Yummy cereal and a new veggie!

In my efforts to be as healthy as humanly possible, I went to the farmer's market today in search of delish organic produce. Sadly, most of the farmers at the market use pesticides, making it a not-so-healthy experience after all. I did happen across a couple of organic stands, and picked up something I've never had before...a lemon cucumber! Isn't she pretty?

I am going to try to pick up something new every time I go...I also went to the Co-op and got a few new fruits (I forget what they're called...one is a melon and the other was a type of plum or apricot or pluot...I don't remember, but I'm sure they'll be amazing!). As for the cereal I made today...super delish! Here's the recipe:

Mo's Awesome Breakfast Cereal
1 cup or so of fresh organic berries
1 T freshly ground flax seed
1/4 cup or so of chopped raw walnuts
1 T of hemp seeds
1 T raw shredded coconut
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp cacao nibs (optional)
1/3 cup raw granola (optional)
Almond milk

It's so good! I just realized a drizzle of agave nectar or honey would be super yummy too!

In other news, I took my third shot of Interferon on Friday night. I slept like a rock, then had another loooong nap on Saturday. Happily, I don't work any Saturdays for the next 6 weeks, so I can get a feel for how the medication affects me. If I keep up my napping habit, I'm going to have to tell my manager I can't work Saturdays, but would really rather keep things on the down-low until I get hired into a permanent position.

Off to clean the house before I totally run out of steam!
Mo

Homestead Mo

When one makes green juice, one goes through the vegetables in a big way. For example, my absolute most favorite juice that I would like to drink every day has 4-5 carrots, 4 stalks celery, one apple and one lemon. I am constantly going to the Co-Op for carrots, celery and lemons! I buy the apples in bigger quantities b/c they last a while, but even when I buy the 5 lb bag of carrots, I am still always running to the store! And some juices take a whole head of romaine plus a bunch of other stuff...so while it is a great way to pack in massive amounts of nutrients, it is rather time/money consuming.

So...I am planting vegetables! Tom took out two or three rose bushes that were getting all our great vegetable-growing sun and I planted romaine, broccoli, swiss chard and onion in that spot. Yesterday at Home Depot we bought a wine barrel planter and in that I planted some other lettuce (butter maybe?), chives and some other kind of onion. I also picked up some carrot seeds. I need to find a pot or two and get those babies going...apparently carrots around here do better in pots b/c the soil is so dense.

Once we get our bathroom/plumbing project finished, I'll have another area in the back that gets pretty decent morning sun...might be able to plant something there...not sure. The tree in the yard has gotten so big that it's casting a lot of shade, which would ordinarily be a good thing!

Aaaand, for our anniversary we planted a Meyer Lemon tree...he's a little dwarf tree and so cute! No lemons yet and probably won't get any until the spring, I'm guessing...especially if he gets cold over the winter. He looks pretty hearty though...a fighter! Ha!

There is an awful lot to learn about gardening...it is rather overwhelming. Maybe I'll look for a gardening class somewhere...though there is a ton of information online...where to start? Anyway, I'll take pics in a few weeks once things take hold and start to look less pathetic...they always look so pathetic straight out of the little containers. The chives and onions are all floppy, but I'm sure everything will perk up soon!

My platelets are under a million!

Yippee Skippee! I just got my results back and everything else is normal. My platelets have been over the million mark since I got checked on July 21st, and though I'm still in the "way too high" range, I am no longer in the "oh my god, I could have a stroke any minute" range. At least I hope not (knock on wood folks, in case I just jinxed myself!)

Needless to say, I will continue on my regimen of fish oil, vitamin E oil, aspirin and such (all of these decrease platelet clumping and basically "thin" the blood). Tomorrow is my second injection of interferon, so not sure yet if it's the interferon that's working or my body's amazing ability to "literally heal itself" (to quote Michael Scott...name that episode and win a prize!).

In other news, I may have a broken toe. I bashed it up pretty good and it's an unhealthy shade of purple. I went to get an x-ray and will hear tomorrow if it's broken or not. Nonetheless, I had to call in sick for tomorrow as I can't be on my feet with a maybe broken toe...it hurts!

Wish I could celebrate the platelets with a glass of wine...guess I'll settle for a glass of green juice instead...

On a mission!

I am now on a mission to get as healthy and toxin-free as possible. TaDa!

How am I accomplishing this huge task, you ask? Here is my evil plan:
-Detox diet for 7-21 days (depending on how long I can stick to it...I'm on day 1)
-Following the detox, adopt a healthier diet overall (whole foods, mostly raw; lots of green juice!)
-Get rid of all toxic and chemical-laden household products (almost there, still gotta use up some laundry detergents and a few other things)
-Replace amalgam fillings with porcelain (this is in the works...have to get two regular fillings done, then I'll start the replacements)
-Oral chelation therapy (aka: metal detox) as I am getting the fillings removed, this will necessitate the next item on the list
-Consult with a naturopath (free 15-min phone consultation is tomorrow morning)
-Exercise more (I got on my bike the other day...woo hoo!)
-Filter my water (done...bought a filter yesterday)
-Get plenty of rest (usually not a problem for me at all!)

So far my evil plan is going well...started a detoxifying cleanse diet today...here is a picture of my juicer in action...that purple stuff is red cabbage which is the base for a very tangy juice featuring cabbage, celery, apple, lemon, lime, kale and ginger. It is sooooo good!

Ok, off to dinner with a friend (farm fresh and organic, of course!)

Hugs,
Mo

Pegasys Injection Numero Uno

I took my first dose of Pegasys last night around 8pm. Other than being ready for bed at 9:30 (which is my usual time anyway), I have felt zero side effects. ZERO! I was told by one of the nurses I met with yesterday that the side effects may not kick in until the next dose...so I guess I shouldn't get too excited yet. I eve =n went for a 17-mile bike ride this morning, and actually felt great!

Next week will be the real test, as I have to work both Friday and Saturday. Keep those fingers crossed!

In other news, I am going to make some onion rings in my dehydrator today...well, I'm going to start them today. Dehydrating takes a looooong time. Trying a new recipe, so stand by :-)

Hugs to all!
Mo

What's on top of my strawberries?

Why, it's a 2-month supply of Pegasys. Woo hoo! I am taking my first dose tonight around 6 or so, accompanied by Tylenol ATC (around-the-clock) for the first 24-hrs to help alleviate the flu-like symptoms. So...stay tuned for more, and wish me luck!
Mo

Awesome Day at Work!

So...in non PV-related news, I had an awesome day at work today! I took care of two patients (one sick and one not-so-sick). The not-so-sick one was an adorable older gentleman, while the sick one was trying her best to keep me on my toes! At one point her BP skyrocketed from the 120s to over 200, while her heart rate dropped waaaaay down. Then, later on...she decided to raise her heart rate sky high and drop her pressure. It was a wackadoo day, let me tell ya. We got her somewhat squared away, though...hoping she doesn't give the night-shift RN too much trouble. Needless to say, I was G-L-A-D to be done for the day!

Annnd, this may sound goofy, but I got to help a co-worker out today! I am finally getting familiar enough with things that when someone needs help I can be somewhat useful. This is HUGE in the ICU, as we rely on our colleagues so very much. It's been very important to me that I be a contributing part of the team and I'm starting to feel that way...even if it's just a little bit at a time.

Speaking of work, I am moving to night shift in four weeks or so. I guess it's inevitable, so I might as well welcome the idea. More details when I'm not so freakin' tired!

Hugs to all!
Mo

The Debate Continues...

I have been researching drug options like a madwoman the past weeks, trying to figure out which is the least evil. Seems there is a bit of debate amongst the experts, with conflicting studies galore and a lot of usage of the phrase "large-scale studies recommended." UGH!

Here are the two front-runners:
Hydroxyurea: The mainstay of PV treatment, HU (as it is called amongst the online community of PVers) has been linked to the development of cancers, plus has a bunch of nasty side effects. It's cheap and commonly used, so many docs are comfortable with it. I'm not so sure I am.

Pegylated Interferon alpha-2a: Once-a-week injections of a protein that occurs naturally in the body (well, we have interferon in our bodies, not entirely sure how similar this is to that, but at least it's in the same zipcode). Anecdotatal reports of the side-effects range wildly, but that may be because the dosage can range wildly as well. This drug has been used for years to treat Hep-C and has recently enjoyed a renaissance as a med for younger patients with PV. Why younger patients? Because it has shown the ability to cause complete remissions and even REVERSE the mutated gene. Side effects are mainly flu-like, but it was reported that it was well tolerated at low doses by a test done in Texas.

I printed out a bunch of studies to take to my doctor's appointment today. Stay tuned!

Hugs to all!
Mo

p.s. Got labs done yesterday. RBCs were down (despite not having any phlebotomy, which is kinda weird), platelets are still on the climb. Darn platelets. Need to talk to doc about why RBCs are down though...that is odd and is hopefully not a sign of ominous things. Think happy thoughts!