Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

My Friend:
As I wrote on yesterday’s entry, my friend Jared Milos from the Bay Area was on his way up to spend some hours with me and hang out! Well, I didn’t restring my guitars like I should have but I didn’t break a string, so, all was cool. He made it up safe and sound and my prayer is that he has returned safe and sound as well. I had a really good time just hanging out with him and watching some G3 and recording some “Jared“ bass tracks on my “works in progress”. We skipped some of the tunes which weren’t much of an inspiration and he laid down some killer stuff on the tunes he was motivated by. I haven’t played with Jared since we were in MPPC’s Sanctuary Band together back in 2002 and 2003. I don’t remember us being “the” players for the band but we scheduled in when we could and played when our schedules jived. Last night and this morning he was playing a 5 string made in Chicago which sounded impressive simply direct. I wish I could remember the name. Anyway, it was really cool to have my sprits lifted by such kind and caring company.
J, if you read this, you really blessed me and my family by coming up and spending the time here for those few hours. Breakfast was relaxing and fun, just kicking back at Annie’s and chatting.
Missy asked where your truck was when I brought her home from school. When I told her that you had left to head back down to the Bay Area, she got a sad look and said that she was bummed and that she was really looking forward to learning more about you and getting to know “..one of your good friends, daddy”.
Thanks for investing in my kids as well as me, bro.

Medical:
So I’m scheduled for an appointment with the Rheumatology department this Thursday in the morning, and though I expect little progress in that field, it will be helpful to have another check mark on the medical record as to routes we have pursued, appropriately. The ongoing pain is often prohibitive and more than inconvenient. I have not asked the HKPP list yet if folks suffer attacks in their sleep, but I have read some emails where some have woken up with paralysis already having begun, so it is my theory that I could have an abortive attack or a mild paralytic attack which then wreaks havoc on my muscles afterwards. I’m going to email the list my question and will share what I learn once the replies come through. It will be interesting to see what the case is.
As I was more or less suggesting yesterday, I’m pretty certain that I’m dealing with muscular-based pain due to the issues with the fluctuating potassium which is quite possibly caused in part by the Hyperaldosteronism, though a normal factor in HKPP cases is that the potassium deficiency is due to the person’s body’s inability to retain potassium on a cellular level. I don’t know enough yet on these conditions to know if the two can be more related than is suggested by Kaiser; that is to say that Kaiser believes that HKPP is exceptionally rare and nearly impossible to diagnose without administering a saline test or without actually causing a “controlled” attack that they would then “bring the patient back from”. Since we know that saline triggers an attack with me we cannot run that particular test (though some might wish to suggest that the result of the saline being a trigger could be considered some form of “proof”. We also know that I almost died on November 8th due to the effects of the attack I suffered that afternoon and I’m not interested whatsoever in taking that risk ever again.

At this point, there are a few different medicines available for treating, which is to say “controlling” Hyperaldosteronism and those medicines essentially simply medicinally regulate and control the adrenal gland’s output of aldosterone. I take a medicine, Spironolactone, which has a primary purposes which is regulating aldosterone and it has a secondary effect, more of a side effect, really, which is that the medicine causes the body to retain potassium longer than it would “normally” and it regulates my adrenal gland’s secretion of aldosterone which controls my body’s sodium and potassium balance.

Home Front:
CC’s mom, Nana, who lives with us, had a doctor appointment this afternoon regarding her ongoing battle with Multiple Myloma cancer and after being seen by her oncologist, was admitted into UC Davis for dehydration and reactions to the new medication she’s taking for the cancer. I’m guessing shell be in for a few days while they hydrate her and get her meds balanced out again. CC’s up there with her as is her brother Chris. Chris is who took her to the appointment this time; normally it’s CC.
If you would, be praying for God’s touch on her and in her.

Also on the home front, I replaced the alternator on the truck and after it slipped position I put it back in place but the truck’s still not showing that the battery is charging or that the alternator is working. I’m not quite sure where to go from here at this point. I expect it needs to go to a shop and be tested sooner than later. Until then, thank the Lord for battery chargers…

Well, I’m calling it a night.
More tomorrow-
peace