Hi everyone:
Kinda disappointed in myself. My dog dying has really thrown me off plan.
I disappointed I let that happen. I need to learn to get through tough times without turning to sugar.
Its been 2 weeks now and I am just getting back on track, however, I am now at a two day conference and won't have much control over the menu.
I will get some walking in, will walk from my hotel to the conference centre so I won't be too slack.
Trish, I hope the fibre keeps working for you and fitting in for your life. I sure won't harm anything.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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Mad, that happens to all of us at one time or another. I don't understand why. We are much happier when we are eating healthy. We go all that time, staying on plan, not missing the other food much, but then something happens in our life and throws us out of kilter. We know how to get back on track and fix it. You go, girl!
I've been MIA because I've been in the hospital since Tuesday night. Seems like having to drink the prep for 2 colonoscopies were not wise for me to do 2 days in a row. I was totally dehydrated and ended up with a serious kidney infection and then they found another infection in my blood culture. I had so much saline iv to hydrate me and Rocefin antivbiotic iv. Another blood test revealed my magnesium is way low. They ended up giving me 7 iv packs of that stuff over 3 days. Had the last one an hour before I was released this afternoon.
It is a good thing I got to come home, because I had told my nurse today when my iv machine was beeping that I was not taking any more iv's because I am so swollen my legs and arms are soooo tight that they tingle almost numb. There is no way that my body could take one more ounce of fluid. although now that I am home I'm taking a fluid pill and drinking fluids trying to get this to start coming off. The nurse talked about giving me Lasix so when I came home I took one of Tony's. I do have the mild one they were giving to me daily. I don't know how bad it would have been if they hadn't been doing that.
One good thing that came out of this is my diet. They had me on a 1800 calorie ADA diet, but I never ate as much as I was allowed. I did use it to learn what I can eat and how much. After all it is planned by dieticians. I got a lot of ideas especially since the doctor said to eat more fiber and taking into consideration what he said about having to be careful eating seeds, grains and nuts. They fed me little red potatoes. I ate smaller salads but had them everyday at lunch and dinner. I've decided that I could eat this way but still eat around 1200 calories, but allow up to 1500 on occasion or if I decide to continue the JUDDD.
Getting late. Catch y'all later. Have a great week end.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,431
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Sorry to hear you had to go into the hospital, but I'm glad they got you all straightened out and they found a few things that you would not have known about otherwise. Glad you are home. The fluid will come off on it's own in time, so be careful with the Lasix, as it might put you right back into dehydration and low minerals. My doctor always puts me on potassium any time he puts me on a diuretic. Just be careful.
That was the 1800 ADA diet that I was on when I was in the hospital, so it might be the same one. I liked it and lost on it as long as I stayed compliant. I doubt if I was eating 1800 calories because I didn't eat everything either. I lost my first 20 lbs on that, until I started slowly increasing portions. That was my downfall.
I found a book on my Kindle that I didn't know I had. It's by Jeff Volek, who co wrote New Atkins for a New You I think. I rarely pay for a kindle book, but my records show that I acquired it in 2015. Maybe it was being offered free on a one-day offer, or maybe someone talked it up so good that I actually paid for it. $9.99. But if I did, why did I never read it? Who knows. Anyway, it's a lot of technical jargon about low carb. Stuff I never heard before and some I don't understand. But now I've reached the part where he starts to talk about Diabetes. It is so interesting. He explains so many things in a way that I never heard them before. Once I get into the nitty gritty I will share what I'm learning. Not pushing the book, just mentioning it.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 06-05-2017 at 09:41 AM.
Reason: Wrong author's name
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,431
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
I did some detective work in my Amazon Kindle history and discovered that the Low Carb book must have been an special at one point in 2015 and I bought it for $1.99, but just never read it. That explains it. I just don't pay $9.99 for Kindle books. Cheap? Frugal maybe. LOL
Got out Monday with DH because we needed to pay the water bill. It was due today and I wanted it paid on time. I always pay the bills as they come in so we are never behind or pay penalty. We went to eat at Freddie's. I didn't really want to go out, but DH loves their burgers and we don't get over in that part of town that often since we changed doctor's and he is on Xeralto and doesn't have to have protyme tests any more. I ate half my burger and brought the rest home and had it at supper when I needed to take my medicine.
I'm not eating much these days. I'm on Keflex and it seems to make me have a lousy metal like taste in my mouth. Can't even enjoy a cup of coffee right now. My stomach/diaphragm muscles are so sore it feels like it will always hurt to raise myself out of bed. I know it will get better. I'm just hating this part of this, but at it's worst it is still better than it was and I'm thankful I'm alive. I am aware of how seriously ill I was and how it could have killed me if untreated. I really am thankful for how God has blessed me.
I love my doctor. I wrote him on line last night telling him I was home and that I was to have a follow up with him this week. I got up to an email from him this morning telling me he had made me an appointment for Tuesday at 1:45. Then I was amazed when I got a call from his nurse to see how I am doing. I have to say I love that young man and the nurses there at the clinic. I feel like I got special treatment because of him. The ER doctor told me that my doctor had done his internship with him in the ER. He is just starting out on his own and they really helped me a lot.
My FBS was 118 this morning and my blood pressure is back to normal. Now all I need to do is to start losing this fluid I've put on and my weight going down. I don't think I can eat a lot of grains so have made the decision to go back to eating lower carb and get most of my fiber from fruit and veggies and very little grains. I think the grain is what is making my belly area feel so full and uncomfortable and sore. I would rather have the light more empty feeling.
I'm not planning to do anything but stay home this week. DS and DD may come over this week and bring breakfast and she is taking me to the beauty shop Friday because I'm not sure my reactions are quick enough to drive right now. Of course that could change in a few days. I understand the Keflex and benedryl are probably what is making me feel this way... like I'm in slow motion. Now that I finally have taken my Trulicity the rash is almost gone so I'll be able to stop taking the benedryl. I don't want to take it so much that it won't help me sleep. I think everything else is starting to get normal again so I'm really making progress. I did 10 minutes on the recumbent bike Sunday and 15 minutes Monday. Trying to get the fluid off.
Well it is late again so I need to get in bed. Hope everyone is doing well.
Carol Sue what is the name of that book? Is it worth me seeing if I can get it free or cheap?
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,431
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Trish, I'm glad you are feeling better and hope you continue to improve. It gets harder and harder to pull thorough from an illness as we age...not that you are aging! LOL I noticed that when I was recovering from my last surgery a couple years ago. I think the fact that you are a healthy eater who exercises will do a lot to help you heal. I don't think you mentioned having a rash. What was that all about?
Try to drink a lot of fluids. Your body is holding onto the fluids because you were dehydrated. Once it sees that you are giving it fluids, it will release the excess.
The book is The Art and Science of Low Carb Living, by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney. It's not new, written in 2011. It has a lot of scientific jargon that drew a complete blank with me, results of studies, etc, making it hard to read sometimes. But when they finally got to the part about Diabetes, it was a wealth of information. They have a website by the same name that you can google. It's not updated. Most of the info is from 2013. I plan on going through the book again and googling some of what they referenced to try to understand it more. It is clear to me that I have to stay low carb to manage my diabetes, but you know I will never go Atkins Induction low carb. I just try to avoid starchy carbs like bread, pasta, rice, sugar and grains as much as I can but do eat them occasionally. I just try to keep portions small so I don't spike blood glucose. I am a work in progress in that situation, always learning.
The kindle book is back up to $9.99 on Amazon, and I do not see anything cheaper on the internet even in the actual book. It has great reviews, except for a few people who said it is a lot of technical info that requires a Phd in Nutrition to understand, and I do agree with that. But aside from that, I got a lot from the book and am glad I have it. Make you own decision if you want to pay that much for it.
Carol Sue I don't know how high my FBS was in the hospital, but I kept telling them that if I could take my Trulicity that the rash would go away. Any time my bs gets too high I start having a rash. I finally got permission to bring one of my prescription injections to the hospital to take. DH had to take it to the nurses station and the RN took it down to the pharmacy on Friday afternoon so they could verify it was what is supposed to be and then they were supposed to have it back upstairs for me at 9am Saturday. My nurse called and called and called and finally I told her. That is my personal prescription from home. I paid for it and I am not going to leave it in this hospital when I leave. I already knew the doctor was thinking of sending me home Saturday. Finally around 4pm I was able to take the injection.
I went to the doctor today and the girls in the back office saw me and said "Doctor is going to be thrilled to see you looking so bright eyed". She said that I looked so much better than I did last week. I had a really good visit. I had just got the results of the colonoscopy before I went to the doctor and they said everything was negative and I don't have to take another for 10 yrs. When I told my doctor, he said that I'll be 83 and I never have to have another one if I don't want to. I told him "after what I've just experienced I'm not sure I will ever want to do one again". He said it will be my choice.
He said that I was so dehydrated from 2 days in a row preparation for the colonoscopy plus the fact that a colonoscopy is stressful on the body any way that the infection could have taken place anytime during that time even while having the test done. He said we would never know what went wrong.
He is pleased with my progress. As I gave him my new meds I was on, I told him that I'm not use the inhaler any more because I'm not having any wheezing any more. I told him that I am off of the Benedryl as of today because I don't like the way it makes me feel so dragged out. So I'm only adding the antibiotic until it is gone and the magnesium until he does a blood test in July to see if I need to continue taking it. He said I looked a thousand percent better than last week. He is happy with me exercising. He said he had no problem with me doing 20 minutes a day because it will help me start feeling better quicker. I DO NOT have to do a High Fiber diet. I complained about the fact that the gastro doc wanted me to eat high fiber and I told him I can't eat a lot of fiber because I don't like that full stuffed feeling. I told him I like more of a low carb although not Atkins low carb way of eating. I told him what the doctor said about eating popcorn, nuts, seeds and grains and chewing them to paste like etc because they could get in the pockets of diverticulosis.
My doctor said "forget that stuff and just eat". He said he knew what the gastro doctors say about all that, but he said that he cannot find anything that scientifically proves that diverticulitis comes from eating little seeds etc. He commended me for getting my diabetes under control and eating healthy and exercise. He said he wouldn't change anything right now.
I really felt good about everything this morning. I am back down to 218.4 this morning on my scales this morning. I felt better today so I made me some tea to drink. We had Chinese food today so I wouldn't have to cook, but tomorrow I get back to cooking. I plan for us to have fish tomorrow with salad and veggies. I did ride 20 minutes on the recumbent bike.
I'll check out about that book Carol Sue. I feel like I'm starting over. Maybe things will be better now.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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Height: 5'2
Trish, I don't feel that you are starting over. You were doing very well before this happened and that was just a blip in the road.
Anytime I hear about someone having a rash my ears perk up. (Don't I look cute with my ears perked up? LOL) My "psoriasis" started around the time as everything else. It was never formally diagnosed as psoriasis. My PCP just said that from looking at it. Some of it looks like psoriasis and some of it just looks like a rash. It does not all look the same. I wonder if it has something to do with my blood sugar. I guess I will never know until I get the blood sugar under control the way you have. I sure hope that happens.
Something weird is happening to me and I don't like it. I am starting to get turned off by the foods I should be eating and only wanting carbs. I still like eggs. I don't think that will ever change, but I am really losing interest in meat and vegetables. All I want is sandwiches with bread. I even had peanut butter and jelly last night. This is NOT going to be good for my weight or blood sugar. I wonder what's causing this? I hope it's just temporary.
Carol Sue I am rethinking the ADA diet. It isn't exactly the diet it used to be and I really enjoyed the types of foods I could eat. I liked the variety. You can mix it up. My DS thought I was nuts, but one day I had ordered their homemade tuna salad and fruits and veggies. When the nurse brought it in it was a beautiful display of fresh veggies and strawberries on a bed of lettuce. When I saw it, I said to the nurse "Oh isn't that the most beautiful plate of fruits and veggies you ever saw"? My sister said "I'm sorry but I would never get excited about a plate of fruit and vegetables." LOL
I had real food at the hospital and no diet food except for FF salad dressing. I was told it is because so much of the diet foods have stuff added to them that isn't real food but additives etc. I am really rethinking my diet. I know that I want some meat, but not like I did on low carb that's why I don't think I could do low carb any more.
I had 1 scrambled egg, 1 sl bacon, and toast with Promise and coffee with sweeten low and powdered coffeemate which I don't like either of those. The sent me cereal the first few days, but when I started picking my own I went with the eggs, bacon and toast and fruit or fruit juice. I had salad, meat, veggies, a dinner wheat roll and fruit was dessert for both lunch and dinner. One thing they seem to have change since you were in the hospital is that I got no snacks even at bedtime. So they have changed that evidently. They had me on an 1800 calorie diet, but I didn't eat that much. I had to estimate it, but I didn't want to stretch my stomach.
I think if I were you that I would go with what I'm feeling. Maybe you just need a variety of food. Remember the Fuhrman book was eating more veggies, grains and little to no meat. I think we are redefining what we want to eat. I realize that I can eat a variety of food and not go crazy. Of course, right now I have the blessed side effect of not being hungry while taking Keflex and Trulicity. I just hope to take advantage of it while I can hoping that in 9 days when the Keflex is gone that my stomach will be shrunk enough that I will continue to eat less.
HI Friends:
Trish, I am glad you are feeling better. Low magnesium was probably a symptom of getting washed out with the colonoscopy prep, and will adjust with time. Having said that, if you take a calcium supplement, consider having it cal-mag and taking at bedtime to help you sleep, or just a lower (250 mg) magnesium supplement, these can help with leg cramps etc.
You should not have swollen up with iv fluid, but maybe the kidneys were not working well with the infection, and you will clear it our with time and a little exercise.
I have done better for the last couple of days, but will be doing an "up" day today so that I don't have starvation hormones starting up. Will make sure to get at least 1600 cal today, then back to my lower cal days.
I have been having smoothies for breakfast most days, and an egg breakfast about once a week.
The smoothies are kefir, and maybe a little yogurt too for a variety of probiotics, a vegan protein powder, some hemp hearts for extra fat, and peanut butter. Then a little frozen fruit, like mango, peach, strawberry or raspberry. I add a bit of water or milk to thin it out, but I like it rather thick, seems more satisfying that way. The high fat content also keeps me from getting too hungry.
I have a late breakfast of this, and an early supper of meat and salad and vegetables. (this is when I am on plan) and that seems to hold me. I am low carb this way, and also lower calorie overall just having two meals. My blood sugar seems stable, I don't seem to be having lows, even if I get hungry, but I was keeping peanut butter (sugar and salt free) at work in case I felt a low coming on at the end of the day, and I used that a couple of times.
Its getting back on track like this when I am coming from an up day or off day that is hard.
But get back on track I must, or I will end June weighing more than May.
Carol Sue, hope you enjoy your reading and that its helpful for you to get to onederland
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
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Height: 5'2
Trish, I was thinking about what has changed recently to make me not want meat anymore. I am constantly trying to learn what might help with my weight, diabetes and psoriasis. A group of people were posting about Vit B12 and how some older people are low in B12 and take shots or sublingual pills. I read up about it, and I bought some sublinqual pills and have been taking them now for a couple weeks. I think they might be effecting my appetite. One of the main sources of B12 is meat. Maybe since I'm taking the pill, my body thinks that's enough B12 and doesn't want more from eating meat. I stopped the B12 yesterday and will see if my appetite for meat comes back. I have to get out of the habit of trying things that other people are doing and only do what's right for me. I'm learning that everything we put in our mouths has some effect on our body whether we know it or not. We ARE what we eat!
I don't think I was ever eating excessive portions of meat, but my home nurses drilled it into my head that I should eat some protein at every meal, and I try to do that. They say a portion of protein should be the size of the palm of your hands or a deck of cards. 3-4 oz.
As far as the hospital diet goes, I think they were giving me the bedtimes snack because I was on insulin. This was when I was first diagnosed, and they gave me insulin from the start. By the time I was released I had my blood sugar under control so I didn't need insulin anymore but could just continue with Metformin. I think a bedtime snack is more for an insulin dependent diabetic rather than a type 2.
They did not give me bacon. I got the 1 egg, toast, oatmeal, and fruit. I don't remember if bacon was offered, but I don't really like bacon so I would have never chosen it. The thing I noticed most was that the portions were so much smaller that what people normally think of as a portion, so eating the carbs is not such a no no. My lunch and dinners sounded the same as yours. That tuna and fruit/veggie plate sounds good. If food is arranged in an appealing way it is appetizing. Did they give you a copy of the printed diet? I have a copy of mine that I still keep and look at now and then.I think this is why I feel I am OK eating small portions of carb with my dinner, like a scoop of potatoes. Mine was not called ADA diet. It was called something like Carb Control. Mine also had to be Heart Healthy because I had had the open heart surgery. For the first 60 years of my life I took no pills and had no medical issues. Look at me now! My diet plan even included a hamburger, but it looked like what people call a slider today, not the huge hamburgers that are served.
You have never seemed to be a big eater to me. I think you will do fine.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,431
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Mad, we were cross-posting. I've missed hearing from you! When I had my 2 bowel surgeries 6 months apart, I did not swell up from fluid from the first surgery but did after the second surgery, which was identical. The doctor even noticed that my urine output was lower after the second surgery. My fluid went away on it's own in time.
I have also been taking magnesium the past couple days after a terrible leg cramp I had one night. DH believe in the "bar of soap in the bed" method. LOL I googled and read up on that and it said that it is the magnesium in the soap that helps. The soap he uses does not contain magnesium, but if he believes it helps him, then let him do it. I will take the magnesium.
Your diet plan sounds like what I strive for. Late breakfast and early dinner. I am not so good at sticking to it, though, but I keep trying. For some reason I don't care for smoothies or shakes, although they often sound good when other people describe theirs.
