Celebratory lunch

Chili’s Classic Ribeye

Lunch was steak! Testing my allergy to beef. And also because I need to increase my dietary protein. 10oz of grilled ribeye. Replaced the loaded mashed potatoes with another serving of broccoli. Potatoes are high in potassium and bad for kidney disease.

This lunch is also in part because of the outcome of my scheduled medical check up this morning. Blood test results showed improvement. Hb and serum iron is within range. Micera is now reduced to 50mcg every 6 weeks from every 4 weeks; Calcitriol every two days from daily.

I’ve been hypotensive lately probably due to dehydration related to peritoneal dialysis. Amlodipine to control my hypertension is stopped. I’m allowed to drink up to 2,000 ml water daily to counter that. Besides, I’m still producing a good amount of urine and my uf is averaging 800ml.

I’m thankful for small mercies like this. Going to enjoy the moment because I know it will not last.

Back to nature with JORD wood watches

Disclosure: The item was sent to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

The first watch I had was a hand-me-down from my mother. I had just jumped into my teenage years. The original leather strap was replaced with a shorter one to fit my smaller wrist. Notwithstanding the fact that it was clearly styled for the feminine gender, I wore it proudly to school every day.

It had to be manually wound every day to keep it running. My mother took pains to remind me that I should not overwind lest I damage the spring inside. I spoiled it after three months anyway from the mistake my mother had cautioned me about.

Over the years, my parents gave me watches as rewards for doing well in my studies. From manual and automatic to digital, I had a drawerful of them. I even won a plastic watch from a writing competition. The awful green casing, strap and all meant that it seldom saw the light of day.

The most practical watch I ever owned was a digital watch that I bought with my first paycheque. It came with a host of functions like timer and stopwatch, and water resistant to 100 meters which was very useful as I was into athletics, swimming and other outdoor recreational activities.

I lead a sedentary lifestyle now. A chronograph is of little use to me. I just need a basic wristwatch for telling the time, preferably with a simple uncluttered face. For that matter, I do not even need one with day-date. The pain of having to adjust it at the beginning of every month is unappealing.

In the recent months, advertisements of watches fashioned from wood have appeared constantly in the websites I visited. I love all things wood with distinct grains and I thought it would be wonderful to be sporting one of those on my wrist. And what do you know, I received an email from JORD, the maker of wood watches, enquiring if I would be interested in introducing their watches in this blog which I agreed.

The parcel took fifteen days to arrive via USPS First Class International from the time my order was processed. The box that held the watch was packed with bubble wrap inside a larger carton. There was no way it could be damaged by mishandling in the process through the respective postal services.

Wood watch JORD Fieldcrest
JORD Fieldcrest Series Black handcrafted wood watch.

It was love at first sight. I had selected the JORD Fieldcrest Series Black for the dark stained casing and strap which gave it a rustic look. The black watch face with vivid wood grain contrasted well with the stainless steel hands and hour ticks. The glass face is hardened and scratch-proof.

There are two other models in this series – Natural Green and Maple. Black and Natural Green are made from sandalwood while Maple, as its namesake implies, is made from maple. Whatever the wood option, one can be assured that each unique time piece is handcrafted from natural wood.

Although JORD watches are splash proof, they should not be submerged in water. One has to be mindful of this especially in our tropical climate and not get caught in the rain wearing one. Should they get wet, JORD advises that the watches be allowed two days to dry. Other than that, the wood watch is the perfect accessory for all occasions, elegant enough for formal events and a great talking piece for casual functions.

Wood, being inherently porous, is prone to dirt and oil. The FAQ at the JORD website says that it can be cleaned by mixing two tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice respectively and applied on the wood with brisk strokes using a soft cotton cloth. It is also recommended to apply a natural coating such as beeswax, lip balm or walnut oil regularly to improve the durability of the wood and help maintain moisture balance.

These one of a kind watches are made from a variety of natural woods such as sandalwood, maple, teak and bamboo. They can be shipped all over the world with additional shipping charges for orders outside of the United States. Click on the image below to browse the entire arrange of JORD wood watches. Who knows? You may find one or even more designs or wood options that you like.


Blood Test for September 2013

Although the gradual increase of my serum creatinine was expected, seeing it hit an all time high of 331 umol/L left me shell shocked for a moment as the nephrologist reviewed the results with me. It was quite a significant jump from 304 umol/L in June. The rate at which it increased with each quarterly test is worrisome. Dialysis was not necessary at that level but the doctors wanted me to be prepared and has encouraged me to go for an orientation to get familiarised with the procedures.

The test for parathyroid hormone, which blood as not extracted for the test before this, was above the normal range. Among the many causes of hyperparathyroidism is chronic kidney disease. Because of that and due to hypocalceamia, calcium carbonate was added to my usual prescription. At the direction my health is going, I shudder at the thought of my next blood test results and what other extra treatments I may require.

Renal and liver  function tests and lipid profile for September 2013
Renal and liver function test and lipid profile for September 2013.