Sunday, October 23, 2005
Movin' On Up and What's That Odor?
Tomorrow marks two events of significance. At 4pm I'll talk to a surgeon about when my upcoming operation will be scheduled. I hope to bring up the subject of how best to preserve as much lung function as possible. The rest of the day before and after will be spent moving to a new apartment. I'm not inclined to believe my current abode is the cause of my lung cancer, but I promised Nian I'd move. She believes my below grade apartment creates an unhealthy air. This may be true in part, as my carpeting was underwater last year when the storm drains failed on this end of town during a sustained rainy day. This is not the first time the carpets have been saturated with water, having also been immersed to a lesser degree when pipes from the apartment above gave way, not once but twice. As such there is no saying they might not indeed have some degree of mold infiltration. Being below grade might also increase radon levels to unhealthy degrees.All this said, a move now probably comes too late to be of much good even if my apartment is implicated to some degree in my condition. Still, I promised Nian. Even if my lungs could suffer such assault before, best to live in better air once I'm down 40% in lung capacity. I had been planning on having the carpets replaced in any event should they be a factor in my recently diagnosed asthma, but might as well move if you have to go through all that confusion anyway. My current landlord has offered help in the rush job of a move to a second floor apartment within the same complex. It is a newly remodeled unit, so it is a small step up in accommodations as well as height. Not exactly a deluxe apartment in the sky, but a place in the sky is exactly where I'm trying to avoid (I'll have to explain this reference to "The Jeffersons" to Nian).
Nian has me on a garlic treatment of sorts, or at least a health adjunct. I have been soaking cloves of garlic in Chinese vinegar and downing them raw. I know garlic is reputed to be a healthful food and full of anti-oxidants (everything seems to be full of anti-oxidants these days). I can't say I have high faith in the effectiveness of this practice, but I can't really say my usual life style has much proof of being healthy enough, a thing Nian was concerned with before this recent turn of events. The stuff tastes vile straight, but I don't really see how I could refuse Nian this small request at taking a possible palliative.
Given the volume and potency of the garlic I'm downing, I've no doubt my coworkers will notice a rather sudden and dramatic change in my breath and body ordor. Hopefully Nian will not insist on a full four to six cloves a day for the rest of my life.
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2 Comments:
Hey. I'm currently doing the CAT scan thing myself and came across your blog from a Technorati search. I didn't want to leave without saying good luck, be well, and keep taking that garlic. :)
By Joanie, at October 24, 2005
Hi Larry,
Garlic is great stuff! I take it when I have a cold...my hubby makes me CHEW the raw cloves...yuck! But it makes me feel better when I do.
Supposedly taking it with parsley reduces the odor but I don't know how true that is.
I'm sorry for what you are going through now with your health but you are blessed to have Nian by your side. I'll be coming back to see how you are doing!
By Lotus Earth, at November 03, 2005
