Health on Shared Bits

Shared Bits 7-Year Anniversary

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-14

Highlights of my life and seventh year of blogging; Oct 2024 - Sept 2025.

01 - Shared Bits

I published 10 posts this year, including this post, bringing total posts published to 82.

Shared Bits visitor count began to increase quite a bit beginning in October last year. Shared Bits reached another milestone this year by exceeding 5,000 visitors per month for four months of the year. For the year, the average visitor count for Shared Bits was 4,053.

Short Bits 2025

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2025-10-19

01 - Use Honey to Help You Sleep (2025-04-06)

Image courtesy of Sage Ross , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

I have seen manuka honey at Whole Foods Market for years when shopping there, but I thought it was very expensive. A former dental hygienist tried to get me interested in manuka honey a few years ago, but once again I thought it was too expensive, even if it was beneficial for your health.

Try a Portable or Travel Bidet for Hemorrhoid Relief

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2024-12-22

Years ago I encountered a period where I experienced really bad constipation. The constipation was so bad that I had to strain to have a bowel movement. I was aware that straining while having a bowel movement could lead to hemorrhoids, but having to delay a bowel movement was uncomfortable. Sure enough, I ended up with hemorrhoids.

Initially, I was able to manage hemorrhoid flareups by using Preparation H suppositories. Using Preparation H suppositories for hemorrhoid flareups worked for a few years. Although they worked, I didn’t like using the suppositories because they were messy. Additionally, I had to wear an adult diaper when I used the suppositories.

Shared Bits 5-Year Anniversary

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-14

01 - Overview

Five years ago I began my blogging journey. The average life of a blog isn’t very long, so I’ve reached an admirable milestone. Blogging has kept me busy, given me something productive to do, and has been a very rewarding experience.

Unique visitor count was on a nice upward trajectory the first few months, but then fell over the summer. Hopefully the unique visitor count will pick back up again. Average unique visitor count for the year was 1,119.

Not Again! - Kidney Stone 3

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-09

Disclaimer: The following is not medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only.

I began having periodic episodes of dark urine in March 2022. My urine was the color of swamp water on the first occurence in March 2022. A visit to a satellite emergency room for a local hospital the day following the first occurence resulted in the diagnosis of hematuria . However, that diagnosis was based on my description of my symptoms as my urine had cleared up by the time I gave a urine sample at the emergency room. I continued to have episodes of dark urine though.

Suffering from GTPS Pain? I Have Some Tips for You

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-18

Disclaimer: The following is not medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only.

1 - Introduction

On May 13, 2020, I experienced a recurrence of thoracic spine pain. I believe the pain recurrence was the result of temporarily discontinuing use of arthritis-strength acetaminophen, which had been helpful in managing the pain since 2018. It was very painful to have pressure applied to the thoracic area of my spine, so I began sitting on the sleeper sofa in the family room, using sofa pillows from the living room sofa in an attempt to relieve the pain while allowing me to sit with back support.

Short Bits 2021

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-18

1 - Burned Three Times on Amazon Purchases (2021-02-08)

Image courtesy of Peter Ziegler at Pixabay

I’ve been burned three times within a four month period on purchases I’ve made on Amazon. The first incident occurred in September 2020. I purchased a 3-pack of Champion boxer style underwear. I didn’t notice that they were size medium and I usually wear a size large. The underwear were sold by a third party vendor in New York city.

Pure Water from the Megahome Water Distiller

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-11

I became concerned about the water I drank a few years ago after reading about some of the things that cannot or are not removed from tap water; e.g. excreted pharmaceutical medicines, hormone disrupting chemicals, etc. I had been buying and drinking bottled spring water, but I got to thinking that maybe even spring water might have contaminants in it. Therefore, I decided to start drinking distilled water .

I was familiar with distilled water since I have used it in the past for steam irons and ultrasonic humidifiers . Steam irons usually require distilled water because the minerals in tap water can result in mineral buildup in the steam vents. Using distilled water in ultrasonic humidifiers results in easier cleaning and lower operating costs since you don’t have to buy a filter that some models offer to remove the minerals and chlorine in tap water. I’ve also used distilled water for automotive applications such as topping off lead acid batteries and diluting anti-freeze for engine coolant.

Bunions and Bunionettes - Could It Be Your Footwear?

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-20

Disclaimer: The following is not medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only.

I’ve had very few problems with my feet in the past. Things began to change though in 2010.

I had a fairly long commute to work in 2010. I began experiencing pain on the outside bottom of my right foot just behind the small toe when I walked from my car to the office after my commute. I had recently purchased two pairs of Clark’s shoes and I thought maybe the shoes were causing the pain. Eventually, the pain stopped, only returning sporadically.

My Second Kidney Stone Attack

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-16

Disclaimer: The following is not medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only.

My first kidney stone attack occurred about 23 years ago. I awoke in the morning of April 15 this year with pain in the lower right quadrant of my back while lying on my left side. I was groggy from being asleep and thoughts about another kidney stone ran through my mind. I turned over on my right side and the pain subsided. I immediately experienced the same pain again when I got out of bed, so my fear was confirmed. I was experiencing my second kidney stone attack.

Devices & Resources for Back Pain or Spine Issues

Sun, 07 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Updated 2026-08-30

Disclaimer: The following is not medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only.

I have suffered from back pain and spine issues since 2011. In my quest to learn as much as possible and my desire to alleviate my back pain, I’ve come across a number of devices and resources that might be helpful to others suffering from back pain and spine issues.

In 2015, I was diagnosed with a herniated L4 disc. The diagnosis resulted from an MRI that was ordered by my primary care doctor because I was experiencing sciatica in my lower left leg and foot, as well as foot drop in my left foot, due to the L4 herniation pressing against the L4 nerve root. I had heard about disc herniations but didn’t know much about them, so I decided to see what Amazon had in the way of books on the subject. I came across an excellent book that covers disc herniations and other spine issues, as well as a number of tips and recommendations to prevent provoking back pain. The book is titled, Herniated Disc: A Survival Guide , written by Dr. William E. Morgan . Unfortunately, the book is only available in Kindle format. I haven’t been able to find a printed version anywhere.