I am guessing the mechanic's name is Nick.

I didn't get a picture, but saw another business that had a mixed-cultural name: Sushi Loco.

I am down to 286 LBS. I have tuned the scale in the apartment Gym to read the correct weight. it isn't perfect. The 2 data points are zero and my weight. The scale has no adjustable feet to make sure it is level, and it is slightly off. So I tuned it to my weight range. It will be about 10 LBS off for people under 200 LBS. They can buy a home scale. I have tried many, and NO scale made for home use is accurate over 250 LBS.

I was able to work at home 2 days this week. I had some large scale design work, and the data all resided on my laptop. I made the mistake of using a security cable the company provided me when I got to my new office. I lost the key on the second day. The mistake was - there was no backup key. So I had to buy a $15 dollar tool to cut the cable and a hack saw for $6 to remove the lock from the laptop. it was extremely easy to cut through the lock.

I have not been working a full day for a long time. I get too tired. I was really interested in the design work I did today. Not that it had any depth, it just felt good to get absorbed into a complex puzzle. But it wore me out and I felt depressed. I watched a few cartoons, and it made me feel better.

The affect cartoons have on me is interesting. I cannot predict which one will lift me more, it differs from day to day. Today - it was Freakazoid! Lately, the Tick has been my favorite. I am putting Futurama down for a bit, and I am going to shuffle in some "Invader Zim". I am waiting for Dexter's lab and Powerpufff Girls to arrive.

I feel like my mind is getting clearer and I am starting to understand more about how to do my job. One thing I do know is that almost everyone I work with is in over their head. They are not trained and they have little esperience. There are a lot of mistakes at the surface level - obvious things if you force yourself to look at each thing closely. There are also some really bad fundamental errors, like not preserving the uniqueness of keys in a database. There is too much of that - it will either cause the organization to get disbanded, or it will ensure more money later to fix it all. I am a good fixer, so that's probably why I am in that group.

I am monitoring my calorie intake based on an online calorie calculator. It has been a week, and it has not been hard to stick to it. One reason I am having an easier time than most is my food allergies. I can't eat most carbs. I am typically under count on carbs, even with the large carb gram count in the oatmeal I eat every morning.

What a week!

I just saw "The Dark Knight" for a second time. Also lost my cell phone for the second time - but realized I must have lost it in the theater. The next showing had not yet started. I was able to find it with the help of another patron - who called my number for me. I had arrived late to the theater, so I did not put the phone on vibrate. I had been looking for the phone on the gorund under the seats with a flashlight. The phone was lodged between the armrest and the seat!

So tomorrow, I find a new way to carry my phone. I don't wear a belt - so the only thing I can think of is around the neck. I don't have room in my breast pocket (keep the wallet there now so I don't have to sit on it - to help the lumbar). I used to keep it in a zippered pocket of a vest, but I don't wear those anymore - too hot in Texas.

I decided to stop eating meat this week. My diet has been very pure these last 2 months. I cut out ALL junk. I get all the nutrients I need from Spirulina, which I have been using for over a year - 10 grams a day. That, plus the Omega 3 fatty-acids, would be enough to keep me alive. I have been eating a portion of meat a day, about half the size of my fist, and vegetables and 1 serving of fruit a day. I was losing weight, but very slowly. I want to accelerate it, so I tried the experiment Wednesday. The plan was to cut my intake of meat in half, but when it came to execution, I decided to go all the way.

I was a vegetarian for 2 years several years ago. I was working at Adobe, so it was at least 10 years ago. I stopped doing it because during that 2 years I lost my creativity, and it was essential to my job. Most of my higher analytical abilities were curbed during that period. I couldn't afford it. Now that my job is less demanding, I thought I'd try again. The first 2 days saw really low awareness, but today I feel enlightened. I am thinking very clearly. And I panic less - when I lost my cell phone, I was concerned, but only a little. I was more interested in finding it rather than worrying about it, and I wasn't in a hurry about it.

So my daily diet consists of Steel Cut oatmeal, a plain salad at lunch (ice berg and romaine and vinegar-based dressing), 10 grams of spirulina, 15 grams of Omega 3 fatty-acids from fish oil, and half a melon. If I need carbs, I eat a frozen beef tamale. I buy a mexican brand which has NO ADDITIVES. so technically I am not a vegetarian all the way.

I bought a new brand of dietary fiber so I could have a supply at home and at work. I got the new one from Target. I took the Metamucil to work. The ingredient lists were the same, except MEtamucil used aspartame and Target used Sucrose. Sucrose is sugar. The target brand made me very ill. I am sure the amount I used did not have more than one teaspoon of sugar. The microbes in my intestines loved it. It finally got out of my system today - no more bloating and soreness. I replaced the Target brand with a Metamucil product with no sweetener at all.

Tuesday Night I was filled with loneliness. It was unbearable. It was far worse than the night they told me that my wife was going to die. I pleaded with God to take this away - I couldn't stand it. I feel better today. I watch several cartoons a day - it helps alot. I don't have cable. I am collecting my favorite cartoon series.

I am feeling myself get stronger and better. Today, I could feel the beginnings of support from the torso. I could feel the support from the front of the rib cage, holding my upper body mass up. It makes me walk differently. It's hard to describe.

I started dance lessons this week. It was a lot of fun. I was actually able to dance and talk at the same time. Next lesson is 4 SEP.

There is a LDS Singles conference in the first week of November. I will be attending.

The Neti Pot is a great invention, I use it at least twice a day. It really cleans out the nose, which is where most of my congestion problems were (not in the sinus). It also allowed me to make an important discovery (which i will get to in a lter paragraph).

Growing up, I always woke up with a thick coat of flem on my tongue. I just thought that was how it was. Later in life, I assumed it was due to airborne allergies. I learned that flem was a defense mechanism, protecting the body from poisons. I had blood tests a few years ago for food allergies, and discovered that I have many. As soon as I stopped using those products, the coating on my tongue was greatly reduced, but not gone.

I made it a goal to find the cause of that last remaining irritant, but I did so by envisioning it. This is a technique where one envisions the goal every day as if it already has happened, and feels gratitude for it. It does not involve figuring out how to solve it or attain the goal. The solution comes to you.

Now that I use the Neti Pot, my flem runs clear. Up until the last 2 weeks, I have never had a runny nose where the discharge was clear fluid - it has always been thick and yellow/green. as a result, the nose and sinus have been insensitive, because it was always covered up. Now that it is clearer, I can feel in there.

As I ate my oatmeal, I notice a quick reaction. My sinus' were produces clear flem. It was reacting to something. I guessed it was the sweetener, so I stopped using it. My tongue got even clearer. The sweetener is Stevia - it is now on the forbidden list. I have done some research to look for some replacements. Sucralose (Splenda) is even worse than sucrose when it comes to feeding microbes in the intestines - so I am going to stay away from that. I am going to try honey first - maybe multiple brands. The flavor of honey depends on the type of flowers the bees harvested.

I have tracked my weight loss for the last 5 weeks: 289, 286, 282, 279, 268. These numbers come from the scale in the apartment gym - which is a balance scale. I was weighed at the medical clinc yesterday, and it said I was 291, so there is a 23 LBS difference between the scales. The Medical office said I weighed 305 last May - so according to them, I lost 14 LBS in 3 months. I think my weight went up from May, and I have only been losing weight since I got back from the wedding (6 weeks). I am sure I am losing weight more than 2 LBS a week - a lot more. Is it too fast? don't know. DId I really lose 11 LBS in one week - not sure, but I know it was more than 5 LBS.

THe MRI of my lumbar - a vertical cross-section from the side. You can plainly see the pinching of the spinal cord. Cord is WHITE, vertebrae are grey, herniated discs are black. The pinch goes all the way to the black stripe in the middle of the spinal cord.

Larry in his new shirts

Thank you, girls, for my birthday presents!

Larry as Magneto from the X-men

The LDS Singles are having a Superhero-Supervillian party, so I decided to go (as a supervillian, of course).

Good Day

I had a good day. I woke up after only 7 hours asleep, and felt ready for the day. I got to work earlier than normal, and put in a longer day than normal. I got a lot done, even though I had to rest in my car in the middle of the day. I felt upbeat all day. My BP readings were very good, too.

I decided 2 things this morning: I am going to lose weight and I am going to strengthen my core muscles. I need to slow or stop the further nerve cell loss in my lumbar. The only way to do that is to lessen the effect of the weight of my upper body mass - so I lose weight. I started Pilates again this morning in order to strengthen the core muscles, and take the burden off of my lumbar. I am taking this seriously. I have been very good about my diet for the last 3 weeks, so I am going to keep it up. I also spent time today memorizing the names and order of the basic 7 Pilates exercises, so I can do them without constantly glancing at paper to know what to do. I also decided to do 30 minutes of cardio everyday (or at least 5 times a week).

I did some web research today, and was very encouraged. In Sep 2007, a Canadian Research team successfully caused spinal nerve cell growth in rats using stem cells from their own skin. It will take 15 years for this to make it to general medical practice. But it is also possible for my own stem cells to wander down to the right spot and fix me up. That can happen, too, perhaps a lot faster than 15 years.

Lumbar Jack

A spine specialist told me today that I have 3 severely herniated discs in the lower lumbar. This is normal wear and tear, but is more advanced at my age because of my height, the length of my spine (my in-seam is average size), and my higher than average upper body mass.

This has caused nerve cell loss in the spinal cord. Although discs can regenerate, these nerve cells do not regenerate. The damage is permanent.

I will be getting a cortisone shot to the spine on 21 AUG.
This is just for pain relief - it will not slow down the degeneration.

Losing weight will help - My wieght increased to 305 since I moved to Texas, but is now at 285. I have been real good about avoiding junk food since I got back from Jennie's wedding.

I also will start Pilates again - using muscles to support my weight will slow the degeneration. It is all due to the weight of my upper body (and the sedentary career I choose).

I have considered having a brainectomy to lessen upper body mass, but decided that I really do enjoy thinking, so I won't do that...

Pain affecting on Sleep Pattern

I have been prescribed Celebrex for pain management. I think the dosage is too low. It wears off in about 7 hours. I should be taking it in 12 hours periods. I just realized that I don't - I take it just before I go to bed, and as soon as I wake up. That means the later part of the waking period has less control over pain. That is what I am experiencing.

The pain is now manifesting in my hips and my tail bone. Tail bone feels like it is burning slightly (when the meds wear off).

I went to sleep at midnight 2 nights ago, and awake at 7 - couldn't figure out what caused the difference. Now I know it was the pain. Last night I tried to go to bed at 10PM - hips hurt too much to lie down on them. Took Celebrex dosage (plus another at night time: Lyrica). It was 2 hours before I could lay down.

I have ordered a visco-elastic memory foam 6 inch leg wedge to see if that will make me comfortable enough to be able to sleep on my back. I have never been able to sleep on my back (as far back as I can remember). It causes pain in my legs, especially the feet. My feet would get really cold and numb - so I assumed it was due to blood flow restricction.

I got a massage yesterday for the first time. It felt good, but was not wonderful, like I have heard some people say. I can tell that it removed a great deal of stress from my flesh, and prehaps I should not expect more. I plan to get one once a week. He does do home visits - which I should do. I hestitate about it because I live in a gated community, and the gate is automated - closes at 7 PM. I will have to see how I can arrange this.

I had an MRI taken of my lumbar. I was too big to fit into the tube of the MRI device at the clinic, so I had to go to another facility. This facility was not part of the affiliated services which i used, so I got to take posession of the films. So I put on some latex gloves, and looked at the films. An MRI is a sequence of slices through the body, and don't make much sense until you can step through the sequence rapidly (It's a 3D image).

But the vertical cross-section showed one thing. I would clearly see the vertibrae, then the cord within the vertebrae center, then the tube in the middle on the spinal cord that is filled with fluid. At 3 places - I assume L3, L4 and L5, the spinal cord is pinched a lot. On L5, it is pinched so much, it is nearly to the tube in the middle of the spinal cord. This cannot be good. We'll see what Dr. guess will say on 6 AUG