
It’s been a few months since the last blog post. I am happy to report that 1. I am still alive and 2. I try to live my life the best as I possibly can within the tight confines of my situation. No I have not regressed on a downward spiral. Fact is at my last check-up on April 6, I did fairly good.
My vitals are ok.
- Weight 220 lbs. down from 231 in October.
- Blood Pressure 120/64 April 6
- Blood Pressure Today 114/70 (home test)
I am taking several regular medications but that has been reduced from the many I used to take shortly after I got out of surgery. It has been more than a year now since the heart surgery.
I am also eating healthier though I sometimes have to enjoy myself and indulge once in awhile. Mostly though it is fish or skinless boneless chicken, vegetables, lots of onions, no salt, drinking only water 99% of the time, eating some breads with spreads for breakfast. I also eat oatmeal fairly regularly with only water and cinnamon added in – no sugar. I should do a healthy food post.
Exercise – I try to walk 2 miles every day and for the most part I do. Best times for walking is early in the morning or early evening. Once in a while I walk right smack in the middle of the day. Been keeping track of most of my walk with pedometer software installed on 2 of the 3 smart-phones I own (only one of them is connected to an active service).
I’ll write more about walking, eating, health technology, and whatever else.
However I am writing to let you know that I am expanding the scope of the blog to include other stories in my life, such as job hunting, past accomplishments, photos essays and whatever. I do have separate blogs to cover many of those (look at the sidebar) but perhaps some of those types of topics may be cross-posted here.
Until the next post, aloha!

Photos appearing on this page and the rest of the blog were taken by me unless noted.
A Couple of Setbacks
Just a quick update to my health. I am good. Over the past 18 months or so I have lost more than 50 pounds as I adjusted my diet and did more to in terms of physical activity – like walking every day at least up to last month.
On May 16 I had some severe tummy cramping, so much that I had to make a run to the emergency room. After examination, it was found that I had gallstones. Ugh. Painful. They gave me some pain pills afterward and scheduled me for a follow-up visit.
The E-R’s doctor short answer is that I may need gallstone surgery.
I have to go and see the gallstone doctor this coming week. I was told the guy is so busy that his appointments are like stacked up for months ahead. In the meantime people who are afflicting with recurring gallstone pain have to suffer?
Fortunately since my “attack” on May 16, I have suffered no major pain in the area. One of my friends told me to drink apple cider and lemonade. I am not an apple cider kind of guy but I do love lemonade. I also just love eating lemons as is.
So shortly after that incident I started eating a half lemon every day. While scientific studies have shown that a lemon diet does not get rid of gallstones, I would have to disagree in the fact that since starting I have been good. No pain. I don’t know exactly what is going on, but the pure lemon seems to be working.
As a result I haven’t been walking as regularly as I should. Prior to the job I was walking at least 2 miles a day. Now I am lucky to get in a 1.5 mile walk every few days.
Something has to be done.
*Photo of lemons by Steve Maskell.
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Posted in Commentary, Food & Nutrition, Health
Tagged diet, feet, gallstones, lemons, Pain, setback, standing, walking, weight