Friday, January 19, 2007

HEALTH UPDATE: I Still Need a New Kidney

I still need a kidney. Nothing has changed. Many of you have asked how I’m doing, and I figure now is a good time to give an update of my situation. I’ve been fortunate and I’ve been not so fortunate over the last year.

First, nothing is more incredible than when three people offer you a kidney. It’s hard to find the words to thank a person for something like that. I’ve been more than speechless. I hate the thought of the risks to others for my own well being. But unfortunately, things have not worked out that any of the three can donate right now anyway.

Others of you have seriously wanted to donate, but didn’t have the right blood type or knew right away that you had no chance because of prior medical history of kidney stones, or the like. I have no known candidate right now available.

On the positive side, I’m doing pretty good, and most folks say I still look okay (or at least as good as I’m gonna ever look). Sunday, I even made pars on the last two holes to close out my friends in a great golf match at our local club. You wouldn’t think I needed a new kidney. But those hills between holes are getting tougher to climb. Stairs and climbing are my worse enemies now. I wear down in seconds.

But regardless of how I feel or look, doctors tell me that I still really need a new kidney soon. They really don’t want me to get to the point of needing dialysis, and I keep creeping closer to that point. You see, the dialysis itself will weaken my body. That’s not desired. I really should get a new kidney, while I’m as strong as possible.

My blood pressure is up. Really up. Medication has been increased to offset. Creatinine levels are the indicator of kidney function. Right now I keep hovering around 425. An average person should be below 133. It means my kidneys are not digesting the chemicals as well as they should. One recent measure was that my kidneys are operating at around 11% efficiency. ………. I need a new kidney. It’s the same no matter how I look at it.

So will being on the UNOS Waiting List get me a kidney? Not probably anytime soon. The typical time for someone like myself is over 2 ½ years. That would be another year and a half. And it would almost certainly mean that I will be confined to dialysis for a period while I’m waiting. Again, as I said before, that’s not a good plan.

My hopes are still to get a donor kidney from someone I know. I hate to come begging, but if you are in good health and can consider such a possibility, please check the links on the right, including the University of Colorado Hospital. Email my sister or the Colorado Hospital for more information.

I know some of you have told me I’m in your prayers or have been added to prayer circles at your Church. That is greatly appreciated. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and give me your consideration

Monday, January 15, 2007

Nirvana of Haircuts


Wow! Was I ever wrong! I admit it!

Most anyone that has been reading this blog may remember that I have been a little more than apprehensive about getting a haircut in Asia. I don’t know why I should be worried about such a thing. Hair does grow back. But I really do stress out about getting a haircut from someone that cuts very dark thick hair all day. I’m not exactly the typical local guy getting a haircut over here.

But I have now found the nirvana of haircuts…………. And I may never get a haircut anywhere else in the world! I mean it! It is fantastic.

Now I was more than a little nervous when I finally broke down one weekend and decided to risk getting my first haircut in China. What I didn’t expect was this awesome pre-haircut ritual.

To get there scares you even more. First you have to go down a rather barren street, with dogs running for their lives (literally) and junk all over, such that the cabbie has to weave and dodge his way down to the worldwide symbol of the revolving barber pole. I would have never even been in this section of town if it weren’t for a friend assuring me that this was a good place for a haircut.

At the door you are greeted by a couple of girls. For whatever reason, I think there are always at least two hostesses at every doorway in China. Another girl quickly greets me when my friend explains that I want a haircut. She leads me into the back. There in the shadows of the back room are three beds with washbasins attached on each end. She motions me to stretch out, or I should say I “scrunch in” to the space allowed (it is a little short for a guy over 6’2”), and then magic of the hour begins . And I do mean magic. It is just awesome! The girls wash and rinse your hair for an hour!! Yes! An hour!! Four times they put shampoo on the hair and gently massage it into the scalp. Their fingernails caress through the foam and hair to ease any pain in your head. A couple of taps on the head seem at first a little odd, but it feels magnificent. The light massaging of the scalp, just continues! And continues……….. and continues……… an hour! And to top it all off, they massage the shoulders, arms, and back. It’s the best! Sure other massages are more involved of the body, but there is just something special about the massaging of the scalp in warm soap and water. It is soooooo relaxing!

Finally you get escorted to the barber chair and get a haircut. The guy even shaves the excess hairs around the face with a straight razor and no cream. You feel every hair being cut from the face. Okay, now that is scary! But at this stage you’re so relaxed trance from the pre-haircut massage, that nothings gonna bother ya.

But we’re not done. Soon the hairwash girls take over again and wash and rinse one more good time. And back to the chair for final hairdry and sytyling. Unbelievable. But wait………… it’s not over………. The best is yet to come. We have to pay: 25 RMB. That’s less than $4 for two hours of massage and haircut! Now that’s a deal!!

Saturday, January 06, 2007

007 in Dongguan


What a New Year! It’s 007! Can you believe it? It seems like we just entered the new millennium yesterday. But here it is several years later, and I’m on the other side of the world.

Well what better way to enter into a new year than with friends gathered at your favorite local pub! And to do it right, the One for the Road commemorated 2007 with a special tribute to James Bond, or 007. It wasn’t with too much fanfare, but patrons were requested to dress up like Bond or characters from the famous series. Only a couple of guests really got into the details, but most everyone did dress up a little more formally. I myself even took the opportunity to wear my favorite necktie. It wasn’t exactly a small black one in Bond fashion, but I enjoyed it anyway.

All through the night, guests had poppers and other party favors to enjoy. Everyone got into the spirit, and I guess I should say, the spirits too. O’Hara’s were on special, and Big Mike fixed a setup of vodka martinis: “shaken, not stirred” (of course).

The highlight of the evening was the arrival of 007 at midnight. The pub had confetti guns for most guest. The air was filled with the paper and blasts from all corners of the room. It literally took days to clean the room. What a hoot! Or I should say: “Blast!” I stayed behind the camera and got a lot of great pics of the entertainment. I woulda like to have fired at least one cannon, but I still had a lot of fun!

It may be small groups partying over here, but we do know how to do it! Happy New Year!!

Photos available under Photo Links on the right: James Bond Night at One for the Road

And under Links you can connect direct to the pub’s great, new website on the right too: One for the Road

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Earthquake Disrupts Internet Communcations

Who woulda thought an earthquake so far away would affect me so much! But this is getting miserable! As you may have heard, the earthquake in Taiwan earlier last week has drastically disrupted telecommunications.

At first, I just thought my computer wasn’t working right. Or that my office network had been disconnected. So a call to the IT guy (who, of course, speaks limited English), and he came running. But I could tell that he was baffled too. After a couple of minutes he was on the phone to somewhere – probably Hong Kong. After a deep sigh he turned to me with a look of despair. I knew it was trouble.

He said something like: “trouble – Taiwan – no USA server.” After contemplating a few minutes, I realized he was trying to tell me that the earthquake that I had heard about in Taiwan was affecting internet service to the USA. Jumping on my computer to call up a local Chinese internet site, I quickly realized that Asian sites were okay. Okay at least in the term that they worked, but as you probably know, I don’t read Chinese very well! USA sites are still incredibly slow, or not able to connect at all.

By the day things are improving, but after three days I could still not get anything of significance back home. Now some comes through, but very slow and very difficult to get some sites. Heck, it took me three days to just get this notice posted.

And I really miss following game casts of bowl games. Come on, I can’t watch the games, it’s my only treat! Now I can’t even watch the news of a game on a computer. Not this year!

And again in China, I say: ……… “Oh well!”