Form: Diary

ALLERGY DIARY

So, had a very weird episode yesterday. I thought it was the sun. But I had a piece of almond biscotti at Tully’s. Whatever was in it hit me within ten minutes. Made me loopy until late last night. And my lungs are useless this morning. So maybe the sun and the chemistry together did something. But seriously, I was in the Apple store and swear to god it was like experimenting with recreational chemicals in college. I mean, brighter colors, impossible to think straight. Hard to put sentences together. … No way I should have been driving. I can’t really remember much. I do know I watched a movie last night in the hotel room. But I can’t remember any of it. Argh.

At least pasta is safe.

PROGRESS ON WEIGHT

Down to 186 from 210. That’s down 12 from my average, down 24 from my peak. Jeans dropped from from 38 to 34. I suspect after the next ten pounds I’ll have a 32 or 33 inch waist. Neck is down to an easy 16, headed to 15.5. My suit jackets overlap now by six inches. If I can lose the next ten I’m back to buying clothes off the rack, and the italian cut suits will fit me again. Which shouldn’t necessarily be an ambition, but it’s better to have the option to buy your clothes off the rack than not. At my height, the clothing choices are limited.

It’s the paleo-ulcer diet. I don’t recommend it. But it works. 🙂

ANNUAL PHYSICAL UPATE

Blood pressure 108 /80. Pulse 68. (Ok. Eat your heart out.)

Turns out my liver is OK (that was scaring me). Just need to keep losing weight.

Some loss of bone density in my spine due to high thyroid dosage needed to suppress the cancer cells. Need to increase calcium and vitamin D.

Getting some small curvature from carrying heavy laptop bags around.

Really high allergens. Need to reduce exposure.

Everything else looks good.

Stomach is still really problematic. Endoscopy next.

Still need cancer screen.

So two priorities: stomach endoscopy and allergies.

Guess I’m gonna live. 🙂

TWO SOLID DAYS OF HEALTHCARE

1) Blood pressure 118 over 80. Eat your heart out. I know.

2) something not quite right with the liver and dramatic change in cholesterol.

3) bone density test today.

4) heavy metals test this afternoon.

5) trying to schedule ultrasound test for my neck and chest. Although I’m pretty sure i’m clear. Just don’t feel that bad any longer.

ACCIDENTAL EXPERIMENT DIARY

i’m trying to eat clean. But there isn’t much to eat in the airport thats safe.

I had a bowl of lettuce with olive oil, salt and pepper, a banana and an apple. I also had a handful of tortilla chips. The chips must have had something in them – either MSG or sulfites. I suspect sulfites in the oil. WIthin about ten minutes I hade is this odd feeling — a relaxing feeling. A tingling in my jaw joint spreading to my cheeks. And a slight asthmatic reaction from my lungs as they respond to the allergen. A very short sense of dizziness. Loss of energy. Lost of multi-tasking. Enhancement of focus. Normally I have one of two follow-on reactions. The first is drowsiness. The second a sort of confusion followed by depression. It can affect me for twelve hours. Or, If it’s serious it lasts for about three days, with a half life of about twelve hours. But I can feel it gone by the third day. Right now the dizziness is pretty serious. I guess I didn’t make it very long on my trip this time without running into something dangerous. I was hoping to stay clear of problems the entire time.

I’m going to fly into seattle, pick up my car and go to the hotel. And, I’m going to try and track this carefully and see if there is a way to manage it. Right now I feel my sentence structure degrading. (Fascinating.)

Broke through the barrier. 187 this morning. Five pounds lower than I’ve been able to get in years. 15 down, 15 more to go. Half way. Thanks to the Ulcer diet. ;).

HAY-FEVER VACATION : I cranked out one 1500 word article this morning, and then tried to get back to the book. But my allergies are just brutal today. I’m three quarters of the way done with my chapter on ideology and my head feels like a dirigible. Ah… life in the east. I forgot how hard this was. 🙁

I need a beach. I really need a beach. I don’t even need the fruity drinks. Just the beach, a lounge chair and high speed internet.

Is that roughing it? Yes. Thats my definition of roughing it.

(Ulcers are really painful. Disablingly so. Making Easter impossibly tedious. Going to eat Paleo from now on. Sigh.)

Aug 01, 2009Place: Richmond, Ontario (45.1833, -75.8333)Address: Richmond, Ontario K0A 2Z0