KRAD's Inaccurate Guide to Life

The hiccups have made a couple of comebacks, but have been greatly reduced. I've been keeping about 90% of my solid food down. The prescription-strength Prilosec is my new best friend.

Off to see my third doctor in eight days......

A doctor on the phone with an insurance company: "This patient has had a heart attack, angioplasty, and twice suffered heart failure--and you guys send back a document saying the patient has no history of heart trouble. This is the most fraudulent thing I've ever seen!"

The doctor confirmed what I figured: the antibiotics Did Something to my stomach to exacerbate the old hiatal hernia. I'm to keep taking the Prilosec for as long as it lasts (a month, based on the number of pills I have), and also I need to avoid foods that will make it worse: anything with onions, tomatoes, or caffeine. (Yes, I can still have my morning cuppa -- that was the first question I asked -- but shouldn't go beyond that.)

So things are looking up. I haven't hiccuped all day, and I think I can actually *gasp* go to karate tonight......

The United States declared war on Mexico (1846)

SOME FLAG NICKNAMES OF NOTE

Flag of	nickname
Argentina	the Sun of May
Australia	Stars and Crosses; Australian Blue Ensign
Botswana	Pula ("life-giving rain")
British Merchant Navy red ensign	Red Duster
Cuba	La Estrella Solitaria ("the lone star")
Denmark	Dannebrog ("brog"=cloth)
Isle of Man	the Trinacria or Triskelion ("three legs of man")
Japan	Hinomaru ("sun-circle")
Pirates	Jolly Roger; Skull and Crossbones
Puerto Rico	La Monoestrellada ("the single star flag")
Turkey	Ay Yildiz ("moon star"); Al Sancak ("red banner")

Shallow men bleieve in luck ... Strong men believe in cause and effect.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

So I took Marcus -- who has been off insulin for one week now -- to the vet. I sent him back, and then the vet came out with Marcus in tow and said, "There are no diabetics in this room!" I laughed.

His diabetes is in remission. We're to keep feeding him the diabetic food (DM), alternating with the Purina E/N that's good for Aoki (and which both cats devour like whoa), but now we can reward them occasionally with some nice wet food (they particularly like salmon). The DM is also preventative, so it's good that he keeps eating it (and good for Aoki, too).

Marcus has now officially beaten cancer (back in '04) and diabetes. And he's still going strong at 17.

Go 'cus!

Thursday is usually the big physical workout class at the dojo, and I didn't really want that to be my first class back in over two weeks. Plus, I'm still kinda poopied. I'd rather get a couple more days of rest before going back.

So Saturday is my triumphant return to the dojo. I hope...