Disney Grannie's journal (life after Grave's Disease)

[nancyj_pa]

I can't believe it's been so long since I journaled. The baby shower was great...she got so many beautiful gifts. About 30 attended. The we had DD's birthday, DS's birthday, Father's Day with loads of company...so busy...so much to do. I'm spending all my days off at DD's helping to get everything ready for new DGranddaughter. Only 12 more days until the due date!

I just had my doctor checkup last evening...it was a 3-month followup. My bloodsugar was a lot better, my BP was a lot lower, he was happy I was exercising...still waiting for the cholesterol bloodwork to get back. I still didn't lose weight. He said the only way to pep up my sluggish metabolism was MORE exercise. I bike ride every evening after dinner (about 2 miles) and I know I could be doing more, but after working all day, taking care of the house, etc. there seems so little time. And I feel tired out after doing what I already do.

I'm still keeping my carbs to about 25 a day. I have no desire for white flour or most items with sugar. I generally feel good, and the doctor was very pleased with the improvement. The only thing different I did since my last checkup 3 months ago was the bike riding. Back then the weather just wasn't cooperating.

 

[nancyj_pa]

Hooray for me! I finally got back my 25 pound clippie. Those extra 2 pounds were hanging around forever.

I'm still riding my bike about 1 1/2 to 2 miles per day, weather permitting. I think that is helping.

Still waiting for the birth of my new DGranddaughter. The due date is only 8 days away. Her bedroom is finally ready. It's so cute with pink walls, and a ballerina bear theme...borders, comforter, mobile, curtains, etc. A real feminine theme. The doctor better have been correct! DH assembled the crib and all the cute new baby outfits are washed and waiting.

Our vacation in Ocean City, N.J. is coming up in a coming up soon (July 12). Hopefully, the baby won't be late. We plan to visit with her a bit and take DGrandson (11) to the shore with us for a few days.

I'm still low carbing and not cheating. My only sweet treat is low carb ice cream and a squirt of whipped cream when I feel the need.
I wish the pounds would come off more quickly, but I'll have to take what I can get. This is a life journey for me, not a quick fix.

 

[nancyj_pa]

I've been on pins and needles waiting for the new DGranddaughter to arrive (DD's in PA), and now DDIL in southern Maryland is in the hospital recovering from a pulmonary embolism. She's only 32 and came pretty close to it being a fatality.

A few months back, she fell on the escalator at Kohl's and cut her leg near the knee on the edge of the escalator. It bled a lot and required stitches. It got worse and she had to rest it and stop working for a while and take antibiotics. Later on she needed surgery on it because it got worse. On Friday and Saturday, she began having pain in her upper arm and shoulder and had trouble breathing. My DS insisted she go the the ER and they did a lot of testing. The MRI showed the blood clot in her lung. It is very serious, and many people die of this before they are even diagnosed. Thank goodness the hospital found the cause and treated it. She'll have to take blood thinners for about 6 months.

I talked to her this afternoon, and she is feeling better and hoping to come home from the hospital tomorrow. So far the stress hasn't caused any excess eating. But maybe a glass of wine this evening won't be a bad idea.

 

[nancyj_pa]

Just an update...DDIL still in hospital trying to get blood numbers into a certain range. She's feeling better and hoping to come home this afternoon.

DD still not ready to give birth...she's hoping for this weekend. Friday would be nice but it's not up to us, is it?

I got cholesterol numbers back from doctor. Best I ever had...193. That's the lowest I ever had. It's usually in the high 220's even on meds.

I ate a can of Reddi-Wip last evening...I needed to satisfy an urge for sugar. What a poor choice! But it sure tasted great. I'll try to make a wiser choice next time.

 

[DoeWDW]

Nancy, I'll keep your DD and your DDIL in my prayers - so much going on right now!

Glad to hear your cholesterol and blood sugar and blood pressure are all getting better!! All your hard work is truly paying off!!

Hope your day is filled with and good news!

 

[nancyj_pa]

Thanks for the prayers and sunshine! We can certainly use them.

NancyJ

 

[DoeWDW]

Nancy, I'm sending some extra for you to sprinkle on DD and DDIL. DD gets the "quick, painless & easy birth, healthy baby & momma" and DDIL gets the "feel all better soon" !

I hope your weekend is filled with good news and happy times!

 

[nancyj_pa]

Well, all that extra pixie dust must have done the trick!

I have a beautiful, new DGranddaughter born at 3:28 P.M. today. Her name is Megan Elizabeth and she weighed 7 lbs 11 oz, exactly the same as her brother Timmy did 11 years ago. All went well despite a rather long labor.

DDIL came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and is feeling much better. She, DS, and the 3 Maryland grandchildren will be arriving for a visit next Wednesday to visit the new little one, and then we're (DH and the Maryland bunch) heading to the shore for a much needed vacation. My sister has a home on the beach in Ocean City, N.J. and graciously opens her home to all of us whenever we'd like to come.

I went to work for 2 hours this morning early, got the call, raced to the hospital to sit in the waiting room with DGrandson, and was soon joined by DH and other MomMom. It was about 5 hours later that Megan was born. We all had lunch in the cafeteria, but I was good and had a bunless cheeseburger and a glass of water. I just had dinner...turkey and cheese on a low carb tortilla wrap (2).

 

[nancyj_pa]

Sunday, July 4

I'm still eating on plan, exercising every day, and drinking lots of water. Weight is still the same.

I'm going to visit my newest granddaughter, Megan, this afternoon. She just came home from the hospital with DD and her family. She is so beautiful; lots of dark hair and a beautiful complexion.

After all the good news, I have to come back to earth and deal with real life. Bathroom pipe broke and dripped into kitchen ceiling a few weeks ago. Plumber finally replaced the pipe (So expensive...I should have been a plumber). Now I have holes in the ceiling and at the top of one of the walls. I have to find a drywall guy. Also, the wallpaper has to be replaced and the ceiling painted when all is repaired. I started the mega job of taking down the old wallpaper. What a thankless job! It's taking forever and the underneath walls look terrible because the walls were not sized before the paper was put up. I plan to paper myself to save money. The whole kitchen is a mess and the job seems too big to tackle and I'm getting overwhelmed. But I know I can do it...one step at a time, just like Doreen is doing. I work on it a little every day, and I spent about 4 hours on it today.

 

[DoeWDW]

Nancy, I'm so glad all went well for DD and for DDIL!! Congratulations on your newest granddaughter!!!

I hope you're enjoying your time at the shore - sounds heavenly to me!!

I wanted to let you know that there's a WISHer on the main WISH board who posted a thread about being newly diagnosed with Graves disease. She could use some encouragement and I thought of you immediately. Her name is Kathleena (that's her DIS name and I assume her real name) and the thread is titled "Feeling Bad, need a Pick Me Up". If you get a chance to contact her when you get back, I know she'd appreciate it.

Best wishes for your kitchen remodeling! I know it's a pain now, but just think how beautiful it will be when you finish! Baby steps, Nancy, baby steps!!

 

[nancyj_pa]

DS and family from southern Maryland arrived Wednesday evening for a visit. We are all heading to Ocean City, N.J. for a vacation at the shore on Monday A.M. I visited DD and baby Megan today. It's amazing how quickly babies change. She is so cute but slept most of the day.

DH and I have the evening to ourselves. The guests are visiting DD. I just might be able to squeeze in a bike ride. Last week I crashed my bike...not paying attention and I hit a cement curb. I fell into a sticker bush, hurt my hand and leg, and the chain came off my bike. Luckily DH fixed it. I did ride again the next day and had no problem. I know after my treadmill accident I hated to get back on (and still do after 2 years).

It's been hard getting all my water in. I plan to stay low carb during vacation and do a lot of walking on the beach and playing with the grandchildren. Hopefully, I won't gain any weight. I'm still waiting for the day I can say I lost a couple of pounds. I keep seeing ONEDERland within reach but hard to attain.

 

[nancyj_pa]

Vacation at the shore was wonderful! I got a nice tan and had time to relax with family. I veered off my eating plan a little and had a glass or two of wine every evening. So...I wasn't too surprised to see that I gained two pounds when I got back. However, I lost them already by returning to a normal routine.

Before low carbing, I gained about 6 pounds per year for the last 12 years. So even though I am not losing right now, I figure at least I'm not gaining like I usually do with my poor metabolism. That's a good thing for me.

 

[nancyj_pa]

Well, the same 2 pounds keep coming and going. I think most of the problem is the after 10 PM snacking...cheese, macadamias, or low carb ice cream.

My kitchen wallpaper is finally all scraped off. DSIL is painting the ceiling for me on Monday. He's 6'4" and can reach without climbing. I can't seem to make up my mind on the new wallpaper. The walls are in really poor shape so I can't paint. Does anyone know of a good wallpaper store in the Philly suburbs that carries paper you can take with you? I need a heavy vinyl paper. Both Home Depot and Lowe's have limited selections unless I order from the catalog. It's too hard to see if it's the right texture this way.

My new boss is a doll. What a difference going to work each day happy, and not wondering who he's going to "get" today. I'll be going on vacation to the shore again in two weeks. DD and the new baby will be there for a couple of days too.

I missed out on my bike ride this evening. I went to dinner with DDIL and DD, and 2 Dgrandchildren. The guys were out at a golf tournament. I had ceasar salad with scallops...it was much too large so I have lunch for tomorrow.

 

[DoeWDW]

Nancy, I can't help with the wallpaper dilemma but I hope you find something that will help your kitchen feel warm and inviting! Life in our house revolves around our kitchen a LOT!

You must be having a wonderful summer, spending so much time with your family and especially those precious grandkids! You sound like a real hands-on grandma - you're making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime for your grandkids!

Sorry to hear about your bike incident but I'm glad that DH fixed the bike and that time has healed you! Be careful out there, OK? Sorry, I just can't help drifting into Mom-mode!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[nancyj_pa]

Wow! What a busy last week I've had. I managed to stay on plan pretty much, but I figured out the low carb ice cream and whipped cream had to go! They're much too tasty and I tend to overeat them even though they don't have many carbs. So I'm back to my nuts and cheese. I didn't get weighed for over a week, and when I did the other day I gained a couple of pounds.

DH bought a new used car, sold his old one, both privately, and we had a lot of running around to do...meeting private parties, going to mechanics, auto tag places, etc. I managed to get the kitchen paper started yesterday...it's almost halfway done and it does look pretty good. But, my bones were all aching last evening after a day of climbing up and down the ladder, bending, etc. I'll be back at it again today.

I didn't get a chance to bike ride last week, and I'm going to try to get a ride in today. The weather looks beautiful. We have dinner plans this evening, so I'll try to get out soon before the wallpapering begins.

 

[Auntmeme]

Hi Nancy

Sounds like a busy summer! I agree with you about the lc ic, I truly think this holds back any weight loss I'm back to original atkins, just the basics and I'm trying to stick to chick & fish.

Wallpapering yourself? how brave you are

How is that little baby doing?

 

[nancyj_pa]

Hi MeMe,
You're right about that ice cream, I think. The new baby is doing great. She is on her first trip to visit her cousins in southern Maryland and will be coming home this evening. She's still not sleeping very well at night, though. Next week she'll be in Ocean City with us for a couple of days.

I can't believe I just reached my first anniversary with WISH. It doesn't seem like a year already that I've been low carbing. This lifestyle suits me; I don't miss the junk. It would just be better if the weight came off. At least I feel better and am leading a healthier life.

Well, I papered a bit more this evening. DH was out golfing with his buddies and they're heaving steak sandwiches out somewhere. Now I'm going for a bike ride before it gets dark.

 

[DoeWDW]

Nancy, happy WISH anniversary!!

Take the wallpapering slow and easy - no need to get it all done too fast.

Enjoy Ocean City for me!! I hope you have great weather!

 

[nancyj_pa]

Thanks for the anniversary wishes, Doreen. I see your low carb anniversary is this month as well. It doesn't seem that long since we all started.

The wallpaper is 90% finished and looking good. I ran out and just picked up the last roll (for in back of the refrigerator). I'll try to get it done by this weekend.

The weather outlook seems O.K. so far for Ocean City next week. This Saturday is our family dinner and family photo. It will be an informal one at the mall. We're all wearing black and white. The two DS's and their wivers, DD and her husband, and all 5 grandchildren will be in the photo with DH and me. I hope it turns out O.K. The dinner and photo are for DH's 65th birthday which is coming up on the 25th.

Tonight DH's friends from Myrtle Beach who have been staying with us are taking us out to dinner (after golf, of course). They are leaving tomorrow. Then the new troops arrive on Saturday until Monday A.M. when we all head to the shore. Hectic but fun!

I will stay on plan at the shore except for my wine. It is low carb, (and I usually don't drink unless I'm out to dinner) but relaxing at the shore isn't the same without a cool drink

 

[nancyj_pa]

We got back from the shore on Sunday after a very relaxing week. I managed to get a couple of walks and bike rides, and walked the boardwalk once. I made my biannual donation to the casinos as well.

As for the good news...I managed to lose two pounds. I ate on plan, had wine or cocktails almost every day, but probably didn't have as many low carb snacks in the evening since dinner was much later than at home.

I think being off from work made the difference. I was able to get out and walk or bike when I wanted, and play with the grandchildren. When I'm working, I feel rushed and don't enjoy exercising in the evenings since I'm tired from working all day. I travel an hour each way and have to leave early in the A.M.

The weather was pretty nice and I have a great tan. I don't burn and tan quickly, and the bit of rain we had didn't take away from my beach time. I have vacation again labor day week and plan to spend a few days visiting DS and his family at their new home in Maryland.