Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: Goodbye to an old friend!
Country Life The Retirees: Goodbye to an old friend!: There she goes, a dear old friend. She has donated her body to charity. She will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proceeds wil...
Goodbye to an old friend!
There she goes, a dear old friend. She has donated her body to charity. She will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The proceeds will go to the Alzheimer Association and who knows where her organs will end up. Perhaps she will remain in one piece and be reconditioned for another life. Or perhaps she will go to a junk yard where she will be sold off again piece by piece. Wherever she goes she will live again. She served us well and deserves to live on. I hope to see her flying down I10 again on her way to Alaska. She almost made it there once but we stopped short of our journey in Canada.
She was purchased in 1988 by my husband. A brand new Chevrolet Suburban, silver and blue, three rows of seats. We had four children and they were thrilled with it. We couldn't wait to take her on the road for a family vacation. We would load her up with sleeping bags, pillows, favorite toys and games and head out on camping trips or long road trips. The back end was spacious but filled so high with our belongings we could barely see through the rear view mirror. The luggage rack on top would carry our tent and camping chairs. We were a sight going down the interstate. Oh the places we went.......
We lived in Houston a few miles off Interstate 10 highway. We would pick the kids up from school on a Friday afternoon, my husband would take off work early, the 'Burb would be packed up and off we would go to beat the Friday afternoon rush out of town. Our journeys took us to many states, camp grounds and state parks....Stephen F Austin State Park, Huntsville State Park, Galveston Island State Park, Padre Island State Park, Estes State Park, Yellowstone State Park, Canyon Lake, Big Bear, Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Mexico and Canada. She didn't take us to these places just once but several times. She was put to pasture on our ranch with over 200,000 miles on her and still running.
The Burb had an exciting life and a couple of close calls. Shortly after we purchased her when my daughter was only 16 she took a few friends to the movie theater. When the movie was over they headed to the Burb. She was no where to be found. My daughter was frantic. She knew where she had parked it but it was gone. The Burb had been a victim of theft. We assured our daughter it wasn't her fault, there wasn't a thing she could have done about it. The thieves had broken into the vehicle, hot wired it and drove it to another location where they took her seats, and tires. The police found her the next day in a run down neighborhood in Houston. She was towed and repaired, brought back to life to make many more travels with us.
The Burb was also in a very bad accident. I was driving through a double intersection when I was rammed by a tired chef who had just gotten off work. He didn't see the double light, his was red, the one further from him was green and that's the one he was looking at when he slammed into us, totaling the Burb. She was built so well that she actually saved our lives. We thought she was done for but the mechanics and body shop slowly brought her back to life again.
For a while she became a ranch vehicle but then we began to use her less and less. Being as big as she was, she was a gas guzzler so she began to sit more and more. Finally my husband called NPR(National Public Radio) and donated her.
As we cleaned her out this morning many memories came back to me. Is it possible to cry over a vehicle? Well to us she was more than a vehicle, she was family. All of our family drove her with pride, including the bonus baby, our fourth child who is now 21. I felt sad every time I saw her sitting unused and I feel sad watching her being towed away but it's good to know that she donated herself to help others
Goodbye old friend............
Friday, December 13, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: Chapter Neighbors and Good Old Boy Mentality
Country Life The Retirees: Chapter Neighbors and Good Old Boy Mentality: When we first retired to the hills we thought we would be pretty secluded but people started buying up the land pretty quickly, mostly Baby...
Country Life The Retirees: Addendum
Country Life The Retirees: Addendum: I'm sitting here on my back porch on New Year's Day looking out over the hills drinking red wine and wondering how much more chocol...
Addendum
I'm sitting here on my back porch on New Year's Day looking out over the hills drinking red wine and wondering how much more chocolate I can safely consume today! The temperature is a cool 59 in the shade and there is north easterly breeze blowing. My corn bread is in the oven and I can't wait to bite into it with a generous slab of butter topping it. I hope it's good with jalapenos, corn, cilantro and cheddar in it. You guessed it, I'm a foody!
As I look out over the hills I can't help but think about the settlers. 200 years ago that came to this land. I've read enough books to know what a difficult time they had. I can certainly understand it. The soil is mostly limestone sprinkled with cactus. I've had a difficlut time myself trying to carve a garden out of this land. I can just imagine them facing more problems than I with no power tools, only hand held shovels and hoes. I know many starved to death or died of disease. There is a grave yard at the bottom of the hill with headstones carved indicating how some died. I love to walk through that cemetery and imagine what life was like for them. I once went to a very old cemetery about 50 miles from here in Frederiicksburg, Texas. So many children died from disease or starvation during that time that they have a separate area just for them. It's so sad looking at the tiny little graves and wondering. One headstone indicated a woman had been killed by Indians but not scalped. Sometimes I can visualize an Indian on the horizon riding his pony. This was their land. I can't help but wonder how they felt being pushed from their land, dying in battle to protect it and suffering from the diseases that the white man brought. The white man considered the Indian uncivilized and the Indian felt the same about the white man and his kind. It's unfortunate they could not have respected each other's ways and lived together peacefully.. History has proven that doesn't happen easily, if ever.The invaders are bullies and the invaded are always fighting to win back what was rightfully theirs.
The settlers came from all over, many from Germany, settling in these hills. Some came from Louisiana and further east. They nearly all starved to death. They lived from the land, killing wild animals such as deer, squirrel, possum. Salt and coffee was hard to come by. When they ran out of coffee they would use their seed corn brought with them for planting,,, roasting and grinding it to make a kind of coffee. All I have to do is jump in my air conditioned suv and head to the nearest HEB or Costco to stock up when I'm running low. I don't have to watch for Indians over the horizon or shoot a deer or squirrel for our next meal. If my chickens aren't laying or the coyotes have eaten them all it's only 30 minutes or less for me to the local grocery to get a dozen eggs.
I can't help but think of the people who settled this land as I live my life of ease. I wish they could see it all from the great beyond and marvel at it. Who knows, maybe they can!
As I look out over the hills I can't help but think about the settlers. 200 years ago that came to this land. I've read enough books to know what a difficult time they had. I can certainly understand it. The soil is mostly limestone sprinkled with cactus. I've had a difficlut time myself trying to carve a garden out of this land. I can just imagine them facing more problems than I with no power tools, only hand held shovels and hoes. I know many starved to death or died of disease. There is a grave yard at the bottom of the hill with headstones carved indicating how some died. I love to walk through that cemetery and imagine what life was like for them. I once went to a very old cemetery about 50 miles from here in Frederiicksburg, Texas. So many children died from disease or starvation during that time that they have a separate area just for them. It's so sad looking at the tiny little graves and wondering. One headstone indicated a woman had been killed by Indians but not scalped. Sometimes I can visualize an Indian on the horizon riding his pony. This was their land. I can't help but wonder how they felt being pushed from their land, dying in battle to protect it and suffering from the diseases that the white man brought. The white man considered the Indian uncivilized and the Indian felt the same about the white man and his kind. It's unfortunate they could not have respected each other's ways and lived together peacefully.. History has proven that doesn't happen easily, if ever.The invaders are bullies and the invaded are always fighting to win back what was rightfully theirs.
The settlers came from all over, many from Germany, settling in these hills. Some came from Louisiana and further east. They nearly all starved to death. They lived from the land, killing wild animals such as deer, squirrel, possum. Salt and coffee was hard to come by. When they ran out of coffee they would use their seed corn brought with them for planting,,, roasting and grinding it to make a kind of coffee. All I have to do is jump in my air conditioned suv and head to the nearest HEB or Costco to stock up when I'm running low. I don't have to watch for Indians over the horizon or shoot a deer or squirrel for our next meal. If my chickens aren't laying or the coyotes have eaten them all it's only 30 minutes or less for me to the local grocery to get a dozen eggs.
I can't help but think of the people who settled this land as I live my life of ease. I wish they could see it all from the great beyond and marvel at it. Who knows, maybe they can!
Chapter Neighbors and Good Old Boy Mentality
When we first retired to the hills we thought we would be pretty secluded but people started buying up the land pretty quickly, mostly Baby Boomers, wouldn't you know. We are all retirees, maybe a few are still working, braving the drive into the city each day. Most of us had the same thought in mind when buying land here, build a house, relax, garden a bit, hunt, pursue whatever passion we had. Since we were all new to the ranch we bonded rather quickly, having dinner parties at each other's homes, taking trips together, playing bingo, and trekking into the city to museums. We had to keep some culture about ourselves. We liked to get together, have a few beers or a glass of wine, talk and eat. Some of us were musically inclined and we would sing and play musical instruments at these get togethers. We really had a great time together even though we didn't always agree on politics. We borrowed farm tools from each other and helped neighbors with tasks such as building pump houses, installing electricity, hunting, gardening, maybe just lending advice. We looked after each other's houses if someone went away for a while. Some of us were more experienced in country living than others therefore could lend the voice of experience when needed. It just seemed perfect, our own Shangri La, almost too good to be true.
It all started innocently enough. My husband and I like to think of ourselves as conservationists. We aren't extreme but we try to do our part with recycling trash and conserving water and energy.
We disagreed with neighbors regarding the filling of a pond from well water. This is called a "vanity" pond.
During droughts we are all asked to conserve water. I was taking showers instead of filling my nice big tub and if I did treat myself to an occasional bath I would save the water for my plants. We even allowed our grass to die that summer. Even when there is no drought there is a rule by the Ground Water Conservation District that does not allow the filling of a pond or pool over 55,000 gallons. This particular "vanity" pond was almost an acre, a small lake, sitting on top of a hill, therefore it got no runoff rain water. Also the authorities said they could not stop them from filling their "lake" with well water unless they actually caught them in the act of doing so. I knew that would never happen because they were always given several days notice that they would be receiving a visit from the Ground Water Authorities. A little side note here,,,we actually did not report these people. The Ground Water people knew us and they knew of the pond. Our mistake was to call them and ask about the legalities of filling a "vanity" pond. They informed us that they knew what pond was in question.....but we were blamed for reporting them.
It has been said that we can all agree to disagree but that's not always the case. Some people just don't like to be disagreed with. We were criticized and ostracized, we had become social outcasts. I was called "Un Texan". How dare anyone call me "Un Texan", I am a third generation Texan. I am more Texan than anyone out here! I was trying to protect our precious natural resources. How could that be wrong? One couple even responded by saying there was plenty of water because there was an ocean running under us. I wonder if it is the Pacific or Atlantic? We were stalked, cursed at, called names, and threatened. My husband was run off the road when taking his daily walk and told to run for his life, which he surely did. I found myself hiding in the cedars when I heard a car coming up the road. I pretended I was living in the 1800's hiding from the Indians! My dogs quickly learned this pattern of mine, their ears could pick up the sound of an approaching vehicle way before I could. Up would go their tails, heads and ears and they would flee into the cedars with me attached to the other end of the leash. All I had to do was keep my balance and run like hell. I became an expert at hiding in the cedars "evading the hostiles". It was soon a game with me that I learned to enjoy. It reminded me of playing cowboys and Indians when I was a child. When life gives you lemons, hell make lemonade!
The neighbor was very angry at us which I never could figure out why because they were never reproached by the authorities for keeping their "lake" full of water. They erected crude wooden crosses in the fence line bordering our property, I suppose to ward off evil from our side. They set up a wild life camera next to the fence perhaps to intimidate us or maybe they thought we were trespassing. Little charms to ward off the "evil eye" were hung from the trees next to the fence. One evening when I neared the fence line I heard two gun shots. I was reasonably certain it was an intimidation tactic. I only suppose they weren't shooting directly at me because I wasn't wounded and didn't feel a bullet whiz past my ear.
One evening just before dark I was walking with my dogs and heard a vehicle approaching. We ran into the cedars to hide. We are good, my dogs and I at laying low. I peeked through the branches and saw it was the woman of these angry people in her vehicle going slowly, obviously looking all around for me. She must have seen me as I entered the road from my property. It seems she was ready to confront me. Up to this point we had never actually spoken. I was having a gleeful moment in the cedars watching her turn her head from left to right in confusion looking for me. As soon as she was out of sight I exited the cedars and ran like hell to reach a neighbors road where I felt I could take sanctuary until she gave up her hunt. She drove down as far as my road without finding me. I'm sure she was rather confused and wondering where I had disappeared to,,,she knew I was out there somewhere. She turned around and headed back up the road very slowly. Dark had come on by then and I had no desire to venture into the cedars again. She found me scurrying up the road as she put her headlights on me. I was trapped. She stopped just short of me with her engine running and not saying a word. I must confess it was an uncomfortable moment. I was waiting to hear the engine race as she ran me down. Thank God she had not crossed over that thin line of sanity/insanity. She continued to sit and not speak. At last I broke the silence and said "hello"...nothing from her but silence. Again I said, "hello and her name". Then she spoke, telling me that I knew what I had done. I reminded her I had done nothing and she continued to babble some untruths, things I suppose she had imagined we had done to her. I told her that all I do every day is walk my dogs, the same thing I had been doing before she purchased her land and built her house. I realized I had to get out of there because I did not know where this conversation was heading or what she was capable of.
To get around her vehicle meant venturing into the bushes and grass on one side and the other side I would have to pass by her dogs who were sitting in the passenger seat of the open vehicle. I was so afraid a dog fight would ensue because she had set her dogs on me several times in the past as I walked up the fence line. I chose the snake side,,,,I would rather tangle with a snake than her or her dogs. I got around her safely and made a bee line for the safety of my own ranch, half a mile away. I had a bad case of the shakes and could barely tell my story to my husband when I reached the house. I'm a pretty brave person and usually hold myself up to be stronger than I actually am but this was a scene from a horror movie . When standing in front of that vehicle in the dark with it's engine idling I felt like it was the end for me.
Do you believe my story? I hope so because no one else does. Some women are so good at using their physical attributes to convince people by flapping their eye lashes and waving their fans all southern belle like.. I just don't have that ability. With me it's just facts, plain and simple and facts are just not always as interesting as a big boobed woman with big fluttery eyes and sultry voice.
I could elaborate more on the antics of these angry neighbors, such as dusting us as they sped past us when we were walking and setting their dogs on us. Thank goodness for the fence. The speed limit is 25mph on the ranch road but it doesn't apply to them. She has also stood at our property lines and video taped me as I walked past. I don't know the purpose of that act. Maybe she wanted evidence that I was walking on my own property. The husband has tried on several occasions to get my husband to fight with him, "one on one". My husband would just keep walking as he ignored the angry ape bouncing along beside him.
We did retain a few friendly neighbors after this event who agreed with us about water conservation and totally understood the aquifer and the world's declining water supply,,,,only to loose them later over another dispute. Did I learn a lesson from this? Yes. If I had to do it over again would I have disagreed. No. I would have minded my own damned business and ignored the world's declining 'fresh' water supply! I would have kept my mouth shut! We're all gonna die someday, may as well die from thirst and live in peace in the mean time.
There is something to be said for living in the city, one can easily remain incognito. You can get in your car in the mornings, drive down the freeway, not curse at the fellow who cut you off, forgive the one who rear ended you, keep your head down, your mouth shut and go home at night and lock your doors. I guess one could do that in the country but someone might notice and label you as a weirdo! We really are quite normal and do not seek out controversy. It just seems to come to us sometimes.
My father use to tell me that only weirdos like to live in secluded places, social outcasts. I guess that makes me weird then, because I like the views and the wildness of it. And there are still a few good people around! Perhaps there are weirdos every where!
Our views are magnificent. I would not trade them for a home in the city again. One just learns from mistakes and moves on. The vanity pond is still being filled from a well and I don't care, well I probably do but I'm looking the other way!
It all started innocently enough. My husband and I like to think of ourselves as conservationists. We aren't extreme but we try to do our part with recycling trash and conserving water and energy.
We disagreed with neighbors regarding the filling of a pond from well water. This is called a "vanity" pond.
During droughts we are all asked to conserve water. I was taking showers instead of filling my nice big tub and if I did treat myself to an occasional bath I would save the water for my plants. We even allowed our grass to die that summer. Even when there is no drought there is a rule by the Ground Water Conservation District that does not allow the filling of a pond or pool over 55,000 gallons. This particular "vanity" pond was almost an acre, a small lake, sitting on top of a hill, therefore it got no runoff rain water. Also the authorities said they could not stop them from filling their "lake" with well water unless they actually caught them in the act of doing so. I knew that would never happen because they were always given several days notice that they would be receiving a visit from the Ground Water Authorities. A little side note here,,,we actually did not report these people. The Ground Water people knew us and they knew of the pond. Our mistake was to call them and ask about the legalities of filling a "vanity" pond. They informed us that they knew what pond was in question.....but we were blamed for reporting them.
It has been said that we can all agree to disagree but that's not always the case. Some people just don't like to be disagreed with. We were criticized and ostracized, we had become social outcasts. I was called "Un Texan". How dare anyone call me "Un Texan", I am a third generation Texan. I am more Texan than anyone out here! I was trying to protect our precious natural resources. How could that be wrong? One couple even responded by saying there was plenty of water because there was an ocean running under us. I wonder if it is the Pacific or Atlantic? We were stalked, cursed at, called names, and threatened. My husband was run off the road when taking his daily walk and told to run for his life, which he surely did. I found myself hiding in the cedars when I heard a car coming up the road. I pretended I was living in the 1800's hiding from the Indians! My dogs quickly learned this pattern of mine, their ears could pick up the sound of an approaching vehicle way before I could. Up would go their tails, heads and ears and they would flee into the cedars with me attached to the other end of the leash. All I had to do was keep my balance and run like hell. I became an expert at hiding in the cedars "evading the hostiles". It was soon a game with me that I learned to enjoy. It reminded me of playing cowboys and Indians when I was a child. When life gives you lemons, hell make lemonade!
The neighbor was very angry at us which I never could figure out why because they were never reproached by the authorities for keeping their "lake" full of water. They erected crude wooden crosses in the fence line bordering our property, I suppose to ward off evil from our side. They set up a wild life camera next to the fence perhaps to intimidate us or maybe they thought we were trespassing. Little charms to ward off the "evil eye" were hung from the trees next to the fence. One evening when I neared the fence line I heard two gun shots. I was reasonably certain it was an intimidation tactic. I only suppose they weren't shooting directly at me because I wasn't wounded and didn't feel a bullet whiz past my ear.
One evening just before dark I was walking with my dogs and heard a vehicle approaching. We ran into the cedars to hide. We are good, my dogs and I at laying low. I peeked through the branches and saw it was the woman of these angry people in her vehicle going slowly, obviously looking all around for me. She must have seen me as I entered the road from my property. It seems she was ready to confront me. Up to this point we had never actually spoken. I was having a gleeful moment in the cedars watching her turn her head from left to right in confusion looking for me. As soon as she was out of sight I exited the cedars and ran like hell to reach a neighbors road where I felt I could take sanctuary until she gave up her hunt. She drove down as far as my road without finding me. I'm sure she was rather confused and wondering where I had disappeared to,,,she knew I was out there somewhere. She turned around and headed back up the road very slowly. Dark had come on by then and I had no desire to venture into the cedars again. She found me scurrying up the road as she put her headlights on me. I was trapped. She stopped just short of me with her engine running and not saying a word. I must confess it was an uncomfortable moment. I was waiting to hear the engine race as she ran me down. Thank God she had not crossed over that thin line of sanity/insanity. She continued to sit and not speak. At last I broke the silence and said "hello"...nothing from her but silence. Again I said, "hello and her name". Then she spoke, telling me that I knew what I had done. I reminded her I had done nothing and she continued to babble some untruths, things I suppose she had imagined we had done to her. I told her that all I do every day is walk my dogs, the same thing I had been doing before she purchased her land and built her house. I realized I had to get out of there because I did not know where this conversation was heading or what she was capable of.
To get around her vehicle meant venturing into the bushes and grass on one side and the other side I would have to pass by her dogs who were sitting in the passenger seat of the open vehicle. I was so afraid a dog fight would ensue because she had set her dogs on me several times in the past as I walked up the fence line. I chose the snake side,,,,I would rather tangle with a snake than her or her dogs. I got around her safely and made a bee line for the safety of my own ranch, half a mile away. I had a bad case of the shakes and could barely tell my story to my husband when I reached the house. I'm a pretty brave person and usually hold myself up to be stronger than I actually am but this was a scene from a horror movie . When standing in front of that vehicle in the dark with it's engine idling I felt like it was the end for me.
Do you believe my story? I hope so because no one else does. Some women are so good at using their physical attributes to convince people by flapping their eye lashes and waving their fans all southern belle like.. I just don't have that ability. With me it's just facts, plain and simple and facts are just not always as interesting as a big boobed woman with big fluttery eyes and sultry voice.
I could elaborate more on the antics of these angry neighbors, such as dusting us as they sped past us when we were walking and setting their dogs on us. Thank goodness for the fence. The speed limit is 25mph on the ranch road but it doesn't apply to them. She has also stood at our property lines and video taped me as I walked past. I don't know the purpose of that act. Maybe she wanted evidence that I was walking on my own property. The husband has tried on several occasions to get my husband to fight with him, "one on one". My husband would just keep walking as he ignored the angry ape bouncing along beside him.
We did retain a few friendly neighbors after this event who agreed with us about water conservation and totally understood the aquifer and the world's declining water supply,,,,only to loose them later over another dispute. Did I learn a lesson from this? Yes. If I had to do it over again would I have disagreed. No. I would have minded my own damned business and ignored the world's declining 'fresh' water supply! I would have kept my mouth shut! We're all gonna die someday, may as well die from thirst and live in peace in the mean time.
There is something to be said for living in the city, one can easily remain incognito. You can get in your car in the mornings, drive down the freeway, not curse at the fellow who cut you off, forgive the one who rear ended you, keep your head down, your mouth shut and go home at night and lock your doors. I guess one could do that in the country but someone might notice and label you as a weirdo! We really are quite normal and do not seek out controversy. It just seems to come to us sometimes.
My father use to tell me that only weirdos like to live in secluded places, social outcasts. I guess that makes me weird then, because I like the views and the wildness of it. And there are still a few good people around! Perhaps there are weirdos every where!
Our views are magnificent. I would not trade them for a home in the city again. One just learns from mistakes and moves on. The vanity pond is still being filled from a well and I don't care, well I probably do but I'm looking the other way!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: Child Abuse
Country Life The Retirees: Child Abuse: Please click on the link and read the article below: http://www.examiner.com/article/another-couple-found-guilty-of-murder-for-parenting-...
Child Abuse
Please click on the link and read the article below:
http://www.examiner.com/article/another-couple-found-guilty-of-murder-for-parenting-by-to-train-up-a-child
Then please click on the next link and sign the petition to keep Amazon from selling this book and books that promote child abuse.
http://www.change.org/petitions/amazon-refuse-to-carry-books-which-advocate-the-physical-abuse-of-children?utm_campaign=new_signature&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt#share
If people from around the world sign this petition it might make a change. It takes the world to change something like this. You can make a difference.
Thank you,
Gypsie
http://www.examiner.com/article/another-couple-found-guilty-of-murder-for-parenting-by-to-train-up-a-child
Then please click on the next link and sign the petition to keep Amazon from selling this book and books that promote child abuse.
http://www.change.org/petitions/amazon-refuse-to-carry-books-which-advocate-the-physical-abuse-of-children?utm_campaign=new_signature&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt#share
If people from around the world sign this petition it might make a change. It takes the world to change something like this. You can make a difference.
Thank you,
Gypsie
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller a...
Country Life The Retirees: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller a...: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller and look thinner. The effects of an hour of gentle stretching, twisting and breathing sta...
After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller and look thinner. The effects of an hour of gentle stretching, twisting and breathing stay with me for hours afterward. Thank you to my yoga instructor Jackie Casal Mahrou. She sends me to that place of total relaxation, mentally and physically. If you haven't tried yoga yet you might want to give it a try. You can sample lessons for free on http://www.yogadownload.com/. And if you like it you can purchase classes to do in the privacy of your own home. Jackie is my favorite instructor, probably because she is my daughter inlaw and the mother of my infant grandson!
My favorite class is Gentle Hatha. Its calming and strengthening moves give me just what I need to calm my mind and strengthen my core. I walk away from that hour feeling like a ballerina. Jackie also has her own blog at http://www.yogadoesit.com/ where she talks about yoga and a healthy life style.
About 8 months ago I decided to change up my life a bit with exercise and diet. I quit eating meat and have tried to increase, improve and perfect my yoga practice. I'm not at perfection yet with either of these efforts but I keep trying. I'm retired with not much else to do but improve myself.
I don't miss the meat and I do recognize a difference in my overall being. I can't put my finger on it. I lost a few pounds without cutting out anything else. And the weight seems to stay off without much effort of any other kind. Jackie seems to think I keep my metabolism up by grazing. That I do, all day. I don't like being hungry and I don't like being full. Of course I should mention that I don't eat fast food and most of my food is fresh, not from a box or can. I also discovered the wonderful flavor and texture of kale which I consume daily in salads, soups or stir fry. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies also. I can't seem to give up bread but I do make my own which seems to justify my need to eat it! Reading this a person would think I am the picture of health. I'm not but I keep trying. In two months I will be eligible for Medicare. Maybe the fact that I don't take any medications qualifies me as being semi healthy. I'm waiting for the boom to drop though. I've been lucky with health most of my life. No surgeries yet and no major illnesses. I avoid flu shots and am probably obsessive about hand sanitizers and washing my hands after being in public places.
I enjoy cooking and have discovered the wonderful world of meatless cooking. It has brought out a new form of creativity in me. I have learned to flavor my dishes with veggie and bean broths. I must say here that I am not total vegetarian. I will not give up cheese or seafood. A plate of beautiful cheese and gourmet crackers is pure art in itself. And who doesn't love art?
A recent meal my husband and I created together is brown rice with cabbage stir fry pictured below.
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1 to two cups steamed brown rice
Saute cabbage in olive oil with sliced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves till brown, adding a few tablespoons of water to aid in caramelizing.
Soak 1/2 cup raisins in water, drain and add to cabbage mixture
Add 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Season with 1 teaspoon or more curry powder, salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne(optional) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dissolve a few saffron threads in 1/4 cup warm water and add to mixture
This is a healthy meal with a tossed salad:
4 large romaine lettuce leaves chopped in bite size pieces
2 large kale leaves chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 apple chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 cucumber chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste
Toss well
I'll be posting my flat bread recipe soon.
My favorite class is Gentle Hatha. Its calming and strengthening moves give me just what I need to calm my mind and strengthen my core. I walk away from that hour feeling like a ballerina. Jackie also has her own blog at http://www.yogadoesit.com/ where she talks about yoga and a healthy life style.
About 8 months ago I decided to change up my life a bit with exercise and diet. I quit eating meat and have tried to increase, improve and perfect my yoga practice. I'm not at perfection yet with either of these efforts but I keep trying. I'm retired with not much else to do but improve myself.
I don't miss the meat and I do recognize a difference in my overall being. I can't put my finger on it. I lost a few pounds without cutting out anything else. And the weight seems to stay off without much effort of any other kind. Jackie seems to think I keep my metabolism up by grazing. That I do, all day. I don't like being hungry and I don't like being full. Of course I should mention that I don't eat fast food and most of my food is fresh, not from a box or can. I also discovered the wonderful flavor and texture of kale which I consume daily in salads, soups or stir fry. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies also. I can't seem to give up bread but I do make my own which seems to justify my need to eat it! Reading this a person would think I am the picture of health. I'm not but I keep trying. In two months I will be eligible for Medicare. Maybe the fact that I don't take any medications qualifies me as being semi healthy. I'm waiting for the boom to drop though. I've been lucky with health most of my life. No surgeries yet and no major illnesses. I avoid flu shots and am probably obsessive about hand sanitizers and washing my hands after being in public places.
I enjoy cooking and have discovered the wonderful world of meatless cooking. It has brought out a new form of creativity in me. I have learned to flavor my dishes with veggie and bean broths. I must say here that I am not total vegetarian. I will not give up cheese or seafood. A plate of beautiful cheese and gourmet crackers is pure art in itself. And who doesn't love art?
A recent meal my husband and I created together is brown rice with cabbage stir fry pictured below.
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1 to two cups steamed brown rice
Saute cabbage in olive oil with sliced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves till brown, adding a few tablespoons of water to aid in caramelizing.
Soak 1/2 cup raisins in water, drain and add to cabbage mixture
Add 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Season with 1 teaspoon or more curry powder, salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne(optional) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dissolve a few saffron threads in 1/4 cup warm water and add to mixture
This is a healthy meal with a tossed salad:
4 large romaine lettuce leaves chopped in bite size pieces
2 large kale leaves chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 apple chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 cucumber chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste
Toss well
I'll be posting my flat bread recipe soon.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we ha...
Country Life The Retirees: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we ha...: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we have pretty much settled/civilized these acres we call home. We only saw and killed one ra...
Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we have pretty much settled/civilized these acres we call home. We only saw and killed one rattlesnake in the spring and have seen no more during the summer. The swallows came and raised a few generations. I'm now waiting for them to head south again. I'll know if the weather is changing when they leave. This year they totally took over our wrap around porch with about 7 nests. I saw a mama swallow feeding her very young babies last week. I suspect that will be the last generation to hatch this year. Even though they make such a mess they are still joyful to watch with their evening ballet and symphony as they fly in and out of the stone pillars and arches. I will miss them when they take off on their fall journey to the south.
My garden this year was a disaster. The weeds grew in faster than I could destroy them. We even took our garden down to a tiny patch about 1/6 of the size it has been in previous years. I managed to get a few tomatoes and some arugula from it this summer. I planted green beans, squash and okra, none of it survived long enough to get much produce except a bit of squash. However we were treated to blackberries which my toddler granddaughter loved. I expect to have much more next year. Our grapes also did well this year. The figs gave fruit for the first time and we are still enjoying them. The pomegranate tree is loaded with big red globes waiting for us to harvest and enjoy. We got a few peaches, one tiny apple and about 6 pears waiting to be picked. The plum tree was loaded with flowers in the spring but lost them all to a wind/rain storm. Gardening in Texas is not easy.
My dogs have escaped from being quilled by porcupines this summer. Perhaps the porcupines finally moved on to safer hunting grounds themselves.
I spent my summer knitting for grandchildren and making craft aprons of which I sold a few on a knitting forum I belong to. They are cute craft aprons with lots of pockets. They are also good for my lifestyle....keeps my cell phone handy, my clothes clean, my knitting/crochet notions handy and good for collecting eggs from my chickens daily.
Below are a few pictures of them. I'm selling them for $15/ea plus $5 shipping and handling. If you are interested in one leave a message on the blog.
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These were such fun to make. It's a pleasure to create something that another finds useful.
I spent a lot of my summer playing with my new grandchildren. They are such a delight. The youngest only has basic demands of feed me, change my diaper and hold me. The oldest who is a toddler is entering the terrific two year old stage where she is learning to use her verbal skills and body language to achieve her goals. I'm thinking back on my own life and of course I cannot remember being 18 months old or two years old for that matter but I'm thinking it must be very frustrating to know what you want and not be able to communicate it. And even worse to have a much larger person tell you that you can't have it for some lame reason that you cannot begin to understand. At some point in time we learn there are some things we just can't have or cannot do. I don't recall when I learned that but I did and still don't like it. I just have learned a more civilized way of expressing my dislike. We are an amazing species.
I have a book forming in my head which I plan on writing in the future. It's a lawsuit we are enmeshed in at this time. It's going to be a good one about Texas land owners, water rights/conservation, greed, fraud and infidelity....subjects I have witnessed in my retirement from the city life I once knew. These are things I saw in movies or on tv, read about in books. I thought retirement was suppose to be relaxing and fulfilling but instead we have encountered aggression and fraud, at times entertaining. My father use to tell me that living in the country on acreage I would encounter strange people. People who had something to hide and would not be particularly friendly. He was right and I hope he hears me from his place in the "great beyond" and feels good about being right. Some of these people are nuts and maybe even dangerous. If you are following this blog, stay tuned for the book will be coming sometime in the coming year!
My garden this year was a disaster. The weeds grew in faster than I could destroy them. We even took our garden down to a tiny patch about 1/6 of the size it has been in previous years. I managed to get a few tomatoes and some arugula from it this summer. I planted green beans, squash and okra, none of it survived long enough to get much produce except a bit of squash. However we were treated to blackberries which my toddler granddaughter loved. I expect to have much more next year. Our grapes also did well this year. The figs gave fruit for the first time and we are still enjoying them. The pomegranate tree is loaded with big red globes waiting for us to harvest and enjoy. We got a few peaches, one tiny apple and about 6 pears waiting to be picked. The plum tree was loaded with flowers in the spring but lost them all to a wind/rain storm. Gardening in Texas is not easy.
My dogs have escaped from being quilled by porcupines this summer. Perhaps the porcupines finally moved on to safer hunting grounds themselves.
I spent my summer knitting for grandchildren and making craft aprons of which I sold a few on a knitting forum I belong to. They are cute craft aprons with lots of pockets. They are also good for my lifestyle....keeps my cell phone handy, my clothes clean, my knitting/crochet notions handy and good for collecting eggs from my chickens daily.
Below are a few pictures of them. I'm selling them for $15/ea plus $5 shipping and handling. If you are interested in one leave a message on the blog.
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.JPG)
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These were such fun to make. It's a pleasure to create something that another finds useful.
I spent a lot of my summer playing with my new grandchildren. They are such a delight. The youngest only has basic demands of feed me, change my diaper and hold me. The oldest who is a toddler is entering the terrific two year old stage where she is learning to use her verbal skills and body language to achieve her goals. I'm thinking back on my own life and of course I cannot remember being 18 months old or two years old for that matter but I'm thinking it must be very frustrating to know what you want and not be able to communicate it. And even worse to have a much larger person tell you that you can't have it for some lame reason that you cannot begin to understand. At some point in time we learn there are some things we just can't have or cannot do. I don't recall when I learned that but I did and still don't like it. I just have learned a more civilized way of expressing my dislike. We are an amazing species.
I have a book forming in my head which I plan on writing in the future. It's a lawsuit we are enmeshed in at this time. It's going to be a good one about Texas land owners, water rights/conservation, greed, fraud and infidelity....subjects I have witnessed in my retirement from the city life I once knew. These are things I saw in movies or on tv, read about in books. I thought retirement was suppose to be relaxing and fulfilling but instead we have encountered aggression and fraud, at times entertaining. My father use to tell me that living in the country on acreage I would encounter strange people. People who had something to hide and would not be particularly friendly. He was right and I hope he hears me from his place in the "great beyond" and feels good about being right. Some of these people are nuts and maybe even dangerous. If you are following this blog, stay tuned for the book will be coming sometime in the coming year!
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: My Journey through KidneyStone LandA beautiful d...
Country Life The Retirees:
My Journey through KidneyStone Land
A beautiful d...: My Journey through Kidney Stone Land A beautiful day in March 2012 I was having a wonderful time choosing new chickens for my chicken...
My Journey through KidneyStone Land
A beautiful d...: My Journey through Kidney Stone Land A beautiful day in March 2012 I was having a wonderful time choosing new chickens for my chicken...
My Journey through Kidney
Stone Land
A beautiful day in March 2012 I was having a wonderful time
choosing new chickens for my chicken coop .
Suddenly I felt something moving within my body, kind of like bad gas
pains starting on the left side of my back at my waist line. I tried to ignore it but it continually got
worse. It slowly moved around to the
front of my abdomen. By the time I got
to my vehicle I was in trouble…extreme agony.
The pain traveled to my lower abdomen.
I was grabbing at my stomach with both hands, digging into the skin and
squeezing as hard as I could as I moaned and groaned loudly. My husband was driving and I was in the front
passenger seat, bent over backwards with my head in the back seat. When we arrived at our house it took
everything I had to walk into the house.
I was bent over and kept falling to my knees in the driveway. I felt extreme pressure in my lower abdomen
and was doubled over wondering if I was taking my last breath. And then the pain began to ebb. I had no idea what I had just
experienced. I’m an RN and yet I was
thinking everything except “kidney stone”.
It was like an animal had just clawed its way through my body. The pain was gone and I had no further
symptoms. It left as fast as it came,
except for the soreness and bruising on my stomach from my vice like grip.
Fast forward a year later to March 2013. I began to have problems urinating. It wasn't anything I couldn't deal with. I had recently become a vegetarian and
thought possibly the change in diet was irritating the lining of my bladder or
maybe I had a urinary tract infection (UTI).
I’m not prone to infections and don’t believe in 64 years I've ever had
one, but in menopause I have learned that anything can happen to my body. I did
everything I could to take care of my problem, drinking cranberry juice, taking
large doses of granular Vitamin C by the spoonfuls. It was not improving. I was savvy enough to know that if it was a
UTI that the Vitamin C should take care of it.
I made an appointment with my general practitioner, saw the physician
assistant who prescribed antibiotics and took a urine specimen. My first pee in the cup began my long journey
to diagnoses and wellness. A week later
the PA called to tell me I did not have an infection…which by now I had figured
out on my own.
I spoke to a friend about my problems and she informed me
that she strongly suspected a kidney stone because she had been through the
same thing. She recognized my
symptoms. I began to read about my
symptoms on the internet (oh how I love technology). I knew what was wrong with me. I made an appointment with a urologist in San
Antonio, Dr. Haverkorn, a woman. I
wanted a woman because women listen to women and understand a woman’s body more
than a man. I researched her
qualifications and felt like I had chosen well.
My appointment was at 9:40am on April 5, 2013. I arrived early and was greeted by a rude
receptionist. She asked for my insurance
card and driver’s license. I handed her
my license telling her I did not have my insurance card. She informed me she had to have my insurance
card. I told her I did not have it, that
it was being mailed to me. She asked me
if I had lost it. I ignored her and told
her again it was being mailed to me. I
also informed her that I had given her all my information several days earlier
over the phone. She asked me if I had
filled out the papers she mailed to me.
I told her I did not receive the papers…..(3 weeks later I still have
not received them) . She was clearly irritated
and handed me a clip board with several forms to fill out. Even though I rarely go to doctors and for
obvious reasons, I am fast at filling out their paper work, mainly because I
take no meds, have had no history of medical conditions to speak of and stay as
far away from doctors as I can. I did
it in record time and gave them back to her.
I would like to mention here that there are many doctors in our family
and I mean them no disrespect. They are
young and just starting out in their profession. I hope the blog of my journey will stay with
them as they grow in their professions.
The purpose of this blog is not to complain or criticize but to not
remain silent. Silence will never change
anything in this world and my goal here is to make a change no matter how small
it may be. “One small voice for
mankind.”
As I mentioned before I am an RN. I’m not a doctor but I paid attention in
nursing school, especially to the part where I was taught to “listen” to my
patient. To treat the patient, not the
disease, in other words to take a holistic approach to their care.
Back to Dr. Haverkorn.
My appointment as I said was at 9:40, I was already livid with the
treatment I experienced from the receptionist.
I should have listened to my intuition and walked out but I was in
pain. Two hours later at 11:45 I was
ushered into an examining room after having peed in my second cup. I’m getting good at that. I waited for 15 minutes before the doctor
arrived. She apologized saying she was
“on call” and had an emergency procedure.
I was polite. I went through my
complaints, told her I suspected a kidney stone. She did not hear me. It was after 12 noon,
she was hungry and her staff had already gone to lunch. She
did not examine me. She decided the lining of my bladder was irritated. I’m
assuming she meant interstitial cystitis but she did not give me enough credit
to even offer up that term. She gave me
a list of foods to eliminate from my diet.
Being a vegetarian it meant I would starve to death if I followed her
list. She also gave me a prescription
for a med that would numb the urinary tract and turn my pee purple. I had already been using a similar over the
counter med AZO which turned my pee red but didn’t help much. I left her office feeling slighted and angry,
asking myself why did I waste my money?
I knew the list of foods was not my offender but I vowed to give it a
try. Again my pee test was negative for
bacteria or white blood cells. I went to
the pharmacy to get the prescription and was informed it would cost over $100. I did not purchase it. I went home and read some more on the
internet and began drinking more water and thinking.
Several days passed and I was getting more and more
miserable, peeing 10 or 11 times in the middle of the night….unable to pee
during the day. I knew something was
blocking my ureter. I finally decided
to make an appointment with an OB/GYN.
My daughter suggested the clinic she uses. Female doctors. I figured since I had not had a gyno exam in
over 15 years that maybe this was a good time to do it and possibly rule out
any problem in that area. This was a
good doctor…Dr. Karen Hasty, she listened to me. She did what a good doctor should do. She spoke with me in her office, listened,
really actively listened to my problems then took me to the exam room and took
a look. I was in great shape for an old
lady who had delivered 5 full term babies.
But she was stumped, what was causing my pressure and pain. I began to think “tumor”. She had an ultra sound done on the spot and
discovered a large foreign object sitting on top of my bladder where the ureter
enters the bladder. A stone and a large
one, 2 inches in length. It looked like
a stalactite hanging from a cave. She
said I needed to see a urologist and I moaned.
I told her about my experience with Dr. Haverkorn and she suggested I
see a Dr. Hvlanka, Urologist/OB , he was was great, so sweet. Ok I didn't want to see a male doctor but I
agreed with her recommendation. I heard
her call him and tell him I had a 2 inch stone on top of my bladder. I was able to get an appointment with him on
Monday, April 29 almost a week later.
I went home and read more on the internet…I was
learning. I forced myself to drink a lot
of fluids hoping to make a difference but judging by the ultrasound picture of
my foreign object I didn’t think it would help much.
An hour and a half drive into San Antonio on Monday morning
to see this “sweet, good doctor” was going to fix me. I’m an optimist
sometimes. I filled out more forms, peed
in another cup, had an xray , another ultrasound, a cystoscopy, and the doctor didn't find much. Bladder was clear but
ultra sound revealed a blockage somewhere.
I tried asking about the results but was treated like an idiot who was
incapable of understanding. He ordered
blood work and a CT scan with dye contrast.
Blood was taken and I understood them to tell me to go to the waiting
room and wait again. I waited 30
minutes. My dear husband went around the
corner to the OB’s office to get the copy of my ultrasound exam from her
because it showed the obvious foreign object which did not show up on the
urologists ultrasound. I gave it to the
receptionist and she wondered why I was still there. She told me I was finished for the day and
should have checked out and made an appointment for the CT scan. If she had not seen me sitting in the waiting
room again I would probably still be there.
I saw the doctor standing at the counter inside the office and
approached him to show him the results from the OB. He clearly was not interested. He was done with me for the day. I tried talking to him, I had many questions
for him but he was not having it. I
showed him the picture of the strange object in my abdomen and he dismissed it
saying the ultra sound was not good, he could not use it….he needed the CT
scan. I just wanted him to acknowledge
it and make a suggestion as to what it might be. I suggested it was a large stone. He would not commit and became obviously
irritated and walked away from me. I
went to his nurses who were standing around waiting for something, probably
lunch which was being delivered and smelled very good. I said I had questions. They were irritated, what was I still doing
there? I asked if this could be caused
by the well water I had been drinking for the last six years. They would not commit, said they couldn't tell me because they didn't know what my UFO was. I said, “Well suppose it is a calcium oxalate
stone, would you suggest I drink soft water or bottled water.” They said, “We can’t tell you that, again
because we don’t know what it is.” I was
about to go through the ceiling at this point.
I said, “What about the pain, I've got another week before I come back,
what am I suppose to do, how about a med that might dissolve the stone. It says here in your pamphlet there are meds
for that.” They said, “We don’t know
what it’s made of so we can’t give you a med.”
I said, “What if I drop down writhing on the floor screaming in pain,
then what”. They said, “Go to emergency
room”. I said, “And they will give me
morphine”. They agreed. I turned around and left.
What the hell? If I
had treated a patient like this during my years as working as a nurse I could
not live with myself. I could not go
home at night and sleep a peaceful sleep knowing that I had not done my best by
my patients to ease their pain or address their concern. I was disgusted, livid and feeling a myriad
of emotions I could not even express.
This is why I don’t go to doctors if I can avoid it.
These are reviews of Dr. Hlavinka and his staff that I found
on the internet:
“Knowing that my husband was obviously in pain
and scared, the Dr. showed no sign of compassion or willingness to help him
with his problem.”
“Staff will play on computer internet and ignore
you. They will send you walking uncomfortably for no reason down long hallways.
Urinary problems they just don't get...they enjoy watching a patient struggle
and wait. They will spill urine on you. Doctor won't even be there. What's
next? Don't waste your time there to stomach the incompetence.”
“Dr. Hlavinka and his staff are uncaring and
RUDE. The communication from the office would go a long way to alleviating
patient fears and distress. However, they don't care what you need or want.
Losing test results and not returning phone calls is par for the course with
this office. Then when we finally did get a call from the Dr. He was rude and
unapologetic for himself and his staff. The patient is your client (customer)
and you will not stay in business this way. Peoples lives are important!!!!”
“Dr. R. Snitzler referred me to you. I will not
be coming. Over a two month period no one has answered the phone,I have called
all day long from 8:00am on. No one calls to confirm appts.,when I arrived at
your office I was accused of never being at home so they could cancel my appt.
as you weren't coming in that day. I said I am home every day and have a
message machine.The desk clerk checked and said your office did not have a
phone number for me. Your staff is incompetent or lazy--they are rude,
disinterested,and not suitable for the line of work they are in at present. It
is your reputation. One good and well paid RN could run that office with
efficiency and care for worried people with health problems.”
“Very unhappy with the care given by Dr.
Hlavinka. He caused more problems than what I started with. It is hard to get
an appointment and the staff are not friendly and caring like you would expect
especially dealing with many older patients and patients with cancer.”
On May 1, 2013, I went for the IVP, Intravenous Pyelogram at
San Antonio Urology, next door to the Uro’s office, all part of the same
system. The technologist, Rene was a
wonderful, compassionate human being.
He’s at the top of my list as a human and believe me you gotta be pretty
good to get to the top of that list! He
was normal! He knew his business and was
not so busy or so threatened by questions that he felt the need to be rude or
defensive. This man sat me down with my
husband present and began explaining to me everything he was about to do to me. He walked me through every step telling me
what would happen and how it would feel.
He assured me he had a crash cart nearby and knew how to use it in case
I developed an allergy to the dye (such as anaphylactic shock). He told me how the machine worked and that it
would be talking to me telling me when to hold my breath and when to
breathe. At some point I asked a
question about results and he assured me my doctor next door would inform me of
the results. I assured him that I was not
so sure I would be able to get any information from the doctor or his staff
because they were incredibly rude. He
was surprised and empathetic and told me that he was going to make up for that
and walk me through this test imparting all the knowledge he could to me
without actually diagnosing me because he was not allowed to do that! Fair enough.
The test was a walk in the park and the machine was so fascinating. As I lay there I thought about the brains
behind the making of this machine and I was in awe. I appreciate how extremely intelligent humans
can be and how advanced we have become since days of the covered wagon and
surgery without anesthesia. After the
test was complete, maybe 15 minutes all total, this wonderful gentleman, Rene
extended his hand and helped me from the table.
He led me into the computer room and showed me the results and how the
machine “dissected” my body. The last
segment showed my unidentified object, the foreign invader lolling around at
the entrance of my bladder….kind of stuck in the door between the ureter and
the bladder.
My next task was to call the Uro’s office and ask the nurse
what to expect next Tuesday when I see the Uro again. She informed me it would be a consultation to
review the IVP CT Scan and decide how to get the invader out of my body.
I stopped at the local grocery store to purchase
lemons. I figured lemons are acid and
maybe drinking lots of lemon juice over the next few days I might be able to
wear down the edges of the stone in order to help it pass through the door to
my bladder.
Thursday morning May 2, I called the Uro’s office again to
ask if they could prescribe a medicine to dilate the ureter and perhaps the
juncture to the bladder. I spoke to a
nurse named Patricia. She asked me how I
knew about such a thing and what was the name of the med. I told her I did not know the name but knew
there was such a thing. She then asked
me how I knew about it and who told me about it. Why did she ask me such questions? What difference did it make. She was clearly being rude and trying to
intimidate me. She informed me the
doctor was not in and therefore she could do nothing for me. After my call
ended with this little twit, I was
verbally chastising myself for forgetting the name of the med so went to the
computer and looked it up, “Flomax”, of course and she knew the name of it, she
was one of the “bad guys”. Why do these
people go into medical care? Why?
A week later I returned to the Uro for the results of my CT
Scan. I waited in his waiting room for 2
hours before being ushered into an exam room.
Apologies were offered for the long wait. The doc had been at the hospital. After about a 20 minute wait in the exam
room, “his majesty” entered. Again we
were into the lunch hour. Having had
experience with this I knew he was hungry and this was going to be a rush
conference. I could feel it, it was in
the air, his need to escape. So he asks
me how I have been feeling. I tell him
the stone is gone, that I have been symptom free for five days. He agreed and said it was probably pushed out
by the dye contrast from the IV during the CT Scan. I did not tell him that I had consumed
massive amounts of granular Vitamin C, fresh lemon juice and hydrochloric acid
since last seeing him. I knew I had
dissolved it on my own. Thanks to my 20
year old son who is a geography/archaeology major. He told me that since we live on limestone
rock which was once an ocean bed that my stone was most probably made of
calcium and the best way to dissolve calcium is with acid. I had read many conflicting testimonials on
the web regarding lemon juice cures. I
decided to give it a try. Within a day
of starting the lemon juice I began to notice a difference in my urine stream
and the pressure and inflammation was obviously subsiding.
The Uro suggested I make another appointment in a couple of
months for another CT Scan. I knew I
would not. I asked him about well water
and he suggested I do not drink it but instead drink bottled water. I asked him about the safety of vaginal
estrogens and he babbled his speech about them being safe with no side effects
that he was aware of with any of his patients.
Of course I knew I would not be using them. I asked for samples which he gave me. I will be giving them to a friend of mine who
swears by them. I came home and read
more on the use of these hormones and decided it would be a cold day in hell
before I injected such a thing into my body.
I would rather age naturally instead of take my chance with breast
cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, hair loss, dementia
and weight gain. Next I caught a glimpse
of his white coat as he flew out the door.
Taking cue from him I did the same.
I couldn’t wait to be out that door, into the bright sunshine and be
done with that office forever. As I
exited, I looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply, as I shouted, “Free at last”. Yes I felt free from the stone, free from the
illness. I had regained my power which I
felt being slowly stripped from me as I dealt with this illness and the
incompetent medical people I had been surrounded by.
I called the Uro’s office a few days later to ask for my
test results. A week later the bills
began to arrive for the numerous testing I had subjected my body to. $$$$, it was adding up fast. I received the results of my tests and was
absolutely flabbergasted at the Uro’s report.
What a liar he is. I can’t even
be nice and say that he embellished his report because that would be lying on
my part. This man actually said he
counseled me on the use of vaginal estrogens and to call his office for any
questions about possible side effects or reactions and reminded me of the
continuing need for breast cancer screening. On my mother’s ashes, those words never came
from that man’s mouth. Also he did not
address the fact that I might continue to make kidney stones and that it might
be beneficial to me if I increased my acid intake my drinking lemon water. However I must give him credit for having a
brochure regarding that in his office that I might or might not have picked up
while waiting patiently for him. Perhaps
that’s why we are called patients?
Patient beware is my advice if you are dealing with any type
of illness which surely you will be as you age.
Always ask for your reports. Read
them thoroughly over and over. They are
not easy to understand but you can always research the meaning of words or
phrases you don’t understand. In my
case, reading the report from my CT Scan I discovered that I do have other
issues that were not addressed by this doctor.
These issues may be just normal signs of aging or could possibly be the
beginning of serious medical problems, however how would I know? The Uro was treating a kidney stone, not the
patient. The ball is in my court again
to find out what these issues are. I
will have to take this report to an internist I suppose and spend a lot more
money. I’m hoping my family doctor can
interpret this for me. What I’m trying
to emphasis here is that if I had not asked for the report and read it myself,
all of this would have gone by the wayside and perhaps I would begin having
symptoms and eventually after much repeat testing and scans an astute doctor
would recognize a problem and begin treatment if it is not too late….or better
yet it is just part of the aging process as the body begins to rot like a piece
of fruit and I will live well into my old age, rotting slowly!
I had to write and publish this blog for the world to
see. Maybe one doctor will listen and
feel guilt. Maybe one doctor will change
and listen to their patient, treat the whole person and not usher them in and
out like cattle in a chute. A copy of
this blog will go to all the doctors involved in treating my kidney. Perhaps they won’t even read it. But maybe one will and maybe that one will
remember their teaching in medical school.
Maybe just one.
A big thank you to Dr. Karen Hasty of Four Seasons OB/GYN
for her “holistic” treatment and to Rene at San Antonio Urology for being such
a gentleman and explaining each step of the CT Scan process and what I would
experience.
Stay well and take care of your bodies and take the lead in
your medical care.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Fork or Knife?
A couple of months back my husband watched a documentary in my absence. I suppose I was off caring for my granddaughter at the time. When I returned home he told me about the documentary, "Forks Over Knives". He said it was about eating meat vs not eating meat. Immediately my back went up and I informed him that was against everything I have ever believed. Of course I have known many vegetarians and always felt they were weird or missing out on protein and some awesome food. Two weeks passed before he convinced me to watch the documentary. I'm no genius but neither am I stupid. It all made total sense to me. I wanted to be healthy and I could lose a few pounds also so I agreed to give it a shot. One week of vegan eating to see how I liked it. I could just imagine my three son's reaction to me giving up meat. They totally embrace good food. They are all excellent cooks and so is my daughter. My daughter would be more accepting but those boys will think I've lost my mind. They are always on a quest to cook the perfect steak, ribs or brisket. "Mama has lost it!"
At the end of that week I had dropped several pounds and felt great. I felt light and different. I don't know how to explain it but there was a difference. So I embraced the vegan way for a month. At the end of the month I had lost a few more pounds, still felt great but decided cooking without eggs and cheese was not satisfying my need to create yummy meals. I added eggs and cheese in small portions. I replaced my dairy milk with soy, almond and coconut milk...coconut being my favorite for making curry. The almond is delicious with our homemade granola. I was hooked....so now I'm calling myself a vegetarian.
I love animals. I believe we all descended from them. Sometimes I look at people and think they look like some sort of animal. I've known lots of T Rex type humans. By the way, they eat meat! I have a flock of 10 chickens that I talk to on a daily basis. They think I'm their mommy. I don't eat them, never have. I eat their eggs and observe them. There is a lot to be learned from watching animals. Hens can teach you much about women. If you ever have the opportunity to sit and watch chickens for an hour you will see they are not dumb birds. They problem solve.....I have rearranged their home several times and each time they must figure out how to get to their nesting box or perch. They sit and study it and attempt and study more until they figure it out....and they always do.
I have shot and killed deer a few times and couldn't believe it was me at the trigger end of that rifle. I still don't know how I did it and I still feel guilt. If you are a hunter reading this I know exactly what you are thinking. And if you are of a religious nature you are probably thinking God put animals here for our survival. Well I'm neither hunter or religious. I believe in science because it's a tangible proof.
So this documentary "Forks Over Knives" has a lot of scientific reasons for giving up meat. Honestly I wish it was one way or the other but it's not. I'm thinking the cattle industry brings in a lot of revenue producing meat, milk, cheese, butter yogurt, etc. Killing the animal for it's meat is not something I want to be a part of any more. I watched another documentary that showed how animals are raised and slaughtered and it made me cry. Calves taken from their mothers, put in small cages and fed special food to make their meat tender, hence "Veal". I have driven past our local slaughter house when a truck load of pigs were being led to slaughter. Hearing their screams as they were hit in the back of the head and killed instantly made me cry. Pigs are very intelligent animals. Chickens raised in tiny cages on top of each other, never being allowed to roam or do the things chickens do thus becoming deformed.
I can't change everything but I can change what I do and make a tiny little difference in my corner. I feel good about it. I have lost weight, my blood pressure went from 130/80 to 117/70, my blood sugar stabilized at 80 and stays there and my stomach doesn't hurt any more. I have also learned to cook some amazing new dishes. I never get hungry because I eat all day but I eat good, real food.....apples, peanut butter, almonds, oranges, bananas, stir fry, beans, all veggies, tahini and my new meat is "mushrooms". I create something new every day from a wide selection of vegetables and spices.
The deer on my property now roam safe and free. Thank you "Forks Over Knives".
One of my favorite recipes:
A few hands of baby spinach
2 eggs
Any seasoning of choice
Whisk together
Pour into a heated frying pan with a little olive oil
Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook still egg sets
Remove lid, cut into fourths, flip each piece and brown the flip side without the lid on.
I also add mushrooms to this sometimes.
You can do the same thing with a grated potato and two eggs. It's like eating hash browns.
This makes a quick meal any time of day. Add a big kale and avocado salad on the side and partake of a nutritious, yummy meal.
At the end of that week I had dropped several pounds and felt great. I felt light and different. I don't know how to explain it but there was a difference. So I embraced the vegan way for a month. At the end of the month I had lost a few more pounds, still felt great but decided cooking without eggs and cheese was not satisfying my need to create yummy meals. I added eggs and cheese in small portions. I replaced my dairy milk with soy, almond and coconut milk...coconut being my favorite for making curry. The almond is delicious with our homemade granola. I was hooked....so now I'm calling myself a vegetarian.
I love animals. I believe we all descended from them. Sometimes I look at people and think they look like some sort of animal. I've known lots of T Rex type humans. By the way, they eat meat! I have a flock of 10 chickens that I talk to on a daily basis. They think I'm their mommy. I don't eat them, never have. I eat their eggs and observe them. There is a lot to be learned from watching animals. Hens can teach you much about women. If you ever have the opportunity to sit and watch chickens for an hour you will see they are not dumb birds. They problem solve.....I have rearranged their home several times and each time they must figure out how to get to their nesting box or perch. They sit and study it and attempt and study more until they figure it out....and they always do.
I have shot and killed deer a few times and couldn't believe it was me at the trigger end of that rifle. I still don't know how I did it and I still feel guilt. If you are a hunter reading this I know exactly what you are thinking. And if you are of a religious nature you are probably thinking God put animals here for our survival. Well I'm neither hunter or religious. I believe in science because it's a tangible proof.
So this documentary "Forks Over Knives" has a lot of scientific reasons for giving up meat. Honestly I wish it was one way or the other but it's not. I'm thinking the cattle industry brings in a lot of revenue producing meat, milk, cheese, butter yogurt, etc. Killing the animal for it's meat is not something I want to be a part of any more. I watched another documentary that showed how animals are raised and slaughtered and it made me cry. Calves taken from their mothers, put in small cages and fed special food to make their meat tender, hence "Veal". I have driven past our local slaughter house when a truck load of pigs were being led to slaughter. Hearing their screams as they were hit in the back of the head and killed instantly made me cry. Pigs are very intelligent animals. Chickens raised in tiny cages on top of each other, never being allowed to roam or do the things chickens do thus becoming deformed.
I can't change everything but I can change what I do and make a tiny little difference in my corner. I feel good about it. I have lost weight, my blood pressure went from 130/80 to 117/70, my blood sugar stabilized at 80 and stays there and my stomach doesn't hurt any more. I have also learned to cook some amazing new dishes. I never get hungry because I eat all day but I eat good, real food.....apples, peanut butter, almonds, oranges, bananas, stir fry, beans, all veggies, tahini and my new meat is "mushrooms". I create something new every day from a wide selection of vegetables and spices.
The deer on my property now roam safe and free. Thank you "Forks Over Knives".
One of my favorite recipes:
A few hands of baby spinach
2 eggs
Any seasoning of choice
Whisk together
Pour into a heated frying pan with a little olive oil
Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook still egg sets
Remove lid, cut into fourths, flip each piece and brown the flip side without the lid on.
I also add mushrooms to this sometimes.
You can do the same thing with a grated potato and two eggs. It's like eating hash browns.
This makes a quick meal any time of day. Add a big kale and avocado salad on the side and partake of a nutritious, yummy meal.
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