PHYSICAL CHALLENGES ~ April Thread

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  • WELCOME EVERYONE ~ Please join us in our thread: to give support and encouragement; to share ideas, and/or just chat with one another about everyday issues ...

    This special thread is for anyone with any kind of physical obstacle and/or challenge like SB, CP, MS, MD, PK, Lupus, Osteo, Arthritis, Rheumatism, or any other condition (s), whether genetic or acquired (like injuries), that causes some physical limitations and/or difficulties.




    HAPPY APRIL EVERYONE


    ********************************************

    ROSEBUD
  • Good Morning . . .

    Looks like a lot of April Fools' stuff going on around here and no real people are involved. First of all; every morning weather forecast says it is , but my little area is absolutely solidly overcast. Secondly, my great FBGL from yesterday is not with me this morning. Just before I ate my oatmeal and apple concoction, I was 6.3 / 113 and that was after I took my morning glyburide and metformin. Fasting was 7.2.

    My chest congestion was very bad last night when I went to bed, but I don't see how that could impact anything. Been using the Flomax inhaler for over a week now and it certainly is not providing any relief.

    To round out my health (and weather) related whining . . . the ankle is still bothering me a lot as is all my other arthritic places (it is definitely damp these days) and now I seem to have some chest wall pain from all the coughing I've been doing.


    VAL . . . the insulin needles are very fine and actually less painful than the lancets you have to use to test . . . every once in a while I manage to hit a funny spot and end up with either a burning sensation for a few seconds and/or a little bruise. The thing I dislike most about having to use insulin is the fact that it makes weight loss soooooo difficult.

    Have a good Wednesday folks . . .
  • Hi, Friends! And, "Happy" April Fool's Day

    I got my DH this morning first thing to get it out of the way-told him I was pregnant Now, he's known that's just not any kind of possibility since DS3 was born 12 years ago, but he still got that panicky-glazed-over-in-the-eyes look Now, I have to think of some way to 'get' the boys, because I know they're going to be working on tricking me allllllllll day!

    We actually got a trick from the weather today. Woke up to a dusting of that nasty white stuff again! Will this winter ever end?

    Not much else going on here. We get our new furnace and a/c tomorrow! I'm looking forward to lower bills, as these new units are much higher efficiency that what we have now. Hope you all have a really nice day and get some nicer weather, too!
  • YES, HAPPY APRIL FOOL's DAY ~ to you all too! We all were fooled today; it is supposed to be spring; and we woke up to bleary overcast weather that started with rain and turned to sleet, then ****, then back to rain tonight! Yes, Mother Nature is the one playing games on us today!

    RONNI ~ so great that you are finally getting a new 'high-efficiency' furnace in your place that will help the fuel bills be less for you and your family. You know, I have heard of stranger things happening: a friend of mine's mother was supposed to have had her tubes cut after she was born, but nine months later, she gave birth to another bouncing baby girl ... the inexperienced fill-in doctor forgot to do a pregnancy test before arranging for the procedure ...

    THANKS MEOWEE ~ I know how you feel about the damp weather; it really bothers the muscles in my legs too. Hope your BSL's get back in line again real soon; and we all are hoping Mr. will come back and bring some authentic spring temps with him. DH and I wanted to turn our furnace off soon, but we are gonna have to postpone that until the middle of April now as it's still too cold out there. We were looking for a 6-month window (6 on and 6 off), but we may not be that fortunate this year.

    HEY VAL ~Had a good eating day: I am trying to keep my carbs down to a managable level today, and I think I succeeded. I was reading an article about a doctor who tried an experiment with a small village of Native Canadians out in BC to see if he could in effect -- "cure" them of their diabetes using a very strict, low-carb diet. About 10 percent of the population already were diabetic. He had gotten his health better using the same method (and he had some native in his ancestory), so he thought he could help them this way.

    Anyhow, those that could stick to the very strict program, did lose some weight (40-60 lbs on average); and some even reversed their diabetes; but in the end, there was a huge problem ... many of them couldn't stick to the plan long term and some gained all the weight back within only one year. I kinda expected those results, because I have been on those plans and regained myself. That's why I personally believe the plan needs to be more balanced with "SOME" whole grains, and small portions of starch carb each day.

    That is what I am doing and I am having a better time keeping to this plan than before. I do believe that carbs have to be limited, but I try not to go under 3 a day and usually try for between 5-7 grain & starch carbs daily (with an emphasis on the whole grain carbs). I find this is much more managable for me. I'm not saying it's a piece of cake, becuz we all get cravings, but what I do now is have one serving of the craved food item and then move on ...

    For instance, if I crave chocolate, I will have one serving of something really chocolatey. As I was saying in my last post of March's thread, this strategy is keeping me from all-out binges. Now, if I make a mistake, I just keep on going the next snack or meal; and try to make up for it later on that day or the next day, or over the week. So far, this is helping me a lot ...

    Well, I spent the day doing laundry and other daily small household stuff; we had salisbury steak for dinner (me with salad on the side), and DH had his on ww buns. Sometimes, I eat them with no buns, or put them in a quarter of a whole wheat pita pocket, which is only 50 calories and I toast it a bit in the toaster first. This is one trick I use to cut down on the grain carbs.

    Anyways, just wanted to get in here and post a bit. I fell asleep earlier after doing a puzzle and putting my feet up which were a bit sore today (probably all the damp weather out there all day). Take good care ladies, and I hope you all have a Lovelier spring day tomorrow!!!
    ROSEBUD
  • Good Morning . . .

    Another damp and dull day. That will mean lots of aches and pains no doubt. At least it is going to be fairly mild (up to 7+C/almost 50F) and no snow.

    On the good news front, the FBGL was a happy 5.7 / 103 this morning and the scale was 209. Of course, who knows where either one may land tomorrow.

    Oh well . . . onward and downward, Chickies. See you all later.
  • just running by. i came home for my lunch hour
  • HI LADIES ~ we had milder temps and the sun tried to peak through now and then, so we did get some melting. However, we had to rescue some boxes from our shed as it turns out the roof leaks and the snow was melting onto my boxes. We did lose a few books, but thank goodness, none of my most favorite ones ... somebody upstairs was watching over them for sure. I kept bugging DH to go out and check to see if anything good was still in there; and he finally went today and managed to save most of the stuff.

    Well, that was our excitement for the day ~ I now have books and stuff hanging and standing all over the place to make sure they are perfectly dry before we put them on the book shelves. So, DH has a new project for those off days this year ~ he has to build a floor on the bottom of the shed. We already have the wood, so it won't cost us anything; this way, from now on, everything will be up and off the ground. He also wants to fix the shelves which aren't very sturdy.

    Anyways, had a good OP day with the food; we had fish and homebaked fries, and coleslaw for dinner tonight. The weather was yucky this morning, so we didn't go anywhere; opting to stay home and do stuff around here instead. So I know what I'll be doing for the rest of this week; sorting stuff out again ... and I thought I was almost done!

    HI MEOWEE ~ sounds like those BSL's are trying to level out a bit; and it looks like you really do have a solid loss after all. All we can do, is just keep on chuckin' ...

    HIYA VAL ~ TGIF tomorrow ... that post was sweet & short; but I'm glad that you dropped by. Hope you have a great weekend ...

    HI to PURPLE, and RONNI, and BEVERLYJOY, and NUMPSTER ... hope you all have a FABULOUS FRIDAY!!! ROSEBUD
  • Hello Ladies

    Went and did a delivery yesterday to a well known seaside resort on the East coast of England. It was a long journey for us so we were up early very early for me so I am still recovering today I am afraid. Due to going very early yesterday it meant I was in bed early the day before to help. The weather was suppose to be nice but was cloudy and fogyish at the coast. Yet 50 miles from there the weather was so different really sunny and hot. Found a lovely place to take a rest and have a break for food. So good on that front so not too expensive. Have another trip planned for next week on Wednesday this time up to Yorkshire the biggest county in the UK. Shouldn't be too bad on paper as it is not too far away plus going up North from where we live.

    Weather today was cloudy this morning and chilly with it. Though now this afternoon totally different as it is warm and sunny. Thats the British weather for you never know how to dress

    Our next door neighbour still remains in hospital he has been a very poorly man and has been lucky to be alive. He has a poorly heart and had a heart attack in the last 12 months. So not been so fortunate with his health in the last year.

    Today another neighbour who has not seen me for a long while came across to see if I was alright when she saw my DH. She did not recognise me due to my weight loss and plus my hair is slightly different as I am growing my fringe (bangs) out. She was so shocked and thought I must have been poorly to loose all this weight. I convinced her that I hadn't been ill and it was just through healthy eating.

    ROSEBUD Sound like your shed needed some new felt on to stop the leaks. On a positive at least none of your favourite books went for a Burton (ruined slang word here is Burton). Good job my DH does not look in the top of my wardrobe is is packed to the hilt with my books I also have a few under the spare bed in drawers that he hasn't got a clue about Though I am struggling to read like I use to but I am hoping that it will come back soon. I do miss it it is like an old friend reading as I have always read.

    I have heard the about the same "diet" you mention for treating diabetis. Though it is hard to keep up long term. So I think it is a matter of trying to balance your life I think if you change most of your bad habits in food and keep them at bay. The odd naughty thing that creeps in is not so damming or damaging. I think we still all keep those cravings yours is for chocolate mine is the same as yours. Every now and again I indulge to get rid of it then keep of it again. Not easy but like someone said in here pick your hard nothing is easy when you have a weight problem.

    MEOWEE You are affected by the weather like my friend who had an horrific injury through work which required extensive surgery on her spine. If the weather is cold and damp that is always a difficult time for her.

    Thanks for explaining the American blood sugar measurement it use to completely baffle me that one now it makes sense. Glad your blood sugar still remains in a good range great going I know how difficult it can be sometimes to get it to level out sometimes.

    VALDINE Nice to see that your OK and have stopped by in your lunch break. Now pork pies I do not really like them it is the jelly that I am not so keen on. If the pie is tightly packed with meat then that is not so bad but I would chose something else to eat if there was a choice. So as you can see I am not overly fond of them but some people love them each to their own

    I can't believe it into another month already. Hope none of you were "got" on April fools day. Well time to go must go and tackle some food preparation sure it will be done quickly if I get my finger pulled out.

    Bye to all catch up with you soon

    purpleorc
  • Hi . . .

    I swear I will never understand this disease completely . . . BGL this morning at breakfast time was 5.9 / 106 . . . The metre- was being kind because yesterday turned into a terribly bad day of eating far too many fast acting carbs. So far today I'm doing well.

    You have to be careful with whatever you choose as either a weight-loss plan or a diabetes control plan or (like many of us) a plan for both -- whatever you do, it absolutely has to be something you can stick to FOREVER. Definitely not what I did yesterday.

    Our weather has been quite mild and it is around 10C/50F again today but it is overcast. The snow is now melting a bit too quickly and my yard looks like a swamp. We are supposed to be getting a few days of mostly rain starting tonight and that will turn it into a lake, I fear. Not that I want to keep the snow, though.

    Haave a great TGIF everyone . . .
  • HI LADIES ~ we are in the midst of one windy & blowy white-out snowstorm. It started around 7 pm with masses of big flakes, then the winds came in and it was hard to see out there. There is absolutely no-one on the roads every since; so quiet, it's weird ...

    I just stayed home and did stuff around here. We had less birds today, I have a feeling some have already left for warmer temps down south and the ones left are permies and stragglers. I noticed through my binoculars today that despite all the snow out there, the buds are forming on all the trees and bushes. I was looking at a flock of birds that looked like snowbirds; and indeed, that was exactly what they were.

    They came through our place and landed on a tree across the road; might be the females coming up to join the males, I guess. Their real names are bunting birds, but everyone affectionately calls them Snowbirds because they love the snow and cold weather. The males come up north in March and the females come up in early April to join them way up north for their breeding season. I was really happy to see them this year; we also saw some up near where we used to live, and out at our lot as well, in March, so they still stop over here.

    YOUR RIGHT PURPLE ~ this shed does indeed need a new roof covering or patching for something; what a shock to go out there and find the place almost totally flooded. DH had put big heavy-duty plastic tarps over everything, but he forgot about the bottom of the boxes. It never occurred to him that we'd end up with a partially frozen lake inside there.

    Anyhow, we are gonna have to figure out something. DH says we can't keep anything of value in there. We are gonna check out the other shed to see if it is more waterproof, and maybe move some stuff over there until we can see what we can do with this one.

    ABOUT THAT LC PLAN ~ yes, I think that a 'MODIFIED' plan might work better for these people, but as one doctor said, no-one has ever tried that kind out yet. They know that cutting the processed carbs and sugar can help reverse diabetes symptoms, but what they haven't figured out is what the method works best to keep blood sugar levels in line and the weight off long-term.

    Someone else will likely have to do another experiment of a modified version to see what would work best, ie cutting strictly at first, then adding whole grain and vegetable carbs back in, a bit at a time; or slowing decreasing some simple carbs over time until a person health balances out. Someday soon maybe ...

    MEOWEE ~ you are having better weather than us right now; really big storm here ... looks like something we normally would get in March, not April. Yes, I think that diabetes is hard to figure especially since everyone is different too, so that has to be taken into consideration; but I would much rather have good health for life, not just six months like what happened for many in this study.

    And, it kinda bothers me that this experiment is being touted as an "amazing success" when 100 people started out, but only 40 or less continued for six months or more; and most of those reverted back to old ways and regained the weight. The participants were very honest and admitted that they really struggled longterm, and they called it a real 'battle' ...

    Anyways, we all must continue to do the best we can; and figure out what works best for each of us. Today was a more relaxed day for us; nothing too exciting going on here. They are predicting more of the same weather for the whole weekend, so we'll be sticking close to home for awhile. Hope you all have a great weekend; take good care all ... ROSEBUD
  • Good Morning . . .

    We've got wet and wildly windy but definitely above freezing temperatures and the snow is going fast. BUT . . . I definitely do not like what you are reporting ROSEBUD. What you have now, we usually get in another day or two.

    Afraid that doesn't spell "amazing success" in my books either. Actually nothing that is very strict and only successful in the short term is high on my list of things to try.

    BTW, my FBGL was back to 5.4 / 97 this morning but the scale is still hanging on to an extra half pound from my eating debacle on Thursday. Hopefully it will be gone soon too.

    Don't know what I might get up to today -- would like to go out, but with this dampness, I already ache so badly I'm likely a lot better off inside. However, since the long range forecast right now is calling for more of the same everyday for the next week I just might be better off going for some groceries today. Will see what I feel like this afternoon.

    Hope the rest of you hve some fun stuff in your weekend plans.
  • MEOWEE ~ Oh, I'm glad that your sugar numbers are sounding so good right now. I ate a bit too much yesterday too; we all have those days, but I'll try to balance it all out over the next week. So far, I'm doing better today too.

    Sorry to say ... that storm is still here; pounded us all night and we have snow almost as high as we did before the melting started. Well, the birds hadn't really left; we have a huge flock of SNOWBIRDS here -- must be 200 or more. Along with them, came a large flock of finches -- also 100 or more, I'm sure. So we are in bird-heaven again; and I got some really nice picks of them too, as well as all this new snow. The snow is blowing south and the clouds are going south, I'm afraid ...

    Just popped in here this mornig to let you know what's happening here; we are definitely snowed in as the snow is almost up to the top of our tires on our car. DH says if this keeps up for as long as they are predicting, our car will be totally buried. I don't like that idea at all. You think that winter has decided not to leave yet or what? It's going out like a 'LION' for sure ...

    Hope you all are having better weather than us; take good care. I might drop by later on tonight to give you an update ... hehehe!

    ROSEBUD
  • Hi ladies and good afternoon


    Busy morning spent cooking dinner and baking muffins as I had a glut of bananas. So tired at the minute I must admit all that time standing on my feet. At the minute the last batch of the banana muffins are just cooking well not muffins this one it is in a bread loaf tin.

    Gloriously sunny day today which is lovely at 14c. Today is the big horse race in the UK called the grand national I suppose equivalent of the Kentucky Derby I suppose. That will be run in the next hour or so.

    MEOWEE Glad your blood sugar level remains good this am but sorry to hear that the weather is making you ache. Lets hope that the warmer weather is around the corner very soon for you to make it better for you on the health front.

    ROSEBUD The incident you have had with your garden shed springing a leak got me to thinking last night I really hope mine does not spring a leak as we have all sorts in there. With not having much room in the bungalow it tends to get used as an over flow storage. Nothing of great value kept in there but things add up in cost don't they.

    I think your right about the "diet" for diabetes that would be a good one to run a trial on starting off strict and gradually adding in a more sustainable diet as the weeks go on. I watched a programme on 6 people whom where insulin dependant and they went to this place where they had a very strict vegan diet. Yes their diabetes did go but keeping this diet up long term I think would be difficult. (very) Even a gentleman whom had had juvenile diabetes reduced his insulin to virtually nothing but I suspect that he was not sticking to the diet completely as I think he was drinking alcohol which is sugar laden. It would be interesting to do a follow up programme to see how many had stuck to this life style.

    It is like there is a diet for MS called the swank diet. For me I personally do not think that I could stick to it as I am not that disciplined. I am happy for those who see an improvement in their MS from this diet but I do not think it is the route for me to go down. I have tried to cut down on red meat and have more white and vegetarian. Plus have plenty of fruit and vegetables with whole grain bread etc. That for me is a far cry from what I was eating so much more healthier than I was eating.

    At the minute TOM is luming up thick and fast so I am craving sweet stuff like it is going out of fashion Good job it only happens a few days a month this sweet craving.

    No more news for today must go and check my cooking in the oven and test its cooked. Then definitely put my feet up so bye for now and take care

    purpleorc
  • HI, I'M BACK ~ for a quickie post to let you know that the snow finally stopped just a short while ago, but I can still hear some windy updrafts coming through our furnace vent. Those lovely SNOWBIRDS stayed for most of the day and wandered off just before dinner; was sure nice having them here again!

    HIYA PURPLE ~ getting lots of baking done I see; will have to make DH some more soon too, as today he finished off the last of his banana-prune muffins. He needs the extras as he had to shovel the car out this morning (almost buried in snow). Our front porch is still buried with snow, but they did get the laneway cleared out for us.

    We had cabbage rolls for dinner tonight; I really like them a lot and I think they are a fairly healthy meal too. Just a quiet night at home; don't wanna venture out anywhere right now; they are forcasting for more of the same for the next few days ... eeks!

    Hope you all have a SPECTACULAR SUNDAY!!! ROSEBUD
  • Good SUNDAY Morning . . .

    Well . . . there's definitely no in my SUNday but it is mild and melty with no sign of your snow in the forecast, Rosebud. Hope you get another sunny day, too, Purple.

    Good eating day yesterday and good BGL this morning and the scale was even kind to me. Now, if I could just stop the aching and the coughing.