12-15-2017 CELLULITIS / HIVES
cellulitis is one plague I don’t wish on anyone. It ravages the skin and is caused by a multitude of factors among them cancer, hepatitis C and allergic reactions. In my case it began as an allergic reaction to a water-based hair color called Bigen purchased at Sally beauty supply. t’s effects can last anywhere from a few days in the very young to 6 weeks or more for the more mature. Remedies include oral steroids, NSAIDS, steroidal creams and ointments. The itching would sometimes resurface even after the rashes went away. If cellulitis develops, you’ll suffer from cold sweats, feel feverish and even listless. The skin on scalp, ears and other soft tissue areas become dried and scaled, shedding profusely at times. You will experience heightened sensitivity to smoke, cold temperatures and even sweat against your clothes.
The rashes would appear, go away and reappear in other areas. it began on the head, as expected, then spread to the neck, arms and chest and eventuality to the legs. At it’s peak the skin would appear burned and cracked, not unlike a stove or fire burn, but then would disappear as if it was never there. Clothing would be difficult to wear, cotton was the best while nylons and synthetics gave a scratchy feel. The worst part was when you felt thousands of needle pricks, little ones that came and went like a flora of fireworks, electrical shocks or a sparkler held near– so intense it made me want to scrape the skin off — once even causing a panic attack. It was worst when in the middle of the back. The itching often began by doing nothing more than changing position in a chair.
If not kept in check. The remedies themselves have side effects that can cause other issues. I now realize what a delicate balance the art of medicine really is. The first treatment was oral steroids used to “reset the immune system”, which initially took away the endless cycling of rashes appearing as well as the itching. The problem was that after the treatment ended the rashes began to appear again. In addition the drug can cause dark stools which may be indicative of intestinal bleeding, a dangerous condition. Hot / cold shower cycles sometimes took away the itch but didn’t always work. I found that dusting down with baby powder and baking soda kept the itching at bay. Antihistamines helped but only a little. Doxycycline hvclate turned out to be the final cure. This medication is also prescribed for conditions such as acne, and other skin infections. Doxycycline hvclate makes skin extra sensitive to light and heat so excessive showering, may make the skin redder and itchier. You will also become susceptible to other maladies like edema, especially if your sedate. Without treatment the condition could lead to a blood infection which could become fatal. I sometimes compensated by rubbing down with products like CeraVe. It took about two and a half months for the condition to resolve. I had to give up normal rituals like working out and social interactions become embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Make sure you go to a dermatologist. I found that the general practitioner wasn’t much help. They seemed reluctant to prescribe unless you really pushed. I became obsessed with finding relief. I scoured the internet to investigate remedies and find out how others handled it but didn’t find much. Of all the health conditions I’ve ever had– toothache, stomach virus, pink eye, severe acid reflex, pounding headaches this was the worst. A big price to pay for my own vanity. If you want to try this product, I suggest you do a spot test like the instructions direct. I hope this article helps.
There has been no lack of coverage on the Coronavirus and as much as this may be just another media blitz not unlike “Tomorrow Never Dies” but this saga in honor of the current administration, hardly, it would be unwise to dismiss this one as such. It has already been proven deadly to People with compromised health. Especially those with heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and immune deficiency. It is also evident that millions of people can harbor the virus with little if any symptoms enabling it to spread more quickly than anything we’ve seen. The old and in-firmed being more susceptible. The good news is that it’s easily prevented through conscientious health practices like hand washing, avoid large events and keep a clean sanitized environment. Some other practices include staying in your home away from bars, restaurants. schools & hospitals, Get tested if you can. Have your groceries delivered, Use telephone medicine when possible and stock up on food /medication.
Luckily, as implied above, it’s non-lethal for more than 80% of the population with no more than short term symptoms. As of today, in the United States, it is mostly confined to California, Washington, parts of Texas and New York. It is also interesting why certain places like Italy have become so vulnerable. It might give us insight into what to do better. In the most severe cases the coronavirus causes lung lesions and pneumonia. Let’s not forget that SARS and MERS were both coronaviruses that we were able to successfully fight. As appalling as the politicization of this crisis has been we still believe the summer will bring an unprecedented buying opportunity in the market, barring a fatal run-on TP. The fear has increased so much that some have come to expect necessities to be air dropped –go figure.
While we’re waiting for a vaccine, we’ve put together some literature on the; subject, mostly from alternate medical sources, to give you a good perspective of the risk and give you other choices for protecting yourself. I’ve heard they could get one developed within 18 months, so much for the typical 10 year wait. Now we all know what’s possible when you remove the red tape,
One rarely touted Chinese herb that has been used for thousands of years by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners is Astragalus. This herb derives its powers from its remarkable apoptogenic properties. Other adaptogens include, ginseng, ashwagandha, maca root and licorice. In the end, the most insidious aspects of this plaque is not only how easily it spreads but it’s ability to influence the body’s immune system to induce respiratory inflammation thus causing a double whammy for the patient. Some research that supports alternative therapies are listed:
LiZX, et al ‘Immunomodulatory effects a new whole ingredients extract from Astragalus, a combined evaluation on chemistry and pharmacology “chin med 2019
Hou YD et al “Effects of radix astragali seu hedysari on the interferon systemChin med j 1981, 94(l):35-40,
Sinclair S “Chinese herbs” A clinical review of Astragalus, ligusticum and schizandrae” Alternative medicine review Vol 3, Num 5 1998
01-18-2025 CATARACT SURGERY
My experience having cataract surgery after an accident.
In this article I will attempt to explain my experience in developing a cataract, finding a provider and ultimately getting the operation done. My goal is to lessen the fear you might experience if you are faced with a similar experience. After a head injury due to a car crash suffered at a younger age, I eventually developed a cataract. Now this type of cataract was not a typical “Age” related one. Some possible types: Congenital, Radiation, traumatic, age secondary etc. As noted, mine was a traumatic one. At first, I noticed an inability to focus even with new glasses, as it progressed, I had increasing trouble seeing at Nite, reading street signs and license plates, eventually all I saw was bright colors out of that eye. All of this happened within the space of year. I probably should have got it done at the first sign of trouble, but I decided to wait. On my first visit the Doctor told me that it was not a typical cataract and asked me about any previous head or eye injury I may have had. Anyway, the surgery was scheduled a month out.
I was given a prescription for 3 different eye drops, one was a steroid, the other an antibiotic while the third was an anti-inflammatory, with instructions on how to use them. Three days before the surgery I was told to wash the affected eye lid with baby shampoo in preparation for the surgery. I also was restricted from eating beginning the Nite before surgery and could not drink anything up to six hours before the surgery,
On the day of the surgery, they brought me back into the operating room, I was made to sit on a reclining chair. At first, they administered multiple eye drops by one of the nursing attendants. They must have put in at least 10 or 20 drops, at least it seemed that way. They said it was to dilate the eye. While that was happening another nursing attendant was connecting tubes into the back of my hand for the anesthetic medication. They told me I would be receiving something to relax me, Later I learned that it was versed & fentanyl. They call that twilight sedation. The whole prep process took at least 30 to 40 minutes,
Finally, the Doctor came in and introduced himself, they told me that they will be giving me propofol, He then began to spread this blue plastic over my eye. —The next thing I remember I was being wheelchaired to the car where my driver was waiting. No time seemed to pass between those 2 events. The whole process from beginning to end was about 2 hours from the time I came in. When I took the eye patch off 4 hours later at home, I saw clearly out of that eye but had double vision until the anesthetic wore off,
After the surgery I needed to continue on those drops for a month. I had to keep a plastic cover over my eye every night for the first week. The only thing I would say is to be careful with side effects, read the med labels and monitor yourself, if you notice any issues contact your doctor right away,
Today I have virtually 20/20 vision. I have to say that I was impressed how simple the process was and how wonderful it is to have my vision back.