Tuesday, September 25, 2007; 11:41 pm by Not Suzi.

Well, I went back to the doctor last Friday for my test results and to review my medication. Everything came back normal except my uric acids were high. So, the diagnosis is gout. What is so strange is that I didn’t have the main symptom (achy big toe) and it is a disease that is usually found in older men, typically of African-American decent. Gout is a form of arthritis that is hereditary (my grandma had it) where your body produces too much uric acid breaking down the purines in food. Alcohol and animal protein seems to aggravate the condition.

I decided I didn’t want any more medications (other than an anti-inflammatory for pain) and I would try to manage it with dietary changes. This means cutting down the amount of meat I consume, especially red meat, and very little alcohol. I hardly drink anyway, maybe a beer or two a month, because I always felt so badly from it. Terrible body aches the next day from just a drink or two. So I guess having gout makes sense if I react this way to alcohol. I always thought it was due to the metabolizing of the alcohol and the insulin release. But, according to the bloodwork, all that is fine.

I get re-evaluated in 3 months and if my uric acid levels have not gone down then I will consider a short-term dose of allopurinol. He did up the intake of my fibromyalgia med (the anti-depressant) to twice a day. So far, I’ve been lucky that I’ve not had any side effects from that. I am still tired off and on throughout the day but I’m not surprised since both my medications can cause drowsiness. I’m slowly getting used to it and it doesn’t bother me quite as much as it did last week. However, one strange side effect I have noticed is that my left pinky finger and part of my ring finger feels kinda numb and tingly. I’m not sure if this is from the medicine or because I’ve spent so much time on the computer due to my classwork, and I now have a nerve impingement in my neck/shoulder that is causing this feeling. I keep hoping it will get better on its own but I plan on getting a deep tissue massage to try to help it along and maybe visit a chiropractor as well. Otherwise, it’s back to my doc who I don’t think can really do much except run more tests.

Because I’ve been eating better these last two weeks I have lost about 10 lbs. I’ve given up sugar and the foods I know I’m sensitive to as well as reduced my simple carb intake. Since it now looks like I’m having to limit my meat as well, I’ve added in a lot more veggies and some complex carbs. Lomee introduced me to Tofutti “cream cheese” and I love it on rye crackers with cucumber slices and dill. It’s my new lunchtime meal. So yummy, and it really does taste like cream cheese.

I need to investigate sources of vegetable protein and increase my intake of that since animal protein is limited to 1-2x’s a week. I’ve looked into eating raw foods but I don’t think I’d like the effort and commitment it would take to maintain that lifestyle. I am reading about eating whole foods and it is much of what I do now and how I enjoy eating anyway. It fits in well with my life and food limitations and is very simple to follow. Not to mention that it is very nutritious as well. Lomee also eats this way much of the time too. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Posted in Health, Food, Life | 2 Comments »

Thursday, September 20, 2007; 5:57 pm by Not Suzi.

Here are some cute pics of the boys from the past weekend.  We don’t really have a “backyard” since we are on the side of a mountain.   There are some rocks and landscaping with a few big boulders, plants and mulch.  The only yard we have is on the side of the house and curving into the front a little, with some more rocks, trees, and mulch in the front.

These pics were taken from our back deck on Sunday.  We let them run around and have fun retrieving a ball Lomee was throwing.

Posted in doggie, Life, The Boys | No Comments »

Wednesday, September 19, 2007; 11:11 pm by Not Suzi.

I actually have some talent when it comes to the kitchen but I don’t enjoy cooking like Lomee does. That being said, we were putzing around in the kitchen this past Saturday and I decided to make a couple pots of soup for the upcoming week. Since I’m avoiding my triggers I made them without certain ingredients and spices I love and would have usually used.

Every week or so we make a batch of chicken salad for Lomee to take for work for a few days so I had a huge pot of chicken stock. It was very concentrated because 3 chickens had been cooked in it so it would make an excellent base.

The first soup I made was a Mexican style chicken soup. Some lime juice, peppers, and cilantro with veggies and chicken…for his bowl, Lomee even cut up a few avocado slices and topped it with sour cream. I have to avoid things like dairy, garlic and tomatoes but the soup was still delicious.

The other batch was a simple bean soup with about 12 different beans, onion and ham. I used the same stock as a base but added different spices.

We were watching TV Sunday night and happened to flip by HSN and saw Emeril promoting some of his products. For years Lomee has been interested in the Emerilware and we’ve been planning on getting them one day, but they are a bit pricey. HSN had the 10-piece set at an excellent price AND they were also throwing in Emeril’s a cast iron grill pan and a Wusthof 10″ chef knife for no extra charge, plus free shipping. A great deal and one we couldn’t pass up. Very cool.

I have some decent pot and pans that I got about 12 years ago but I split the set with my ex-hubby when we divorced. They have a non-stick coating and I’ve never really felt was healthy and I’ve always wanted something different. They also have plastic handles so you can’t put them in the oven…not really great for someone that loves to cook like Lomee.

I got an email this morning saying they shipped and would be delivered within 7-10 days but I was shocked when the doorbell rang and the UPS guy was delivering my box of pots. It was a nice surprise for Lomee when he got home from work. He’s like a kid on Christmas morning and can’t wait to make our first meal with them. Menu planning and grocery shopping just got more fun.

Posted in Food, Life, My Sweetie | 1 Comment »

Saturday, September 15, 2007; 5:52 pm by Not Suzi.

I haven’t been feeling well lately. At first it was general aches and pains but looking back I’ve been experiencing that for a few months now and have just attributed it to stress. Well, this week I started feeling some sinus problems starting and a lot of fatigue. On Friday when I woke up with my head throbbing I decided I should probably go to the doctor.

Now, I’ve had head colds/allergies/sinusitis, etc. throughout the years and figured I’d get a script or two to treat it, but that was not to be. I went to the same doctor that Lomee had when he was in the hospital 2 months ago for pancreatitis and since I was a new patient he really wanted to do a full work up.

While I was in the office I got a chest and sinus x-ray and a steroid shot, then had to go down to the lab for blood-work and urinalysis. He’s doing a full blood panel to check things like cholesterol, liver enzymes, etc. and testing me for diabetes, lupus and arthritis.

I also walked out with 7 prescriptions. 2 of them are short term but the rest are for the next 30 days with refills for 6 months. The doc thinks I have allergies (even though I’ve tested negative in the past I’ve always reacted to things in the air), which is not uncommon living where we do…I guess this part of the US is the most heavily pollinated area. Plus he wanted to treat my achiness and fatigue which is a great idea even though I hate the treatment. I’ve always resisted certain kinds of drugs but its come to the point that I can’t keep doing that since doing so negatively impacts my quality of life.

Pretending there isn’t a problem doesn’t mean there isn’t one, so I’ve decided I have to do something I don’t like in order to do other things that I enjoy. Always being tired and in pain kills your motivation. No matter how good my intentions, it is easy to make excuses.

I got meds for my sinus problems (antibiotic, Allegra D, Flonase) as well as treatment for fibromyalgia (Prednisone, muscle relaxer, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory). I’ve known I’ve had fibromyalgia for about 7 years now and have been pretty good at treating it myself with diet and exercise. However, now its to the point that I can’t manage it without help so I’ve agreed to a low dose “cocktail” of drugs to help reduce the inflammation and stress in my body. Once the pain and fatigue has lessened I can start being more active and motivated to make the positive changes I need in order to get well.

The Prednisone is short term and will reduce the systemic inflammation in my body while the anti-inflammatory is for treating arthralgia, such as arthritis pain, long term. The antidepressant also helps me to stay asleep and elevate my mood and the muscle relaxer will help with stress and tension in my body. I guess they will all work together to treat different symptoms and target the problem from different angles. It makes sense but I don’t have to like taking them.

Looking for a job is really discouraging and I believe it contributes to the depression I’m feeling along with the general malaise. This affects how I feel and just kicks off physical and psychological pain that feeds on each other.

So, Lomee and I have decided to start eating better. Its not that we eat poorly but we could make better choices. He’s just about given up carbs as of this past week while I’ve been weening myself off sugar. I’ve also dug out the info about my food sensitivities and the foods I need to avoid so that he can reference it when preparing our meals. When I follow this “diet” not only do I start feeling a lot better but I lose weight like crazy. I knew I had gained weight (stress does that to me) but I am within 10 lbs of being the heaviest I have ever been. Last time I avoided my triggers I lost about 60 lbs in 3 months so I’m hoping for similar results. The loss of weight is secondary to improving the way I feel and it will make me healthier in the long run.

After only one day of being on the meds I woke up pain free for the first time in months. Lomee said I looked a lot more rested and that he could tell that I had not been feeling well for a few weeks. I go back to the doctor next week to go over my test results and to discuss how I’ve been dealing with the meds.

Posted in Health, Food, Life | No Comments »

Wednesday, September 12, 2007; 7:44 pm by Not Suzi.

Lomee taught me how this summer and I love it. I remember my Mom used to do it when I was little but I never knew what it was or how until now.

I had fresh macerated strawberries with cream for breakfast and we macerated peaches a few weeks ago. Berries are great for this, too. With all the farmer’s markets and roadside produce stands around here, we find all sorts of goodies.

Just cut them up and sprinkle sugar over them. Give them a quick stir and let sit for a few hours or days. If desired, drizzle heavy cream on and enjoy!

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Tuesday, September 11, 2007; 10:39 pm by Not Suzi.

Since I devoted a post to Dimps, I thought it only fair that I give Bud some blog time. Bud is a beautiful black Lab with a sweet disposition. He always looks like he is smiling. He is about 20 months old and definitely plays the “big brother” role well.

He and Dimps are so funny when they are wrestling. They also sleep all night and don’t wake us begging to go outside…which is great because I use to have a dog that wanted to get up every morning at 5:30 a.m.

Lomee was playing catch with him and Dimps and would hold the ball up and put Bud in a sit so I could get a pic.

Here are The Boys taking a snooze.

They are so easy to love and a ton of fun. We have fallen so in love with them…they just sorta make our life and home complete.

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Monday, September 10, 2007; 8:54 pm by Not Suzi.

I slept in Sunday morning and when I got up it was closer to lunchtime than breakfast so Lomee decided to make us a meal. And it was delicious!!

Greek Pitas with pork, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and a honey/tahini sauce.

Later that night we were watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay and he was challenging a woman who is known for her macaroni and cheese. It looked so good and made us both start craving it. So, at 10 p.m. Lomee is in the kitchen grating cheese and boiling noodles. YUM! A great late night snack and food for lunch on Monday (and probably Tuesday as well)…Lomee’s Mac-n-cheese.

We did go out to a Thai restaurant that we like for dinner but were quite unsatisfied with the meal. We’ve discovered that we can truly eat better at home especially with Lomee’s culinary talents.

Posted in Food, My Sweetie, Weekend | No Comments »

Sunday, September 9, 2007; 11:52 am by Not Suzi.

Lomee and I went to dinner last week and got stranded in our car for about 30 minutes because of all the rain. When we went into the restaurant it was fine, just a little overcast. Within about 15 minutes it started pouring rain and people were coming in soaked. We left after about an hour and took a few pictures. We had to wait until the rain completely stopped and the drain system had a chance to catch up and process all the rainwater. Click the picture to see a bigger size.

Posted in Life, General | No Comments »

Friday, September 7, 2007; 9:31 pm by Not Suzi.

Did I ever mention that Lomee is an excellent cook? He loves coming home and making us dinner. Look at our meal menu from a few weeks ago:

Monday: Thick-cut Southwestern Grilled Pork Loin Chops with Roasted New Potatoes and Aromatic-Steamed Vegetables.

Tuesday: Fresh BLT’s. Hickory-Smoked Crispy Slab Bacon on Fresh Toasted Wheat Bread with Romaine, Lettuce, Vidalia Onions, Vine-ripened Tomatoes, and Sharp Cheddar Cheese dressed with Garlic Aioli. Served with Prosciutto-wrapped Honeydew Melon.

Wednesday: Flat-Iron Steaks with Burgundy Onions. Served alongside a custom Cobb Salad plate holding grated sharp Sun-dried Tomato Cheddar, Sliced Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, Vidalia onions, Diced celery, Roasted Edamame, Kalamata Olives, and Hickory-Smoked Crispy Slab Bacon. Served with choice Greek Feta vinaigrette dressing.

Thursday: Thick Cut Grilled Pork-Loin Chops (marinated in Merlot, Garlic, Creole Mustard, and spices). Served with fresh salad of crunchy vegetables centered with a roasted Green Bell Pepper stuffed with fresh cottage cheese, bleu cheese, vine-ripened tomatoes, Vidalia onions, and fresh cucumber.

Friday: Fire-grilled New York Strips with Grilled Asparagus and Grilled Portabello Mushrooms with Crabcake stuffing.

Saturday: Date-night. Likely going to Mikawa for authentic Okinawan sushi rolls (Lomee will be smoking barbecue all day Saturday into the night…)

Sunday: Lomee’s Soon-2-B-Legendary Big Orange Hickory Barbecue: 3-stage chili-rubbed baby-back ribs, 10-spice rubbed pulled pork shoulder, cider-marinated & chili-rubbed beef brisket.

And this is how it is most nights. Sometimes its simpler or we go out for dinner (usually about once per week) but what Lomee makes is much better than we can buy in most restaurants, and less expensive too.

Check out these pictures of a few meals he has made recently:

Falso Magro
(stuffed meat roll)

Barbecue ribs

Grinder

Grilled corn & kabobs
(basil, garlic, parmesan butter; Beef, pork, veggies)

Bruschetta Pizza’s
(Spinach, artichoke, garlic, parmesan; Sopressata, mozzarella)

Hungry yet?

Posted in Food, Life, My Sweetie | No Comments »

Friday, September 7, 2007; 3:56 am by Not Suzi.

He’s such a sweet puppy. Yes, I said puppy. He’s only 7 months old but probably weighs 60 lbs. We’ve only had him 2 months but he is growing so fast.

Here’s a funny pic of Demps, the headless bully.

He’s also the most dick lickingest dog on earth. And no, not his own…but Buddy doesn’t seem to mind. I guess getting your weenie wet feels good no matter who is doing the licking, huh? Both Demps and Buddy can be such perverts at times I can’t even get into it. Some of the things I’ve witnessed seriously fucks me up.

Here they are begging Lomee for Corn Nuts. They are so funny when they do this…they can’t take their eyes off him.

And Demps favorite sleeping position…balls to the sky. Head is back, arms spread wide. I don’t know how he does it.

Weirdo licking the fireplace rocks. He does this a few times a week and we can’t figure out why.

And looking through the railing down the stairs. He looks funny here because the loose skin around his neck is bunched around his face and his ears are flopping over. He usually looks like a gargoyle with a big grin and his ears back.

Sometimes he has such a strange sitting posture…kinda curled back onto the top of his ass, so he looks like a dirty old man. Legs spread, dick hanging out. I tell him to put it away but, just like a man, he doesn’t listen.

But he loves attention and is a great cuddler. Plus he has a cute tushy.

Posted in doggie, The Boys, Home | Comments Off