7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Where are you and where are you going?
Dave
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by Dave »

@7

Yeah, I know it's a brutal condition and very hard to deal with. I'm not at all certain that a carnivore diet would fix it, I just know some people claim it has helped them.

I am not going to clutter up your journal with details about it, but at a high level a carnivore diet is the ultimate elimination diet, the idea being many plant/synthesized foods irritate the body and that manifests in many ways, such as IBD in your case.

Ensure contains such compounds, so I wouldn't say that experiment rules out the carnivore diet as a potential aid. If you are curious I would read one of those books and follow it in strict form for 4+ weeks, with possible consultation with someone like Shawn Baker/Paul Saladino/Ken Berry.

If you're curious or have questions about it, feel free to send me PMs, I've learned a fair amount about the diet and happy to discuss.

CS
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by CS »

@7

Ensure is full of terrible crap. I'm not surprised your body didn't like it.

I highly recommend this book: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dr-mandel ... iq=7452990

I did the five-day fast last winter as instructed, right down to the writing test, when I was starting to react to everything. Winter was hard time to do it only because I got so fricking cold. It helped. The writing test results were surreal. Before I did the fast, I was struggling with leaving letters out of words and having problems even forming the letters themselves, no joke.

I have little extra weight but fasting for five days was surprisingly do-able. (BMI of 19 when I started it)

It did help cement some other things, like corn gives me headaches and sometimes excruciating IBS cramps. I followed the instructions on testing and bring back in foods. A meal of sugar was, um, interesting. Also, apparently I am not allergic to it much to my surprise.

The gaps diet is something else to try. Basically that approach is to cut out nearly everything except bone broth and probiotics. Watch out if you have eaten a lot of oxalates, because that will make them move. The problem with the gaps diet is that it can be expensive with the probiotics if you don't want to make your own, and takes a lot of time making all that broth. Might not be easy with your current living situation.

ETA - I did drink water with a pinch of sea salt on the latter days of the fast. I read somewhere that helps with fasting,

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Thanks all for the thoughtful suggestions. I'm going to keep trying whatever there is to try. I read that the average IBD patient rates their quality of life as worse than the average cancer patient, which is pretty bad considering the fact that IBD is unlikely to kill you outright. The research university clinic I am starting at next week also has dietetic and psychiatric services specifically aimed at IBD patients, so maybe I will get the help I need to no longer feel like a smushed worm.

Stahlmann
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by Stahlmann »

How about potatoes all the way for the win?

- extreme fullness
- good for microbiota
- cheap and available

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Lately, my low residue diet has been more meat and potatoes than would be my preference. I don't even want to do Thanksgiving, because I've been having chicken and whipped sweet potatoes so often for dinner. There is nothing wrong with the first umpteen feet of my digestive system. It's just the last few feet that are extremely problematic; like terribly rusted, crumbling muffler/exhaust on car with fully functional engine. So, changing the variety of "fuel" I put in the tank only has limited, temporary effect. My own immune system attacking first my rectum and then working its way up my colon is what is causing the underlying "rusting" open inflamed wound-like destruction and stricturing which is intermittently compounded by secondary infections. I have a lot of allergies; it's not like an allergic reaction or a food sensitivity. It's more like what you might imagine having rectal syphilis might be like than it is like eating something that doesn't agree with you. I only very rarely feel nauseous with this illness. I feel exhausted and in pain very frequently.

On Friday, I found out that I am being replaced at my current full-time employment by somebody with better credentials than me, and in relationship with my most primary grouchy old man by somebody 10 years younger and in much better shape than me, and my reaction to both of these piece of information was 90% relief. Clean slate, clean slate, clean slate....aaaaaah.

sky
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by sky »

Hang in there 7, there will be better days...

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Thanks sky.

Bad new. Good news. Bad news. Saw specialist expert at research hospital yesterday. I have most aggressive version of Crohn’s disease. Will possibly eat through my entire digestive tract if not stopped. I start on infusions of immune system tamping biological agents ASAP. Fifty percent chance I will achieve total remission of symptoms, but disease can not be cured. I might be tied to clinic for the rest of my life like somebody on dialysis. If I don’t pursue treatment I can look forward to 80% chance of multiple surgeries to remove portions of my digestive tract as they fail and little tubes called fistulas connecting up my intestines to any other handy organ. For instance, ifyou develop a fistula between intestines and bladder, they test by making you eat yogurt with poppy seeds and watching to see if you pee poppy seeds. This disease is truly like a medieval curse.

I have to go get my Covid booster and shingles vaccines tomorrow, because the treatment is going to knock out my immune system once it starts. I will be more likely to contract tuberculosis, brain infections, etc. My life expectancy has been reduced by approximately 7 years give or take for the fact that most people who have disease start much younger and treatments are quickly improving.

I’m actually in a pretty good mood considering and have already adjusted my perspective to that of semi-intelligent semi-invalid observer watching the interesting events of the 21st century from IV infusion lounge chair in first class hospital in most educated city in very affluent country.

Quadalupe
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by Quadalupe »

Aw shucks 7, that is pretty shitty news to get! My thoughts are with you and I hope the treatment will work. When will your treatments start?

theanimal
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by theanimal »

Glad to see your spirits are still up. I'm really hoping that this treatment works out for you or you are able to find something to quell these symptoms.

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@Quadaloupe:

I start treatment as soon as my insurance company is strong armed into approval. Probably sometime in December. The drug acts to prevent white blood cells from binding with intestinal lining.

@theanimal:

Thanks for your well wishes.

*********

In order to avoid cognitive dissonance, I am now likely going to have to alter my position 45 degrees more favorable to Rational Optimist Super High Tech Society outlook, because that is the only level at which very important ME is going to be able to continue to thrive/ survive.

DutchGirl
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by DutchGirl »

Heyya 7Wannabe5... I'm sorry to hear that. And want to wish you good luck. Potentially reach out to a patients' organisation in your country for help on navigating these new waters. But be aware that people with the mildest form of a disease will often not be active within such an organisation because for them the disease doesn't impact their life much. So if you'll meet fellow patients within the patients' organisation, their disease is on average probably worse than the median. You personally could still get lucky and have a form that behaves better than average. I hope so!

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@DutchGirl:

Yeah, I have found that the support groups mostly include very bad case or newly diagnosed. Still, the bare facts/statistics are no cure and 80% likelihood of surgery needed eventually. The majority of Crohn's patients first develop disease at juncture between ileum and large intestine, but I have peri-anal/rectal/left colon disease. So, less likely to interfere with my digestion (although I am currently anemic and Vitamin D deficient, and I was Vitamin B12 deficient without supplementation), but more likely to throw off gruesome problems such as fistulae. And, there's nothing to prevent the disease from jumping to my small intestine in the future.

Also, because it's a disease that usually inflicts itself on humans between the ages of 15 and 30, the support groups are full of rowdy black humor, so that kind of cheers me up. I am reading one young patient's book entitled "Crohn's Disease: A Memoir from the Toilet" and also "The Lock and Key of Medicine: Monoclonal Antibodies and the Transformation of Healthcare."

Also, ENTP's are most likely type to try to make a Red Velvet Cake from whatever ingredients can be found in post-apocalypse landscape, so I am not doing too bad with lifestyle adjustments. Instead of a pot of coffee in the morning, I have ginger/turmeric tea with almond milk, two Tylenol and two Imodium. Within 3 days of being replaced without notice by somebody who has a real certificate in my long-term guest teacher job, which was somewhat entertaining and fulfilling, but also a grueling exercise in dealing with large groups of not very well-behaved (fairly likely to rip off each other's Covid masks, and maybe throw a chair) young adolescents while suffering from gripping gut pain (kind of like being in a war movie maybe), I have obtained very part time employment at much higher hourly wage one-on-one tutoring math at level of Algebra 2. My primary grouchy old man who replaced me with with10 year younger model with same name, has already been dumped by her*, and I also heard rumor that certified teacher who replaced me may already have quit. So, generally, I am left to ponder whether it might be possible that I have extended and applied the dumpster diving model of resource acquisition and renewal too widely. Yes, I seem to always be able to get a new sweater for less than $1, a new job in less than a week, and a new boyfriend after 3 dates, but perhaps too often there's a good reason why some other human dumped them or hasn't snatched them up yet.
Last edited by 7Wannabe5 on Wed Feb 02, 2022 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

llorona
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by llorona »

Just logged in and read your update. Holy! What a crazy turn. Here's to hoping for successful treatment and remission.

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

2022- The Year of Healing

January

Expenses
Shelter/Utilities-$506
Food and Household-$121
Girl Stuff-$15
Tools/Gear-$70
Edutainment-$117
Social-$25
Transportation-$135
Comm/Tech-$86
Health-$201
TOTAL- $1276

Net Income Earned/Realized
Tutoring-$273
Crypto-$330
Miscellaneous- $612
Real Estate (Money Dimple)-(-$664)
Book/Publishing Business-(-$314)
Permaculture (-81)
TOTAL-$156

SAVINGS RATE: Negative
NET WORTH: Inadequate

Based on my lifelong poor showing in the Earnings division, I have decided to demote myself to Wheaton Level 2.5 and start again from scratch, even though my lifelong Spending or Unit Fun per Unit Spending might indicate higher level. I could improve a bit on this months Spending. Girl Stuff is the only category where I should have spent more. My $$$ dumped into various ventures not yet producing yield is even worse than these numbers reflect, because I have enrolled myself in a Master's program in IT/Data Science, and my first tuition payment will be logged in February. So, it seems like I will now be doing Late Employment Extreme rather than Early Retirement Extreme.

My prime focus for the year or however-long-it-takes will be healing from Crohn's Disease. I started infusions of biologic last week and was feeling irrationally hopeful for instant cure until I found myself curled up in a ball of pain for 3 hours yesterday. Rationally, I shouldn't hope to see any results for about 14 weeks. If this treatment doesn't work, I might jump right to volunteering for clinical trial as my next step.

My primary foci for January were getting off to a good start on my Master's program and my new permaculture practice which is "Plant something every day." I think these were both very good picks for providing me with small wins and being doable given my current level of not feeling up for much. Every day I might see something new sprouting or blooming even though it is January in Michigan, and every week I get an A on my papers on exciting topics such as mesh wireless networks. Some days I toddle over to tutor some students in math. Every afternoon, I collapse exhausted and watch "Midsomer Murders" from my floor mattress.

My primary focus for February will be actually listing for sale all the books I have piled up in my home office, so I can justify writing the office ($125/month) off in this category. However, this will require that I also muster the energy to toddle to the post office semi-regularly. The Money Dimple renovation is in frozen suspended animation for the moment. The large expenditure this month was mostly years worth of property taxes. The sensible thing to do would be to sell it, but then where will I put all the plants I am starting? It will be interesting to see when/if my real estate and permaculture ventures will enter into the black realm of profitability.

What else? I had fun with my sister doing genetic clue detective work to determine our mother's true biological father. Everybody thought my biological maternal grandfather was my grandmother's first husband, but genetic test results from two independent labs indicated that it was unlikely. There were two family trees on Ancestry that had potential first cousins for my mother, and we were able to backtrack and determine that her father had to be one of 4 brothers. Only one of the brothers was in Detroit at the time that my mother might have been conceived, perhaps after a rollicking night at GI Dance Hall in 1939 (as my step-grandfather once noted when drunk, my grandmother "always was a hot little number.") Further information garnered from member of related family, verified that this had to be the correct brother. The revelation that I am now of approximately 1/8 Scottish heritage may somewhat explain my presence on this forum.

ETA: Miscellaneous income I neglected to note!
Last edited by 7Wannabe5 on Thu Feb 03, 2022 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Biscuits and Gravy
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by Biscuits and Gravy »

7Wannabe5 wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:54 am
The revelation that I am now of approximately 1/8 Scottish heritage may somewhat explain my presence on this forum.
Hah! My maternal grandma used to quip that she was such a penny-pincher because she had “a little bit of Scotch in” her. My mother recently admitted that as a child she thought my grandma was referring to the alcohol and always presumed my grandma to be a little tipsy.

I hope the infusions provide relief and you find what works for you. Best of luck on the master’s degree, it sounds interesting.

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mountainFrugal
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by mountainFrugal »

7Wannabe5 wrote:
Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:54 am
...my new permaculture practice which is "Plant something every day." I think these were both very good picks for providing me with small wins and being doable given my current level of not feeling up for much.
This is a great goal! I will try when it warms up a bit. :)

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@Biscuits and Gravy:

lol- My DS32 is a bit bummed that he can no longer claim any Russian heritage, because he likes to drink and read and brood.

@mountainFrugal:

"Plant Something Every Day!" is a practice recommended by Peter Bane, either in "The Permaculture Handbook" or a video I watched. It's been a fun challenge in January in Michigan, because I've had to stretch both the definition of "plant" and my skills a bit. I've started plants from seeds under lights for many years, but it doesn't really make sense to start until mid-February in my region. So, I have been forcing flowering bulbs rescued from post-Christmas clearance shelf, dividing houseplants, repotting herbs purchased in grocery produce section, sprouting super cute little pine trees for bonsai, and experimenting with hydroponics. Definitely, more an adventure in keeping my spirits up than economy. I even splurged on a little stand-alone hydroponics unit for my birthday present to me. I haven't done the calculations yet, but powering led lights and a small pump in an area that is already being heated for human habitation might be less expensive than any attempt to heat a greenhouse and/or transport from warm realm in a truck. So far, I've only harvested a tiny bit of dill.

Peter Bane also wrote about creating a nursery of container plants while waiting for construction projects to be completed at his suburban site. Since I'm not up for much brute manual labor, I am thinking I might do an experiment with expanding out of my apartment incubator into larger containers, maybe peat pots or cow pots, which I can move around into evolving sandwich bed formations. That way I can avoid having to deal with very much digging or weeding this year, and I can get a better feel for micro-climates around the property.

DutchGirl
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by DutchGirl »

How are your plants doing, 7Wannabe5 ?

Tell your DS that Schots are very good at drinking and at brooding. The reading might be some of his other 7/8th, although if I remember correctly there have also been some Schots good at reading, and writing, poems for example ... :-)

7Wannabe5
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@DutchGirl:

My plants are doing pretty well. However, no luck on sprouting any of my avocados purchased at Aldi even though I tried two different methods. I am going to have to buy another grow light pretty soon because I am running out of windowsills. The cutest ornamental thing I am attempting is a little black pine surrounded by snow-in-summer. I have only harvested dill and rosemary so far, but the chives and curly parsley are coming along too.

DS already knew of Scottish heritage on his red-headed father's side. My quite frugal FIl actually had a bagpipe troupe at his second wedding :lol:

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mountainFrugal
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Re: 7Wannabe5- Take 7- The Money Dimple

Post by mountainFrugal »

7Wannabe5 wrote:
Thu Feb 03, 2022 8:44 am
which I can move around into evolving sandwich bed formations. That way I can avoid having to deal with very much digging or weeding this year, and I can get a better feel for micro-climates around the property.
Not sure if this is what you are describing, but it might be cool if you had a few varieties of the same species that you planted at the same time and replicated across the different microclimates to see how each variety does across a few environments. The easiest thing to measure and compare being yields of some kind because you will likely do that anyway when you collect for harvest. Since they are in pots and started indoors you are reducing the initial variability of soil types and germination conditions compared to if the seeds were planted directly in the ground in these different microclimates.

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