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Day #163
I flirted with an exercise bike - but I am a little leery of buying one for multiple reasons. One of which is assembly, and the other is getting it to my apartment.
Why am I flirting with it?
I got a little scared when I read my health insurance's pamphlet on diabetes - which came in the mail today. Now even the mail is trying to scare me.
My blood sugar level in June was 6.4, which according to my mother is pre-diabetic and according to the doctor, diabetic. I'm just confused.
It also goes into diet and going off carbs. I feel like going into detail on my diet - it should be noted that I don't really have any carbs in my diet.
The sugar that I have is - chocolate, alcohol, fruit, and maple syrup on almond flour pancakes once every two weeks or so.
That's it. I don't have sugar in anything else. Okay it's also in the gummie CBD's.
I don't drink soda. The alcohol I am drinking is very low in sugar content or non-existent. And chocolate is basically a hershey's chocolate bar with almonds, peanut or almond M & Ms, and dark chocolate. I haven't had any baked goods. And outside of an occasional ice cream bar - no ice cream.
I walk at least four times a week - depending on the weather. Last two days, it was too bloody hot to do it. But I did walk Sunday and Friday.
And I'm exercising - did wall squats, wall pushups, running in place, downward dog stretches, and light weights (about ten pound, if that).
I don't know what else to do. Mother says I need a will and a DNR, but how? I have no printer, no notary, and it's kind of hard to do right now.
COVID makes everything harder.
Next door neighbor - actually it's kind of catty-corner, I'm in a cul-de-sac. One apartment is next door - that's the Russian family that doesn't speak any English, then across from me, and next to them is another apartment that gets a lot of turn-over. Possibly because families or couples keep renting what amounts to a VERY small one-bedroom apartment. It's smaller than mine. I know - I was in it before it was occupied, a few years back.
This time it appears to be rented by a guy with two kids. He had multiple kids coming in and out today. I've seen him, but we haven't exchanged pleasantries - because, a) he moved in after COVID hit. b) he doesn't wear a mask and has a beard. (usually just turns his back to me). I'm not sure what to make of him. This is the guy who left the stuff outside his apartment when he first moved in.
The difficulty with living in a large apartment complex during a pandemic - is that not everyone feels the need to abide by the rules and keep others safe. They did for about two or three months. Now they are fed up, and going back to life as usual. Selfish bastards. I ran into one guy, who I had to wait until he cleared the area - before going upstairs - he wore no mask, and was blocking the way upstairs.
I'm finding this exhausting.
My father is doing better - according to my mother. She did a conference call today with my father, the Physical Therapist, the Occupational Therapist, etc. (Basically his health care team). He's stepping up to do the therapy and seems to be alert and know where he is. The only problem? He
isn't eating - no appetite. They are going to fix him an ensure milkshake and see if that helps.
Thursday, they are going to set up a door visit. She sits on one side of the plastic door shield with a telephone and he sits on the other.
Meanwhile, Aunt D sent mother two books, one was entitled "The Other Side of Alzheimers" and the other "How Not to Die" by Michael Garner, MD (I think).
The second was a diet book - about going on a "greens diet". Easier said then done - my mother is struggling getting enough greens from her retirement center. I eat salads daily. My diet is mainly salad, steel cut oats, and a protein of some sort, also a green vegetable - mainly because my digestive system hates non-green vegetables, and is not crazy about beans.
I don't blame my father for not having much appetite. But, according to mother this is worrisome - because he usually has a robust one. She's afraid he still has the infection. He's lost 20 pounds. I told mother that at least he could fit into his shirts and pants now.
It's official, I don't like summer. Kind of tired of everyone at work telling me about their vacations. Oh well, I'm more resilient than they are - I can handle five months with no vacation or socializing. And as my mother put it - why go on vacation? I have no where to go. I'd just sit and stew and binge-watch television. Also, I'm kind of living at work. The only way I could have a vacation is if I visited my brother's barn - which, no. Just no.
In a way, it's kind of relaxing just working from home. I'd complete things, then just stare blankly out my window at the trees and the birds and the blue sky, while listening to an audio book in between. I've been listening to an audio book all day - while working. I got tired of music, so shifted to an audio book for a bit.
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If 6.4 is your A1C reading, stop worrying, that's very good for a diabetic. (Below 7.0 is considered "well controlled. I'm also diabetic, as you may recall, so speaking from experience here. My last A1C was 6.7.)
If you weren't exercising and watching your diet-- which clearly, you are-- that would be one thing, but not the case. If you're walking a couple of miles a day, your doc should be delighted.
When I was diagnosed a few years back, my doctor provided me with a blood glucose meter so I could monitor my condition. If you're really concerned, ask your doc for one, or simply go to a pharmacy and buy one-- they aren't that expensive (although the test strips can be-- it seems it's a similar deal to inkjet printers-- the printers are cheap, the ink is... eeesh!)
It might give you peace of mind in that you could check yourself anytime you want.
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If 6.4 is your A1C reading, stop worrying, that's very good for a diabetic. (Below 7.0 is considered "well controlled. I'm also diabetic, as you may recall, so speaking from experience here. My last A1C was 6.7.)
That's good news. I'd gone down actually from 6.6 to 6.4. She still considers it diabetes, although improving and tells me to continue what I'm doing.
Anyhow thank you.
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Why on earth would you want to tell anyone not to resuscitate you? (That's what DNR means, right?)
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Hint? Do not argue this with me, I wrote a legal paper in law school about the topic of euthanasia. The paper was about a young woman who sued for the right to be taken off a feeding tube.
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But the laws of all countries and states are different. I don't know what the laws are regard euthansia and DNR in the Jersey Islands or Great Britain.
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It's not the case here at all. First of all - in order to get permission for organ donation - you have to agree to it in writing on the driver's license. Then get it signed off on again. Second, the DNR order must be in writing and notarized, and you must have a power of attorney.
So, your fears aren't really an issue here at all.