Balcangrad (He's back!)

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I hope you are not seriously ill !?!? Other then a urine or blood tests for a physical, other tests are not really prescribed unless they can't figure out what is causing the problem. Personally I think that poop tests should be done more often - our poop can tell a lot about our body from its color, composition, smell they can determine what the bacteria count is like, if there are parasites or other viruses and bacteria, tell how your body processes nutrients etc. I just think in general people find it an awkward subject never mind messy to collect a sample. I hope your tests help the Doctors to resolve your situation.

[galled]

He's baaaaack!

Hey, Balcan! How are you?

[Balcan]

I'm alright now. Thank you for your concern. I messed up my metabolism because there was a period where I had no appetite at all and barely ate. There were days where I almost crapped myself inside out but I'll spare those details unless you're very interested.

Practice makes perfect. In Russia people would bring their turds in little matchboxes so kits have gotten much more convenient.

You can call me Mihailo, that feels more natural than a username. How have you all been?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Good to hear you are feeling better Mihailo, our microbiome is so important to maintain and keep up the good bacteria. Do you eat Kimchi or sauerkraut at all? They are full of good probiotics. I hope you have lots of energy now.

With all your personal experience maybe you should study for the medical field. I wish Doctors had more personal experience so that they could not only relate but be more perceptive. It seems harder to find a Doctor - and I have insurance.

well, I caught the virus going around a few weeks ago but seem much better now, just a few residuals lingering on. The whole thing with the Zika virus gets me wondering because it has flu like symptoms.

[Balcan]

Thank you. I hope you recover soon. Were you diagnosed? From my understanding, zika isn't a major concern unless you're pregnant or in contact with someone who is. It leaves your body fairly quickly.

Being a doctor takes more than memorizing a textbook. It requires an analytical personality and reasoning. That's especially important in mental health work. You have to build trust with the person you're treating and that's hard to do when you can only relate medical dictionary terms to them.

I like both kimchi and sauerkraut but don't eat them on a regular basis. That's a good idea for something to cook.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

The latest article I read states the zika virus can actually hang around in your body for months, whether you exhibit symptoms or not which is why they stress for women of child bearing age not to have unprotected sex, especially if you are pregnant. No, I didn't go to the Doctor for my virus because it does seem to have been a viral thing going around but I would be curious if they did blood tests on everyone who has been complaining of symptoms to see what percentage if any may be carrying the zika. There were quite a few people in our area who went to south america this year, most specifically to Brazil for the Olympics and there has been an actual recorded case of someone having the zika virus here.

[galled]

Hey, Mihailo!

Sorry that you weren't well, but glad you're getting better. Have you discovered anything to prevent it from happening again or at least minimize the effects?

Reminds me of "Everything Comes Down to Poo" from Scrubs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BDd0XseGtU

Doing fine here. We had a little rain, which we need badly! Hopefully we'll get more this year.

[Balcan]

*checks stomach*



We're good.

I'm really not afraid of zika. I'd be cautious but I won't turn into a hypochondriac because of it.

I got some probiotics as an attempt to help until the lab figures out what's wrong with me. There isn't a big hole where my toilet would be so let's be thankful for that.

Galled, where do you live?

[galled]

Haha, "just fat."

I hate mosquitoes zika or not. Zika (and mosquitoes for that matter) seems to be controllable to some extent. I don't know how serious it is for adults, but for the infants and parents it's devastating.

Are the probiotics helping? I know a couple of people now suffering from digestive issues. I wonder if the chemicals and preservatives, etc., are catching up with all of us.

I'm in California. You're on the east coast, right Mihailo?

[Balcan]

Mosquitoes carry a plethora of diseases other than Zika (not to mention annoying) so swat them down whenever you can.

As a man who isn't planning on having children yet, it doesn't bother me because it passes. I would be concerned if someone I know had it, even if they aren't having children.

Probiotics aren't used to treat anything in particular, just for maintenance of your digestive system. I use a popular over-the-counter one. I am feeling somewhat better. There are a lot of factors here - irregular meals, starting a sleep medication, quality of food. Some people just need support for their body's systems.

That's right. Do you live in the city? California seems like it has a lot of activities but I'd still hate to live in a city for the rest of my life.

[galled]

If you're unable to eat regularly, quality of food becomes more important (especially if quantity is an issue too).

Are your sleep meds helping you? On a related question: Do your sleep meds have digestive side effects (loss of hunger)?

No, I'm out in the boonies. I did live in the two largest cities in the US in former lives, but I prefer where I am now. Knowing what I know now, I don't think I would have spent as much time in the city as I did. Don't get me wrong, the city has a lot to offer, but for me it's more of "a nice place to visit, but I don't want to live there thing" now.

[Balcan]

Hey friends.

I'm off sleep meds by choice. It's not ideal but it's enough to function and now I don't have that dependency on pills. I sleep better away from home.

Doctor said I have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is basically the "I don't know" diagnosis of the gastro world. To save you a Google search - it's characterized by unusual or irregular patterns in bowel movements, abdominal pain and bloating that is not related to any diagnosed condition. The only way to diagnose it is process of elimination of other possible disorders. They say it's linked to stress because there's nothing physically wrong with me.

Enough about my shits, how has everyone been?

[galled]

I can go both ways; sleep better away from home sometimes, but mostly not. I think a lot is because I like my pillows and have trouble adapting to most others I run across outside my home.

Sorry to hear about IBS. I know a few people who have been "diagnosed" (more like pushed aside) with it too lately. One thing that's helped is keeping a log of what they eat and through a process of elimination, have been able to reduce their problems through diet changes.

Been pretty good here. Thanksgiving was nice. We've gotten a little rain, but it's turned colder. It's warm in the day, but gets cold at night. Nothing crazy cold, but for my thin blood, it's cold.

How's the weather by you?

Any thoughts on the elections and such?

Any plans for the holidays?

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Mihailo, I forgot if you said you got tested for sleep apnea or not - poor sleep can be caused by snoring, and snoring can be from a narrow air passage due to enlarged adenoids or tonsils or from inflammation so that you aren't getting the oxygen you need. But pillows and the type of mattress you sleep on etc can affect your sleep as well. I'm trying to work on staying asleep through my sleep cycles. People don't realize how critical lack of sleep can be and what negative effects it has on the body over all.

[Balcan]

Galled: physically it's very comfortable at home. But there's a...negative energy, if you will, where I live from all the shit I've gone through with my family. Maybe I've begun to associate this house with stress and that's had an impact on my sleep. The fact is, when I'm away I can sleep and I didn't pay attention until I went away for a significant period of time.

Knowing problems can be resolved and that things can be different is a great comfort.

The weather is really inconsistent. Warm one day, cold the next and everything in between. It should be more regular now that it's technically winter.

I have opinions on the election but it doesn't concern me to the point I have thoughts about it on a daily basis, if you try to keep up with every single political event and response to it you'll go insane and have no time for things you actually enjoy and encounter every day. I read up online to stay informed. I'll tell you what I think in my next post later today because I don't have much time now. Feel free to share yours however and I'll read when I get a chance.

Lemon cheesecake: thank you for your concern and insight
I don't have sleep apnea; my insomnia was due to a withdrawal and then my whole cycle got thrown off. One of the best things you can do is try to go to sleep and wake up same time each day. And I can't stress this enough - SHUT OFF YOUR ELECTRONICS AT BEDTIME. If you can't sleep and are bored, read a book or do something that doesn't excite you. Excitement can be physical from the glow of a monitor. Relax yourself.

Everyone: how did you spend thanksgiving? Any news from your lives?