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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Oxygen Blast



It's 3am. I hear the birds. What is up with them singing and tweeting in the middle of the night? This happens every Spring. I look so forward to the warm weather and long days. But I dread the birds waking me up before the crack of dawn.

While reading Radical Remission by Kelly Turner, one passage details a Japanese man who had stage 4 liver cancer and growths on his lungs. As part of his healing process, he began waking up very early to witness the sun rising everyday. The birds always managed to beat him and were already up singing. Each day he woke up earlier until he finally was able to beat the birds. He discovered that the birds began singing exactly 42 minutes before trees release their oxygen, beginning the process of photosynthesis. This early release of oxygen he realized helped fuel the birds' singing blitz. He did further tests with his pet birds, by releasing oxygen into their cages. The birds would immediately begin singing and slowly wind down.

So, now this makes me wonder if it's the birds that are waking me up or if it's a fresh blast of oxygen from the trees in nearby Riverside Park. Next time it happens, I'd like to throw on some clothes, walk outside and breathe in the truly fresh air.

Friday, June 27, 2014

The Power of the Written Word


After accomplishing 18 months of an antibiotic- and steroid-free existence, I seem to have fallen back into the same pattern. The past 18 months have been marked by Biaxin, Symbicort, Prednisone, Omnicef and more toxic substances. Why? What's gone wrong? I ask myself these questions everyday. I eat a super clean predominately organic diet. I don't drink coffee. I have about one cocktail a week. Low glycemic is my theme.

What I realized I haven't been doing is writing in this blog. I revisited the blog the other day when I was running a fever, coughing and completely unable to breathe through my clogged up sinuses. I couldn't believe I ever made it a year without any drugs. I found my original blog post where I celebrated 1 full year of drug-free living. That made me wonder if committing to writing about my plight and promise somehow works at the cellular level. Does writing make me less likely to "cheat" and skip drinking or eating greens? Does it make me feel stronger and more confident that I can overcome this awful cycle I've been sucked back into? Maybe it does work at some subconscious level which I've been ignoring for some time now. 

So I'm back. Whether or not anyone reads, isn't really the concern. Reaffirming my commitment to staying healthy and avoiding drugs through writing is my main concern. I'm looking forward to writing about my 1 year anniversary.