Trying not to worry

Trying not to worry. So for years, I've had symptoms that were mildly disturbing but all of my doctors have assured me that everything looks normal. They've gotten much worse lately, so when I talk to my PCP Monday about my falling and balance issues, I'm going to bring them up and ask for a complete evaluation. They could actually be related, although I suspect the dizziness has to do with my inner ears, as it happens when my head changes position. I won't go into the symptoms here, and I know you shouldn't Google like crazy, but I did find a disorder that fits my symptoms perfectly, so I'm going to ask about it. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it is nothing or something minor. If I'm right, it isn't at all.

Sigh

It's been a long while. I've posted almost 12,000 times on this blog for over 20 years, but I haven't felt like writing for some time. That makes me sad. I've gotten caught up with life and I'd been relying mostly on my phone for Internet interaction, and it was just harder to do that, for one.  I have a laptop though now AND I just got a folding table big enough to write, read, do crafts, etc., on, rather than having a computer on a stool and being uncomfortable in my chair because I had to put a leg on either side.

I do post a lot on Facebook, and that's for people I'm friends with, and almost all of them are people I know personally, with the exception of a few librarians.  I guess I feel safer there in some ways than over-sharing to the great world beyond.  I know, that hasn't stopped me in the past. But I'm 55 now and a little wiser than when I started.

So let's see...I think I last wrote in February.  We got a puppy then and she was so tiny at 8 weeks that she could go between the slats of the picket fence.  Now she's nine months old, and she's nearly 50 lbs.  She finally has a big girl bark, is very tall and long and lanky, and generally is getting very big.  My roommate thinks she's part Lab (that part is obvious, as she has webbed toes and Labrador waterproofing) and part Doberman, much like the dog he had when I first met him over 30 years ago.  I'm leaning towards part Great Dane with her build, but he is probably right.  She's a joy, very enthusiastic, loving, and a good companion to the other dog, who is a Lab/Pit cross and now much smaller than her.

Healthwise I'm dealing with ageing.  I've lost 50 lbs. since early November and 28 of that was from late December on.  (I was put on a different diuretic in November and I swear 20 lbs. came off because I am a sponge.)  I'm on medicine now called Ozempic for my diabetes, but it helps with weight loss and I'm doing pretty well on it, despite early side effects.  I just went up to the maintenance dose.

I do need to lose weight because I have chondromalacia, which is a loss of cartilage in the joint.  My knees are to the point of being bone-on-bone and I need a bilateral knee replacement, but I need to lose another 40 or so pounds.  They'd like my BMI to be under 40, but 45 is a hard stop and I'm 48 now.  So I need to work harder because I'm in a lot of pain and it's very difficult to walk very far.  I do have an ADA placard for out in the community.  I had one at the university but they only gave me a temporary one as they couldn't read my GP's handwriting. I had him redo it and resubmitted it, but they denied my request.  I have a couple of weeks to submit records, which I've requested, and perhaps I can get one on appeal.  You can't just park in a spot on campus without their specific hangtag, you see...my state-issued placard doesn't do a thing.  And they're pretty tough.  One of my former co-workers used a prosthetic leg and they made him send over records, and he finally got it. I've had it all summer, though, and it's been a godsend.  Without it I'm going to have to walk probably a quarter of a mile from my car to the bus stop and back, and that is very difficult and painful.

I'm also most likely going to have my gall bladder out soon. I go to a surgery consult the first week of September.  They'd found gallstones on an MRI of my liver but I was asymptomatic until I had fried fish and was in extreme distress for a week.  I'm a little leery of this. Even with the weight loss, I weigh about 280 lbs., so lots of visceral fat and higher mortality chances with any abdominal surgery.  Hopefully, it will be laparoscopic, as I don't want to miss much work.

Next week will mark the five-year anniversary since I moved in with my roommate.  All in all it's gone very well, surprisingly well, actually. Neither of us were particularly sure about the move and living together.

At work, headquarters took over my surgery and outpatient visit authorisations, leaving me without a position, but my boss (who's only been here a few months) really went to bat for me, and they did a lateral move into a position I've had before that is technically a few rungs down, but because of the way they did it, I didn't lose my pay, although I'm on the high end of the scale for this one.  I'm back in checkout.  One day before I moved I had a panic attack, because when I did it before, I was alone for the better part of a year, did the phone and e-mails, and generally had trouble keeping up.  Now there are two people at checkout (although my work buddy, who is very bubbly, is moving to registration, so they're trying to hire someone for the checkout position that's open), and one person who's job is to schedule phone and e-mail requests, letting me focus on the patients and families for the most part.  So it's actually been nice.  Not as much pressure and I get to interact with families and see the improvements in patients' lives. I do, being an introvert, get drained by too much interaction, but I also find it satisfying in this case.  So everything's going much better than it could have.

I've been working every day on a series of exercises to help keep my mind sharp.  There's Wordle and Latin Wordle, plus I'm studying languages on Duolingo.  I'm trying to brush up on my rusty Spanish, German, and Latin, plus I'm taking Irish and Welsh.  I was going to try to learn Modern Hebrew (I've studied Biblical Hebrew), but that wasn't going well, as the characters were very small, and it just wasn't clicking. I'm going to take my Biblical Hebrew and do some work on that instead and then go back to the modern after I get a grip on the ancient language.  But I'm getting through the ones I've studied before pretty quickly and understand more than I thought.  My grammar is actually still pretty good, it's just the vocabulary that I'm having to pick up again.  German is extremely easy, even though I haven't had it since 1985.  Latin is my most-studied language (5 semesters, including Mediaeval as well as the normal Classical, plus a little Humanist), so it's going well, although there are a lot of angry parrots in this one. (To be fair, Hebrew had a dove that liked warm wine--you can see why I was having trouble).  I've already used a little Spanish to check a person out at work without having to use the video interpreter, and I asked one of the in-person interpreters what the word for 'stickers' is and put it on my bulletin board because the kids love those.

Okay, I guess I'll sign off for now. I'm on vacation. No plans, not going anywhere, but I took the week off between now and Labor Day.  I'm hoping to get some rest and work on some new hobbies and actually do some reading.

And for some reason my neighbours are setting off fireworks for no discernable reason.

Interesting video on gut bacteria/human biome on a person's health

depending on how well off they are socioeconomically [ignore the title's problem in English for now, as well as the thumbnail below, as it has little to nothing to do with anything in t the video].

Well

Today was a good day at work. I kept up with everything, and didn't feel exhausted afterwards from that much mental juggling and human interaction. I even had enough energy to work on the house, and my boss gave me an extra day off next week to pack. But... being an introverted person with bipolar depression, anxiety, and OCD, I think work is taking a toll on me, but I haven't really had the energy to do job hunting lately. So, goals for the next few weeks: 1) take care of my health, physical and mental, meaning taking my medicine on schedule, eating well, and getting rest, 2) resume job hunting, 3) get moved with the least stress possible, and 4) do a great job at work. I think that's enough to work on, don't you?

Good news on the health front

So I went to my post-op appointment and everything was benign, and while I could take hormones to keep things on a more even keel,  I chose to just let things continue as is unless my symptoms get worse. There was no sign of cancer or hyperplasia.  Instead it was termed 'dysfunction of the uterine lining',  meaning the uterine wall swings between being too thick or too thin. Basically that's a fancy term for a side-effect of perimenopause,  like I hoped,  although given my risk factors it was good to check everything out. So,  no hysterectomy or progesterone IUD required. I'm breathing a sigh of relief tonight.

I've been working on my health today some

For one, I made an effort to walk around the hospital regularly, as I've had a lot of back pain lately, and while that hurts worse when I stand or walk, the only way to help it, really, is to build up my core, which walking will do. So while I didn't overdo it, I reached my activity goal for today (my phone keeps that as well as my steps) and then some, and I walked 6,865 steps, which is better than I've been doing with this flare-up.

I also was careful today with sweets and took all my medicine with me, in their bottles (I threw them all in the backpack) so I could fill my pill box properly. As a result, my blood sugar was very good today. I'm still having problems with my ankles swelling; when they get big on a day I don't take my diuretic, like they did yesterday, it takes a day or two to get the fluid off of them).

But primarily, there was the meter issue. I see the endocrinologist in a couple of weeks. My values have been good on my blood sugar, for the most part. I should have a lower hemoglobin A1c than last time, and last time was an improvement. I hadn't transferred my results to the computer in awhile, though, and I like to so that I can print a report for her. But I discovered when I tried to bring up the software that it 1) didn't work anymore, with a runtime error and 2) wasn't being distributed anymore. So I couldn't just uninstall and re-download. Instead, Lifescan has created a combination web/mobile application called OneTouch Reveal, which allows you to upload values and find patterns, create reports, all the stuff the old standalone software did and more, and presented graphically and in an easily understood format. My meter, a OneTouch Verio IQ, has a cable that came with it that plugs into the USB port of the computer, and I used a downloaded transfer utility that they have you get (it's free) to transfer several months of readings across to the new web interface. I also downloaded the mobile application. I was very happy with the results. There is also a provision that if you get a code from your doctor's office, they can share the information with them, which is presumably more secure than my e-mailing the logs to the doctor, which is what I had been doing. So I have a call into the doctor's office for that. But along the way, I discovered a new meter that connects and syncs with the mobile application (which in turn, syncs with the web interface), so you don't even need the cable. That way, you can update frequently. It is the OneTouch Verio Flex. I checked, and it was available at the pharmacy for $20, and it's a flexible spending item, so I was able to go ahead and get it after work. It uses the same strips and lancets as the IQ, so that doesn't change. I've set it up, taken my first test, and paired it with the phone so I've already sent that one to update the database. Here's how the two meters stack up:

OneTouch Verio IQ
• PROS:
  1. Colour display
  2. Test strip port light that shines on the strip when you're testing
  3. Rechargeable battery
  4. Tags (before/after meal) can be made when you take a test on the meter itself
  5. Can use an included standard USB cord to download results to a computer
  6. Can browse results in multiples by day
  7. Alerts when high or low patterns are indicated
  8. Case zips to contain lancets, solution, etc.
• CONS:
  1. Must be charged regularly, either by using the USB cable in a computer, or using the enclosed power adapter with the cable.
  2. No way to communicate directly to phone; must use cable.
  3. Small lettering on menus.

OneTouch Verio Flex
• PROS:
  1. Can use Bluetooth to pair/connect directly with mobile application
  2. Can use a standard USB cord to download results to a computer
  3. Large numbers, easy to read screen
  4. Indicator easily shows whether high, low, or normal in range
  5. Small, compact case, so whole thing lighter, and it fits in a purse flat and easily
  6. Doesn't have to be recharged regularly, so no need to carry cord in case
  7. Holster comes out of case and can be clipped on belt and still hold meter, lancet, and strips
  8. Lightweight
• CONS:
  1. Monochrome display (the colour used to indicate high, low, or normal is part of the meter, and then an arrow on the screen is the indicator)
  2. USB cable not included
  3. Battery is a standard watch battery. While it doesn't need to charge, it does need to be replaced--but on the othe rhand, most meter batteries last awhile
  4. Tags are assigned in mobile application, not on meter
  5. No menus, patterns, etc., although it does allow you to go up and down the results
  6. Pouch for lancets doesn't zip--I have mine in a Ziploc snack-sized bag tucked into the pouch.
  7. Not as hefty, but also seems more cheaply made

I hope the above might help if you're planning on getting a meter. Here's what I decided: I'm going to go from now on with the OneTouch Verio Flex, because I have a phone with the mobile application and can sync easily. I'm going to give the other meter, the OneTouch Verio IQ, to a friend who has asked me to check his sugar a few times, so he can have one of his own and I don't mess my results up with his. I went ahead and gave him the new lancing device from this kit and kept my own (both of these come with a OneTouch Delica lancing device, so they're the same). I put some lancets in his pouch, along with a bottle of strips, so he should be good to go, and if the doctor wants him to start testing regularly, the strips would be covered by his insurance. I'm going to give him the user manual as well (I have the original papers and box). So it won't go to waste. It would be helpful to him, I think, because of the colour display and the light on the strip port. He doesn't have (or want) a cell phone, much less a smart phone, so that should be fine for him. The bulkier case shouldn't be a problem for him, as he'd mostly be using it at home. So it's a win-win scenario.

Okay, on that note, time to unpack everything an get ready for tomorrow. Good night.

I pretty much petered out after I wrote here last night

and went on to bed, but couldn't sleep for some reason, and I probably didn't actually fall asleep till about 2:30 am, and I got up at 5:30, and what rest I did get was broken by my waking up often. Despite that, I got through my day without being terribly tired. I went into work at 7, getting a couple of egg and cheese biscuits since our cafeteria doesn't serve breakfast until 7:30. I caught up on all my various duties, both the charge entry and library positions. I filled some interlibrary loans. I was going to fill the clinic cart as well, but really, it's pretty well stocked from last time, and probably needs about a half a shelf of new books. I try to keep it full, checking it every week or two.

After work I went over to my friends' house, where we ate and watched various YouTube videos and a few short episodes of something on Netflix. I also got the Cthulhu game notes finished today (yay!), so I won't be pressed to do so tomorrow.

Tomorrow the plan is to get up about 7:30 am and finish the bedroom and vacuum the house. That should make the house livable and presentable. By 11 am I'll be over at my friends' to do grocery shopping and also to take one on an errand or two.

I have a mushroom growing up in the pot that has the little oak tree in it. I should probably remove it, but I am fascinated by fungi, so I'll leave it for now.

I think I'm going to call it a night, even though it's a bit after 10 pm. I may listen to a little music before actually sleeping, but I really have done well today as far as staying awake (I've also taken all my meds as directed, and my blood sugar is doing better as a result, so I am not getting terribly sleepy in the afternoons after lunch like I was. But starting Monday I'm going to try to eat healthier--I've been eating too many snacks when I'm not particularly hungry, and unhealthy ones at that, along with desserts, and I just shouldn't do that. I'm going to start tracking my food again and see if I can lose some weight. I've lost some (I'm 15 lbs under my maximum weight right now, but I could stand to lose, oh, technically about 110 more, although I'd be happy if I could just get down to say, 225 even (I'm at 291 no, at 5'4"), and would like to go down some for health reasons more than anything else. I get the fat acceptance people, and yes, I do believe that you can be healthy and overweight (although obese is perhaps another matter), but I'm not healthy, and so I need to take steps, including diet and exercise, that will help my health. If I can make small changes in my lifestyle, and stick to them, then hopefully I will feel better.

She has some very good points...

Like Comparing Fat People and Oranges

Let’s look at a final example: Research found that men with certain baldness patterns have a much higher risk of heart disease. Additional research found that the baldness and heart disease likely have the same root cause. Thank goodness the weight loss people weren’t in charge of this or instead of the additional research we’d have a government-sponsored War on Baldness and a sixty billion dollar industry telling men that they have to grow their hair back to be healthy and that if they don’t it’s their fault, accompanied by reporters whipping everyone into a frenzy with articles about how much bald men who get heart disease are costing society.

I really like this writer, who makes a lot of sense in a world where fat people are considered funny (and not in a good way), greedy, lazy, a drain on society, and immoral, simply because they are either overweight or sometimes, just because they are perceived as such even when they're an average size. People who have never been fat do not understand that while there are those of us who are fat and not particularly healthy (and I count myself in that category, as I need to work to increase my health--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually), there are people who are fat who are, like this lady, training physically and eating well (she's working on finishing an Ironman challenge, for crying out loud), and yeah, they're still fat. I know that I will never be thin. That's okay. I would like to have some better stamina, balance, and be able to walk up stairs without going into an asthma attack. That's something I can do and improve myself. I think that's more realistic and more important than 'looking' thin. Fat phobia is real. I even have a lot of internalised fat phobia myself--I think most fat people do. People like Ragen Chastain are trying to get people to recognise the biases against fat people. And even more to the point, she's doing things that make her happy, and leads a full life, from what I can tell, and that's important no matter what size you are. Fat people have a tendency to hide away because they don't want to be seen doing things like dancing, biking, travelling, etc., when they should be embracing life. I highly recommend her blog.

More neat stuff about the body

hese 15 Facts About The Human Body Will Astonish You

I don't agree with one, an assertion that 'Babies are always born with blue eyes'. Most Caucasian ones are, I realise. But mine were light brown, same as they are now, and I'm Caucasian, although there's some American Indian (reportedly Blackfoot) in there, so that might be the explanation. But, being a universal statement, it is therefore negated. Besides, I'm pretty sure that while, for example, there are blue-eyed Africans, not all babies of all races are born blue-eyed. Not that the Internet is the solution to all such questions (this link, of course, was found on the Internet), but if you type into Google, 'are all babies born with blue eyes', you get:

Babies of African and Asian descent are usually born with brown eyes that stay brown. Caucasian babies are often born with steel gray or dark blue eyes; they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time they're 9 months old.

Hah! Google has spoken!

Interesting

Life in Space Affects Men's And Women's Health Very Differently

Back in 2011, NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) — on the recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences — assembled six workgroups to investigate and summarize the current body of knowledge about human and animal spaceflight. The groups focused on cardiovascular, immunological, sensorimotor, musculoskeletal, reproductive and behavioral implications on spaceflight adaptation for men and women. The results have now been published in the latest edition of the Journal of Women's Health.

The study — done in anticipation of longer-duration spaceflights — will inform the health and safety considerations required for astronauts, particularly as they pertain to sex and gender differences.

Thanks to Alexandra Bond for the link!

Hadn't done this in awhile

I actually gained about 6 years total lifespan since I originally did the quiz in 2010.

Poodwaddle.com
Here are today's results:

Poodwaddle Life Clock Report

Summary
Your Age: 46.8 years
Projected Life Span (total years you will live): 80
Projected Life Expectancy (years remaining): 33.2

Life Expectancy Factors

The average life span for your region is 78. You are expected to live 2 years longer than average due to your health and lifestyle.

GENDER: +2.5 years
Women live 5 years longer than men. Gloat if you like.

FAMILY HISTORY: 6 years
Your family history rewards you with a few extra years. Remember to thank your mom.

SMOKING: 2 years
Since you are not a smoker you gain 2 years over the average life span (15-25 years over smokers). If you recently stopped smoking it will take 10 years for the risk of lung cancer to return to that of a non-smoker and 15 for heart attack risk to return to normal.

DRINKING: 0 years
You could benefit from drinking one or two glasses of red wine per day

WEIGHT: -13 years (BMI: 50.1)
Your BMI score classifies you as overweight. Being overweight raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, and so many other conditions. Now put down the twinkie and go do some exercise.

HEALTH: -5 years
Hypertension, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar are like a ticking time bomb with a busted clock. You don't know when it's going off but if you don't do something it's gonna blow up in your face.

DIET: -1 years
I won't lecture you on what foods you should be eating. I'm sure you already know. Is 1 years of life worth the sacrifice? Your choice.

EXERCISE: 0 years
Exercising 20-40 minutes each day can add many years to your life.

HAPPINESS: 4 years
As Emerson said, "Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." Keep smiling :)

EDUCATION: 1 years
Not surprisingly, higher education equals longer life.

DRIVING: 2 years
You're no fool.The average person has a 30% chance of being in a serious accident in their lifetime but your odds are lower than average.

How does yours come out? I definitely have some things to improve on, of course.

This is my week for health

Monday: Took a friend to a medical appointment
Tuesday: Had a colonoscopy
Wednesday: Had a flu shot
Thursday: Am signing my will, durable power of attorney, and living will
Friday: Go back to the gynaecologist

Then next week there's my regular doctor, the 15th there's a mammogramme, and on Halloween my endocrinologist. October is my 'get healthy' month, apparently.  I also checked with the YMCA, and I can do a programme called Fit for You that is free with my membership with four training sessions to help get me started. I'm going to try to start next week after I run it by my doctor. Yay!

Trying to do better, and it was working--at least today

Last night before I went to bed I downloaded a book on diabetes from the Kindle Lending Library, purchased three others for the Kindle (one on exchanges, one on carbohydrate counting, and one general text I'd checked out at the library that's really good), and then today checked out yet another to the Kindle from the Lexington Public Library. I really want to get a handle on my diabetes.

I was looking for a food diary that would let me put in specific foods (I had a more generalised one), and the Spark People one is now a paid-for application without good reviews, and besides, doing anything on SparkPeople.com means ads, ads, and more ads. Fit Day works well online, but I didn't see a mobile application. Then I found (from the comments comparing and reviewing it with Spark People) an application called My Fitness Pal, which has both an online and mobile presence, allows for social stuff, but doesn't inundate you like Spark People does. It has a large database of foods and you can scan pre-packaged foods with UPCs easily. The only thing I ate today that was like that was some Oikos Greek yoghurt, but it worked like a charm. I wound up under my goal caloric intake but not terribly so, got most of my nutrients (was a little short on Vitamin A, but I do take a multivitamin as well). I did have a fairly high cholesterol because I ate two eggs today. On the other hand, it's not like I'm eating fatty meat, either. The application has a fitness log as well. I have a separate application for my blood sugar, insulin, hA1c, etc., called On Track.

The result, along with taking my insulin faithfully, was that my blood sugars were much better than yesterday. Much better. So, I just have to keep it up, right? I was also able to get the replacement insulin from the pharmacy. Yay!

I woke up feeling refreshed, before my alarm went off

although my foot is stiff and difficult to walk on. Usually the kinks relax by the morning, but I've just got to hope that it'll get better after I've been up and about. A shower would probably help, too.

I'm trying to get back into the habit of recording my blood sugar and medicine to stay on track (it's gone back up now that I'm active again, and sometimes I forget to take my insulin), so I downloaded an application I've used before to the phone, appropriately enough called 'On Track'. It tracks my glucose, hA1c, medication, and weight. I could have it track other things like blood pressure and pulse as well, but my blood pressure, thankfully, is usually good. I also downloaded some applications I'd gotten through Amazon awhile back. One is 'Calorific', which tracks food, and one is 'CardioTrainer', an associated workout application that tracks your time, route, etc. and gives you how much you've gone in a nice soothing British voice. :) I'm finally to the point where doing a little walking around the hospital parking lot might be possible, although I don't want to push it. But maybe a short walk.

On the agenda today:

1. There is no game. Brenda is at a doll meet.
2. Stop by Kroger for a couple of things YKWIA needs.
3. Eat the wonderful food we made yesterday.
4. Help clean up a bit.
5. Work on a project.

I'm hoping to get home tonight and do a little straightening up, but I've said that a lot and I haven't done it yet. But it is getting messy. I did water the plants just now, as they were pining for water. So is the fish tank. I'm a bad mom.

Not good

For Americans Under 50, Stark Findings on Health

Younger Americans die earlier and live in poorer health than their counterparts in other developed countries, with far higher rates of death from guns, car accidents and drug addiction, according to a new analysis of health and longevity in the United States.

Researchers have known for some time that the United States fares poorly in comparison with other rich countries, a trend established in the 1980s. But most studies have focused on older ages, when the majority of people die.

The findings were stark. Deaths before age 50 accounted for about two-thirds of the difference in life expectancy between males in the United States and their counterparts in 16 other developed countries, and about one-third of the difference for females. The countries in the analysis included Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and Spain.

Woke up this morning

when the sun was properly up and realised that I had set my DOCLINE account (the service through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine through which we order interlibrary loans) to 'away' at least until the 30th and, but didn't reject the two requests in my received queue. I tried to log in to it via the tablet but my 'finger memory' for the account and password doesn't work when I'm swiping on a tablet keyboard. So, I got up, made it to the living room, and had no problem getting in at the computer. I went ahead and received them, then rejected them as 'OTH' for 'other'. There really is no other reason that covers oh, your solo librarian got hit by a car, and won't be in for awhile.

So that's taken care of, and those requests can move on. The people who set the account to 'away' are in Chicago, meaning they're probably just getting to work about now, so I did it before the request was set. I was afraid the two requests would get stuck as a result--I've heard of that before.

Feeling good (comparably) so far, although it's early in the day. I woke up about 6:45, went to the bathroom, took meds, checked my blood sugar, ate, that sort of thing, and went back to bed. I have to get my blood sugar down before the surgery. I've not been as vigilant with the diabetes as I could be because I've, well, been a little out of it. But the diabetes has to be in the best control I can do before surgery, and I'll have to watch it closely here on out because it will affect my wound healing. Trust me, I don't want to go from broken bone to wound care, to amputation. I may wind up in a wheelchair temporarily, but I want to stress the temporary part if I can.

I wish I could do something about the house. It's not bad, but there's stuff lying here and there, and there are dishes to do, plants to water, bathroom to clean, that sort of thing. I might be able to get a folding chair and get it to the kitchen sink (I probably should do that when I'm bathing anyway, since I just have the walker and one supposedly good leg. The water for the plants I could put in a two-litre bottle and in a bag. But that does put off the balance on the walker. I don't know. I don't want to take the chance on falling. I keep my phone in my pocket just in case when I'm up, and Friday after my appointment I'm going to get a key made for Brandon (who can get here quickly in a car) and for YKWIA (who should just have one on principle). I haven't been putting the chain on the door. If all else fails there's an emergency number for the apartment complex that I can use in the meantime to get them to open the door. And if I fall and hurt myself any more, I'll just call 911. That's the plan. Here's to no falls. The next time someone is over, maybe I can have them water the plants and take that chair over to the sink.

Okay, it's been awhile since I took the short-acting insulin when I ate. I'm going to go take the long-acting one and hopefully read for awhile. I haven't really done any so far; I haven't felt up to it. But I have several good books to choose from. One is one of the Jim Butcher books, which are set in Chicago. Maybe if I can't go, I can at least go there in my mind, reading. :)

Trying to be conscientious

Since it's Saturday, and I don't have a huge time constraint, and I'm usually worse about taking care of my health on the weekends, I've taken the time to take my medicine exactly as indicated, am eating breakfast (steel-cut Irish oats), and am generally taking things slow and not rushing about like a madwoman trying to catch the bus. In fact, I'm going to try to avoid taking the bus altogether today, if I can.

Agenda for the day (subject to change):

1. Go to the little Circle K shop near my house and get some money, bread, and possibly laundry quarters.
   
2. Go to the Bluegrass Farmer's market and get some tomatoes, at least.
   
3. Work on an application for a job that's due Monday by 9 am.
   
4. If I can get quarters, do laundry. I just need to do a load or two.
   
5. Do a once-over cleaning in the bathroom.
   
6. Load the dishwasher.
   
7. Work on a book review.
   
8. Watch Desk Set.
   

Not too bad. Notice game notes are not on the list; those were done last week and we didn't play. So, that's ready to go. I should charge my batteries for the voice recorder for tomorrow, though. Okay, I'm off to do things. Enjoy your weekend.

PS Sorry for not posting yesterday. After staying up Thursday I did fall asleep pretty early on Friday, and was out like a light. But that's not unusual at the end of the week. :)

Not feeling well

I was in the library alone finishing up my data entry sheets when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest going down my right arm. My back hurt, I became nauseous, light-headed, and my head hurt. I sat there for a few minutes debating as to whether I was having a heart attack or if it were merely gas pain, doing the 'I don't want to be a bother if it's nothing, but I don't want to die, either' thing. Then I got up and went to the unit and became much more dizzy and flushed. They took my blood pressure, which was something like 165/86, much high for me, but my pulse was okay, and they said it's more dangerous to have the numbers very close together. My blood sugar was 264, which isn't all that unusual for me, but they were freaking out and telling me to take some insulin, which I did. Once I felt a little better, one of my co-workers took me on home a few minutes early.

My ankles are also swollen (they do that in the summer, and we've had unseasonably warm weather). I'm feeling better now, but it was a little unnerving. I'll check my blood sugar in a little while, since I took the insulin without eating anything, to make sure I don't go too low. And if any of the symptoms worsen, I'm a block from a hospital emergency room. So we'll see. I really want to lie down, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. But I think I will put my feet up for awhile using the recliner on the loveseat.

I am so glad it's Friday. It's been a very long week, and I'm glad to see it go. I've worked hard, been very busy, and today was no exception. I'm finally getting my full time in (well, I was short 15 minutes for this week coming home early, but I can make that up easily next week). But I kind of feel like I can't get ahead in what I'm doing, at least when it comes to part of my job, not on the library front, but the other. Plus, we've had a lot of people using the library lately (which is very good), so there's always something going on, virtually every moment, and I am constantly on the alert for patrons in need of assistance, which is probably good for me.

This weekend I have to finish some book selections for an outside project, a book review for a library journal, get a couple of things from the store and take them to a friend, try to get sticky footprints from disintegrating shoes off a floor, visit a bit, and hopefully on Sunday play the game. Plus it's time to do more laundry, and there's the game notes. So again, lots to do.

But right now, I'm putting my feet up and maybe I'll read (and not as a euphemism for going to sleep), or I might play 'Angry Birds: Space', which is incredible fun, especially now that there are gravity wells to deal with. Maybe that will relax me and bring down my blood pressure.

Rude awakening

On my fourth alarm (I set four every morning, with the hopes that as they start at 6 am, maybe I'll wake up by 8), I pulled the humidifier that attaches to my CPAP off the stand, although not the CPAP machine itself. (My CPAP machine is a decade or so old--it didn't come with an internal humidifier, so that was added later. It's basically a hotplate with a reservoir, connected by hoses.) Anyway, the air cut out, and water started gurgling down the hose towards me. I got up, trying to find the humidifier, which was hanging off the stand (it's on a platform that is hinged, and the CPAP kept it from coming off entirely). Where I have a queen-sized bed, the hose normally extends far enough but not if I reach too quickly for the phone to turn off the alarm.

So I was up at 7. I've decided to take my lunch today, so I packed some hummus and flatbread, some plain non-fat Greek yoghurt from a large container I put in a smaller one I had around, some blueberries I put in a little container, and some non-sugar added applesauce. Also, I'm having granola cereal for breakfast with blueberries. I haven't had cereal in months, and it's quite tasty. So I think that's a healthy start to the day. I have enough hummus and flatbread I can eat dinner there, as well. I've been spending way too much money eating in the hospital cafeteria.

On top of the healthy eating, I may go for a walk today. It's supposed to be 56 degrees and partly sunny. I have a conference call and a performance appraisal meeting, so I don't know if I'll have time, and of course, my feet can be an issue, although they feel really nice right now. So we'll see.

Okay, I've checked my blood sugar, taken my medicine, packed my lunch, eaten breakfast, checked my e-mail, and so now I have an hour to kill before getting ready for work. I think I'll check up on the librarians whose blogs I follow and the news on Google Reader.

Oh, and one thing I found off the bat, from Morbid Anatomy:

Lost Libraries and Fake Catalogs: A Renaissance Trope Explained, talking about the phenomenon of the Musaeum Clausum (the hidden library). Enjoy.

Today's visit to the doctor

included the longest and most thorough laboratory report I've ever had, colour-coded according to how good or bad the findings were. They even tested for genetic predisposition for heart disease (fortunately I came out well in that regard) and sensitivity/metabolism for Plavix (which I'm not on, but apparently I should only ever be on small doses if that). It was quite impressive, and both the accompanying literature and my doctor explained things well. We increased my insulin, and I have two new meds to go on, based on the results of the tests. I'm hoping that will help. I see him again in a month, then in July to have the tests done again, and August to go over them. A lot of the report was actually good, but there are a couple of areas related to my diabetes/metabolic syndrome that have to be addressed.

I've been very good about recording my own glucose testing, taking my insulin as I'm supposed to, and I've been eating better as well. I hope to add exercise in there, too, now that my feet are doing better, and the next 10 days are going to be relatively warm (highs from 46-55 degrees), with some days clear of rain. Wish me luck!