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Showing posts with the label health

Radiation Therapy, and a Household's Weekly Schedule

Our number-two daughter starts radiation therapy this week.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Cancer treatment for one of our daughters starts today. Besides health concerns, I realize that this will take a great deal of time out of each week.)

Family Health Issues: Cancer, a Smile, Tubes, and Waiting

Good news from number-two daughter's operation last week. As she put it, 'I've still got my smile'. Medicos had gone back into her neck last Wednesday. One of the possible outcomes was disruption of nerves that control the lower-right side of her face.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Still dealing with cancer in the family: second operation, and no news from the man in the extended family who couldn't walk.)

Cancer in the Family, Update: Operation This Week

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Recapping what I said week before last: our number-two daughter has cancer, but our granddaughter's left arm has healed nicely. I'm still feeling blank, emotionally. As I said then.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (How my family is handing cancer: a second planned operation tomorrow, no new diagnosis.)

Cancer in the Family

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First, the good news. Our number-two daughter's cancer is slow-growing. The not-so-good news is that it's aggressive. And, of course, that she's got cancer. I learned about the cancer in early January. 1 The family knows a little more now, and I've gotten the okay to talk about it. Which isn't easy. I've been — distracted — and that'll very likely continue. Putting Feelings in Perspective Previous Experience "...Feelings, Woah, Woah, Woah, Feelings...." Diagnoses, Definitions, Surgery, and (Probably) Good News Another Operation, Radiation, and Prayer More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (I learned that one of our grown children has cancer a few weeks ago. I know a little more now. This week I talk about feelings, health, and what comes next.)

Prescription Quest: Another Month's Epic Saga

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First, the good news. Two days of this month's quest for a prescribed medication have passed without incident.... ...Sometimes the authorization gets processed in a timely fashion: and includes a 'do not provide before' date which matches the day on which my current supply runs out. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Last month was one of those times. What follows is my account of last month's epic prescription quest; a saga fraught with suspense, drama, defeat, and ultimate triumph — — Along with what I see as at least a partial explanation for why a seemingly-straightforward process is anything but. Controlled Substances Act: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time "Reefer Madness", "Captain Planet", and Perceptions Scheduling Scary Substances August, 2023: Another Chapter in Brian's Saga Red Tape and Me A Glitchy AI and the Value of Typing Exercises Living in a Less-Than-Ideal World A Frustratingly Inappropriate "25&quo

A Prescription, Disorders, Conformity and Culture

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First, the good news. I am not experiencing withdrawal (or, more politely, "discontinuation syndrome"). The not-so-good news is that I'm putting off what I was getting ready for today until next week. This 'journal' post is in part an explanation: Decisions — or — Ducks in a Row and Other Alternatives Smoke in the Air, Health Issues and a Needed Prescription Responsibility and Requirements, Reasonable or Otherwise Benefit/Risk and Labels Learning Experiences Diagnosis An Informed Decision, Unforeseen Results "Reefer Madness", "Frankenfish" and Me "...Odd or Eccentric"?.... I Can See That Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Two Lists Navel-Gazing — or — The Paranoids are After Me! 😉 Disorders, Cultural Expectations and Making Sense Living Up, or Down, to Expectations Being Out of Step A Few Good Ideas More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Disorders, controlled substances and me. I need a prescription which requires monthly aut

May 13, 2023: It’s Been an Interesting Week

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I'd been planning on having something else ready for posting. By Friday afternoon, that obviously wasn't going to happen. So I'll talk about what has been happening. I should have my ducks in a row by the end of next week. This week's highlight was an unexpected visit from number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. They'd been vacationing in Kentucky, and had planned on driving straight through to their home in North Dakota. Then our granddaughter had a learning experience involving a swing and gravity. She'll be okay, but right now she's dealing with a broken arm. And that's why they stopped off in Sauk Centre. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A visit this week, a broken arm and illness in the house have distracted me. So I this week I talked life, health, faith and making sense.)

Edited Twins, Genetic Engineering and Bioethics

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Gene-editing rules showed up in my news feed last Monday. So, indirectly, did genetically-edited twins who, as far as I know, are still alive. If I'd known how little I'd be able to verify about Dr. He Jiankui's famous (or infamous) twins, maybe I'd have picked another topic. But I did find a fair amount of information about genetic editing technology, and a hint at why Dr. He's science project produced twins: Gene-Edited Twins At Least Two "World's First" Defining "First" Not-So-Good News CRISPR Technology and Surprisingly Long-Tongued Rabbits Procedures, Perspectives and People CCR5Δ32, Recent History and Speculation Chromosomes, Science and Twins TALEN and CRISPR: Repurposing Prokaryotic Molecules A Genomic Revolution: New(ish) Territory Louise Joy Brown, HEK 293 and Me Making Sense: It's an Option Bioethics, From a Former Lab Rat's Perspective More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Genetically edite

Euthanasia for the Mentally Ill: Not a Good Idea?

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Suicide was in the news, briefly, this weekend. Euthanasia, actually. Or assisted death. Whatever folks call the process, it's arranging for someone to die. Or, being impolite in my choice of words, killing someone. For thoroughly nice motives. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Canada has helped the terminally ill die since 2016. Euthanasia services are now offered to more sick and mentally ill citizens. Some doctors wonder if it is a good idea.)

This Week: Sunshine, Blue Skies and an Echocardiogram

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It hasn't been quite four years since a small patch on my tongue's underside went numb. My wife said I should call our town's emergency room, so I did. I'd long since learned that she's got common sense.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . A checkup and changing plans: atrial septal aneurysm and other medical terms, mostly good news from the scan. And a happy musical memory from 1963.

I'm Not as Crazy as You Think I Moose!

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(From Gustave Doré, via Library of Congress, used w/o permission.) I'll be talking about ADHD, PDD, PTSD, ASD and me; and what that alphabet-soup assortment of acronyms means. But first, a spot of poetry. "...Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had tried to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—...." (" The Raven ," Edgar Allen Poe (1884) via Wikipedia) Fast-forward 35 years — More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Comments, Technical Difficulties and Other Frustrations

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(Norbert Nerdly — my frustrations, personified.) If you have tried writing a comment on one of these posts, thank you! And if you have been unable to do so, sorry about that. You're not alone.... ...That process hasn't been made any easier by "difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as 'brain fog')" that I've been experiencing.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Faustus, Valdes and Cornelius: With Friends Like These...

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(From Jürgen Ludwig, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) I talked about angels, real and imagined, last month; mentioned Doctor Faustus' big plans, including putting a brass wall around Germany, and said that I'd talk about Valdes and Cornelius next month. Then I got sick. I'm still running a fever; but considering that this is COVID-19, it could be worse. "Next month" is now this month, so I'd better introduce Valdes and Cornelius: "friends to Faustus," Marlowe calls them in the dramatis personae.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Experiencing COVID-19: It Could Have Been Worse

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Another week has passed, and I still haven't written about fusion power experiments on both sides of the Atlantic. It's on my to-do list, but I'm putting it off until I'm less distracted and more clear-headed. Besides, this has been an distracting week. Or I've been distracted. Which isn't quite the same thing. So - Tuesday I saw a doctor, who told me that I've caught COVID-19: along with about 80% of all Minnesotans. I decided to skip getting a blood test to verify my COVID-19 status: partly because it wouldn't make a difference on how I deal with the situation. And partly because I didn't see a point in expending resources just to satisfy my curiosity.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Appearance, Ancestry, and Me at the Grand Canyon

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(From Erin Whittaker, U.S. National Park Service; via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) I stopped for several hours at the Grand Canyon on my way back from San Francisco. This was about five decades back. The massive gulch wasn't on the the most direct route, but I'd decided that seeing the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater on the way was a good idea. I haven't been back since then, which suggests that I was right. I'd bought a big topographic map of the Grand Canyon while living in San Francisco, and had it with me when I was there. At the Grand Canyon, that is. Near where the South Rim Visitor Center is now, probably.... ...I was flattered, and surprised, when two tourists from Thailand asked me if I was Jewish. I explained that I'm a gentile — although I don't remember my exact words.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Feverish, Weak; But Other Than That, a Pretty Good Week

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I spent part of Monday morning making notes for a talk with our parish priest. Then I called the Parishes on the Prairie office — P. on the P. are six parishes and a school in central Minnesota. I left a message, asking our priest to call me back. So far, he hasn't. Which is probably just as well. A bit after noon Monday, I ran an errand: picked up meds. After that, I — actually, I don't remember just what I did. But I do remember feeling cold. Unaccountably cold. Good news, the furnace was working fine, and inside temperatures were normal. A little below normal in some spots, since my wife was baking. But well within the normal range. Decades of experience told me that checking my temperature was prudent. So I did.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Light Show in Washington; Law and Life; Masks Back On

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I'd expected to hear about charisms during Mass this morning. I did, in the Bible readings. But the homily was about why killing innocent people isn't a good idea, even if it's legal. And why we should see killing innocent people as a bad idea. And help folks who maybe felt pressured into ordering a hit because it's 'for their own good.' At any rate, The last-minute topic change was due to Saturday's light show outside the National Basilica in Washington, DC., which wasn't part of the prayer vigil happening inside. So far, Saturday's light show doesn't seem to be a hot news item. Not for national-level traditional news media, anyway. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

My Week that Was, and Wonderfully Weird Worlds

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Monday afternoon was sunny and warm. For central Minnesota in January. The high was around 32° Fahrenheit, 0° Celsius. Our sidewalk and driveway were free(ish) of snow, with a bit over a half-foot covering the yard. The weather station at Sauk Centre Municipal Airport was back online Thursday afternoon, and then the National Weather Service posted a Winter Weather Advisory for this area. Sauk Centre Municipal Airport isn't in the Chicago O'Hare class. But with two runways, hangar space for 11 private aircraft, a fuel pump and a private airplane maintenance facility, it meets our needs. Granted, one of the runways is a grass surface marked with yellow cones. I don't know if it's usable in winter. And that's another topic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Science, Religion, COVID-19 and an Unexpected Opinion

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If you haven't already, you'll soon read about a new development in the war between science and religion. " How Covid Raised the Stakes of the War Between Faith and Science " Tish Harrison Warren, The New York Times (November 7, 2021) " Reviews | How Covid raised the stakes in the war between faith and science " newsnetdaily.com (November 7, 2021) Alleged war, at any rate. I can't read the original piece in The New York Times, since it's behind a paywall.... ...I did, however, find this snippet in an online blurb.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

COVID-19: Attitudes, Frustrations, and Perspective

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Since I'll be talking about COVID-19, variants, and the pandemic, clarifications may be in order. I had COVID-19 vaccinations in May and June, because I thought it was a good idea. Politicos, partisans and crackpots have been throwing accusations and assertions about the pandemic at each other. I'll be talking about that, but I'm not 'political.' I've neither been proclaiming that one political party is in league with the Antichrist, nor denouncing another as a tool of fascists and racists. And, although I think the COVID-19 pandemic is real, I haven't been dreading America's impending doom and destruction. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .