The Power of Crystals?

For most, maybe all of my life I have experienced vivid, in colour, horrible, terrifying nightmares. Many times over the years, Teena has had to wake me up when I begin making strange sounds, yelling or screaming in the night. Now, this doesn't mean I'm scared to go to bed at night. Quite the contrary as I really love curling under out nice warm blankets, where I fall to sleep almost immediately. 

It's around 2 or 3 when the horror begins. Me falling. Me trapped on the narrowest of ledges. (I am terrified of heights) Me being chased by a killer. Me being cornered by a killer and about to die. Also many about experiencing nuclear explosions or the end of the world, although it's been a few years since I've experienced any of those.

So, this year when the Yoga Show came to Toronto I ventured down with the goal about learning about crystals and how they might help stop or limit these from me waking up terrified or in a cold sweat. I will say it seemed most of the vendors seemed more interested in selling large, mounted, pretty stones than departing any knowledge they had of them.

I found one booth, though, where the woman really knew everything about them and I could tell was a believer in their power. It was Resha, the owner of Zen Rox. Not only did she have the usual collection of large mounted crystals, she also had some trays of smaller ones which would fit in you hand. When I explained my issues she was quick to show me the two above. Black Tourmaline and Pyrite.

Black Tourmaline

The premier stone of protection, Black Tourmaline is a grounding, protecting and calming stone. It not only absorbs negative energy but deflects it away. You can use it to reduce the frequency of nightmares and ease anxiety.

It clears away energy blockages while reducing the absorption of electromagnetic radiation from electronics leaving you a feeling safe, protected and well rested.

Pyrite

Not only is Pyrite an eye catching showpiece, but a strong protector, energizer of it's surroundings and an exceptional defensive shield against negative energies 

Resha explained how she and her daughter keeps them by her bedside. They also take a minute before climbing into bed to one one in each hand for a minute and they both sleep well. So, that's what I now do. I sit on the side of the bed and take 9 long, deep breaths while holding a crystal in each hand. Why 9? Because 3 always seems in history to be a magic number, so I take 3 sets of 3 deep breaths. Then I set them on the nightstand beside the bed and go to sleep.

I always try to keep an open mind on things. There is so much we don't understand about so much. The universe is full of secrets and perhaps, some of them are understood by a few. Not scientifically proven? Is it all nonsense? 

I can only say that after a week of using them, I have not had one single dream I would even consider to be bad. For me, that's a record. Am I experiencing a placebo effect? Perhaps, but I don't care. It appears to be working and it's my hope these two stones will continue to allow me nights full of peaceful slumber.  

  

My New Tattoos

A year ago on April 20, 2018, I had a liver transplant at Toronto General Hospital, which saved my life. I'll always be grateful to the person and family from whom I received that gift. I wanted to commemorate the surgeons and fabulous staff who has been looking after me so I decide to get a tattoo.

I wanted it on my arm where it can be seen so if people ask I can tell them my short story and give them the website to register.

After checking out so many tattoo artists in my area, I decided on Lorena at Black Line Studio. It was a great choice.

Born during the Communist regime in Havana City, Cuba, Lorena found herself through the love for art. Since at a young age, Lorena liked to paint and draw. At the age of 19 she graduated from the Elemental Visual Art Institute in Jose Antonio with a diploma in Fine Arts. She worked at Main Experimental Graphics Studio in Havana for 1 year doing Printmaking and Woodcut Artwork.After moving to Toronto, Canada, Lorena kept up with her studies and graduated from OCAD and from The Toronto School of Art with yet another Fine Art Diplomas.

In 2009, she got involved in the Tattoo Industry and since then she has collaborated/worked with many world wide renown different artists and Studios in Canada, Mexico, Cuba and other countries. She enjoys tattooing in many different styles including: black and gray, bold/old school traditional style, realism, watercolour and neotraditonal.

Her style is distinctive, formal and characteristic to the different periods of her life, the countries that she has visited and all the fantastic artists that she had a pleasure to be working with.

The original art work.

The finished product.

We had a great dog, KC who passed away many years ago. Our vet took her paw print which I always wanted a tattoo of so I had that done too.

Lorena not only did a great job but was fun and interesting to talk with. She also does black and grey, many different styles and is very experienced in cover-ups. I have more to get done and will certainly be back to see her again.

I'll post pictures again when it heals.

Communicating With My Donor's Family

Writer Sarah Breathnach wrote “Life is not made up of minutes ... but of moments” and today I experienced a very special one.

In April of this year, I underwent a liver transplant at Toronto General Hospital through the University Hospital Network (UHN). It was an experience which I have already written about. 203 days later, I’m doing very well.

After I was called into the hospital for my transplant, Teena and I were in the lounge area waiting for somebody to come in and let us know what would be happening. I will always remember the gravity of that talk. The colours, smells and raw emotions remain vivid in my mind.

My surgeon came in and explained how my donor had just been removed from life support. Once they passed, the liver would be delivered to the hospital and I would head to the operating room. That’s when we both fully comprehended the reality of what was taking place at that moment.

While we sat waiting for a liver for me, somebody’s family was at a bedside waiting for a person they loved to pass. My hope became mixed with a crushing sorrow.

Part of the recovery process, if one wishes to, is to write a letter to the family of the donor. The letter cannot impart any details of who you are, man or woman, or age. I wanted to do this but waited months before doing so as I needed time to heal.

That letter was the hardest thing I've ever written. In not being able to give any details, I had to find a way to make it personal. I needed them to know I really understood what they went through for me to receive that gift. Their emotions. Their pain. Their loss.

I described my thankfulness for the person being so giving at the end. Then I related my own story of watching my father lose a fight with cancer at the young age of 47, when I was just 17, and how he still lives within me. I promised to look after that gift I received as a result of their loss. It was very hard to write correctly in order to convey my feelings and emotions. I could only hope that it all came through when they read it.

Today I received a reply from them. I am only allowed to send one letter. They too can only reply once and with no details of the deceased. Reading that letter for the first time was a moment in my life I'll never forget.

It was beautifully written. My God, was it ever. Not only did I feel that my words had meaning for them but it was wonderful to know the person they loved remains a part of them and they were able to move on. It would be improper for me to quote any of it as it’s a personal connection between us but their words are now a part of me.

I don’t know anything of the person I received the liver from but I think of them and their family often. Only beautiful people could write such a beautiful letter. I thank them for their words. I thank them for their deeds.

Please sign up to be a donor. Your choice, one day, could save up to 8 lives.

Caffeine Comparison, Diet Coke, Coke, Keurig Pods, PC Nitro, Station Cold Brew Coffees & Tea

The other night I had a Station Cold Brew Coffee around six o'clock in the evening. Usually, I can have a coffee or tea after supper and have no issue sleeping. That night I laid in bed until about 1 AM.

My wife, Teena, has always warned me about having a Diet Coke late at night saying that I won't be able to sleep. It has never affected me.

I started to wonder what the caffeine difference is between the different style coffee's, tea and cola's, so I decided to do some research.

Diet Coke contains 46 mgs of caffeine, which is interesting, as regular Coke has only 34. I thought it would be the other way around.

Keurig coffee pods have around 2 tablespoons in each pod and has between 100 to 140 mgs of caffeine per brew. The extra bold coffee pods are filled with 2.6 tablespoons of coffee, so would work out to between 130 to 180 mgs per pod.

The caffeine content of tea, and I really enjoy a nice Earl Grey, depends on the amount of time it steeps. Twinings Earl Grey contains 19 mgs for a 1 minute steep, 22 for 3 minutes and 25 for a full 5 minutes. I had always heard that tea contains the same amount of caffeine as coffee, but apparently not. Tea has a lot less. The link shows various tea styles and makes and the caffeine content for each.

Now, here is why I couldn't sleep the other night. According to the nutritional information of the cans, PC Cold Brew contains 215 mgs of caffeine. Station Cold Brew has 225 mgs. Both are perfect for an afternoon, especially a hot one, but not for the evening.

So for me, it's regular coffee in the morning, a cold brew in the afternoon and a nice cup of tea after supper.

I do love my coffee!

Why I Eat Dark Chocolate Every Day

Once upon a time, not too long ago, not only did I not have a sweet tooth, but I could care less if I had chocolate or not. Teena would buy chocolate and put it in the freezer knowing it was all hers, to have a piece of here and there, whenever she felt like it.

After I had my operation, that all changed. Suddenly I had a sweet tooth. Suddenly I loved chocolate. Suddenly her chocolate was no longer safe in the freezer.

Soon I found myself with a bit of an addiction to chocolate-covered M&Ms. Small bags no longer lasted and finally we went a bought a big one. I would fill a shot glass with them to munch on one at a time.

I was on a high dose of Prednisone, a medication I was on until this week. One side effect it has is that it causes food cravings and hunger. As I was weaned off the medication, my cravings lessened. Now a small portion of M&Ms remains in the bag and sits mostly untouched in the freezer. They don't call to me anymore the way they once did.

But I haven't stopped eating chocolate everyday and I do it for healthy reasons.

Healthy?


The chocolate used in chocolate bars, M&Ms,etc. is made with milk chocolate and added sugar. In fact,there is almost 9 grams of sugar, over 2 teaspoons, in 20 M&Ms.

Dark chocolate is different and I eat it for a reason.

My blood tests show that I am low on iron and magnesium, two things a body requires. As well as taking supplements, I researched foods high in both. I found dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) to be high on the list.

On the right is the nutritional information for Lindt dark chocolate. The top one is for dark chocolate, with 85% cacao and the bottom is for the 70%. I have 3 squares of the 85% each day.

The 85% contains 25% of a person's recommended daily allowance of iron. What is not shown is that it also contains 25% of your magnesium requirement. This drops to 10% of the RDA for iron and 15% for magnesium in the 70% bar. Also, there is much more sugar, 9 grams, in the 70% compared to 4 grams in the 85%. Keep in mind that 4 grams equals 1 teaspoon.

I have always enjoyed foods and drinks that have a bit of bitterness to them. The 85% has that slight enjoyable bitter bite but one that is not overpowering like bakers chocolate.

The 4 grams of fibre is good news, plus there is no trans fat. 170 calories can put some people off but there is so much junk out there that has more calories and little benefit.

So after every meal, instead of dumping down a bunch of M&Ms, I have a square of chocolate. Tasty and better for me.

Now, to get myself off of the nighttime munching. Hey! One issue at a time!

An Inside, Personal Look at Toronto General Hospital's Transplant Program

Yesterday I went for a 4,500 step walk with Teena down by Lake Ontario. I know this doesn't sound like much of a hike except for the fact that 30 days before, during the night of April 20, I was on the receiving end of a liver transplant.

I have always made sure that my driver's license and health card showed that I was registered as a donor. Never did I expect that I would be the one who would need a transplant from another.

Canadians are lucky. We have access to the busiest transplant hospital in North America and one of the most famous in the world. In 2017, the UHN program performed 639 adult transplants compared to 607 at the UCLA Medical Center and the University of California San Francisco Medical Center which completed 601. It should be noted for the purposes of this article that 195 of the transplants at Toronto General Hospital were liver transplants

Last year it was discovered that I had cancer in my liver. Princess Margaret Hospital took care of that. Originally I was told that the procedure, called a TACE, would halt and shrink the tumor but would not kill it.  It could be contained, though until I received a new liver.  However, it turned out that the cancer was indeed wiped out. The liver was weakened by the cancer and the likelihood of it returning was great so I was placed on the transplant list.

While waiting for my turn to come, I met with many doctors, surgeons and social workers at Toronto General  who all made sure that I was physically and mentally ready for the operation. My turn came up on April 20 and at 10pm I was wheeled into the operating room for my six hour operation. Let's just say that the day after my operation wasn't the best I have ever felt but, hey, it's like that for anyone that has gone through any type of major surgery.

The ward is divided into post-op stages, the first one being right after surgery in acute care where I was constantly monitored. I wasn't in there long, maybe overnight (that part is hazy) before being moved to the next unit and a less intensive level of care and designed to get me moving. My first feat of strength? Being helped out of bed and into a chair beside it to sit for an hour. The next day, though, the physical therapist had me heading down the halls for a lap with a walker. The day after, a lap or two without a walker and then I graduated to my last unit.

I spent three nights there, resting, climbing stairs with my physiotherapist, walking and being constantly looked after with medications, blood tests, small procedures and training.

Training for what? How to detect organ rejection. Surprisingly it's not IF it happens but how to recognize it when it happens. It could be in a few weeks, few months, few years, decades, but definitely will  occur.

My medications drive up my sugar levels so currently I am diabetic and had to learn how to inject myself and go through a diabetic program. I may or may not have to continue with my daily shots when one of my meds is cut off. I'm hoping I don't need it.

Every transplant recipient has an aftercare transplant co-coordinator and transplant doctor. The program has a call system that I had to learn about where I can leave messages that are answered the same day, or they can contact me though it for any followup, medication change or questions they may have. It's wonderfully efficient.

Six days after my operation, on Friday April 27th, I was sent home with Teena. Everyday has been a challenge but everyday too, Teena and I see an improvement.  My thanks go out to everyone who has been involved and helped me through all of this. Especially the nurses. I was so well looked after!

I know people had to suffer through a loss of a loved one for this to happen. That plays on my mind and every day I am thankful for their kindness and generosity.

There is still a long way to go to recovery but it seems to get a little faster every day. After all, 30 days ago I would have never dreamed that I would be going for a walk along the lake. Now I'm starting to look forward to so much more.

REGISTER TO BE A DONOR    

2 Yoga Hand Mudras

Many times in yoga, usually when sitting cross legged or when doing Savasana,  a relaxing pose that is much like a wide awake nap (I have drifted off during it) we are told to touch our forefinger and thumb together and keep the others loose. I always wondered the reason for this.

This is called a mudra and for this move it's know as the Guyana or Chin Mudra. Mudra means "seal" in sanskrit and is used to channel a body's energy flow. According to Yoga Journal.com in this mudra the index finger represents individual consciousness and the thumb represents universal consciousness. The index finger represents the limited perspective of self and the thumb is the expanded perspective of Self. When the two join, the limited self is connected to the spacious Universal Self.

This mudra creates a more receptive state and also calms the mind. It also helps to get rid of "dull energy" and brightens a persons mood. I have met many cranky people who could use this.

Placing your hands together is known as the Anjali Mudra. The hands are placed together and held in the heart area honor and is used to express love, gratitude and the respect you have shown yourself and the universe.

It all may sound airy fairy but I use these daily in my affirmations and visualizations and must say, they do help.

The Yoga and Wellness Show

Today I went to the Yoga and Wellness Show at the Enercare building on the CNE grounds. I have done yoga from time to time and find it very helpful. I've been meaning to do it more often. Also, I am trying to live a more healthy lifestyle so figured this show might be for me.

The Yoga & Wellness Show features all vendors big and small who have something to contribute to the show in various health conscious categories including yoga studios, gym memberships, healthy nutrition, naturopathy, spiritual well being, food sampling, clothing and jewellery, motivational speaking, meditative arts, aromatherapy, all the shopping you could ask for and so much more!
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Yoga Show goers are encouraged to bring a mat, (or buy one at the show!) and throw your mat down in the Zen Zone to participate in free yoga classes. Hatha, vinyasa, acro, and maybe even a dance or two. All yoga levels are welcome!

In the first aisle was Succuterra. I am a fan of cactus. They take absolutely no work and thrive on neglect. Just the type of plant I need.

See the ones in the back of the picture below. They are lythops, also know as living rocks. I have been looking for these for years.

These are the two that called out to me to bring them home, which I did. I likely will be ordering some more online too.

There were a lot of booths so I'm only going to show those I had an interest in such as Bounce who make health food snacks. The ones I tried were tasty.

The folks at nuPasta made up pesto pasta with their pasta. It was delicious so I bought three different ones.

I sampled some health drinks from Avazera.

Almost, yes, I almost, oh I came so very close to buying a hat from In the Ville.

This fit so perfectly and looked great on me. It was all the willpower I could muster not to buy it.

Pure Leaf Ice Tea were giving out samples. I have bought them many times in the past.

Passport to Prana had an interesting concept. For $30, a person gets one free class per studio, per year at all participating yoga studios in your city.

The schedule for the Zen Zone for free yoga and meditation sessions.

I received some free samples from Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods to eat as a snack or sprinkle on my oatmeal, plus there were already sample from them in the goody bag I received at the door.

The orange drink from BioSteel was tasty.

I finished my day with a 30 minute Thai massage from King Thai Massage. When I watched them work on others, I could not pass that up. It felt fantastic and worked out all my kinks. I was quite sad when it was over.

I enjoyed the show and would not hesitate to go back again next year.

Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers Market

Today I was at the Dufferin Mall and when I came out, I found that across the street was the Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers Market.

It runs from 3pm to 7pm every Thursday year round. I was hoping to find some excellent cheese but that seemed to be the one thing they did not have. Here are some shots of the produce available today.

Not only can you buy vegetables but there are a half dozen or more organic food vendors if you are hungry. If you're in the area, it's a market worth checking out.