Category: Health

Back Meds

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

I went to the neurologist today for my regular appointment for my carpel tunnel syndrome and I mentioned the problems with my back and they gave me a steroid and a muscle relaxer.

I have to take one of them every 8 hours and the other one I have to take 6 pills today, 5 tomorrow 4 day after, 3 day after that, 2 day after that and then 1 on the last day.

I really hope this pain is gone at the end of this because I really want to resume my exercise.  I’m going to add strength exercises as well because I think that my back muscles just were not prepared for this new seat.

Back Pain

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

Well apparently this back pain is a bit more severe than I thought.  I just called the chiropractors office that I used to go to in 2005 and had to leave a message so I hope they get it by tonight so I can make an appointment to hopefully come in tomorrow morning.  I have a doctor’s appointment with the neurologist for my carpel tunnel syndrome near where they used to be but they aren’t too far from there so I will be able to walk there from my neurologist.

I was thinking of bringing my bike with me but I don’t have the proper locks and I’m afraid that my new seat and/or my wheels will get stolen.  I don’t have the money to buy 2 new locks/chains so I’m screwed and have to walk there from the bus stop in pain lol.  Maybe I can think of something though, we have some padlocks that maybe I can borrow from what they are locking and look for some chain that I can use.  Now that I think about it I’m going to start looking for those so I can at least chain up my seat for now.  I really don’t feel like walking all that way tomorrow especially with this back pain.

Back Problems

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

I don’t know what’s going on with me lately but it seems that since I got that new bicycle seat I’ve had nothing but back problems.  It could be that I still don’t have it adjusted right, I don’t know for sure.  I’m sitting back in my desk chair with the vibrate turned on the upper back selection and it does help some.  Sometimes I go sit in the shiatsu massage chair and that just hurts.  I have to sit funny for it to even get to my shoulders.

What happened is a few mornings ago I wasn’t wearing my bipap machine mask because sometimes I can’t breathe with it on so I have to go without for 1 night.  So when I sleep without it I sleep on my stomach and I sleep so weird that it puts a crick in my neck.  So I can’t put all the blame on this new seat but it doesn’t help my back either.

Yesterday I went on my morning bike ride despite the bad neck/shoulder pain but this morning I decided I was in too much pain to go out so I stayed home.

I’m really thinking about going to the chiropractor again because I get massages 3 days a week and they make me use their gym which helps with my weight loss lol.  The last time I went there I think I lost 10lbs in 1 month from using their gym doing the machine exercises as well as the ball exercises.  Maybe that will help me out some then I can learn what exercises I can do at home on my home gym so I will start using that again.

The only issue right now is that I’m broke.  I mean totally broke.  I have $1.75 available in the bank lol.  So I can’t take the bus there and they moved to across the street from the DMV which is a very long bus ride.  I wouldn’t want to take my bike because well, I’m going there because of my bike and I don’t have the proper locks for my bike yet until I get money.  So I’m kind of stuck until I get money.

I hope the pain will go away soon because I don’t have any pain pills or the money for them.  I do have a couple ibuprofens still for my carpel tunnel syndrome and I’m seeing that doctor on Friday so hopefully he will renew that for me.

Back and Knee Problems with New Bike Seat

On By Michel McDonaldIn HealthLeave a comment

As the title says I am having Back and Knee (not backne as in acne on my back) issues from this new seat.  I’ve adjusted it every way I can to get it comfortable.  No matter how I adjust it I am being pushed forward to the handlebars and it has been causing me issues with my shoulders and my upper back.

And my right knee has been giving me issues since I got this new seat.  Keep in mind this is only day 5 so maybe 10 more days (the guy said keep trying for 3 weeks, to me 5 days is 1 week since I only ride 5 days a week) and maybe, just maybe that will go away.

I’m going to keep trying though because I really don’t want to sit on anything that is going to cause numbness in my giggle area.

I removed the sheepskin during my ride today because I was thinking that maybe the sheepskin is giving me issues and it was.  That is what was making me slide forward all the time.  So just sitting on the seat without the sheepskin and the seat pretty much grabs onto my shorts like a cell phone on one of those rubber mats that you stick on your dashboard.  If that makes any sense.

I’m still going to buy another gel seat and cut the nose (or horn) off then sew it back together so it fits this new seat.  I think that will help not only raising me back up to where I was to give my knee some help but also my underwear seam won’t hurt my butt lol.  And I think it will feel better on my sit bones if I’m sitting on gel instead of the seat.  Actually the seat without any cover on it is pretty cushioned, it doesn’t really need any cushion so that’s good.

Finally Some Progress

On By Michel McDonaldIn Diet, HealthLeave a comment

I’m finally seeing some progress with my diet and exercise regimen.  For breakfast I measure 1 cup of cereal, raisin bran, then for lunch I have a slim fast shake then for dinner it’s usually a salad which is a pretty good salad with that salad mix that you can buy in bags, then I add a hard-boiled egg chopped up, 1/3 of a can of tuna, half a celery cut into pieces, sliced and peeled cucumber, to add more flavor I add a tiny bit of bacon bits and some sunflower seed nuts meant for salads and then top it off with some ranch dressing.

Yeah OK, some might say that the bacon bits, sunflower nuts and ranch don’t help but guess what?  I’m losing weight.  I mean come on, you can’t take that away from me.  If I wasn’t having any progress then fine, I’d remove the bacon bits and sunflower nuts but there ain’t no way I’m gonna give up the ranch dressing because I absolutely hate that oil and vinegar douche crap.

The first 3 weeks I was riding my bike I wasn’t losing any weight at all because I was being sabotaged.  Yeah yeah yeah, I know, you can’t blame anyone but yourself right?  Well, Darrin took me to taco bell when he got one of his checks then the next day we went to Hometown Buffet then we went to China town buffet because friends from San Diego came to visit then he took me to Hometown Buffet again.  I was like enough with the buffets and taco bell.

So then my 4th week I lost 5lbs because I stopped eating crap and started taking things more seriously.  I wasted 3 weeks of hard work riding my bike, that’s how I feel.  The 4th week I lost and now that I’m continuing to take it seriously I’m still losing weight.

This Friday, in 2 days, I’m going to weigh in again and I’m going to be very happy because I know that I’m going to drop at least another 5lbs.

Oh I also forgot to add that I eat a lot of bananas and I eat 1 energy bar the day I ride the bike which is usually halfway through my ride.  I typically only ride 3 or 4 days a week and it’s usually only 1 hour per ride.  But as I lose more and more weight the bike will be easier to ride because I will be lighter so I will be able to ride longer than just 1 hour per ride.  Maybe at least 1 1/2 hour or who knows, maybe when I’m 200lbs I will be riding 2 hours per ride.  I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Hook Worms

On By Michel McDonaldIn Animals, Health, PetsLeave a comment

Well we just came home from the vet at PetSmart.  Our poor defenseless toy chihuahua has hook worms in her.  Poor baby.

The bill was $235.02 YIKES!  But, I guess it’s worth it.  That wasn’t for the medicine though.  The medicine was only $14.  The rest was for all the tests and just to walk in the front door.

Apparently these hook worms live in the dirt and a dog can be walking around in the dirt or even laying in the dirt sunning themselves and the hook worms latch on to the feet and then the dog comes in the house and licks her feet and then the worm gets swallowed.  They drink the dogs blood inside of their intestines.

Here is the link for Hookworms at the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center website.  The medicine that they gave us is called Panacur.  It’s a cheap medicine but it works.

I hate knowing that my dog got this.  I’m going to have to clean out the back yard and just take Flower outside in the front yard with the harness and leash and pick up her poop with a plastic bag for now.  I don’t want her to be in the back yard by herself until I can get out there and clean it up.  I wonder if there is a spray that we can spray on the dirt that will kill all life in the dirt.

I’m also going to have to give her a bath and wipe her paws every time I bring her back inside the house so she doesn’t lick anything that she might have picked up.

New Way of Thinking About Food

On By Michel McDonaldIn Diet, Exercise, HealthLeave a comment

Boy oh boy.  Here comes the post where I have to talk about changing my diet habits when I start riding my bike again.

I haven’t actually gotten the new front wheel yet and I haven’t gotten my Camelbak or Diablo skull cap so I can’t really start riding yet.  Even if I get my wheel tomorrow, if I don’t have the camelbak or the skull cap I’m not riding yet.  Yeah I know I’ve ridden without them just fine in the past but I really want to have them when I start riding again.  I think it will help me stay hydrated a lot longer than the old 32oz bottle because I can feel free to drink more since I now have 70oz of water to drink so I won’t be conserving it so much.

But what about my food habits?  Ok, well, no more McDonald’s that’s number one.  No more fried chicken from Albertson’s or cocoa pebbles cereal filled all the way to the top of the bowl.

From now on I am going to try my hardest to only eat good foods.  I don’t know what is a good example of good foods but I’m sure I will figure it out soon enough.  Instead of buying the crap cereals, I’m going to buy either Raisin Bran or the Weight Watchers cereal.  Costco used to have the Weight Watchers cereal and it was so good and I was measuring it instead of just pouring it into my bowl.  I have to start doing that again.

It’s all mentally and physically preparing myself for the torture I’m going to be putting myself through on a daily basis.  Can you imagine riding for 20 miles straight in a couple of hours burning something like 1000 calories?  Then coming home and taking a shower just to get ready to go to McDonald’s to eat lunch?  OMG That totally cancels out the whole ride.  Just 1 McChicken sandwich cancels all that out.  Not to mention the 2nd chicken sandwich that I would normally eat as well as the small fry and 2 apple pies.  I don’t count the diet coke, it has no calories.

No, I’m going to have to spend a little more money on my food at the store rather than eating a $5 lunch at McDonald’s.  And when we go out to restaurants I’m going to have to get the side salad or sandwich every time so I don’t cancel myself out again.

Oh and forget about ever being able to have ice cream again lol.  Ok, Ice Cream is fine in moderation.  I can safely eat ice cream as long as it’s 1 scoop of ice cream, not an entire container of ice cream.  You know, those little $5 cups of Häagen-Dazs.

With my birthday coming up it’s not going to be easy for me but I think I can manage.  And Darrin is diabetic so I know he’s not going to buy me a cake that he can’t eat.  So I think that we will figure it out.  They have these single serve cakes that we can buy and we can buy 1 of those small Häagen-Dazs ice cream cups and split it.  It’s hard to scoop from a tiny cup lol.  Oh wait they have these little tiny cups that measures to I think half a cup of ice cream which I believe is 1 serving so maybe I’ll buy 2 of those lol.  They ain’t cheap, they cost $1 each.

The point is, I’m going to start riding my bike again hopefully this weekend maybe tomorrow.  I’m not going to ride on Chips days off, just 5 days a week when he works so that he won’t think I’m blowing him off to go bike riding.  But before I start riding again I’ve gotta rethink my whole eating habits so that I don’t keep making the same mistakes I always make and think hey well I’m exercising so one ice cream won’t hurt or 2 McChicken won’t hurt.  They will.

Ugh!  It’s a lot of mental preparation and a lot of physical torture but I gotta do it.  I just wish my stuff would come in so I can do it sooner than later lol.

24 Hour Fitness

On By Michel McDonaldIn Exercise, HealthLeave a comment

I’ve always wanted to go to 24 Hour Fitness but they always charge you so much money up front.  You can’t even get a membership unless you have $200 in your pocket (or debit card) so I’ve just given up hope.  Also I’d have to take 2 buses to get there and wait about 45 min for the bus.

The bike trail is near where the 24 hour fitness is so I could get to the bike trail from home then when I get to Rosedale Hwy I can just start riding on the sidewalk (because it’s on the wrong side of the street) until I get there.  They have a special right now that is $19 down, $19 a month.  Now I can afford it and I can be exercising on the way there then get a couple of hours of exercise in before leaving where I will be exercising some more to get home.  Good plan.  We’ll see if I do it when I get my used bike.

Is 17 Mature Enough for Plan-B?

On By Michel McDonaldIn Health, NewsLeave a comment

There is a new debate about the age limit being lowered from 18 to 17 for buying the Plan B pill without a prescription.  They are asking if age 17 is mature enough to buy this new drug.  This drug “Plan B” is meant to prevent a pregnancy within the first 72 hours.  It is not an abortion pill but merely a preventative measure against pregnancy.

I think that if a 17-year-old is mature enough to spread her legs and have unprotected sex with a boy, whether it be consensual or non-consensual, then she is mature enough to buy this over the counter and not need to go to the doctor’s office and have to get her parents permission.  I mean come on, by the time it takes you to get the courage enough to tell your parents that you had sex then you have to wait for the appointment (that is if you don’t go in as a walk-in) a week will have gone by and by then it’s too late.  You can only take this within the first 72 hours for it to work.

Do you really want there to be more 17-year-old mothers in the world?  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  I mean, come on, Maury Povich has cornered the market on finding out who the baby daddy is when it comes to girls who are 12 years old all the way to adulthood.  If a 12-year-old is mature enough to get pregnant I think she should be allowed to buy this too so I think that 17 is way mature enough.

The debate shouldn’t be is a 17-year-old mature enough but instead it should be how can we make sure all teenagers who are old enough to have sex get this pill?

Pet Toxins

On By Michel McDonaldIn Health, PetsLeave a comment

I got an email about Pet Toxins.  You know already that you can’t give chocolate to your dog because they just cannot tolerate it and it will kill them.  This one time our dog Flower (toy chihuahua) ate half of a doughnut with chocolate frosting that Darrin left on the couch while he went to the kitchen.  We rushed her to the vet with the doughnut and showed them how much she ate.  They said that she might feel a little sick and maybe even vomit but she’ll be OK,  It wasn’t enough to hurt her.

But is there ever any amount that is OK?  No.  That’s why I’m listing foods that you absolutely cannot feed your dog or cat.

  • Grapes and Raisins – In dogs and cats, grapes can cause kidney failure.
  • Bread Dough – The dog’s body heat will cause the dough to expand quickly resulting in severe abdominal pain and bloating. In some cases, death can occur if enough dough is eaten.
  • Chewing Gum – A dog might be attracted to the sweet-smelling gum that your kids are chewing or that’s tucked away in your bag. But the artificial sweetener, xylitol, in many types of gum and breath mints, can be deadly to pets. The sweetener can cause a low-blood sugar crisis in your pet. In fact, just one pack of gum can kill a dog.
  • Macadamia Nuts – Ingesting these nuts can cause tremors, weakness, unsteadiness, depression, a rapid heart rate, and a dangerous rise in body temperature that can lead to other complications.
  • Nicotine – Nicotine is highly toxic so it doesn’t take much to cause a health crisis for your pet, including seizures, coma and death.
  • Chocolate – Caffeine-like stimulants in chocolate known as methylxanthines can produce vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.
  • Alcohol – Alcohol ingestion can lead to seizures, heart arrhythmia, vomiting, coma and death.
  • Pain Relievers – One tablet of acetaminophen can kill a cat.
  • Tea – Caffeine in your tea is toxic to both cats and dogs. Depending on how much is consumed and the size of your pet, ingesting it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, coma and even death.
  • Onions – Onions are toxic to dogs and cats whether they’re raw or cooked. When ingested, onions can cause hemolytic anemia, a condition that destroys the red blood cells in the bloodstream. A dog with onion poisoning may become lethargic and have difficulty breathing. Generally, a large amount of onions would need to be consumed to pose a serious threat to your dog, but cats are highly sensitive to onion toxicity.

Wow, I didn’t even know that about all these things.  I knew about chocolate but not the rest like the macadamia nuts.  Well, who can afford those anyway?

All I have to say is that the dog on Family Guy better stop smoking and drinking. (That was a joke hehe sorry Brian).

The source by the way is AOL Health.  The website address that this came from is Pet Toxins- AOL Health.  You gotta click the arrow on the picture for a pop up window that shows a top 11 list of what I listed.