A new Beginning

Sawadee Khrap

Bright days again in Chiang Mai – Team and I have resolved our differences and will renew our relationship.  I couldn’t be more happier. 

It is very difficult to have a meaningful gay marriage here, or for that matter anywhere, I suppose., but even more so here because different cultures and language are involved.  Our first 4 months were not easy with many misunderstandings, we had difficulty talking it out, and both had serious questions as to the other’s sincerity.  Most of the average Thailand b/f relationships are not much more than prolonged one-night stands.  Particularly with older foreign partners who make gross promises and then abandoning the relationship when they get bored or have to go back home, or money boys who are always looking for greener pastures.

Well,  we’ve gotten through the hardest part and can now concentrate of making the relationship a success.  May God and Buddha Bless.

Ciao

Back in Chiang Mai

Sawadee Khrap

Just got back to Chiang Mai from a short trip to Pattaya to get my new phone.  Jerry was kind enough to get it for me and so I took a short vacation to pick it up.  Planned to stay till Friday but cut it short after I was threatened by a knife welding Cambodian money boy when I would not take him home for the evening.  Don’t need the aggravation and didn’t go down there to play with the boys in the Complex.

Times are getting rough down there and it is starting to show – Jomtien had plenty of boys but little customers.  The complex had just opened after being closed for a while to morn the King’s passing, so anyone walking the streets now is a potential target for starving MB’s.   Even the guy I rented the car from was complaining on how bad the local economy was and he didn’t see it getting any better for a long time.  Many new condominiums have been finished and no buyers – but typical to Thai habits the prices seems to be remaining the same – they don’t drop the price to make sales but just wait for times get better.  They suffered this with the Russians and now with the Chinese zero-dollar tour influx.  They’re not buying, just coming by the millions – not good for the Thai economy.

Well I got my phone – a Sony Xperia Z3  and just fired it up so have nothing to write about yet.   Just hoping it works as well as I have been told.  More later.

Ciao

Condolences

Sawadee Khrap

Throughout his extraordinary reign, His Majesty the King devoted his life to the health, safety, and prosperity of the Thai people.  Our thoughts and sympathies are with the members of the Royal Family and the people of Thailand at this somber time. 

thailand

Ciao

Things may be looking up

Sawadee Khrap

Just got back from Sriphat Hospital visiting 3 doctors, Cardio, Kidney, and Physical Health and all gave me good grades.  BP  120/50 and appears stable so far,  kidney function stabilized, muscle spasms in lower back eliminated by stretching exercises, ED appears under control, Plavix stopped and hip pain gone, acid reflux much lower since using coconut oil for cooking. and the glaucoma problem seems to be getting better using the latest drops Azopt – side-effects almost all gone – vision becoming much clearer – next month will actually tell when I go see the ophthalmologist again. 

One problem is still there but greatly reduce and that’s the mild aching in my legs especially in the evening that can sometimes wake me up.  For that I have been told to start drinking more milk to raise the calcium levels and do more stretching exercises along with increased walking.  I am using the elliptical machine again and can do more walking since eliminating the pain in my hips from the Plavix.       Soooo   milk it is.

It was quite a trip to get here and I feel sorry for many that suffer with similar medical problems and just stick to the first or same medicine prescribed without carefully questioning everything, doing their own research (internet is excellent) and developing a mutually agreed plan with their doctors concerning their health.   I had to work with my doctors, giving them the best feedback I could about any and all side-effects and not just accept the first results to get where I am now.  And believe me we tested several combinations –  I thought the doctors were going to give up before I did, but they worked with me all along.

The doctors at Sriphat Hospital, Chiang Mai and Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok are excellent – and I don’t think you can find better hospitals anywhere – and considering the cost I am sure you can’t.  Today’s visits with all three specialists, totals 1200 Baht   $35

Ciao.

Coconut Oil

Sawadee Khrap

My latest discovery – cooking with coconut oil – 2 weeks ago I started cooking everything , eggs, stir-fried dishes, black bean with pork, pork chops, etc. using coconut oil instead of my normal olive oil.   What a difference so far, my acid-reflux problem that has plagued me for several years has all but disappeared.  The food tastes great, so even if this is just a passing fad there is no reason to change back.  I never liked palm or corn oils, which is so commonly used here, and I have read many articles that olive oil should not be heated but only used on things like salads – cold.

I’m never the first one to try anything, I’d rather wait and see if good results from others are there before I venture in.  And although for years I have been using only coconut oil for my massages, cooking with it was not considered – I really thought the taste would be too much.  It’s not  – the food is delicious.   I had switched to olive from the normal corn or palm cooking oils when I started having my BP problems – blocked arteries.

I have read several articles that in the past coconut oil was the preferred oil for cooking – but in the wisdom of the food industry they shot it down for polyunsaturated vegetable oils claiming they were better for the fight against heart disease.  Coconut was way too expensive to compete against these cheap oils and lost out.  Actually the populous lost out – coconut, with its anti-inflammatory properties and healthy saturated fats is far better – heart disease from sugars and polyunsaturated oils is far more common. .  Butter is better than margarine.

So there, if your not using coconut oil and still using the common artery-choking cooking oils – stop and try coconut.

Ciao

Keep your BP under control

Sawadee Khrap

Amazing, about Sept 7th I was told about having glaucoma and was prescribed eye drops to reduce the pressure in my eyes.  Did that ever start a chain of events that a month would finally lead me to being single again.  Prior to that my BP was stable about 110-122 and I felt very calm and happy – I think our relationship was too, I did have some apprehension about how close we were but I think that we were getting closer – I have to admit that I did rush into the affair, which I shouldn’t have have done and really taken it slower with him.  But that being said, as I look back now I think we were on a path to possibly making it work. Then came the eye drops!!

The first drops, when sleeping,  caused terrible pain in my legs and knees and real vivid bad paranoiac dreams. So we went to the next trial, the dreams became less but the pain continued and my BP started to climb. By the time we got to the third medicine, my BP was back to pre-stent time 160-200 and my composure and temperament had started to go through the roof.   I could notice it in my driving but didn’t think I was also projection it toward my relationship.  I had also started to develop paranoia about our relationship being true.  Little things would really had become large problems.  It’s always a task to make a multi-culture relationship work but with this added influence it would become impossible.

I had started lashing about about little things that I saw that I thought were undermining our relations, especially at night, trying to get to sleep,  I would see all the possible infractions that was leading to the conclusion that he didn’t love me.  Well the rest is history, we broke up after a big fight.   Can’t use hind sight here.

For the past several days I have stopped all eye drops and my BP is slowly dropping with my mood and temperament becoming more calm.  It’s really a remarkable change that I can feel, I don’t know what the glaucoma status is – too late for the relationship but possibly some help to others that are fighting high BP and glaucoma.

All I can say is be careful of what drugs you take – I am going back first to the Cardiologist tomorrow and go over the whole series of events and the BP drug interactions with the glaucoma medicine.  And then get the two doctors in concert before trying any new drugs again.  Hopefully there is a better way to control the eye pressure, short of Laser Surgery, that doesn’t effect my BP or personality.   As for the relationship, I really hope he finds the Bear he was always looking for.

Ciao