Today's email to my naturopath/PCP (an update on my two-year struggle with chronic illness):
Hello, Dr. Congdon,
Hope this message finds you well.
Within
the past few weeks it seems my health has once more backslid. Still
healthier than when I first began seeing you. So that is good.
Randomly
experience heart palpitations where it feels like my heart is slowing
to a stop, then beats rapidly for a short spell and corrects. This
causes light-headedness.
More
concerning is eating as my food responses have flared up, even reactions
to foods I commonly eat. Such responses include runny nose. shortness
of breath and throat discomfort whereas it feels as though my throat is
swelling and/or it becomes difficult to swallow.
On
a bigger picture level, my concern is that feeling mediocre becomes the
best I can hope for. Not having any clear understanding about the
nature of my health issues, no expectation around what to expect and no
clear path to chart are all disconcerting.
Saw
Dr. Murray last week. His perspective is that my thyroid levels are
stable. My blood pressure is better, on the low side of normal vs. low.
Regarding palpitations, all he said is that's typically indicative of
someone who is hyper vs. hypo.
I've
added more salt to my diet, which has helped some with hydration and
shortness of breath. My food reactions have lessened a bit and are still
more prevalent these past couple weeks than they've been in quite some
time.
Your first available appt. is
Nov. 21. I've an upcoming check-up scheduled this week with Dr. Virant.
Not expecting anything groundbreaking there. Also scheduled a GI appt.
with Dr. Lewis, Oct. 21 being his first available.
Feeling
like a clearer understanding of causality and thus treatment exists.
Unsure how to pursue it. I want to fully recover my health if at all
possible. Do you have any other recommendations I can look into?
Thank you and all the best,
Brad
Monday, September 29, 2014
9/29 Dream ...
Last night I had some strange-ass dream. My girlfriends Margo and Kelly and I were traipsing around San Francisco dressed in costumes for Halloween (or some similar festivity). I was dressed as a Geisha. It was a costume I borrowed from Margo, and
dare I admit a very unflattering one. My tits looked terrible.
We paid a visit to a few apartment buildings in which the residents had cooperated to host various themed endeavors, including a haunted/fun house of sorts. At one point we were at an outdoor gathering. A light snow was falling, coating the streets and rooftops in powdery white. On occasion a human palm-sized, man made-looking snowflake would rotate in the air and gleam before blowing away. So it must have been midsummer in The City. There was an alpine (Whistler B.C.) quaintness about it, which obviously doesn't exist in real life. Eventually it left surfaces appearing freshly wet as if having just been rained upon.
Just as we were leaving the outdoor gathering, we were all notified to check for the latest i-gizmo. Mine was black and shaped like a fetal "grand" piano.
Then at one point my husband and I are suddenly dining at a pet friendly Italian restaurant, so we brought our big, fluffy cats in. We sat our cats in the chairs directly across from ours at the same four top, like we were on a double date. Weird. In real life, we have a dog, no cats. I also recall being really annoyed because it took them about an hour just to bring us a glass of water with no ice.
My folks were also in the dream. They were traveling/passing through town. My mom was sick and I was saying goodbye to both of them. I vaguely recall introducing my friends Margo and Kelly to my dad while still in makeup.
Interpretations:
Snowflake: Represents purity and perfection.
Snow: To dream of snow in all its forms, on trees, storms, etc. is a dream of very good omen which shows you will have success in business or investments. Such dreams also symbolize the need to confront repressed emotions. Snow may also signify inhibitions, repressed/unexpressed emotions and feelings of frigidity. You need to release/express these emotions and inhibitions. The dreamer may be feeling indifferent, alone and neglected. If the snow is melting, then it suggests you are acknowledging and releasing emotions you have repressed. You are overcoming your fears and obstacles. To dream you are watching the snow fall represents a clean start and a fresh new perspective. It is indicative of spiritual peace and tranquility. To dream you are playing in the snow indicates you need to set some time for fun and relaxation. To dream you find something in the snow suggests you are exploring and accessing your unused potential, abilities and talents. It may also indicate forgiving yourself or others.
Friends: Signify aspects of your own personality that have been developing, making you grow as a person. The relationships you have with those around you are important in learning about yourself. Dreaming of friends sometimes foretells you will hear happy news from them. *(Kelly let me know today she had her first period conversation with her fifth grade daughter this morning. Margo previously let me know she's expecting.)
Costumed: If you are wearing a costume this could indicate you are trying to hide your true self, or your inner feelings, behind a facade or duplicity; you may not be wholly honest with a loved one and have a fear of being found out. If you are wearing a ridiculous costume, this could indicate you are being foolish about certain matters in your life and must look to the other symbols to find out just what it is.
Transsexual: To dream you are transsexual symbolizes your anxieties or ambivalence about masculine/feminine roles or passive/aggressive behavior. You may be reluctant in dealing with these issues. The masculine and feminine aspects of your Self have been damaged; you may be unwilling to confront your shadow self.
Cats: A feminine power symbol. Attributes are by image portrayed.
Husband: To see your husband in your dream signifies the waking relationship with your husband and the unconscious feelings you have towards him. The dream may be trying to focus on hidden elements that you are not addressing in your waking life.
City: To see a city in your dream signifies a sense of community and your social environment. If you dream of a big city, it suggests you need to develop closer ties and relationships. You are feeling alienated and alone. A spiritual community to which we belong can be represented in dreams by a city. A bustling city may show our need for social interaction.
Night: Signifies obstacles in achieving goals. Put issues aside to clear your head and come back to them later. Alternately, night can be synonymous with, or symbolize the intense darkness that occurs before, rebirth, reflection and new beginnings. It can also signify death or drastic change. More positively, it is a period that allows us to create a new beginning with the dawning of the new day; the fallow period before fresh growth.
Party: Dreaming of attending a party of any kind for pleasure, life has much good.
Parents: Father is usually the symbol of authority; also represent power or strength or discipline. Mother is usually a dream that foretells a happy conclusion concerning a love interest as a mother represents love, protection and nourishment of the body or the spirit.
Illness: Suggests you may be hanging onto an old idea or relationship that is not good for you. To dream that you or others are sick denotes discordance and trouble in your life. It may also signal a part of yourself that needs to be healed, either physically or mentally. Perhaps you are wallowing in your own self-pity. You need to quit feeling sorry for yourself.
Halloween: Signifies death and the underworld; also represents the temporary adoption of a new persona where you feel less inhibited and more comfortable to freely express yourself.
We paid a visit to a few apartment buildings in which the residents had cooperated to host various themed endeavors, including a haunted/fun house of sorts. At one point we were at an outdoor gathering. A light snow was falling, coating the streets and rooftops in powdery white. On occasion a human palm-sized, man made-looking snowflake would rotate in the air and gleam before blowing away. So it must have been midsummer in The City. There was an alpine (Whistler B.C.) quaintness about it, which obviously doesn't exist in real life. Eventually it left surfaces appearing freshly wet as if having just been rained upon.
Just as we were leaving the outdoor gathering, we were all notified to check for the latest i-gizmo. Mine was black and shaped like a fetal "grand" piano.
Then at one point my husband and I are suddenly dining at a pet friendly Italian restaurant, so we brought our big, fluffy cats in. We sat our cats in the chairs directly across from ours at the same four top, like we were on a double date. Weird. In real life, we have a dog, no cats. I also recall being really annoyed because it took them about an hour just to bring us a glass of water with no ice.
My folks were also in the dream. They were traveling/passing through town. My mom was sick and I was saying goodbye to both of them. I vaguely recall introducing my friends Margo and Kelly to my dad while still in makeup.
Interpretations:
Snowflake: Represents purity and perfection.
Snow: To dream of snow in all its forms, on trees, storms, etc. is a dream of very good omen which shows you will have success in business or investments. Such dreams also symbolize the need to confront repressed emotions. Snow may also signify inhibitions, repressed/unexpressed emotions and feelings of frigidity. You need to release/express these emotions and inhibitions. The dreamer may be feeling indifferent, alone and neglected. If the snow is melting, then it suggests you are acknowledging and releasing emotions you have repressed. You are overcoming your fears and obstacles. To dream you are watching the snow fall represents a clean start and a fresh new perspective. It is indicative of spiritual peace and tranquility. To dream you are playing in the snow indicates you need to set some time for fun and relaxation. To dream you find something in the snow suggests you are exploring and accessing your unused potential, abilities and talents. It may also indicate forgiving yourself or others.
Friends: Signify aspects of your own personality that have been developing, making you grow as a person. The relationships you have with those around you are important in learning about yourself. Dreaming of friends sometimes foretells you will hear happy news from them. *(Kelly let me know today she had her first period conversation with her fifth grade daughter this morning. Margo previously let me know she's expecting.)
Costumed: If you are wearing a costume this could indicate you are trying to hide your true self, or your inner feelings, behind a facade or duplicity; you may not be wholly honest with a loved one and have a fear of being found out. If you are wearing a ridiculous costume, this could indicate you are being foolish about certain matters in your life and must look to the other symbols to find out just what it is.
Transsexual: To dream you are transsexual symbolizes your anxieties or ambivalence about masculine/feminine roles or passive/aggressive behavior. You may be reluctant in dealing with these issues. The masculine and feminine aspects of your Self have been damaged; you may be unwilling to confront your shadow self.
Cats: A feminine power symbol. Attributes are by image portrayed.
Husband: To see your husband in your dream signifies the waking relationship with your husband and the unconscious feelings you have towards him. The dream may be trying to focus on hidden elements that you are not addressing in your waking life.
City: To see a city in your dream signifies a sense of community and your social environment. If you dream of a big city, it suggests you need to develop closer ties and relationships. You are feeling alienated and alone. A spiritual community to which we belong can be represented in dreams by a city. A bustling city may show our need for social interaction.
Night: Signifies obstacles in achieving goals. Put issues aside to clear your head and come back to them later. Alternately, night can be synonymous with, or symbolize the intense darkness that occurs before, rebirth, reflection and new beginnings. It can also signify death or drastic change. More positively, it is a period that allows us to create a new beginning with the dawning of the new day; the fallow period before fresh growth.
Party: Dreaming of attending a party of any kind for pleasure, life has much good.
Parents: Father is usually the symbol of authority; also represent power or strength or discipline. Mother is usually a dream that foretells a happy conclusion concerning a love interest as a mother represents love, protection and nourishment of the body or the spirit.
Illness: Suggests you may be hanging onto an old idea or relationship that is not good for you. To dream that you or others are sick denotes discordance and trouble in your life. It may also signal a part of yourself that needs to be healed, either physically or mentally. Perhaps you are wallowing in your own self-pity. You need to quit feeling sorry for yourself.
Halloween: Signifies death and the underworld; also represents the temporary adoption of a new persona where you feel less inhibited and more comfortable to freely express yourself.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Update on Mom Sept. 22
Hello, All,
Hope this message finds you
well.
My mom and Al returned to Coeur
d’Alene Sept. 8. Since returning it seems mom has been struggling with nausea
and hasn’t been in as close contact. I’m concerned about her nutritional intake
as well that she may, understandably, also be struggling with depression. Mom
says she feels best in the mornings, so her doctor has advised her to eat well
and exercise during that time or anytime she’s feeling OK. The first part of
the day is the most opportune time to connect with her.
Our next oncology appointment is
October 7 at SCCA. I anticipate being able to let you know whether the cancer
is shrinking as a result of the treatment regimen she’s on. In the meantime,
thank you once again for your healing thoughts and prayers.
All the best,
Brad
Thursday, September 11, 2014
9/11 Dream ...
My husband and I made our annual pilgrimage yesterday to Winterbrook, our dear friend's family's summer home on Orcas Island. We are usually hosted in the newer guest house in a room with a very comfy bed and an incredible, panoramic view of Puget Sound.
My husband and I have been working nonstop the last couple weeks with very little if any significant down time. Last night, the guest bed we slept in at Winterbrook did not disappoint. It was like being in a cloud, and it has been a long time since I had such a really restful night of sleep.
With my sound sleep came vivid dreams. I was in Virginia at a representation of my first best friend's home in Salisbury. My birthday celebration was being held there. Many smiling faces. I recall odd details such as white, antique kitchen appliances and very peculiar ice cubes. The ice cubes were remarkable. They were ornate and shaped like various objects. Some were birthday cakes with candles. Others were Chinese figures that looked like oversize chess pieces. They varied in color. Some were frosted white and sparkled like gems. Others had a dark gray tone to them, mostly the figures, and they too sparkled.
There was more to the dream, what I related was that which really stuck out at me. Of course I consulted my dream dictionary for insights ...
Birthday: To dream about your birthday denotes acceptance of yourself. You are celebrating who you are and coming to terms with who you are as a person. Any celebration is a time for a release of or change in energy, and a birthday gives an opportunity to look back and take stock, from a spiritual perspective, either of the year just past or the decade. Dreaming of a birthday signifies that we have the right to celebrate - either an anniversary or a new phase in life. There may be a sense of anticipation about something which lifts us away from the ordinary. We may have a gift or talent which is now usable.
Ice Cube: To make or see ice cubes in your dream symbolizes your frigid emotions. Alternately it suggests that you may need to cool off. You are letting your temper get out of hand.
Happy: To dream that you are happy may be a means of self help and often indicates that you need some cheering up. You may be trying to compensate for sadness or stress in your waking life.
I think there is truth to much of the above in my waking life. There's such a duality with life. On the one hand things are going well for me for the most part. Yet I am dealing with some significant challenges. Such is life. I believe it's important to strike a healthy imbalance between that which ails us and that which heals us with greater weight/priority given to the latter. I am happy to be at Winterbrook, even if for a brief while ...
Looking back on this day a year ago, I had written a post about my memory of the Sept. 11 domestic attacks. Here's a link to this post: http://postmodernurbanhuman.blogspot.com/2013/09/911-this-day-in-history.html
With my sound sleep came vivid dreams. I was in Virginia at a representation of my first best friend's home in Salisbury. My birthday celebration was being held there. Many smiling faces. I recall odd details such as white, antique kitchen appliances and very peculiar ice cubes. The ice cubes were remarkable. They were ornate and shaped like various objects. Some were birthday cakes with candles. Others were Chinese figures that looked like oversize chess pieces. They varied in color. Some were frosted white and sparkled like gems. Others had a dark gray tone to them, mostly the figures, and they too sparkled.
There was more to the dream, what I related was that which really stuck out at me. Of course I consulted my dream dictionary for insights ...
Birthday: To dream about your birthday denotes acceptance of yourself. You are celebrating who you are and coming to terms with who you are as a person. Any celebration is a time for a release of or change in energy, and a birthday gives an opportunity to look back and take stock, from a spiritual perspective, either of the year just past or the decade. Dreaming of a birthday signifies that we have the right to celebrate - either an anniversary or a new phase in life. There may be a sense of anticipation about something which lifts us away from the ordinary. We may have a gift or talent which is now usable.
Ice Cube: To make or see ice cubes in your dream symbolizes your frigid emotions. Alternately it suggests that you may need to cool off. You are letting your temper get out of hand.
Happy: To dream that you are happy may be a means of self help and often indicates that you need some cheering up. You may be trying to compensate for sadness or stress in your waking life.
I think there is truth to much of the above in my waking life. There's such a duality with life. On the one hand things are going well for me for the most part. Yet I am dealing with some significant challenges. Such is life. I believe it's important to strike a healthy imbalance between that which ails us and that which heals us with greater weight/priority given to the latter. I am happy to be at Winterbrook, even if for a brief while ...
Looking back on this day a year ago, I had written a post about my memory of the Sept. 11 domestic attacks. Here's a link to this post: http://postmodernurbanhuman.blogspot.com/2013/09/911-this-day-in-history.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
