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The Waking
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I cannot go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree, but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
--Theodore Roethke
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Joy's Updates - Straight from the Horse's Mouth.
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Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Good News
At the risk of sounding like that man on the commercial who goes around telling everyone he's lowered his cholesterol, so have I! I had an appointment with Dr. Ross today after school after having blood work done this morning before school. I've been on that low-carb diet outlined in Protein Power, the book Dr. Ross told me to read. At least I was on it until I had the flu when I couldn't eat for a while and still mostly want bland food - chicken noodle soup, crackers, turkey sandwiches, and such as that - with carbs. To my credit, I've left off sweets, Cokes, pizza, potatoes, and dairy products as well as most other things high in carbs. When I told Dr. Ross this, he asked why he thought something else was going to follow. So I said, "However, it's grossed me out to think about meat and eggs and most food." He recognized my outstanding ability to rationalize. I really am good at it and can rationalize anything. I told him I was going to get back on this as soon as I could face that food.
The wonderful thing is that even not doing this according to plan, my cholesterol went from 216 to 180, glucose from 156 to 99, and triglycerides from 694 to 179!! Yea!! When I go back to see him again in 3 months, all those will be even better! They lowered because of diet, not meds. That's one of the many things I really like about him. Most other doctors would have put me on meds and not have mentioned diet as a first treatment. I'm so glad I happened upon him and that he's my internist now. I really do like him and his approach to healing. He said our goal is to get me off the blood pressure meds, too, which I'm all for. I'm not taking hormone replacement therapy now and didn't have much trouble during the transition. I guess my body really doesn't need them now since I became psycho before without them. My goal is to be off of any medication as long as possible, and now I have a doctor who has that same philosophy. Yea!!
They are having more problems getting blood from me than they used to, and Butch's and my veins are awful. They hide, roll over, and play dead. We inherited them from Mother. Now after chemo they are even worse. Chemo burns veins on the inside and leaves scar tissue. I asked if they ever get back to normal, but he didn't know. Dr. Spigel is always so positive that it's hard to get him to tell about bad stuff. I'll try to get it out of him. The phlebotomist said they get better after 18 months to 2 years, so I hope she's right. I haven't found anything about it online yet. Chemo is controlled poison, so it does much more than kill cancer cells.
I rambled on, didn't I? I was thinking this morning how easy it is after a while to become a "professional" patient. Sorry!!
7:59:00 PM
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