Quarterly Posts Ending June 30, 2015.
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Off to the urologist today to schedule another cysto to see if the bladder cancer has returned. There is no reason to believe it has but this is the norm to check as bladder cancer easily returns.0
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I think that white cat gif is hilarious!
Well, my friend is adopting the 11-year old Siamese. Turns out the woman is moving and decided to take her younger cat but bring in the Siamese to be euthanized. No health issues. Thank goodness the vet decided not to do it; bless his heart. She got her other two late beloved Siamese the same way.
I need to get off to the store today - if I'm going to stick to my plan I need salad!!!
My work has been slow which is very unusual so I've used the opportunity to catch up on some other things as there isn't a single part of my life other than work which isn't WAY behind!
My sister and BIL are moving to Sedona, which makes me sort of sad. Funny coincidence, though, the books I'm listening to in the care are the J A Jance Ali Reynolds books which are set in Sedona. I don't know why anyone would want to move to that drought area. I worry for them!
So far this week except for having to sub lunch yesterday I've stuck to my eating plan. I'm rediscovering why I don't like the NS breakfasts. You're hungry again almost right away.0 -
Jean - best of luck at the urologist!!!0
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Maryanne--I am so happy that the Siamese cat has found a loving home. Good job on sticking to the plan. I also agree with you about the NS breakfasts. I can have a serving of the Quaker Weight Control oatmeal and be satisfied, but have an NS breakfast and I'm hungry regardless of use of add in.0
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I think this "nothing but NS" week won't be repeated. At least not with shelf stable. The breakfasts just aren't there. I still have to try out the frozen I ordered.
People complain about the dinners and lunches but I can fill a week with those meals with no problem. This week for dinner I'm doing: mac n cheese and chili (mixed and split in half), beef stew, chicken pot pie and thick crust pizza.
Grocery store was out of my usual salad mix so I picked up several other varieties to try.0 -
Maryanne--I have no problem with the NS dinners. I could easily just order them as breakfast and lunch is such an easy fix. As a single, I'm not much of a cook lately so the variety of the NS dinner meals really meets my needs. If I want something different, there is always Lean Cuisine to fill in or a Kansas City steak, etc. prepared on the George Foreman. I had the NS Veggie Lasagna tonight; I love it!! I just get the shelf stable food.
I do have a funny to report. Humana called me yesterday while I was gone. I returned the call to them this morning before I left to see the urologist. Basically, it was a patient advocate for Humana calling to see how I was doing after my inpatient stay in the hospital. Then she proceeded to tell me of the benefits available to me free as a result of being in the hospital.
One of them was a free package of ten frozen healthy meals to be shipped to me via UPS. I am not one to pass up free food, so I guess I'll see what healthy items will be sent my way. The other being sent my way is a free exercise kit consisting of a yoga mat, exercise bands, pedometer, and DVD.0 -
I've started adding ground flaxseed to the diet based upon doctor recommendations for more fiber and also omega 3's. The ground flaxseed combines both. I had it added to my Quaker Weight Control oatmeal this morning.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed0 -
Wow, Jean, hospitals now have tasty meals and freebies? That's pretty funny!
I've been doing pretty good so far this week and I went to the grocery stores yesterday and got all stocked up so hopefully I'm ready for next week.
Right now the garden is producing TONS of green beans. Unfortunately I think the ones from the grocery store that you steam in the bag are 100 times better but I don't have the heart to tell DH. He's so proud of his bean crop.
Can't wait for the tomatoes to start. Yesterday he brought in one yellow cherry tomato and handed to me with great ceremony - he knows how much I love the yellow and orange tomatoes!
Today I'm having the NS donut and chocolate shake, tuna salad for lunch and pizza for dinner.
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Maryanne--When I heard I would be having this procedure done at this hospital, a teacher who retired and lives about 50 miles away contacted me and said he had the same procedure at the same hospital. In doing so, he said he was treated so good that he hated to leave. He was right! The staff was great as was the attention you got along with the food, etc. I also miss it, believe it or not.
Keep up the great work! I do hope your tomatoes turn out well...as good as the beans.0 -
If I had to go and have my thyroid out, I would hope for as good a hospital experience. Apparently it requires an overnight stay. The fact that the endocrinologist took the time to share that kind of details with me - when she never had before in all these years - made me think she sees it as possible at this point.
I've always told her that her job is to keep me from ending up like my aunt. She had such an enlarged thryoid that it looked like a baseball in her neck (literally) and it eventually became cancerous and killed her. True she was fairly old but she had to have suffered with that huge thing on her neck for so many years.
So while I wouldn't look forward to surgery I have a clear picture in my head of what I would be avoiding.
Today I'm planning eggs and NS bagel for breakfast. I need to have a high protein breakfast because I won't be here at lunch time. I have a hair appointment. I didn't plan for that when I ordered the box for the week (LOL!) so I dug out a NS trail mix bar. So I'm eating "outside the box" but still within NS. For dinner I'm planning the NS fettucini alfredo with a protein serving of pork loin. Meanwhile DH can have pork loin and Stouffer's red box fettucini alfredo.
This coming week I take Jack to the internist on Wednesday so that will be another day I won't be here to eat at least one meal.
I finally broke down and suggested to DH that he might try a different variety of green bean seeds next year. These just aren't good and they don't seem to be stopping any time soon! Since when I'm eating right I count on a large tasty plate of vegetables as the main part of my dinner, these aren't amusing me.
Can't wait for the tomatoes. DH brought two tiny cherry tomatoes in yesterday. While my back was turned Jack tried to turn one of them into a toy. Oh no!! I got it back in time.
My friend isn't getting the 11-year old Siamese after all. She didn't take it right away. The vet tech took it back home and the next day discovered her mother holding it and smiling. First time she'd seen her smile in a year, she said. She called Bonnie and told her she was sorry, but she couldn't give him up. Bonnie said she understood since she would have done anything for her mom - more so even toward the end. I don't know if it's dawned on her yet that if she'd just taken the cat when she met him, this wouldn't have happened.
I have 4 rolls of film ready to pick up at the drugstore. I imagine there will be the final photos of Willie on that roll. Bittersweet certainly. (And yes, I still have a film camera - love it!)
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Maryanne--I do hope whatever lies ahead for you and your thyroid that it is a successful experience. I really hope the tomatoes offset the disappointment in the green beans. Bittersweet memories of Willie but good ones!
I had the Special K breakfast sandwich to start the day. I'll have the Dannon Light and Fit Greek yogurt in about an hour.0 -
You two have certainly been busy while I've been gone. What a nice story about the elderly Siamese cat. I'm kind of glad the vet tech's mom got her instead of your friend. It sounds like the mom needed her more. And you can certainly find another cat for your friend. LOL.
Jean...What great treatment you've gotten from your doctors, hospital and Humana. What other benefits can you get besides the free food? That's great that your appointments are moved back because you're doing so well.
Our NJ trip was a big success. It was lovely to see my niece after an 18 month gap. Her almost 3 year old is adorable. we went out to a seafood restaurant and Ada was perfectly behaved. One of her favorite foods is calamari but the restaurant only had it friend. I guess she likes it steamed. She likes sushi as well. My niece does such a great job with her. her brother has 3 little ones. They too are cute but can be a bit wild. His sister is much better at setting schedules and routines for her child than her brother and his wife do. Ada was in bed at 8 each night with no drama or fussing and slept until 8:30. She doesn't fight naps either. Maybe the fact she's well rested accounts for the difference in behavior. His kids fight and delay a normal bedtime.
I logged in here each day to keep mu streak going but didn't log fooods. I had no idea of calorie counts but I did portion control. I gained 4/10ths of a pound which must be a record. That should be gone pretty quick. I had seafood 3 of the nights we were gone. And I'm back on track with logging meals today.0 -
Helene--Other than the insurance company hopefully paying most of the bill, the free food and free exercise kit is all I know of at this point in time. I started reading on the company that supplies the meals and see it is part of an effort to keep people healthy upon return from the hospital and reduce chances of readmission About one-fourth are readmitted within 30 days.
The meals were delivered today so I decided to have one tonight. It wasn't bad. It was a very good beef patty with gravy, sweet potatoes and mixed greens. In addition to the variety of entrees, they included a loaf of whole wheat bread, a variety of individual servings of juices, butter and jelly, Quaker oatmeal bars to go, and a selection of Little Debbie cookies.
You did well controlling the amount of weight gained. Your trip was, indeed, a success while permitting you to enjoy family and eating out.0 -
I'm back to logging and today's total is good so far.0
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Sorry I've been MIA lately. We have a lot going on right now, interviewing assisted living centers and trying to work with my SIL as we figure out what will be best for DH and SIL's mom when SIL moves to Houston. I feel like I've gotten whiplash today trying to deal with SIL as she has changed her mind at least five times today about what she thinks would be best -- twice in one conversation alone. DH was gone all day attending a class, so I had to deal with her and I'm about ready to move without leaving a forwarding address! We have more assisted living centers to tour next week, but in the end I think she will end up moving her mom to Houston so all our efforts will be wasted. It would certainly be easier for us if she does move her to Houston, but I don't want her to resent us or feel that we aren't willing to help out with their mom's care. She has made quite a few comments to me to that effect. We are willing to have her move here and take over her care, but SIL has control issues so that is why I think in the end she will choose to keep her mom near her. Unfortunately, their mom gets along with my DH much better than she does with her daughter, but I think she's unwilling to stand up for herself and say that she'd rather come here. It's all a bit of a mess right now with SIL trying to juggle about six balls at once. She has a job in Houston but hasn't found a house to buy; she's trying to get her house ready to go on the market this weekend; she's trying to figure out the best way to get herself and her mom moved along with three vehicles; her son and DIL in Houston also bought a new house and will be moving at roughly the same time she will be moving; and no decision is made about where her Mom will go. And I've probably left out a few of the smaller issues she's also trying to figure out, so I understand how stressed she is, but she's really driving me crazy. I'm starting to feel as stressed as she is and I'm not even moving!
Last night I did get to have a bit of a break. A national tour of a Broadway play was in Dallas and my sister and her daughter, granddaughter and a friend of her granddaughter met me there to see the play. It was "Dirty Dancing" and was almost identical to the movie, though in my opinion, not as good. Some of the cast were excellent, but the male lead was no Patrick Swayze. After the play we came back to my house and they spent the night before returning home this morning. I stayed up much too late and DH was up early to get to his class, so I'm a bit sleep deprived today, which probably contributes to my lack of patience with my SIL.
Next week I'm hosting a dinner/birthday party for a very good friend, so the early part of the week will be busy as well. I did warn SIL that I wouldn't have a lot of time to tour facilities until later in the week, but I'm not sure she will pay any attention to my schedule. She tends to not think anyone else's needs are as important as her own. Unfortunately, DH doesn't want to tour any of the facilities on his own, so I will have to find the time.
Sorry to vent so much about my own issues. MY SIL isn't a bad person, but she is rather self-absorbed at times, and this is definitely one of them.
It sounds like everyone is doing pretty well right now and I'm glad to know this. I hope life settles down a bit soon and I can relax and go back to my usual, unexciting life.0 -
Pam--You definitely are tied into a busy schedule and challenging issues. I love "Dirty Dancing," and it would be almost impossible to find another Patrick Swayze. That movie was not expected to be a hit but it certainly struck a chord with many people.
Helene--I'm back to logging food also. I've gained 4 pounds since going into the hospital. I know one of the side effects of this medicine is a possible weight gain but 4 pounds?
Having egg, sausage,and potatoes as well as juice for breakfast from the Humana freebies, It isn't bad. This is my last Humana entrée for a week. These are supposed to be healthy and appropriately portioned but I want to be more in control with what I definitely know works.
I have to watch the calories of the ground flax seed. Although it has great health benefits, a serving is 70 calories.
Will someone go and find Summer and bring it here! Cold start to the day!!0 -
I goy a message on MFP that I'd never seem before. I guess I picked a lot of lower calorie items. I went to close my log and I got a message saying according to the calories I had left, I probably had eaten too little. I think I had eaten around 1,000 calories. I had some cheese and crackers to add 300 to the total and called it a night. I was surprised when the scale was 1.4 pounds lighter than when I started. I'm down 4 pounds in the last month. I had hopped to lose 5 pound. Since I didn't start in earnest until we got home in mid May, I'm counting the quarter as a success. I'm going to set a goal of another 10 for next quarter. Now that I'm logging, I'm more in control and feel I can set the bar a little higher.
Pam..Looking for assisted living places sounds very stressful. How far from you are the places SIL is leaning towards? Is SIL older than DH? It sounds like she's used to running the show. He should certaimly express location preferences so you can visit more easily but let her choose the facility in that area of the choice is important to her sense of control. Once MIL is settled, The location won't be that important to her and I'm sure she'd rather have more visits. She's probably not that thrilled about having to give up her home so that will be why she's stressed rather than if the facility is in Houston. Good luck.
Jean...Your breakfast sounded good. I had a NS banana muffin and a hard boiled okay. It was okay but your's sounded better to me.0 -
Helene--I have gotten that message. Congrats on your weight loss! I was doing great in May and June until the hospital stay. Now, I have four pounds to lose which is about what I had lost prior to the hospital stay. Keep up the great work!
The breakfast calories on that freebie were 250 for the entrée, 60 for the juice and 70 for the slice of whole wheat bread. Definitely more than I would normally have and it wasn't as satisfying as the Quaker Weight Control oatmeal.
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Helene, SIL is actually younger than DH, but they couldn't be more different in personality. He is very deliberate and logical in his approach to everything while she is more of a "fly by the seat of her pants" type, which drives DH crazy. I call her "Hurricane Karen" because of this. MIL has been in assisted living in El Paso for the last four years or more, so she's already worked through the emotions of giving up her home and accepted the need for assisted living. In the end, I think she will go to Houston because my SIL won't be willing to give up the control she now exercises over her mom. They don't get along terribly well, but I'll be surprised if she comes here. However, we have to check out all options and be prepared, just in case. I really think that if the cost is about the same in either city, then she will probably want to go to Houston to be close to her grandson and great grandson. It will also be much closer for us to come and visit, so we will see her more often as well.
So far today, it's been quiet on the Hurricane Karen front. I hope it stays that way!0 -
Pam - here's hoping it all shakes out. DH's one and only sister is both an LPN and extremely stubborn so she not only shepherded the care of their mom and dad in their final days (she got the family home in return) but she badgered the doctors of his brother when he was dying of cancer (and got him much better care than an indigent alcoholic would normally have gotten) and tried to do the same recently when another alcoholic brother was dying of cancer (he was in too bad a shape for anyone to save). Here's hoping Hurricane Karen finally settles down without using us too much more of your time.0
