Josh Rogers was the one that got me into grappling. He was a judoka (Judo practitioner) who started cross training into Gracie Jiu Jitsu when the early UFC tournaments made the art popular. He knew that I had only practiced striking based arts (karate and kung-fu) and was very intimidated at the thought of being pinned down.
Josh was the one who got me to move to Mesa, Arizona after I'd gotten my first DUI here and amassed a few thousand in tickets in that time span. I moved in with him and his wife, Stacie, and got a job as a corporate prison guard while I straightened everything out up here.
Josh and I had a ton of memorable adventures that we'd went on. Over the years, we've both changed and developed in various ways. We have horribly different political views and religious ideas. We've grown apart over the years and then worked out way back together for a time. Both of us making bad decisions and trying to figure out what to do next.
Now I find out that Josh was in the Hospital tonight by a mutual friend from the past. Sarah told me via Facebook that Josh had stage IV cancer in this throat. The surgeon had pulled what seemed to be a cyst out of Josh's neck that was about the size of a fist.
Stage IV means the cancer has spread. This is where we can expect the good or bad news. If it had went into the lungs, he could die according to his wife Stacie. If it turns out that it's just in his tongue and tonsils, he should be okay after radiation.
I'll be going back to Riverbend to see him to see if I can get any updated news.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
MRSA identified
The culture came back positive for MRSA. This changes some of the game plan. What I know now is that it will mean a longer hospital stay, return I.V. antibiotic sessions after I'm released, and possibly being more susceptible to future infections.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Went to the hospital
Saturday afternoon I noticed a large pimple on the outside of my elbow. I ask Noriko to pop it and use rubbing alcohol on it.
Tuesday Morning: Went to Whitbird medical center and was diagnosed with Staph infection. I was given an oral antibiotic to take and a culture was taken to make sure it wasn't MRSA.
*My previous blog entry covers the what happened up until my hospital admittance.
Wednesday afternoon: I went to see "the Next Three Days" since I was feeling too tired to be productive. By the time I finished the movie, I was getting light headed and dizzy. I stopped at my Grandparents' house on my way home.
Either the pain from the swelling in my arm caused endorphins to kick in or the fever was making me disoriented. My Grandparents ended up taking me to the emergency room.
She called my brother, John, who's a CNA there. He stayed after his shift and sat with me for several hours during my evaluation. He arranged for me to be admitted to his department so he'd know the nurses and doctors who were taking care of me. Then he came in on both of his days off and spent a couple of hours visiting with me.
Thursday morning, I took an MRI to see if I had an abscess; which would require surgery to drain. While in the machine, I experienced a lot of pain. I waited as long as I possibly could so as not to be a nuisance. I finally spoke up when I couldn't stand the pain any longer.
After they wheeled me back to my room in a wheel chair, I got nauseated from the pain and went to the bathroom while the nurse went to get me pain medication. I just started to black out and lost motor function of my entire body. My knees kept giving out and I stumbled and fell with my infected arm against the wall a few times before melting to the floor with my cheek pressed against the cold tile. I had literally passed out from the pain for the first time in my life.
When the nurse returned and found me on the floor, she called for help. It took three female nurses to get me up, change my sweat drenched hospital gown for a dry one and returned me to bed.
I had recovered after a few minutes, but the feeling of helplessness stayed with me. It reminded me of when I was fighting MMA and got knocked out. I could still hear and some of my brain function continued to work, but my sight and motor function just shut off completely. When I came out of unconsciousness, I could hear my cornermen talking to me from above, I could think enough to know that I had been knocked out, but I couldn't see or move.
That's not a good experience.
Tuesday Morning: Went to Whitbird medical center and was diagnosed with Staph infection. I was given an oral antibiotic to take and a culture was taken to make sure it wasn't MRSA.
*My previous blog entry covers the what happened up until my hospital admittance.
Wednesday afternoon: I went to see "the Next Three Days" since I was feeling too tired to be productive. By the time I finished the movie, I was getting light headed and dizzy. I stopped at my Grandparents' house on my way home.
Either the pain from the swelling in my arm caused endorphins to kick in or the fever was making me disoriented. My Grandparents ended up taking me to the emergency room.
She called my brother, John, who's a CNA there. He stayed after his shift and sat with me for several hours during my evaluation. He arranged for me to be admitted to his department so he'd know the nurses and doctors who were taking care of me. Then he came in on both of his days off and spent a couple of hours visiting with me.
Thursday morning, I took an MRI to see if I had an abscess; which would require surgery to drain. While in the machine, I experienced a lot of pain. I waited as long as I possibly could so as not to be a nuisance. I finally spoke up when I couldn't stand the pain any longer.
After they wheeled me back to my room in a wheel chair, I got nauseated from the pain and went to the bathroom while the nurse went to get me pain medication. I just started to black out and lost motor function of my entire body. My knees kept giving out and I stumbled and fell with my infected arm against the wall a few times before melting to the floor with my cheek pressed against the cold tile. I had literally passed out from the pain for the first time in my life.
When the nurse returned and found me on the floor, she called for help. It took three female nurses to get me up, change my sweat drenched hospital gown for a dry one and returned me to bed.
I had recovered after a few minutes, but the feeling of helplessness stayed with me. It reminded me of when I was fighting MMA and got knocked out. I could still hear and some of my brain function continued to work, but my sight and motor function just shut off completely. When I came out of unconsciousness, I could hear my cornermen talking to me from above, I could think enough to know that I had been knocked out, but I couldn't see or move.
That's not a good experience.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Seeming elbow sprain turns out to be Staph infection
An editorial written by blog author James Anderson
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| Photo doesn't capture the bright pink color and tautness of skin stretched over the swelling. |
By 11 a.m., competition class began warming up. After attempting a couple of sets of somersaults, it became clear to me that it just wasn't going to happen today. I decided to sit this one out, take some ibuprofen, and return for evening shift.
In the meantime, my elbow continued to swell and turn red. It felt hot to the touch. Noriko pointed out a large pimple-looking item in the middle of the swelling. I had her pop it and out came pus and blood. After hearing stories from a classmate about a staph infection that he'd had, I decided to have this checked out.
I went to Whitebird clinic on Mill and waited for several hours in pain before they saw me. The doctor disinfected the area and unwrapped a brand new sterile syringe and told me she was going to "do some digging around to make sure it was an infection."
Good lord!! I started sweating and got light headed as she prodded and poked. She took a couple of cotton swab samples for lab to make sure it wasn't the antibiotic-resistant MRSA strain of Staph. She gave me an antiobiotic to take twice a day and I thanked her.
As the day progressed, the swelling and pain progressed. I don't know if it was the natural occurrence of the infection, or if the prodding and poking exposed some rotting nerve endings. My arm stayed limp at my side like it was in an invisible sling. I felt so vulnerable as I went to my ADHD support meeting on UO campus. I was so aware of anyone within touching distance of me and their ability to hurt me beyond my ability to stop them. I knew at that moment, that any of them could take my wallet and I couldn't stop them. I'd never felt like that before.
I would have killed for a couple of stray Vicodin left over on a dusty medicine cabinet shelf at this point. Since we'd moved recently, we'd cleaned out and discarded all but the necessities. I took four ibuprofen and lay down in bed, hoping for sleep, but too wired from the pain to sleep.
Over the years, I've had my nose fractured in MMA bouts, have had my jaw fractured by a group of men and left for an ambulance to take me to an emergency room, have had a jagged aquarium rock pierce the arch of my foot and sever the tendon. I think this was more painful than all of those. For some reason, the usual endorphins didn't kick in, easing me into a hazy shock.
Since I plan to compete in the Revolution Tournament in Tacoma, and the Pan Ams later in March, I really can't afford to take any more time off than I absolutely have to. I might try and see if I can work some cardio or do some squats then the pain subsides.
Do I regret getting a staph infection? Sure! Will it prevent me from training? Not a chance. When you take on a sport or a life style, you take on the good and bad. The fulfillment and health that I've gained overall since I gotten back into a training lifestyle far outweighs the draw backs that come with that lifestyle.
I'll be back as soon as my body lets me, and I'll remember this pain so I can experience gratitude for my future health.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Grandma turns 80
Grandma turned 80 Friday. Noriko and I met Johnny and the girls at the grandparents' house Saturday afternoon to celebrate. The girls had tied up some balloons, and Noriko and I brought ice cream cake and a Papa Murphy's pizza. After dinner, we lit some candles and sang "Happy Birthday" to Grandma before she blew them out.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Attended a Las Vegas Show: Rat Pack Show
Sun 12/26/10
For Christmas, Yuichi bought us all tickets to see a Vegas show. We had a really good time. I learned about the Rat Pack, an entertainment group from the 50's and 60's that included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Sammy Davis Jr. among others.
Rat Pack according to Wikipedia
Rat Pack according to Wikipedia
Thursday, December 30, 2010
True Grit
Mon 12/27/10
Took my friend, Stephen, to dinner at one of his favorite joints for sushi rolls and then went to see a movie for his birthday. The old geezer turned 37 that day. He's about 2 months older than I am.
imdb site: True Grit
promotional site: http://www.truegritmovie.com/
I didn't see the original with John Wayne, but I really enjoyed this one. Some good action, colorful characters and humor in strategic spots.
Took my friend, Stephen, to dinner at one of his favorite joints for sushi rolls and then went to see a movie for his birthday. The old geezer turned 37 that day. He's about 2 months older than I am.
imdb site: True Grit
promotional site: http://www.truegritmovie.com/
I didn't see the original with John Wayne, but I really enjoyed this one. Some good action, colorful characters and humor in strategic spots.
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| Courtesy- truegritmovie.com |
Annual Holiday Sushi Feast
12/29/10
Okasan, Yuichi, Noriko and I went to the International Marketplace in Las Vegas to buy the ingredients for the Sushi Dinner that Okasan makes every year when I come to visit.
He said he liked the flavor better than other types of crab and knew how to prepare them.
Behind the crab bin, you can see several sashimi quality cuts of Sakana (fish).
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Fresh fish is flown in to Las Vegas and delivered to the many Asian restaurants.    Sashimi is Okasan and my favorite food. Once a year, when I visit, she makes a feast and we eat until we've had our fill. After dinner, I took out the camera and tripod for a Holiday family photo.   |
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Bachi Burger
Sunday, 12/26/10
Bob told me about his sons opening up a gourmet burger restaurant in Las Vegas, NV. I planned on checking it out during my visit here.
The restaurant was decorated with trendy photos of Japan, shoji screens and track lighting, which gave it a really classy ambience. I had the Green and Black burger, sweet potato fries, truffle fries, garlic edamame, and crab cake burger. All were delicious!
The burger had some kind of sweet teriyaki sauce on it and was covered with a sweet Hawaiian bun. Blue cheese, mushrooms and lettuce topped the medium grilled pattie.
I really recommend this place if you're in Vegas.
for more info, visit bachiburger.com
Bob told me about his sons opening up a gourmet burger restaurant in Las Vegas, NV. I planned on checking it out during my visit here.
The restaurant was decorated with trendy photos of Japan, shoji screens and track lighting, which gave it a really classy ambience. I had the Green and Black burger, sweet potato fries, truffle fries, garlic edamame, and crab cake burger. All were delicious!
The burger had some kind of sweet teriyaki sauce on it and was covered with a sweet Hawaiian bun. Blue cheese, mushrooms and lettuce topped the medium grilled pattie.
I really recommend this place if you're in Vegas.
for more info, visit bachiburger.com
Holiday 2010: My parents' neighbors are kichigai (crazy)
These neighbors of Jeff and Okasan's are pretty hen desu (strange). Okasan thinks they are about in their mid 60's to 70 years old. The husband is employed as some kind of armed security guard.
One night, their American flag was ripped from their flagpole (presumably by a strong gust of wind), past my parents' house and onto the roof of the house on the far side. Okasan is convinced that their neighbors believe that the Lundell household had something to do with it, because ever since that night, the two give looks of poison if my mother or step dad try to say, "hello" to them.
Jeff told me about a time when he was walking Matsugoro (their poodlish mongrel) outside and had to pass within a few feet of the neighbor lady. Jeff gave an obligatory, "hello". She seized the opportunity to give a dramatic sneer, turned the opposite direction and walked away. Jeff did a pretty convincing reenactment of the exchange for Noriko and I.
Another time, Jeff found some dog poop that had been thrown onto his driveway. He insisted that Matsugoro (who is only outside when supervised and then taken back inside after business) might have went unchi too close to the neighbor's rock yard, even though it was well within his own property lines. The neighbors wanted to make a point.
In front of our houses, the far side of the street does not permit parking- it's housing community rules. So we all park on the closest side of the street to Jeff and Okasan's house... just not in front of the neighbors' house. Okasan has us and our guests move our vehicles any time someone is parked in the street in front of the evil neighbors' house.
The other day, someone parked their car on the roadside in front of the lava rock lawn while visiting someone up the road. My step dad walked out and saw that a note was placed under their windshield wiper. He couldn't help himself. He went up and read it, and came back to the house shaking his head with a look of exasperation on his face.
Now Okasan, Yuichi and I all had to know what the note said. We all put on our shoes and enthusiastically approached the car and took turns reading the note.
I really wanted to take a photo of the note, but my parents forbade me in the interest of keeping peace.
To paraphrase, here's the gist of what it said:
"To the owners of this car,
You are very rude and inconsiderate to park in front of a lawn that we worked so hard to decorate for Christmas. I hope Jesus forgives your stupidity."
I'm serious. They pulled to Jesus card.
Okasan joked that we should write a note that said, "But Buddha says it's legal to park here," and post it on the neighbor's door.
One of the house occupants must have seen us reading their note and laughing about it, because when we looked several minutes later, the car was still parked there, but the note was gone.
One night, their American flag was ripped from their flagpole (presumably by a strong gust of wind), past my parents' house and onto the roof of the house on the far side. Okasan is convinced that their neighbors believe that the Lundell household had something to do with it, because ever since that night, the two give looks of poison if my mother or step dad try to say, "hello" to them.
Jeff told me about a time when he was walking Matsugoro (their poodlish mongrel) outside and had to pass within a few feet of the neighbor lady. Jeff gave an obligatory, "hello". She seized the opportunity to give a dramatic sneer, turned the opposite direction and walked away. Jeff did a pretty convincing reenactment of the exchange for Noriko and I.
Another time, Jeff found some dog poop that had been thrown onto his driveway. He insisted that Matsugoro (who is only outside when supervised and then taken back inside after business) might have went unchi too close to the neighbor's rock yard, even though it was well within his own property lines. The neighbors wanted to make a point.
In front of our houses, the far side of the street does not permit parking- it's housing community rules. So we all park on the closest side of the street to Jeff and Okasan's house... just not in front of the neighbors' house. Okasan has us and our guests move our vehicles any time someone is parked in the street in front of the evil neighbors' house.
The other day, someone parked their car on the roadside in front of the lava rock lawn while visiting someone up the road. My step dad walked out and saw that a note was placed under their windshield wiper. He couldn't help himself. He went up and read it, and came back to the house shaking his head with a look of exasperation on his face.
Now Okasan, Yuichi and I all had to know what the note said. We all put on our shoes and enthusiastically approached the car and took turns reading the note.
I really wanted to take a photo of the note, but my parents forbade me in the interest of keeping peace.
To paraphrase, here's the gist of what it said:
"To the owners of this car,
You are very rude and inconsiderate to park in front of a lawn that we worked so hard to decorate for Christmas. I hope Jesus forgives your stupidity."
I'm serious. They pulled to Jesus card.
Okasan joked that we should write a note that said, "But Buddha says it's legal to park here," and post it on the neighbor's door.
One of the house occupants must have seen us reading their note and laughing about it, because when we looked several minutes later, the car was still parked there, but the note was gone.
2010 Holidays: Noriko and I head to Henderson, NV
This year, we threw all of our traveling needs into a bag the morning of the drive and hit I-5 at Noon. I drove all the way down the Interstate into California by Sacramento before turning East towards Nevada. I made the I made the trip in 17 hours this year, beating my last year's drive by 3 hours. By the time we reached the Lundell residence at 4:30 a.m., Jeff Sr. was up for the day- barely.
I tapped on the window on the side of the house for the room that he was in. I didn't get around to the front door when Jeff opened it and saw Noriko standing on his front steps, bags hanging from shoulder straps and an apologetic expression on her face. Jeff had his own expression, I'd heard later; one of sleepy and bleary eyed shock. You see, we originally planned on showing up there a day later.
Although Noriko was able to catch a cat nap or two on the drive down, I'd been awake for about 24 straight hours, driving for 17. We had to have a nap for a few hours.
When we got up, Jeff and Yuichi took us out to see "Buffalo Bills" casino on the border of Nevada and California.
The casino had a Wild Western theme, combining images of settlers running from brown bears or rattle snakes and the bright lights from the food franchises and slot machines.
I tapped on the window on the side of the house for the room that he was in. I didn't get around to the front door when Jeff opened it and saw Noriko standing on his front steps, bags hanging from shoulder straps and an apologetic expression on her face. Jeff had his own expression, I'd heard later; one of sleepy and bleary eyed shock. You see, we originally planned on showing up there a day later.
Although Noriko was able to catch a cat nap or two on the drive down, I'd been awake for about 24 straight hours, driving for 17. We had to have a nap for a few hours.
When we got up, Jeff and Yuichi took us out to see "Buffalo Bills" casino on the border of Nevada and California.The casino had a Wild Western theme, combining images of settlers running from brown bears or rattle snakes and the bright lights from the food franchises and slot machines.
There was a canal with water that went through it through the "Mining" area indoors. Patrons were able to take rides for $6 in what looked like little log boats.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
2010 Holidays: Brother brings news from Texas
Hideki flew up to Portland to spend a couple of weeks with the Anderson family with his wife and 18 month old daughter. Tom, Jenny and Sada stayed with the grandparents during their stay. Johnny stayed over several nights with his daughters, Amaya and Kalina, as well.
It was really good to spend some time with them. Sada was very active and curious. She terrorized the dogs, Bo and Masa just a little bit. Tom shared news that Jenny is expecting a second child. I hope her health is good.
We had met at Papa's Pizza on Main St. in Springfield for our "traditional Anderson Pizza" dinner. Our fun cousin, Brandon met us there with his kids, Gabby and Tyee. My friends Bob and Rosa came by to meet my family for a few minutes.
It was really good to spend some time with them. Sada was very active and curious. She terrorized the dogs, Bo and Masa just a little bit. Tom shared news that Jenny is expecting a second child. I hope her health is good.
We had met at Papa's Pizza on Main St. in Springfield for our "traditional Anderson Pizza" dinner. Our fun cousin, Brandon met us there with his kids, Gabby and Tyee. My friends Bob and Rosa came by to meet my family for a few minutes.
Brandon went in the kid's area to pick up Tyee and Gabby.
Later, Johnny, Hideki, Jenny and Sada went attending the 2010 JAA Mochi Tsuki with Noriko and I.
I love attending the Japanese American Association events and spending time with my friends at the events. I helped Misa Joo, Bob and Rosa and Mike set up the event.
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