The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I'm sadly stunned whenever I see a celebrity's name trending on Twitter and read posts by people wishing ill upon the individual. I've seen this with regard to musicians, movie stars, comedians, and especially politicians. Most recently, this happened with regard to staunch right-winger Charlie Kirk, who had been reportedly taken to the hospital due to back issues. His name started trending #1 on Twitter and the nasty comments followed. This is disgraceful to the highest level. I don't care how much one may despise another, you should never wish ill upon them. A person's health and well-being go above and beyond politics. It's about humanity. These individuals may be treated like works of fiction over the computer, but they're actual human beings, with friends and families who care about them. Everyone has the right to form an opinion and similarly, everyone has the right to disagree with another's opinion. But no matter how much you may disagree w...

While speaking with CNN's Jake Tapper, Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks said the following with regard to the House's latest healthcare bill: "My understanding is that (the new proposal) will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they're healthy, they've done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people--who've done things the right way--that are seeing their costs skyrocketing." While I'm tempted to simply go off on Mo Brooks right now, I'll try to keep my cool. Are the odds better for those who "lead good lives" to be healthy and not require as much healthcare as those who don't "lead good lives"? Sure. However, is it a guarantee? Absolutely not! I was born with epilepsy. What did I personally do to deserve being ...

Due to my co-host, Tracy Fort, fighting bronchitis and it worsening in recent days, we've decided to cancel today's show, which was regularly scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 pm EST. With her health being our main focal point at this time, it's difficult to determine when we'll air our next show. Hopefully she'll get to feeling better soon and we'll be able to air an episode before Labor Day weekend, but my gut is telling me that's quite unlikely. I'll be sure to update readers/listeners when I find out something new. In the meantime, you can listen to old episodes of ours at this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thetracyfortshow You can also follow us at these two sites: https://twitter.com/TracyFortShow https://www.facebook.com/TheTracyFortShow/ Lastly, if you want to continue hearing Tracy and I, you can donate money to our show/cause here: https://www.gofundme.com/TheTracyFortShow

It's hard for me to believe, but yesterday marked the 1-year anniversary of my friend Gary's passing. After being diagnosed with cancer, he was given 6 months to live, but battled it for over 7 years. It's been a rough year for me on the health front, but Gary continues to be an inspiration to me, as he's taught me, no matter how bleak things might seem today, so long as we're breathing, we can fight for a better tomorrow. Rest in peace, Gary. We miss you, bud.

I've had my share of laughs, pictures, WTF moments, and bonding experiences when drinking alcohol, but anymore, the adult beverage is just causing me problems and it's time to quit. I gave it up for 4 months earlier this year, in light of some rather unexpected major panic attacks. After my body adjusted to the medication, I started off slowly with the drinking, but just 3 months later, and I'm already feeling the negative effects: Gout, elevated anxiety, elevated blood pressure, elevated heart rate, fatigue, etc. While I could undergo a personal experiment and test how many drinks I can consume on a given night and how many consecutive nights I can drink without suffering such ill effects, I don't want to put my mind, heart, and rest of my body through that. So, I think it's just time to give it up. Some of my friends and family members seem to feel bad for me, but I don't see the reason why. Without alcohol, I'll sleep better, feel better, look better, and...

Just yesterday Senate Republicans rejected a bill to grant emergency funds to combat the Zika virus because they want to cut Obamacare funding in the process. No, I'm not kidding. Here's how Washington Democratic Senator Patty Murray and Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn discussed the matter: Murray: "There is no reason to keep it attached to the bill we're on and allow House Republicans to slow-walk it. And there's no reason that this funding can't be approved and signed into law next week, in time for summer and the peak of mosquito season." Cornyn: "Would the senator modify her request to include my language... which has the exact same funding levels... but includes a pay-for using the prevention fund in the Affordable Care Act?" That's right, ladies and gentlemen - according to Senate Republicans, in order to help prevent health problems courtesy of the Zika virus, we must increase health problems by cutting Obamacare funding. Du...

On December 26th of last year I suffered my first panic attack. Of all my health ordeals through the years, and there have been many, this was by far and away the scariest of the lot. My blood pressure shot up from 120/80 to 197/118. My heart-rate jumped from 90 beats per minute to 155. I started losing feeling in my arms and legs. It reached the point where I looked my mother in the eyes, told her I loved her, and goodbye, because I thought that was it. Fortunately that wasn't the case, but it's been a long four months back to recovery, and I'm still not fully there just yet. Between the numerous tests I underwent, the multiple medications to which I've been prescribed, and trying to make constant adjustments due to the medications and anxiety, it's been anything but an easy process. Due to ignorance on all parties' part, I was initially asked to refrain from consuming caffeine (including allergy pills) and alcohol. It was discovered fairly early that neither c...

About a month ago I let readers know I was going through some health issues, and due to that, would likely be limited in my writing capability, but that I would get back to it as soon as possible. Fast-forward a little over a month, and I'm still not fully well, but am showing some signs of improvement. I've gone in to see a nurse practitioner twice, as well as a cardiologist. The cardiologist, for the time being at least, doesn't think the matter is heart-related, so that's a good thing. The doctors, for the most part, appear to believe it's anxiety-related, so they've been guessing-and-checking with different medications and dosages. Outside of a couple weeks during the summer when I was suffering from foot pain, I hadn't been prescribed anything for 4-5 years, so my body definitely hasn't fully adjusted to the changes yet. It's been an incredibly bumpy, frustrating, and frightening process for my family and I, but I'm (we're all) greatly h...

Drinking alcohol is pretty common in my family, especially on my dad's side (around the holidays). When we all get together, it's just something we've always done. I have no idea how the tradition started, who started it, or anything of the sort. I just know when we all get together around the holidays, there are five constants: 1) Lots of food, 2) Alcohol, 3) Music, 4) Television, and 5) Laughter. I suppose after working X number of hours throughout the course of a week, month, year, it's nice to kick back, have a few drinks, and relax with the family around the holidays. However, given my recent health problems, I've decided to stop drinking, at least until my doctors and I get everything sorted. A similar thing occurred in 2009 and 2010 when I was ill. My doctors and I were uncertain of what was transpiring, so I decided to cut myself off from alcohol during that time (most of that time anyway). Once we finally started figuring out what was going on and my sympto...

As mentioned in recent posts, I've unfortunately had to battle some health issues in recent weeks, which landed me in a pair of hospitals on four separate occasions. For those who reside in the area, I thought I'd provide brief reviews of the two hospitals. Grady Memorial Hospital 561 W. Central Ave. Delaware, OH 43015 (740) 615-1000 https://www.ohiohealth.com/grady/ Experience Summary: This is the hospital closest to me, so from a convenience standpoint, this is my best option in case of a medical emergency. I was rushed there via an ambulance on December 26th and had to be driven there on January 10th and 12th. When I went here in 2011 for a gallbladder surgery, my experience was mostly positive. However, the three times I've needed help at this facility in the past few weeks has left a bad taste in my mouth. As I was rushed here on the 26th, I was enduring a serious panic attack - the first of my life. My pulse was between 150 and 155, my blood pressure was eleva...

I apologize to all my readers for my recent inactivity. Unfortunately, I've been battling some health problems of late, have been in and out of the hospital, and am just now finally starting to experience some signs of improvement. In any case, thanks for being patient with me and I'll try my hardest to get to feeling better and getting back into the full swing of writing before long. :: crosses fingers ::

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has come under recent scrutiny after Al Jazeera America aired a documentary,  The Dark Side , which insinuated the veteran quarterback may have taken HGH in 2011 when he was recovering from multiple neck surgeries. Investigative reporter Deborah Davies has since said the documentary never claimed to have proof the quarterback took HGH, only that HGH was delivered by Guyer Institute to Ashley Manning (Peyton's wife) in Florida on multiple occasions. My question is, even if Peyton Manning did take HGH while attempting to recover from injury, why should it matter? PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) have been bastardized in the sports world, and rightly so if athletes use them to gain an unfair advantage on their competition (on the field/court/etc.). However, why, if an athlete and his/her doctor feel HGH (or another PED) will help speed up the recovery from an injury, is it also looked down upon? It would have been one thing if Peyton ...

A little over a month ago, on August 24th, I posted this blog in reference to my friend, whom had just recently passed ((http://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2015/08/rip-my-friend.html): " It's very sad for me to report that I lost a friend over the weekend. As I'm sure is common amongst a majority of people, whenever someone I know passes on, I start reflecting on my own life and life in general. My friend, Gary, led quite a life. Having fun seemed to be easy for him throughout most of his 64 years, but then when he was diagnosed with cancer 7 years ago and given 6 months to live, he proved time and time again he was the ultimate fighter too. Throughout it all, he continued to live life on his terms, much to the dismay of his doctors, for if he was going to die, he was going to die with a smile on his face. While I probably wouldn't advise people with a similar condition to do this, my friend wasn't about following rules; he was about simultaneously...

As long-time readers will know, I've unfortunately had my share of health issues through my 34 years. It reached a point three years ago where, due to being unable to pay for my insurance for a month, I was dropped by the insurance company. I was then rejected by insurance companies due to preexisting conditions, and it wasn't until January 1st of 2014 when I was finally able to obtain health insurance again, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibiting insurance companies from rejecting those with preexisting conditions. Fortunately, I hadn't suffered any health setbacks for the past year and a half until just recently, when I sprained my right foot (the insanity beachbody workout is definitely insane). Due to this, I was forced to go to urgent care, tell a doctor about my predicament, get a prescription, and hope it wasn't very costly. While the copay did cost a few bucks, I was prescribed two medications, and it was 100% covered by my insurance. When informing...

Know anyone who always seems to expect the worst in just about any and every given situation? I have a feeling most everyone has at least one close friend or family member that's like this. Well, like most other people (I have to imagine), I know someone like this as well, and it just seems to get worse with age. It usually involves health worries, but can involve other areas of life as well. Here are just a few examples I've heard over the past couple of years: Me: "My right big toe hurts." Them: "I hope it's not gout." Me: "No, I think it was due to an intense workout yesterday." Me: "My right hand is sore today." Them: "I hope it's not carpal tunnel." Me: "No, I just think I slept on it funny." Me: "I think I strained a groin muscle the other day." Them: "Hernias run in your family, you know..." Me: "No, it's not that. I probably overdid it...

On The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore last night, he and his guests discussed a rather sensitive issue for a lot of people - obesity. The majority on the show seemed to believe that while obesity is often times disabling, it in and of itself is not technically a "disability." The majority also seemed to believe that what kinds of foods a person consumes is their choice and that it's wrong to discriminate against obese individuals. Writer and "fat-acceptance" defender, Marianne Kirby, appeared to be in the minority on a number of these topics. Ever since accepting herself as an "obese" woman, she's staunchly defended people like herself, in trying to garner more widespread acceptance of obese individuals. She seemed to scoff at the idea that diets or lifestyle changes ever work, seemed to ignore the common health risks associated with obesity, and even when asked by host Wilmore in his segment Keep It 100 if she'd want to switch places with a...

Missouri state Senate Majority Whip and man most targeted on dart boards by women - Brian Nieves - just recently got into another lovely abortion debate. After being provided examples of medical reasons why women may opt for an abortion in the third trimester (including heart failure, diabetes, renal disease, hypertension, and severe fetal deformities), Nieves responded by saying, "'Life of the Mother?' Your own argument proves it is a matter of convenience!" Yes, a third-trimester abortion due to health complications is obviously a matter of convenience. The most common such complication is what is called an ectopic pregnancy. Such pregnancies are life-threatening and occur between one in 40 to one in every 100 pregnancies. Again, such pregnancies are only matters of "convenience." It really boggles my mind how so many far-right Republican men pretend to know more about the female body than they or doctors do. What such individuals are implying is tha...

Unfortunately, as seems to so often be the case in my life, I've received another health scare. I was ill between late May of 2009 and the early portion of 2011 with symptoms that ranged from an overly drugged sensation in my head to weak and tingly arms and legs to extreme fatigue to a numb mouth and beyond. When the symptoms were at their most intense, which was most of 2009 and part of 2010, I was unable to drive, work out, get much work done, even walk some days. Well, yesterday morning, some of those symptoms made their presence felt again and while their initial intensity has subsided a bit, the sensations still haven't completely vanished from my system. Oddly enough, in conjunction with the subtle symptoms, I'm rather sore in multiple areas of the body, especially my ankles. The doctors never concluded on what happened to me during those 18+ months, so they decided the cause was a "strange virus." However, in feeling some of these same symptoms all over ag...

I honestly never saw myself becoming the person I am today, especially when it comes to how I'm now often times repulsed by others' poor eating and drinking habits. Perhaps it's largely due to the fact that I used have horrendous eating and drinking habits 5+ years ago. About 10 years ago, I drank a great quantity of soda. Following some cavities due to that great soda consumption, I switched to Gatorade and that wasn't much better. I also ate fast food on a very regular basis, wasn't coy about eating junk food, yet naively enough, I felt so long as I exercised regularly, I could help off-set all those calories and get into better shape as a result. My naivete was, of course, wrong. I was lucky to break even on the scale in a given week, and would often times add a pound or two. Nowadays, while my eating and drinking habits are by no means perfect, I've learned that one's diet is the most important ingredient to being healthy and staying in shape (or get...

Republicans already in or currently running for Congress certainly have made some interesting statements with regard to abortion in recent months. Missouri Senatorial candidate Todd Akin basically stated that he feels women's vaginas have magical powers and are able to block off sperm from a rapist to prevent pregnancy, negating any need for an abortion in the cases of rape. In Thursday night's debate with Democrat Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Representative Joe Walsh said the following with regard to abortion if the mother's health was in jeopardy: "With modern technology and science, you can't find one instance... There's no such exception as life of the mother. And as far as health of the mother, same thing, with advances in science and technology, health of the mother has become a tool for abortions anytime under any reason." Again, here is another man who is extremely ignorant when it comes to women's health and abortions. In the United States,...