Caffeine Switch

Jan. 7 

10,136 steps

Monday afternoon, I took a solid five-hour nap. I never had the desire or motivation to try any steps after I fell. I resumed that on Tuesday.

We were not out or spent time looking out the door but never heard about more snow. Too bad. 

We went to the podiatrist. She was trimming my nails nicely. I requested she dig the nail from under the side of the toe and the ingrown part. She did. That was the way she always did it. I told her if it hurt me, I was okay with that. It hurt a lot.

I messed up at the grocery and bought the wrong thing. Then one employee shrugged his shoulders and walked off. So, I went back and found another employee. I told her my experience and wondered if she could help me. She described the guy and asked if it were him. Yes, it was. Then, she told me customers complained about him. I was wondering what I did to make him act the way he did. Apparently, nothing. 

Then, I was looking for a bogo meat special. It is in next week's ad. So, how did I see that since the ad is not out? 

Then, I went on to buy wrong stuff supposed to be bogo, but I had the wrong things. Now, I have to go back tomorrow for returns and the new ad items. 

Tommy hates Coke. Tommy hates Caffeine Free. When he runs out of his Diet Pepsi, he drinks my Diet Coke Caffeine Free which is perfectly okay with me. He has been out for a week. I bought some today that he wants--Diet Pepsi, b2g1. One of those 12-packs is Caffeine Free. He took them out of the car and put some in the refrigerator. He has not mentioned some are CF. 

We are making sure we are set for the storm. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. I will have food made, plenty of milk for both of us, and all laundry done. Since he has to walk outside and up the driveway and up into the carport to get to laundry room, I don't want him to walk on ice. Hopefully, the electricity will stay on. Maybe I will get out a big, fluffy comforter that is only warm with plenty of blankets underneath. Strange comforter.

Oh, doctor recommended a cleaner/helper. I called her number, and a child answered, saying she was not there. There was lots of screaming like rowdy children playing. This could be a challenge. 

Dinner: frozen lasagna, one that only has good things, nothing bad for us, butternut squash, lots of tomato chunks in the lasagna. 

Nothing hurts on my body, but all is stiff.

How are you preparing for the snow and ice?

Reindeer Attack

Jan. 6 skipping steps tonight

Today, we got up early and prepared to see the podiatrist, both of us. Well, I staggered to the door. It was dark inside and locked. On the door was a sign informing the public of new hours--Tues--Friday. 

Since we planned to go to Publix with a list of bogo items and other things we need, we shopped instead.  My electric cart would not turn, causing me pain. I almost hit a dozen people. Finally, a customer told and employee I needed a new cart. 

There was only one thing I could not find. There were no more Pepsi at noon and the Pepsi man came this morning. Grrr. No one checked the back. My hands trembled the whole time, and I was in no mood to be right. 

When we came home, I took the two loaves of bread and three bananas and went up the ramp to save the soft things and unlock the door. My toe of left shoe caught where ramp meets porch and I slammed into the deer headfirst. 

The porch was freezing. I was screaming because my elbow was twisted under me. I could not get my elbow out. I thought I could twist around and sit up. It is a good thing I did not because I would have fallen off backward. I landed on the bread and dropped the bananas!

Two of the guys grabbed me by upper arms and to pick me up. I was screaming in pain, telling them they were hurting me because of torn rotator cuffs. Two other guys chimed in and said I had told them before. Of course, the new guys did not know. So, they stuffed the soft stretcher under me and got me to my feet. 

My poor deer barely survived my lunging into them. Tommy has been struggling in below freezing (31F) and (18F feels like) weather to make the deer stand. I told him to lay them on the porch. We can see how broken they are next Christmas. It is snowing on and off. 

I have a huge abrasion on head. The deer are a wire frame with soft mesh around them. So, there is no damage to my head except for the burn of the abrasion. 

When I fell, I knocked over a pot of dirt and broke it. So, I was sitting in that. When I sat down inside, my behind and leg were wet. Lovely mud.  Poor Tommy has been out in the cold for an hour. He just came in and said his hands are numb. They look swollen. 

The guys were telling me I had bedazzled my clothes. I suppose after rolling around in the deer glitter, I have dragged in enough to last until next Christmas. 

Tommy just looked at his day planner. He has the appointment correct in his day planner but told me the wrong date. Oh well! I am more annoyed at all the glitter in the house right now. Shockingly, I did not break any fingernails or bones. 

No chiding me! The mud on my behind and glitter all over me, squashed bread and bruised bananas are my only problem.

When Tommy finally came in, he immediately brought me a Hershey's Miniature. Good man. Just now, he told me I broke the plastic pot AND my watering can! I did more damage to everything else than me. 

I never slept on Sunday night, so that probably played a part in the tumble. I am going to bed now at 3:30 and eat dinner later after a nap. Tommy said he can get a bag of meatballs and leftover vegetables. I will eat tuna with lots of carrots and celery in it. We will survive! The dinner for tonight will be for Tuesday night.

I  did get an appointment, most important doctor for this week!!!

Struggling

 Jan. 5, 2025

Steps 9,999

I barely made it this far pedaling. I am definitely sick. I may have to go to ER if I cannot get a doctor appointment.  I can barely walk and keep going to sleep in my chair. It is not the same old stuff I get, much more serious.

We had the other two hamburgers for dinner and finished the chopped slaw. The four burgers weighed 1.99 lbs., so each burger was 1/2 lb. of beef. 

I have lost weight back to my lowest weight and another pound to go with that. Of course, I only ate the burger, slaw, two graham crackers and cup of milk today.

It's raining like crazy right now. This will start a week of unpleasant, very cold weather, maybe snow. At least all Christmas items are out of the yard and deer are on the porch. 

I have not edited this, so no telling what is here. 

What kind of weather are you expecting this week?

Shocking Ad

 Jan 4, 2005

steps 9,999

I stopped using machine when it went off in order to make dinner. I put two premade burgers in skillet, salted and peppered then. They were so large we could have both eaten from one. I had to cut mine in half to cook it. 

This chopped salad has one of my favorite dressings--sweet onion. When a salad has shredded carrots or matchstick carrots, I am happy. However, there is never enough to suit me. So, I bought a pound of shredded carrots. Tonight, I put at least two helpings of carrots into the chopped salad. It is more nutritious and so colorful. We eat so much salad that this will be at least two helpings of vegetables tonight. 

I use matchstick carrots in my tuna salad, first chopping smaller. I can barely tell they are there. 

Carbs will be 1/4 of apple pie. There is so much crust that I will take that off the pie before I eat my piece. 

I only pedaled for 9,999 steps because I wanted to get dinner ready. 

Tommy went out today while I took an unplanned nap sitting in my chair. He got two extension cords from yard, took three strands of light from three tomato supports and put those on the porch, bagged up lights in separate bags, put all three deer on porch. Tommy pulled up the garden stakes with the garden tool, a short claw. The yard is cleared of Christmas! Taking apart and storing the deer in a huge box and getting them inside is impossible. His having to do this today makes me resent the cleaner even more. 

Today, I received junk mail that was shocking. It was from a fitness center. Pictures showed people on exercise equipment, baby in childcare, a tanning booth and weight training session with a personal trainer. I rejected it, then took it back and looked on the other side.

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And, there was a large picture of a woman giving herself an injection.

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I was shocked! Is this the new thing for a gym and fitness center?

Are you as surprised and shocked as I am? 

 

Time Well-spent

 Jan 3, 2005-- 10499 steps

The nurse came, the one Tommy described as 'rough.' The visit went well. She put lotion on my lower legs and feet. I cannot reach that far. Vitals were good. 

I saw cleaner. She approached me and wanted to know what was up. She said I never answer or call her back. She said she left messages. My inbox is full, so, NO. I told her so. She swears I never ever called her or left a message. YES, I did. So, with her failure to admit she did not get calls from me, it is over for me. 

With her excessive texting and her daughter and boyfriend here all the time, sitting outside and texting her, I am definitely over her 'help.' They were out in driveway cleaning out boyfriend's car. The daughter (19) ends up in house talking to mother when mother is supposed to be cleaning. The bf ended up at door, but I did not invite him in!

I am slowly filling all dates preordained. Tommy and I both keep a day planner, but we keep the other's information. 

My neighbor has had bronchitis and RSV. She brought home four prescriptions and had been banned from going to children's houses to see grandchildren's Christmas toys. I was asking her to come over where I was in car, but told her for my sake and hers to stay home. 

Since I slept almost three hours on Thursday night, I was desperate today for a nap-three hours. 

We cannot get out the red boxes for Christmas decorations. We have one she left out, so it will all go into that. Of course, we will start next Christmas very disorganized, I think when I get someone to help me, I will  make organizing Christmas a task I will pay to have done when it is finished. 

Now, it is time to do the lymphedema therapy. 

Robins have acted like it is spring. There are thousands of dandelions all about. There are none is our yard, though. Today, we saw a bluebird in the yard. Nature does not know there will be very cold weather this next week. 

When we do lymphedema therapy and I use the pedal machine, I spend 5 hours in therapy/exercise! So far, it is paying off. Tommy can see torso is slimmer and my face. Even my double chins are getting fewer and smaller. Of course, the weight loss happened earlier.

Okay, apple pie is on its way. 

How many hours do any of you spend in exercise or physical therapy? If you don't want to say, no problem. 

Have you seen many robins and bluebirds this year? Are dandelions in bloom where you live?

More Health News

Jan  2--12,000 steps

 In the last few months, I lost 33 pounds with little effort. Before, I had found some of my blouses were too tight to wear. Now, my favorite red blouse is loose! I need to try on the others that were too tight.

I think I become dehydrated during the pedaling. I am woozy even 30 minutes later. I cannot walk! Well, I can walk but feel like I might fall. 

Friday, the plan is to take extension cords from Christmas trees and reindeer. Because we have something else to do, the deer and trees may only make it to the front porch. The wreath can come down, too. The nurse is coming too, my least favorite of the workers. 

The ot person who just checks in and records vital signs and progress came on Thursday. I learned lots about hunting birds with dogs. I thought they just took a dog out to find birds shot down. It appears the dogs are very specifically trained. If the dog did not see the bird go down in the water, they can signal the dog to get its attention and point right or left. We learned more, but you probably already know the information. 

The leg therapy is helping greatly with lymphedema. But, the pressure is destroying my toes and feet. The pressure on my foot hurt the arch behind my toes so much I limped for over a day. I need to figure out how to turn down the pressure. 

I still have an excess two pounds from my lowest weight before Christmas.  It will come off. 

It is 5:30 am. Acid reflux has me sitting up. I do have med for that but it is linked to dementia. I accidentally woke Tommy, but he was snoring in less than a minute. Good! 

We collected the store ads today. Tommy went through them and said there was not much on sale we would want. I will check tomorrow. When he ran out of Diet Pepsi, he refused to drink one of my Diet Coke Caffeine Free. Now, he has been drinking them for almost a week because he ran out of Diet Pepsi. He was drinking four each day. When we find his drink b2g2, maybe he will switch to Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi. Since he was drinking four Diet Pepsis with Caffeine, that might be why he was getting so agitated. He takes bp med, so he should ditch the caffeine. Well, that is my opinion. 

Maybe I can go lie down without problems. 

Do you drink caffeine free drinks if you drink drinks that normally have caffeine? 

t

Rhapsodizing over a Machine

 Jan 1, 2025

steps 15,556 

The machine I have is working miracles already. Well, I am working it for miracles. 

I have to move the Legxercise machine in front of me each time I use it and then move it away. I thought it must weigh fifty pounds. It is heavy, but only fifteen pounds! When my daughter was a year old and weighed fifteen pounds, she was light as a feather. I cannot imagine cuddling this heavy machine! 

Sorry to go on and on about this machine, but I love it, love the results. Tonight, I was lying on the bed when I felt strange feelings in my abdomen. I concentrated to see what the feeling was. It was muscles. For the first time in a long time, I could hold in my stomach. My muscles worked! I could not really hold in my stomach much, but the effort was felt. 

I suppose the loss of face fat is due to loss of weight, but I wonder if improvement in lymphedema could cause the smaller face.???

Like I said, my feet are so much less swollen that I do not realize I still have my sandals on. I imagine in a few weeks I will have to tighten the buckles that I had let out. I found my Mother's ring I had misplaced, and it is too loose, even after moving it to a larger finger. My hands did not look or feel swollen, but I suppose they were. My knuckles have never been enlarged, so they look the same they always have looked. 

My left knee and left hip bend more easily to get into the car. Life is better. 

If we are going out of town overnight, I will carry the Legxerciser with me and use it in the motel room. I may have a duffle bag it will fit. I don't want to live without it now. After three days, I am hooked. 

Riding my bike was a supreme joy when I was a child, teen, and adult. I even rode it when pregnant and had people call my obgyn to tell me to quit. He did not. I put three-year-old on seat behind me and the one-year-old in the basket and rode them to pool and around town. 

So, this new machine is wonderful for me in many ways

Do you ever love a piece of machinery to exercise?