Hope everyone has a great and safe Halloween this year!
Don’t eat too much candy and get sick either!
Also a happy birthday for all my friends that are Halloween babies, although I think I only know Doris who is a spooky baby! LOL
Monthly Archives: October 2009
Good news…for once
So I got notified that there is no indications of any stenosis in my artery feeding my new kidney according to my CT scan. This is great news. That means no need to do an angiogram to open up the artery.
Good news for once is great to hear. On a different note…
We went to visit a nurse practitioner the other day to evaluate insulin pumps. Those are ungodly expensive but worth every penny I’d think. They can cost upwards to 5,000 bucks. That’s extreme though. I think with my insurance I would end up dishing out about 800 to a 1,000 bucks. Still pretty costly and it doesn’t include supplemental supplies like the tubing and the catheters.
I also learned I probably wouldn’t benefit too much from using it since I would have to replace the insulin every other day or so. It’s because I use anywhere from 150 to 200 units a day of insulin. Yes it’s quite a bit. Exercise and better eating will help this.
I’m going to see a nutritionist to see what she can recomend. I already know I need to eat more food that has a low glycemic index. I also know I need to become more active. With the neuropathy and back pains it’s Really tough for me but I have to do it.
I think I might pass on the insulin pump only because my case is a bit different. I am very very insulin resistant. And I already spend a fortune on medicine and Medicare. I don’t think I need to add onto that. I should probably talk to my wife about it and come to a final decision. Crazy!
A not so great way to lose weight
The other day I recall talking to one of my friends and my insulin regimen. It usually goes like this: long lasting insulin in the morning and bedtime. Short acting insulin before I eat my meals and snacks. All in all, that was about 6 shots a day. So every time I eat something, I have to take a shot. Unless of course I can manage to make a meal or snack that did not have carbs. Such as raw vegetables or pure protein. Of course, honestly, those aren’t too filling. But because of this, I told her it’s a great way to lose weight because I don’t necessarily want to eat because I don’t want to take a shot.
Yeah, that’s not Really a great way to lose weight.
Honestly though, counting carbs in order to calculate how much insulin to take is a Really great tool to losing weight. It makes you more conscious of what you are eating and aware of how much to eat. Portion size is Really important to counting carbs. In many cases, where you think a package is only 1 serving, it’s actually 2 serving sizes. This is a tactic used by food companies to appear their food has lesser calories or fat. It’s not as if they’re lying. You’re just assuming it’s only 1 serving.
Another thing you’ll learn is that 0 does not necessarily mean 0. 0 could easily mean up to 0.5 mg or more! It’s one of those loopholes that seems to appear everywhere. I believe I’ve mentioned this before. Watch what you’re eating! This definitely goes for non-insulin dependent diabetics. Something to think about.
CT Scan of the kidneys
So this past friday, I had a CT scan of my donated kidney. They suspect there might be a bit of stenosis (abnormal narrowing of a bodily canal or passageway) of the artery feeding the new kidney. It was explained to me that everyone has different size arteries, and it was quite possible that the new kidney had a smaller artery than my own or vice versa. This is why the ultrasound was done, and it did suggest that I could have some stenosis.
It’s also possible the kidney might have shifted. Because it’s not behind the peritoneal wall (the membrane that holds all the organs), it could move because of how I might move my body. Of course, this makes me nervous since I can actually feel my new kidney and I worry every time I bend over, lean, or whatever. If this is the case, the artery could kink or go into a position that restricts flow.
The only reason they haven’t been too aggressive is because my kidney functions (specifically my creatinine, which last week was 0.98 – very good) are in normal ranges. But now (3 months post-surgery) is the time to act, and to fix the problem, which is not Really a problem, before it becomes a Really big problem and it’s an emergency situation. I agree. I don’t want to have to worry about this later when it’s a severe problem.
So now, what are the things we can do? If there is indeed stenosis and it’s a narrowing of the artery, then they will most likely do an angiogram. This would either involve a widening of the artery or inserting a stent (A slender, hollow tube inserted into the body to relieve a blockage.). I suppose if the kidney itself is shifted or kinking the artery, they may have to move it, but I’m not exactly sure what they would do in this situation.
Either way, I’m just waiting to hear the results of the test to see what they will do next. All I know is the surgeons and doctors at University of Washington are top notch and I’m in good hands.
Why I don't necessarily believe in psychics
So I’ve been watching the show Paranormal State a lot lately. It’s been on A&E quite a bit, I’m sure it’s because of it being close to Halloween. I remember watching it when it first came out and I loved it. I Really like his methods on the show. I think it Really helps that he had his own experience when he was younger. But that’s usually how all paranormal investigators start.
However, one use I don’t necessarily condone or agree with are the use of psychics. I know there are plenty of people who say they can talk to the dead, or are sensitives, but honestly, a lot of them are probably not Really psychics and I’m sure there are a handful of them who are actually fakes. Kinda like how “The Mentalist” used to be.
I’m sure you’re waiting on why exactly I have a hard time believing them. The biggest reason is because my friend’s son, Shawn Hornbeck, went missing back in 2002. I’m not sure if you’ve necessarily heard of the story, so I did link it to his website. During that period of time, they had consulted so many psychics who tried to find Shawn. However, no one had anything of substance. Some actually even stated that he had already passed on and crossed over. Others said he was out of state and he was long gone. But the fact remains that Shawn had never left the state, nor even the city! He was found to be living in Kirkwood, MO, just about 20 miles away from where he went initially missing. Come on now. How can I possibly believe in psychics who claimed to have talked to him from beyond?
I am willing to hear from any psychics who claim to be authentic, or anyone who has met one. Nothing would please me more than someone who can debunk my theory that psychics are either frauds or people who think they have a gift for clairvoyance or whatever. I would just love to hear that there is more to this world, and that there are those that can speak to the spirits of the dead. Convince me!
J-pop and why you should at least try to listen to it
So I found this video while doing a search for other J-pop stuff, and thought it was pretty damn cool. It’s from 2006 so it’s a tad bit old, but the bands are still some pretty cool J-pop stars, even today, and I thought it was pretty awesome. Here’s the description of the video:
J-POP 101 2006 at Anime Expo: This video was created as an introduction to Japanese pop culture. It was aired on July 1st, 2006, 7:30 P.M. in the Anaheim Convention Center. The panel was hosted by Linzer Dinzer and myself, Kestelia I hope you like it :)
The only thing I didn’t like about this video was they left out a couple of J-pop stars I thought should show up in there, in particular, SMAP and Koda Kumi. You might recall that Koda Kumi sang the original songs for Final Fantasy X-2 (which were unfortunately translated later on to english). But anyways, I still loved her versions, because well, she’s pretty awesome. SMAP is just one of the most popular bands in Japan, I think, and they’ve all been in a variety of Japanese Dorama. I love their stuff. Usually if I see them starring in a dorama, I will watch it. Usually.
So I’ve included a video by both SMAP and Koda Kumi for your enjoyment. You can determine if you like them and possibly become fans too. Video after the bump.
Cemetery Dance : Reviewed
So I finally got around to reading the 9th Pendergast novel, Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Here’s the basic synopsis from their website:
William Smithback, a New York Times reporter, and his wife Nora Kelly, a Museum of Natural History archaeologist, are brutally attacked in their apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Eyewitnesses claim, and the security camera confirms, that the assailant was their strange, sinister neighbor-a man who, by all reports, was already dead and buried weeks earlier.
While Captain Laura Hayward leads the official investigation, Pendergast and Lieutenant Vincent D’Agosta undertake their own private-and decidedly unorthodox-quest for the truth. Their serpentine journey takes them to an enclave of Manhattan they never imagined could exist: a secretive, reclusive cult of Obeah and vodou which no outsiders have ever survived.
I was thrilled to hear that some characters were returning in the new story, as I do love their little crossovers they have from various other novels, not relating to the Pendergast novels. Before I start the review, I have to say I Really liked the book, although there were some things I’ve had an issue with. (look in the spoilers.) That being said, there are spoilers for the book (yes they’re Really spoilers!) and don’t read them if you don’t want to know what happens in the book. Spoilers after the bump.
Osaka's Japanese Restaurant
Tonight my parents and I decided to get dinner at Osaka’s Japanese Restaurant in Lacey, WA. I’m a big fan of this place. It’s a little costly, but honestly, what Japanese restaurant isn’t nowadays. I’ve been coming here since I moved to Lacey in 2004 and have been loving it since. Both my parents, including the parents in law like this place.
I’ve been here numerous times, and the service has never failed to please me. The people are very friendly, and very fun. When I was able to eat sushi, I always had some kind of sushi here, and I’ll tell you now, it’s pretty good. It’s not the best sushi I’ve ever had, but I have to admit that I’ve eaten some Really high grade sushi while I was living in Japan. If nothing else, it’s worthy to note that Osaka is the first sushi restaurant in Thurston County.
I usually order the tonkatsu and/or the tempura. They Really make some excellent tempura, and their tonkatsu is very good. I also would like to point out that they have pretty good serving sizes. I’ve also had their Katsudon as well, and it was pretty good. All in all, their food is good.
The cleanliness in the restaurant is pretty good, although I cannot Really judge everything about that since I have never actually been in their kitchen. But if the sushi chef is an example of their cleanliness, then there’s definitely nothing to worry about. Again I’d like to say the people who work there are friendly, and I’m not sure if it’s because my parents and I visit often, but they remember that my dad uses a fork rather than chopsticks and never fail to bring him one.
Overall I’d give Osaka a 4 out of 5 stars. The only reason I don’t give a 5 is because no one in my opinion should get a 5 unless they are absolutely, positively perfect. Maybe something like Morimoto’s Restaurants.
Possibilities
So as of late, things have been going good. I’m starting to Really get into a routine of taking my meds and insulin at regular intervals. I’ve been getting used to doing readings every so often as well too. As of now, I’m on at least 18 different medications and two types of insulin. I’ve also been getting used to taking my vitals twice a day as well. So it’s all been getting routine.
Today was the monthly visit to the Nephrologist at University of Washington Medical Center. He’s such a great doc. Today, when we saw him he apparently heard something he didn’t like. Basically he could hear the blood pumping through my artery at my new kidney. What does this mean? There could be a collapse of the artery at that location, or there could be a “kink” in the artery because the kidney is shifting. He said in the past they haven’t Really done anything about it because my bloodwork looked Really good, and it wasn’t very alarming. But he said it sounded louder so it could be getting worse. He said it was better to take care of the problem while it was small instead of letting it get worse and worse then having to take care of it when it was critical.
So what does this all mean? Well, I had an ultrasound today which will hopefully help determine that. If indeed there is a big issue (a kink or collapse of the artery), then the next thing would be to do a cat scan. The cat scan will tell us exactly what it looks like and what is going on. After the cat scan, if indeed there is a big problem, then the next step would be an Angiogram. Fun. Yes, it’s similar to the angiograms for the heart. Actually it’s exactly the same procedure, except in a different location.
Lots of ifs going on there. But you know, everything is possible. We knew that eventually we would have to do something about this. Best to do it now than later I suppose. Luckily recovery is not a big deal, maybe a day or two of taking care of myself, nothing I don’t do already. I can’t do anything stressful to my body like lifting heavy objects, but you know, I can’t do that now.
So that’s what’s been going on as of late in my world of Malignant Diabetes. How’s yours?
Pizza Hut Premium Bacon Mac 'n Cheese
I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials for Pizza Hut’s Tuscani Pastas. I mean it’s been around for quite a while now. In the past, Meesh and I have had the Creamy Chicken Alfredo. It was good. So tonight, we decided to go with the good ol’ fashioned macaroni and cheese, but pizza hut style.
We ordered the Premium Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese. I mean it sounded good, right? First of all, because it has bacon in it, and we all know that bacon makes anything taste better. This was definitely not an exception. We both loved it. It’s kinda surprising that Pizza Hut should have something this decently good. I wouldn’t say that it’s the best Mac ‘n Cheese I’ve ever had (let’s face it, it’s still pizza hut and it probably comes from a frozen dish), but I will admit I would probably order it again. I don’t even feel regret that I paid for it.
If you’ve got a hungering for pasta, don’t want to make it yourself, and want something pretty decent that’s not microwable (at least in your own house!), then go for the pizza hut mac ‘n cheese. It’s pretty good.
(oh, and no, I’m not paid by pizza hut to say anything good about their food.)