JustJane48

   Sunny Saturday spent with my husband cleaning and decorating for Halloween.  Life doesn’t get any better then this!!! Kids are gone away for their 1st year anniversary.

I’ve really been on track with my healthy eating.  Keeping calories really low and watching my sodium.  No more hospitals for me.  My tightest jeans are now comfortable!!! Now thats amazing!!

Tonight will be stuffed cabbage rolls (made with ground turkey) and acorn squash.  Yum….also made homemade peanut butter coookies (but only had 1) for the family!

Glad to say the scales are reading 194 for the first time in a long time.  Guess I really had to just get serious.  I’m happy for where I am in life right now.  Things seem to be coming together….thank goodness it was a rough couple of weeks.

I sending hugs to all here at BuddySlim, wishing you all a healthy happy weekend.

~~Lots of Play keeps your heart young~~

~~Take time to play.  Nothing is as wonderful as the sound  of a child’s laugh~~

What a way to start the day.  A nice big cup of coffee with equal and fat free half and half :)  On the couch cuddling with hubby…watching cartoons!!! 

Making plans for the weekend.  Lots of yard work ahead, cleaning out summer gardens…old tomatoes…cut the grass.  Will probably go to the orchards and buy corn stalks and mini bails of hay.

Weather is supposed to be 88…its hard to get in the Halloween/Fall mood when its this hot but we’ll pretend its cool out!!

Sunday will bring along a challenge.  All my children and grandson will be here for a cookout.  My husband and I will most likely do the Turkey Burgers and the kids and my dad can have the traditional.  No matter what it will be fun just having  all of them here with me.

With my hospital episode everyone of them were there almost the entire night.  They stayed right by my side.  God I’m so lucky to have such a beautiful group of kids…thank you god for that.  And all of my other blessings!!

My middle son Jon spent the night last night…I love when he comes for the weekend it gives me a chance to fatten him up a bit.  He rents a room out of my daughters home and they are very inconsiderate with the food.  It makes me really mad so I try to make up and cook everything he loves when hes here!!!  Isn’t it funny how life DOES revolve around food?

Children are a gift from God; they are his reward.

_______Psalm 127:3

and I’m so much on track I can’t believe it! YIPPEE!! I’ve watched my salt intake, fat intake, kept with my fluid restrictions and feel sooooooo much better!

The  fridge is loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables.  Turkey has officially been replaced by hamburger.  I have tried mixing 1/2 and 1/2 and it does cook up much better.   There are many options out there..have you tried Turkey Tacos?  or Turkey Chili? how about Turkey Spaghetti Sauce?  thats my husbands fav.  He’s so into this whole transformation and I’m so proud of him.

My general medical doctor gave me some tips I’d like to share with you.

1. Fill your plate at the stove  (no temptations to go back for seconds if it isn’t on the table)
2. Have only 1 carb per meal. 
3. Walk 5 hours per week but work at a pace where you are working hard/breathing hard.

Some good tips and I’m certainly going to try them.  Anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?  The weather will be in the high 80’s??? Can you believe it….ISN’T THIS OCTOBER!! Sheesh…I love the fall.  I have the feeling we will go straight from this Indian Summer right to Winter.

Oh well….we’ll take what we can and make the best of it.  Hugs to everyone and hoping you all have a fun and successful weekend!

“Be true to your work, your word, and your friends”

   Its a big day here for the doggies!! and for me as well.  4:30 this afternoon they’ll both be off to the groomers.  YIPPEE!! I tried to load a “real” pic of them to show you how shaggy they are..LOL!! but no luck.  Need my husbands help I guess!!!

Anyways yesterday was really good.  Food has become less inviting for me.  After eating a diet in the hospital consisting of low salt, low fat, low cholesterol food tends to be tasteless.  The scales went down to 198 but I know the game now. 

I had completely forgotten that with heart failure you MUST weigh everyday because of retention.  Its no wonder on Friday afternoon I was 205 then had the episode.  I had retained sooooooooooo much water.  Eeekkks…so scary.

As much as I don’t want to weigh everyday I will have to.  I’ll measure my weight loss by my clothing and how it fits.

I’m off to my primary care doctor today.  Hopefully she can help me find the proper medication to de-stress so that my blood pressure stays as low as possible.  I’ve avoided the medication route long enough.  Maybe if I was on something Friday would have never happened.  Oh well…it did and now its time to get serious.

In the beginning when I joined BuddySlim I was sooooooooooo motivated and sooooooooooo happy to find supportive buddys.  Today seems to be like the beginning (again) for me.  Its ok…I said it before and I’ll say it again…..GAME ON!!! Cmon buddys, we ALL CAN DO IT!!

~~Church Bulletin Bloopers~~

Thursday night potluck supper        Prayer & medication to follow.

The rosebud on the alter this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. & Mrs. Julius Belzer.

Hugs and Love….lots of Success…..most of all sending my support and encouragement to all my buddys out there!

    

  The past few days have been the scariest days of my life.  We were looking forward to a fun weekend enjoying the fall weather but things took a wrong turn.

On Friday evening I was feeling really run down, finding it difficult to breathe.  We sat down for dinner, I had only a couple bites and had to get up from the table.  I took a nitroglycerin but wasn’t feeling better.  Within  5 minutes I was drowning in the fluid that had accumulated in my lungs.  Husband called 911 and thank god…THANK GOD…a neighbor 2 doors down is a paramedic.  He literally saved my life.  He had some type of mask that forced me to breath even though I felt like dying.  The ambulance finally came and 45 mins later we arrived in the ER.  I was losing consciousness and they really thought they had lost me.  Thank goodness I only remember bits and pieces, my husband has told me all the details.

So 1 night in ICU and 1/2 the next day.  I was intubated? (respirator to help me breathe) and heavily sedated.  All I remember is waking up not knowing where I was and couldn’t see anyone (husband was in the room I just didn’t see him)  I felt this foreign object in my mouth and tried to yell out and couldn’t  Guess I decided it wasn’t going to stay in my mouth and I pulled it out.  What a mistake that was, my throat hurt so bad after that.  If I wasn’t so sedated I would have never taken it out.  Nurses reassured me it happens alot.

So 4 days later after lots of blood work,  2 chest x-rays and a heart catherization they concluded it  was hypertensive pulmonary edema.  (heart failure due to high blood pressure and fluid retention)  One called it flash pulmonary edema because it came on so quicly.

I really thought the good Lord was taking me home.  Never ever have I been as scared.  Even with my heart attack and triple bypass, this one took the cake.

So, I’m thanking God for letting me live a bit longer.  Looking at life in a different way.  Appreciating even MORE the little things in life.

With my weight issues I learned alot.  One of the doctors explained to me the difficulty I’m facing is because of these factors.     Age, Menopause,  Weak Heart, Basically no Metabolism because of strong meds.  She encouraged me to just eat healthy and keep walking.  They now say I shouldn’t join Curves.  Thank goodness I didn’t, I was waiting for a better week financially to join and its a blessing I didn’t,  You have to sign a contract and pay every month even if you don’t go.  So  my dear husband and I will continue our nightly walks, and focus even more so on healthy eating.  No more slip ups for this girl.  Another wake up call I guess. 

I’m sending love to all my Buddys here.  I haven’t quite had the chance to catch up on your blogs, only a couple.  Feeling very tired, very bruised (from all the shots, ivs, etc…) and need to rest.

Everyday we really need to take a few minutes and look around at all we have.  We only go around once in life so lets make it the best we can!!

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

——Isaiah 41:10