Amazing Information

This past week friends have sent me links to some pretty amazing information. The most awesome one is a link to a Youtube video concerning Cell Regenration. Here is the highly recommended link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxhi4Q8EDTU. You should be able to copy and paste it into a new window for viewing. This is our future! We may eventually live forever!

The other email I received that deserves mention is one of an 87 year old lady doing the Salsa! She looks old enough, but she moves like a young girl. 87!!
bailedeabuelade87anos.wmv. I can't figure out how to transfer the link to this page, so maybe with this information, you can check it out yourself, or you can email me and I will send you the link via email.

ok...it is Saturday...gotta go to work.

Knee prognosis?

Ok...I went to the doc, the doc sent me to radiology for an XRAY(insurance requirement), now I have to go AGAIN to radiology for an MRI, which will most likely let the original doc know what is going on with my knee, AND which hopefully he knew all along. Does it take all of this to get a decent diagnosis? This measly little exercise has taken a week...some of it is my fault, some of it NOT. When I say, "taken this long" I am wondering by the time all is said and done, what the MRI will show, who will get the results, how long it will take to get in to see my doc, and then how long for the specialist, then for CHRIST SAKES, how many $15 co pays will it take to get some relief?? My insurance is already $200 per month with the school paying another $600 to BCBSTX. I wonder...If I didn't have insurance, what kind of treatment would have come my way. I will tell you, because I have been in pain and without insurance. I would go to the emergency room at the county hospital and wait for hours for a doctor to see me. I would not get a doctor, I would more than likely get an NP (Nurse Practioner) who would treat me like a destitute(because I didn't have an insurance card) old lady with arthritic old legs. They would give me a prescription for an NSAD that would rip my stomach to shreds, then tell me to lose weight and "good luck, you are 30 years too late to fix this problem!" I have been there and do not want to return. I have to wonder what happens to others who do not have the resources that have, by the grace of God, come my way.

At any rate, tomorrow, the MRI. The future? Who knows at this point. As I sit here, a cold front approaching, I remain optimistic until I try to walk! and I am only going to bed.

Yearly Physical

When it comes to going to the doctor for anything, I am very lazy. I accept the fact that my body is a wonderful machine and for the most part it heals itself or at least that is where I am putting my bets and my hopes. I am healthy, so why bother the doctor?

Last week we, the school bus drivers, had our annual TXDOT physicals. Most of us are in the over 40 group, with some of us pushing 70. We even have one incredible guy, Bob, who just celebrated his 80th birthday! Everyone passed the physical with good results. We can still hear and see reasonably well, or at least well enough to drive a bus full of noisy excited children to and from school. None of us are on drugs and as far as I know, no one drinks on the job even though I sometimes think that a couple of margaritas would make it a lot more fun! Kidding there, not happening!! They tell me that is still against the law!

Even though I passed the physical, the examining doctor told me that my knees are in bad shape and that I could possibly be looking at a knee transplant in the very near future. A knee transplant. Me??? You gotta be kidding! Of course, I can barely walk across the parking lot to get into my school bus, and I do spend my spare time in excruiating pain delivering pizzas up hills and down hills out here in Lakeway. But a knee transplant? How am I going to do that? When I drift off to sleep at night, I dream of running the 10ks that I used to love so much...and I dream of playing tennis again, but most of all, I dream of the freedom of movement without the pain.
So, tomorrow with visions of dancing the night away again, I am going to my PCP to see what options are available.

It is a New Year! How's your energy level?

It's amazing! We have survived the last two weeks of school. Coming back after the holidays has been a real trial. I am not sure if it is post holiday blues or if it is mid-term dread or if it is something having to do with getting up too early and being able to think on your feet! It is something that needs a name. Everyone, students, school personnel and parents have been draggin around, complaining of being tired and sleepy. There has to be a name for this syndrome and I am sure that some bright psychologist will name it and we will have yet another new page in the Journal of Medicine or where ever it is that one would post such information.

When I look back over the past few months, I think of how exhausting it was to prepare for the Christmas holidays, not only gearing up mentally, but also dealing with the gift exchange...which I hate. IT is not that I have giving, it is something about the hype of spending money you do not have to give a ridiculous something to someone who couldn't care less about what you put all of your effort into buying for them. Whoa! People feel like they have to give something, so I guess any ole thing will do?
Before the Christmas zap, we were preparing for Thanksgiving and dealing with time off from work. What does one do if not working or going to work?? How do you handle your time off? In my house, we also have a couple of birthdays during Thanksgiving week and that takes another toll on the pocketbook and energy. Plus we always cook too much and eat way too much. If we are not partying, we are watching football. There are always high school championships and college football rivalries that keep us sitting on the edge of out seats.
I suppose the biggest zap on my energy was the election of our 44th president. The whole process was interesting, informative, entertaining and exhilarating, not to mention historical! However, I was never so glad to see anything come to an end as I was to see the election come to an end. Towards the end of the campaiging, I didn't care who won, I just wanted for "it" to quit zapping our energy. Now we are on to a new year with new hopes and promises and unprecedented challenges. I am trying to muster up the energy to be excited.

Simplicity of Burning calories

Simple activities that burn calories. This is based per hour on a 150 lb person.

Walking Briskly 297
Gardening 324
Golf 240
Biking 441
Tennis 549
Swimming 603
Jogging 675
Racquetball 740

This information was borrowed from my Health 2 You bulletin.