Richard R. Gandy | Blog

I am often asked what camera I recommend for the serious amateur. I always recommend Canon equipment because I think they’re just better cameras. I still own an old Nikon film camera, and it always did a good job for me. But when I decided to invest in a pro level camera, I looked at Nikon and Canon. The Canons just felt better ergonomically, the viewfinder is better, and the “L” series lenses just cannot be beat. The image quality is also superb.

So, for the serious amateur not wanting to invest $4,000 just in a camera body, I recommend the Canon Digital Rebel XSi body, and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L zoom lens. This lens is pricey, but it is spectacular.

The photo in the header is from a wedding we photographed at the Hazlehurst House in McDonough, GA. The bride’s name is Leanne, and she is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Her husband Jason is so laid back and just enjoyed the whole day.

Leanne had a beautiful wedding day, and she had a great time!

I shot most of the wedding with the Canon EOS 1D Mark II N and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. One of the things I like about the Canon 1D series cameras is they have 2 memory card slots. I have the camera save identical images to both cards just is case one of the cards were to fail or become corrupted. The MK II N was recently upgraded to the Mark III. Check out my camera favorites at Amazon here.

Earlier this week, I decided to stop drinking coffee after watching a special on PBS. I’ve known that coffee is not good for health for a long time, but I was hooked on it.

I had weaned myself down to two cups a day, but I continued to have a curious skin itch that would not go away. Well, I know that normal pH for the body is slightly alkaline, and coffee upsets that balance by making you acidic. Soft drinks do that as well due to the phosphoric acid in them.

I switched to green tea after hearing Dr. Daniel Amen extol its benefits. How did I make it to 49 and not know about the benefits of green tea?

New research shows that green or black tea may be a potent weapon in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Tea is already thought to protect the body against heart disease and cancers, but research shows black and green tea inhibit the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia that affects about 5 million people in the U.S. and is estimated to triple to 15 million people by 2030.

The new finding comes in the wake of research that suggest that flavanoids contained in tea, particularly green tea, protect against strokes, heart attacks and many different types of cancers, as well as other conditions such as tooth decay and dehydration. One study shows that drinking three cups a day is the equivalent of eating six apples.

Green and black tea come from the same plant. Black tea consists of fermented leaves. Green tea is less processed and is popular in China and Japan, where it has been linked to longevity and low rates of heart disease and cancer.

In a recent article published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, scientists found both teas inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme which breaks down the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s is characterized by reduced acetylcholine. Green tea went one step further in obstructing the activity of beta-secretase, which helps produce protein deposits in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s. These findings could help in developing treatments for Alzheimer’s.

A cup or two of green tea a day may help you remember the rest of your life.

A couple of months prior to my surgery in 2007, I started getting up at 4:30 am to exercise and mentally prepare for the surgery. Once I resolved that surgery was my only resort, I was on a mission to get as healthy as I could.

I’m now 49 — 48 at the time of surgery, and I was not in the best of shape. I have never been more than 10 or so lb. overweight, but I wanted the weight off and for my cardiac function to be as good as possible.

I’ve heard that it takes a long time to get used to something outside your routine, and I’ve found that to be true, but when properly motivated, it can take much less time. Say for instance, your doctor tells you that if you don’t change your diet you’re going to die.

I had a friend, who worked out regularly at the gym, was a marathon runner, but ate most of his meals at fast food restaurants. His favorite was a McDonalds hamburger with fries and a soft drink. He started having dizzy spells at work and so decided to go to the doctor to be checked out.

When I next saw him, he asked me what I thought the doctor had said to him. My response was, if you don’t change your diet, you’re going to die. He smiled and said, yep, that’s basically what he said. He started eating at Blimpie instead. A good improvement. They have great salads and turkey subs. His health improved, and the effect was almost immediate.

I’ve lived by a rule of thumb I read about years ago in the book, Fit for Life. Eat a diet with foods that have high water content. That is, watery vegetables and fruits. If you put it in a juicer, and lots of juice comes out, it is good. Examples include carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, most fruits. If you put beef, chicken, bread, nuts, in a juicer, no juice come out! So you want to eat less of the non-juicy stuff and more of the juicy stuff. Why do you think the term "juicy" in non-food context usually means something is appealing? Juicy usually means, it’s good!

Juicy — GooooD! Not-juicy — NOT SO MUCH!

Rule of thumb, try to eat 70% juicy food. Try it and let me know how your health improves.

It’s amazing how much better I feel now that I no longer have sleep apnea! I have so much energy; I just can’t explain the overall improvement to my quality of life. I awake rested in the morning, almost never awaken during the night, and very rarely get drowsy during the day. What a blessing!

I have had people ask if it was worth it. My response is an immediate yes. But I do believe I was well prepared physically and mentally for the surgery and the recovery. I did everything I could to get really healthy before the surgery. Started 2 months prior with 1 hour cardio exercise every day — I mean every day without fail. I eliminated dairy, sugar, and ate a diet mostly of fish and vegetables with limited starches.

My voice has returned to normal after having suffered from left cord paralysis most likely due to intubation during surgery.

I had my last follow-up visit with Dr. Roser about a month ago. Got to see Dr. Optid, who is finishing up his studies at Emory and going into private practice with a group in Atlanta. Congratulations Dr. Optid!

To Dr. Roser and all my friends at The Emory Clinic, thank you for the marvelous work you do. And know, you have had a profound influence on my life, and I will miss you all.

Thanks to everyone that sent cards and called me on my birthday. I turned 49 this week, and I would like to take a few minutes to reflect and appreciate the people most dear to me.

First, I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family. When I had my surgery back in November of last year, they all rallied around me. I would never have gotten the help I needed for sleep apnea had it not been for my wife. Dr. Roser said it’s usually that way; the spouse brings in the patient more often than not.

Just about everyone on my side and Jeaneane’s side of the family was there at Crawford Long Hospital the day I had my surgery. It was a long day for them. Sitting around the hospital waiting on someone to come out of surgery is just not the most fun way to spend your day.

During the first week of my recovery, I was pretty much an invalid. Jeaneane was there for me around the clock preparing my special diet of liquidy foods and making sure I took my medications at the proper time. Jeaneane’s sister, Shelbie, helped out driving me to several of the doctor appointments Jeaneane could not attend. Amy’s husband, Philip, brought me some Brunswick stew one day when I started eating more solid foods. My brother Jeffry and my mother drove up from Adel to visit a couple of weeks after I came home, since Jeffry was sick the day of my surgery. My brother-in-law, Marty, called numerous times throughout my recovery to keep up with my progress and let me know I was in his prayers.

To my family, I love you all. There’s no need to list everyone by name — you know who you are. Also, to my friends, thank you for being there for me as well. I love you all too.

I am thankful to God that I am still here and for all the things mentioned in the paragraphs above. Without the mercy of God, I would surely not be alive today. I have had a number of close calls in my life time, brushes with catastrophe if you will, and I have always been delivered. With God, all things are possible.

Here is the x-ray showing the metal plates and screws that hold my face together now. Most of the swelling has subsided, and I am sleeping comfortably. My teeth match up fairly well, but there is still orthodontic work to be done to get them to match perfectly. The left molars don’t quite touch. I can’t imagine anyone having this type of surgery and not having orthodontic work afterward.

A few bullet points.

• Chewing anything other than soft foods is still difficult and mildly painful.
• Voice has recovered completely, although I think it is slightly deeper now.
• Still doing jaw exercises to improve mobility of jaw.
• Sleeping well without sleep apnea by all accounts.
• Off all pain meds except very occasionally Advil regular strength. I had a difficult time coming off Lortab. Several restless nights. Withdrawals are not fun, but it had to be done.
• Starting to get back on exercise routine. Weak after doing hardly anything for 2 months.
• Thankful for Dr. Roser and his team at The Emory Clinic.
   

Well, it’s snowing in Henry County just south of Atlanta. It started here this morning and has continued non-stop into the afternoon. That’s twice this week! Very unusual.

I was in Chicago earlier in the week when it snowed here. It had snowed there as well. On approach to the airport, the landscape looked like big blocks of ice outlined with black lines (the roads.) But at the time it was just cold and windy. On Thursday, went to Toronto. Same there — cold with temps hovering around freezing. Back home Thursday evening late. Always good to be home.