Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Kind words

I broke down and phoned the doctor, making an appointment to see him this afternoon. Not feeling so spry, nothing serious, nothing to be worried about. Will try to write more later.

Post for now will be short. I don’t know how many times I have asked and urge people to share simple kind words with another. We can never know how a few simple kind words spoken to another can impact on their day or their lives. I have also written of the ripple affect of these words and how we can never tell how far or how wide our act of simple kindness can spread.

I happened upon this quote by Mother Theresa which pretty much says it all:

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echos are endless.”

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Inspired by a Dying Man

I am told with all of this heart stuff, my immune system is weakened. I do seem to catch more colds than I used to. Have one right now. Nothing serious, soar throat, hurts to breathe etc.. Just an annoyance. Had a lot of company over the weekend maybe has just tired me out a bit, though I do make sure to get my naps in.

I watched bits and pieces of a documentary about a truly inspirational man It was on CTV on Saturday evening. With the company I was continually being pulled away from the TV here and there. I would guess I saw about 15 minutes of the show, in fragmented pieces. A couple of minutes here and there sort of thing. It was the story of a man fighting terminal cancer. Now I missed the beginning so I am guessing that his prognosis was he had less than 1 year to go. The documentary was designed to follow him through this time period. He had such a wonderfully positive attitude, he hoped to be an inspiration to others in his condition. Which I suppose is what I am trying do do here in my own humble way.

Mr. Barker in his wonderful courageous way shows the great way to deal with your own pending passing in a way I can only admire. I was able to return to the TV in time to see the closing minute or two. In that time he was almost apologizing for not dying according to the doctors prognosis (time frame) because now possibly they would have to do a sequel to his journey. What really hit me the most was a comment to the effect. “Don’t focus on how long you have to live, instead focus on how you live.”

Mr. Baker, you are in my prayers and may you live for many years to come.

I actually did some research for a post a couple of days ago and the thought came to me again. CTV has a web site, let’s check the site to see if there is anything there. This is what I found.

Canadian comedian Irwin Barker ‘Stands Up’ to cancer

CTV

You have just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given one year to live — what do you do?

If you are Canadian comic icon Irwin Barker, you set out on a courageous and inspirational cross-country comedy fundraiser tour for cancer research.

Hot on the heels of the recent historic television fundraiser “Stand Up To Cancer,” the new CTV Original Documentary “That’s My Time: A Comedian’s Stand Up to Cancer” premieres Saturday, September 27 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local listings).

Shot by award-winning Halifax filmmaker Adamm Liley, “That’s My Time” chronicles the past year of Barker’s journey with cancer, revealing a man’s determination to find hope and humour in the gravest of human situations.

The documentary is followed by the one-hour stand-up special capturing Barker’s final gig on his cross-country tour, “Can’t Stop Laughing,” airing later the same night at 10 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network.

An encore presentation of “That’s My Time” airs Sunday, September 28 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo!

Though he’s one of the best-loved comedy writers and comedians in all of Canada, most people have probably never heard of Irwin Barker. But in the comedy clubs, writers’ rooms and comedy festivals of Canada, he is a living legend and comedy institution.

When diagnosed with terminal cancer in June 2007, Barker was determined that the deadly disease wouldn’t stop him from doing the one thing he does best — making people laugh.

In his hilarious stand-up performances from Halifax to Vancouver, he makes it clear that people should not feel sorry for him. From his witty banter about how he no longer shops at Costco because “who’s going to take all that toilet paper?” when he’s gone, to his wondering why some regular hack “couldn’t get cancer because now everyone will steal his jokes when he goes,” Barker never fails to take a funny jab at his own mortality.

Through candid interviews with Barker, his family and some of Canada’s most recognized comedic personalities — including Brent Butt, Rick Mercer and Peter Kelamis — a courageous and humourous approach to living in the face of adversity is revealed.

After all, you can’t tell a four time Gemini-nominated comic that he’s dying and not expect him to find a laugh in that!

Filmed in an intense vérité style, “That’s My Time” strikes a delicate balance between humour and sadness, optimism and despair.

Through Barker’s unique perspective, it is not a film about dying, but rather about the strength and resilience of the human condition and a celebration of life; he transforms what is often the joyless process of treatment and recovery and infuses it with laughter.

It is a hilarious journey through the least funny situation imaginable as he raises eyebrows, money and awareness from coast to coast.

The last stop on Irwin’s tour in Vancouver is one of his most memorable, as it is the culmination of 12 months of performing across the country. The one-hour stand-up special “Can’t Stop Laughing” captures this hilarious performance, airing following the documentary on Saturday, September 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on The Comedy Network.

“That’s My Time: A Comedian’s Stand Up to Cancer” is written and directed by award-winning producer Adamm Liley, and is produced in association with CTV Inc. Bob Culbert is Vice-President of CTV Documentaries. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs. Susanne Boyce is President, Content, Creative and Channels, CTV Inc.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Learn CPR Please

This is an article I read today via the on line CBC news site. This is the site where the actual article can be seen. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/09/23/cardiac-survivalrates

CPR saves lives we all know that. I found this article to be very disturbing. I encourage and ask all to take a CPR course, it could be me that needs your help. The article:

The Canadian Press

There is a huge variation in survival rates among people who receive emergency treatment after suffering cardiac arrest — and the overall prognosis is poor at best, a study of 10 Canadian and U.S. cities and regions has found.

A team of researchers from the two countries found that overall, less than eight per cent of people who were treated by paramedics or firefighters for cardiac arrests in the home or elsewhere outside hospital were successfully resuscitated.

Seattle had the best survival rate at 16 per cent, while Alabama had the lowest at three per cent. In Toronto and the Ottawa region, just over five per cent of treated victims lived, while in Vancouver, the third Canadian city in the study, 10 per cent survived.

“The regional differences in our study are huge — 500 per cent — much greater than the regional differences in survival for patients who are hospitalized with stroke or heart attack,” lead author Dr. Graham Nichol of the University of Washington said Tuesday from Seattle.

Cardiac arrest is different from — but may be caused by — a heart attack. It occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and the person is no longer breathing. One major cause is disruption of normal heart contractions, such as that caused by ventricular fibrillation.

Nichol said the key to saving lives is a quick response by bystanders, who need to perform immediate and continuous CPR until paramedics or firefighters arrive to treat and transport the patient to hospital. But in far too many cases, CPR is not performed and by the time EMS personnel arrive with defibrillators to shock the heart and restore circulation, it is too late.

In the study, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at more than 20,000 cardiac arrest cases between May 2006 and April 2007. Resuscitation was attempted in fewer than 12,000 cases — and only 954 of those felled by a cardiac arrest lived to be discharged from hospital. About 80 per cent of arrests occurred in the home.

And although CPR is known to save lives, the study found that in less than a third of cases did a bystander — whether a family member, friend or stranger — jump in to perform the procedure.

Nichol isn’t sure why that figure is so low, but he speculated that people untrained in CPR — which involves chest compressions to move oxygenated blood to the brain and, in some cases, assisting breathing — may be fearful of doing more harm than good to the patient.

“But people need to remember that when they’re unconscious and not breathing, they’re already dead,” he said bluntly. “So you can’t hurt them. You’ll only hurt them by not doing something.”

‘Treatable condition’

In Seattle, community efforts to increase awareness of cardiac arrest, support of CPR training for city residents and strong emergency services appear to have paid off in higher survival rates, proving that “cardiac arrest is a treatable condition.”

Cardiac arrest strikes an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Americans and Canadians each year outside of hospital. Co-author Dr. Ian Stiell of the University of Ottawa said about 30,000 Canadians die each year from the condition.

Saving more lives means more Canadians need to be trained in and willing to perform CPR, Stiell said, noting that an earlier study showed that in Ontario, for instance, bystanders performed CPR in only about 15 per cent of cases.

“It’s the whole community response, and that speaks to the chain of survival,” he said from Ottawa. “It’s not just the paramedics, it’s how fast you can access 911, were there bystanders to do CPR, did fire get there first with a defibrillator and then finally the paramedics?”

Stiell said there are no national bodies in either Canada or the U.S. taking the lead on CPR training of community residents. Most CPR education is done at the community level, but that can be hit and miss, he said.

“There needs to be a higher awareness and perhaps some government agency to take responsibility, whether it be the city public health or the provincial government or federal government, to take responsibility as a goal to improve bystander CPR training strategies.”

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Angels (reprint)

I was doing a bit of a meditation this morning and the thought came to me of a posting I had done at some point in the past. I had to come to the computer and look for the post.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Angels

October 2, 2006

What is at the very core of my belief system. This is something I seem to be spending more and more time thinking of, my beliefs, that is. Not questioning, more seeking the comfort of. I can’t even imagine how much more difficult it must be for those, facing death, that do not have their faith firmly in place. My prays certainly go out to them and to all.

Firstly, I have a absolute, total belief in God, a loving, just God. I also believe in Angels, Guardian Angels and Spirit Guides. All are duly appointed by God to do his work. They are never to be worshipped as God, but given the due respect they rightfully deserve as a messenger from God.

I have my own Angel story, I just hope I can find the words to really describe it. For years I have been reading books about Angels and Guardian Angels, some of which even describe ways to contact and communicate directly with your Guardian Angel. This processes is through meditation, which I have also done for years. I began doing the mediation aimed at contacting my Guardian Angel. I worked at it faithfully for about 2 years with no results that I could see. I started this about 4 years ago so the incident I am describing happened about 2 years ago. I must explain that at that time my health was somewhat better, we had just moved into our current home and I was doing (or maybe better said, trying to do) some renovations in the basement.

Anyway, on that particular day I woke up not feeling well, down in spirit and just grumpy. Did my Angel meditation. Because of my mood I am sure, part way through, I seemed to lose patience and actually got upset or mad at my Angel. I said something to the effect. “OK, enough is enough, I read of thousand of people who are able to make contact, why not me. Thats it I quit.” That is what I said but in my heart I know I didn’t mean it. In a big huff, I stomped downstairs “to do something constructive”. I grabbed a hammer and put my hand into the pouch on the belt that contained the nails. The very first thing I touched was obviously not a nail. I pulled it out and I swear before God, there I held a little wire figure of an Angel. I was stopped in my tracks, I can’t describe how I felt. Understand, I had never seen this before, and even if I had I have way to much respect for the Angels to have ever put an Angel figure in my tool belt. Vi swears the same. I know many people will just laugh this off, but I really don’t care because I know it was the sign I had been asking for. I mean no one else had been in the house how could it have possibly gotten there. Blessed, is likely the best word I can use to describe how I felt, ecstatic could be another. Needless to say, I immediately said a prayer of thanks and apologized to my Angels for having doubted them and thank them for the sign I had desperately needed.

My little Angel has a special place on my bed side table and is the first thing I see in the morning and the last I see at night.

It is so much easier making this final journey knowing my Guardian Angel is at my side. I am such a lucky man.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Me forgetful????

Memory is something we just seem to take for granted, it is just there, we have it. Now I suppose realistically if you are going to have a medical condition, if you could have one that just affects your memory it wouldn’t be necessarily all that bad. You sail through your days blissfully ignorant of what you have forgotten. Occasionally it jumps up to bite you. Yesterday was one of those days for me, twice in fact all having to do with the various medications I take and there are quite a few of them.

It started with my visit to the optometrist, hey I am getting new glasses. When I got to his office I had to first fill out a form explaining medical conditions and medications I was taking. I drew a total bland when it came to the medications, couldn’t remember the name of a single one. Ha, I am prepared for just such an event. I carry a list of my medications in my wallet. Out comes the list and it did immediately jog my memory enough to realize I have forgotten to keep the list current. It did help me list I hope at least the majority of the major ones.

I get home to find a phone message from the local pharmacy. They won’t provide me with refills for some of my needed prescriptions as some of the dosage amounts have been changed. A big thank you to Dr. Choptiany my family doc that is rushing to my rescue in sorting this all out. It does get confusing as I do have a number of different doctors prescribing my medications and setting the dosages. Long ago I realized I needed to be carrying a note book with me when I see the various specialist and write down any changes they make. Surprise, I usually forget to do that. The problem arises when I see one of the specialist, be it the neurologist, cardiologist, heart failure clinic or who ever. Individually, they may adust medications in their particular area. They then give me a new prescription for the new or adjusted medication. I take that and drop it off at the pharmacy, it there is indeed a new medication involved, that one I pick up immediately. If in fact it is just an adjustment to an existing medication, I may not acutally need a refill at that time, already having a supply at home. I just change from say taking one pill a day to maybe two pills a day or what ever. I only refill the prescription when I am actually running out of pills which could be 2-3 weeks or even a month later.

Depending on when I see any of the specialists and then start any new medication, I naturally run out of various pills at different times in any given month. Instead of running to the pharmacy 5 or 6 different times in a month, I just get the whole works refilled at the same time. I do the same thing when I visit my family doctor to get refills on the various prescriptions based on the reports he has received from the various specialists. Excellent, I do appreciate that. He asks one what you would think would be a straight forward and simple question. Have you seen any of the specialists since your last visit here. (every 3 months). If I have verifications are made to ensure proper dosages are prescribed in the refills. If I haven’t seen a specialist then obviously no changes can have been made and work of reports on file, fair enough. This has worked like a charm for years. I think it is fair enough to assume I would be able to remember something like a visit to a specialist in the past couple of months. Obviously not, now how ridiculous or sad is that.

Thankfully there are enough checks and balances in place between my doctor and the pharmacy that they can keep me on track.

I send a big thank you to Dr. Choptiany and the wonderful team of pharmasists at Shopper’s Drug Mart on Mountain and McPillips here in Winnipeg.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Lost Dog

Today I have to admit I smell like a dog. Granted I haven’t showered yet this morning but there is more to it than that. Was having my morning coffee in the kitchen. Window is open. I hear a dog whining. I go to the window to check it out and there is this husky type looking dog sitting outside looking right up at me. We made like immediate eye contact, sort of caught me by surprise.

Now we are talking a big dog and one that I don’t recognize. Is it friendly, I don’t know, will it bite I don’t know. I don’t really know how to describe this in anyway that will make sense but in that intial eye contact it was almost like I felt a bond of something???? The whining got to me, I wasn’t sure if it was lost or maybe even hurt. I had to go and check. Tail was wagging so I took that to be a good sign. Scratching and patting the head just brought on more vigorous tail wagging. I could see a collar and tags. I squatted down to see what was on the tags and that is when she went on the “attack”, not with teeth but with her tongue. She jumped up to start licking my face, now me being in the squatting position was a little off balance and she sent me flying into the wet grass, yes it is raining. Yup, right on my butt. This gave her the chance to give my face a real tongue licking. As it was raining she was obviously wet and this was also the moment she chose to give herself a good shake. Yup, I smell like a dog but will be changing that in just a few minutes, I need to finish that coffee before I hit the shower.

Oh, on her collar was a city license tag. I called the city and they attempted to call the owners, who are not home. Found out her name is Lizzie. She is obviously well cared for and good dog, just it seems she has decided to take off on an adventure. Have her penned in the back yard until the city gets a hold of the owners. Because of privacy issues they won’t tell me any of that sort of thing.

Now let’s face it this is no big deal. What I do find I suppose unusual about this all is that I have lived here for 4 years now. In that time this is the third time a lost dog has shown up whining on my door step. One was even scratching at the door and No, none of them lived here before with the previous owners of the house. Don’t understand it.

Off for my shower.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Erectile Dysfunction

Now this is a topic I never imagined I would be writing about. A few days ago I received a comment from Gail. Gail writes of how her husband suffers from heart failure and diabetes similar to myself. She carries on to say he is now feeling depressed as he is no longer able to “be a man” in the bedroom. Gail specifically asks for anything I can say. Well what do I say here. Some may think I am sharing way to much information here but it is my journal and I can share what I want.

This is a sensitive and delicate, touchy subject for men. I have written about how I thought dying was the last really taboo topic in our world today. I think we have come across another one especially for men. Myself included.

For the very first time every I decided to do a little research on the topic instead of just my usual style, of just writing what ever comes to mind. I am still going to share my thoughts though.

How many times have I written that life is to be enjoyed. How often to we allow our thoughts to deprive us of enjoyment. By that I mean, if you go to some sort of a function that you really don’t feel like going to. You may even dread the very thought of even going. For what ever reason you are forced to go. You go in with the thought process in your head that, “I don’t want to be here and I am going to have a miserable time”.  Guess what, chances are the event or circumstance will live up or down to your expectations, your thoughts, your preconceived thoughts can determine much. Any sort of negative thinking is a waste of time and can deprive us of so much.

Where am I going with this preconceived idea thing when it comes to erectile dysfunction and it affect on men. I think it can affect a man far beyond the obvious way. It can hit us right down to the way we see ourselves as men. It can cause us to even see ourselves as being somewhat of a “lesser man”. I think this is based on societies preconceived “ideas” of what a man should be.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this over the weekend. I ask this question, what is societies idea of what a man should be? How much of that preconceived idea comes from what we see in movies and on TV? I think it is widely acknowledged that some Ladies have in deed been negatively impacted by the “Hollywood” image of what a woman should be and how she should look. I think of the situation with the Ladies and just think it is so wrong. But, at the same time I am wondering are men going basically the same thing just in a different way?

How are men portrayed? Some are the strong, silent types. Others macho and tough, gentle and loving, funny……. Men are portrayed in every sort of way you can imagine. Now what is the one thing virtually all of these men have in common? Most are eager for, looking for and ready for sex at virtually the drop of a hat. How much does the “Hollywood” image of the stereo typical male affect us all? I know there are at least some Ladies that lump all men into that stereo typical mold, “men are only after one thing”. (which is wrong by the way in the majority of cases) To the men, do we tend to gauge ourselves or measure ourselves by the “stereo typical” image of me. I am not all men, I am one man. I am an individual and don’t want to measure my manliness or anything else about me based on stereo types nor do I want anyone else to.

To Gail’s husband if you happen to read this. As embarrassing as it is to admit to, I with you suffer from E.D. and have for years. I do know what you are going through. It is like you have lost an important part of your life, but remember it is only a part. There are medications that may be able to assist you, don’t be shy or embarrassed talk to your doctor. Be warned though if indeed your heart failure is such as mine you will find none of those medications are an option for you. I do know it is very difficult to deal with. Try to remember none of this has anything to do with your “manhood” it is merely a symptom of your medical condition or side affects from your medications.

To Gail, it is very important that you do not take this on as any kind of reflection of yourself or of your relationship. It is a medically induced condition don’t see it as anything more.

I did so some research on this topic and I did find this article very interesting. I hope I am not infringing on any copy write laws or anything. Credit is given to CNN and the Mayo Clinic.

Erectile dysfunction and diabetes: Keys to prevention and treatment

From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

Erectile dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes. And left untreated, it can erode the quality of life for you and your partner. Sexual problems can increase your level of stress, frustration and discouragement; trigger depression; and even make you less likely to manage your diabetes effectively.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You can reduce your risk of developing erectile dysfunction, prevent it from worsening and, in many cases, safely and effectively treat it — enabling you to lead a satisfying sexual life.

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection of sufficient rigidity for sexual intercourse. That is, your penis fails to become or stay hard enough. Erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, isn’t fleeting or isolated sexual failure, which many men experience at some point in their life. Rather, it’s erectile failure more than 75 percent of the time during attempted intercourse. Erectile dysfunction isn’t the same as having low sexual desire or having problems with ejaculation and orgasm.

Any man can develop erectile dysfunction. But the condition has distinctive features among those with diabetes:

• It occurs more often. As many as 80 percent of men with diabetes develop erectile dysfunction, compared to about 22 percent to 25 percent of men without diabetes. More precise percentages are difficult to estimate because many men don’t talk to their doctors about the issue and because of variations in the way erectile dysfunction is defined.
• It occurs earlier. Erectile dysfunction most frequently develops after age 65. In men with diabetes, however, it tends to occur 10 or 15 years earlier, on average. Men in their 30s and younger with diabetes have also experienced erectile dysfunction.

The longer you’ve had diabetes and the more severe it is, the more likely you are to develop erectile dysfunction.

What causes erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction has many causes, both physical and psychological. It may not be the result of your diabetes. Medical conditions such as heart or liver disease can cause erectile dysfunction, as can surgery or trauma. Depression, stress and excessive worry about sexual performance can all interfere with normal erectile function, whether you have diabetes or not. And certain medications, such as those used to treat high blood pressure, can also cause temporary erectile dysfunction.

But when you have diabetes, the main risk factors for developing erectile dysfunction are:

• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Blood vessel (vascular) damage
• Poor blood sugar control

Normal male sexual physiology

A look at normal male physiology shows how these risk factors affect sexual ability.

The penis contains two cylindrical, sponge-like structures that run along its length. Those cylinders, the corpora cavernosa, make up the bulk of the erectile tissue of the penis. The corpus spongiosum is a chamber that surrounds the urethra and becomes engorged with blood during an erection. An artery runs deep through the center of each corpus cavernosum, allowing blood to flow in. Blood flows back out through a system of veins around the outside of each corpus cavernosum.

Normal sexual function requires the interplay of both the nervous and vascular systems, as well as physical, sensory and psychological events.

First, you become sexually stimulated. In response, your body releases neurotransmitters such as nitric oxide in the penile area. These are chemical messengers, telling smooth muscle cells in the erectile tissue to relax. When they relax, the central artery and other blood vessels widen, and blood rushes into the penis.

As the corpora cavernosa fill with blood, the spongy tissue presses up against the veins, compressing them and preventing blood from flowing out of the penis. That produces an erection as the trapped blood straightens and stiffens the penis. When the stimulation ends, the muscles contract, pressure decreases and the penis becomes flaccid, returning to its nonerect size and shape.

How diabetes affects normal sexual function

In men with diabetes, normal sexual function may be disrupted for a number of reasons related to nerve and blood vessel damage.

Diabetes can cause neuropathy or damage to nerves throughout your body, including the penis. Damaged nerves can’t communicate properly. So even though you might be emotionally stimulated to have intercourse, nerve damage means that information isn’t relayed to the penis, and it doesn’t respond.

In addition, poor blood sugar control can inhibit nitric oxide production. Lack of nitric oxide can prevent the pressure of blood in the corpora cavernosa from rising enough to close off penile veins, allowing blood to flow out of the penis instead of remaining trapped for an erection.

Blood vessels can also become narrowed or hardened (atherosclerosis) by conditions that often accompany diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease. When atherosclerosis occurs in arteries that supply the penis or pelvic area, sexual function may be disrupted.

What you can do

This sort of damage isn’t inevitable. And you can take steps to help prevent erectile dysfunction from occurring or worsening.

• Talk to your doctor. Initially, you might be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about sexual health. But because erectile dysfunction is a common diabetes-related problem, your doctor won’t be surprised when you mention the topic. Your doctor may ask you about it first, in fact. Talking to your doctor before a problem occurs can help you prevent or delay erectile dysfunction. Your doctor can also help determine if erectile dysfunction is the result of diabetes or another condition.
• Control your blood sugar. Good blood sugar control can prevent the nerve and blood vessel complications that lead to erectile dysfunction. If you’re having trouble controlling your blood sugar, talk to your doctor about refining your treatment strategy.
• Avoid tobacco. Smoking and other tobacco use cause blood vessels to narrow, contributing to blockages that can lead to erectile dysfunction. Smoking also can decrease nitric oxide levels.
• Avoid excessive alcohol. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can cause erectile dysfunction by damaging blood vessels. In general, for men that means no more than two alcoholic drinks a day, and for women, no more than one.
• See a urologist. Urologists have special expertise in sexual health. Some specialize specifically in erectile dysfunction. They can help assess your condition, determine its cause, and identify safe and effective treatments.Your urologist may recommend oral medications such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra). A small number of men have lost vision in one eye after taking these medications, causing the Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning in July 2005.Other options include small penile suppositories that contain prostaglandins, or intra-penile injections. Your urologist may recommend surgery to implant a penile prosthesis.A less invasive option is a vacuum tube that you place over your penis. A gentle vacuum develops as you pump air out of the tube, causing the penis to become erect. Once enlarged, you can place a ring at the base of your penis to maintain the erection.
• Get mental health treatment. Stress, anxiety and depression can cause erectile dysfunction. Even the fear of having erectile problems can make them worse. Talk to your doctor to see if these issues are playing a role in your erectile dysfunction. Treatment with a mental health professional might help.
• Reduce your cardiovascular disease risk. Men with diabetes who also have cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, face an even greater likelihood of developing erectile dysfunction because of the added damage to blood vessels. Reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, or taking the right steps to control existing conditions, can help prevent erectile dysfunction.

Knowing more about how diabetes-related complications can lead to erectile dysfunction may help you take measures to avoid the condition or prevent it from worsening. And as erectile dysfunction becomes more widely understood — thanks in part to mainstream television — it may become easier for you to discuss, just like any other medical condition.

By working closely with your diabetes care team, you can take preventive steps and learn about the best treatments for your situation so you and your partner can enjoy a healthy sexual relationship.

Erectile dysfunction: A sign of heart disease?

Erectile dysfunction: An early indicator of heart disease?

Delayed ejaculation: How is it treated?

Vacuum erection devices for erectile dysfunction: Can they cause blood in semen?

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction quiz: Don’t suffer in silence

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Medical Update

Saw my doctor yesterday afternoon. He added a new diabetic medication to my “cocktail” of pills I take every day. He didn’t like the way my chest sounded with my breathing still sort of raspy. I assured him it is just a chest cold that is on the mend and is much better than it was even a few days ago. Dr. C. is a good guy and knows how I hate xrays and such. He made me agree to call him on Monday if it isn’t cleared up. I will do that but am sure by then all will be well. I haven’t been feeling totally spry this past while and am hoping the addition of the new diabetic medication will have me back to dancing on top of the world. Hey, attitude is everything. Change the word in the last sentence from hope to know. I know it will have be back to being up and running. OK, I also know the word “running” is a bit of a stretch.

Keeping this post short, just a bit of an update. I am going to devote some time to responding to the treasured comments I have received. I so appreciate the comments left for me and I do like to respond to each one individually. I am not quite the energizer bunny that I once was and the batteries so seem to run down quicker. If you left me a comment in the past while and I didn’t respond sorry, but check later today and I am sure I will have by then.

Back to add a PS. to my comment. I may not get to as many comments as I had hope today.  Have 3 big apple trees in the back yard, just learned today is apple peeling and slicing day. Not so fussy about this part but love the end result.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Feeling Down

Feeling kind of down today. The leaves are starting to turn color and some are even falling already. Fall, I think is my favorite season. Gone is the extreme heat of the summer being replaced by just nice weather. It is a time that really can be enjoyed in comfort. Our summers can give us extreme heat and our winters extreme cold, we are inbetween.

I am not really sure why but this year seems different to me. I see the leaves falling and my mind just jumps ahead to thoughts of the cold winter coming. When the temperature is -40 and you have a 40 mile an hour wind blowing at you, it isn’t all that comfortable. Thankfully those are the extreme days and we really don’t get all that many of them and if you are dressed for it, it isn’t that bad. In fact I have even encourage people from warmer climates to visit during that time. Now that may sound like I am just being nasty or something. Like why would anyone want to visit when it is just that cold. My thinking is, that it is the chance to experience something totally different. Something that many will never experience in their life times. It really can be sort of envigorating to breath in that cold crisp air. People go on vacation to experience and see new things, really why not this?

Got a really good nights sleep last night but am still feeing really tired. Going for my nap, may write later.

Dying Man’s Daily Journal – Building our selves

Feeling really tired and lazy today. Taking the easy way out and reprinting something I posted back in Feb./07.

I spend so much time reflecting back on my life. I seem to see things so differently now. Via email, I received one of those inspirational type messages. It was the story of a very skilled carpenter that took great pride and care in ensuring every job was done well. After many years of quality work, it reached the point he decided to retire and informed his employer of this. On hearing this his employer practically begged him to build on last house. Out of loyalty and respect for the employer he agreed. But as the construction began it was obvious his heart wasn’t in it. He began taking short cuts, using shoddy materials, putting forth less than his best effort, anything he could to just get through each day. Ultimately, the house was finished, on the outside it looked good and only the carpenter in his heart knew of the inferior work contained within. Upon completion the employer handed the carpenter the keys to the house, gifting it to him in recognition of the years of good work. Now only when it was to late did the carpenter regret the quality of the work he had put into building that house. Only then did he regret, every thing he had done. Things he had done just to make it a little easier to get through a particular day, were coming back to haunt him.

I see this as such a good comparison to life. Our inner selves our true selves are a continual work in progress, constantly, “under construction”. Our bodies are our personal houses. Housing the true us, our spirits contained within, during our time on this earth. Do we want to end up as the carpenter did? Reach our end, with our houses (bodies) looking good or at least OK. But, in our hearts knowing of all the flaws and defective workmanship contained within.

Is it possible to attain perfection, of course not. At least not in this physical world. We are human and as such will always have some internal imperfections. We can though at least try our best. Our every day, every act is one more step in the building of our internal selves. Our every act whether and act of love, kindness, cruelty, deceit or what ever put another brick in place in the construction of our inner selves. Every time we take the easy way over what we may know to be the right way, another brick.

If only we would stop and see the big picture, today is not just today. It is an important day in the building of the true me.