July 30, 2008
Today begins a new schedule at work - 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm - and a new surge to embed critical activities into my life.
I have no choice. The job is tough and beating me up, but diabetes is kicking my ass.
Actions I have to take at my age (54) include:
May 3, 2008
“Central serous chorioretinopathy is a retinal disorder which affects the macula. It was first described in ophthalmology more than one hundred years ago. Essentially, it is an “idiopathic disorder” which means that the precise cause is unknown. Central serous is associated with an elevation (detachment) of the macula due to leakage of fluid from the circulation behind it (choroidal circulation). The leakage occurs through a defect in the tissue layer known as the retinal pigment epithelium. The retinal pigment epithelium is a single–celled layer that lies between the retina and the choroid (see anatomy page). This tissue layer normally serves to prevent fluid from the choroidal circulation from leaking under the retina. In central serous, fluid equilibrium is disturbed leading to leakage beneath the retina which elevates it to produce a macular detachment which distorts vision.”
Full Article: http://www.vrmny.com/pe/csc.html
I have it. Right eye. Most cases disappear in 3 to 6 months. Mine hasn’t. The laser cure looks worse than the disease. The longer is stays the same, the greater the chance it will be permanent. Many people with this condition also get wet macular degeneration. My father had it. He had laser surgery. No help. He died legally blind.
I hope science catches up with this condition before I lose central sight in my right eye.
February 29, 2008
This blog will be a notepad for my efforts to create a free life in 777 days. Can it be done? Of course it can. Will it be done? If I hone in on my why. And I really mean dig deep and honest.
Freedom means freedom from debt, jobs, bad relationships. I must have the money in place to take care of my daughter’s college tuition which will start right after the 777 days end. I must have money in place to travel at will.
Raw notes and ideas will be posted here. Nothing will be posted that can be used against me. Blogging is part of the discipline.
My plan - if successful - will lead to the life I want, and to a book. It incorporates 7 areas of improvement, and the critical activities in each area to make it happen.
- mental
- physical
- emotional
- spiritual
- financial
- vocational
- social
Knowing what has to be done, and doing it, are 2 different things.
February 9, 2008
During a business trip to Asheville, I decided to go to Affordable Dentures on the basis of recommendations from my friends in Swannanoa.
On Thursday, February 7, 2008, I went in around noon. I went in to have a tooth extracted, but was told that for an extraction, I had to arrive at 7 am.
On Friday, I arrived at 6:45, and already the waiting room had maybe 25 people ahead of me. Good sign. The place was popular with the locals.
At around 9:00 am, I was taken in for a full set of x-rays ($65) and then sent back to the waiting room. Around 9:35, I was called back in and informed by the staff that “Dr. D.” was not taking any more “emergencies” that day because they had to start adjustments.
I was charged a total of $90 which included the x-rays and $25 for a consultation called “Pt Cnslt/Comp orl evl-new/estb” on the bill.
Problem is, I never sat in a dental chair, never met a dentist in that office, and never received an exam. To be charged for services not received is professional misconduct at best, and fraud in my opinion.
I asked the staff to inform the dentist that I was leaving for South Florida in a few hours, and to ask if he would reconsider completing the treatment I came in for, but the answer was the same.
The guy I assumed was Dr. D - I never met him but I may have seen him from across the room - wrote a prescription for Zithromax and Lorcet even though he never examined me.
Zithromax:
“To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of ZITHROMAX (azithromycin) and other antibacterial drugs, ZITHROMAX (azithromycin) should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria.”
~ http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/zithromaxsusp.htm
Lorcet is a pain killer:
“USES: This medication is a combination of a narcotic (hydrocodone) and a non-narcotic (acetaminophen) used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Hydrocodone works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and acetaminophen decreases the formation of prostaglandins, therefore relieving pain.”
~ http://www.medicinenet.com/hydrocodoneacetaminophen-oral/article.htm
The tooth that I wanted extracted is loose, but I am not in pain, and the dental assistant was informed of no pain. I never told the dentist anything, because I never met or spoke to him. From the script, I assume Dr. D is Dr. Charles Delaine.
It’s Saturday, I am back in Florida, but I was unable to contact the owner of the practice, Dr. Shaun O’Hearn (from the bill). No answer, and also no answering machine. I was not able to find a direct email address for Dr. O’Hearn.
The only Dr. Charles Delaine I could find was listed in Sneedville, TN, and I don’t know if that is the same dentist.
I did email the parent organization which appears to be some kind of a chain or franchise:
http://www.affordabledentures.com/mini-dental-implant-learn-more.asp
I guess part of the problem was that I had an overnight drive back to Florida with time to fume about the lack of treatment and callous service. I can say that being mad about the whole experience helped me stay awake. I am posting because I cannot find a person, email, or even an answering machine to complain directly to these individuals.
If this is how a new patient “emergency” is treated, I would stay away.
Charles Lamm
December 30, 2007
My father passed away 4 months ago at age 83. He had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years. He never got mean, and he passed well after he should have. When your brain isn’t working properly, I believe the reptilian brain takes over and does what it has to do to survive. If he could reason, he would have given up 2 years earlier.
My mother (80) would make the 25 minute ride to the nursing home about 4 days a week. Her mind is sharp, and her driving is still acceptable. She was a rock while he was sick, and was with him when he passed.
Four months can be a long time. Without the need to be strong, she is physically slowing down fast. I’ve seen it before. When she does not need the same strength to take care of him, her body stops fighting as hard to stay well.
At least her mind is sharp. I notice she spends time with the Jumble and other puzzles in the newspaper to keep her mind active. She also plays bridge, and keeps the financial records up to date.
After watching my Dad die not knowing where he was or who he was with, I hope her mind outlives her body.
===
Charles Lamm, retired attorney and lifelong scanner, posts articles on Virtual Joe Friday. His latest project is Affiliate Marketing for Scanners.
January 26, 2007
I have Type II diabetes, so I know a couple of facts:
- nothing lowers my blood sugar better than a long walk
- it’s hard to find the time to get that walk in every day
“Bad news when it comes to diabetics and exercise: Most people with Type 2 diabetes or at risk for it apparently ignore their doctors’ advice to be active.”
~ USAToday
It’s no surprise, but it does not make me feel any better to know that many others have the same motivational problems I do with exercise.
June 11, 2006
At times, especially in our roles as parents, we have to be reminded that if we talk the talk we have to be prepared to walk the walk.
——————–
Are You Walking Your Talk?
Copyright 2006 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com
When you’re deciding whether or not to hire someone or
invest in their product, doesn’t the image they project go
a long way in making you feel good about parting with your
hard-earned cash?
So, for example, if you’re looking for a nutritionist, it’s
unlikely that you’d hire the one who offers donuts in her
waiting room, right? 
Well, the same is true when YOUR potential client or
customer is making the decision whether or not to invest in
you or your offerings. If you have an image that is
congruent with your claim, you’ve made it much easier for
your prospect to say yes to you.
And living your message makes everything about building
your business with integrity and authenticity that much
easier - and more fun - too!
Here’s an example from my own client files: I was working
with a life coach who came to me because she wasn’t getting
ANY clients and was about to give up her business dream and
go back to working for someone else. Once we took a look at
what was going on in her business, it was clear to me what
the issues were.
She was trying to position herself as someone who could
help others reach their dreams, whatever they were. The
problem was she hadn’t achieved her own dream of a
successful life coaching business, which was the one that
was the most important for her to reach to get new clients!
And yes, this particular case was a bit of a catch-22. But
besides having too broad a niche (everyone has dreams!),
her marketing message was too convoluted and inconsistent,
her marketing materials were unprofessional - her business
cards were printed on her home computer - and she was using
a free email account for her business email, a big no-no if
you want to be taken seriously as a professional.
Once I explained to her (gently, of course) that it was
likely that she wasn’t attracting clients because she
wasn’t walking her talk, she immediately felt a sense of
relief. Why? Because THAT was something she could fix. Her
greatest worry was that she just wasn’t cut out to be the
life coach she dreamed of being. Not true!
So, fix it we did. And guess what? She started attracting
new clients immediately!
If you sense that this may be an issue for you as well, try
to look as objectively as you can at your own image. Or ask
a trusted friend, coach or colleague to do so. What’s the
message you’re sending? If you were your potential client,
would you work with you? That might be a little tough to
answer, but if you’re honest and admit it if you’re not
walking your talk, remember, you can fix that!
——————————
Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coachâ„¢,founder of http://www.ClientAbundance.com , and creator of “21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success Systemâ„¢, teaches self-employed service professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com
——————–
Final Thoughts:
If you don’t walk the talk, you feel like a fraud, and your entire life suffers.
April 27, 2006
Green Tea: The Healthiest Beverage You Can Drink
——————–
“Green tea has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years, with studies showing it has strong protective effects on immune, brain and heart health. Besides tasting great, green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, an antioxidant compound that helps defends healthy cells in your body from damage caused by destructive free-radical molecules. New studies show that green tea consumption may play a part in the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels.”
Buy Green Tea Extract - 73% Off Name Brands!
——————–
February 23, 2006
I once did sales for a water company that sold whole house water filtration systems. Once I learned the dangers of chlorine and flouride in our water supply, I never drank unfiltered again. All you have to do is look at your local water company’s analysis of the local drinking water to be convinced that potable does not mean optimal.
——————–
Title: How To Avoid ‘Health Care’: The Six-Fold Path to Optimum Health
From : www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller10.html
by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD and Linda L. Miller
“Public health officials add chlorine and fluoride to municipal water supplies. Chlorine removes harmful bacteria, but it has a number of not-well-publicized adverse effects. For example, drinking chlorinated water increases the risk of breast, prostrate, and colon cancer by 15 to 93 percent. Trihalomethane, a chlorinated byproduct found in tap water, is a known carcinogen; and studies show that women with breast cancer have 50 to 60 percent more chlorinated byproducts in their breast tissue than women without breast cancer.
In this regard, chickens fare better than people. Poultry producers have learned to raise their chickens on dechlorinated water because if raised drinking chlorinated tap water they will have drooped feathers, show signs of poor circulation, and have a reduced level of activity.
Adding fluoride to the water is supposed to prevent tooth decay. Most dentists say, however, that any benefit that fluoride may provide in preventing tooth decay requires that it be applied with a toothbrush. Fluorinated water, in fact, is bad for one’s health. People who drink fluorinated water have an increased incidence of hip fractures. Fluoride binds with any aluminum in the blood and takes it across the blood-brain barrier into the brain, producing pathologic changes similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease. A neurosurgeon, Russell Blaylock, M.D., spells out in chilling detail the danger fluoride poses to one’s brain, and health in general, in his book Health and Nutrition Secrets that can Save Your Life (2002). (Dr. Blaylock also shows how the excitotoxins monosodium glutamate and aspartame – NutraSweet – damage the brain.)
One needs to drink chlorine and fluoride-free filtered water on the path to optimum health.”
Full story . . . Click Here.
——————–
FinalThoughts:
- Another huge source of chlorine if from showers. Chlorinated water is turned into mist and taken into the lungs. It is also absorbed through the skin.
- Most people, myself included, would like to believe that the government can take care of some of the problems we face in our lives. On one level it does. We turn on the tap and water appears. We don’t have to dig our own wells or haul buckets of water. On another level, we are then slaves to whatever the government gives us.
- Read the entire article for more detailed information on optimal health.
February 4, 2006
Health Savings Accounts - What You Should Know!
Copyright 2006 Keith Thompson
Maybe it took the State of The Union address from President
Bush to bring the concept of Health Savings Accounts out
into the open for all to see. Whatever the case, this is an
idea and reality that is long overdue and a great solution
to health insurance for many people. Health savings
accounts, coupled with a companion low-cost high-deductible
health care insurance plan, will take the bite out of
monthly health care costs for many consumers, and provide a
powerful savings component at the same time. Let’s look at
the details.
While Congress passed the legislation creating Health
Savings Accounts in 2003, it has taken a while for the word
to get out. In a nutshell, the deal is as follows: Health
savings accounts are tax-free savings accounts, which are
necessarily paired with a high-deductible insurance policy
for catastrophic medical expenses. You are able to put as
much as $5150 (family) or $2600 (individual) annually into
these accounts, which are in turn used to cover normal and
customary medical expenses, like doctor’s visits, routine
checkups, etc. Some of the neat things about these
accounts, besides the tax-free part, are that you may carry
over unspent money from year to year, and it does not
matter where you work or for whom. They are completely
portable. Also in most cases, it’s very possible to realize
large savings on your yearly insurance and medical
expenditures. When you are in charge of how much you spend
and where, the possibilities are eye-opening. Plus, you are
not tied to any plan’s particular doctor or medical group:
you are free to choose whoever you want. Health savings
accounts, when set up properly, can not only save you lots
of meony, but also cannot be cancelled except by you.
Another enticing option regarding health savings account is
the savings aspect. If you have a traditional IRA or 401(k)
you get a deduction for all contribututions made yearly,
but after age 65 all distributions are taxed at both the
federal and state level, including capital gains. (Roth
IRA’s don’t apply) With a Health savings account you get
the same benefits as with IRA’s and 401(k)’s, with the
major difference being that monies withdrawn for qualified
medical expenses are NEVER taxed! Also, with health savings
accounts there is no age restriction on when you may
withdraw funds like there are with the others. As far as
using these funds for retirement purposes, health savings
accounts are able to be withdrawn after age 65 for any
purpose, without penalty, though in this case you would pay
income taxes. This looks even better when you realize that
account appreciation on health savings acounts is tax-free,
and look even better for those who are self-employed, who
may write off 100% of health care premiums. So in effect,
you are buying a high- deductible insurance plan, paying
the premiums from your business, and savings oodles of cash
tax-free in your Health savings account. Of course, should
you become sick, you’ll not only have the ability to pay
for your care, a major illness won’t be the family-finance
disaster it often is these days. More than 1 million
Americans each year end up in medical bankruptcy becasue of
inadequate coverage. Don’t let this happen to you!
Health Savings Accounts are a train long overdue finally
arriving at the station. Make sure to climb onboard!
—————————————————-
Keith Thompson is the webmaster at
health.insurance-plans.info/health-savings-accounts
For more information on health savings accounts visit the
site today!
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