It’s not like I have much to do, but by golly, I did it anyway. As usual, my Tuesday begins with a grocery shopping excursion to the Royal Duty Free supermarket. Nothing exciting to report about that event, but here are a couple of highlights:
I had my driver drop me off at Dr. Jo’s clinic on the way home so I could do a consult. The pulmonary doctor had increased my dosage of metformin, and I wasn’t comfortable with that. I’ve also had some folks mention that I’m again retaining fluid in my ankles. As I expected, Dr. Jo didn’t think doubling my metformin intake was a good idea, and she also tweaked some of the other drugs I’ve been taking for years now. She wants me to get some additional blood work, including a PSA test, to check my prostate. Hubby Dr. Chris sent me a couple of links regarding chelation therapy. He said that he and Dr. Jo are using this method to cleanse their arteries. I did some limited research and noted that it is not FDA-approved for this purpose, but after what the FDA approved for COVID, I have little faith in their judgment. Some of the drugs I’m taking now are related to test results in a Korean hospital ten years ago that showed a 20% blockage in one of my arteries. I’m still on the fence about chelation, but I’ll consider it a future option.
Speaking of heart issues, my friend and frequent commenter Kevin Kim is home from the hospital after his narrow escape from death. In case you missed it, here is his account of what happened. Keep fighting! You’ll be back on the path to restored health and walking across the Korean peninsula again soon. You can do this!
When I asked Swan what we should do for our evening out, she responded that she needed to visit our waitress from Alaska Club, Vanessa, and give her the notes and paperwork she retained from her studies as a caregiver student. So, we visited Sloppy Joe’s next door and waited for Alaska to open. We didn’t have to wait long because Vanessa stopped by our table on her way to work.
I had a “buy one, get one” SOB coupon to use, so we made Green Room our next stop. Swan’s generosity surprised me once again when, unbeknownst to me, she sent one of the waitresses out to buy some meat-on-a-stick to share with the other girls. I did buy a couple of lady drinks, at least. Later, my neighbor Jeff and his lady Davina joined us at our table, and we shared some drinks and chat. Another mutual friend, Matt, just returned from visiting the USA, and I suggested we throw a welcome home party at The Rite Spot. Jeff advised that he and the family would be in Angeles all weekend, so we are going to party on Tuesday. Coincidentally, that is my 69th birthday. So, I guess we’ll have a rockin’ good time.
No politics or memories to share today. You are welcome!
Today’s YouTube video is from my favorite, The Filipina Pea. She discusses how Filipinos view foreigners. The stereotype of being the rich white guy is just part of it. I laughed at being called “Joe,” which happens quite a lot. I perpetuate it by answering kids who ask, “What’s your name?” with Joe. Living in a town full of expats is a lot different than living a rural province life where you might be the only foreigner in town. I’ve noticed when we hike in areas that foreigners don’t frequent, being stared at is a pretty common occurrence. Anyway, the Pea is always worth your time. Give it a watch.
You wanna know what’s funny?
A different kind of hike with the Wednesday Walkers this morning that I’ll tell you about tomorrow. I asked Swan about tonight’s mission, and she suggested I bake some brownies to share with the gals at IDM. Great minds think alike! No wonder I love that girl.
That’s all for now. Thanks for coming!
In my research on heart failure, I discovered one possible symptom is, in fact, swollen ankles and/or other extremities. I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from that remark, but it might be something to bring up, along with breathlessness and a constellation of other symptoms that could all possibly relate to heart failure. There are types of heart failure as well, most of which can be lived with for years, but they all cut down on average life expectancy. Chelation therapy, based on your link, doesn’t sound like a major worry for you unless you think you might be suffering from metal poisoning. Good luck!
I may not have picked the best link, but Dr. Jo and Chris were advocating using chelation therapy for other than metal poisoning. They believe it helps clear blocked arteries but acknowledge that mainstream medicine hasn’t bought into that treatment.
I’m hoping my issues are not heart-related, but my mother died from congestive heart failure, and swollen ankles are one symptom of that. I might need to do some more tests.
John, would it be worth getting another “heart scan” or whatever it is called to determine any potential blockage in your arteries? The ability to see those types of things must have advanced quite a bit in the last ten years. I have heard about some like that in the US. Not cheap but supposed to be quite accurate.
Brian, yes, as a matter of fact I am considering just that. I had the cardiology exams before my nasal surgery last year, but I’d like to focus on potential blockage issues.