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Transplant Athlete
Thursday, March 27, 2008
  CRF Side Effects

I'm a bit more worried about the side effects of kidney failure this time around. The first time around, my kidneys failed so gradually, that I had time to get used to the side effects. At the transplant clinic, I met a lot of people who were experiencing kidney failure and the effects were hitting them much harder due to the shorter time frame.

With three young kids in the house, it can sometimes feel like I'm living in a Petri dish. I catch every little bug they get. Lately though, I've been feeling like I'm closer to kidney failure than ever. (but I often wonder is it kidney failure or some new bug) It's most likely due to the "fast" nature of my kidney failure compared to the "slow" failure I had the first time around.

At my last Dr appointment, my creatinine was 4.4. The first time around, the docs let me get to 10.3, this time around they've been saying 5 or 6. I have the last word, so as long as I can tolerate the side effects, I'm going to 10 (wish I could've used a Spinal Tap reference here).

 

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Saturday, March 22, 2008
  Best Nigerian Scam Letter Yet

I'm guessing, because this letter had my name in it, it got through my spam filter. The way I see it, they've got to do two things to be more successful.
  1. Use proper spelling and grammar.
  2. Operate from somewhere other than Nigeria.
Here it is. Personally, I love the part about this email being "subject to law".

Dear Lamoureux,

Please view attachment in respect of late Mr. Andrew Lamoureux Fund

Please send all the requested information that will be after you have read the attachment letter proper.

Regards,


Mr. Patrick Maduagwu
(Managing Partner)
--
:
"This email message and any attachments are confidential and may also be the subject of client - legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, interference with, disclosure or copying of this material is prohibited.
This email and any attachments are also subject to Law. No license is given in respect of such Law and acts covered by such Law require a separate license agreement.
The information in this email may not be accurate or complete. The recipient should not rely on it without confirm from the sender.
"If you have received this email in error, please immediately advise the sender by return email and delete the message from your system". "Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail".

I ask myself, WWZD? (What Would Zinger Do) My guess is he'd torture the guy for a bit and then get bored. Then there's the email header...
From: "Patrick Maduagwu" patrickmaduagwuesq@lawyer.com
Reply-To: patrickmaduagwuesq@hotmail.com
Sender: patrickmaduagwuesq2@gmail.com
To: patrickmaduagwuesq@lawyer.com
Too Funny!

 

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
  Requiem For A Cavalier

I was up in New Jersey this weekend for a wedding. On the drive up, my Chevrolet Cavalier rolled through the 200,000 mile mark. I had recently calculated that the car cost me around 20 cents a mile to operate (cost of the car, gas, insurance, repairs, etc). Of all the cars I've ever driven, that Cavalier was my favorite. Sure the BMW M Roadster was a blast to drive and had heated leather seats, but it was expensive to maintain and was prone to problems plus I thought the exterior looked awkward.

The Cavalier was my first new car. I built my first business on the back of that car. I moved my possessions to Virginia in that car. I took my wife to the Drive-In Movies in that car. It lasted 200,000 miles on minimal maintenance and with virtually no rust.

I know what Motor Trend had to say about the Cavaliers - noisy, uncomfortable, plastic, underpowered, etc., and some of those may have even been true. But, there were small details that really stood out to me. The backs of handles were textured, giving them a pleasant feel. The car was reliable, cheap, and got excellent gas mileage (better than most cars today, 13 years later). Sometimes I find myself admiring the curve of the roof line, it's a beautiful arc. There are large radius' in places that let me know the car was designed entirely in a CAD program.

I'm sad to report that on the drive home, as I entered Maryland, the warning lights started to blink on my dashboard, first the little battery, then the brakes, then the airbags. By the time I got to Baltimore, my radio had gone dead. By the time I made it to the DC Beltway, the car was trying to stall on me. I coasted for awhile and the car seemed ok, I drove a little bit further, then coasted for awhile. But it finally died altogether (200,300 miles) at the ramp to 270 North(and I mean on the RAMP to 270 North - If you were stuck in traffic, I apologize). AAA sent a tow truck and dropped the CAV at my house.

In running condition, the blue book on the Cavalier is around $1000. I think the problem is the Alternator, which is a $100 part that I could probably replace myself. If I fix the alternator, I should really fix the Head Gasket. If the cylinder head is warped or cracked, that's a $200 part. The gasket and bolts would run around $40. So, do I dump a couple hundred in to the car and hope the engine holds together for another 100,000 miles? Do I spend $6k - $12k to convert it to electric? Or do I spend $20k+ for a new car?

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Friday, March 14, 2008
  Stop The Insanity

I've just about had my fill of Eliot Spitzer, now, his "companion" is getting plastered all over CNN. When will it stop.

Here's a tip Mr. Spitzer. Next time, go to AdamEve.com and buy yourself a toy. Yes, they make them for men too. For $30 you can get something that feels so close to the real thing you'll be amazed. And oh yeah, you'll be saving yourself like $79,970, you won't get busted by the FEDs transporting it over state lines, and you won't lose your job/family/self respect. Blushing at the thought of buying a toy? It's a lot less shameful than a Perp walk.

P.S. Don't forget the KY.

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Thursday, March 13, 2008
  World Kidney Day

Today is World Kidney Day. Treat yours with respect. Look for the symptoms (Headaches from high blood pressure, Burning or difficulty urinating, frequent urination at night, dark urine or blood in it, or unexplained swelling - feet, eyes, ankles). If you're not sure, get checked, there are free screenings (check kidney.org to find screenings in your area).

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Sunday, March 09, 2008
  Former Olympic Cyclist In To Deep

Tammy Thomas will be going to trial for lying to a Grand Jury about her steroid use. Check out her picture, seriously, I'll wait...Here's a little tip ladies, if you have to shave a full beard, you're doing too many steroids...Yes, folks, that's a five o'clock shadow she's sporting. She looks kinda like James May from "Top Gear"

I bet she sounds like Micheal Clarke Duncan or Micheal Dorn.

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Friday, March 07, 2008
  Hybrid Diesel

Way Back in 2005, I wrote about Biodiesel and I speculated that a Diesel Electric VW would get 61 mpg. Apparently I was wrong, I was off by 14%. VW's new prototype hybrid gets 69 miles to the gallon (Toyota's Prius gets 54 mpg in the same test). The price premium looks like it'll be around $5000 more versus a gas version. That's a tough nut to swallow, but it's a step in the right direction.
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
  Grand Central Button

Google purchased a company called GrandCentral and they are offering a free calling service. I'll be using it for customer service on the Cycling-videos.com site, but I also have a button to the right, which will allow people to leave audio comments. If it's funny, relevant, or otherwise of interest, I have the ability to post it to the blog for others to hear. Please keep in mind I need to figure out how to do that first, so bear with me if I don't do it right away.

The product is really useful, and as I was describing it to ABL she asked, "How much does it cost?" .Free. "How do they make money with it? (in homage to Prof. Fischer)"...Dunno.

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I've gone through kidney failure twice. The first time in 2000, my mother donated a kidney; and again in 2008, I'm on dialysis waiting for a breakthrough in immuno-suppression medicines before seeking a new kidney.

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Warning Signs for Kidney Disease:

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Burning or Difficulty when Urinating
  • Frequent Urination at Night
  • Blood in your urine
  • Cola or tea colored urine
  • Swellig of the eyes, ankles, or feet
  • Lower back pain unrelated to physical activity


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