So Far . . . So Good !

It's been about a year since my last post.

Thus far, all is going OK with regards to Prostate Cancer and DVT past-history events.

My PSA after over 3 years is still 0.2 - I measure my calves to watch for swelling in the event of recurring blood clots - no change is good.

My back is another story. Numerous compressed and bulging disks cause a lot of discomfort most of the time. Nothing can be done and too much medicine triggers vertigo. I'm happy I can take my beach hillside walks, though. And watching crime show DVD and TV shows... well, who could ask for more?

Now, the chronic fatigue associated with post-cancer treatments... that's another story... and another post for later.

Off I goo... until next post!

Oh, today, 6 May 2016, is baseball legend Willie Mays' 85th birthday.
And the photo is from the Tower of London. I snapped it on a trip there a couple of years ago.

Deep Vein Thrombosis – The Battle Rages On

 So many weights...

Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Junior heavyweight, Light heavyweight,  Super middleweight, Middleweight, Junior middleweight, Light middleweight, Super welterweight, Welterweight, Junior welterweight, Light welterweight, Super lightweight, Lightweight, Junior lightweight, Super featherweight, Featherweight, Super bantamweight, Junior featherweight, Super bantamweight, Bantamweight, Super flyweight , Junior bantamweight, Flyweight, Light flyweight, Junior flyweight, Minimumweight, Mini flyweight, Strawweight, Light Minimumweight, Atomweight.

        Anyway...

So far I have dropped 20 kilo (44 lbs.) in bodyweight during my DVT life period.

Having increased circulation is a major factor of assistance with 'feeling normal' again.

Walking for approximately 1 hour per day and eating very little assures maintenance and helps with monitoring things - how you feel, what food items are on the 'mo fly list', etc.

Having compressed disks, shoulder, foot and knee injuries from the past, and age, are all mitigating factors in how a journey like this goes.

Celery with 1 can of tuna, a slice of bell pepper, 7 black olives, 1 small dill pickle (the size of a small sweet pickle) 2 tablespoon of Crème fraîche, 2 slices of Jalapeño - all mixed is the best meal of the day for me with maintaining and/or dropping in body weight. I can also splurge and have a dinner of ONLY salmon slices (2-3 1.5" wide x 5" long).

High fiber/low carb nuts can be snacked upon 3 times per day - a good breakfast - ONLY 1 tablespoon each of the 3 times... NO MORE.

I stay away from historical poverty foods: Rice, Grains & potatoes. Also... No soup, fruit, and vegetables, except those listed above (i.e. celery, bell pepper, etc.).

Vitamin D, multi-vit, aspirin 250 mg - 500 per day, & Nutrilenk (Chondroitin sulfate, C-vitamin, D-vitamin, etc.) I take in the morning with water and 1 tablespoon of nuts - pistachio & pine.

And... I still measure my calves once per month to check for potential problems brewing.

So far so good, as they say.

Until next time.

Thin Skinned or Thin Blooded?

Well, now it is February and my blood thinner pills have ceased, verified with my doctor.

 

I measure my leg calves now periodically to insure a quick response in the event of swelling, since they were enlarged prior to treatment. Not easy to know if you were once a weight lifter and haven’t kept track of size in years. I still wear the compression socks.

Down in weight 10+ kilo (22 lbs.) or so, but that comes with not eating much ever and walking until my back starts feeling tight.

Feeling ok otherwise… until next time!

The pic is of my little dog and I today at one of our local beaches. We walk there most every day and the forest is there also.

 

DVT Update

Well, thought it was high time for an update...

My DVT treatment is well underway and an amazing experience thus far.

Timeline:

7-10 days the pain in my right leg subsided and my leg shrunk back to a more normal size.

2nd week: back pain much less.

3rd week: to the day, sleep was amazing better with 2.5 hour lengths between get-up-and-pee times instead of 1 to 1.25 hours each time. So far, this has continued!

AND... back pain subsided enough to be able to turn on my sides without the usual horrible pain afterward - and no leg cramps either.

ALSO... energy levels seem up a bit.

Let's hope this continues. Oh, my back MRI showed just regular deterioration and no need for surgery.

Earlier I had 2 compressed disks, 1 herniated, calcium deposits up the spine and arthritis developing in the lower portion of my back.

Back to writing I go... until next time!



#DVT

#DeepVeinThrombosis

#deepveinthrombosis

#bloodthinner

#compressionsock

 

Another Fantastic Voyage

Now I have embarked on another 'Fantastic Voyage' upon the waves of the deep ocean of life.

Beating Prostate Cancer and completing treatments over 20 months ago was great, and having a current PSA reading of 0.13 is fantastic.

But now it is at least a year of blood thinners and a special sock to combat DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis. Blood clots in my right leg will dissolve away - but I must watch for breathing problem in case a clot or two is too large for my lungs to handle.

This situation makes every day special for me, garnished gracefully with a gentle sense of peace at being solely in the hands of Almighty God - a breath away from eternity. Though complications are supposedly rare, one never knows. Someone is always that 1 in a 1000 or 1 in a 100.

First: I experienced shortness of breath during a trip to Amsterdam October 1, 2014 and climbing 56+ steep stars to my hotel room. It felt like running 4 miles but unable to recover quickly. It was strange because I felt nothing at the end of August climbing almost twice as many of the same type of steep stairs at the Blarney Castle outside of Cork, Ireland to kiss the famous stone - I was concerned.

Upon return home I experienced breath shortness in the middle of the night and even when walking 1/2 block. I thought/hoped this was related to a minor lung infection or a minor bronchitis attack. It was not until a few weeks later that, all of a sudden, I had horrible pain in my right leg. After three more days I went to my NEW doctor and was sent straight to emergency. I had a similar swelling problem in my left leg almost a year prior and my former doctor only gave me water pills, even though a simple search at the Mayo Clinic website will reveal the dangers of a one-leg-affected occurrence like that one was.

I gained about 20 kilo during my prostate treatment (a 10-15 kilo gain is normal for average frame folk) and already have a back with at least two compressed disks, a herniated one, calcium deposits up the spine, and arthritis, so it had been difficult to lose weight.

Now I am doing my own combo-variation of the Gérard Depardieu/Supermodel/Doctor's diet variation - 4 kilos down in the 4 days since I began. So far so good.

Well, I'll continue on a write a post to see how all this goes and turns out and work on my newest book for release next year’s end… I hope.

Until next time . . .

 

 

#DVT

#DeepVeinThrombosis

#deepveinthrombosis

#bloodthinner
#GérardDepardieu