Today my dad would have been 80 years old.
Even though he is no longer with us I wanted to acknowledge his birthday.
Love you Dad.
Extreme Diabetes
I have been trying to get my husband to go to his primary care doctor for about 6 months.
He has always been a junk food junky and no matter what I said he would not give it up.
He had lost 18#’s in the last 6 month and he was very hungry. He was getting up several times in the night to pee.
I had my suspicions and even told him I felt like he had diabetes but he kept ignoring all the signs.
At his long-overdue Dr. visit His A1C was 11.6 which is a 3 month average of 285 for his glucose. That is very very high in fact his Doctor used the words Extreme Diabetes.
Normal A1C is 4 – 5.6 and normal glucose is less than 100 when fasting. He had fasted for 20 hours prior to his appointment because the soonest appointment we could get was 3:30 in the afternoon.
He started on his medication on Saturday so we could watch for side effects. There were plenty of those on the first day and different ones on the second day.
He stayed home on Monday to allow his body an extra day to get used to the new medication.
He is taking Xigduo XR 5mg/1000mg 1 pill a day for the first week then he ups that to 2 pills a day.
The junk food junkie is getting a big reality check in his daily diet and some things will be harder than others.
Potato Chips, Chocolate, Cokes and Diet Cokes have to be given up.
His favorite foods are potatoes, pasta, and rice. A few times a month will be about it on those and then it has to be brown rice and wheat pasta.
Potatoes will be rarely.
Wish me luck dealing with a My Junk Food Junkie.
CT Lung Scan Results
I have 4 lung nodules from 4mm – 8mm in size they are considered small at this point.
The first lung scan showed 3 nodules the second one showed 2 and it said one was resolved and this one showed 4 but listed two as new ones.
I have always loved reading anything about medical stuff and sometimes that just ends up scaring me more. Especially when I read the descriptions of the nodules.
There is no way to know what they are until they can be biopsied. Lung nodules are not necessarily cancer.
Lung nodules have to be 1cm before they can be biopsied due to the dangers associated with them.
The pulmonologist reminded me that lung cancer stage 1 is very curable that is why we are doing these CT Lung scans this was my 3rd one in 1 1/2 years.
He changed my morning inhaler to a stronger version and now its morning and evenings this is because I have been experiencing some more shortness of breath.
I felt pretty good about this appointment he is so good to answer my list of questions and explain things to me and he never rushes you which is a big plus.
He is ordering some more testing and wants to see me again in the month.
Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Testing
Recently I did the Platinum Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Test with 850 Items Tested. The cost was $50.00.
The company I used was on Groupon and it was “Check My Body Health”. It was fairly simple you sent in a sample of hair. I advise letting someone else cut underneath your hair.
I cut way too much lol.
A few weeks later you are emailed your results.
Some of mine I already knew even though I was never allergy tested as a child.
It gives you food sensitivities and I have a lot of high reactivity ones and quite a few moderate ones.
Every Apple on the market, all varieties of bread, green beans, lima beans, mushrooms YUCK do not eat those things, butter, yogurt, sour cream all milk cow, goat or sheep, every cheese, Coconut, Lemonade, Lemons, White Wine, Red Wine, and Beer. Good thing I don’t drink.
Non – Food Sensitivities” Pine Trees and Scottish Pine, Ampiccilloyl and Penicilloyl, Mosquito, Colonial Bent Grass
I am allergic to 8 antibiotics so that makes sense with the Amp and Pen and the pine trees I knew since I was a kid.
A lot were listed in the moderate section.
Metal Sensitivities Nothing in the high but lots listed in the moderate to many to list.
Digestive Health – Amylase, Lipase, Pepsin It said no digestive enzymes were identified as being normal wow I feel so special.
Additives: Polydextrose, Brown FK, Stearyl Tartrate, Sodium Cyclamate
Gut Health- all my good strains of bacteria are all low which also makes me feel so special.
Vitamins A – K – Vitamin B6 Low
Minerals and other Nutrients it said I was low in Chromium, Magnesium, Phosphorous,
Beta Carotene, Betaine, Bio- Flavonoids, Bromelain, Creatine
For the foods, it says to try an elimination diet and slowly add things back in to see what happens.
I have a copy printed out for the Dr.s that way they can further test what they want to test.
I am taking the B6 and added Digestive Enzymes I started those on Monday.
I suggest anyone that has issues check out this testing there are several levels you can do but I wanted the whole picture.
Things in the attic
If you have lived in your house for quite a few years chances are you have lots of things in your attic you do not need or have forgotten about having.
For us it has been over 40 yrs worth of stuff. Our weather is cooling down so its a good time to go into the attic.
We had 4 kids and I liked saving their stuff for some reason. I have not idea why I saved it because they left it all here lol.
As a child we moved a lot I remember at least 8 times and this was hard for my sister and me.
I wanted our kids to feel grounded and grow up in one home we are still living in the same home today. I always thought it was special my husband and his family grew up in one home and today his mom is still in that home.
My sister and her husband also raised their two boys in the same house and they still live in that same house.
From the beauty pageants, there were trophies, crowns and capes at least 3 years worth of these wins from our older two kids. Favorite stuff animals, dolls, toys, clothes and shoes.From baseball and softball, there would be jerseys, pants, belts, and trophies.
From 4H there would be livestock combs, boxes, halters and ropes.
Fast Forward to Jr High there would be stuff from football, track, volleyball, basketball, and tennis.
During high school, there would be stuff from softball and tennis. As well as stuff the boys made in wood shop.
School papers, poems reports, and drawings. I will keep the artwork.
Then there is special stuff to me like my great aunts dining room chairs antique ladder back wooden ones. An oak table with glass inlay my grandfather made with a beautiful pedestal. A tall oak end table my grandfather made. A few other odds and ends my grandfather and my dad made for me through the years.I will keep all this stuff.
I have some gords really big ones hanging in the attic my grandfather gave me 30 years ago. I was going to paint on them then I was going to make birdhouses out of them. I have never done anything with them but I think I will make some birdhouses.
My grandfather was able to get me some saw blades from a paper mill they are very large. I also have some vintage Avon bottles my grandmother gave me one time.Milk cans I have collected along with other things over the years. Vintage tins lots of Coca Cola stuff. Some vintage signs and some remake ones.
We will say goodbye to old trophies, capes, stuffed animals, dolls and anything else that was from our kids younger years.
Goodbye to clothes, shoes, uniforms, etc. They do not want it and we do not need it.
The stuff that I have collected I will go through and keep only what I feel the need to keep. Anything my husband, dad, grandfather or either grandmother made I will keep.
This clutter I never see but it bothers me a lot even though its in the attic.
They say when you declutter a space like your attic you feel freedom from what has been weighing you down.
Auction wins
This time at auction I think my best deal was two credenza file cabinets. They were 72″ long 4 deep drawers and they were solid wood. I was able to snag both of them for $50.00. They were very nice probably in the range of $600.00 new. I wanted one and our daughter wanted one.
I also was able to snag a case of 24 aluminum water bottles that hold 24 oz each they were brand new and said Delta Miles on them. I paid $12.00 for the case I have no idea what they are worth. These will work well for long walks or bike rides & they have a clip for attaching it to a belt loop.
A bicycle for our grandson Adrian who is 3 it was a brand new 16″ boys bike $70.00 regular price I was able to snag it for $20.00. Talk about one happy little boy. He was cruising that same day.
I was very pleased with everything I won.
Auctions are so much fun & online ones are even better but you have to be patient and watch them closely to win.
The Beauty of Hummingbirds
We have quite a few hummingbirds around here.
I think they like our yard because there is always numerous different plants blooming all the time.
We have 3 feeders out under the oak trees in the backyard.
When you see several chasing each other that is usually because the different species that are fighting. We have atleast 3 species here. They do not like to be at the feeders at the same time.
Here are a few pictures of the ruby throated hummingbird.
I was able to capture these images over the weekend. I had on my 400mm lens and they were about 10 – 12 ft away.
I make my own hummingbird nectar using this recipe.
1 Part White Granulated Sugar
4 Parts Water
Red food coloring is okay if you use only a few drops if the feeders have some red on them they will find them.
Stir until disolved thouroughly.
If you live in the warmer climate areas it is a good idea to change the nectar often because it sours from the heat. Always place your feeders in the shade.
The hummingbirds are so small but their beauty brings such joy to the world.
Foggy Sunrise
I love living in the country with wide open spaces all around.
This foggy sunrise is a good example of what I am talking about this was taken out our backyard and this is a pasture behind us that is about 30 acres. This was taken on Saturday morning.
I have shot so many sunrises of this same location but no two are ever alike. The colors change in the sunrise just like the height of the fog changes and most of the time there is no fog. The colors change depending on the timing of the picture a few minutes can make all the difference in a sunrise or sunset picture.
This is my piece of paradise it is so tranquil and serene and the beauty never ceases to amaze me.
Life is GOOD!
Boxer dog friends
Daisy and Zoee are the best of friends.
They wrestle, play fetch together and they love tug of war. I am so grateful they have each other.
They are BOTH spoiled rotten. Most of the time when I order from Chewy they know the boxes. I think they smell them but anyway they normally get new balls, toys or chews. Well now when I get a box from Amazon there standing there like “what did you get me now” these are some crazy spoiled dogs.
Dogs need plenty of exercise and there is plenty of room to run and play here at our house. Its been so hot we try not to play fetch unless its early a.m. or late p.m. but sometimes Daisy insist on it.
Zoee had a visit a week ago to the vet shes having some enviromental allergies so we are bathing her in a special shampoo for that. In the country who knows what that could be.
Daisy loves her pool and Zoee loves the waterhose I guess that is never going to change. Zoee makes it really hard to water my plants.
The dogs have been on Iiams dog food for a good while. Our daughter was telling me what she feeds the Cane Corsos is the ” Diamond High Energy” it has 24% protein and 20% fat so its good for active dogs. You can get it at the feed stores. They also have a regular one for those not so high energy dogs.
They are in the process of trying this new food out they have had this bag about 1 week. They do not seem to be eating as much of it which tells me they must be getting fuller.
Cost wise the Iiams 33# bag was about $33.00 the Diamond is a 50# bag for $30.00 so its much cheaper and a better quality food. Hopefully it works out. I wanted to pass this onto all my friends with several dogs.
Sometimes capturing these two on camera can be a challenge but I grabbed a few shots Thursday evening and Friday morning early.
The first picture they both have their eyes shut. Zoee can pull Daisy around when playing Tug of War I have not figured out how. The third picture Daisy was waiting for the ball to be thrown. Last picture Zoee was trying to figure out how to steal the chuck it thrower.
Sonya Lira Photography 