Yellowstone River-Yellowstone National Park

What would we call a person who does not take the advice of their doctor, a fool.  Today, many in the medical field are warning us about the dangers of texting while driving.

We have enough troubles dealing with illness without taking on the risk of an accident.

I am a person who cannot turn my head while driving.  If I do, my car begins to wander slightly.  To say I am fearful of people who drive and look at me while talking  is a understatement. Once, I rode with a real estate agent who talked on the phone and ate a subway sandwich while she steered with her knee at 70 miles per hour!  I made a lot of promises to my maker that day.  She was a very intelligent lady, but had no common sense.  For that matter, neither did I, as I should have told her I was frightened.

More and more emergency room doctors are seeing patients who get into trouble while texting.  No message is that important that it cannot wait until you find a place to get safely off the road.  The medical warning applies to any activity that requires your full attention such as biking, motorcycling, operating machinery and skating.  Ask yourself if you are willing to risk an accident and an expensive emergency room visit to send a text message.

Unlike jabbering  people, we can shut a device off.  Dead men cannot return a text message.  Shut it off and do so before it is too late.

Photo titled, ‘I love my job’, taken in my yard.

”One of the criteria of emotional maturity is having the ability to deal constructively with reality.”  William C. Menninger-American psychiatrist

A diversion is like a detour, as it changes our direction or in some way distracts us.  For example, if your sister stayed out later than her curfew, you might create a diversion long enough for her to  sneak up the stairs to her room.  You could turn on the TV too loud or ask for help with your homework.  You could do anything to change the focus of your parent’s attention.

After a diagnosis of an illness, the patient’s mind is focused on their illness and how it will affect their family.  We don’t do it consciously, but such thoughts are always present.  In fact, even when we make a conscious effort to ban it from our thoughts, they are almost impossible to dismiss.

After being diagnosed, I gradually learned that when I was very busy or attenpting to fix something, I forgot about illness and felt a sense of accomplishment. Those moments were short, but sweet.  Realizing that an activity diverted my attention, I started on a journey to try every hobby known to man.  Finally, I discovered photography, which has reduced my anxiety, increased self-esteem and elevated  mood.  It was an activity that made me happy.

Hospitals are using art to divert their patient’s attention away from illness.  You can do this at home.  Simply find an activity that you find interesting to do and read about.  It is way to take a detour on your road with illness.  I like detours, as they usually take me to a new neighborhood or an area I have never seen before.

Tumacacori National Monument-S of Tucson, AZ

“Vanity is the greatest of all flatterers.”  Francois de La Rochefoucauld-French writer

Financial woes cause stress that can affect our health.

You may not be old enough to remember the expression Living high on the hog. Literally, it means that you are able to purchase the best cut of meat  from high on a hog.  Similarly, it means that we are financially  stable enough to live the good life and privileged to buy whatever we want.

Our country has experienced many years of prosperity.  Presently, we are experiencing hard times. We have become aware of how important it is to have the essentials in life.

Previously, we spent like drunken sailors who were on shore leave and did not save for a rainy day.  Do we really need a 100 dollar watch when a 20 dollar one will show us the time?  Why in the world would we choose the 100 dollar one?  It must be vanity.

What is vanity?  It is a selfish way to puff up our ego by buying things that others admire.  It is a way of boasting that we can buy nice things.  Vain people love compliments and put themselves first.

Have Americans become vain?  Is this one of the reasons many of us have financial woes?  I think so.  We are choosing form before function.  Even if two watches function the same, to feed our ego, we may choose to buy the expensive watch.

While feeding our vanity, many of us are compiling huge credit card bills.  One day, they will come back to bite us in the butt.  Our health is a constant source of concern.  Use caution not to add to those worries.

This is a Common Mullein plant struggling to survive on a sandy shoreline at Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsular.

It is interesting to note that if you look in some old medical books depression may not be mentioned.  Those suffering from depression were often called sad or lazy.

Depression can make us feel crummy all over.  It affects everyone associated with the person.  Many of us have felt depressed after first being diagnosed or after hearing our lupus has come out of remission.  People with any disease feel depressed until getting accustomed to the bad news.  For me, it usually takes a couple of weeks before bouncing back.  When I get bad news, I do not get sad or depressed, but get mad, as I work hard to try and stay healthy.  I feel as though my effort has gone for naught.

If we feel depressed for an extended period, we must first mention it to our doctor.  Perhaps, we must  decide if we will take a prescription depressant or hope it will go away.  This is an important decision and must be made with your doctor.

I think there are several things we might try before deciding to take pills.  We can try such things as getting a pet, joining a club, going dancing with friends, start a hobby, get involved in political campaign, walking in a beautiful environment with a friend, taking a mini or extended vacation and volunteering.  Try anything that gives you pleasure.  The reason we should do so is any new activity focuses our mind on that thing and removes illness from our thoughts.

Our lives are full of things that can cause depression, not just illness.  In my new book, Dust off Your Brain, which is  a collection of my thoughts that I wrote on scraps of paper when they popped into my head.  The book has 366 one and two liners.  One of them goes like this, “A trickle of imagination can create a river of fear.”  Sometimes, we worry and get depressed about things that may never happen.  I guess the best thing is we can do is tackle our biggest problem first and work down the list.  My new book sells on Amazon.com for $5.95 and is a suitable gift for all occasions.

Some of worse things we can do is to start drinking alcohol, use illicit drugs, start smoking and use of caffeine.  They will only exacerbate the exising problelm.

Whitefish Point near Paradise, MI

Often, we appreciate the overall scene, but forget the one that is at our feet.  There are two sources I trust for medical advice.  They are my doctor and pharmacist.  The great thing about using a pharmacist is the advice is free and you do not need to make an appointment.   Simply wait your turn, go up to the window and ask your question. However, be sure to bring a list of  your medications and supplements.

Honest people are trusting.  They are willing to accept information from friends, relatives and even celebrities. Why is that?  It is because we are desperate to find better drugs to manage or cure our illness.  We want to believe it is possible.

The following are some of the ways that companies and people try to convince you to use their products.  Let us suppose that you have arthritis.  They may say they have a ‘cure’ for your disease.  If that were true, it would be in every newspaper and on television.  Before  paying money for their ‘cure’, call your doctor.  Or, if you have arthritis, e-mail the Arthritis Foundation with your question.

Remember, all drugs have side effects. They are rarely mentioned.  In fact, unscrupulous companies may not know the adverse side effects.   Your pharmacist knows the side effects of drugs that are approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).  You can find out about approved FDA drugs on their or the Mayo Clinic website.

If the sellers or advertisement offers testimonials from people who say the drug is helping or has cured them.  What they forget to tell you is that for thousands of people it did not work or caused harm.  Never underestimate ‘the power of suggestion’.

Ask your doctor, pharmacist or FDA.

‘Wagner Falls’ near Munising, MI

“A man is a lion in his own cause”, Scottish proverb.

How do we find the strength to constantly battle an illness?  Where does it come from?

I am assuming that all of you are tired of taking pills, going to doctor’s appointments, taking your blood pressure, filling prescriptions and reading about lupus.  Lately, it has been my full-time job. There are days when I wonder how it would feel to be healthy, full of energy and not consider anything related to the medical field.

Occasionally, I feel like rebelling against the medical establishment and bunch my whole medical routine.  However, I never follow-through.  Why is that?  Somehow, I find the strength to continue.

I think our inner strength comes from our basic nature and the example that our friends and family set for us when we were growing up.  They didn’t make a conscious effort to do so, but we watched how hard they worked, even when they were sick.

Children are a powerful source of strength for their parents with an illness.  Parents are motivated by their desire to care for and guide their children and grandchildren into adulthood.

Others find strength through their religion and their church’s members.  I come from a small town where people know each other and our lives are connected.  When I was very ill, I was on the prayer list of three churches with different beliefs.

Friends and family provide us with strength.  I was motivated by the desire to help my family if they became ill.  Now, they have passed away, but I find comfort in the thought that I was there for them when they needed me.

Patients find strength from different sources.  Whatever yours may be, lean on them when you feel the need for strength.

‘Mr. Many Arms’ Photo taken in Apache Junction, AZ.

When cells are injured they become inflamed.  It doesn’t matter if it is caused by a floor burn, twisted ankle, allergies, lupus, or some other injury. The inflammation is about the same.

What is inflammation?   It is how our body helps to protect itself from further injury and foreign invaders.  After we are injured, white blood cells, our protectors against disease, rush to and seal off the area, fight and eat invader  cells and protect us from further injury. Inflammation causes redness, pain, swelling  and heat.  If we can reduce the symptoms of inflammation, we reduce the possibility of tissue damage. That is why it is so important to identify lupus early.

After verifying that inflammation is present, one must identify the type of lupus and decide which drugs will best treat the condition. The goal of treatment is to reduce a patient’s inflammation and the symptoms it causes.

Why did my doctor suspect lupus?  It was because I was passing protein in my urine.  Other things can cause protein in the urine such as infection or nephritis.

The drugs used to treat lupus may be as simple as topical creams (spread on the skin), aspirin or as  powerful as steroids or chemotherapy drugs.

This photo is called ‘World overpopulation’.  Today, lets call it a ‘State of confusion’.

Cornelia Otis Skinner, American actress and author said, “One learns in life to keep silent and draw one’s own confusions.”

I have lupus nephritis.  Over the years, my kidney function has slowly declined.  That is mostly caused by the lupus nephritis and partly from aging.  That being the case, I was recently placed on a stricter diet.  Keep in mind that I have been on a low-sodium, low-protein and low fat diet for many years.

The new diet adds restrictions on phosphorus and potassium.  Now, I have five different things that I must avoid or limit when preparing a meal.  Thank goodness, I am a widow and nobody has to eat the food I prepare.  The main problem is a food that is acceptable on one diet list usually conflicts with another.  In addition, most NUTRITION FACTS LABELS do not list the amount of phosphorus and potassium.  I am having a difficult time figuring out what to eat.  Yesterday, I called a company to find our how much phosphorus and potassium in low-sodium ketchup.  The phosphorus was negligible and the potassium was 40 mg.  That helped me out, as I know that I can juggle my diet to fit in the ketchup.

I miss a banana with breakfast and a potato with lunch.  Rice milk tastes OK, but I miss my frozen yogurt.  When I was a baby my first words were not Mama or Dada, they were ‘more meat’.  On the new diet, I am permitted four (4) ounces per day.  That is the size of the palm of your hand.  I am not weighing the foods, as the nutritionist allows me to estimate the weight by comparing the size with common objects.  Your fist is about the same size as ½ a cup of vegetables.  Two teaspoons of margarine is about the size of ½ the length of your thumb.

I am confused now, but and determined to adapt.  However, at the time of my death, will I regret missing the pleasure of savoring the different flavors?  Should our priority be longevity or getting the most pleasure our of life?  We ride the Ferris wheel of life only once.  Another thought for the day from my book, Dust off Your Brain, goes as follows: ‘Living old is highly overrated’.  If I had children who depended on me, my main priority would be to remain alive.  Children give us a purpose in life, which is to live to see them grow up and become productive citizens.  However, I do not have children.

“She used to diet on any kind of food she could lay her hands on”.  Arthur Baer, American comic columnist.

These Brown-eye Susans were taken in my backyard.

About 1/3  of all lupus patients have some kidney involvement.

Dieting is deprivation.  Why do we do so?  I diet because my doctor told me that limiting salt, protein, potassium and phosphorus causes less kidney stress. The kidneys job is to prevent a buildup of undesirable products (urea) in our blood.  They must work harder to filter protein from our blood.  The kidneys decide if we have enough salt in our blood.  If it is too much they filter it out and send it out with urine.  However, if the kidneys are damaged that is more difficult to do.  Too much blood sodium can can cause edema (fluid buildup in tissues) and raise a patient’s blood pressure, which is damaging to the very tiny blood vessels that filter our blood.  High levels of phosphorus in the blood can cause osteoporosis and  high potassium levels may cause an irregular heartbeat.  Healthy kidneys filter wastes from the blood and pass it out with urine. The less work our kidneys must do the more likely we can preserve their function.

Dieting is a bit like being in jail.  However, this is a self-imposed jail.  Only disciplined mature people can follow a diet.  Whether or not we are successful depends on our  attitude.

I was recently introduced to a stricter diet and am quite apprehensive.  My attitude is somewhat negative, but improving.  It takes a while to get accustomed to anything strange and new.  I must accept that my kidney function is declining and must do everything I can to reduce kidney stress.

Eating out is difficult.  I just do the best I can and hope for the best.  Making a list or a sample diet of the things you can eat is  helpful.  However, be prepared to eat the same foods over and over again.  However, that is preferable to kidney failure.

This photo was taken on the Mayo Clinic grounds in Rochester, MN.  I selected spring flowers to cheer you.

Pleasure and happiness are good for our blood pressure and health.

Are you disturbed by the violence on television, video games and in the daily news?  Many of us are upset by the disrespect people show toward one another. Would you like to change the world? If only we could change the world as quickly as nature changes the seasons.

Gandhi felt that if we want to change the world, we first must first make positive changes in ourselves.  I am not a Buddhist, but that makes sense to me.  Changing the world for the better is an undertaking that starts with one person making small changes in their life and how they interact with others.  However, most people, including myself, find it difficult to make changes.  We wait for the other person to do so.

Years ago, parents were the biggest influence on a kid’s life.  We looked up to our parents and respected how hard they worked to provide us with the necessities.  They set the example for a good work ethic, tried to instill values and respect for others.  Today, parents must compete with the influence of video games, television, movies and rude people.

Change begins with small acts of kindness such as helping a neighbor, respecting the viewpoint of others, voting and supporting our schools.  A simple thing like opening a door for an elderly person makes their life easier.  Most acts of kindness do not cost money.

Volunteering is an excellent way to make a difference.  One of the 366 thoughts for the day from my new book, Dust off Your Brain, reads like this.  ‘Volunteering is a self serving activity not done for greed’.  That means that volunteers develop a sense of satisfaction and happiness because they contributed.  What a deal.  You can do a good deed, which makes you feel good.  You do not have to join a group to do something nice.  A weekly visit to an assisted living facility only takes two hours, but may bring happiness to a patient.  Volunteering is a way to help ourselves by helping others.