September 2009
You Prepare A Table...
09/21/09 10:15 PM Filed in: Christianity
Verse 5 of the 23rd Psalm says:
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
In that culture, the table is the place of reconciliation and forgiveness. Dr. James W. Fleming says,
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
In that culture, the table is the place of reconciliation and forgiveness. Dr. James W. Fleming says,
The way you forgive is to have a meal together. The Arabic word for reconciliation is "table." Psalm 23 ... means the Lord helps me forgive and be reconciled and have a reconciliation meal with my former enemies. -- Understanding the Revelation, pg 43.
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Celebrex and Neuropathy
09/11/09 09:05 PM Filed in: Life
In June of 1999 I visited the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgzstan. Before leaving, I was diagnosed with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy. This being medical jargon for the peripheral nerves (in my case, in the feet and hands) not working due to an unknown cause. Electrical conduction tests showed that my motor nerves weren't affected (good news), and blood work showed that it wasn't due to heavy metal poisoning, diabetes, or other common causes. Neurontin provided some relief, but I didn't care for the side effects and quit taking it. Over many years, the condition faded sometimes to the point where it wasn't noticeable.
Fast forward 10 years. About two weeks ago I was prescribed darvocet, cipro, and celebrex. I'm apparently allergic to darvocet, 4 tablets caused uncomfortable itching and I discontinued use. The neuropathy has come back with a vengeance. Ten years ago I was taking celebrex for inflammation in my back, where I've had arthritis since age 25. I googled for celebrex and neuropathy and came across this on the Merck site: Adverse reactions, 0.1% to 2%: Neuromuscular & skeletal: Arthrosis, bone disorder, CPK increased, fracture, hypertonia, leg cramps, myalgia, neck stiffness, neuralgia, neuropathy, paresthesia, synovitis, tendon rupture, tendonitis, weakness.
It's also the case the cipro can cause neuropathy, but I wasn't taking it during the first onset. However, it looks like I need to discontinue both medications. Fortunately, I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Monday.
Caution: the plural of "anecdote" is not "data".
Fast forward 10 years. About two weeks ago I was prescribed darvocet, cipro, and celebrex. I'm apparently allergic to darvocet, 4 tablets caused uncomfortable itching and I discontinued use. The neuropathy has come back with a vengeance. Ten years ago I was taking celebrex for inflammation in my back, where I've had arthritis since age 25. I googled for celebrex and neuropathy and came across this on the Merck site: Adverse reactions, 0.1% to 2%: Neuromuscular & skeletal: Arthrosis, bone disorder, CPK increased, fracture, hypertonia, leg cramps, myalgia, neck stiffness, neuralgia, neuropathy, paresthesia, synovitis, tendon rupture, tendonitis, weakness.
It's also the case the cipro can cause neuropathy, but I wasn't taking it during the first onset. However, it looks like I need to discontinue both medications. Fortunately, I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Monday.
Caution: the plural of "anecdote" is not "data".
GCC Teens in 2002
09/10/09 11:06 PM Filed in: Life
We're doing some housekeeping at church in preparation for our annual garage sale. I was asked to wipe the disks of two unused and obsolete computers. On an antiquated Motorola StarMax clone, I found 25 pictures of our then teen group dated September 12, 2002 and thought I would preserve them for posterity.
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Thanksgiving 2008
09/08/09 12:32 PM Filed in: Life
My brother, Sam, finally sent pictures from Thanksgiving where we had a wonderful time visiting with him and his family. Up to that point in my life I had never shotgun a beer and my son, Jonathan, wanted to fix that defect. Herewith are the ugly photos.
From left to right: Sam's neighbor, Sam, me, Jonathan. Obviously I need more practice.
Knuth on Art and Science
I am rapidly devouring Knuth's Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About. Perhaps too rapidly. But I digress. In Lecture 6: God and Computer Science, he says:
Years ago, I was pondering the difference between science and art. People had been asking me why my books were calledThe Art of Computer Programming instead of The Science of Computer Programming, and I realized there's a simple explanation: Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer; art is everything else. Every time science advances, part of an art becomes a science, so art loses a little bit. Yet, mysteriously, art always seems to register a net gain, because as we understand more we invent more new things that we can't explain to computers. -- pg. 168.
Only in church...
09/06/09 04:18 PM Filed in: Christianity
... can I get in trouble for reading the Bible.
I was asked to help serve communion this morning. As we were standing by the elements in front of the congregation, Mike asked everyone to join in reading Revelation 7:9-10. I pulled out my iPhone, went to my Bible application, and brought up the passage.
After the service, two people chided me for "playing with my iPhone" in front of the congregation during communion.
But they're not going to prosecute. At least I don't think so...
I was asked to help serve communion this morning. As we were standing by the elements in front of the congregation, Mike asked everyone to join in reading Revelation 7:9-10. I pulled out my iPhone, went to my Bible application, and brought up the passage.
After the service, two people chided me for "playing with my iPhone" in front of the congregation during communion.
But they're not going to prosecute. At least I don't think so...
Another Trip to the ER
09/03/09 07:00 PM Filed in: Life
Last night my wife and I met with another couple to attend a cooking demonstration at Bahama Breeze. I was drinking iced tea at the bar while waiting for the event to begin. The hostess came and told us our table was ready and when I got up I must have hit the glass with some part of my left arm. I saw the glass start to topple and I tried to grab it with my right hand. I was too late -- the glass hit the bar, shattered, and drove a shard into my palm near my thumb. My friend (Bruce) had a first aid kit in his car and bandaged me up. I had already paid for dinner, so I wasn't about to miss it.
Afterwards, while driving home, I thought, "if the doc-in-the-box is open, I'll stop and have them look at my hand." They were, with 25 minutes to spare. The doctor told me I needed stitches but that she wanted me to have it done at the ER since my hand needed to be x-rayed for embedded glass. How medicine has changed. Forty years ago my dad would just have poked around in the wound with a sterile probe to see if anything was in it. A pressure bandage was applied and I drove to the ER.
Arrived at 9:10, got home at 1:30am. I'm not complaining though; after going through triage I sat next to a woman who had been there for four hours without seeing anyone. Fortunately, a room was found for her just before I went in to get sewn up.
I would like to thank Bahama Breeze. They offered to pay my medical costs since the accident happened in their restaurant. I wouldn't let them, however.
Afterwards, while driving home, I thought, "if the doc-in-the-box is open, I'll stop and have them look at my hand." They were, with 25 minutes to spare. The doctor told me I needed stitches but that she wanted me to have it done at the ER since my hand needed to be x-rayed for embedded glass. How medicine has changed. Forty years ago my dad would just have poked around in the wound with a sterile probe to see if anything was in it. A pressure bandage was applied and I drove to the ER.
Arrived at 9:10, got home at 1:30am. I'm not complaining though; after going through triage I sat next to a woman who had been there for four hours without seeing anyone. Fortunately, a room was found for her just before I went in to get sewn up.
I would like to thank Bahama Breeze. They offered to pay my medical costs since the accident happened in their restaurant. I wouldn't let them, however.