"Spring Gardening and Pruning" written by Paul on estrip.org

05/07/11 09:58 - ID#54238

Spring Gardening and Pruning

Its amazing how much work it takes to keep the garden in order. Our property is big but its not huge. I can't imagine having any more gardens without having to hire a gardener or being retired.

(E:terry) hacked out the pussy willow tree to make way for vegetables gardens. Everything is so late this year because of the cold. I left Basra our last night and he was so sluggish today.

We really trimmed back a lot of the pear tree. I think I want to. teeing it even more. The idea was to get it as far away from the ground as possible as it got that horrible fungal infection from leaves to near the ground last year.

Permalink: Spring_Gardening_and_Pruning.html
Words: 137
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/07/11 09:58

Category: haircuts

05/07/11 09:32 - ID#54237

The haircut I ended up with

There was no hope for the hair disaster the other day. I ended up having to buzz it on the lowest setting.

Permalink: The_haircut_I_ended_up_with.html
Words: 24
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/07/11 09:32

Category: mobile

05/06/11 09:58 - ID#54232

A new awesome phone I don't have.

Just when I thought my current phone was still good enough I saw the infuse 4G coming out on AT&T

and

. It is super thin and has nice front and back cameras. The network speeds sound crazy. They are saying it will go up to 21mbps down and 5up. Thats about the same as my super fast wired connection.

The only downside is the lack of 3D and dual core. A lot of the new phones have 3d cameras and 3D displays. I just have this awful feeling I will regret not going with 3D when everyone else starts to have 3D pictures. Maybe the lack of dual core is a good thing for battery life.

Permalink: A_new_awesome_phone_I_don_t_have_.html
Words: 133
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/06/11 09:58

Category: haircut

05/06/11 08:12 - ID#54230

Hair crisis

omfg. I decided to trim my hair because I have an important meeting on Monday. I thought for once I would use the "right ear" and "left ear" attachment.

The thing shaved racing stripes in my hair, argh.

Can I pull this off or do I need to shave my head now?

Permalink: Hair_crisis.html
Words: 58
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/06/11 08:12

05/06/11 01:08 - ID#54227

fun with tetnus

Oops I must have left these on the porch over the winter. Luckily no one got stabbed.

Permalink: fun_with_tetnus.html
Words: 19
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/06/11 01:08

Category: orange tongue

05/05/11 09:50 - ID#54219

Orange Tongue at The Gastroenterologist

Also has no idea about the orange tongue. He seemed totally surprised by it. Thinks maybe acid reflux, maybe the tooth, maybe something else but not related to Crohns. The fact that terry also has an orange tongue was the real strange part. He kept referring to my UC, and I was like, "I thought I had crohns?" He now seems to think it is UC instead which I guess is better and I can cut the meds from 3 to 2 pills a day.

The doc gave me a script for a test called prometheus IBD Serology 7. "Helps identify IDB and differentiate between UC and CD. Includes 7 tests: ASCA IgA, ASCA IgG, Anti-OmpC IgA, Anti-CBir1, NSNA ELISA, IFA perinuclear pattern, IFA DNase sensitivity."

He also told me to try prilosec for a short two week stint to see if it helps with orange tongue and to rule out GERD.

I think I am finally at the point where I am just going to try acupuncture. I mean I have spent probably $200 in copays at this point and gotten nothing from western medicine. Maybe its time to try something else.

paul writes at 10:54:37 05/07/11 - Comment #62226: I don't take any vitamins.

tinypliny writes at 11:30:31 05/07/11 - Comment #62218: I can't believe I didn't ask this before but do you eat Vit B complex or any Vit B everyday?

tinypliny writes at 03:55:34 05/06/11 - Comment #62201: Too bad. I picked him because he is in infectious diseases and he has co-authored this paper: :::link:::

paul writes at 03:21:04 05/06/11 - Comment #62200: I called him an explained the situation to his appointment line. They said that he doesn't deal with that kind of thing. Its mostly diabetes based wound care and infections.

tinypliny writes at 02:00:33 05/06/11 - Comment #62199: His specialty is infectious disease... Also, not sure he has an active microbiology lab, but he might have research going on. :::link:::

I am not sure how primary practice works here though. Can you ask for a consultation with anyone?

tinypliny writes at 01:54:25 05/06/11 - Comment #62198: Do you tell them how horribly your life has been affected because of this? If not, you should. You see, you seem motivated to find out what is the orange thing here on your blog. But they have no idea about how it is consuming your life. They should. It automatically then places it in the category of a primary symptom.

paul writes at 01:50:20 05/06/11 - Comment #62197: I don't know really. I guess the fact that it doesn't cause pain makes them not care. I mean besides being unsightly I am not sure what its doing.

Everytime I went to the otolaryngoloist I got a different student doctor who never has any idea and is always gone the next time I visit. They always suggest more magic mouthwash or "some people's tongues are all different colors", or "maybe it autoimmune." , "lets just monitor it some more and see, make an appointment for 2 months from now" or my very favorite: "are you sure you haven't eaten anything orange?"

I think I have been there 5 times. Do you know a better doctor who would do a culture? I would gladly go to anyone who is interested in figuring it out.

tinypliny writes at 01:50:17 05/06/11 - Comment #62196: Last few months.. of which you have a distinct timeline. Would you mind if I posted your reconstructed timeline from your emails to me on my blog?

tinypliny writes at 01:48:37 05/06/11 - Comment #62195: BTW, I knew what you meant. I was just feeling annoyed about a completely different run in with "western medicine" (my parents back home have a similar war with diagnosis going on). Things like this make me want to return to primary care practice.

tinypliny writes at 01:43:43 05/06/11 - Comment #62194: So why aren't they doing a culture??

paul writes at 12:44:18 05/06/11 - Comment #62193: Thats not true. I don't mean relief from western medicine. I mean't identification of the problem. To me it seems if (e:terry)'s tongue is also orange it is something we have or something in our environment. It seems like tests could devised to determine the nature. That what I expected. Not a cure but rather an identification of the problem. I don't believe this was years in the making as it distinctly started this within the last few months and (e:terry) has no history of any digestive issues like I did.

Strangely, since the orange tongue I have eaten so much less protein. To rule that out. My urine and salva PH are pretty normal. My diet is mostly vegetables, brown rice, white rice and some fruit. I gave up protein shakes. I have had one this month. None of those things changed anything. My tongue is still freaking orange.

Lets say (e:terry) didn't exist. In that case, I guess with the prolosec I thought of it as more of an identification method. If taking the prilosec makes the orange tongue stop it would seem like I then could stop it and try and modify my diet further. However, if the prilosec did nothing then we could just lee out GERD. Part of me is slightly terrified of trying it because if it reduces your stomach acid, is it just going to make me more susceptible to orange tongue pathogen?

The gastro and dentist said I could try removing the metal tooth as some people have reaction to metal that change the color of their skin.

I mean they are doing this surely expensive genetic test for for Crohns/UC differentiation/identification you think they could try a simple culture of the orange tongue to try and identify a pathogen, so that at least that could be ruled out.

tinypliny writes at 07:32:49 05/06/11 - Comment #62191: I still want to try the controlled diet experiment - this time controlling EVERYTHING, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, everything. But I honestly have no time even to eat properly these days. :/

When you say you have received nothing from western medicine and are ready to try anything, what you are saying is that you get no *instant relief* from anything. That, in a nutshell, is what western medicine is ALL about. Instant pill. Instant relief. The concept of prevention is brought out as a facade whenever it is convenient - sometimes never.

The "something else" is non-evidence based kooky and often exotic stuff which may or may not work but it ALSO atrociously expensive. Again, prevention is a concept that is never explicitly stated in alternative medicine. Prevention takes a LONG time, a lot of patience and there is no instant anything. By LONG, I mean YEARS, DECADES. And why should it be any different than that? How can you expect to fix anything that has broken over years and decades in a month or less? It is llogical.

/Friday morning crazy rant over.

tinypliny writes at 07:22:47 05/06/11 - Comment #62190: Short two week = Long one month = Year-long trial = Lifelong dependency.

Who brought up the GERD btw?

tinypliny writes at 07:21:29 05/06/11 - Comment #62189: And there it is. Prilosec.

:/

tinypliny writes at 10:58:00 05/05/11 - Comment #62170: If you are 100% Terry has it...that means
a) its from a common shared environment - including food, microbes.
b) OR its contagious... does Matthew have it? Have you checked?

tinypliny writes at 10:56:47 05/05/11 - Comment #62169: Terry definitely has the orange tongue? Are you sure?

tinypliny writes at 10:56:07 05/05/11 - Comment #62168: UC -> Ulcerative Colitis.

libertad writes at 10:44:59 05/05/11 - Comment #62167: What is UC? I tried acupuncture for quitting smoking and it didn't help at all, not that it might not help you.

Permalink: Orange_Tongue_at_The_Gastroenterologist.html
Words: 188
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/05/11 09:50

Category: food

05/05/11 12:26 - ID#54218

Wegmans gnocchi - yuck

The most disgusting gnocchi ever smelled. They smelled sour like rotten fruit. I tried to boil them anyways for some reason and the the whole kitchen smelled. Is that just what stuff with preservatives smell like or were they bad. Either way I would never buy them again. They smelled so much I had to take the garbage out after I through them out.

Permalink: Wegmans_gnocchi_yuck.html
Words: 68
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/05/11 12:26

Category: yoga

05/04/11 10:33 - ID#54217

Scorpion Pose - Vrschikasana

Tonight at yoga I was able to sort of do the scorpion pose. I was a bit shaky though. I am going to practice more and get good at it. The people that are stepping on their own heads blow my mind.

I stole this pic from about.com

I will replace it with one of myself as soon as I can get someone to take it.

I finally have an appointment for my orange tongue tomorrow but its at 7:45am near UB North Campus. I have not been up that early since the 90s.

Permalink: Scorpion_Pose_Vrschikasana.html
Words: 107
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/04/11 10:33

Category: work

05/04/11 10:27 - ID#54216

Imagine this fun scenario

This probably won't make any sense but I will know what its about when I read it ten years later.

Imagine there is this self important, needy, gold digger who lives in your neighborhood. Not only is she loud and obnoxious, she also only speaks a foreign language with a irritating, sharp accent.

Then imagine all of a sudden, you find out she is possibly moving in with you and you may have to dedicate your life to her needs and wants. To make it worse she comes with this whole entourage of loud pimps and they are going to rip out the gardens you built and replace them with a asphalt pad and a vending machine which sells even more things that attract even more pimps.

Then imagine everyone around you saying, well if she lives with you, you no longer have the neighborhood restrictions on your property. You can rent the attic without a fire escape or even build a freaking waterslide out the front window. Would you hate her any less? What if it meant you had to give up english?

Permalink: Imagine_this_fun_scenario.html
Words: 184
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 05/05/11 05:34

Category: war

05/01/11 11:12 - ID#54199

Osama is Dead?!

He is finally dead - they got him in Afghanistan. Apparently, it happened a week ago but they were waiting to confirm the DNA. Will this finally mean the end to war? Or is it only the beginning of vengeance?