Taking a Sick Day

The other day, I did some stretching and reaching that resulted in severe pain.  I had blood in my urine and stool which scared me.  So I took a day off today and already the kidney seems to be fine and the other source has less blood.  By this Monday, if it is not totally gone, I will make an appointment at the Women's Clinic. This has never happened and I feel fine otherwise.

I know what the problem is.  I forgot how old I am.  I was thinking, at least unconsciously, that I was still a young person who could do something a bit outrageous physically and then recover quickly.  I am in my late 60's and I should have had more sense.

I enjoyed the day sitting in bed and even drinking tea on a tray. I made some soup on the stove and ate it in bed on a bed tray.  I like to pretend there is someone who is doing all of this for me.  

I was told yesterday at the senior center that there is a study that shows there is arsenic in the rice supply.  I looked it up and it is true.  I also looked up the diseases arsenic causes. I found out that my Britta table top filtering system is rated 'D' in comparison to other filtering systems. I won't be buying those filters again.

The World Health Organization of the United Nations stated: 'Drinking water rich in arsenic over a long period leads to arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis. Many waters contain some arsenic and excessive concentrations are known to naturally occur in some areas. The health effects are generally delayed and the most effective preventive measure is supply of drinking water low in arsenic concentration." Otherwise, stop drinking arsenic flavored water.  That is not always possible. 

I am including the quality of water because rice is grown in heavy amounts of water.  I began to see that it wasn't so much of a crisis of the safety of rice but of water in itself.

Diseases suspected to be caused or aggravated by Arsenic in drinking water by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Arsenic Rule Benefit Analysis, August 9, 2001

Lung cancer
Bladder cancer
Skin cancer
Prostate cancer
Kidney cancer
Nasal cancer
Liver cancer
Stillbirths
Postneonatal mortality
Ischemic heart disease (heart attack)
Diabetes mellitus
Nephritis (chronic inflammation of the kidneys)
Nephrosis (degenerative kidney diseases)
Hypertension
Hypertensive heart disease
Emphysema
Bronchitis
Chronic airway obstruction
Lymphoma (tumors in the lymph)
Black-foot disease
Developmental deficits

Arsenic is also suspected to contribute to various other cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological, peripheral vascular and endocrine diseases but as with the above symptoms, the epidemiological study of diseases caused by Arsenic poisoning is only in its infancy.
According to a news report April 19, 2001, a team of EPA scientists at EPA's Office of Research and Development laboratory in North Carolina have discovered a possible, direct link to DNA damage caused by arsenic compounds. The research demonstrates a human cell's own metabolic responses to arsenic exposure produce compounds that cause genetic damage.
A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has greatly underestimated the cancer risks of arsenic in drinking water, according to EPA officials, WaterTech online, 12 September 2001
Dr Azad of Hokkaido University in Japan has made the following classification of diseases caused by Arsenic in Bangladesh:
Initial Stage

Melanosis
Keratosis
Conjunctivitis
Bronchitis
Gastroenteritis

Second Stage Depigmentation

Hyperkeratosis
Non-pitting edema of legs
Peripheral nephropathy
Hepatopathy

Final stage Nephropathy

Hepatopathy
Gangrene
Cancer of skin, bladder and lung

(In Bangladesh, the majority of patients are still at initial and second stages according to Dr Azad.)
Dr Azad also mentions the following additional conditions caused by Arsenic in drinking water, as reported from other countries.

Bowen's disease
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Enlargement of liver
Jaundice
Cirrhosis
Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension
Hearing loss
Acrocyanosis
Raynaud's Phenomenon
Megablastosis
Goiter

All of the above data is from the website "The Arsenic Challenge" http://www.sustainablefuture.se/arsenic/diseases.html

I also found out that the area that I was raised in Southern California is one of the worst arsenic areas in the world.  I thought all of the really strong arsenic poisoning areas were in Third World Countries.   No wonder I have trouble with cancers over the years. Many of the governmental bodies as well as the United Nations all say that arsenic poison in the drinking water is a serious problem in many countries including the United States.

I did not have to watch any horror movies off Netflix while I was spending the day in  bed which is ironic since today is Stephen King's birthday.  The news was enough to cause straight horror and it was all true.  I spent some time sending copies of what I was finding out about water to Facebook and Twitter.

Well, I did find out that the water supply in Portland, Oregon is fine.  They will be adding fluoride soon which is another issue again.   Not all counties put the results of their water analysis on line.  Grants Pass, Oregon does not so who knows what is happening there. 

I am hoping I can get out of bed tomorrow and take out the trash.  I did not want to lift anything and carry it up the stairs today.  I also spent some time reading some murder mysteries.  I threw one in my give away book pile because it was so unbelievable, but if I had seen the issue of arsenic in rice and water in a murder mystery would I have discarded the book as too unbelievable?  Perhaps.