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So I found out
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May. 3rd, 2008 @ 12:15 am
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I'm not only allergic to dairy, I'm also allergic to yeast and sugar.
I need to let this sink in for a while. But this illness just might be, ironically, the healthiest thing that's ever happened to me. |
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I AM IRON MAN
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May. 2nd, 2008 @ 02:17 pm
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I just came back from the first showing of today. (midnight screenings are hard when you have school and no caffeine)
Anyway, I will say that it is better than the first X-Men movie, and at least as good as the second Spider-Man movie. I still have a few problems with it:
( Some spoilers ahead )
But, those were the only real problems I had with it. There were additionally many points that were made of pure awesome.
And as for the after-the-credits clip: I TOTALLY CALLED IT. |
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Hey all you people
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Apr. 29th, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
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I haven't posted in a while cause, well, I got worried.
Like, a lot.
I was worried that the treatment didn't take cause I was still getting sick after eating food. Like, the weekend after I posted my last entry, I get really, really flu-like symptoms sick. And a few days ago I go sick again, though not as bad.
Buuut . . . then last night, I ate a big bowl of ramen noodles, and I was fine.
Now, I've been on this diet for a while, and the book had a rather specific post-diet regimen that I stuck to for all of ten seconds. But the main purpose is to find the food that triggers a crohn's outbreak. This kind of treatment is not really approved by mainstream medicine. But some days ago my mom got in contact with an alternative medicine doctor who treats crohn's patients. She said that the most common foods that cause crohn's reactions are animal fat, wheat, or milk.
Though my diet after the shakes has been a little . . . haphazard . . . I've been putting together a picture of what I've been going through. I have had rough days the times after I've eaten things with milk products (And very little at that--some butter cooked inside rice, and some milk solids in some flavored chips that I ate). And I recall back in 2007, there were several instances of me just not wanting milk even though I know I like it. Seriously, I was a big milk drinker for a long time, and then I lost the taste for it, and I really didn't know why.
And I remember, I normally got huge bowls of ice cream when I could. It's not that I'd lost my sweet tooth, I'd been eating candy and soda a lot and I rarely had a desire to cut back on those, but I felt like cutting back on ice cream anyway. Even though I wanted it.
And again I remember, I like cream cheese, but several times I ate a sandwich with it, one very particular instance being on Macinac Island, and I deteriorated after that.
But the picture is sketchy. I was on Pentasa for most of last year, and suppressing the disease might make me feel better overall, but I'm pretty sure my body knows what it's doing when it suddenly says, okay, you have to stop having dairy products.
In a way, it's difficult. The biggest thing I'd lose out from this is ever having cheese again. Cheese is awesome. But if my body says I'm done, I guess I'm done.
It's not cut and dried yet, but I'm fairly certain it's the case. I'm having a blood allergy test done to see if I am actually allergic to it or something else. I suppose if it is the case . . . I'll just have to start getting used to eating Asian food a lot more often. *rubs hands together* |
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Hooray food!
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Apr. 10th, 2008 @ 08:37 pm
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I got to start eating again today!
No problems so far! Though I kinda have to start simple, and I'm basically staying away from red meats and anything with gluten in it for now.I had a tuna steak, and a mushroom sandwich, and rice. Mmm, rice. Having a bowl of it right now! Because I can! |
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Read Chainsawsuit
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Apr. 8th, 2008 @ 07:31 pm
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Here, I will point you to the titular strip.
http://www.chainsawsuit.com/20080331.shtml
Heh, titular. |
| » What looks tempting today! |
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Clarion and/or Clarion West Science Fiction Writers' Workshop.
It's a six week workshop that costs about 4,000 dollars, is hosted by a plethora of published authors (For instance, Neil Gaiman is part of the crew for Clarion this year) and is totally intensive.
Then I look at my college stuff. about 1,500 dollars a semester (I don't pay for room and board) and I gain occasional theoretical knowledge. You know, besides my Fiction Writing class that I took for two semesters, which doesn't actually count towards any degree.
It kind of has me annoyed, because Clarion seems like six weeks solid of practical knowledge, and even though it might not get me a degree, practical knowledge is what I need when it comes to the kind of jobs I look for. What I already know how to do it not only essential, it's the entirety of writing.
I must go to Clarion. You know, in a few years. *updates 'Things I totally must do' list that does not actually have a physical form*
Mar. 26th, 2008 @ 04:05 pm
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| » Ferrets! |
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So, for the past few days, I have considered and researched what it would mean to own a ferret!
At the moment, I don't think I could afford it (I could pay for it, but being able to pay for something and being able to afford something are different things entirely)--it's something around 500 dollars upfront (about 100 or 150 for a shelter ferret, the rest for supplies), and ferrets will likely need veterinary care (or at least booster shots) once a year.
Basically, ferrets are the ultimate in what everyone thinks they want in a pet. They're cute and fuzzy and they're overly energetic and very smart, but they're also walking avatars of chaos. They basically have the adorability and destructive capability of a three-year old child and never grow out of it (except they're quiet).
It intrigued me because the more I learned baout them, the more I realized they're basically right between what I like about dogs and what I like about cats. Like cats, they can easily be raised completely indoors, they're latrine animals (unfortunately not quite as studious as cats), they climb all over everything, and they like to snuggle up on your lap. However, like dogs, they like very active in play and can do so with humans (without necessitating declawing), they're very social and like to interact with humans, and can be taught tricks and commands (at least, much easier than cats can be). As a bonus, ferrets do not destroy furniture--though they might tear at carpet and upholstery because of their fondness for digging--and they like small things so much they'll steal them and hide them somewhere.
Of course, ferrets are rather demanding. Since the only pets I've ever owned are outdoor, I am not familiar with the routine of taking the dog out for a walk. My cat is outdoor, and even though I like her, it's just not the same as an indoor pet because I really only interact with her marginally. But ferrets are pretty much required to be active at least four hours a day, at least half of the time needing you to play with them, and the rest of the time supervising them to make sure they don't swallow something they can't actually digest. Currently, this wouldn't be ideal for me--even if I could convince my parents to allow them indoors, the house is huge. Plus, ferrets are smaller than cats, and can get into pretty much anything (and will explore any place their head can fit) which means you have to make sure your ferrets aren't in the way when you're doing something like, say, sitting down, or closing the dishwasher . . . or even opening the front door. Ferrets don't have the direction sense that dogs and cats do and they get lost easily.
But I want two or three, because that's the kind of chaos I need injected into my life. You know, like having a child, only it's actually much cheaper and less demanding, and the ferret never grows out of the cute-and-playful phase. I'm not actually that familiar with the more basic aspects of pet ownership, even though I've owned a few pets through my life (They were all outdoor pets) but every time I go over to the house of someone who does have a pet I find that they occupy much of my time there. I am a pet-person with very non-pet parents.
Maybe I just need to get out of here.
Mar. 23rd, 2008 @ 01:43 pm
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| » Not Surprised |
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Stolen from Lizkay
Mar. 20th, 2008 @ 06:10 pm
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| » So, Sissthra |
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My short story Sissthra is on another revision, and I'm awfully happy with it. That is, unless you're not! I need two or three beta readers, even if you read it before? That'd be nice, thanks!
It's about 11,000 words long so it might take you a while.
Mar. 19th, 2008 @ 03:18 pm
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| » Stupid thought of the day |
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You know, considering that symbologists find sexual imagery in almost anything you could give them, it's strange that one doesn't come to the conclusion more often that symbologists are the most sexually repressed groups in the world . . .
Mar. 18th, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
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| » Auction |
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I have a sketchbook auction up, by the way
http://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1003838.html
Mar. 18th, 2008 @ 12:04 am
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| » Dreams again |
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It seems like every time I have a dream about school, when I wake up I sigh with relief and think, 'Thank goodness it's nowhere near that hard.'
Of course, what my mind is doing is mixing college with high school. Short classtimes, every days of the week, filled with unnecessary busywork, in which you have to thoroughly analyze everything presented? Not to mention, homework. Ugh.
Mar. 17th, 2008 @ 10:43 am
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| » Okay, I just have to share this |
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In my dream last night, there was Godzilla.
No, it wasn't a monster movie or anything, I mean like, we called it Godzilla, but we really didn't know what it was. Kinda like Cloverfield. Anyway, what happened was, I was driving back home from someplace (we started the move and had been living in an apartment) and when I got out of the car I heard this humongous roar. I said to my dad, "Woah, what is that? Godzilla?" My dad said, "I think so."
I went inside and my brother had been watching the news, I asked him if he saw anything about a real-life Godzilla. He said there was, and it was all the way over in Russia.
Holy crap.
For most of the rest of the dream we scurried about, my dad wanted to bring us down to a storage facility in South Carolina where all our stuff was. I didn't hear Godzilla again, but oh man was the thought of that freaky.
Mar. 16th, 2008 @ 02:50 pm
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| » Brawl code |
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Frret 2707-1324-1528
I'm not sure how this works so at any point you might actually be playing my younger brother. Who prefers to play as Ike or Snake, so it might be obvious if so.
Mar. 11th, 2008 @ 02:28 pm
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| » A HA I AM FREE |
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Eee, midterms are done. I had like, three six-page essays to write. Holy crap is it difficult to go on about one topic for six pages. Luckily, the quality of my arguments lay solely in the manner in which I'm able to write, and teachers always seem to eat up my writing. I honestly have no idea why.
So: Brawl on Sunday, Sunday, Someday!
Currently: Writing Blasphemer's Prayer. At least, another attempt at it. This one's looking promising.
Mar. 7th, 2008 @ 09:33 pm
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| » Another game complete |
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Well, it only took me four days to complete Twilight Princess. And I still have a week until Brawl.
*twiddles thumbs*
Mar. 3rd, 2008 @ 03:51 pm
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| » I have a new slogan |
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"Don't fight the system, fight the scenario!"
It's in reference to game systems, you see . . .
Mar. 1st, 2008 @ 06:36 pm
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| » THIS IS IT |
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Tonight was my last solid meal for several weeks. I had biscuits and gravy, it was pretty tasty.
I'm starting on the IBD remission diet (which includes my disorder, Crohn's) which will take six weeks plus a few for food reintroduction. So basically, for the next six weeks, I will have to basically vacate the house during dinner cause I don't want any sort of temptations.
The main parts of the diet are:
-The diet shake. It's made with, like, a whole bunch of organic food stuff that's broken down into the smallest digestible parts so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Unlike other elemental diets, it includes whey protein, and there is also optional flax oil for fat intake (which is highly recommended) In order to gain my weight back (about fifteen pounds I've had off since last year) I'll end up drinking about seven servings of the shake per day. Which means I'll actually burn through these big tubs of shake mix rather fast . . .
--Other stuff is allowed an recommended: clear fruit juice not from concentrate with no additives, and clear broths. Some kinds of chewing gum are allowed, including Juicy Fruit.
--Because my weight gain will be largely solid weight, it's recommended that I start weight training. We have a small weight set here, so I won't be required to go to a gym or anything.
--After the diet I have a reintroduction period, where I test various classes of food in order so that I can test to see if I have intolerances to any of them.
--After that is over, then there's just recommended stuff that I do not do. Some of them are easy, like no alcohol or smoking (haha) and some of them are more difficult and I will tell you I probably won't follow them quite as closely, such as no caffeine or carbonated drinks (I mean, I suppose--but I might just get used to it after absolutely none of that for six weeks). And then there are some recommendations that I will likely not follow at all, such as no microwave cooking (what in the world) and no spicy peppers. A lot of the recommendations are to avoid gas, which I don't think really addresses the problem? But hey, I need to cut down on my junk food intake anyway. I think this diet might help push me in that direction.
Feb. 27th, 2008 @ 06:30 pm
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| » About my Crohn's |
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Well I have come to a decision.
I had a colonoscopy done today. I still have bleeding ulcers around certain parts of my intestines, despite being on Pentasa for almost a year now. I'm not going to switch to the immunosuppressants because they cost more than my college tuition and leave me vulnerable to TB.
I consider surgery. It would basically remove the offending parts and I'd basically be scot-free for about five years. But there's no guarantee that it would help.
However, I did notice that going on the clear-liquids fast before that seemed to help an awful lot. Then my mom later today the elemental diet, which is used in some places to treat Crohn's. Basically, an elemental diet keeps junk out of your intestines while still giving you nutrition that you need, giving them a rest so they can heal on their own. And there is a product for it called Absorb Plus which not only does this but also is nutritious enough that it actually helps a lot of people with Crohn's or UI or IBS gain weight. And I've been down at least fifteen pounds from my normal weight since last year, and I wouldn't mind getting it back.
The 'beat your health into submission' part of the program is basically six weeks of nothing but the shakes (and possibly any other elemental or clear-liquid foods you want), after which you can start to go back to regular foods.
I think this sounds like a plan.
Feb. 19th, 2008 @ 07:56 pm
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