scott d. feldstein

So I went to the doctor again today to inquire why, two and a half weeks after finishing all the medication prescribed for my pneumonia, I’m still coughing non-stop and waking up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. Yes, the fever is gone, but this is ridiculous. They said: here, try these allergy medications, come back in a month for another x-ray, and maybe we’ll refer you to a specialist if things aren’t better by then.

I don’t know what to think. I know I’m angry and frustrated and miserable. I haven’t felt healthy in three months. Three doctor visits, five medications, and one chest x-ray later, all I have is some claritin and an invitation to come back in four weeks.

I’m convinced they don’t have a clue what the issue is.

I’m a big dope. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is how not to handle an illness.

Back in the middle of July, the week of the 8th, to be exact, I went out of town on business. I had an unremarkable stay in Duluth, Minnesota, but I did notice one thing: when I returned I brought with me a cough.

Oh, well. I caught a cold or something. No biggie. Soon I felt better (and in truth I hadn’t felt that bad to begin with ), but the cough persisted. But that happens sometimes. You kick a cold but that nasty cough lingers.

I felt pretty okay. But still the cough was there. Pretty soon I was saying to people “you know, i think I’ve had this cough for a month!” In fact, I’d actually been to a doctor around this time for some other issues. You know how it is, though, when you go to the doctor: you have a prioritized list of concerns. The cough? Probably number 2 or 3. Certainly not number one. I was told to get some decongestant. So I did.

I coughed through another month, believe it or not. Then two weeks ago I started having shortness of breath. I ignored it. Another week passed. It occurred to me that I was probably short of breath because I was under a lot of stress. I even mentioned it to some people. It’ll pass, I said. No worries.

And it did pass. The shortness of breath, not the cough.

Then yesterday on the way home from a photo job I realized that I was extremely tired. I mean I’d been on my feet for several hours, but I was way more tired than that. Plus I felt warm. I knew I was getting sick.

I stopped at the pharmacy to get some more decongestant. Then I went home and decided to go to bed. At 8:30 p.m.

Within an hour I was up, shivering and vomiting. I managed to get back to sleep after a while and I slept until 8:30 a.m. Then I got up and vomited some more.

I’m really sick! I said to myself. I should take tomorrow off and maybe go see a doctor. I told my sweetheart this plan over the phone. I don’t think she was impressed with it, because soon she was here hustling me into her minivan and taking me to a health clinic.

Guess what they said? I have pneumonia. So they hooked me up with some antibiotics and some cough medicine to take at night.

This is where I’d sum the whole story up into some neat little lesson about attending ones own health, or about how wonderful it is to have someone look after you when you don’t. But the truth is, I’m sitting here, shivering, coughing and trying not to hurl. So you’ll have to go without such a closing.

Wish me luck in my recovery.

Speaking of martial arts heroes, check out Mr. Bob Kunkel. He’s a disabled (?) combat veteran who helps today’s wounded vets improve their lives through jiu jitsu. CNN has a short video on him and his work at Walter Reed hospital. If you liked that one, apparently they have another video, too.

(Why does CNNs web site suck so bad? Have they never seen youtube.com?)

“White belts block. Black belts get out of the way.” – Overheard in the locker room of J. K. Lee Black Belt Academy

It was an observation about sparring, meaning that the more experienced practitioner is better at simply not being there when his or her opponent tries to land a punch or a kick. But I think it applies in a more general way, too. Steering away from conflict before it becomes violent is usually the wisest course.

Does this have relevance for blogging and online communities? In the many heated political debates I have been involved in I have seen tempers flare, insults hurled, and – rarely – even threats made. But if you engage in these debates and you are threatened by someone, does it make sense to continue? Maybe it’s wiser to avoid these kinds of conflicts by simply not being there.

You’re probably aware that forty-some-odd million people in America do not have health insurance at any given point in time. You’re probably aware that the cost of health care is astronomical here compared to other countries. (We pay about double what they pay.) But you’re also probably aware – because you’ve been told – that people in these other countries have to endure long waiting lists for medical care, and that for all the problems in our current system Americans would never stand for that kind of thing. Right?

Wrong.

Okay, guys, ‘fess up. Who does it?

My philosophy is that I don’t want to get strange looks in the locker room, but neither do I want to disrobe in front of a woman and have it be like “WELCOME TO THE JUNLGE BABY!” So I periodically use an electric clippers to closely trim everything.

Shut up! Lots of guys do it.

Don’t they?

This book is for men who shave without enjoyment or who are just learning to shave. It describes a method of shaving that turns a daily chore into a pleasurable ritual. It’s a beginners guide to wetshaving: how to shave with a safety razor…

Much of what constitutes Michael Ham’s new book, Leisureguy’s guide to Gourmet Shaving, is not new to web-surfing wetshaving enthusiasts; some of the material can be gleaned from his own blog, some from various forums such as badgerandblade.com, but it is handy and pleasant to see all of this wisdom and advice in one place.

Here you can find thoughtful insights as to why we are seeing a renaissance of traditional shaving techniques. You can also find detailed information about razors, brushes, shaving creams and other products. If you think maybe you’re ready to put down that Mach Turbo Nitro Nuclear five-bladed monstrosity whose cartridges cost a mint to replace, if you are intrigued by the idea of a truly enjoyable shave – or if you know someone who is – get this book. It’s a great place to start.

Imagine a magic button that would make it so that no woman ever became pregnant except when she explicitly wished to – even if she had an active sex life. Would you push it?

Busy though I am, I’m still taking the crew to see Spiderman 3 tonight. While I’m doing that, here’s some real spiderman stuff to think about!

Interesting article at Slate about what to do if confronted with “a gun-weilding madman.” Me, I advise cooperating completely – with two exceptions. The first and most obvious exception is if you believe the gunman is about to shoot you. In that case you have nothing to lose, so go for it: attack, attack, attack. Grab the gun and point it anywhere but at you. Make him think about his own safety instead of attacking you. Unless you’re very lucky, you’ll get shot, but what the heck; you were going to get shot anyway.

What’s the second exception? Anyone want to guess it?