Okay, it's not like having a root canal is my favorite thing to do. In this case, though, I had been in a lot of pain. The root canal was not that horrible and once the Novocain wore off, my mouth felt better than it had in weeks.
Although I've recommended Dr. Richard Bush in Burlington, MA, in the past, and I continue to heartily recommend him, I did go to another endodontist. My wonderful dentist, Dr. Valentina Pasquantonio, retired. She passed her practice along to Dr. Bridget Mackey, who continues to take great care of my teeth.
Dr. Mackey recommended Dr. Ayman Aboushala in Framingham, MA. He and his staff put me at ease and, although the procedure took a while - as it does - it went smoothly and painlessly. That evening and the next day, I forgot to take the ibuprofen that I'd been relying on for weeks!
So yes, I had yet another great root canal. If you find you need a root canal, don't worry. Just find a highly rated endodontist and you'll be just fine.
To your health,
Janet
Monday, June 15, 2015
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Devilish Indulgence or Health Food?
My son often says he wishes ice cream were healthy food. I agree. But I found something that's almost as good as ice cream and completely qualifies as health food!
What is this amazing and delicious discovery?
Fat-free Greek yogurt.
It's got a ton of protein, no fat, no sugar, and eating it is a lot like eating sour cream straight from the carton. This is very different from the yogurt you're used to, which makes for a nice, healthy dessert, but doesn't have nearly as much protein. This stuff has, if I remember correctly, 20 grams in one cup!
My son won't get much joy out of this, but I've gotten plenty. My biggest problem is that others seem to be catching on. I used to go to Trader Joe's and get three 16-ounce cartons at a time, then four because I was eating them so fast.
Lately when I got to Trader Joe's, they're all out. I'm told it comes in on Tuesday (hey, that's today, I should stop writing this and get over there!).
Anyway, this stuff can get pretty expensive, but I only like the cheap stuff, thank goodness. And it is the Trader Joe's brand, although TJ's does have the more established brands. Trader Joe's 0% fat Greek yogurt costs $3 a carton, while the other brands can cost up to twice as much.
Okay, do yourself a favor and enjoy this amazing treat; meanwhile, I've got to get over to TJ's and grab me five or six cartons. ;-)
Janet
P.S. Thanks to my naturopath, Dr. Janet Beaty, for recommending Greek yogurt to me, and for the tip about getting it at Trader Joe's. I never even knew Greek yogurt existed until she told me!
What is this amazing and delicious discovery?
Fat-free Greek yogurt.
It's got a ton of protein, no fat, no sugar, and eating it is a lot like eating sour cream straight from the carton. This is very different from the yogurt you're used to, which makes for a nice, healthy dessert, but doesn't have nearly as much protein. This stuff has, if I remember correctly, 20 grams in one cup!
My son won't get much joy out of this, but I've gotten plenty. My biggest problem is that others seem to be catching on. I used to go to Trader Joe's and get three 16-ounce cartons at a time, then four because I was eating them so fast.
Lately when I got to Trader Joe's, they're all out. I'm told it comes in on Tuesday (hey, that's today, I should stop writing this and get over there!).
Anyway, this stuff can get pretty expensive, but I only like the cheap stuff, thank goodness. And it is the Trader Joe's brand, although TJ's does have the more established brands. Trader Joe's 0% fat Greek yogurt costs $3 a carton, while the other brands can cost up to twice as much.
Okay, do yourself a favor and enjoy this amazing treat; meanwhile, I've got to get over to TJ's and grab me five or six cartons. ;-)
Janet
P.S. Thanks to my naturopath, Dr. Janet Beaty, for recommending Greek yogurt to me, and for the tip about getting it at Trader Joe's. I never even knew Greek yogurt existed until she told me!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Best Root Canal Ever
A couple of weeks ago I had my second root canal. The way people talk about them, you'd think they were sheer torture!
Lucky for me, when I had the consultation for my first root canal, almost two years ago, the endodontist, Dr. Richard Bush, assured me that it was a tedious procedure, taking about an hour and a half, but not very painful or scary.
He was right. So when my regular dentist, Dr. Valentina Pasquantonio, told me I needed yet another, I asked her if it would make sense to find someone cheaper, even though I really liked Dr. Bush.
Dr. P assured me that Dr. Bush just makes it look easy, and I'd do best to stick with him. I listened.
This second tooth was really sensitive, which scared me. Dr. Bush, who is as kindly and reassuring as Dr. Marcus Welby (if you're old enough to remember who he was), told me that the novacaine used for root canals was better than the one usually used.
Sure enough, the novacaine shots were the worst part. After that, I didn't feel a thing.
My wallet, on the other hand, was wincing with pain.
If you live in eastern Massachusetts and you need a root canal, I highly recommend Dr. Richard Bush of Middlesex Endodontics, which has offices in Burlington and Winchester, MA. I also recommend my regular dentist, Dr. Valentina Pasquantonio of West Concord.
If you're nowhere near Massachusetts and you need a root canal, please take comfort in the fact that a coward like me finds them more tedious than scary or painful.
To your health,
Janet
Lucky for me, when I had the consultation for my first root canal, almost two years ago, the endodontist, Dr. Richard Bush, assured me that it was a tedious procedure, taking about an hour and a half, but not very painful or scary.
He was right. So when my regular dentist, Dr. Valentina Pasquantonio, told me I needed yet another, I asked her if it would make sense to find someone cheaper, even though I really liked Dr. Bush.
Dr. P assured me that Dr. Bush just makes it look easy, and I'd do best to stick with him. I listened.
This second tooth was really sensitive, which scared me. Dr. Bush, who is as kindly and reassuring as Dr. Marcus Welby (if you're old enough to remember who he was), told me that the novacaine used for root canals was better than the one usually used.
Sure enough, the novacaine shots were the worst part. After that, I didn't feel a thing.
My wallet, on the other hand, was wincing with pain.
If you live in eastern Massachusetts and you need a root canal, I highly recommend Dr. Richard Bush of Middlesex Endodontics, which has offices in Burlington and Winchester, MA. I also recommend my regular dentist, Dr. Valentina Pasquantonio of West Concord.
If you're nowhere near Massachusetts and you need a root canal, please take comfort in the fact that a coward like me finds them more tedious than scary or painful.
To your health,
Janet
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Salmon and Alzheimers
This article made me feel better about the amount of money I spend on salmon (I buy it weekly because both my son and I love it and because I know it's so healthy).
http://chetday.com/fishalzheimers.htm
Yesterday I spent a whopping $11 a pound for wild Alaskan salmon, and that was the sale price! I was so glad to see it though. We usually only have farm-raised Atlantic salmon.
There's a good reason to prefer Alaskan salmon, and I used to know what it was, but I forgot (anyone who remembers, please post a comment!). I'm swamped with freelance work right now or I'd look it up.
This particular article is particularly meaningful to me because my mom has Alzheimer's. It stinks.
By the way, I found this article through an email newsletter I get from Chet Day. You'll get a chance to subscribe when you click on the link (in fact, your chance will pop up in your face, which I hate, but the article is worth that inconvenience).
I hope you find this article helpful.
Janet
Yesterday I spent a whopping $11 a pound for wild Alaskan salmon, and that was the sale price! I was so glad to see it though. We usually only have farm-raised Atlantic salmon.
There's a good reason to prefer Alaskan salmon, and I used to know what it was, but I forgot (anyone who remembers, please post a comment!). I'm swamped with freelance work right now or I'd look it up.
This particular article is particularly meaningful to me because my mom has Alzheimer's. It stinks.
By the way, I found this article through an email newsletter I get from Chet Day. You'll get a chance to subscribe when you click on the link (in fact, your chance will pop up in your face, which I hate, but the article is worth that inconvenience).
I hope you find this article helpful.
Janet
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Rosacea: Good Skin Care Products
I have rosacea. That's when your facial skin is reddish and easily irritated. My skin is reddish to the left and right of my nose, but not all the way to my cheeks. And I have broken capillaries.
I found a very useful forum that includes reviews of skin care products. As the result of these groups, I found two excellent, reasonably priced skin care products. One is a cleanser, the other a toner. While I love Clinique products, I found that the toner they recommended for me felt really drying. Now that I'm in my forties, I'm not willing to use that toner.
My new products:
Good Skin All Calm Creamy Cleanser
and
Good Skin All Calm Soothing Toner
I found the names a bit confusing, so here's a breakdown: Good Skin is the brand, and All Calm is that brand's line of products for red, irritated skin.
I've used them for at least a month by now, and I like them both. The toner doesn't feel dry, and my skin has only broken out when I've used other products with these products. When I only use these two products, my skin looks relatively good. The rosacea is still there, but it's not as prominent as it can be, and my skin doesn't break out.
You can only get these products at Kohl's Department Stores, either at the store or online. You can order them and/or find the stores closest to you at:
http://www.kohls.com
You can find reviews of lots more skin care products, along with other resources, at the Rosacea Group website:
http://rosaceagroup.org/
Hope this is helpful to some of you out there!
Janet
I found a very useful forum that includes reviews of skin care products. As the result of these groups, I found two excellent, reasonably priced skin care products. One is a cleanser, the other a toner. While I love Clinique products, I found that the toner they recommended for me felt really drying. Now that I'm in my forties, I'm not willing to use that toner.
My new products:
Good Skin All Calm Creamy Cleanser
and
Good Skin All Calm Soothing Toner
I found the names a bit confusing, so here's a breakdown: Good Skin is the brand, and All Calm is that brand's line of products for red, irritated skin.
I've used them for at least a month by now, and I like them both. The toner doesn't feel dry, and my skin has only broken out when I've used other products with these products. When I only use these two products, my skin looks relatively good. The rosacea is still there, but it's not as prominent as it can be, and my skin doesn't break out.
You can only get these products at Kohl's Department Stores, either at the store or online. You can order them and/or find the stores closest to you at:
http://www.kohls.com
You can find reviews of lots more skin care products, along with other resources, at the Rosacea Group website:
http://rosaceagroup.org/
Hope this is helpful to some of you out there!
Janet
Hypchlorhydria Update
Geez, it's a good thing I'm writing this blog. Or I wouldn't even know how long I've been dealing with this hypochlorhydria! It's May 1, and I haven't written in two months! Sorry about that.
Here's the update: I've been forgetting to take the pills. But Dr. Beaty says that's okay, it means they're working and I'm needing less of them.
My energy has been up and down. A lot of it has to do with the weather though.
I plan to get more conscientious about taking the pills though.
Or maybe I need to ask Dr. Beaty about my forgetfulness! ;-)
I'll keep you "posted" - literally! In fact, I'd better get more conscientious about this blog.
Next up: Skin care products for people with Rosacea
Here's the update: I've been forgetting to take the pills. But Dr. Beaty says that's okay, it means they're working and I'm needing less of them.
My energy has been up and down. A lot of it has to do with the weather though.
I plan to get more conscientious about taking the pills though.
Or maybe I need to ask Dr. Beaty about my forgetfulness! ;-)
I'll keep you "posted" - literally! In fact, I'd better get more conscientious about this blog.
Next up: Skin care products for people with Rosacea
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Diagnosis: Hypochlorhydria
Sorry for the long delay between posts. Being a single mom keeps me very busy!
Yes, I do have hypochlorhydria, and I find that when I remember to take my hydrochloric acid pills I feel better and have less gas.
I also learned that my fear of salt has been creating a health problem for me. Dr. Beaty, the naturopathic physician I've been seeing, suspected I had hypothyroidism. My main symptom was intolerance to cold. I took the blood test and was borderline.
She recommended that I first try adding iodized salt to my diet, as an iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism. I had been avoiding it as I had heard salt leaches calcium from the body. And "they" say we all get enough salt because there is so much in processed foods. But I've been avoiding processed foods.
Think all salt has iodine? Think again. Be sure to use some salt if you're not eating salted foods. And be sure that the label states that the salt contains iodine.
That means some of us natural food fans may want to get some good old-fashioned Morton's.
Nutrition sure is confusing.
Anything you want me to write about on this blog? Let me know by posting a comment.
Namaste,
Janet
Yes, I do have hypochlorhydria, and I find that when I remember to take my hydrochloric acid pills I feel better and have less gas.
I also learned that my fear of salt has been creating a health problem for me. Dr. Beaty, the naturopathic physician I've been seeing, suspected I had hypothyroidism. My main symptom was intolerance to cold. I took the blood test and was borderline.
She recommended that I first try adding iodized salt to my diet, as an iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism. I had been avoiding it as I had heard salt leaches calcium from the body. And "they" say we all get enough salt because there is so much in processed foods. But I've been avoiding processed foods.
Think all salt has iodine? Think again. Be sure to use some salt if you're not eating salted foods. And be sure that the label states that the salt contains iodine.
That means some of us natural food fans may want to get some good old-fashioned Morton's.
Nutrition sure is confusing.
Anything you want me to write about on this blog? Let me know by posting a comment.
Namaste,
Janet
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