Journal entry

My GP phoned the surgeon today and was able to arrange an earlier appointment for me - Feb 15th instead of March 31. If the surgery is to be done then I want it over ASAP. I want to find a job, and I need to find it soon to keep a roof over head and food on the table. Details, details.

I am lucky that I have private medical coverage, that will cover some of the costs. Not all, but some. I won't have to pay for the hospital. Medicare will cover some of the doctor's costs and insurance some, but there will still be some out of pocket expenses. Private health coverage means I don't have to go on waiting lists, I can choose the private hospital I want and the surgeon that I want. I hopefully will have had surgery and recovered before I would have been processed through the public system as I would still bedeemed elective surgery. If I presented as an emergency it would be different of course.

I saw someone on American TV waving a placard at a tea party and the placard read "Health insurance is not  right!" WHAT? Health care is a right for everyone. It is a basic need for life - just as food, water and education is. Every citizen should get equal access, no one should be victimised because they are poor. No one should be thrown into poverty because they are ill. One can only wish karma hits though horrible selfish people...

I increased my fibre yesterday - I ate half a banana and 6 slices of tinned peach. I could feel the bulk in my bowel...it worried me all day. So I went low fibre today. Safe but boring.

That is me these days - dull and boring. I bore even me!

Next Month's good intentions

Next month I want to :
Eat the right carbs - not biscuits!
Get more physical - at least walk somewhere!
Declutter my bedroom.
Take up one of my hobbies again ...scrapbooking, photography? writing? needlepoint? knitting - maybe too hot to knit as yet....hhhmmm.
Read more, watch less television - american politics can live without my overseas rantings!

This month I :
Drank more water
Saw a dietician to work on a low fibre diet for my diverticulitis.
Tried to destress .... well some days! Make that, some hours...
Started drinking green tea again - need to continue working on this.

One month of 2010 almost done and dusted....onward, ever onward.

which one is not like the others?

It gives a whole new meaning to spectator sports, doesn't it?

Aim for type 3 or 4, and I do mean aim!

living on the edge

I am living on the dangerous side. I ate tinned peaches last night. Six slices of peach. Bliss.

It was like nectar of the gods. I found a particularly beautiful dessert dish and lovingly counted the peach slices into the bowl.  I added a scoop of cookies and cream ice-cream and carried my bowl before me like the crown jewels going forth. I found a quiet corner in the living room and savoured every mouthful. It is true, the little things are often the best.

Now we wait and see...will there be a price to pay?

Gidday, Australia Day!

January 26th is our national holiday, Australia Day, when we celebrate all things Australian - past, present and our hopes for the future. It is a time for family and friends, and to be grateful for having the luck and good fortune to live in this great land.

Think of us today, and join us in a toast to this Great Southern Land - Australia!

Brain Workers to the fore!

I love this vintage advertisement. An anti-headache cap that is a Brain-food unequalled in the Known World! Why are they not in every major department store? Surely a must have for every modern "brain worker"?

aussie, aussie, aussie - MUFFINS!

Usually for Australia Day (January 26th) I bake ANZAC buscuits, but off the list this year as I can't eat rolled oats. Lamingtons off the menu too, as I am not allowed coconut. No pavlova as no fruit allowed! Not many traditional Australian goodies open to me, so I went all creative and made an original. Meet the Aussie Lime Muffin - in our national colours of green and gold!

 
Having a restricted diet can be difficult and boring, but one just has to think creatively and just work with what you are allowed. It may take imagination, and not be orthodox, but it can relieve the stress and the boredom of a restricted diet. I think it is important to have fun, and to include others as well. I made a dozen muffins and all our guests had one and though it was a very simple muffin, they all enjoyed the fun side as I coloured the batter in our Australian national colours and used coloured sugar in the same green and gold to decorate the icing. It marks the celebration, the guests know that you cared enough to make something for them, and yet you manage to stay within your diet.
 
I think it is important to try and include others in your menu selection as it makes everything harder if you feel that you have to miss out ,or have a special meal prepared for you. Of course, it can't always be that way, but just try and think about what you can do. It also educates people to what your issues are and models for them the food that you can eat, so that if they have to provide a meal for you, they already have examples of some foods that they can serve you.
 
Happy dining! Happy Australia Day!

come closer, dahlink

Every time I  look at this vintage advertisement, I also visualise this woman smacking on a rubber glove and declaring "this won't hurt me at all!"  Obviously repressed trauma in there somewhere!

hypochondria alert?

I am on day two of no antibiotics, but I think I can feel the first twinges of a diverticulitis attack. Can I really, or am I becoming a hypochondriac? Am I becoming one of those people who imagine aches and pains, and fear illness all the time? I know, relax, I could be hit by a bus just as easily!

I have to stop listening to myself. What?

Journal entry

Well, I am off antibiotics and going solo now! I am on a low fibre diet (aka no more than 5gm!), taking probiotics and Yakult . Drinking lots of water. Thinking happy thoughts....sometimes. Well, to be honest I am making a big effort to not think about much of anything now. Living in the moment, or being a blank canvas is my favourite option right now. Thoughts cause anxiety and I am exhausted with that. I get so tired as soon as I do anything though. So tired my body hurts.

My GP came back from holidays and tried to phone the surgeon to see if I can get an appointment sooner than end of March, but now the surgeon is on holidays until late next week, and it has to be a doctor to doctor appeal. GP has written it in her diary for next Thursday and so will call again and get back to me. The receptionist hinted that I should be able to get in sooner rather than later.

I just want to get things sorted out and back to healthy ... whatever healthy is!

Types of fibre

Insoluble fibres are the fibrous structural material of plant cell walls and have a low water holding capacity. Fermentation of the fibres is slow or does occur at all. Included are cellulose (from vegetables such as celery, legumes, fruit and nuts), lignin (found in wholegrain wheat, wholegrain oats, rye meal, brown rice. flaxseed seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway seeds, sunflower seeds and the seeds of berries) and some hemi-celluloses (in cereals, fruit, legumes, vegetables and nuts)

Soluble fibres are the plant cell contents and have a high water holding capacity. They are fermented by microbes found in the intestine. They include beta-glucans, gums, mucillages, some semi-celluloses and pectin. Rich sources include legumes, fruit (especially apricots, bananas, cherries, figs, grapefruit and plums), oats, oat bran, rye, barley and psyllium.

Resistant starch is part of starch that passes undigested into the large intestine and is digested by microbes found there. Found in legumes, bananas, cooled cooked potato, al dente psata, corflakes and products made with Hi Maize.

Fructans contain a link between molecules which resists digestion in the small intestine but are digested by microbes in the large intestine. Examples are inulin and oligofructose. They are found in some vegetables ( onions, garlic and chicory) and grains (wheat) or may be added by some processed foods such as yoghurt.

How much fibre should I eat in a day?
25-35g of fibre daily is recommended for adults. During an attack of diverticulitis it is recommended that this be dropped to 5g per day and gradually increased after resting the bowel.

The average Australian currently eats about 15g of fibre per day.

Did you know?

The daily average stool weight:

• on a typical Western diet is about 100-150g
• on an average Western vegetarian diet is 225g
• on a rural African high fibre diet is 400g or more.

age old problem - condescension

journal entry

I am so bored with the diet that the dietician has suggested for me. No more than 5g of fibre a day until I feel recovered from this attack and then a very gradual increase in fibre to 25grams a day. It is so dull and boring - no fruit, unless tinned peaches; the vegetables are basically potatoes and any member of the marrow/squash/pumpkin family. Tomatoes - don't even think about them - no seeds, no skin. Of course no dried fruit, cocomut, nuts or seeds. No wholemeal anything. White flour.

I feel limited to protein and carbohydrates. I actually don't feel like eating much of anything - no interest. Twice I have broken out and eaten a banana. And then worried afterwards! I am always anxious about another diverticultis attack, trying to sense the early warnings. I am still on the antibiotics, but I don't set much store by them anymore as their success is becoming more and more limited.

Sick of being sick, of being tired, of being anxious, of having my life interrupted. Boring.

opinions, opinions

Well, the gastroenterologist  had no magic cure for me. He is the opinion that surgery to remove part of the colon is the way to go. Presently, I run the risk of developing an antibiotic resistant bacteria which could be nasty or I could suffer an acute attack and have to present as an emergency and run the risk of major infection, drastic surgery and even a colostomy bag which could be permanent. The down side is that I could suffer chronic diarrhoea after the surgery - but I shouldn't have diverticulitis again.

The surgery can be performed laproscopically, and hospital stay is about 1-4 days. Full recovery can take up to 8 weeks. I guess that it is better to have it now, while I am "healthy" and not employed. Financially it is a knock we could really do without right now as I need to get a regular income. Oh well, better to get things sorted out now and back into a new career after that.

I am still going to see the dietician. She can assist me with a pre and post surgery diet at least.

I am tired of being stoic over health issues. I know a lot of people have far, far worse, but it is so tiresome always having some health issue. Next time around I am going to ask for better gene selection!

Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

on today's menu :  Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

The word pumpkin comes from the Greek pepõn for a large melon.. Pepon was changed by the French into pompon. The English changed pompon to Pumpion.  American colonists changed pumpion into pumpkin.

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in North America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C.

RECIPE

Serves 4: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 2.5cm (1 inch) piece root ginger, peeled and grated, 650g (4 cups) peeled and chopped pumpkin flesh, 850ml (3 cups) vegetable stock
Sweat the onions gently in the olive oil for 5 mins, add the onion, garlic, ginger and pumpkin and cook for 5 mins more. Add the water or stock and simmer for 15-20 mins, until the pumpkin is tender. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor and thin with a little extra stock, water or milk if necessary.


FACTS:

• Pumpkins are a member of the Cucurbita family which includes squash and cucumbers.

•  Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.

•   Pumpkin flowers are edible.

• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.

• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.

• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

• Pumpkins are 90% water!

Outside help

I have an appointment with the gastroenterologist who performed my colonoscopy today. His receptionist has rung three times to move the appointment forward by 15 minutes each time. I don't mind as I am not unemployed and have no plans except to get well today, but I imagine it would be annoying if you had to arrange time off from work, or babysitters. I was surprised that I was actually able to get in so quickly as I only called on Friday. Usually one has to wait weeks to see a specialist. I am so lucky that we have medical insurance, as it allows me to avoid waiting lists. If I was in the public health system it would all no doubt take a little longer, except if I presented as an emergency. However, I would eventually get treatment.

 Not that private health insurance covers all that much! I mean we had to pay $500AUS towards the cost of my colonoscopy as it was performed in a private day hospital. Oh and $55AUS for the lovely "special drink" before the test. Suffering costs big money! It must be very distressing for people who live in countries that don't provide basic health care. To me it is a basic right that everyone should be provided. Everyone has the right to health care, along with education and should not be subject to any hierarchy or capitalistic trends. If everyone is healthy and educated then the whole community benefits.

Anyway off to the Gastroenterologist. I only met him briefly before my procedure and he sat like a stone on a chair while they prepared me for my procedure last week, so I already know he is not a fun guy, but my doctor says he is highly competent. My GP actually wanted to send me to another gastroenterologist but said that etiquette meant she should send me back to the gastroenterologist who performed the procedure. I said, "well, now you have made me want to go to the other gastroenterologist" and the GP "well this one is very competent and the other one did something that made me angry the other day, she made a patient have a 2nd colonscopy just because she hadn't performed the first so..." So I am going to the original gastroenterologist!

Not that I expect any miracle cures from him. I expect more help from the dietician, whom I visit on Wednesday.

Being ill is a full time job!

acai ?

I bought a juice the other day, that claims to contain acai juice. As it was listed last in the list of natural ingredients I don't know how much acai berry was actually in the juice, along with  apple, grape, orange, banana, pomergranate  and blueberry. It was very tasty, but I had no idea what acai was.

Well, acai is in fact a berry and fruit of the acai palm tree. Having no idea whether this was actually beneficial I did some research and found an interesting article written by Lisa Sheldon which spotlights the issue of so called "superfoods" and the claims made on their behalf, usually without evidence, but obviously to make someone money somewhere along the food chain. I feel that, so often in a search for an instant cure that causes us no pain, we run in the direction of these "fast cures" and super foods, and if, as Sheldon states, "The average antioxidant capacity of the acai juice ranked lower than pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice and red wine" then indeed "we should continue to rely on familiar foods with well-established health benefits"

First Day

Gently, gently, that is how I have taken today. I am not silly enough to try and introduce change too fast or too strictly. For instance, I am not going to say I must drink 8 glasses of water a day, as this will just lead to me failing. Rather, I am just trying to increase the amount of water that I drink each day, which I managed today.

I also swapped a couple of cups of black tea for green tea. That one is easy. Because I have been ill for a couple of months now, I have added a multivitamin containing selenium and a calcium and vitamin D supplement, as well as an omega fish oil capsule. I hope to eventually just obtain the right amounts of all from my diet, but I think that will my body is under stress that I will "top up" with supplements to jump start recovery.

Due to my diverticultis being so severe at the moment, I am limited to a low fibre diet. It is a fine line finding the right amount of fibre my body needs, as too much can cause problems for me, just as much as too little fibre. I did drink a "superfoods" fruit drink that contained goji berries. I tried previously to eat goji berries but found them unpleasant. I suppose juiced may not as beneficial, but for the moment it is the best I can manage. Tiny steps.

Tomorrow is another day!

the noxious vapours arising

The creator of Robinson Crusoe, the author, Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), travelled extensively in southern England in 1685 to 1690. In his book, A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain , he described the depredations of ague [malaria] in the Dengie marshes of Essex , an area 70 km east of London that remained notorious for the disease until the end of the 18th century.


Defoe observed:

 "strange decay of the [female] sex here . . . it was very frequent to meet with men that had had from five to six, to fourteen or fifteen wives . . . the reason . . . was this; that they [the men] being bred in the marshes themselves, and seasoned to the place, did pretty well with it; but that they always went into the hilly country . . . for a wife: that when they took the young lasses out of the wholesome and fresh air, they were healthy, fresh and clear, and well; but when they came out of their native aire into the marshes . . . they presently changed their complexion, got an ague or two, and seldom held it above half a year, or a year at most; and then . . . [the men] would go to the uplands again, and fetch another; so that marrying of wives was reckoned a kind of good farm to them."

One can only conclude “that marrying of wives was reckoned a kind of good farm to them” meant that despite the costs of burying numerous wives the potential dowries and goods that they brought with them made it quite lucrative for the men . Marrying and despatching delicate wives may have been a lucrative income for the males!

Paul Reiter (2000) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, Puerto Rico wrote that :

Factors contributing to the decline include the following: Mosquito habitat was eliminated by improved drainage and extensive land reclamation. Root crops, such as turnips and mangel-wurzels, were introduced as winter fodder, enabling farmers to maintain much greater numbers of animals throughout the year; this diverted An. atroparvus, a zoophilic species, from feeding on humans. Rural populations declined as manual labor was replaced by machinery, further reducing the availability of humans as hosts for both mosquitoes and parasites. New building materials and improved methods of construction made houses more mosquito-proof, especially in winter, thus reducing the risk for contact with mosquitoes. Greater access to medical care and a rapid drop in the cost of quinine reduced the survival rate of the malaria parasite in its human host. From Shakespeare to Defoe: Malaria in England in the Little Ice Age

I wonder if the marshland farmers mourned the loss of their “good farm” as their wives managed to linger longer!

beware the dangers lurking in your bathroom!

toilet tissue illness - the mind boggles!

When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I'll start tomorrow." Tomorrow is disease. ~V.L. Allineare

Change appears to be linked to goals and lists. Good intentions in a basket. I have my goal - health and happiness. Here is my list:

1. Drink more water
2. Eat more fibre
3. Reduce dietary fat intake
4. Decrease red meat quantities in my diet
5. Increase levels of dietary and supplemental calcium
6. Increase folic acid.
7. Develop a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins
8. Drink Green Tea.
9. Exercise.
10. Include more Omega 3 fatty acids
11. Use turmeric - a traditional spice which contains a phenolic compound called curcumin.
12. Add selenium to my diet
13. Breathe - attack stress and anxiety
14. Forgive my own weaknesses, but don't use them as an excuse.

These 14 points are my starting point. I may add to them or change them. I may even eliminate them if I find they don't really improve my health and well being. This is a journey of change and discovery after all. I have a lot to learn and in doing so I expect to learn new things, build on my knowledge and dimish the things that bring me no benefit.

In minds crammed with thoughts, organs clogged with toxins, and bodies stiffened with neglect, there is just no space for anything else. Alison Rose Levy

Alan Cohen wrote that:

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.

and I guess that is what this blog is all about - releasing the familiar and secure to embrace a new, healthier lifestyle. I have had a lifetime of health issues, more than a few wake up calls that I have failed to listen too. Well, call no more, I am finally getting the message and embarking on a self-health journey to embrace a healthier mind and body.

The concept of life style change is not one I relish embracing, but this morning I had some medical tests and aware that this is just another close brush with mortality in a long line of such incidents, I have come to realise that there is no easy answer, and that I have to change my evil ways if I want to live to be 102, as I have always declared. I want to die yelling and screaming and full of fight, not whimpering to a sad and pathetic end too soon.

I am not sure how I am going to do this, or even if I will be successful, but at least I will know that I did actually try. I no longer want to be my own worst enemy.