Carol Sue Glad DH is getting some much needed rest. I'm sorry you had problems with CPAP because you need your rest too. I'm glad he is listening to you about the pain meds.

As for the therapist not calling, I know that is frustrating. If it works there like it does here, they have a meeting on Monday mornings. I assume to get new orders/assignments and to familiarize them. Someone should call you today or tomorrow. I'm sorry to say that the first week is slow sometime. They should call you before they come today and everyday that they come. The first visit should be to fill out their paper work and explain to you what they will be doing etc. However, it won't hurt to call them to see when. I have done that many times. The nice thing about any nursing help you get is that you can call them when you need answers too. Daddy's homebound nurse was awesome. We all just loved her.

Weight is up a bit today but that is because I was sick with indigestion last night and when I finally got that taken care of, I took a sleeping pill because it was so late. Now I am in a zombie state. LOL I got up and showered and came in and made a half serving of oats for breakfast. Now I am getting ready to sleep this pill off, but thought I would check in. I told DH last night when he gave me the sleeping pill that I wouldn't be cooking today so we will have soup today for lunch so I don't have to cook. My FBS was 142 so that is good.

Fatma and Pipscile Hope all is well with you.

Y'all have a good day. I'll try to check back in when I have slept some of this medicine off.

Trish, although I am VERY glad DH is getting some good sleep after 3 weeks hospitalized, when you never get any sleep. But I don't like him just lying in bed watching TV. This is only the first full day so maybe he will get tired of that. I know having rehab will mean more pain, but this really is a case of "no pain, no gain." I want him to feel better, but also get better.

I want to go out to get the mail, plus I wanted to go to the store, but also want to be here to get any calls that come in. DH would answer, but would tell them to talk to me, so I need to be here.

The first thing I'm waiting for is for the nursing home to either return my call and explain why I haven't heard anything or for them to call Home Health and find out why they haven't contacted me. Our friend came home from the hospital 2 days after his surgery and the Physical Therapist was there the next day.

Oh Carol, I hope they called by days end. Thats so frustrating when they don't come or call, and no info, meanwhile there are things you would do to get out and about. And DH is sitting or lying around instead of doing his therapy.
I am just exhausted after my busy day. I don't feel like continuing the fasting, but I am focusing on the weight loss before Christmas, I really want to try to get down to 150. I was 153 today, after eating yesterday. SO I am trying to have faith it will happen. I will have some bubbly soda water to help feel "full" I guess. WE also have to plan the grocery shopping for the next week, so we can avoid shopping on the weekend or Christmas eve. I hope tomorrow morning will be good.

I think I will nap then go check on my neighbour

Thought I posted.

Nurse came today at 5PM. Rehab is coming tomorrow after noon, nurse will be back Friday morning. DH was up for a few hours today so he's tired. I'm afraid he is going to be terribly tired tomorrow after rehab, but this is what will make him better, so they say. It's hard to look at it that way when it's something that causes you pain. He ate good today. He got on the scale and has lost 29 lbs, whereas I only lost 11. That might be why his pain is lingering....he's weak from not eating. He looks better but I do think he lost it too fast. I'm sure he will gain at least some of it back. I hope he has a good night, tonight. And me too.

Just checking in really quick. I am not as zombie like as I was earlier today but I figure I will probably sleep good tonight.
My eating hasn't been too bad mainly because I was too wiped out to fool with food. I did have the soup for lunch and I had little snack like eating other than that. Overall, I've done pretty good. My eating has been 5 hrs apart.

fatmad I am going to get my grocery shopping done Friday when I leave seeing Daddy. It will be just DH and me Christmas day so I won't need anything as a few groceries I will need to keep from shopping until a few days after Christmas day when I'll have to order some meds.

Carol Sue I'm glad the nurse came and that rehab will start tomorrow. I hope y'all get a good nights sleep tonight.

Good night.

DH is nervous about rehab coming. He gets pain when they make him do what he thinks is too much. We can't get him to understand that them pushing him is what got him this far. I think he should have stayed there a few more days but that room mate who kept yelling was too hard to take.

Carol: is there an approximate time for his therapist to arrive? He should plan to take the pain meds a little before that. That was working at rehab, and is what I was taught to do before getting patients up after surgery. Thats the time for the narcotic pain meds too, not just plain tylenol. He may need a little more for pain during the day for this, and that's ok, because the moving around will help.
Trish: I am glad things are settled about your Christmas plans. The stores are just so crowded around the holidays. I am going to quickly buy some bacon and cream and get right back and back my cheddar muffins (KETO) to enjoy over the next week. They refrigerate well.
Today's weight was after fasting 36 hrs, but is 151. The temptation is to keep going, but I know I actually do better if I stick to the schedule of eating today and fasting tomorrow. If I am able to stick to plan and stay Keto with eating today, I should be at 150 on Saturday. Then I will plan around staying Keto until Christmas Day when I will allow myself some dessert. I usually avoid timed goals, but am happy I was able to work with this one. Its a big deal to have broken that stall and managed this.
Getting the bowels moving is what helped this time. Funny how that makes such a difference. I don't thinks its just the weight of what's inside, but also we keep absorbing calories etc from what's inside. If it was just what's inside, the loss would not sustain, but here I am, sustained in the loss, and moving forward. All very good.
Started my day with Kefir, and then will have some of my muffins. Late lunch will be the leftover ribs and slaw.
I go on call tonight. Hope to be busy early in the weekend, and not so busy on Christmas eve and Christmas day.
Have a good day everyone

Sounds like you're going to make your 150 lb weight by Christmas. Great Christmas present.

FSB was 130 this morning. I don't know if I ate a lot yesterday or not. I started out with the oat meal breakfast and had chicken noodle soup for lunch which seems to be my comfort food when I don't feel good. Then later in the day as I began to come alive and feel good, I seemed to be starving. I ate a lot of little snacks even past my 8 hr window. However, my weight was back down a little this morning and the FBS of 130. I tried something different yesterday and am going to do it again. I saw where someone mention red tea. I bought some red tea a long time ago, but didn't drink it for long because it caused my bs or bp to dip too low. Any way I decided to look online to see what the benetifs and why you should drink it. I don't think you should drink it if you take diabetic meds. I have a lot of different teas in the
pantry and found almost a whole box of it so I brewed a Keurig pot of it and drank it throughout the day. My bs reading before lunch was 108 and then this morning I had the 130. Since I don't take diabetic medicine, I'm going to try it again today and see what happens.

I got to thinking yesterday about the WW diet plan. I don't want to join or count points but I got to thinking about the list I made a while back of all the foods that you don't have to count which are marked green in their book. I got tired of looking them up and made the list. I don't know if I ever printed it out because I'm bad about putting things somewhere and forgetting where. However, I had kept it on pc so I found the list and printed it out this morning. These are the foods on the WW Simply Filling diet plan. The plan is not much different than IE. I checked the list with what I eat for breakfast when I have eggs and bacon and toast. Because the Sarah Lee MG bread is a low calorie toast the 2 slices are on the green list and I found that the only thing not considered a 0 food is my 2 slices of bacon. I plan to use the list to choose a lot of the lower pt foods to make up my meals and snacks.

They won't really be 0 pts/calorie foods, because they do still add up, but they will be healthier choices.

Carol Sue Did they say they would call you when they were on their way? I figure each company has their own way of doing things, but with cell phones, the nurses and therapist usually called Daddy to let him know they were coming. He could still get out some back then with us girls and they told us that he we could take him out and they would call us so we could be there. I hope DH will continue to work at getting well. Hopefully he will realize that he has to if he wants to get better.

fatmad I feel so strange this year about the holiday as this just isn't me. This time of year has always been DH and my favorite time of the year. I guess because Daddy can't be with us and we aren't around any of our kids, it is just so hard to doing anything this year. I think all 3 of us girls feel the same way. I think it is because we know he wants to be with us although he says he doesn't want to do anything but stay there which makes it difficult to plan anything he cant be a part of. The year my Mama died he told us that Christmas meant nothing without her and not to include him in anything we did so we didn't. Then we found out how lost he felt by himself. (Whether he means it or not he has a way of making you feel guilty) I think that is why it is so hard to do things without him now. So now we just plan to do what we can by DH and me going to take him the steak I cook him for Christmas Eve and whatever DS & BS and their hubbies do Christmas day do will be enough. I'm sure BS will be with her kids and grands and DS and her hubby will do their on thing since their kids are out of town although I did tell her they could come out here and have a Christmas ham dinner with us. She said no so far so it looks like DH and I will just be together. I surely hope things will get better and we will have a better attitude next year. One thing is I think the one DS & I and our hubbies who have dealt with all this with Daddy for the past year or so are just so stressed out from everything. So we are learning to do the best we can at the moment.

I talked to Daddy this morning. He was busy yesterday they didn't go see Christmas lights last night. This facility he lives in is excellent in so many ways, but I really wish they would not put things on them onthly activity calendar sheet if they aren't going to follow through. It is so disappointing to the residents. I told Daddy they have a lot of things going on this week so check and see. He has told them that when that bus leaves to go anywhere, he wants to be on it if it is only going around the block. LOL

I need to get busy. Still coming off that sleeping pill so today is a day that I will push myself to do what I need to do.

Y'all have a great day.

The therapist came today around 1PM. This visit was mostly to get information. She was impressed with how well DH is doing and his ability to walk and stand alone. She said he probably won't be using the walker very long and will progress to a cane. We have one we bought at Goodwill, and it's one that stands alone when you let go of it. I hope that one is OK.

Today the company up the street came and gave me an estimate for snow removal. I really wanted a flat rate for the winter, but they don't do that. It's an individual charge each day, and if snows all day they will come twice a day...you pay for twice a day. But I feel that it gives me peace of mind knowing it will be done. They do the driveway and steps up to the house, and they throw ice melter when they are finished. Some things are just worth the money.

So things are coming together. I can't wait until DH is back to normal and driving again.

I think you are doing great, Trish. You are fine tuning your diet to suit you needs, and that's how it should be. You get to eat the things you like rather than follow some pre planned diet. I think somewhere along the line we started eating more than we need, and we will do well as we adjust our eating back to normal. It's all up to us to do what needs to be done. We can do this!!!

Still feeling full. Had a couple of the Keto cheese biscuits I made, and the rest of the slaw and a couple of ribs. Felt too full to continue. Stopped and got groceries on the way home from work, so no issues about shopping while hungry. I think we are good for the week, and have stuff if we have any holiday company. Just need salad greens and any alcohol we want to have on hand. Will keep that to a minimum though. DH is doing well about drinking, but I don't like to have a lot on hand in case he has a slip. I'm not judgemental (look at me and food!) but no sense making life hard. I would pour it all down the sink in a minute if he still had big issues with control. Just not that important to me.
Older DD will video call tonight, but might not be able to call for a while after that, they will be in cruise mode with the ship.

Carol: glad things are getting organized with having DH home, sounds like things are going well. I think as long as you feel in control of eating, you will be able to keep the weight down. Its joining in with snacking that does us in.
Trish: no matter what the "free foods" are, if you give up the IF, you may want to go back to WW plans for eating and calorie control. And keep the blood sugar in control.
Good luck whatever you decide.

Carol Sue Sounds like everything is falling in place. I'm glad DH is doing so well. It won't be long things will be back to normal for y'all. You are probably going to be able to stay on plan. You have kind of gotten into your own routine and maybe you can keep things going as they are and just make it work with DH diet. You are doing so well.

fatmad I know you are glad to get your shopping done. It is great when you are eating and can't eat as much as you thought you would. I have had that happen to me lately too and it feels so good. Actually I'm not doing WW per se. I'm just using the Simply Filling foods along with IF.

I've had a really good eating day today. I don't know if it's that I felt a little better today or if it is the fact that making up my own plan using the WWSF foods list which gives me a lot of options. I even found it easy to stay within my 8 hr window. So I'm fine with it.

Busy day tomorrow. Going to beauty shop and then going to see Daddy. I will run by the store before I come home so I won't have to go again until after Christmas.

Good night.

Wt 181 FBG 121 :)

I slept, but it was not a great sleep night. Nurse is coming at 8:30 and DH was concerned that we would sleep in. I am usually awake by 5-6AM even if I don't get up and out of bed. We got up today because DH wanted coffee.

Mad, for me, it is not the shared snacking that is the problem. It is eating a meal because he wants to eat a meal, even when I am not hungry. Since I've been cooking for him sporatically, I might take a bite here and there, but haven't really eaten what/when he does. So far I'm holding the loss, and still expect to continue losing. My current goal is 175. I know that is not my ideal weight, but I feel that it is a much healthier weight than the 200+ that I was. Blood pressure and blood sugar come down. I am able to more more freely, breathe better. If I reach that goal it will be my intention to keep going, but I will be very happy to be in the 170s.

Trish, I think for you, the 8 hour window is more important than the actual food plan. You know to watch your starchy carbs without actually going down to 20-30 gms. And you know what foods work well for you, and you can still have a small dessert if you want without doing any serious damage. You have never been one to binge as far as I know. So this is a great relaxed plan for you.

My knee feels much better today. I was concerned that I was getting so much pain, but I think it's from 3 weeks of extensive walking in the hospital and nursing home. In both cases, his room was all the way at the far end of the hallway. And in both cases, for me to go to the restroom was a walk all the way to the opposite end of the hallway. Usually, when I walk on my treadmill or use the elliptical I wear my knee brace and that keeps me relatively pain free. I didn't think about it or I could have been wearing it when I did all that walking. Even at home I'm up and down the stairs more, and running around doing things for DH. Now that the Physical Therapist told him how much better he's doing he wants to do more for himself, but using a walker or cane, he will not be able to carry his own cup of coffee back to her chair, etc, so it will still be me for a while. He took VERY good care of me after my 3 surgeries, and now I'm returning the favor.

It seems that my step-son and family are not coming over on Christmas after all. It will be a nicer Christmas for them and DGS just to be able to stay in their own home for the day, cook their own meal, and let DGS stay home to enjoy what Santa brought. This will probably be the last year he believes in Santa, so it is a picture perfect scene for them. Even her parents are not in town for Christmas so they can relax at home. DH's birthday Friday, Dec 28, and they will come over to visit us then. I will feel less pressure to entertain. In fact, I already told them there will be no entertaining, just the opportunity for them to see their Dad.

My step-daughter and husband will stop over, and she said she will bring a few slices of ham for DH if he wants them. I have a half turkey breast I am going to cook for us, and probably just make mashed potatoes and green beans. Neither of us will eat a lot but it will be something we like.

When I was growing up, we spent all holidays at home with just the 5 of us. We didn't visit relatives and they didn't visit us. It was just not the way it was done. No one had a car. We lived in a town where there was bus and taxi service if you really needed to go somewhere. I remember one Easter we went to visit my grandparents in the evening after dinner because another aunt and uncle were in town visiting. I never ate a meal at my grandparent's house. They were very poor, and we were somewhat poor, so that just wasn't done. It wasn't until I met DH that I was involved in big family gatherings for holidays, where there wasn't even enough room for everyone to sit. All the aunts and uncles and cousins gathered at one house to celebrate. I liked that, but DH doesn't. He had that all his life and is tired of it. So we are getting back to the quiet simple holidays again. Both are nice for different reasons.

Carol: your Christmas's were much different than mine. We didn't have a lot, but we did have each other. My Dad's factory shut down from Christmas eve to the day after New Years. Another uncle also worked there. Another was a teacher, so he was off. Mum's brother worked for the electrical company, and the offices just had skeleton staff over the holidays. So we had the time for gatherings that were difficult otherwise. Each family hosted, so we had 4-5 get togethers over the 2 weeks usually. The cousins were in an age range, (seemed bigger then, small now!) and we played games and went outside to skate and toboggan and make snow forts. (we usually had snow). We sometimes saw other friends as well. I have great memories of those times. The food was the smaller part. Mostly home baking. It was the fun and for my parents, the time off that made it great.
Mum's family was (is) close, and we still have an annual picnic to get together for good times, which is nice after all the funerals we have had in the last couple of years.

I hope everyone finds their groove for the holidays, whether quiet or bustling. Mixing it up this year is good, I will NOT do well with missing my parents, not having Dad around for the first time. And my older DD away. So having the community bustle is just what I need.
For my elderly neighbour for whom I have been caring, her daughter will be coming to town and staying for a week starting on Saturday, so I will only be on deck for nursing care if she needs it. We have got her plugged into the community care access centre, so some nursing and personal support will be coming her way eventually, if not over the holidays. I am suspecting her pain is bone pain, maybe cancer. She had X-rays yesterday, and I think they will follow up and do a CT scan soon. I haven't told anyone else my suspicions, but its just not like her to complain of pain, so I think it must be really bad.
I am not thrilled about fasting today, but tomorrow I will wake up to 150. I will hold onto that all day. No, not hungry, just blah. Its been grey here for days, no snow. Bah Humbug

Mad, I envied my childhood playmates who had big family around. Ours was a community that when the kids married and went out on their own, they bought a house in the same community, so relatives could actually walk to and from each other's homes. Many of my playmates had a grandparent living in the home, either living in the grandparent's home or bringing the grandparent into their home.

There was actually a family like that when we moved here. The parents, son and his family and daughter and her family lived on the same street, within 10 houses of each other. The daughter finally moved to the neighboring community when her family became too big for the house. Their children were able to walk up a few houses and visit their grandparents any time they wanted. I didn't meet my grandparents until I was 7 because we lived out of town for my father's employment. I probably only saw them 5 times or so in my life, and one passed away when I was in 5th grade and the other when I was in 9th grade.

As it is, I barely know my cousins. We mostly saw each other at funerals. Not even at weddings, because since my mother did not believe in drinking we never attended family weddings.

This could be why I am basically a loner. I am more sociable than DH....he is very much a loner. He loves his brothers but very seldom spends any time with them. His mother was the hub and everyone gathered at her house on Holidays. I kept it up for a while but stopped when it became too much for me. We are happy just to be the two of us.