Noreme's Coffeecake

NOREME'S COFFEE CAKE;

Noreme is an old friend of my mother, someone she went to college with in the late 1940s. So, this recipe has been tested by my family for about 55-57 years now ...

1 stick oleo (or butter)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix sugar and oleo until puffy. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream, then beat. Add dry ingredients and mix. Pour half of batter into greased baking pan (a loaf shaped pan).

Mix 1/2 cup sugar with tsp cinnamon. Pour half of this over the batter.
Put remainder of batter into pan and pour remaining topping over this batter. Bake in 350 F oven for 45 to 55 min.

prayers needed for my youngest brother...

My brother, Charles Andrew Bell, is one very sick man. He
is now 40 years and was a juvenile onset (around age 13)
type 1. He apparently is not shaking off the infection
that his ravaging his system. He has been in hospital for
several days now. Our Mother said he is now able to keep
some liquids down; they have debrided (i.e. removed) dying
or dead tissue from his left foot. This is most ungood and
pre-stages bad things.

Prayers for Charlie are needed!

One of our other brothers send me an email that included
this:
<blockquote>
"I think ultimately Charlie is not good. The vascular
specialist checked him and said the blood pressure in his
left leg was not good. So, you can read between the
lines."
</blockquote>

I can "read between the lines" just fine!

We're worried about him losing that left leg. He is
already having problems getting around and in holding a
job; losing a second leg will make a bad situation much
worst. He is the kind of person for whom welfare was
intended. We can only hope the State of Oregon will
agree...

Supporting him is stressing out the family quite a bit.

Now, if he can overcome the leg infection, the stomach
infection (which comes from a general systemic infection),
learn to live with no legs and get a job with an employer
willing to accept a hard worker (with an angry attitude)
who is going to be running up the company's medical bills,
then maybe I can hope to send him an AARP application in
ten years. (Family joke: when a family member hits 50, I
send them an AARP application and poems about getting old.
That is payback time! That will teach them for having
farted off my 50th birthday!!!)

I fear that he won't live that long and the waiting is
most distressing...

Presidental "Happy Holidays" message (AKA "Merry Christmass Message") for 2005

To all DOC employees (DOC is Department of Commerce)

President Bush sends the following Holiday Message to the Employees of the Federal Government:

"I send greetings to all Federal employees and your families as you celebrate this holiday season.

Federal service is a high calling and an expression of responsible
citizenship. By working to improve lives, advance prosperity, and protect
our homeland, you strengthen our country and help many realize the promise of America. Your spirit of professionalism and dedication
reflects the best of our society and contributes to the success of our
great Nation.

Laura and I send our best wishes to you and your loved ones during this
season of hope and joy. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless
America."

Signed George W. Bush

A facsimile of the letter can be viewed at http://www.osec.doc.gov/hm.tif

__________________________________
This message is authorized by ExecSec

meditations on my brother Charlie...

My youngest brother, Charlie, is back in the hospital with a very serious stomach infection and has been unable to eat or drink anything
since Monday, 12 December 2005. That was the day he was admitted to hospital. His right leg was cut off in mid thigh last year and now
his left foot is both infected and the infection is resisting the antibodies. He is unemployed and out Mother is paying his bills...
We are quite concerned for his foot and the curing of this infection (again?). My wife thinks I may be a bit over concerned with Charlie's
survival but I'm not sure. I do think he'll survive this episode (I hope and pray) but I think one of these near future years, he won't survive...

There is a rather horrible irony here.

For years, before I was diagnosed, my wife and I talked about "he isn't taking good care of himself". (Even he has admitted to this.) I used to
bitch: "He's not getting his blood sugar under control; how hard can that be?"
Well, having been "officially" a type 2 diabetic since 7 May 2004, I can answer my own question. "It can be damned hard!!!"

My Diabetics Coach changed me from a schedule of checking my blood sugar before dinner to checking it two hours after "taking that last bite". (I still do a fasting blood sugar before breakfast.) The results have been alarming. My AM or fasting blood sugar counts are generally good and in the 105 to 120 range, with a few spikes to around 133. My evening "sugars" suck!
They've been from 156 to 170!
The best I've had was two hours after eating a couple of pork chops, a small potato and about 1.5 cups of over-boiled broccoli flowers. I've also
found that "Lean Cuisine" meals aren't the diabetics best friend but in terms of portion control, they bet the crap out of what I prepare in
terms of portion control if not in terms of value. (i.e. in terms of carbs to blood sugar)

Back to my brother's sad story...

My brother was laid off but this layoff was perverted into a firing; the true reason for the firing was not that he'd screwed up his time sheets (his
immediate supervisor had read and blessed them!). The real reason was he was costing them a lot of money! Imagine a diabetic getting sick and actually using his medical insurance! This can't be allowed to happen! The
employees are supposed to be healthy and management is supposed to get a bonus for medical insurance not used! (This is just a wild ass guess but is probably accurate...)
Well, we can't have this sickly man being sickly so SHIT CAN HIM!
It was done...

Well, my feet are still good but I sure didn't tell our Mother that I'd stubbed the middle toe of my right foot and it has developed a bright red
blister. My wife talked me out of going to the Family MD and that was just as well: the swelling has subsided to what looks like a scratch. For a couple of years before I was officially diagnosed, I noticed that I was healing slower and slower. When I first started blood testing on 11 May 2004, I must have "stabbed" myself in the forearm 8 times. Those "wounds" healed very quickly. Lately, the needle holes have been taking two or three days to heal.
I have noticed a lot more "for diabetics" products.
The "diabetics comfort socks" are US$ 11.50 each and are 2.5 sizes too small. Their highest size is shoe size 12.5 and I wear from size 14 to
size 15.

Diabetics did lead to "erectile dysfunction" but Viagara cured that! I feel like I'm 40 again! (To quote my father-in-law; I'm 54...)

Discover Magazine article on diabetes...

A very interesting and somewhat alarming article:

http://www.discover.com/issues/dec-05/features/diabetes-insulin-resistance/?page=1

An interesting speech on diabetes by Congressman John Murtha

Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania made this speech.
It is quite interesting in what it says about diabetes,
what it says he's done and (mainly) the web links he
gives.

This is well worth checking out!

http://www.house.gov/murtha/diabetes.shtml

I wonder if "my" Congress members have done anything about
diabetes???

a nice research article...

Here is nice article about the relationship between depression and
coronary heart disease (CHD) among Type 1 diabetes.

http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/1999/E/199904075.html

"Inhalable insulin gets FDA panel OK" - article on CNN...

I just read an interesting article on the CNN Health page
about inhalable insulin. This sounds interesting but also
sounds a bit like something that may have been pushed thru
too quickly

You'll have to connect the next two lines or simply go to the highlighted "article" above:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/09/08/ inhaled.insulin.ap/index.html

Dear Michael,

Thank you for contacting your American Diabetes Association. I received your e-mail regarding meters.

The cost of a blood glucose meter and diabetes care supplies is often covered by health insurance. But some insurance companies will not reimburse you. Find out what your insurance company covers and get approval before you buy. Some insurance companies and/or health care systems have special arrangements for certain meters or systems. If you have an established health care team, you should discuss choices and cost before you buy. You can usually find a deal on meter trade-ins with rebates and special purchase offers. Check with your doctor and diabetes educator. Keep an eye on ads and compare prices before you buy.

In the past, before the advent of blood glucose meters, urine testing was the only method for gauging blood glucose levels in one's system. But it is, and always has been, a very imprecise method and does not provide a complete picture of diabetes management.

In most cases, for example, glucose is not detectable in the urine unless the blood glucose levels have been above 180 mg/dl, which means that urine tests are virtually useless at detecting hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels).

For this reason, and others, health care providers recommend that those interested in attaining good blood glucose control use blood glucose meters, not urine test strips or tablets.

Urine, however, contains many other substances and is still very important in diabetes care. For example, if the body burns fat for fuel in the absence of insulin, poisonous ketones are produced, and these substances find their way into the urine. Also, when the kidneys' filtering processes begin to become impaired, microscopic amounts of protein (microalbuminuria) begin to spill into the urine, which is an early sign of kidney disease.

Urine testing kits are available for testing three different substances in the urine: glucose, ketones (some kits can test for both glucose and ketones), and microscopic amounts of protein (microalbuminuria). Urine tests, though no longer recommended for blood glucose control, still play an important role in diabetes care. They can detect the presence of harmful ketones; new tests can even measure indicators of kidney health.

Home urine glucose tests are available in strip form. They may or may not be less expensive than blood glucose test strips. Insurance companies may not pay for urine test strips, however, because blood glucose meters are now held as the standard.

Strips are either foil-wrapped or in vials, and are marked with shelf-life dates. Strips should be stored according to manufacturer's recommendations, because the chemicals on the strip will react to light, temperature, and changes in humidity. Foil-wrapped strips may be a better choice if strips are infrequently used, to preserve the integrity of the strips.

Urine specimens must either be collected in a clean, dry container (one would then dip the test pad into the collected specimen), or by passing the test pad through the urine stream to saturate it. Timing for the result varies.

Results are obtained by noting the presence of a visible color change on the test pad of the strip. A color scale will indicate the result, either in an estimated quantitative value (example: 250 mg/dl, 300 mg/dl), as a percentage (1/10 percent, ¼ percent, etc.), or a descriptive term (for example, trace, small, or large). People who have problems with color perception or poor visual discrimination are not candidates for using color charts and should use other methods.

Improper handling or storage could skew the readings. There are also certain medications and vitamins that potentially could alter the urine color, causing false results. Check with your health care professional about interfering agents if you plan to use home urine testing products.

Ketone bodies (acetone, acetoacetic acid, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid) are by-products of burning fat, rather than glucose, to fuel the body.

Ketones are a waste product. If they build up, they can lead to very serious energy problems in the body, resulting in diabetic ketoacidosis. The body tries to dispose of ketones as quickly as possible when they are present in the system. Urine test strips can detect ketones as the body tries to rid itself of these poisons.

Ketone testing should be performed by people with type 1 diabetes when their blood glucose is high (usually greater than 240 mg/dl), or as directed by their physician. All people with diabetes who are sick, under stress, or who have blood glucose over 300 mg/dl should also test for ketones, as should pregnant women with any type of diabetes (type 1, type 2, or gestational). And, of course, anyone who suspects onset of ketoacidosis should test for ketones immediately. Check with your diabetes health care professional about the ketone-testing guidelines and record-keeping methods he or she recommends.

Please note: Urine ketone strips will detect only some of the ketone bodies produced by the body, not all of them.

Ketone strips are available in foil-wrapped packets or vials. Follow all manufacturer's guidelines and procedures.

Test results are revealed through color changes, which indicate the presence of ketones, either quantitatively (for example, 5 mg/dl, 15 mg/dl, etc.) or by descriptive terms (for example, negative, trace, small, or large). False positives may occur if you are also using certain medications or vitamins, or if the strips have been handled or stored improperly.

New blood ketone testing meters more accurately detect some ketone bodies and may be preferred by some providers, as previously noted, or they may be used in combination with urine strips.

Talk to your doctor regarding what chemical reactions take place in order for the meter to read the results. Blood glucose meters are small computerized machines that "read" your blood glucose. In all types of meters, your blood glucose level shows up as a number on a screen (like that on your pocket calculator). Be sure your doctor or nurse educator shows you the correct way to use your meter. With all the advances in blood glucose meters, use of a meter is better than visual checking.

Step-by-Step Blood Glucose Checking

Wash and dry your hands.

Prepare the glucose meter. Each meter works a little differently. Read the instructions carefully. At first, you should practice with the meter under the supervision of the doctor or diabetes educator.

Choose your spot. Don't test on the same finger all the time. Choose a different finger each time you check. Prick the side of the fingertip, not right on top. The side hurts less and is less likely to bruise.

Prepare the lancet and finger-pricking device. Like meters, each finger-pricking device is different. Read the instructions and follow them carefully.

Place the finger-pricking device against your finger and push the button.

Squeeze out a drop of blood. Some people have more trouble getting the blood out than others. If it's hard to get a drop of blood out, try hanging your hand down and gently shaking or squeezing the finger. If it is often troublesome to get a drop of blood, ask the doctor to recommend a different lancet or finger-pricking device.

Place the blood on the test strip and put the test strip in the meteraccording to manufacturer directions. Wait for the results.

Record the results in the logbook

Here are a few common problems that can cause inaccurate readings:

Hands are not clean & dry (you forgot to wash them, there's powdered sugar on them from that doughnut you just ate, or you used an alcohol wipe and the alcohol is interfering with the meter) I no longer eat powered doughnuts...alas...

Blood drop is too small

Codes on strips and meter do not match

Dirty meter

To receive our free packet of information on diabetes management and wellness, please reply to this e-mail with your mailing address. You may also contact our National Call Center at 1-800-342-2383 or visit us on the web at www.diabetes.org.

Sincerely,

Jane ......

Email Specialist

American Diabetes Association

1-800-342-2383

www.diabetes.org
===========================================================================================

Information from ADA, request for...

My email to the American Diabetes Association "ask line":

Subject: diabetes testing...

Good morning,

I remember reading that after diabetes was "discovered' in the early
1920s, patients had to boil their urine and basically pull a chemistry
lab experiment one or more times a day. I have a rather horrified
fascination with this and would like to read more on the subject. (My
blood meter works just fine!)

My father and my brother both used the "Pee Test Stripes" in the 1980s.
I'd like to read more about their accuracy. When I told my Mother (the
retired RN) that I had been diagnosed and asked about the "Pee Test
Stripes", she said they were very inaccurate and disgusting to use. She
seconded my MD's recommendation that I buy a meter. For that matter, why
are insurance companies calling the metes "medical devices" and not
paying for them yet are paying for the test stripes?

I use a test strip based blood meter. I called their "help line" and
asked how the machine works. I was asked for my name and phone number
and told a "specialist" would call me. A couple of days later, the
"specialist" called and told me that "the blood has to seep into the
test strip" and then told me how to use the machine. I've known since I
started using one 11 May 2004. I asked her what chemicals were in the
strip, what chemical reactions took place and how the meter read the
results.

She didn't know...

Can you help me with this?

Tks,

Michael

A grandmother at risk...

Yesterday on CNN, we saw an extroverted young boy (maybe
10 years old) take a reporter to meet his grandmother. His
grandmother said she was a diabetic and it was obvious
that the lady hadn't had much to eat based on what was
around her. She was sitting on what might have been a
raised street. I don't know if she was able to test her
blood sugar and I sincerely hope she is a type 2 and not a
type 1; she obviously did *not* have refrigeration.

On the bright side, type 2 is supposedly very predominate
among the "minorities" and I hope this black grandmother
was another of us type 2s. (For what it is worth, I am one
of the white type 2s.)

My wife and I are wondering what is being done to
save/support the insulin dependent diabetes in this
disaster. If there was *ever* a time for James Lee Witt to
have been running FEMA, now is it!

A nice letter to the editor...

A nice letter to the editor:

http://dodgeglobe.com/stories/083105/opi_20050831009.shtml

Your driver's license and *your* state laws:

If you want to read your state laws vis-a-vis your
driver's license, read this material from ADA:

http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy-and-legalresources/discrimination/drivers/pvt-licensemap.jsp

Good news wrt the A1C...

My A1C in May 2004 was 7.9 (high!), in May 2005 7.5 (also
a bit high) and in August 2005 6.8. This is below the
magic figure of 7.0 so my family MD (Dr. Hostetier) and my
optomologist (Dr. Tarwater) are both happy. So was my
Mother when I told her; I wrote two of my brothers but
haven't heard back from them. One will probably say
"that's great!" and the other will probably brag of his
being lower. Oh, well, J and I were always competing...

Perspective...

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I saw an ad on TV that I immediately
mocked. It was a group of people complaining about the stress of having
to fill out the paperwork to get their diabetics supplies and the pure
agony of having to wait in line for their supplies. Then, of course, the
ad mentioned the name of the company that would be their salvation by
doing the paperwork for these folks. They would not have to wait in
line.

I said that obtaining diabetics supplies and waiting in line wasn't much
of a problem for me. My wife said those folks were probably type 1
diabetics and having to test their blood sugar four times a day. That
made me pause and admit that I was probably wrong. (Come to think of
it, this company's offer does sound like a good idea.)

I guess I've gotten spoiled since our family doctor fills out "scripts"
when I phone him and the clinic pharmacy folks fill the forms in for me
and fill the order quickly. The clinic pharmacy also has the cheapest
prices in town; I've checked the "new" drug store, which advertises
having the lowest prices in town and the clinic pharmacy beats them all
by a goodly margin.

I really don't have it too bad.

Sure, I have to test the blood morning and night, Tuesday and Friday.
That is a lot better than four times a day, every day.

I have to take a couple of pills a day. That is a lot better than a
bloody needle, one or more times a day!

My feet are in fine shape. I'm not struggling to get from wheel chair to
wherever like my youngest brother Charlie has to.

While my wife doesn't especially like talking about diabetics, I don't
have the problems that my youngest brother has. He was in hospital with
nearly intractable bacteria infections a number of times and the
surgeons kept whittling off portions of both his legs. (His right leg
ends at mid thigh now and his left foot is basically a stump.) All this
was too much for his wife and they divorced. Oddly enough, after the
divorce, they regained their friendship and are good friends again. (We
might even see RoxAnne again some day but we live in Kansas and they
live in Oregon; visits are rare.)

I am still "young" to this disease and can take metformin without
problems. Our family doctor says it could be 10 or 15 years before I
have to go to stronger medications and he isn't looking for me to go
onto the needle for at least that long! (My 85 year old father-in-law is
on the same dosage of metformin that I am as is another gentleman I
know, who in his middle 70s. A number of my fellow Lions are diabetics
but there is such a conspiracy of silence that I'm barely aware of who
is a diabetic, let along the level of treatment they are receiving!)

I know folks who have survived cancer and some that may not. I think
they'd trade places with me, medicine wise, health wise, if they could.
They might think it would do me good to be in real medical trouble and
to see just how bad bad can be. No thanks! I'll take what God has given
me and be grateful it isn't worst! I can appreciate how bad a bad
situation can be!

I will continue to work out (walk upwards of an hour a day anyway), try
to avoid bad food, try to keep a hopeful mind set and keep seeing the
family doctor when I need to. I read an article by some over
overeducated clown with a PhD who said that folks who actually used
their medical insurance were taking advantage of the system and were
ignoring the costs they were passing along to other folks! Balderdash!
Not going to an MD or dentist when needed ultimately ends up costing
much more. If I'd gone to my MD in June 2004 when I fainted and then had
trouble breathing, I'd have paid a lot less than what the emergency room
charged.

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a bit of trouble breathing because
of a respiratory track infection. I thought about going to the MD and
when my boss said "you shouldn't have come in to work", I immediately
called the clinic and got an appointment. Then, I took the rest of the
day off to rest.

I probably would have had a great deal of trouble sleeping that night
had I not gone to medical and that would have led to many more problems
the next morning. Problems like maybe having a traffic accident. Then, I
would have gone to the MD.

Finally, I have to repeat myself and realize that while I have things
much worst than I did 20 years ago, I know of people who are worst off.
I guess that I can't really "bitch mightily". (No, I don't know the
source of that quote but seem to remember it was said by Saint Abe
Lincoln.

Glorious Landing!!!

We watched the landing of Discovery on the TV at work. The
whole office sat around from about 6:45 am CDT to about
7:15 CDT to watch this.

It was quite a relief to see that everything apparently
went well. As one fellow said "I bet there are no atheists
on there!" He was probably right. Any atheists on-board at
the start of the mission most likely were not at landing
time!

It was glorious and well worth watching!

It's nice to know that NASA can still do stuff correctly.
Now, they just have to come up with a far better orbiter
and I fear that they won't be able to do so...

wrong attitude...

I've simply got the wrong attitude toward "testing my
blood"! That is, I check the blood sugar level twice a
day, twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays actually). I've
realized that I'm going about this the wrong way but have
not let myself get concerned.

I am treating the testing as if it were a school test or
one of the annual weigh-ins we had to endure in the Navy.
The correct attitude would be to adjust my exercise and
food and see if this is producing the desired results. If
it was, great! If not, then I'd have to adjust the
exercise and food.

I've not been able to get on an "even keel" and I'm not
sure that I could even get my wife to really go along with
a rigid schedule. Actually, that is not quite true: she
has been trying to help me "eat right". (I can't blame
myself, now can I???) It's just that neither of us are
very big on eating a lot of fruit and certainly not big on
eating two or more veggies a meal. We just weren't raised
that way!

She likes to joke about me being a "meat and potato man"
and that is true! I also like a good gravy to go with the
good "meat and potatoes". We haven't had regular deserts
in decades and only very seldom have salads with meals. I
guess my diabetics coach is going to have a lot of talking
to do with me if I want to stay healthy...

Just blathering along as it is near 11 pm and nearly time
for me to get off shift...

ripped up elbows...

This past Saturday, my wife and I were working security at
the local museum. We were checking driver's licenses and
handing out "beer bands", actually. (Folks weren't
supposed to be able to buy beer without one but I was
later told that the serving crew was selling beers to
people who looked old enough any way.) I was placing my
elbows on the surface of the table when I realized that
there was a flap of skin on the table. It seemed the
surface of the table (made of a slightly rough plastic and
marked "LIFETIME") had been rough enough to abrade the
skin off both my elbows.

Neither elbow was bleeding but I asked for and got band
aids to put on both. I put liquid band aid on both elbows
when we got home. That was a good idea as both elbows
seemed to be on the verge of bleeding.

For the next couple of days, it hurt to put pressure on
either elbow and I had to be careful getting out of bed.
(This is even more ridicious that it sounds!)

That was Saturday and it is now Wednesday evening late and
neither elbow is very much healed. Years ago, they would
have scabbed over by Monday. I guess this business of
diabetics screwing up my healing is living down to it's
potential!

Who would have thought it?

bad sweets, good sweets...

According to the MD who talks on Fox News "Sunday House Call", aspartame is very bad for you and saccrine is the best artificual sweetner for you. Basically, this MD said
that any of the artificual sweetners are better for you than sugar and gave this discussion of the best and worst. So, I'll have to see iff'n we've got saccrine at home for
my oatmeal...

betrayed by my diet sodas!!!

The following rather horrifying quote came from:
bad news:

"FACT:
DIET SODAS ARE NO SALVATION FOR THE OVERWEIGHT: As the U.S. population has grown increasingly overweight, the marketing of diet products to help control weight has
burgeoned. But do diet sodas help reduce obesity? The San Antonio Heart Study took a closer look (#1058). The opposite was true. The group that drank diet soda had the highest incidence of overweight, compared to those who
drank only regular soft drinks (lowest incidence) and those who drank half of one, half of the other (in between). This "raises questions about the advisability of reliance on these products for weight control," say the
authors."

ADA 65th Annual Scientific Sessions: Abstract 1058,
Presented June 12, 2005.

This begs the question: what am I going to drink now that I realize that my Diet Pepsi has been back stabbing my diet attempts and I find regular sodas too damned sweet. Also, water is fine but boring! I suppose that I could "move to" fruit juices or veggie juices (i.e. tomato
juice).

I wonder if my "diabetics coach" can offer suggestions when she call on 2 August? Maybe she can explain what happened to the information packets she was going to mail me

the possibility of hypoglycemia in spite of taking metformin...

An interesting article about metformin> (part of which I have quoted below) gave a list of sympthoms. I've have had them if I exercised a lot or simply not eatten much. I hadn't expected hypoglycemia with type 2 diabetes and metformin:

Metformin does not usually cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Nevertheless, hypoglycemia may occur in the treatment of
diabetes, as a result of skipped meals, excessive exercise, or alcohol consumption. Know the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, which include hunger, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, a fast heartbeat, sweating, tremor, and nausea. Carry a non-dietetic candy or glucose tablets to treat episodes of low blood sugar.

However, I think the odds of me dropping into hypoglycemia are quite small so I don't think I'll start carrying "non-dietetic candy or
glucose tablets" quite yet.

I trust that I have properly "sourced" the quoted material above...

My progress (or lack thereof) and attitude changes...

On 13 June 2005, my health insurance company (I feel silly calling them a "provider") sent out a letter advertising a free Diabetics Help Service. This would amount to a nurse calling me once a month to see how I'm doing. Well, my first reaction was "I'm doing fine and that I don't need any hand holding from a nurse". Then, I got to thinking that maybe I did. I didn't spend any time trying to figure out why; I figured the answers would come to me if I just waited. I called their number and set up an appointment. I wasn't convinced that I needed it but I was willing to check it out. I did not want to have someone ragging me about my weight or my inability to reduce it. (Kind of a flashback to all those years in the Navy fighting my weight problems.) This morning, at work, I heard my boss talking about someone he knew who had diabetics and ate what he wanted. This friend had a job that keep him on the road a lot so the man ate a lot of fast food. Apparently, he is on the verge of losing a foot and doesn't want to (no shit?). I mentioned how my youngest brother and my father had both lost legs because they had not taken their diabetics seriously. Then, I said "that is the scarey thing" and meant it. That got me thinking that maybe I should be taking my diabetics more seriously. True, I walk religiously (half hour to an hour a day) and try to control what I drink and have basically gone on the wagon. Still, I weighed myself yesterday and if I read the clinic scale correctly, I've gained four (4) pounds! The first several months, I was eating God Awful mixtures of vegetables and small amounts of meat (chicken or beef or pork) and wasn't losing weight. I find that I've settled back into a "more normal diet". Alas! We had our every-other-Thursday-lunch-for-those-working-the-day-shift luncheon. For the second time, I made homemade vanilla ice cream. My chilli, soups, etc. have never gotten a decent reception at work but my ice cream went over verybig. Very big indeed! 6 cups of whipped cream 2 cups 2% milk 1.5 cups sugar 2 tablespoon Vanilla extract Mix the whole lot very throughly and freeze in a mixer. This was very discouraging given that I was thinking that I felt like I'd lost weight last week. Isuppose I really need that nurse after all... When she calls, I'm doing to tell her about the walking and the inability to lose weight. Maybe she can send me a low cal, lose weight, diabetic friendly diet. I know that I'll "bitch mightily" (an Abraham Lincoln quote, I think...) but it might help save my life. At least, I'll be able to hear Dr. Hosteller tell me that I've lost weight when I go in for a blood test in late August (2005).

Bad foods that have now been rehabilitated...

Eat fiber" for breakfast, etc.

Here are some once bad foods that are now supposedly good for you". This list includes eggs and dark choclate. Maybe the joke in that old Woody Alan movie about choclate sundaes being great for you had more truth in it that we thought at the time...

Ways to prevent or at least to reduce the chances of developing cancer...

Here are nine (9) "helpful hints" on ways to prevent cancer. Well, if not prevent cancer, then at
least to reduce the odds of developing these diseases.