Treadmill 1, Rose 0

Now the problems I've been having are minor when you consider what's going on in the rest of the world but they are annoying...to me anyway. I've been talking about the cedar problem plaguing central Texas that forced me to do my walks indoor where you think it would be safe. Alas this was not the case for me. It's no secret that I abhor using the treadmill because it is boring. The machine must have heard me and decided to extract some vengeance because I fell on the darn thing and got spun off. I was attempting to adjust the elevation of the platform and my feet drifted off to the side putting my right foot half on the sidebar and half on the moving track and this is not a good thing. The little plastic 'key' that's supposed to stop the movement of the track just slipped off the bottom of my t-shirt and didn't work this time. The upshot is that I now have a pair of lightly bruised knees,arm, and a darker bruised ego. Of course I'm blaming the treadmill because this couldn't have happened due to my own clumsiness. ;-) Anyhow that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Walking stats January 26 to January 30, 2009. All but one day was on the evil treadmill. 50 minutes, 53 minutes, 4 rounds around a large store-did about 1 mile and a half, 52 minutes, treadmill, 49 minutes treadmill.

Getting better

Wow it seems like ages since I've blogged. The cedar got the better of me and it surely messed with my walking schedule. Some days I just pushed through it but with my eyes watering and so swollen it made it difficult to see clearly and then it got to where I had no energy and finally had to go to the doctor. He gave a cortical (s) steroid shot and some Zyrtec and did my usual lipid blood work since which I was overdue for. Good news is that my cholesterol is 180 and my triglycerides are 107, LDL 92. Didn't get the rest of it but the upshot is that I'm stable and doing okay. The bad news is that I'm kind of housebound with my air filter going until the cedar eases up. Seems I can combat the low to medium readings which are like 50 to 600 grains per cubic meter but when it hits over 4 thousand per cubic meter it's an unfair battle. So here are my stats: Jan. 13-Jan 25. none, 3.155, 3.135, 2.897, none, 3.018, none, none, none, none, first day I felt strong enough to exercise and did 55 minutes on treadmill, 58 minutes on treadmill. I found that if I put a movie in my little DVD player and put on headphones to hear it I didn't get as bored. I was happy that I stayed strong and found that it wasn't hard to walk that long.
Have some photos to post but I may do that tomorrow.
Oh I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about the Israel/Palestinian situation and it doesn't look good. So much horror and trouble on both sides.

Special Day Indeed

I was moved by President Obama's speech which is not unusual for he has always been a great orator and well able to move people with the power of his words.America the Beautiful has always moved me and sung by Aretha it was really memorable. I confess here that Rev. Lowry's speech made me smile and I heard myself giving him a hearty Amen for which I hope my brother will forgive me. ;-) For a moment during the singing reality reared its head when the camera panned to the men dressed in black stationed on the top tiers of the capitol building...not all of them were holding cameras. But it's a joyous time for us and I did truly feel a dark cloud lift from my heart when I saw former President Bush and his wife Laura leave. I wish them both peace. It's comforting to know too that President Obama's staff is already hard a work and that really difficult task of getting our nation now starts in earnest. I know things won't change overnight but at least now we have people who no strangers to long hours and hard work and if only two or three promises are fulfilled in the coming year that we will all be the better for it.
A non-inauguration topic here. The dreaded Cedar pollen is over 4 thousand grams per unit which means it's very high. My eyes are swollen to mere slits and doctors are warning people who are affected by this scourge to stay inside for now. I'm following their advice. The photo above shows the pollen coming off the trees be they shaken by hand or wind. I'm sure the woman doing the shaking of the tree branches is not affected by the pollen because if she was she would never, ever do such a foolish thing.

Results Day

Frank had his follow up visit today and that pesky patch of irritation was indeed a superficial, non-invasive bit of trouble. He's going to have another 6 weeks of BCG treatments starting in February. It is not unusual for these things to be stubborn and hard to eradicate or to reoccur. The doctor is being super-duper cautious and this is a good thing. So things could be much, much worse and we're very positive that things are proceeding well. I know you'll keep him in your good thoughts and or prayers.U
Walking Stats January 4 through January 12, 2009: CEDAR HIGH-NONE, 3.057, 3.106, 3.023, park walk with Krystal 2 miles, Frank's biopsy-no walk but did ride stationary bike for 15 minutes, 2.501 cut walk short because cedar made my eyes water so bad that it affect my vision, none, 3.107 windy but cold and thankfully cedar on the low side.
For those of you not familiar with 'cedar fever' it is an allergy to mountain juniper that affects central Texans. From late December through late February and sometimes early March, many people experience an itchy, runny nose, sneezing, nasal blockage, excess tearing and itchy eyes. Others complain of itching of the palate, throat, or ears, and postnasal drainage. Some have fatigue, mild headache, facial discomfort, sore throat, partial loss of sense of smell, and sensation of ear plugging. My allergy meds keep the post nasal drip and sneezing under control and it's the itching of my eyes and in my ears and sometimes elsewhere that makes me crazy. Short of living in a bubble with a really good air filtration system you can't escape the effects of this potent and prolific pollen. Alas conventional therapy with antihistamines is not for me because they make my legs hurt really bad. The good thing is that it is seasonal.
Was a pleasure to see Hillary Clinton at her hearing today making her case wit nary a wink, a 'you betcha', or "I'll get back to you with some" quip. I wonder that anyone could watch her and marvel at the breadth and depth of her knowledge and then somehow throw their support to the governor from Alaska. To say that they are as different as night and day is putting it mildly.

Biopsy day

Frank got through his biopsy A okay. No results until mid-week but the doc says he thinks things look fine and that he's just being cautious which is a good thing when it concerns a persons life, don't you think?
No walk yet today but I'll get something in.

Back to serious business

Please think about Frank tomorrow. He's having another biopsy done on his bladder. The doc say a spot of inflammation during his checkup on Dec. 29 that he thought needed to be checked out. We'll keep you posted.
Walking stats later but I did have a nice walk this afternoon with Krystal. We went to the park that is close to us. It was hot for this time of year.
Found the article below and thought it was something that should be shared.

Teen Obesity Can Cause Liver Disease, Cancer
Posted Sep 8, 08 4:16 PM CDT in Science & Health
(AP) – In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teens have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants, the AP reports. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the US, Europe, Australia and some developing countries. Experts warn that pediatricians to be more vigilant.

An estimated 2% to 5% of American children over age 5, nearly all of them obese or overweight, have a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As fat builds, the liver can become inflamed and scarred, leading to cirrhosis, a condition mostly caused by hepatitis or alcohol. Liver failure or liver cancer can follow, but fatty liver disease can be reversed through weight loss

Confusion reigns

Needless to say the holidays and having family visitors have wreaked havoc on my walking schedule. Between December 19, 2008 and January 3, 2009 I walked sporadically 2.00 miles to 3.500 miles. I didn't get the 5 days in a row but I did get in enough time not to sabotage my walking program...I don't think. ;-) Our kiddos have come and gone and now all our little chicks are back in their own nests. It was fun when we had them all around us.
Frank has been enjoying the many, many, football games going on but is bummed that his beloved Bama didn't win their bowl game. Still, he's happy they made it there. I think there have been surprises in the winners and losers of these games but that's the way things go. I hope the Longhorns don't blow it.
More photos. 1. Fanita getting sleepy 2. Evie teaching Derick to make egg-rolls 3. Evie and Lauren locked in a wrestling hold 4. Quieter coffee time for Evie and me