-=> Ruth Haffly wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

 RH> Quite a range of possibilities but hopefully it's something minor.

Semi-final verdict: I actually have severe lower back pain, not kidney
pain.  I'll be talking to physical therapy to help me.  If not,
there can be lidocaine injections or even minor surgical procedures
to kill off the sensory nerves that cause issues.

Blood being in places it shouldn't be is most likely due from being on
two blood thinners but more tests have been ordered to rule anything
else out.

Next week, I will start getting shots in both eyes (one eye each for two
weeks then three weeks between injections).

 RH> Since I wore the same pair almost everywhere, I carried them around, in
 RH> a case if they were going into my purse. I did have an extra pair on my
 RH> nightstand for bedroom use--checking care tags on clothes and things
 RH> like that. Had thought about keeping a pair in the kitchen and sewing
 RH> rooms but realised I was carrying the one pair just about everywhere so
 RH> never bothered to do so. They were most handy in the kitchen and living
 RH> room (on the computer), also the sewing room.

I have a pair in the kitchen.  I cannot cook or do the dishes without
them.  They not only help focus but help the blurriness some (diabetic
retinopathy causes my vision to be blurry one day, clear the next).

 RH> I'm trying to cut my carbs somewhat, not as severely as when I was
 RH> first diagnosed. Some days are better than others, planning pasta
 RH>  and RH> salad for supper tonight so will go heavier on the salad than
 RH>  the RH> pasta.

It's not all carbs for me.  It's what type of carbs.  Processed and
ultra-processed foods are out, as are starch veggies and grains.  All
cause inflammation and that's what's killing me, literally.  The edema
in the back of my eyes is severe enough that it might make me lose my
visionj much, much faster.

 RH> What about yogurt with active cultures--would that help? We ended up
 RH> doing farmer's style chicken the other night, a riff on something we'd
 RH> had in Germany. Had the pasta last night without the salad but I went
 RH> easy on my serving.

Unfortunately, the active cultures usually get destroyed in the stomach
beforwe it hits my gut.  My problem is that my gut is so bad that I may
need a fecal transplant.

 RH> Cooking for one--very understandable. Even when Steve was gone for
 RH> extended TDY's in the Army, I still had to cook for the girls as well
 RH> as myself. Did do a few quick and easy things like hot dog stew (can of
 RH> veggie soup and cut up hot dogs to taste) but most often it was same as
 RH> when he was home. He took cooking short cuts if he was TDY and had to
 RH> do his own meals but since he didn't usually have much of a kitchen, it
 RH> was more practical for him to do so.

I can cook if I want but it's painful for me to be standing for more
than 10 minutes so I tend to make things where they're usually quick or
I can sit down while the meal is cooking.  My right foot has been
incredibky swollen lately due to a multitude of causes but ironically I
had to cancel a podiatry appointment today as my right foot will not fit
into my prosthetic shoe right now...

 RH> We prefer the tow behind over the 5th wheel--the back of the truck is
 RH> full of other stuff.

I mainly want a fifth wheel with the bed being over the wheel and giving
me more room in the trailer.  

 RH> Too bad you couldn't have kept it under some sort of shelter but do
 RH> understand the space limitations. I'm glad I have a full sized
 RH> dishwasher built in; it gets used several times a week.

The apartment I was looking at before this one I'm in now had a nice
stainless steel dishwasher in it.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Microwave Never-Fail Fudge
 Categories: Candies, Chocolate, Microwave, Christmas, Holiday
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
  2 1/2 c  Sugar
    1/4 c  Margarine
    2/3 c  Evaporated milk
      7 oz Marshmallow creme
      6 oz Chocolate chips
    1/2 oz Baking chocolate
 
  Combine sugar, margarine, milk and marshmallow creme in 2 quart
  microwave safe bowl.  Microcook on high 3 minutes. Stir well.
  
  Continue microcooking 2 to 3 minutes more or until mixture boils.
  Reduce power to 50% and microcook 5 minutes.
  
  Add chocolate chips and shaved baking chocolate.  Stir until melted.
  Pour into buttered 8" dish.
  
  From the recipe files of Sheila Exner - September 1991
  
  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini
 
MMMMM
 
-- Sean


... I'm clinging to sanity by a thread.  Hand me those scissors.
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