Merry Christmas
Tuesday 12/25/2018 4:11 PMGood morning, I just wanted to wish everyone a very "Merry Christmas" and to give an update.
I've had a lifetime of living with asthma and for decades I was not taking any type of treatment. Apparently that led to other issues and for the last 12 (plus) years I take daily breathing treatments. Because of that winter is especially hard (as far as breathing is concerned) and more often than not I will have at least one prolonged bout of coughing, bronchitis, etc. In the past I once coughed so long and couldn't stop that no air was going in and I blacked out, the resulting fall caused me to strike my head and I ended that evening in the ER to take care of the cut to my head. Years after that I coughed so prolonged and hard I cracked a rib... which brings me to Sunday night,
This time my coughing had been steady for the last two weeks, so inside I was becoming sore from coughing and one spot in particular. So, whenever I knew I was going to cough I would press in on that one spot, for whatever reason it seemed to help the pain by applying pressure before coughing. I applied pressure and after 3 or 4 seconds of a steady cough beneath my hand it felt like something in my chest was pushing back, and immediately I felt a hot, prolonged, and searing pain. Thankfully this only lasted for a few seconds before beginning to ebb away. I figured I had cracked another rib so I walked to the bathroom to see if I could find a large wrap so I could apply pressure which is what they had done previously. But, within five minutes or so I thought this might be different? Because now the pain was periodically coming back and now it hurt into my back whenever I would turn even slightly, So, I decided I would head to ER. Missy (my middle daughter drove to the house to take me in. Which was a very good thing as I'm pretty sure I could not have done that myself as this was on my right side.)
I'll try to move quickly to the end so that I don't completely bore with details. My doctor, a man I am guessing 8-10 years older than myself, and I'm estimating that only because he told me the age of his son. Now, the story and my decision.
After myriad tests (EKG, blood workup, 6 chest and rib x-rays, etc, the diagnoses was in. I had bronchitis, Pleuresy, and a pulled muscle in my chest: the spot where I had been compressing whenever I would cough. I will say that bronchitis, and Pleuresy have their own particular pain and discomfort... however, by pain comparison the pulled muscle in my chest was almost off the chart, at least a 9.5 every time I have a coughing fit.
He prescribed five different medicines to take, my favorite... Hydrocodone, Anyway, as he's talking to Missy and me the subject came that I'm vegetarian. It came up because my BG was really high and I explained that I'm not a healthy eating vegetarian as I consume far too many carbs. He then said that both he and his wife had been vegetarian for more than 40 years and his son is 52 and he has been vegetarian since he was 8 years old. I asked him the same question I'm always asked, why?
He said that he and his family all loves animals and he just never wanted to hurt them. I told him that we could have been brothers. Then, he dropped the bombshell.
He said for the first time in decades, about 30 days ago he and his wife had gone back to eating certain meats, he said that his wife is an avid reader and researcher and they are now eating grain fed beef, free range chickens, etc. and he is cutting out foods with preservatives and chemicals. He then did something neat. He said out of respect for the animals sacrifice (he folded his hands in an attitude of prayer) and motioned that he gave thanks before partaking,
I'm not sure since it is a public hospital that he did this gesture instead of just stating that he prayed to God and thanked Him for the sacrifice of the animal for his nourishment or not? But, it was a nice gesture.
Anyway, I have been reading a lot on how to control runaway diabetes and I have seen that lean meat, etc. is a solid replacement for many of the carbs I consume as a vegetarian. But, I did not want to go back to having an animal die just for a palette choice for myself. His testimony seemed to give me the permission I needed to make this decision.
I believe, without a doubt true vegetarianism and veganism is by far the healthiest diet for mankind as in the beginning God created all of His creatures to live meat free. However, I think many vegetarians (like myself) ate many other unhealthy foods and drinks to compensate.
So, after hearing him I decided to at least do what he does, grain fed beef, free range chickens, etc. At least in that way the animals are living free the way God intended and not cooped in a tiny pen, or cage and filled with steroids and other bad things.
6/30/1994 I became a vegetarian and 12/30/2018 I will start back eating certain meats and shopping mainly in whole food markets. So, 24 and one-half years I have lived without certain animals dying so I could consume them. Now, I will be grateful to God for the food He supplied and thankful in prayer as I am anyway before eating anything.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 4:11 PM
