Feelings...I mean Poetry

I love to eat!

Eating is such a useless, futile habit.

We are a country of obese devouring

rabid, over-consuming, digesting, so and so’s.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat!

Today I had a tuna-tub, a giant cookie, a large

soda, and a five ounce bag of chips. What a

feast. I’m still hungry.

When I was younger I ate to live, never for

taste. I felt better, food tasted better,

I looked better. Hold on while I take a bite

of this tuna-sub.  A mouthful of chips.

There. Satisfied!

New Year ’s Day is twenty-one days away, and I

plan to start a brand new resolution. Lose

weight, or burst.

Sorry

I hear your words -- Not!

Respect is what you think you got.

You only manage to confuse the issues.

My head and mind are above you.

I’m not in the clouds where you stay.

Your feelings are cutting through my heart.

I realize that we must part.

‘Cuz, respect is what you think you got -- Not!

Now, think of what is said and done.

That knife of a tongue you wield so clear,

listen to what you say my dear,

And sorry ain't one of those I hear.

I don't want your sympathy,

I can cry without it,

You and your sorry just don't cut it,

Something you think you got, Respect -- Not!

TEN THINGS ABOUT ME, OKAY A FEW MORE THAT 10…

I'm stuck, again, with writing one of my stories, well, actually an outline. I got a new idea for a new story and have been trying to outline for the last couple of days. I got a little bit done today, but I am still stuck. I thought that if I had a large cup of coffee and a HOT brownie I could put more words down on paper – computer screen. Well, that didn’t really work but I did come up with something else I could write about – me, sort of.

A few things you may not know about, well, since most people, online, know nothing about me anyway, I found 10 things, or more, that I am willing to post. Ten things, (or more if can think of them.)

1. I am a big sports fan. I love sports, well just Baseball, football and college basketball and football, golf, and tennis.
2. I am very active. I still play softball, bowl, golf, ride my bike just about every day, walk 5 miles every other day, and run on the odd days, I go camping, I love to kayak and I am in a ski club, a very active club.
3. I am an extrovert, introvert. Meaning I love giving parties (17 years of Super Bowl parties). However, I also enjoy being here, alone, at home, by myself either writing, or watching sports on the boob tube.
4. I meditate.
5. I am a vegetarian. I haven’t had red meat in 35 years. I was a pescatarian for 10 of those years (when I was married)
6. I am a cat person. I have two cats, one who is sitting in my lap as I type this list. At one time, with my first wife, we had nine cats!
7. I am a dreamer. Have been since I was in my teens.  Most of my stories, that I outlined, as of today, 52 outlines, I dreamt about way back then. I had a dream the other night and, hence the new outline I am stuck on, today.
8. I love to talk. It’s hard for me to end a conversation.
9. I would rather pick up the phone and call my friends and family. (They never call, though).
10. I love to laugh. I watch more funny things on the boob tube than anything else.
11. I’m have a need to know, so I watch the news more often than not.
12. I’m retired.    
13. I have a 129 IQ… Okay, I took that test 40 some odd years ago, but hey, it still works for me.
14. I love word games. My mother was a scrabble master and it rubbed off on me.
15. I’m a cancer survivor.
16. I am now a writer and Author!

Now that I think about I have many, many more things about me, but I am also a very private person – naw, not really.

Now available on Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K7KLBWO

For ten years, Russell McElroy has been down on his luck, after a meeting with a couple of college football players who sent him to the hospital for a couple of months. Russell then decided to travel the country and seek his fortune. He meets a wanderer named Marty Jackson and they spend those years traveling and living outdoors. 
One day, in the remote countryside, a fireball falls from the sky and lands close by. Inside the meteor, they find a Golden Box, but unbeknownst to Russell it is a portal to a prison planet. He is then drawn into the portal. However, in order for him to escape, he must learn magic or die trying. 

Now on Sale!

My First Sci-Fi novel is now on sale @ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K706RPK  -pick it up today!! #novel #writers #writer #gottawrite #scifi

Marketing for the 21st century

I just realized something, just this very minute, out of the blue; I joined Facebook, Twitter, and a couple other Social Networks to interact, network and see if I can use these platforms to sell my books. The 21^st century way to market most thing, especially books.

Considering that is so very hard to get an agent or pitch your works, novels, screenplays to a publishing company. Many, many years ago while attending a college course on marketing, I was told; “you can’t get a book published without an agent and you can’t get an agent if you are not published. I see as of today, it still rings true.

Hence, joining social media groups. But, what I have noticed the most and disturbing thing…if you get thousands and thousands of followers in the same venue, writers, your chances of networking is great. HOWEVER, I am finding out, of those thousands of followers, they don’t want to buy your book; they want you to buy their books!

So, the vicious circle continues in the writing world for us novices, us amateur, us beginning, us retired wanna be authors.  The writing world is crowded, indeed, and there has got to be a better way. I have received quite a few suggestions and as funny as that is, I have tried all of them before they were suggestions, go figure.

So much more to do so little time. I will continue to write and hope for the best.

Mother's Day is May 11th

Mother's day is May 11th. My first book of poems, My Mother's Garden is now available on Amazon.com Kindle Edition for $2.99 -- also released in print, now on sale for $9.00. http://tinyurl.com/m3t2bvw

While you are there you can pick up my second book of poems, The Path to my Reflections: My Life in Poems - The art of life, love and happiness in paperback for $11.69. http://tinyurl.com/kdl7t7y

Get your copies today!

The Bucket List...or things that I will probably do anyway.

I’ve noticed that just about everyone, now a days, is putting together a bucket list. I was first aware of this “list” when I first saw that movie “Bucket List” way back in 2007. The more I think about it, it never occurred to me to find things to do before I die.

I’m sure there are millions of things to do, but being the age that I am now, I think I have done just about all the things I wanted to do in my life. Yes, of course there are a few more things that I could probably put on this so-called list.

Heck, I figure that my daughter-in-law, who is thirty something can do it why not me. There a few things that I really don’t care about any more like air travel, for instance, unless I am the pilot. Been there, done that. Besides, I am truly afraid of flying. I did most that when I was younger, but times have changed, I think for the worst as far as air travel is concerned.

But, I guess I could throw in a few places I would still love to go to. I mean I’ve gone white water rafting a few times, canoed rivers, backpacked and hiked trails, driven across the country several times and I do want to do that again. My list may be weird but it’s what I want to do before I die, my Bucket List.

1.      Publish my first novel

2.      publish my first short story

3.      publish my second short story.

4.      Have my first fictional autobiography, DAP traditionally published

5.      Finish my third novel, ROB

6.      Finish my fourth novel, Gate 4

7.      Finish my fifth novel, C-Med

8.      Finish my sixth novel, White Lake

9.      Finish my seventh novel, Pole

10.  Finish those 45 sci-fi stories I outlined 20 years ago

The list above I want to finish before I do the other things on my list.

11.  Meet every woman I have known through the internet…wait, I did that already, but heck I’ll have to do that again.

12.  Learn how to make beer

13.  Learn how to fly a plane

14.  Learn how to pilot a sail boat

15.  Learn Spanish, for real! I had it in High school, collage, a Spanish speaking friend and I still can’t speak Spanish.

16.  Take the train to Montreal

17.  Learn how to ball room dance

18.  Learn how to play the piano – I took lessons once, so long ago

19.  See a Full solar eclipse

20.  Bowl a 300 – I rolled a 299

21.  Hit a home run in softball, over the fence -- I’ve had an inside the park home run, but…

22.  Go to a Detroit Tigers game in every city they play

23.  See Mount Rushmore

24.  See the Northern Lights

25.  Learn to snowboard

26.  Run the Warrior Dash

27.  Run a half marathon

28.  Heck, run a 5k

29.  RV across the USA

30.  Drive to Alaska – a long time dream

31.  Finally, do at least one orbit of the Earth in someone’s rocket ship.

The Starving writer continues...

I am putting the finishing the final touches to my short story. This is just a draft of what the cover will look like. I should be ready to publish by the end of this week! One of these days I will be able to eat steak and lobster, caviar again!

Let's get ready to...Publish!

Finally, the cover for my first novel is finished! Getting ready to publish. Now, I have to read and edit my story one more time!

KARMA is a...

Karma

I tend not to talk about other people, even though they may have done something stupid or hurtful. I do think about it at great lengths, though. And I really never thought about the word Karma, I always called it, “what goes around comes around.” But, in my lifetime I have never really see cause or effect on that thought.

            During those times, many, many years ago I never wished something like karma or something bad to any person on my bad side. But, way too many times I have heard it from other people. And the more I think about it I can’t see that anything “bad” has happened to me because of something that I did to someone else, in my past, per se. To which, I really try my hardest not to do bad thing to other people, regardless.

            I look back on my life and have come to the conclusion that I have lived the ‘status quo’ for most of my life. But I am, and have been very cautious a great many times in my life, because I have enjoyed doing many adventurous things, not crazy things, though.

            Is it karma, though?  For most of my life I figured that I could truly never have a relationship because of how I was raised, even though I came from a large family but, my mother and father fought like Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali throughout my early life. I never wanted to ever argue with anyone, especially women, like my parents did.

            So, I spent most of my 20s only having so called, ‘one night stands’. In my late 20s I got married but, that lasted a mere 10 years. I have now been divorced (single) for just about 24 years. So, I went back to those ‘one night stands’ for those 23 and a half years, fearing a relationship.

             Now, as I look back, I can see that a few of those women may have gotten hurt because they wanted more and I felt that I couldn’t give more so I moved on. But, did karma get me in the end? Maybe…In June of 2006 I had my prostate removed and now my sex life is kaput. So, I feel, a relationship is out of the question.

            Why do I say this? In that short time I have only met one woman who understood what I was going through and she stood by me. But a relationship with her was out of the question, mainly because of her lifestyle. She had a bad, a very bad case of the MEs!

            So, when I tried to have, find someone to have a relationship with and told them my problem I was left holding the rose. So, I decided to enjoy life, the life of being single. I kind of feel better about it, but I do miss a few things, maybe a relationship. Karma! I guess you could say that was introduced into my life, but thank goodness it didn’t become a bitch, as they say about Karma.

            But, I digress, just a tiny bit. What brought up Karma…I was talking to an old friend, who worked with me years ago. We retired from our job and he went and moved to a southern state.

            Anyway, a person, who worked with both of us, came into question. My story; in 1990, in one of the buildings I worked in, there were two people on days and 14 on the night shift, I worked the day shift. Sometimes, if I worked overtime and had to stay late I would punch in the shift coming in and they would punch me out.

            One of the guys had called me, I can’t remember his name or what we were talking about, but it came up that he was coming in and I mentioned to him to punch me out and I would punch everyone in. He said that he wouldn’t but he still wanted me to punch him in. I told him I wouldn’t punch him in and he flew off the hammer.

            Anyway, I found out that this guy, who use to be a friend (or just a co-worker that I had known for years) hated me with fervor. In 2000 my mother passed away. I was told by a co-worker, that this person told them, ‘he didn’t care and he wished that it was me who died’.           

            To this day I cannot figure out what set this person off towards hating with that kind of ache. Around 1995 I heard that he had cancer and died that year. Karma? Maybe…     

            I guess that’s got me thinking about Karma today. maybe it was karma that intervened into my life or it was just some zealous doctor that was trying out a new technique that removes one’s prostate without being overtly invasive. Or Karma?

Resolutions, again? I hope not.

            I know that everyone has kind of heard it before, and I just read something that kind of baffles me, to a small degree; "resolutions are for quitters". That is just plain and simple hogwash, BS, silly and a few other words I can’t think right now. Resolutions take a lot of effort and resolve to accomplish and you have to start somewhere.

            But, on the other hand, I really don’t do resolutions in the first place. I mean I can make stuff up as I go along but I gotta stick to it to make it work. I am not going to do things like, say, go to the gym and stick with it or save more money. Either you are going to do it or you are not. And I usually forget by the end of the month anyway.

            I would have made something up yesterday but, I had to take my son to the Airport. He and his wife are going on an Asian tour. A dream trip for me, one day, one day. Anyway, yesterday, after the airport, and it was snowing heavily and I live about 50 miles away from the airport, I had to make it back to catch the Red Wings play their winter classic game. Then the Rose Bowl came on right after that. A really Busy day for me.

            Well, the Michigan State Spartans finally won the Rose Bowl after 20 some odd years. GO GREEN!! Other than that it has been snow for the last 48 hours and it’s still snow, now. I say let snow…considering that my snow thrower it on the fritz.

But, I still decided to make a something similar to a resolution, in fact a few affirmations that I think will help throughout this year and I am going to stick with them, through thick and thin.

1.      WRITE. The biggest of them all, write and keep writing. I just finished one of my novels this past December and I finished editing it and I just have to read it a couple more times to make sure it’s right for publication. Or I will find an editor that won’t strip my skin off  if I can’t pay what they want. That motivated me when I finished. It’s part of a series of novels, five novels, that I would love to finish, heck, this year, if I can. But the goal it to WRITE THEM. Write, write, and write!

2.      READ. This goal is a twofold type of thing. In order to write I have to READ more. In the long ago past I was reading a book a week, sometimes two books a week, but I was reading nonetheless. And it helped, back then, with my writing. Now I must do it again. I purchased a Nexus 7 tablet this past November, just to have a modicum of entertainment.  And I put my Kindle account onto it. I had it on my cell phone, but even with my glasses the words were just too small to read. And to make me ever so happy, I found a site that finds free eBooks to read! Lucky me. Read, read, and read!!

3.      I know one shouldn’t use the word ‘try’ because if you try it just gets harder to accomplish. In the words of the master Yoda, and I’m paraphrasing here, “don’t try, either you do or you do not. There is no Try.” Anyway, I am going to try and write at least one post in my blog page at least twice a week. Not try, but Do!

4.      Complete the three short stories I have, kind of, finished. Or at least finish editing them.

5.      Find a publisher (maybe and agent) to publish my tomes

6.      Learn how to market my books. I have self-published two books and they languish in purgatory waiting from me to have them sold. Total sales, 40 and I have given away a few that I could have sold. But, that is another goal for this year.

I might really have to do something dramatic and drastic. Of course that is what got me thinking, I saw that someone else had tried it and I really shouldn’t, maybe? Why don’t I finish my screenplays and put it up for auction on eBay? Starting price; $10,000. Then I can see what happens. Hey it’s a start, and I gotta start somewhere. If, and I mean, IF, that works out, I will have to finished my other screenplays. Those will be the next to up for auction.

            There you go, resolutions or actions that I have to do, again, this year. I know one thing, I gotta stop talking about it and do IT! I am at the pinnacle of my life and I have to make do and not fail. That is in no way quitting, it’s starting again, because I don’t do resolutions.

They have Feelings too...

This has never happened to me, before. But, are my cats getting more perceptive, can they read our minds as they get older? Do they have empathy for those that feed them, house them, and befriend them? Or, are they just cats? Aloof, detached, just wanting to be left alone until they need something like food or your lap heat?

This morning I woke up to a tummy ache, more like painful gas. I went shopping last week and forgot to get some veggies of any kind. I did manage to get a ton of beans. Veggie baked beans, white bean, kidney beans, 16 bean soups and some pasta. But no vegetables. So, I have had beans just about every day this week. And today it has backed me up.

I have been on a vegetarian diet for the last 19 months (considering that I haven’t had any red meat for 33 years) and at times it gets boring, to say the least. I just have to stay away from sweets and beer…but of course I digress…

I was feeling very  bad this morning and as I was going to go out and do my morning walk/run I decided that I was going to just lie down for at least an hour, hoping that I might feel better then.

Five minutes after I laid down my cat Tom came up the stairs and hopped onto the bed with me. Normally he usually he very vocal but for some different reason he just sat next to me and pawed my shirt right about where the pain was in my tummy. He pulled my shirt up and just looked under, looking for what I can’t say. This went on for maybe two or three minutes more. 

He then climbed on to my stomach and proceeded to go to sleep, as cats seem to most of the time. Now, unlike his brother, Jerry, who weighs 22 pounds, Tom is only 12 pounds. But, his heavy butt is still heavy on my belly. I gave him a long back rub and he then climbed down curled up next to me, I then fell asleep. I woke 90 minutes later feeling a little better, Tom still by my side.

But, when I woke up he decided to leave me and I decided to get up and do something else, since it was past my usual running time, like rake up the last, I hoped, of those leaves.

Anyway, that was kind of a first, but Tom, I feel is kind of empathic, to a small degree. He still won’t come to me when I call but as of late (I think because it getting colder) he has been spending a lot of time sitting in my lap as has Jerry, to which they avoided during the summer. I would guess it is too hot to sit in my lap.

I’m getting a lot of feeling with Tom though, they both turned eight years old this past October, middle age for cats. And Tom and I chat a lot, like I said, Tom is very vocal. Sometimes he yells at me and other times I have figured out that, as usual, what all cats want, he just wants to be fed. Well that works for me.

I do want to know, though, as they age, do they, my cats, really know my feelings, whether good or bad, in pain or not? I think they care, a little or at least Tom does. I know for a fact that Jerry is selfish, and arrogant, he thinks he is the Alpha cat in this house. Thank goodness I have a vacuum cleaner!

G.A.M.E

Who was the best James Bond

Hey guys, guess who's in another episode of G.A.M.E. this week! The latest episode asks who is the best 007? He's one of the most recognizable characters in cinema with 23 films under his belt. His introduction is legendary but now the panel tries to figure out who is the best James Bond. Make sure you subscribe so you'll know when new episodes are made available. Follow us on Twitter @gameshowchat Email us: gameshowchat@gmail.com Share this with your friends and make sure to leave your comments, suggestions and requests for topics below!

Check it out!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbgj2hym03U

The G.A.M.E

GAME

The newest episode is up now! Join in on the discussion here: http://youtu.be/r7veeqeoWq8?a

G.A.M.E., for the anime and game fans

G.A.M.E.

Ok all of you anime fans out there, here's one for you. The panel takes a good look at anime and asks, "Why is anime these days so weak?" Be sure to subscribe so you won't miss new episodes when they are released. Follow us on Twitter @gameshowchat Email us: gameshowchat@gmail.com And make sure to leave your comments, suggestions and requests for topics below!

Don't forget to like us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/GAME/2...

                                                            check out the latest video at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwryjtycruU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Assassination attempt #256

Assassination attempt #256: At 4:03 am, this cold morning -- I forgot to close my window again, thank goodness for my down blanket -- my nose was stopped up so I figured I'd turn over onto my left side, I knew it would clear that up. My cat Tom was sleeping at my feet so I could not turn over. So I pulled my leg up and immediately  I got a cramp in my hamstring, so I sat up to rub it out. But, my back had been hurting, for the last couple of days and I was forced to lay back down, darn near passed out from the twin pains! Three minutes later the pain subsided and I finally turned over. In the meantime Tom yawned and went back to sleep, he knew his plan failed...

 

Preventing Hormone Therapy Side Effects

Posted: 21 May 2013 01:45 PM PDT

BY MARK SCHOLZ, MD

Side effects vary from patient to patient and are influenced by types of testosterone inactivation pharmaceuticals (TIP) used, and by the duration of treatment. However, a number of interventions are available that can substantially reduce these adverse side effects.

Loss of Libido

Libido is an emotional attraction to the opposite sex (in most cases). Libido is not the same thing as potency, which is defined as the ability to get an erection. TIP causes loss of libido about 90% of the time.  Libido returns when TIP is stopped though some men say libido after TIP is chronically diminished. Loss of libido and the cessation of sexual activity has wide ranging ramifications far beyond the intended scope of this blog. Specialists in sexual counseling are available and can be of great assistance.

Erectile Atrophy

Whether or not couples continue to have sexual intercourse after treatment, we counsel men to induce daily erections to counteract the risk of penis shrinkage. Cialis or Viagra should be taken daily.  If this fails to restore the normal pattern of nighttime erections then either a vacuum pump or injection therapy should be considered. 

Muscle Atrophy

Muscle mass can be maintained with a strength training program. Walking, aerobics, and stretching are healthy but accomplish little toward building muscle mass. Strength training that is effective requires a program similar to that undertaken by body builders.  Ideally, strength training requires a minimum of two, one-hour sessions weekly during which all the major muscle groups are exercised: Pectorals, Deltoids, Biceps, Triceps, Latissimus dorsi, Upper and lower back muscles, Abdominals, Gluteus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Calf muscles. Three sets of 10-12 repetitions should be undertaken with weight selected to result in muscle failure toward the end of the third set.

Fatigue and Lassitude

Tiredness and weakness from TIP are a direct result of muscle loss and reversible with strength training. Strength training is very effective for counteracting fatigue. Men who begin strength training when they initiate TIP will not only forestall tiredness, they can actually increase their strength.

Osteoporosis

TIP causes accelerated calcium loss from the bones, termed osteoporosis. Untreated bone loss can result in hip and spine fractures. Osteoporosis can be prevented with medications such as Prolia, Xgeva, Zometa, Boniva, Actonel and Fosamax which should be initiated when TIP is started.  See the booklet titled Osteoporosis available** soon at www.prostateoncology.comfor further details. 

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes occur in about two-thirds of men on TIP. When severe, a progesterone injection (depo provera) can dramatically reduce hot flashes. Other prescription medications, which are effective about half the time, are low dose Effexor, a medication approved for the treatment of depression, and Neurontin, a medication approved to prevent seizures. Transdermal estrogen patches are very effective but sometimes cause breast enlargement or nipple tenderness.

Weight Gain

TIP slows metabolism causing weight gain. Keeping a stable weight is easier than trying to lose weight. It is wise to evaluate your diet at the time of starting TIP to see if fat and sugar intake can be reduced. See the brochure about diet from the PCRI for more details.

Breast Growth

Breast growth (even without estrogen patches) occurs frequently in men treated with Casodex monotherapy and less frequently, about one-third of the time, in men treated with other forms of TIP. If there is any evidence for breast growth or nipple tenderness, therapy with an estrogen blocking pill called Femara should be started immediately.  Alternatively, a short course of radiation to the nipples can be administered prior to starting TIP. 

Anemia

Blood is a mixture of red cells and "serum" (water). When the proportion of red cell is diminished it is termed anemia. Severe anemia can cause shortness of breath. Milder degrees cause fatigue. Anemia reverses when TIP is stopped. If anemia is severe, it can be corrected with a medication called Aranesp. Iron is not beneficial.

Arthritis

Joint pains particularly in the hands but sometimes in other joints are common and often improve with glucosamine, Motrin or Celebrex.

Liver Changes

Casodex and Flutamide occasionally cause serious liver problems. This is detected by blood tests that need to be done routinely after starting TIP. The problem is easily reversible if detected early and the medication is stopped. 

Mood Swings

Men on TIP occasionally mention increased intensity in their emotions. Some find this effect unpleasant whereas others enjoy it. For men with the former attitude, low doses of medications such as Zoloft or Paxil can reverse the unpleasant feelings.

Final Thoughts

My general impression after many years treating men with TIP is that treatment is quite tolerable if side effects are expertly managed. Preventative measures such as weight lifting and diet are critically important. Checking blood tests for anemia and liver function is essential. Side effects like joint pains, hot flashes, depression, emotional swings, breast enlargement and impotence can be greatly reduced with judicious medical care.

 

**email us to receive Osteoporsis booklet -- mail@prostateoncology.com

Helping our Youth Find Their Voice

Created by Stephanie Bryan on May 16, 2013

WALDORF, MDVolunteer & Service

 0

I Am Who I Am is the name of the company. I am starting a non-profit for youth in the DC, MD, and VA area. I Am Who I Am provides mentoring programs for middle and high school youth in the DMV area. The program will form partnerships with local school districts and the juvenile court system. I Am Who I Am's goal is to foster a commitment to young teens that will promote self-esteem, build strong interpersonal skills, finding their inner voice, and reassert a sense of hope in the future. Only through personal relationships can a sense of individual responsibility be reestablished that will give youth the commitment to follow through on a path to adulthood with a sense of pride and accomplishment. But first they need to find that inner voice that has been lost. Through repeated failures in the classroom or home and the development of destructive habits, at-risk young teens have lost faith in the possibilities that await them if they are successful in putting their lives together. To accomplish this goal, young teens must be in a caring, loving, and inclusive learning environment that promotes their best effort and reinforces personal respect on how they view themselves and life. They need to know they are valued, respected, believed, and know that someone is in their corner. WE are teachers, speakers, mentors, and most of all FRIENDS. I do this out of my own pocket, it is getting expensive, and our youth are dying. I am a doctorate student and hopefully will graduate this year. Any donation you can do will help reach our youth. I thank you in advance, and God bless.

 

 

http://www.gofundme.com/iamwhoiammd

 

Men’s Health, The Big Picture

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Men’s Health, The Big Picture

BY MARK SCHOLZ, MD

As a specialist in prostate cancer, I am in constant contact with men who are exerting prodigious efforts to get appropriate treatment for their disease. However, as many people are learning, low-risk forms of prostate cancer rarely lead to death.  Therefore, I am concerned that many men are missing the big picture regarding their overall health.  They have a greater risk of dying from other causes than from prostate cancer (Table 1).  Many of these common diseases are preventable by early detection.
The obvious place to start is with an annual physical with standard blood tests. Testing should include evaluation of liver and kidney function, mineral levels in the blood, evaluation of vitamin and hormone levels and testing for anemia and serum glucose. The specific blood tests are explained in more detail athttp://prostateoncology.com/files/pdf/Standard_Laboratory_Tests.pdf

Heart Disease, the #1 Killer
The root cause of heart disease is cholesterol plaque, otherwise known as “hardening of the arteries” or atherosclerosis. Cholesterol infiltrating the arterial wall causes inflammation and scaring. Over time, scar tissue becomes calcified.  When plaque progresses to arterial blockage, a heart attack occurs. Similarly, a stroke occurs if an artery supplying blood to the brain is blocked.

Only Scans Can Measure Plaque
Cholesterol blood tests answer the question, “How much cholesterol is floating in the blood? ”The real question that needs to be answered is, “How much cholesterol is sticking to the wall of the artery?”  Modern CT scans accurately measure coronary plaque with a dose of radiation similar to a set of dental X-rays. Color Doppler ultrasound measures plaque in the carotid arteries leading to the brain without any radiation exposure at all.

What if Plaque is Detected?
1. Obtain an exercise stress treadmill
2. Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
3. Inhibit blood coagulation with aspirin and fish oil
4. Follow a sensible diet and exercise regularly 

Osteoporosis
With age, bones weaken from calcium loss. Osteoporosis is mistakenly thought to occur only in women.  However, one-third of hip fractures occur in men of advanced age.  Bone fractures have dire consequences associated with shortened survival, chronic pain and loss of height. Causes of osteoporosis include over-actively of the thyroid or parathyroid glands, excessive alcohol, caffeine or tobacco. Cortisone use, excess vitamin A, lack of exercise and vitamin D deficiency are additional potential causes. Hormone therapy used to treat prostate cancer can also cause osteoporosis.

Only Scans Can Detect Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis needs to be identified and treated before a fracture occurs. There are two types of scanning technology used to detect osteoporosis, DEXA and QCT. While both types of scan are accurate in women, only QCT is accurate in men.  In men, DEXA seriously underestimates the degree of osteoporosis. 

Osteoporosis Treatment Protocol 1. Calcium 500 mg with dinner or at bedtime
2. Vitamin D 1,000 units daily.  Adjust dosage according to measured blood levels
3. Weight bearing exercise 4. Consider prescription medication with Fosamax, Boniva or Prolia
  
Colon Cancer 
Colon cancer is easily curable when detected early. Screening can be accomplished with colonoscopy (a scope performed by a physician called a gastroenterologist), or with a CT scan, which is termed a virtual colonoscopy. 

Beware of Sarcopenia Muscle mass and strength automatically decline with age. Studies in otherwise healthy individuals indicate that poor fitness is more dangerous than smoking! Table 2 shows the dramatic difference in predicted 10-year survival of men age 65 depending on their fitness level. Muscle loss can be prevented with regular exercise consisting of weight training for an hour twice a week.

Lung Cancer Smokers who forgo lung scans are taking a huge risk. Lung cancer is almost universally fatal if diagnosed after symptoms such as cough, chest pain, or weight loss appear. CT scans can detect small lung cancers at an early stage when it can still be surgically removed and cured.  Smokers (and any ex-smokers who quit in the last 10-15 years) are crazy not to spring for $300 each year to have a lung scan done. 

Flu and Pneumonia Flu is easily recognized by the sudden onset of fever, sore throat and body aches. Most people know about vaccines but forget that Tamiflu, an antibiotic, is effective if started within 24 hours of initial symptoms. The risk of pneumonia can be reduced by Pneumovax given every ten years. It is recommended for men who are over age 65 or who have a chronic illness. 

Conclusion The screening and early prevention program outlined in this article relies more heavily on scans, vaccines and prescription pharmaceuticals than many men would prefer. However, the serious health conditions listed above have a propensity to incubate silently until the day they suddenly explode on the scene as a full-blown disaster. The old aphorism, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” certainly applies when there is an opportunity to detect and prevent life-threatening illness at the earliest possible stage. 

I Love Popcorn!

            I like popcorn, no, I love popcorn. I have the feeling that I am addicted to popcorn. Sometimes I feel that I can’t get enough. I noticed that at a local CVS they sell popcorn for a dollar a box. Well, I purchased a couple of boxes and took them home for a feast. When I opened the box, put it in the microwave, fired it up, I noticed, after it finished popping, the bag was half the size of a regular bag of microwaved popcorn. I was horrified.

            Of course I got over it quite quickly, though I never had more than one bag a day. I am guessing more than that constitutes an addiction, which I don’t, have contrary to anything I might had said prior. Anyway, last year I use to go to Costco and buy those boxes of Orville Redenbacher popcorn, the 48 count kind.       

            The only problem I had with Redenbacher popcorn, it never fully popped all the kernels. So, there’d always be bunch of un-popped kernels in the bag, and I hated that. Could’ve broken a tooth or something. Then I remembered Act II popcorn. That was the popcorn that I ate at work, most of the time because it’s what they sold in the vending machines.

            I knew they sold it at Kroger and I really had to change my mind because it was cheaper than Redenbacher’s popcorn. So, I stuck with Act II for a while but it too seemed to have many of those un-popped kernels in the bag.

            Last year or so I thought I’d try Kroger’s popcorn, only because it was way cheaper than both of the other popcorns they sold. I was truly amazed when I popped it because out of every bag, 99.9 percent of the kernels were popped! I would like to say there are usually one or two kernels in the bag when I finished… but not really, I have a really bad memory most of the time, ok, I never count. In fact, I just counted the kernels in the bag I just finished a few moments ago and there were seven un-popped kernels in it. Really, that is a better count than the expensive popcorns.

            I just noticed today that I still have some old-style popcorn, the kind that you put in a pan, with a touch of oil, and shake it over a flame. I have the feeling that I better use it or it won’t pop. I’ve tried a few times in the past and one time it worked and another time it didn’t pop at all, considering that both of those jars of popcorn are over, well, quite a few years old. But with that type of popcorn you can use all the ingredients you have at hand.

            And I always like to put grated Parmesan cheese and or garlic and or onion salt on my popcorn. But, those were the days. I wonder do they still make Jiffy-pop? Well, I guess they do. I just Googled it and there still is a product called Jiffy-pop, go figure. When I got out on my own, that was my main staple, that and anything Mickey D’s, and beer.

            And, don’t get me started on Movie Popcorn. I go to the movies just to get the popcorn, but to be honest not with a lot of movie butter. I hate the messy, greasy mess. So, I usually get it without the butter. Some movie houses usually have some sort of spice or cheese that you can add to your popcorn. I love those places, but there are none close by my house. With or without, movie popcorn is great!

            Chances are tonight, during the baseball game I am going to have a bag of Kroger popcorn, Kettle corn, heck it was only a dollar a box so I got a couple and I am going to enjoy the baseball with a smile as I snack on my popcorn.