Some of What Happened in Vegas is Now on my Blog

Whether it is for a long weekend or a two week vacation packing my suitcase is never easy and I'm  usually left with many questions running through my head. Did I bring too much clothing? Did I bring enough clothing? Did I bring too many shoe choices? If I leave that one pair of shoes at home because they take up a lot of room in my suitcase will I be annoyed if I can't wear them with that one outfit that I packed that I may or may not wear? If I buy anything during my trip will my suitcase even zip up when it is time to return home? March 2013: While packing for Vegas my main concern was trying to figure out the best way to bring 4 days worth of my antibiotics and supplements with me in my carry on along with Lyme disease friendly snacks and breakfast food that I had pre-prepared. It really was a miracle that I left DC with clothing in my suitcase at all; Lyme disease really has changed everything. One of the most popular questions I was asked by people after mentioning that I was going to Vegas was: Are you going to have trouble making it through security will all of your pills at the airport? I am glad to report that I didn’t have any issue boarding the plane with my traveling pharmacy. 

What are you going to eat in Vegas with all of your diet restrictions? What is Peepshow? Are you even going to have fun in Vegas if you can’t drink? These were the other popular questions I was peppered with upon announcing my plans to travel with a couple of friends to Vegas. While we didn’t kidnap Mike Tyson’s tiger we did manage to have a blast.

“Do you know if the hotel is pager friendly?” I asked to Marisa and Rachael as we walked into Caesars Palace. They both turned around with looks of confusion on their faces. Marisa replied “I didn’t know people still used pagers” at the same time as Rachael said “I didn’t know you had a pager”. That is when I realized that I was in Las Vegas with two people who had never seen the movie “The Hangover”. And then just for the hell of it I asked “This isn’t the real Caesars Palace, is it”?

Paris Las Vegas vs. Paris France 

The next best thing to traveling to Paris, France is to travel to Paris, Las Vegas. What’s not to love? Paris is known as the city of light. Vegas has a lot of lights. Paris has the famous Eiffel Tower that everyone loves to go to the top of to get a view of the city. So does Vegas. Arc de Triomphe... yep, you guessed it, Vegas has one too. Paris is a fashion hub. No need to look any further than the casino in Paris Las Vegas to see the high fashion that are the cocktail waitresses walking around with everything hanging out; no matter their age. There is a red light district in Paris. I believe all of Las Vegas is a red light district. Do you like Crepes? Every step you take within the Paris casino, you are guaranteed to run into a crepe. There are beautiful fountains in Paris. Directly across the street from the casino in Vegas is the beautiful dancing fountain at the Bellagio. I don't believe the fountains in France have water shows every hour set to music. I could go on and on with the comparisons; suffice it to say Paris Las Vegas was an excellent place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Las Vegas in the future. 

Tacos El Gordo

The morning after we landed in Vegas my swollen elbow (mentioned in my last post) was even more swollen and had become bruised over night. While this did concern me, I wasn't about to let it stop me from enjoying tacos for lunch.  A co-worker of mine suggested that we go to Tacos El Gordo while we were in Vegas. She is well aware of my dietary restrictions but I was so enthusiastic while telling her about my plans to take a mini vacation from my food restrictions while traveling, she thought it necessary to send me to this awesome hole in the wall taco joint in a strip mall on Las Vegas Blvd. It was pouring down rain and we were wet when we ran into the restaurant. Actually, Marisa and Rachael ran. I sauntered into the restaurant behind them because running is not an option with all of my current joint and muscular issues. The pork spinning around on a vertical rotisserie immediately caught my eye and I ordered pork tacos;  they were amazing. I guess now would be a good time to mention that back in September of 2012 I decided to eliminate all animal protein from my diet. After two months of being a processed sugar, night shade vegetable and gluten free vegan I decided that every once in awhile I was going to eat fish and eggs. It makes perfect sense that I ordered pork tacos, right? Before I continue on I just want to make one thing clear: Tacos El Gordo makes some bad-ass tacos. If you find yourself on Las Vegas Blvd wanting tacos, I suggest you go there. You will not be disappointed.

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort 

Luxurious. Beautiful chandeliers. Tiles so clean you could see your reflection in them. Gigantic reclining chairs. Bright lights. Flowers as far as the eye could see. Welcome to the bathroom of the Encore Casino. Talk about a spacious bathroom stall, I think it was bigger than our hotel room. 

After we finished our tacos the rain had stopped, but it was a gray and windy day. We decided some touring of the casinos was in order. A mere twenty minutes into the tour I had to make a break for the bathroom. Adios pork tacos! The tour resumed and ten minutes later I found myself in another bathroom at the Wynn. Let me tell you, Steve Wynn likes the fancy bathrooms. In both of his casinos the bathrooms were so spotless, I didn't even feel the need to hover over the toilets while using them; total opposite of all of my New Jersey Turnpike pit stop experiences.

Outside of the bathrooms, Wynn and Encore are two incredibly beautiful and spotless casinos. The decor, the flowers, and the atmosphere are like no other casino you will find on or off the strip in Las Vegas. We found out, while talking to an employee of a bar at Encore, that all of the flower arrangements throughout both casinos are real and are constantly being replaced when they start to show signs of wilting. There is no smoking allowed in either establishment which is a welcome change from breathing in the stale air from the other casinos along the strip.

PEEPSHOW

As fans of "Ice Loves Coco", a reality show that follows around Ice T and his wife Coco, we decided a trip to Vegas was in order when we found out that Coco would be starring for a limited amount of time in "Peepshow" at the Planet Hollywood Showroom. During Las Vegas' only striptease spectacular nursery rhymes get a naughty twist. The show features sexy strip tease and over-the-top production elements, making it one sultry spectacular you won't want to miss - with a review like that you can't help but wonder what exactly you are going to see when the curtain goes up. The show turned out to be very entertaining. The cast was great. They sang, they danced and they shook what their mommas gave them (even the men). Audience participation was relied upon for some good laughs during the show and the wide range of people in the Planet Hollywood Showroom made for some fun reactions to watch throughout the show. Coco was fantastic and she looked like she was thoroughly enjoying every moment that she was on stage. No, her breasts are not real. And yes, she is really topless during the show. And yes, her booty really looks as curvy as it does in all of her pictures. I think that covers all of the questions I received about Coco and her assets upon returning home. 

While researching the show I had come across information regarding meet and greets with Coco. For an extra fee we found ourselves waiting in line after the show with champagne in hand (my lucky friends got to drink mine) waiting to meet her. And meet her we did. Along with Ice T who happened to be in town for the weekend and their dogs Spartacus and Maximus. Coco had individual conversations with everyone who was waiting to meet her. She hugged us, complimented all three of us on our outfits, posed for pictures and signed some photos. She couldn't have been any nicer if she had tried. Ice T was also very friendly and got roped into the photos as well. 


After rubbing elbows with Ice and Coco we decided to hit the club in Planet Hollywood, and that is where we met the guy pictured on the right. Wow. What a way to end the night. Or should I say start the morning? No, your eyes are not deceiving you. His t-shirt says "Orgasm Donor". He was out with a handful of friends for his bachelor party. His underwear said "I love to Fart". I know this because he was wearing them over his pants. He also had a chicken drinking a beer perched on his head. One of his friends kept telling us how patient his fiance was. 

Mechanical Bulls

Late one night we were walking along the pedestrian bridge that runs between the Excalibur Hotel and the New York-New York Hotel and Casino when we were stopped by a man with an interesting proposition. One minute we were looking at the Statue of Liberty and the next minute this guy was trying to lure us into a limo which he claimed was going to take us to Larry Flynt's house where we would be able to watch a very raunchy male review which involved nudity and we would also get the chance to ride a mechanical bull shaped like a penis. This amazing night at Larry Flynt's house did not appeal to any of us, so we declined. But for a good hour afterwards all I could keep thinking to myself was "Why didn't he just say a mechanical penis. Why waste words saying a mechanical bull shaped like a penis"?

One night while sitting inside the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) bar we learned about the phenomena known as bare-ass bull riding. No I didn't mean to say bareback riding, I meant bare-ass. During the two hours we were sitting at the bar many drunk ladies hoisted themselves up on the bull in their short skirts/dresses while wearing thongs and attempted to break the mechanical bull riding record at the bar. Occasionally we would turn around to witness the madness because the drunk people sitting next to us were loudly commenting on the outfits (or lack thereof) and also rating the looks of everyone who got on the bull. One lady in a short white dress hopped on and as the bull started to thrash about I looked over at Rachael and said "Uh... did I just see what I thought I just saw"? and before Rachael could answer me the lady next to me said "O.M.G.... I just saw that girls shaved cooter". There you have it folks! One girl did dare to bare it all on the mechanical bull at the PBR Bar.

Gambling

I like my money in my wallet until I decide to spend it. That being said, one cannot help but partake in gambling while in Vegas. I set aside $20 for gambling. HIGH ROLLER. Before we left for our trip our friend Rob told us that we had to play red 23 on the roulette table. One night as Rachael was throwing some chips down at the roulette table I said "Don't forget red 23". She threw down one more chip, and Red 23 was the winner. An easy $100 was won, and Rob got a whole bunch of messages at an ungodly hour in the morning telling him about how powerful his psychic abilities at the roulette table were. The next day I won $100 playing black 13, and I immediately purchased a new pair of shoes. Success at the roulette table should always be rewarded!

In Summary

The next time you head to Vegas I suggest staying at Paris Las Vegas. You cannot beat the location and it truly is a beautiful hotel. If you are looking for amazing tacos while touring around town, go to Tacos El Gordo. Wynn and Encore are must see casinos. Check them out, and be sure to spend some quality time in the bathrooms. Go see Peepshow. Coco is performing through Sept 1, 2013. It is an entertaining show, Coco rocks and you should take advantage of the meet and greet after the show. Be sure to spend any money that you win gambling immediately so you won't have an opportunity to lose it while trying to win more money. Last but not least please wear long pants while riding the mechanical bulls around town; while they don't look really mean, they are definitely not clean.

Alka-Seltzer to the Rescue?

March 4 2013: I woke up with a sinus infection and said to myself in a rather annoyed tone “how the hell does somebody who is taking seven antibiotics at a time get a sinus infection”? It turns out that less than ten percent of sinus infections are bacterial. There is no simple test that will easily and quickly determine whether a sinus infection is viral or bacterial, so many physicians prescribe antibiotics on the off chance that their patient may have a bacterial sinus infection that the antibiotics can fight. This post is not going to be about increased antibiotic resistance due to improper use. I just wanted to share this fascinating info about sinus infection which I was surprised to learn. In the past my sinus infections have always been treated with antibiotics which incorrectly led me to believe they were bacterial. And now back to our regular scheduled Lyme talk. 

“I’ve never been healthier in my life… except for this damn Lyme disease” – Me. 

I say this all of the time, and my words are usually met with laughter. Let me state my case: I started my Lyme treatment in November of 2011 and fifteen months later I caught my first viral infection. I have made it through two winters of being exposed to multiple viruses at the office on top of whatever I am exposed to while relying on public transportation to get to work, I do not incessantly use hand sanitizer and I have a weakened immune system. Over the past year and a half I have totally revamped my diet and I find myself paying attention to things nutrition-wise that I never thought about or even knew existed prior to my diagnosis. I have done countless hours of research regarding the power of food and how it can help aid in recovery from illness as well as feed illness and make it worse. When I cook I purposely use ingredients that naturally assist in inflammation reduction and detoxification. I have been getting all of my essential vitamins and minerals through food. There is no doubt in my mind that my 15 month “good health” streak while battling Lyme disease was diet related.

The most annoying thing about the sinus infection was the timing. I had been looking forward to the trip to Vegas since we had planned it in November, and five days before we were leaving I woke up with an extra added bonus; sinus pressure on top of all of the Lyme symptoms. I used a Neti Pot in an effort to relieve the pressure in my head. It was only a temporary fix. The next morning my co-worker Emerald took advantage of our low cubes that offer zero privacy and reached her hand over the divider and handed me a dose of Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Cold tablets. I laughed at her and said “Are you trying to kill me? I can’t take over the counter meds in addition to everything I am already on. Plus this is night time stuff, it will knock me out”. 

“Nah. It won’t knock you out" she replied, "I took 8 tablets in one day a couple of weeks ago and I was fine”. I pushed them aside on my desk and got back to work. The pressure in my head continued to build and just before noon I decided I would use 8 ounces of water instead of the 4 ounces that the directions called for.  

Plop-Plop-Fizz-Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is…

After about four ounces of the diluted Alka-Seltzer had been consumed, my stomach started talking. At first it was a low rumble, and then it started to sound like a whimpering/gurgling animal. Emerald stood up from her chair and asked “What was that?

“Oh, that’s my stomach telling to stop drinking the Alka-Seltzer” I said with a nervous giggle. She walked into my cube and asked “Did you drink all of it”, while staring wide-eyed at my stomach. The next two hours were a complete blur. At some point I remember looking down at my shirt and seeing a wet spot which I mistakenly took for a couple of spilled drops of my medicinal concoction I was drinking; in fact it was a wet spot caused by the non-stop drool that was pouring out of my mouth. Slurred speech and dilated pupils soon followed. I vaguely remember shuffling down the hallway leaning on the wall for support while following Emerald and another co-worker to the bathroom. My legs felt all tingly and I couldn’t stop giggling. At some point I insisted on getting a Pepsi. I am not sure why I asked for it when my doctor had emphatically told me to stay away from processed sugar, but I chugged the Pepsi like a champ. It took a good hour or so for my speech to get back to normal. My pupils eventually shrunk back down to their normal size and I was able to eat lunch. For the rest of the day I fought off the urge to put my head down on my desk and nap. Later that night despite increased body aches I slept like I had been drugged. I woke up the next day and scheduled an appointment with my acupuncturist so he could work on my sinuses. Why didn’t I think of that solution on the first day I woke up with the sinus infection? I will never know.

I did some research and came across a fun fact on the internet. People who are on low sodium diets should not consume Alka-Seltzer; it is a sodium rich antacid. Oops! Lesson learned. I am 100% positive that the sodium bicarbonate was not the only cause of the reaction that occurred, but I am sure it didn’t help. 

By the time Friday night rolled around, I had a hint of sinus pressure but over all I was back to feeling my normal Lyme disease-ish self. I was ready for Vegas. Rachael and I were about to head through security at the airport when I said, “Hey does the top of my forearm and elbow look swollen”? She looked down and said “Yes. Does it hurt”? As I was poking my arm with my left pointer finger and seeing signs of fluid build-up I said, “Well, my elbow joint doesn’t hurt but the tendons and muscles around it feel all achy”. I shrugged and said “I’ll worry about that later, we’ve got a plane to catch”…

Christmas in the Big Apple

"I am writing to ask you a special favor. Would you like to be a photographer in an Indian newspaper? Now is the chance, but you must act quickly. It is 5 PM where I am, and by noon tomorrow I need a photo or two emailed to me showing a Christmas scene in the states. Please snap a photo on your camera/phone/whatever and email it to me sometime on your Sunday before you sleep, and by Tuesday in India your photo may be in the paper along with my story about Christmas".

That is an excerpt from an email that appeared in my inbox on December 23, 2012. I immediately sprang into action. Before you shake your head thinking I have become extremely gullible as I continue to battle Lyme disease, I would like to mention that this email was sent to me by my sister.  Dee Dee was in India working as an editor/reporter for a three month internship at the New Indian Express in Chennai and had been assigned to write about Christmas in the United States. My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas but that did not stop her from writing her story, nor did it stop me from riding around DC and taking photos of Christmas decorations, per her request. 

I had gotten so wiped out by my trip to the burbs of NYC for Thanksgiving to visit my parents, they decided to come down to DC for the holidays so I could rest and not add to my cloud of exhaustion with holiday travel. Mid-afternoon on the day after they arrived I insisted on taking them on a walking tour of my neighborhood even though my mom kept asking me if it was a good idea for me to be outside walking. It turned into a two hour plus walk in the crisp cool air. By the time we made it back to my condo I was limping and in need of a major nap. Four plus hours later my mom woke me up with a reminder that I needed to take my antibiotics and eat dinner. For the rest of the night I was groggy and complaining about my leg and back pain. The next day we were lounging around and enjoying each other’s company when the assignment from India rolled in. While I sat in the passenger seat of my car taking photos, my mother sat in the back battling motion sickness while claiming my dad was driving like an animal. Deep down I think she enjoyed our wonderful driving tour around town which enabled me to capture the holiday spirit in a series of photographs that I sent off to my sister. Dee Dee loved the photos and wrote me back telling me that she was using the one of the Capitol in her article and I was going to get photo credit. 

As the story goes, when my sister left work on Christmas Eve, they were still laying out the December 25, 2012 edition of the New Indian Express. On the front page of the Chennai "City Express" section her article along with my photo was above the fold. The next day when she saw the paper a different Christmas story had been published accompanied by my photo; without photo credit. The caption (pictured in blue) below my photo is language they pulled from my sister's article about Christmas that was not published. It reads: BIG APPLE IS ICONIC SYMBOL OF X'MAS - In the United States, New York City has become the iconic symbol of Christmas. Thousands of people visit Manhattan daily from November through early January, hoping to catch glimpses of the ornately decorated Christmas windows on 5th Avenue". 

My photo of the Capitol labeled as New York City provided me a much needed laugh as 2012 was coming to an end. So there you have it; I am now an uncredited published photographer in India! If you would like my autograph, it can be arranged. 

A Hazy Shade of Fall and Winter

Runners and missing toenails go together like peanut butter and jelly; the longer the distance the more likely you are to have a toenail casualty. Back in my running days shedding toenails was a frequent occurrence which often led me to paint the nail bed where my nail used to be in order to give off the impression that I had ten toenails. In fact I was thinking of writing a book called “If I only have 7.5 toenails, can I get a pedicure discount”? I never got further than the title, but it did elicit laughter from those I mentioned it to. September of 2011 is the last time I was able to run. Imagine my surprise when in January of 2013 I took my shoes off one night and discovered that one of my big toenails was dead and partially separated from my nail bed. I removed it myself with a nail clipper, and it didn’t even hurt. Upon closer inspection of all of my toe nails I realized a few of my other nails were well on their way towards needing "medical attention". 

Fatigue is a common symptom experienced by Lyme disease patients; it can be prolonged and very debilitating. The fatigue can be accompanied by either excessive sleeping or insomnia. Some patients may experience the fatigue intermittently or after exertion, while others may be bedridden.  Since my treatment has started I have experienced both excessive sleeping and insomnia. I haven’t been bedridden for weeks or months at a time, but there have been a handful of days when I haven’t been able to muster the energy to get out of bed.

This past fall and winter I was blaming the cold, damp weather for my increased achiness and fatigue. As it turns out, the weather wasn’t the only thing that was working against me and my already annoying enough Lyme symptoms. During a visit to my doctor in January to review my blood work and discuss my on-going treatment and symptoms I learned about Candidiasis. Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by yeasts that belong to the genus Candida. There are over 20 species of Candida yeasts that can cause infection in humans, the most common of which is Candida albicans. Candida yeasts normally live on the skin and mucous membranes without causing infection; however, overgrowth of these organisms can cause symptoms to develop. Symptoms of candidiasis vary depending on the area of the body that is infected. 

In layman terms this means I was diagnosed with a systemic yeast infection. Yes, it is about as exciting as it sounds. My toenails were a causality of the candida. Factors including stress, poor diet, a suppressed or compromised immune system, toxicity and the extended use of antibiotics, alcohol and steroids can lead to a candida infection in both men and women; my compromised immune system and extended use of antibiotics are what led to my infection. Hilariously enough, I started taking another antibiotic to combat it. There are a host of symptoms that come along with Candida overgrowth that affect your nervous system, digestive system, skin, eyes, hair, etc. Fatigue, muscle and joint pain and irritability are just a few of the issues someone with a Candida infection may experience. My Candida infection is under control for now, but it is my understanding that I won’t be able to get rid of it completely until I am healthy again and not on any antibiotics. Click here to learn more about Candida. As it turns out, my strict Lyme disease diet is a natural way for me to battle the Candida.

But wait, there is more. My blood work also showed that my Vitamin D had taken a dip. My doctor told me it could be one of two things:  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or my body having trouble absorbing Vitamin D due to my on-going treatment; both result in fatigue. Judging by a notable change in my fatigue ever since the days have gotten longer, I would venture to guess that winter made me SAD. I’ll get the medical answer at the end of the month at my next appointment. 

It was a perfect storm of Lyme, Candida, Vitamin D deficiency and the weather that increased my discomfort throughout the fall and winter. With no end date in sight regarding my recovery I must admit that sometimes it gets tough to just grin and bear it. Lucky for me on a lazy Sunday afternoon in late November a plan to kick off the spring with some fun in the desert sun was hatched. It gave me something to look forward to while I was feeling very crappy. Rachael and I had fallen behind on season 3 of "Ice Loves Coco" and were in the middle of watching four episodes back-to-back when Coco announced on the show that she had been asked to headline "Peepshow" for a limited amount of time while the current star was on maternity leave. "Peepshow" is billed as Las Vegas' only striptease spectacular. Within a matter of days I had roped my friend Marisa who lives in Arizona into joining us in March for a girls weekend. Marisa had no idea who Coco was when she agreed to come to Vegas to hang out with us and see the show. If you don't know who she is either you can always look her up on the internet --NSFW. Planning the trip and looking forward to some fun in the sun with my friends was just what I needed to help me push through my annoying set back.