A distinction should be made between complex and simple carbohydrates. Eating a whole grain is not the same as eating white flour or white rice.

Daniel, I will email you a diet that my Mom's Dr. put her on, plus some info from my nutritionist.

Self-stomped, on basis that Daniel must have seen this post or the e-mail by now.

Quick request for ~ma: My sweet SIL is having tests today to rule out brain/bone cancer.

A request for health-ma for my Uncle Dale, whose skin cancer recurred last year. His experimental treatments are no longer working, and this last round of chemo is not having any impact on the tumors, either.

Also, be careful when you go out into the sun, and have any unusual moles checked ASAP. Thanks!

Hey LAistas, I promised my friend, W, I'd ask you guys on the off-chance there was info to be mined or connections to be utilized...

Anybody know of any reasonable(ish) housing opportunities (for 1 adult male) in or near the San Fernando Valley area (preferably near the 101)?

Thanks for your consideration. Profile addy's good.

Hi - just writing to say I've arrived at home, in one piece (though that's only being achieved with duct tape.) Will catch up when have more time and energy. And please, get the message out that I didn't intend to scare David Fury, it's just that my social niceties tend toward the creepifying variety.

A request for some patented Buffista health-ma (and lots of it) directed toward my young cousin (12 yrs.) in No. Va. who just had a tumor removed from her clavicle. There is no information on whether it's benign or malignant, and we won't hear until Friday at the earliest. They also did a truckload of additional tests for a range of other bone problems, varying in severity and treatability. She's home now, and all reports are that she's doing well. Her parents and grandparents, on the other hand ... well, you can imagine the stress, worry, abject fear, etc. For that matter, her little brother broke his arm last week as all of this was unfolding, so he could use some good vibes, too. Please generate much positive ma and aim it toward them all. Much appreciated.

Just to let everyone know that there will be no deathmatches for the next two weeks, as I will be away.

I am home! Very tired and thousands of messages behind, so it will be a few days of skimming before you hear much from me.

I have lots of pictures and stories to share, but not tonight. The many Buffistas that I shared this birthday trip with were beyond gracious and accomodating. Thank you all so very much.

Just as a tease, might I just say that the trip was both shiny and adventurous.

Well, shit.

I went through a battery of tests related to pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) this morning. The baby is still in very good health, and I'm not in terrible shape YET, but I now have to go into the clinic twice a week for evaluation, and they only want me to work one more week after this, or at most, two. I'd planned to work through the end of March. Now they're just hoping that with rest and medication they can keep my bp low enough that I can safely carry the baby to the early end of full term--I'm 37 weeks on March 20, and they might want to induce as early as then.

The house is not ready. My office is not ready. I don't so much as know how to change a diaper, and our "baby boot camp" classes don't start until March 23. We're going to have to swallow our pride and get people to help us set up the house, which is a big thing, because we're sloppy anyway, and under the energy drain effect of pregnancy our house has descended to squalor levels in spots, and I'm afraid if any of our friends see it, they won't want to be our friends anymore, because we're such pigs. And I'm scared for my sake and the baby's. I know 37 weeks is full-term, and that even if she were born today she's mature enough that she should develop normally and have a sound mind and body to take her through life. Which is what I want. But I wanted her to go to 39 or 40 weeks and be fully cooked, as it were. I feel like I'm going to be having a half-baked baby.

So, healthma appreciated, and focusma for figuring out what MUST be done and doing it.