Saturday, April 30, 2011

larry king live special on alzheimers, spurs

LARRY KING LIVE SPECIAL ON ALZHEIMERS
reminder larry king live is having his special on alzheimers
tomorrow night sunday may 1 at 700 pm cdt on cnn

its called unthinkable the alzheimers epidemic

he has several people on that have been affected by alzheimers
dr gupta will be describing what happens to the brain in
this terrible disease
the cleveland clinic will be featured in this story

watch it

SPURS
this is the end of the spurs as we know them
its been a long run
duncan is done
those knees have got old
from robinson to duncan
it has been a good run
thanks

there will no blog on sunday

the organicgreen doctor

Friday, April 29, 2011

its so dry, miracle, bb, nfl, wedding

ITS SO DRY
here we go again
its so dry here the lake levels are getting low like in the
drought here a few years ago
islands are reappearing in the lakes again

all that rain north of here and we have not had any of it
put in some rain chains months ago and have not got to
see them work yet

know its bad when the blue bonnets wilt

from a face book friend
its so dry the baptists are baptizing by sprinkling
the methodists are using baby wipes
the presbyterians are giving out rain checks
and the catholics are praying to turn the wine into water

MIRACLE
the tornadoes through the south have been terrible
so much destruction and death has ocurred
out of all this there is one good story

a firefighter in alabama heard the tornado coming
he grabbed his three boys and wife to huddle in the
middle of his house
as the walls were collapsing around him he felt his
youngest son get swept away into the tornado

after it passed they go up to go search for him
his son walked back to  where the house was
found his family
and said i got up into the air
he was safe and uninjured

BB
ok spurs you may have 2  more chances
dug a hole didnt you
bet you have dead legs
now lakers vs mavs
celtics vs heat-my favorite second round series
hawks (sorry dwight-you deserve better) vs bulls

NFL
so there was a draft last night
sure was a lot of deserved booing
feel my interest waning some in the nfl

WEDDING
the royal wedding couples wedding journey is about to be
over now
bet they are glad

our wedding journey is getting closer to being over
bet well all be glad too

the organicgreen doctor

Thursday, April 28, 2011

birth certificate, larry king special, bb

BIRTH CERTIFICATE
after much pressure from my blog readers, friends, family and
internet users i have agreed to release my birth certificate

this all started when i decided to get my passport in case i
wanted to go out of the country to visit sometime
i never had intended to release my birth certificate

there was concern that i was born in a foreign country and
would not be qualified to run for president or leave the
country
well after obtaining my birth certificate it looks like
they were right
i was born in a foreign country-arkansas
(ok thats pay back for my comment on oklahoma in
a past blog-i apologize)

i was not born where i thought i was
i was not born in the hospital where i thought i was
but was born in a birthing center like place used
for birthing babies back in the day

also my name on my birth certificate is misspelled
different than what i have been spelling it all my life

also my address at birth is incorrect
maybe i didnt live where i thought i lived
the certificate was not signed until a few days after my birth

wait i recognize that hand writing
thats my moms writing on that birth certificate
is that legal
maybe a handwriting analyst needs to review this
she wouldnt make mistakes

guess now cant leave the country or run for president now
ok you win
still aint goin to change how i spell my name
am sure these defects in my birth certificate will be
circled and written about extensively

can we just forget all this birth certificate crap and get
done in america what needs to be done
put your energies somewhere else where its needed
just discuss the issues please
its the economy stupid(s)
we dont care about that dam birth certificate

LARRY KING SPECIAL
larry king is having a special on cnn on sunday night may 1
at 700 pm cdt
its with maria shriver, laura bush, ron reagan, angie dickinson,
terell owen (to), seth rogen, leeza gibbons etal

this disease is non political
it strikes all sides
it may be the disease that breaks the health care system
you will be affected by this disease if you havent already

special will be called unthinkable the alzheimers epidemic
dr sanjay gupta will explain what happens in the brain in alzheimers
he always does a good job
you will see discussed many of the tests that i have had or will have
in the study im enrolled in

watch it and be ready

BB
dang spurs you made it through that one
ms bet youre glad you went to that game
if they win the next two they win the right to play the
young runnin thunder

heat rest up now cause the next series with the celtics will
be a brutal one
now lakers, mavs, and hawks are 3-2
any magic left
well see

the organicgreen doctor

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

unbelievable, tests, bb

UNBELIEVABLE


if you are a female, have a daughter, have a granddaughter, have a
sister or have a female relative that has had to compete against
male sports for their place then you will like this short video clip






this is an old gatorade commercial
even though it is not for real just pretend it is
and feel the feelings you get when you watch it
take that
women can compete

thanks wanda

TESTS
neuropsych tests am getting good at doing these things
now i know the questions before they are asked and
can answer them much better now

dont know if its the aricept or if its the repetition of the tests

does affect their validity some

did the 2 hr neuropsych tests for the video teleconference study
they are comparing doing the tests one on one vs doing them
via videoconference
they are providing these neuropsychology test to remote
clinics in a foreign country-oklahoma

i preferred the one on one instead of the videoconference
the results are more valid
but may be a good substitute for remote clinics

really need a computer based program to do these test
so they can be done in a doctors office and immediately
assessed for the doctor to use right then while the
patient is in the office

maybe i can develop one
just need a good screening one to see if there is a problem
then more advance testing can be done

then had my mri for the adni-2 study
its like laying on the sidewalk still for 30 minutes while someone
runs a concrete blasting machine next to you
couldnt even take a nap while it was being done

like the other test i am having for this study i will never know the
results

next fdg-pet scan and a more elaborate lengthy neuropsych test
may have to have a glass of wine after this one
then a week later will have the spinal tap and the amyloid
pet scan
prefer the spinal tap over the neuropsych test-its like a bad
dream where you cant ever finish what you are doing or get
to where you are going

if it all helps its worth it

BB
good job mavs end iit in dallas
you too magic if you want to keep dwight you need to win
ok thunder just dont give westbrook the ball and maybe
youll win this time
kobe kobe good dunks
think theyll win now
bulls win rose can rest his ankle
could be the end of the spurs as we know them
heat get a big lead so you dont have to take a last shot
to win

then that nfl mess
are they going to mess up a good thing like the nhl
and mlb did
starting to get a little naueated when i hear about all this

the organicgreen doctor






Tuesday, April 26, 2011

tests, bad thing good thing, cucumbers bad, bb

TESTS
am doing a study at ut southwestern called telecognitive assessment
big words for taking a neuropsych test on the computer
will do a 45 min test the old way then will do a 45 min test on the
computer

this test may eventually be used in remote areas or in local offices
then transmitted to a neuropsyhologist for evaluation so the patients
physician can use it in the evaluation for things such as memory loss,
dementia etc

dont like taking those test but will do it if it helps some one

am also having my introductory mri scan for the adni-2 study
had one in january that was normal
this result ill never see as it get zapped away to some where else as
part of the study

next in 2 weeks is a fdg pet scan which measures glucose
metabolism in the brain
in alzheimers this metabolism is affected and will show up as
abnormal areas on the scan
also then will have a more involved neuropsychological exam
(the sucky one)

BAD THING GOOD THING
well the rising gas prices are a bad thing for all of us but it may also
be a good thing for the state budget
seems texas gets a lot of revenue for its rainy day fund (call that in
our house the emergency fund-6 months expenses set aside in a
cash fund) from the increase in the price of oil

with the increase in oil and gas prices the amount of money flowing
into the rainy day fund has increased a lot
how much is determined by who you listen to
but it may be enough to offset some of the big cuts in school budgets

see isnt this like a hidden tax
they are getting their money one way or another

CUCUMBERS BAD
now this aint right for sure
how can cucumbers give us salmonella
just doesnt seem possible
wash them good or
just make pickles out of them
thatll kill those bugs

bet its farming practicing again
glad my cukes are growing good so wont have to worry about
this for awhile

BB
well guess there will only one sweep in the first round
spurs are sliding out the door
mavs making a comeback
will the ankles hold up for the bulls and lakers
dang it thunder
well did they make nuggets feel better by letting them win

lets get this over so the second round can started

the organicgreen doctor


Monday, April 25, 2011

worst cars, orange tools, backs of poor, bb

WORST CARS
the list of worst cars came out
no hondas of course

top on the list
cadilac escalade
chevrolet tahoe hybird
dodge nitro slt
jeep wrangler unlimited
mercedes benz s550

no fords were on the list
they seem to do something right
maybe cause they did it on their own

what happened to that german technology

will just stick to my toyotas

buy american but only a ford

my old pickup truck is a ford
definitely is well made for all the abuse it has had over
the years

ORANGE TOOLS
have misplaced many a hand tool in my yard and garden
find them months later
so thats where i left it

now my librarian niece recommends that you spray paint
the handles neon orange
what a great idea
will get some today and spray my handles
maybe will also do my hammer, measuring tapes, screwdrivers,
wire pliers, and just might do my car keys

BACKS OF THE POOR
am all for balancing the budget and getting out of debt
do it with my finances and if most americans would do it
then our country would be in better financial shape than it
is now
dont spend what you dont have
taking out a mortgage and borrowing a down payment means
you should rent not buy
what i did for years

but when it comes to the federal budget dont balance that budget
on the backs of the poor
thats what always happens
some of those cuts are ok but some we pay for more in the
future

family planning programs being cut just doesnt make sense
you want families off welfare but you cut the family planning programs
in my practice i found it difficult for patients who couldnt  afford
private care to find good family planning services
money spent on family planning prevents a lot of unwanted pregnancies
unwanted kids cost society a lot of money over the years
just ask those who care for foster kids
they see what happens first hand

when the kids are here then help provide them a way to develop
those first few years to stay healthy and get early childhood education
money spent here will save society a lot more as they get older
its expensive to house inmates in prison
pay now or pay a lot more later

cut the budget dont cut the poor
if you cut the budget you need to find other revenues
maybe tax those making over $250000 more

its obscene to see how little some people in that category pay
in taxes every year

a writer who had inherited wealth recently disclosed that he made
a four figure salary but paid less than 10% in taxes
at least obama paid his share of taxes this year
he is practicing what he preaches although with the higher brackets
he would pay more

dont break the poors back please

BB
sorry but i love basketball
am like michelle obama on that

celtics got first sweep
the nicks will probably reload for next year
lakers lost
hornets are hanging in there its now 2-2
heat lost focus
its team not individual players heat
heat finish up next time
those magic arent very magic
dwights gonna leave now i bet
those mavs are heart breakers

more this week yes
glad im retired now as can watch as much as i want of the games

the organicgreen doctor



Sunday, April 24, 2011

chicken tour, happy easter, bb

CHICKEN TOUR
we have had chickens at our country n now for 10 years
we still learn things when we do a chicken tour or see
someone elses chicken coop

some of the coops were in the keep austin weird section
of austin
one guy took an old tv and removed the tube and use the tv
as a nesting box for his chicken so you can watch the chickens
set on the eggs

most of the coops were discreetly tucked into their back yards
you would never know they had chickens
most ate the eggs or sold them or gave them away
they use the chicken waste as compost and later fertilizer
in their garden

one man said he had no roosters only hens
one of his chickens is called one eye as
a rooster pecked one eye out on the chicken
the rooster now rests in his freezer
dont have to have a rooster to raise eggs

for a novice the tour gives you ideas and allows you to
see how simple it is to raise chickens

highly recommend it

HAPPY EASTER
happy easter everyone
hope your kids have a great easter egg hunt today

one of my facebook friends and former patient raises fresh eggs
she and kids decorated some farm fresh eggs for the easter egg
hunt
bet theyll break them over each others head and eat the nutritious
egg
just like the old days huh
no candy or confetti there

our kids are gone now but we still have an egg hunt
but it happens every day as we wonder where those chickens
lad those eggs
behind the water dish, the old broken pot, the tree stump, in the
barn where the old feeding bin is, and who knows where
sometimes we find a big pile of them
our chickens are true free range chickens
putting the eggs in those nice laying bins we got at canton is just
too much to ask sometimes

we probably would be good at an egg hunt huh

BB
dang mavs gonna be a long road now for yall
bulls lost pacers win
spurs lost the bears bit them good
thunder marched on
more games today
celtics need to win to rest those old bones
lakers just need to get it done so they can rest
hawks magic could change up everyones original predictions
including mine
fab three of heat marches on

the organicgreen doctor

Saturday, April 23, 2011

funky chicken tour, bb, 80 mph

FUNKY CHICKEN TOUR
think you might want to have chickens in your backyard
if you live in austin
take the funky chicken tour today from 10am to 4pm
see their website http://www.fccooptour.blogspot.com/

things chickens do for us
provide amusement watching them
provide eggs that are delicious and nutritious
eat insects and especially those dam grasshoppers
provide fertilizer for the garden
remove seeds from leaves and pulverizes the leaves for compost
stir up our compost piles

one thing we dont do is eat them
just cant do that

chickens are allowed in most cities in the united states
usually the hoas restrict them
if done discreetly know one knows you have them
no rooster needed-sorry guys

BB
lakers and celtics won
hawks got the magic
come on magic we want to see more dwight in the playoffs
today thunder, spurs, bulls, and mavericks play and should
all win

80 MPH
well the texas legislature proposed a 75 mph speed limit
was already going that fast now
you know sneak it up 5 mph and the cops wont get you
usually
now that means can go 80 mph right

the organicgreen doctor

Friday, April 22, 2011

dont call, meat glue, earth day, i had a dream, bb

DONT CALL
dr carrie whose blog is on my favorite lists reminded
us about the do not call for cell phones
all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing
companies and you will start to receive sales calls

you can call 1-888-382-1222
you must call from the cell phone you want blocked
it last 5 years
it took about 20 seconds to do

thanks dr carrie

MEAT GLUE
now this will make you read labels
go to google and google meat glue
makes you want to be a vegetarian
think ill have the veggie burger please

EARTH DAY
as i sit here typing this at 4:00 am with my door open i can
hear the whippoorwills near the river and there is a nice cool
breeze coming in the door after the lightning and storm that
came through here 2 hours ago
there is a crispness to the air
i realize that we at our place we call the country n practice
earth day every day
we all need to do this or future generations may not have an
earth to practice earth day on
dont see  a lot of media coverage of earth day this year

I HAD A DREAM
no not mlks famous speech but my dream last night
as you know i visited a close relative last week whose has
alzheimers at a young age, had my first visit for my alzheimers
research study, and the new guidelines for classifying alzheimers
came out this week

am on aricept so i get these dang good dreams sometimes
although they are not as frequent as before

well last night i had a dream
it was sobering
i dreamed my alzheimers had advanced
so thats what it will be like
i tried to practice emergency room medicine but couldnt find
the emergency room and was confused when i saw a patient
i also got lost driving home and the police had to take me home
i also forgot to pick my son up from day care
i got lost in conversations with people
i had a dream last night but for now it is only a dream

BB
heat won
bulls won
blazers blazed mavs
more tonight
next series in round two will get even better

the organicgreen doctor

Thursday, April 21, 2011

middle age texting, thursfri, bb

MIDDLE AGE TEXTING
thanks to face book friend
added a few

these are texting words used by middle age folks
(note spell check doesnt recognize texting as a word)

atd-at the doctor
bff-best friend fell
btw-bring the wheelchair
byot-bring your own teeth
ggpbl-gotta go pacemaker battery is low
gha-got heartburn again
ccf-cant chew food
imho-is my hearing aid on
lmdo-laughing my dentures out
ommr-on my massage recliner
roflacgu-rolling on the floor and cant get up
omsg-oh my sorry gas
gggg-gotta go gotta go
wdlmk-where did i leave my keys
fwiw-forgot where i was
istbo-it sucks to be old

maybe the teenagers cant interpret our text messages huh-tair
(teenager in room)

THURSFRI
from another facebook friend
today is thursfri
if you are lucky enough to be off tomorrow
my wife she has a thursfri today
she is excited
she needs to recover from our road trip

BB
thunder you are almost there
spurs here they come
spurs do need ginoboli
lakers came back
mavs heat bulls tonight
brandon roy quit whining

the organicgreen doctor

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

new guidelines, another study, weather, bb

NEW GUIDELINES
new guidelines came out yesterday in an article on classification
of alzheimers disease
this is significant since the last time this was done was 1984

this article in the ny times on alzheimers guidelines does a good
job describing the new guidelines and why they are important

these guidelines were used when making my diagnosis
mild cognitive impairment amnesic type felt to be secondary
to alzheimers

the testing that is discussed in this article and the guidelines are
not all readily available but i have had them or will have them
this month

these guidelines are important as they will identify people early
with the disease
hopefully these will provide tools for family doctors to use to
identify people earlier
in my case it was good that i was identified so that i could plan
my life and that i stop practicing medicine before some harm
was caused as my disease progressed

some people dont want to know but not me
it has made my life better knowing now (have always feared it
would happen)
luckily i have disability insurance that should kick in soon to help
with my financial situation and i have long term care insurance
to cover long term care later in life and i have health insurance
(notice these need to be obtained before the diagnosis is made as
you cant get life insurance, disability insurance, long term care
insurance or health insurance with my diagnosis)

with these new classifications as more people are identified earlier
then more research can be done on those people with the
disease earlier than before

thats why the study im in now is important as they are looking at
people with normal cognition and with an early diagnosis like mine
now new drugs and new tests can be designed to attack this
disease
it wont help me but it may help you or your kids or my kids

full article if you are interested  is at
http://www.alzheimersanddementia.org/content/ncg

next week i have a mri then will do other tests later

ANOTHER STUDY
next week i will also be involved in another study in which the
university is developing an online neuropsychological test that
your family doctor or neurologist can order on you
you can go online and complete it then it is sent to a
neuropsychologist to interpret
the report is then sent to you doctor

hopefully this online test will make it easier to get tested

i will be taking the online version of the test for the study
they are doing but it may not be available to the general
public without a doctors order

if it becomes available i will blog about it

remember on these genetic tests eg huntingtons, alzheimers, etc
you dont want it done until you have all your insurances lined up as
you wont be able to get them once it is placed in your medical
records

WEATHER
this weather we are having now is scary
its hot in the mid 90s and dry and real windy
there have been fires around here this last week and there are
fires in west texas
this is summer weather in april
it doesnt bode well for this area if this continues into the summer
especially if we have no rain
the fires will only increase if this happens

this is usually the time of the year when we can leave our doors
and windows open until june when it gets hot
its one of the good things of living where we do in the spring
the wind blowing through our house cooling it off during the day
not this year
we are using our air conditioning every day

we need rain

BB
nicks just dont have it this year
mavs may make through the first round
magic won maybe they will kick in now

the organicgreen doctor

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

more adni-2, road trip, bbbbbb

ADNI-2
well think i made it into the study
will know later this week
if labs are ok then should be a go for the study

get to start with a mri since its the hardest to get scheduled then
will follow up with a day of neuropsychological exams-thats the one
i dont like to do as its frustrating since some of the short term
memory parts i have trouble with
did a mini one yesterday and had some difficulties with some of
the short term parts again but did not seem worse than what i
had done in november of 2010
the next neuropsychological test will be more involved than the
sucky one i had to do that got me in this mess im in now

my wife has to go back with me when i have the spinal tap done
still would rather have that than the neuropsych test
she also has to be interviewed more extensively about me for this
study (hope she doesnt tell any family secrets)

then i go back again to have 2 pet scans done

these will be my baseline studies for this almost 5 year study
with the probability that it will last longer if funding is available

so my disease process will be monitored closely over this
period of time
feel lucky since my wife she and i wont have to be guessing
where i am with my disease as we will have objective data
to look at

my close relative with the disease has progressed over the last few
years
for him and his wife and his family and his doctors its harder to
know where he is with his disease and when to have him stop
driving and doing other things that could harm himself and others

with this study the evidence will be there for my wife she and i and
my family to see so we can make those decisions more easily

this study is an important national study that will probably define
how a patient gets evaluated and monitored for alzheimers

now if they could just find a prevention and a treatment of this
disease

have realized that once the diagnosis of alzhiemers is made the
treatment is easy as there is only a few choices and they dont
really affect the course of the disease they just slow down the
symptoms some
the biggest problem in treating alzheimers is a social one
that most people are not ready for
we werent with my mother

as i do each test although usually i may not get a full report i will
know how im doing i will blog on it each time

in late summer i will have back all my genetic and spinal fluid
results and will post them on this blog and will explain what it
all means

hopefully all of this will help someone when they or their family
members get this disease
it will affect you in some way eventually

ROAD TRIP
no its wasnt like the movie road trip
we didnt eat at any restaurants so did not have to worry about
making any waiters mad at me

tried to visit all my siblings except for one sister that ill catch at
another visit
at those visits tried to talk about alzheimers and how it may affect
them and their families
think most of them have had themselves screened since i was
diagnosed and another close relative was diagnosed and since
my mother was diagnosed

they were able to ask questions which i answered as well as i
could answer
feel like i am as up on this disease as anyone
wish i had been this knowledgeable when  i was in practice

the worst part of my visit was visiting a younger close relative
with the disease
it was surreal
i felt like i was looking into the future whenever i sat and looked
at him
just dont know how far behind him i am with my disease process and
when will i be where he is today

i want my wife she and i to be ready to handle this
she and i are trying to get ready

its the caretaker stupid
they are the real ones who suffer with this disease
my close relative and i wont know the difference

BBBBBB
bulls and heat won
think they will be the two to beat in the east
magic needs to win
celtics need to win tonight still think their age will do them in
mavericks dont slip up again

the organicgreen doctor

Monday, April 18, 2011

adni-2, bb

ADNI-2
today i start my alzheimers research study called adni-2
alzheimers disease neuroimaging intiative-2 is an extension of
the adni-1 study

this study will look at normal controls (thats the category i was
going to be in when all this mess ive got my self into started)
(many of you know who have read my blogs know i entered this
study to be a normal control but flunked the initial
neuropsychological test in the short term memory department and
was not allowed in on the adni-1 study
from there a trip to the neurologist landed me on aricept and
a decision to stop my medical practice because of the fear of
causing harm)

other categories are early mild cognitive imparment-thats my group
late mild cognitive impairment and alzheimers disease

we will all be followed for 54 months with serial blood work,
neuropsychological test (thats the one that caught me and i
hate taking it. its like taking a test where you dont know the
material and you know you are going to flunk it. its like taking
a test you havent studied for and not knowing the answers. its like
a bad dream.  i dread it more than the spinal tap), spinal tap to
assess amyloid and tau protein-both are elevated in alzheimers-,
mris, a pet scan to look at radioactively labeled amyloid, and a
pet scan to look at radioactively labeled glucose which shows
how well the brain is actively functioning

these tests and data are sent to a central place usually ucla for
developing a data base that research will study sometimes for
years
sometimes a cell line is developed if a significant finding is made
maybe mine could be called the togd gene

also included in this study i will sign a permit that will allow an
autopsy of my brain when i die so they can compare what they
see in my brain at my death with what they saw on the scans and
neuropsychological tests
the final diagnosis of alzhiemers is made only on autopsy

will this study help me
no
but it may help my kids, grandkids, you or your family
remember you will be affected by this terrible disease in some way

there is no drug testing in this study
there is only the scans and lab studies that are not readily available
outside the research system

problem is ill never know what my results will be
as all the test subjects are identified by numbers and the results go
into this research black hole never to be seen by me or the other
people in the study

ill remain on my aricept until it doesnt work anymore
there has not been any worsening of my condition
i have gotten adjusted to my meds and have few side effects
have lost those great dreams i was having
guess ill have to get netflix now

tomorrow will blog on anything new after by intial visit
at least i dont have to repeat that dam neuropsych exam this time

BB
whoa
lakers dont get in trouble now
lose the next one and you are in trouble

spurs werent suppose to lose that game
watch out

celtics you are lucky that knicks played bad at the end
youve got a fight on your hands

thunder you are fun to watch
denver is going to give you a run for your money though

the organicgreen doctor

Sunday, April 17, 2011

bb 2

BB 2
these series that start today should be more competitive

spurs vs memphis
ganobolis out today
spurs still should win and sweep them unless more injuries
happen to the old men of the spurs

oklahoma city vs denver should be run and gun basketball
okc should beat the nuggets in 5 games

lakers play new orleans
hornets might sting the lakers some especially if kobe doesnt
keep his mouth shut
lakers should win the series though
maybe bynum can heal up and rest this series

celtics play nicks today
no shack

dallas may just lose to portland in the series
will be bad if they do
heads will roll if that happens

hawks beat the magic
thats not good
heat, bulls, and mavericks all won
heads didnt roll in dallas but they might in orlando

the organicgreen doctor

Saturday, April 16, 2011

bb, tornadoes

BB
well the games begin this weekend
dont really watch a lot of nba basketball until now
this is when everyone gets serious

there are going to be a few one and outs in this series
chicago, miami, and orlando should sweep their series
but the new york and boston series is going to be a  good one
boston just doesnt seem to have it all together this year
shouldnt have given up perkins

prediction is that boston wins though in 6 games
rest of the above will be 4 and outs

TORNADOES
my thoughts go out to those injured and to those whose
family members were killed in the tornadoes that swept
across oklahoma, arkansas, and mississippi
have only been in one maybe
it blew down a huge tree in our yard
sounds was incredible-did sound like a train
even when you do things right sometimes if the tornado is
strong enough it still injures and kills people

with the tornado its arrival is aggressive with the wind and hail
and rain then afterwards commonly the skies are clear and
the air is crisp and the winds are gone and the sun comes out
it can come in fast and leave fast but cause a lot of damage

thinking of those involved this week

the organicgreen doctor



Friday, April 15, 2011

earthkind, bb, happy birthday

EARTHKIND
well the aggies are doing something right
texas am runs the extension service for texas
they have been known in the past to be under
the influence of major companies much like the
medical community ie doctors have been under
the influence of the drug companies

now they have started an earthkind program
they recommend decreasing water use, using less fertilizer
(recently they did a test of fertilizers and found that the
organic fertilizers work best for lawns), using drought tolerant
plants, and mulch

this approach works no matter where you live

they have developed plants that are genetically tough
eg they took roses and planted them in crappy clay soil
they watered them the first year, then occasionally the
second year then none after that
they did not fertilize or dead head or use pesticides on them

what was developed was one tough rose that was very
earthkind

this approach was done for a lot of plants, trees, shrubs,
annuals, vegetables, and perennials

what is left is tough plants that use little water, little fertilizer,
no or limited pesticides (organic please) and with the use of mulch
are very earth friendly

the statement was if you can grow weeds then you can grow
their roses

on my property i have selected plants that meet these criteria
as much as possible
i dont fertilize them, use pesticides on them and never water them
what is left is a very xerographic yard

planted are acanthus, greggs mistflower, texas hibiscus, aster,
jerusalem sage, texas sage, cat mint, butterfly bush, carolina jasmine,
 lady banksia rose, zexmenia, youpon holly, pride of barbados,
rosemary, salvia gregii, cedar sage, black foot daisy, four nerve daisy,
native grapes, agarita, mexican buckeye, trumpet vine, althea, cactus,
texas plum, texas mountain laural, oregano, sage, thyme, turks cap,
passion vine, texas betony, esperanza (yellow bells), virginia creeper,
germander, american beautyberry, evergreen sumac, redbud, texas
persimmon, anachacho orcid tree, cast iron plant, possumhaw holly,
burr oak, cedar elm, cedar etal

all of these are xeric plants
again i dont water them or fertilize them or apply pesticides
i just keep them mulched to retain moisture and to provide some
natural fertilizer from the decomposition of the mulch

earthkind works best

BB
well nba playoffs start tomorrow
intriguing series are portland vs dallas
and celtics vs nicks

could the mavericks lose in the first round again
are the celtics just too old and beat up to defeat
carmellos team

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
happy birthday to my future daughter in law she
welcome to the family

the organicgreendoctor

Thursday, April 14, 2011

attack of the baby squirrel, poor mcilroy, teens sleep deprived, bb

ATTACK OF THE BABY SQUIRREL
this is real scary
dont watch it alone
its not for the faint of heart
this menacing baby squirrel is in the attack mode

watch this video
shame shame
he was just after a nut or just wanted to play



the poor attack baby squirrel was captured and the pepper
spray was washed off
he was later released to attack again

POOR MCILROY
poor mcilroy fell apart in the masters last round
he had played so brilliantly until then

then those white houses and trees got moved and placed in
his way
what a large fall he had on the scoreboard
it was painful to watch

then to add insult to injury the airlines lost all his clubs
on his last flight
maybe that wasnt a bad thing

a bad thing can be a good thing

TEENS SLEEP DEPRIVED
this from a story by dr nancy snyderman nbc news
(did a rotation with her as a resident-she is an ent surgeon)
teens are sleep deprived
if you dont believe that just ask any middle school or
high school teacher
my wife she has to wake kids all the time
sometimes she has pity on them and just lets them sleep

what with computers, facebook, cell phones there is too much
going on to get that sleep
also many teenagers work jobs in the evenings and get home
late at night
guess jobs are more important than sleep and school
(will admit some of the kids are working to help support
themselves and their families)

seems teenagers need about 9 hrs and 15 min sleep a night
the average teen gets 7hrs and 30 min sleep a night

the frontal lobe is developing in the late teenage years and needs
that extra time to develop properly
thinking is that the lack of sleep leads to add, depression, and
obesity

teens get more sleep, decrease your caffeine use (no red bull or
lattes) and decrease the computer use, cell use, and social
networking that interferes with your sleep

yea right thatll happen

MORE BB
more basketball is coming
the nba playoffs are starting this weekend
(kobe keep your mouth shut please)

finals most would like to see is oklahoma city vs miami
mvp is derrick rose-no doubt about it

the organicgreen doctor

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

cow breast milk, nintendo nystagmus, earth day

COW BREAST MILK
now this doesnt sound right
it seems the chinese have incorporated the genes for human
breast milk into a cow so the cow is producing human like
cows milk

does that mean that everyone now will have a cow in their
back yard to go with their backyard chickens
maybe a new website called backyard cow could be formed
and funky backyard cow pen tours could be arranged

do the babies have to suckle the cow to get the milk as
fresh as possible
i think not

just milk the cow put it in the bottle and give it to the baby
or do you use a breast pump(s)
does the baby call the cow mom
at what age do you have to wean a baby off cow human milk

am sure the formula companies will be some how get involved to
make their profits and keep those moms from breast feeding

does your child drink breast milk or formula or now cow breast milk
will now be the question when you go in for your babies visit with
the doctor

some how mother nature knows best
am sure breast milk is better

be careful now and dont make mother nature mad
she always wins

NINTENDO NYSTAGMUS
the new 3 d games are causing people to get vertigo or dizziness
seems i get that if i play the regular non 3 d ones
i always lose on them so gave them up a few years ago

recommendation is that you take breaks from playing the 3 d
games every 30 minutes to prevent the vertigo symptoms

or just take dramamine or meclizine and keep on playing

EARTH DAY
remember earth day is friday april 22 this year
we need to practice earth day every day in our lives
eat organic when possible
live green
recycle as much as possible
this earth has taken a lot of abuse this year
we do need to be careful

the organicgreen doctor

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

herpes is forever, garden, chickens, textingdriving

HERPES IS FOREVER
looks like herpes may be forever
researchers just discovered that the herpes virus hsv1may
contribute to alzheimers disease by an interaction of the hsv1
virus and a precursor to amyloid (which is deposited in
brain in alzheimers)
it may be long term chronic infections with hsv1 can affect these
deposits
chronic hsv1 is treatable with medications

no was tested am negative

GARDEN
this rain we had here sure perked up the garden
its like giving the plants viagra
beans and corn that were replanted have suddenly appeared
and the veggies in the garden-onions, tomatoes, peppers,
egg plant, and squash-have grown in one day

there is something about the rain and an electrical storm to make
things grow
have even seen wildflowers especially the flame wheel or mexican
blanket suddenly pop out everywhere
even the birds seem happier and more active

with this growth be on the watch for those bad bugs
dont use sevin dust or other poisons on your plants
stay organic

CHICKENS
there is the funky chicken coop tour coming up in austin soon
you can look at their website http://fccooptour.blogspot.com/
the tour is saturday april 23, 2011 10 am to 4 pm

if you think you want chickens it may be worth the tour

you can also see a story on a local family with chickens from
klru at the klru website

just finished an egg for breakfast that was laid yesterday
yumyum

TEXTDRIVING
now the state legislature is making a law so that is illegal to
text or send email while driving

now that aint right
not the law but texting and email while driving
how do you do that
i tried to do it while driving in my pasture in my old beat up
pickup truck so if i wrecked it or hit something no noticeable
damage would be done (my old truck has been in those
situations a lot and shows all of the scars)
i almost killed myself

i have enough trouble texting while sitting in my chair in the
living room much less while driving

oh yea they decided to let it be legal to read emails and texts
that aint right either
why dont you just read a book while you are at it when driving

some things are stupid

the organicgreen doctor

Monday, April 11, 2011

larry weekend, golf, rain yes

LARRY WEEKEND
well we had larry weekend this weekend
larry was our now demised rooster that frequently attacked
my wife she for several years
she defended herself with the infamous rooster rake
these attacks provided me with numerous jocular moments
over the years
larry submitted to the circle of life but we kept his name on the
annual party at our place we call the country n

the docs and employes from the clinic where i worked were
invited every year
as i had just retired (because of my mci (mild cognitive impairment)
diagnosis this one this weekend turned out to be the largest one
of all
also present were previous doctors who worked there and some
past employees and family members
also the doctor who took over my place in the clinic was here
with his family
i think those of you who choose him will be pleased

think everyone had a good time especially the kids
the kids love to ride on my lawn tractor with its trailer
through the yard, pastures, and 'snake country'

the kids also love the annual trip to the river where they can
wade in the water, throw and skip rocks, get muddy if they can
get past their parents, try to catch frogs and minnows, pet the
neighbors horses on the way, see a deer if they are lucky, and
climb over the rocks

the kids and their big kid parents also got to fly kites although
the wind was strong
mine went right up as the wind caught it but the manufacturer
forgot to tie the string and the kite continued its lofty flight up
towards the canada direction

my wife she and i furnish the hamburgers and hot dogs and each
family brings some food item
my favorite of course were the deserts ranging from several
brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate buck eyes (u know where
that person is from), the special amy desert, yum yum cookies,
ice cream and maybe the best the chocolate fountain

for my retirement i received a nice book of photos from the past
at work along with a gift certificate to my favorite organic green
nursery here in the austin area
cant wait to use that certificate

the photo book brought back old memories and i enjoy looking at
it every time i pick it up
thanks guys

know this is the last larry weekend
they have all been fun
this marks the end of that part of my life and my career as a doctor

now have to face a new future
have prepared myself for retirement
am doing those things i like to do (except for the housework and
dishes and the wash-ok i owe my wife she-didnt realize what she
had to put up with this for several years)

to be continued

GOLF
thought tiger might come back
thought there might be a big playoff
exciting masters
no more golf for me until next year
now its nba basketball

RAIN
yes we are getting rain here as i type this blog
those dam birds made a nest in one of my gutters and
it is overflowing
of course they had to pick the gutter thats the highest one
said i would never go back up there after the last time
maybe one more time

hopefully it will rain enough to repenlish some of the moisture
in the ground here
we are inches behind already this year

except for those dam birds this was a great weekend

the organicgreen doctor

Sunday, April 10, 2011

golf, rain

GOLF
lets see ncaa men and womens basketball is over
nba playoffs havent started yet
so that leaves uhuh golf

the only golf i usually watch is the masters
the best golfers are there
its usually a thrilling if golf can be thrilling last day
to the event

can the young guns pull it off today or will
tiger make a jack nicklaus-like come back

should be a good golf day today

RAIN
from the old farmers almanac
weather means more when you have a garden
theres nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how
it is soaking in around your lettuce and green beans

that sounds so good
makes it cooler here just thinking about a nice spring rain

its so hot and dry here we need rain bad

the organicgreen doctor

Saturday, April 9, 2011

larry weekend, govt open for business

LARRY WEEKEND
this is the larry weekend
he was our rooster
aint here now
we named the weekend after him
he of the chase my wife she fame and my wife she used her
rooster rake against him a lot

you can google larry or rooster on google to the right of
this blog to read previous blogs about this

we have had a party every april  for the last several years at our
house for the clinic where i worked
i bbq burgers and dogs and everyone brings side dishes and
desserts-ummmm brownies
kids play outside all day flying kites, climbing on everything
climbable, ride tractor rides, go to river and catch whatever
moves, face paintings, etc

everyone has a good time
this however will be the last one
lets make it a good one

GOVT OPENED FOR BUSINESS
thank goodness it got done
was ready to start a movement to throw them all out republicans
and democrats
cuts are good but bet there was not a tax increase for the top
wage earners

GOLF
tiger got on  a roll yesterday
think he has a new young girlfriend
there are a lot of young gun golfers doing well

this is one of the few times ever watch golf
should be a good golf weekend

the organicgreen doctor

Friday, April 8, 2011

alzheimers story

ALZHEIMERS STORY
today is a close relatives birthday
ill call him and wish him a happy birthday
he wont remember it though
he has alzheimers and is in the mild-moderate stage
ill call him anyway as its the right thing to do
feel like somewhere inside he will know i called him

ill send him a belated birthday card
its something he can look at maybe more than once
maybe he will know its me

he was diagnosed over 5 years ago
he has gradually progressed in his disease
want to reach him while hes reachable

i want to wish him a happy birthday today

dont forget the caretakers in all of this
they are the one that suffers the most
they are the one that has to take over everything now
the cooking, cleaning, finances, home maintenance and repair,
shopping, going to medical appointments for both, having all the
emotional aspects of the disease to themselves with no partner to
share it with, car maintenance, socializing by themselves if at all

if you know a caretaker be there for them
it can be a long haul for them
any reprieve for them is helpful
it doesnt get better
remember you will be affected by this disease in some way
its too prevalent

if you are a caretaker reach out for help
use friends, churches, local organizations, the internet, and the
alzheimers association website-www.alz.org

the alzheimers website has a good caretakers discussion group
they are lots of people in your shoes out there
it helps to get involved or at least read the postings
there is also information where you can get help
seek it out

dont forget to take care of yourself in all of this

dr oz did a show on alzheimers yesterday
it may be related to diabetes of the brain ie insulin receptors
being affected may be the cause or one of the causes of this
disease
i think it has multi causes and is definitely genetically transmitted
ie the tendency to get it

he preached diet
diet can help but like a lot of this it has to be started when
people are young to have its major effect

where am i with my diagnosis
i am still on aricept 10 mg a day
i have a genetic testing that is pending for the apoe gene which
is the most common one associated with alzheimers
i have an appointment in 10 days to start a new research study
at ut southwestern in dallas
during that study i will have a spinal tap and studies will be done
to test for amyloid protein and tau protein
if abnormal then my diagnosis of alzheimers will be certain

will post all of this when it is completed
probably will be all completed in mid summer

there will be alzheimers walks to raise money for research in october
encourage everyone to get involved
a lot is happening in research now with this disease
novemeber is alzhiemers awareness month

again remember you will be affected by this disease

the organicgrreen doctor

Thursday, April 7, 2011

its so sad, garden stuff

ITS SO SAD
this is so sad
a young teenage girl took her own life in the bathroom of the
school in the community where i practiced
its so sad
this loss of this young life
why
were there signs
did the system miss something
did her friends miss something

in a teenagers life there are so many things that can affect them
some of them to us seem not important
sometimes its a cumulative effect of a lot of small things

hope that the system can learn something from this tragedy that
could prevent this from happening again

just hope it was not from bullying
with so much social networking and demands on kids bullying is
much easier than in the past

in my dealings with teenagers it is hard to get them to communicate
with you sometimes
it was easier if i had a long time patient relationship with them

the mental health system in the united states is not very good
especially for those who are not financially able to seek care
even with insurance it is expensive
many providers dont accept insurance also
poor system we have

parents hug your kids
talk with them and listen to them
know their friends
monitor their computers, cell phones and social network sites
seek help early if needed

our thoughts and condolences to her family
its so sad

GARDEN STUFF
now to less important stuff
its dry here where we live
there is no rain in sight
its windy
that dries the heck out of plants
keep them watered regularly
drip irrigation works the best
water in am if using a sprinkler system
wet leaves in the sun will burn the leaves
use mulch-i use pine straw
it lets in moisture but shades the ground if used loosely

watch for bugs
use lady bugs in your garden
can get them at most garden centers
watch for caterpillars but dont kill the good ones that turn into
butterflies like these










use bt for the caterpillars (bad ones only please)

have trouble with pill bugs in my garden as i have a lot of
mulch and organic material in my garden
they eat my new seedlings as they come out of the ground
i use a dusting of de-diatomaceous earth- as the seedlings
emerge from the ground

if things got nipped with the cold, just died, or got eaten
replant now as there is till time to get things growing

the organicgreen doctor

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

lk's grab bag, freeze, ags

LK'S GRAB BAG
this is one of the blogs that i follow regularly
she writes a blog and publishes it every sunday
it is very well written and informative and well structured
she covers a lot of territory

she did a review of my blog on her blog this february
she caught the essence of what i wanted to do with this blog
go to this link to read what she wrote
www.lk'sgrabbag.com
its the third story in the blog titled grab bag heart wringer

FREEZE
well fell asleep in my chair during the u conn butler game on
monday night
woke up at the last 5 minutes-wasnt i lucky
my wife she says dont you want to cover up your plants
it was dark and cooler and i was half asleep
so i didnt do it

well my wife she was right
went out the next am  and there were several black droopy plants
in my garden
some of my tomatoes were nipped as were my squash, peppers,
the top of my potatoes, and some of my beans
interesting that my heirloom tomatoes were not affected

well will just have to replant those today
this happens every year but this year is not as bad as the last
2 years when i did cover them up with row cover and they still
got nipped
wont learn will i
the urge to plant is just too great

some of the seeds ive planted have not come up yet
think its because of the cold weather we had after they were planted
cold then hot then cold then hot
guess the seeds dont like that
think now we are past the cold weather

AGS
dont you know that ag coach would be a good granddad
congratulations to the women aggies
they got it done
ok i like the longhorns and razorbacks but rooted for the aggies
in the tournament
move over u conn tennessee and stanford

the organicgreen doctor

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

green when green wasnt green, bb,

GREEN WHEN GREEN WASNT GREEN
from fb friend plb thanks

in the line in the store the cashier told the little old lady the  plastic
bag wasnt good for the environment
the little old lady apologized as she said they did not have the green
thing back in her day

thats right back then they did not have the green thing in her day
they returned their milk bottles, coke bottles and beer bottles back
to the store
the store sent them to the plant to be washed, sterilized and refilled
the bottles were used over and over again
so they really were recycled

but they didnt have the green thing in her day

in her day they walked up the stairs because they did not have
elevators in every store and office building
they walked to the grocery store and did not climb into a 300 hp
machine to go just 2 blocks

shes right though
they didnt have the green thing in her day

back then they washed the babys diapers because they did not
have throw away diapers
they dried clothes on the line not in some energy burning machine
gobbling up 220 volts -wind and solar power really did dry their
clothes
kids got hand me down clothes from their brothers and sisters and
not always brand new clothes (had 7 siblings so always had hand
me downs-was glad i was in the middle and not in the end of the
line-although they would be torn holey and stained by then now
days they would be styling)

but the little lady was right they did not have green in her day

back then they had one tv or radio in the house-not a tv in
every room
the tv screen was the size of a small pizza dish and not the
size of the state of montana

in the kitchen they blended and stirred by hand because they did
not have electric machines to do everything
when they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail they wrapped
it with wadded up newspapers not bubble wrap or styrofoam

back then they did not fire up an engine and burn gasoline to cut
the lawn but instead used a push power that ran on human power
they exercised by working so they did not have to go to a health
club to to run on treadmills that operate on electricity

but shes right they did not have the green thing back then

they drank from a fountain when they were thirsty and did not use a
cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water
they refilled pens with ink (boy that was messy never could get that
done right) and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of
throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull
(also they use to take the razor blade and sharpen it by rimming it
around the edge of a glass)

but they did not have the green thing back then

back then people took the street car and kids rode their bikes to
school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a
24 hour taxi service
they had one electric outlet in a room and not an entire bank of
sockets to power a dozen appliances
they did not need a computerized gadget to receive a signal
beamed for satellites 2000 miles out in space in order to find the
nearest pizza joint

but they did not have the green thing back then

BB
well butler bombed
couldnt shoot worth a dam
congratulations u conn and grand pa on the win

lets go aggies
gig that leprechaun tonight

the organicgreen doctor

Monday, April 4, 2011

new doc, bbbb,happy

NEW DOC
there is a new doctor starting this month at the clinic where
i worked
his nurse will be the nurse that worked for me the last 10 years

if you are my former patient and have not got well established
yet with a new doctor would recommend you give him a try

he is a board certified family physician like i am
he has been in practice somewhere else in this area for several years
he worked with one of my colleagues in the past who highly
recommends him

he sees both children and adults-yes
so many family doctors wont see younger kids now which i
feel is sad as it was the enjoyable part of my practice

he grew up in east texas
like me he was 1 of 5 boys(know what that was like)
he developed his interest in medicine from his mom who
worked for the local family doctor (i developed my interest
in medicine from my mom as she was a nurse at the local
hospital)
he loves the outdoors especially fishing, hiking and camping

would recommend you call for an appointment with him when
you need medical care
he is now accepting appointments

BBBB
bb mens final is tonight
butler against u conn
no chance of u conn winning both the mens and womens now

tough to choose which to win
the new young coach with some standards that seem to be
missing now in college sports vs
the hall of fame grandfather

would like to see butler win
america needs a good story right now of someone with the right
ideals and work ethic

go butler

then theres the women
things got turned upside down yesterday
those aggies got that old razorback coach (lets call him the white fox)
and out foxed the stanford brainies

then the notre dame gals beat u conn
will miss not seeing maya moore play in the finals this year

good luck aggies you gig em now
show that football team how its suppose to be done

HAPPY
from my great nieces facebook
happy as a bird with a french fry
now thats happy

the organicgreen doctor

Sunday, April 3, 2011

bb

BB
well the teams are set in the mens finals
its going to be a dog fight game
the huskies vs the bull dogs

butler plays u conn tomorrow night in the mens finals
what a great story if either one of these teams win

new young upcoming coach of an underdog team vs
the old coach at the end of his career coaching a team who
was in the middle of the conference
aint u conns tired yet since they played extra games in their
conference tournament

then
the womens
could u conn womens win the whole thing and there be
a u conn winner in both mens and womens

can aggies get past the stanford women tonight and make
it to the final game

gig em aggies

the organicgreen doctor

Saturday, April 2, 2011

no joke, bb, more oil

NO JOKE
ha the joke was that there was no joke
in my blog yesterday

BB
finally todays the final four weekend
am almost tired watching those games

vcu-butler prediction butler wins for second final four in a row

kentucky-ucon predictions ucon wears out and loses

then on monday will have the final answer finally

MORE OIL
well in texas they are opening old wells and producing oil
they are also doing some new drilling
this has increased state revenues some which will help with the
state budget crisis
wonder who pays for all of that
is this like a hidden tax on all of us

seems we pay either way

the organicgreen doctor

Friday, April 1, 2011

april fools day, willie needs rx, duct tape

APRIL FOOLS DAY
its april fools day today so dont let anyone trick you today
i plan to be on the look out for tricks so i wont be fooled

plan to start the day by waking up my wife she at 630 am and
tell her its 800 am
she has to be at work at 800 am
wonder how long it will take for to realize that
hahahahhah   hope it works

my son he is flying to san francisco today
when he gets up i plan on telling him that his flight was
canceled and he cant leave until later in the afternoon
he has an event to go to at 700 pm there tonight
bet that will wake him up good

the internet makes it easy now to come up with jokes to pull
there is even a april fools day website to get ideas from
just keep it benign today please
no bad ones

WILLIE NEEDS A RX
so a study was done and published recently where cannnaboid
use for anxiety works well in the non demented elderly
(dang it)

now old willies has been caught with the weed several times
once he fell asleep on the side of the road near waco with a
joint in his ashtray
he has been stopped in north carolina and lousiana and ticketed for
having the weed in the bus
cops could smell it when they entered the bus
leave him along

recently he was stopped near the texmex border and was
ticketed again
he got off with a fine but the judge was going to make him
drive back there again and sing one of her favorites to the
court as a penalty

now if old willie could just develop some anxiety he could go
to california or colorado and go to one of the medical marijuana
clinics there and get his rx (prescription) for the weed without any
legal worries

willie never seems anxious though does he
maybe its the weed

DUCT TAPE
reverse duct tape with the sticky side out  around a plant to keep
fire ants and other crawling insects off your plant

duct tape over the exit chute on your mower and make a mulch
lawn mower
it keeps grass out of the land fields and on your yard
is a great fertilizer

duct tape works great for april fool jokes


find the joke yet

the organicgreen doctor