrape some out with my nail. However, it quickly warms with body heat.

I do have psoriasis that pops up in the form of dry and scaly patches of skin on my palms and ankles. Usually, the symptoms are mild and I just get super-consistent with OTC ointments (currently CeraVe). If the symptoms are worse or prolonged, I go all in with a prescription cream followed up with OTC ointments. Lately, I've had some mild flare-ups on my palms. 

With my psoriasis showing out for the past couple of days, I decided to try this cream. I applied it pretty sparingly (considering the cost) and gave it about ten minutes to soak in. It only took about 3 or 4 minutes to absorb. I guess my skin was drier than I thought!

It hadn't taken but a tiny bit to treat the dry patches on my palms so I decided to see how the cream would work on my face. The absorption took a bit longer than it had for my palms but not a full 10 minutes. In about 7 minutes, I could tell that my face was softer and not oily in the least.

Is this good? It seems so. It did help with the dry patches on my palms. It worked as good as the CeraVe and in about the same amount of time. It also was similar to CeraVe on my face. Maybe this cream was a tiny bit more moisturizing overall. It absorbed much faster than CeraVe. 

The price of this is the deal breaker. While I like the effects just slightly better than CeraVe, this cream is just too pricey to use as often as I would need to.  I will probably never buy more of this. A few other users in their reviews swear that the long-term use of this cream did wonders for their faces. That's kind of the same for any good ointment. Consistent use is the key.

Yes,  I do prefer the ingredients in this over anything else I've used so far but, still, that price...Once I used this jar almost all up, I decided it was definitely not worth the price. I have Nivea which works better and if I need something a little more healing for my psoriasis breakouts, I can use the CeraVe Ointment. Both of those products are worth their prices. 

I guess I don't have to worry about the backstory of this product. Not at that price and size.

Peace

--Free

Find Your Own Joy

As 2023 was winding down, I talked with a younger family member about life and happiness. It is my opinion that, in a way, happiness - joy - is a social construct. Let me explain.

Of course, happiness is a real thing. My opinion is that we either have our own joy or adopt what we are told is joy. Society has hijacked 'joy' and given it definitions that don't work for everyone. According to society, joy seems to be having a lot of money, possessions, attractiveness, power, etc.

I don't have a lot of money or possessions or power and I am living in a middle-aged body that has seen better days. However, I am sometimes giddy with joy. Some people who know that I am a Christian might think that my joy is all based on my beliefs. A lot of my joy and contentment does come from my personal faith. But not all of it.

I wish that more people would take the time to decide what joy means to them. Forget social media or social trends or whatever your family and friends think. Learn your own definition of joy and happiness.

Some of the things that make me feel joy and contentment are basic. Looking around at the good things in people and the world - in spite of all the bad - makes me happy. When I wake up in a safe place, knowing that I have food to eat, water to drink, and family and friends who love and care about me - all these are immensely important to me.

For a long time, I had the habit of looking at what I didn't have as compared to others. I've grown older and wiser and have learned to be so thankful for what I have by looking at what some people don't have. 

There was a time when I looked at the rich or powerful and compared my life to theirs. I made assumptions that they had to be happier or more blessed than I was. 

It sounds trite and pithy but I have to say that happiness comes from gratitude. If you are grateful for what you have - no matter how little it might seem to others - you can find joy.

Anyway, as I talked with my relative about all of this, one thing dawned on me. If money, power, attractiveness, etc brought joy, then why aren't all rich, powerful, and beautiful people always happy? Why do some of them need to drink or do drugs? Why do any of them commit suicide - or murder? 

Simple, right?

I don't know if any of this is making sense. I just wanted to remind everyone to stop letting anyone define joy or happiness for you. Find what makes you happy. Know why it makes you happy. 

Again, this might sound very trite and basic but I do think it's important. And, yes, my faith does play a big part - the biggest part - in my joy. That's something I talk about on my other blog.

I hope that 2024 is good to you. I hope that you learn to be good to yourself.

Peace

--Free

Dried Fruit Tea Is Everything

For anyone who likes fruit tea, here is my 'recipe':

• Find a good quantity of dried fruit (I found this brand and it's more affordable than this brand made specifically for infusion). If you like adding sweetener (the brand of fruit might be sweet enough on its own) I suggest using honey. I use a natural honey or a creamed honey. However, dried fruit (depending on the mix) is pretty sweet on it's on. 
• With dried fruit, you have to steep a lot longer than with regular tea. I generally start drinking mine after 15 minutes but I notice it tastes better and better as it continues steeping.
• I use about a tablespoon of dried fruit (it will depend on the size of the pieces) to about 10-12 ounces of boiling water. 
• Sometimes I will use more water and add a bag of another tea.  I sometimes like adding a bag of Raspberry Zinger or hibiscus tea.

The fruit I am using is of such good quality that I can eat all of it after I've finished the tea. Some of the pieces still retain a lot of their flavor. I love eating the bits of coconut because the steep has softened them.

Love the coconut and raisins

                                          

When I started drinking fruit infusions, I was using a Korean brand of fruit tea. It was good but not as good as this Oregon Farms brand. For one thing, it was almost $20 for a jar ($1.62/oz)...

...while the Oregon Farms is $0.71/oz.  It's also fresher. The Korean brand was in smaller bits and not all of it was edible after the tea was finished. Another downside is that I had to use more of it to get a good flavor.

I like everything about this dried fruit mix. The seller was also good about communication when I had questions - before I even made a purchase.

The labeling is good. I like knowing the ingredients, nutrition facts, and the lot number. There is even an expiry date on every bag.

And I love, love, love the ingredients.

I enjoy eating the 
raisins & coconut afterward

What I like about making tea from dried fruit is that, uh, I'm not crazy about eating dried fruit out of the bag but I do like the taste! Weird, I know...  Also, I could not find a good tea made from real fruit. the keywords are "good" and "real fruit". Tiesta Tea's Maui Mango tastes awesome but it's a bit stingy on the fruit and the fruit size. Also, there are too many pieces of bitter rind to eat all of it. It is at least $1.60 per ounce and can be as much as $3.00+ per ounce.

The Oregon Farms fruit not only looks plump and fresh but tastes as good as it looks. 

The Korean brand also looks good but it's not as fresh feeling compared to the Oregon Farms brand. 

As I mentioned at the start, the Oregon Farms fruit is even more plumped (of course) and delicious once I finish the tea.

Even though I use a specific brand, that doesn't mean that you can use another or one with a different mix of fruit. I suppose some folks might even dry their own fruit for longer storage. I can offer a couple of suggestions:

• Make sure you look at the calories/nutrients. I have to watch out for this!
• Make sure that you are not allergic to (or might have problems with) anything in the mix. 
• Try to use boiling water of at least 200F. I finally have a kettle that is consistently that hot. (The hotter the water, the better the steep).
• It helps to have a cup/mug that holds the temperature long enough for a good steep. I have several mugs and thermal cups but the one I use is my favorite for this tea. It's the right size and it keeps the water super hot. As a matter of fact, I have to open the lid to let it cool down enough for me to start sipping. (The mug is this cheap-o one that I can use with my Yeti lid!)
• If I don't eat my fruit right away, I save it to add to the next brew.

Peace

-- Free

DISCLAIMER: I am not receiving any compensation of any kind from any of the brands mentioned. I am no medical professional so I'm not making any claims.

**Wordly World** Is It Really 'News"?

  Reading the news makes me worry about society. Not because the news is so bad but because of what is considered 'news'. I might be making regular posts about this so here goes. This is what I saw in the 'news' this morning.

In addition to all the hate and madness going on, the thing that really caught my eye was the "mystery man" running for office in Ghana. What a world. Here in the US, we have schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and every kind of silliness going on in politics. Something in my Christian soul reacted to the idea of a "mystery" person seeking a political office.

Why is "partying" with a political leader even part of the current conversation? How about trying to find a candidate we'd like to have a serious conversation with?

Speaking of a lack of seriousness, this is the first of many articles mentioning the pop star Taylor Swift. 

I was having a conversation a few days ago with my brother about how I've been seeing this woman's name every time I scan the news.  And I'm not talking just lightweight news sources. I've seen her popping up on what I used to consider serious news sources.

Maybe it's just me and my disdain for pop culture but I find it weird. Seeing such frequent mentions of pop stars on the same page as stories about wars, deaths, and deadly politics is a little disconcerting. 

Here's Swift again. (Did you know they call her fan-actics "Swifties"? Beyonce has her Beehive - or whatever - so why not? Kids today, am I right?

And again. Newsweek really is into her. At least this mention is on one of their "culture" pages. Because this is so much "culture"...

That's it for today. There is more, I'm sure, but I'm a little tired of looking. I have to try to try to find some real and actual news to catch up on.

Peace

--Free

Oh No, They Di'int... (Update)

UPDATE: BTW, in case you, like I, have been wondering how to dupe this fancy product... Here's my take.  Since Cetalox is the primary scent in Not A Perfume, I am assuming I can make my own version of this detergent. I already use Cetalox in the DIY scents I've been making. 

Why was I momentarily tempted to order this?

I found it via Shoprunner

One of my favorite fragrances - in a laundry detergent? Honey, please! You know I thought way too long about getting this. Thankfully, my common sense kicked in...

If you can afford it, go for it!

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Arm & Hammer Trash and Dumpster Deodorizer

This isn't going to be a lengthy post. It doesn't take a lot of words to tell you that this stuff works. 

pic is clipped from Amazon

That's the Arm & Hammer Trash & Dumpster Deodorizer.

My garbage isn't usually smelly enough that I need to use a deodorizer in the can. However, I have been eating a lot of fruit and drinking dried fruit tea infusions. The waste goes into the trash or down the garbage disposal and it can cause some serious stank.

I got this deodorizer, not really thinking it would work much better than regular baking soda. I was wrong. This works like some kind of trick. Not only does it work, but it works almost instantaneously, and - this is the best part - I only need to use about 1/16 of a teaspoon in my 13-gallon can.

For some reason, my order info shows this product as being "unscented". There is a scent - a light, fresh, "green" scent. I can only smell it when I am sprinkling the product, then it's gone. 

This works so well that I wanted to try it in other ways. Now when I scrub down my sink, I sprinkle just a pinch of this into the disposal when I run it. I also put a bit into the canister of my vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dusty smell it emits when it's running. I put a little into a small mesh bag to hang over the laundry hamper I keep in the bathroom pantry. I could smell the fresh scent of the product for about 2 minutes. 

This would be a good thing to control diaper pail odors. And probably could be handy to use somehow in sickrooms. I'm just saying.

My brother and his neighbor share a dumpster in between their houses so I told him about this. The dumpster doesn't usually smell but this is a just-in-case for the hot and muggy summer days.

I got this 2-pack at Amazon but, since it's an Arm & Hammer product, I'm sure it's available almost anywhere.

Peace

--Free