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23 May |
The world is passing me by Cycling, Edie, General Health, Life, Work
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Oh, how I yearn for the good old days, when getting through an airport security line wasn’t such a hassle, when a 250 Mb hard drive was considered huge, I didn’t have lymphoma, the dollar was still king, and the US actually made stuff.
Last week was Digital Process Data (DPD) training week at work. Now for those who don’t know what DPD is, basically it’s the computer data (software) fed into numerical controlled (NC) lathes used to machine parts into complicated configurations. It’s also used in the design and inspection of those parts.
Now that, in and of itself, isn’t difficult to understand or deal with (at least it’s no more difficult to understand than all the computer graphics we are subject to on TV and in the movies now a days), but without going into any great detail of everything else involved, i.e. controlling, disseminating and validating the software, suffice it to say it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds. And it’s especially more complicated when you can remember what it was like only a few short years ago.
It reminds me of a saying by Eric Hoffer,
In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.
And what I came to realize this past week was, the world is changing [rapidly], and I’m just not sure how interested I am in trying to keep up with it any more.
Maybe that’s why I like riding my bike so much!
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25 Mar |
Keep on keepin’ on Edie, Life, My MCL
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That’s what Edie said when I asked her what she had decided to do about Chloe.
Chloe just does not seem to be getting better [at least not very fast], although except for the fact she sleeps 22+ hours a day, and still won’t eat on her own, she doesn’t appear to be sick. So Edie has to force feed her every day, make sure she gets enough fluid, and give her all sorts of different medication.
I don’t know how she does it. I know I wouldn’t have the patience.
Anyways, at least Edie doesn’t have to worry about me. My latest blood counts are essentially status quo. My lymphocyte count is back under a 100 thou/cumm (99.9) again, hemoglobin is maintaining at 12.4 g/dl (low average for a woman) and my LDH is normal at 141 IU/L.
The only thing of some concern is my platelets were under 200 at 196. That’s still well within the normal range (130-400), and I have had at 6 readings below that number over the past two years, but when you plot a graph of the 6 month moving average, you can see a [very] slow, but steady decline.
I just hope by the time my platelets get too low, I’ll be too old to worry about it.
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21 Feb |
What is this world coming to? Edie, Health Care, Life, Politics
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It’s been a busy week for me, and I’m pretty well toast.
It started with 3 dinners out this week, 2 relatively stressful days at work, a 5 hour tour of the beach cities with Alejandro and Marcela (friend/fellow MCL’er and his wife from Argentina), and the most miles I’ve ridden on the bike in any week since my hand surgery. Plus, there’s tomorrow’s ride, into Whittier, which will consist of the first significant hills I’ve ridden since my hand surgery as well.
But what really put me over the top, was the spirited conversation over coffee, after one of those bike rides this week. It was about US health care. [My favorite topic.]
I couldn’t believe it, when one of the participants stated he didn’t think health care was a right. I was surprised because, one, I obviously don’t feel that way, and two, I just can’t believe there really are people out there with so little compassion for their fellow man.
His reasoning was, he didn’t think he should have to pay for the health care of someone who was fat, didn’t exercise, smoked or whatever. Well, I can sort of understand that, but what about the person (more…)
