Day 2760

I continue to be amazed at the human body's ability to repair itself. Medical advances have made a huge impact on our lives, but the body is still there in the background, doing the lion's share of the work itself. Cuts heal. Bones fuse back together. White cells surround bacteria and viruses. And our liver and kidneys work tirelessly to filter out all the bad stuff we ingest. Wouldn't it be amazing if everything else worked the same way? We would have cars that repair themselves and computers that get smarter as you use them and never crash. As my own body continues to heal, I am reminded how important it is to take care of it.

I've always been reasonably healthy, but I could do a lot better. If I had eliminated sugar from my diet years ago, I would probably never have to worry about diabetes. If I hadn't been so fond of cheeseburgers and bacon, I probably wouldn't have to be taking statins to manage my cholesterol. It's not that it is terribly hard to do the right thing, it's that we receive very little encouragement for making the effort.

Hey, why have a plate of beans and rice when you can go to the Cheesecake Factory and eat enough to feed a family of four in a single sitting. I spent a lifetime in advertising encouraging people to drink Pepsi and eat cheeseburgers. It was my job to glorify all the wrong things. Now, I wonder if it is even possible to reverse all this. When you go to the supermarket, most of the things on the shelves aren't even real food. When you go to a hospital, you still see nurses and technicians standing outside smoking cigarettes. I don't even understand why substance abuse is a problem. Why would you want to punish your body like that?

When my body has finally finished repairing the dog bite damage, I need to resolve to take better care of it. Fewer prepared foods and restaurant meals would be a good place to start. Even the best restaurant chefs are in love with sugar and salt. Admittedly, salt does make food taste better, but there's got to be a better way. It wouldn't kill me to give up red meat entirely. Some of my favorite dishes don't have any meat in them at all. I think I eat a lot of meat just out of habit.

I need to be careful about falling and I should quit climbing up on the roof entirely. One fall off the roof would probably do a lot more damage than a dog bite. I shouldn't become fearful of living though. Too many people my age have become fearful of the world around them. They probably should just turn off the television.

I'm full of good intentions, but we'll see how much of this turns into reality. I still had bacon with my breakfast this morning and spent way too much time looking at Facebook. I'll start walking again as soon as I can because I love to walk. It will take a little longer to give up cheeseburgers and go to the gym three times a week.

I take my last antibiotic pill tonight. Hopefully, that will be enough to eliminate the risk of infection. The hematoma has subsided enough on my swollen leg that I can start to see veins again. I even wrote tonight's blog post without using the splint on my wrist. These are all good signs.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2338

Today was Dash's day. Dot spends so much time at the vet that it's easy to forget that Dash has his own issues. We try to address each of those issues at his annual exam. For years, Dash was the problem dog and Dot was the healthy one. He has a history of epileptic seizures, but has been stable for almost five years since he started taking phenobarbital. When we adopted him, he had severe skin allergies. Now, his coat is thick and full. A thyroid deficiency and crystals in his urine are now under control. He still has a heart murmur, but his vet doesn't consider it a risk. Most importantly, his thyroid cancer has been in remission for over three years. Dash got a thorough checkup today and passed with flying colors. I am really thankful that he is doing so well. Several years ago, when both dogs were being treated for cancer at the same time, it was almost more than we could handle.

Dot and Dash are lucky to have some great vets looking after them. Sometimes I wish that vets could treat humans too. I'm convinced that I'd get bet better care if I went to the vet than I do from my own doctors. I trust our vets. I'm not so sure about my own physicians. Whenever I see a lobby filled with pharmaceutical company sales reps, I start to wonder if all the pills I take are actually necessary. To be fair, the dogs take a lot of pills too, but everything seems more honest and direct without all the insurance and pharmaceutical companies in the middle. I think one of the problems with human medicine is there isn't much emphasis on what we eat. When your vet tells you that your dog should eat a specific type of food, that's what you feed them. Humans go the the Cheesecake Factory, eat enormous, gut busting meals, and then wonder why they've got diabetes. Maybe we've got too much freedom. Dot and Dash just eat what we put in their bowls. If they had a choice, I'm sure they'd opt for an all bacon diet.

When Dash and I returned from the vet, the first thing I noticed was that Dot had pooped in her bed. I kind of expected this would happen. It was so hot when I took her outside after lunch that she had no interest in doing anything. It's impossible to get an incontinent dog's pooping schedule coordinated with anything. Basically, it's just like that old bumper sticker. Shit happens. Dot is feeling a little better today. We only gave her a short walk this morning and she spent most of the day sleeping. I canceled her physical therapy appointment tomorrow, so she can rest some more. Hopefully, the added rest will help. You can't be a drill Sargent with a sick dog. You have to let them set the pace. I know that Dot still wants to keep moving. We just need to stay aware of what her body can handle as she continues her long, slow decline.

Dash's big adventure at the vet ate up a big chunk of the day, but I still had time to resolve the equipment problems I was having yesterday. The audio and video gear are working together nicely now. Now that I understand what I'm doing, I wonder how long it will take to put this knowledge to use. You might wonder why I don't just embark on a long, complicated personal project, since I obviously have the time. I wonder too occasionally. I tell people that I can't make movies or write songs because I'm taking care of Dot. That's probably just an excuse. It's one of those been there, done that things. I just don't have the desire anymore.

I do like writing this blog. There's something epic about doing something for so many years, night after night, without any breaks in continuity at all. It's even more epic that I have absolutely nothing to say. My life is about as ordinary as you can get, and yet you're still reading.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day