Category: My Life

I’ve spent the past week stressing. Finally today I am able to sit back and rest. I do not need to “get” anything to keep my house in order for the next month.

I admit it though, I am weary. Running here and there, up and downstairs, and making lists and checking them, is craziness. I’ve never been in a situation quite like this. I am tired.

Now the 1918-1919 Flu that came through Boston and killed so many there and worldwide always did register with me. My grandfather’s sister was expecting her first baby and the Flu took them both. Katchen was a much-loved sister to Papa and best friend to my grandmother. They both spoke of this as a great tragedy and with much sadness.

And here we are 2020 with this Worldwide Pandemic.

WW (Weight Watchers) have closed down their Classes. They are offering a class on their website once a week. But we’ve been told to weigh in at home and they will open classes once they feel positive that they can do it safely.

I really need to chill out. I need to stop obsessing about this so I can move forward and be productive in the home. I would love to clean closets and go through rooms and de-clutter, but I feel oddly frozen in my seat.

I guess the good news is my new laptop arrives tomorrow and I will be busy setting that up.

For now, Gentle Readers, wash your hands, stay safe and we will get through this.

Things have been moving right along for me this week, but the biggest happening was at WW this morning. I was working so hard, hoping this day would come and it did. I lost my first twenty-five pounds!

I’m actually down 26 pounds now, but when I started to think about losing my weight I would tell myself to take it a day at a time, and only celebrate the big milestones. Twenty-five pounds is a big one.

Now I decided not to reward myself with food. That would be a bad habit to get into. But since I have been abstaining from all alcohol, I decided to enjoy a nice single-malt Scotch. Just one serving.

So I am happy and celebrating and feeling very good about what I am accomplishing. Life is very, very, good!

And yes, I did have my Scotch and it was delicious!

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I am doing with my desire to lose weight on the new WW Plan.

I chose the Green Plan to follow, which in short means I am counting my points and really working at preparing filling, yet low point meals.

I was so dishearted at Christmas when I was weighing way too much. I saw the pictures and I looked like the Pillsbury Dough Girl! I was so unhappy.

My New Year’s Resolution was to cut it out and just do it.

I went back to class and began, again, the long process of losing weight.

One thing I can say about being 61 is that this time on WW I am facing all this with reality. I know I cannot have “cheat” days. I know I cannot drink alcohol and expect to lose. And I know, deep in my heart, that I will be following WW for the rest of my life. I am not naturally thin, and never will be. Even when I get to my goal weight, my body will always want to take Pasta and make big hips! This is me and this is my life.

Strangely, I feel okay with all of this. I am not on the brink of cheating or stopping the diet, and I am content.

This is totally a new feeling. I was always great at sabotaging myself. But, no more! I will do this. I know I can!

Well, I wish I could say that the weight I am losing is just dropping off, but I’m in a “slow and steady wins the race” kind of game.

This week it was another 1/2 pound loss. But I can see it and feel it in my face and on my body. I know I must be patient.

Meanwhile, I also went and had my hair done today. I just love what Becca is doing with my hair. She has known me for a long time and she understands my wayward curls.

I switched from my previous hairstylist early last Autumn. My hair was breaking and falling out and I was having a hard time doing it myself.

Becca had gotten a job at a local salon and I made an appointment with her and over the last 5 months, we’ve worked together to repair my hair. Today it is healthy and full and I am happy. Well, more than happy! Thanks, Becca!

My plan for the rest of the week and weekend is to eat lots of vegetables and keep doing what I can to stay faithful to myself and this diet.

I know that I can do this, even though right now it’s all going slower than I would like.

What a full day I had on Wednesday. It started when I left the house at 7:45 in the morning, and it did not end until I returned at 3:30 in the afternoon.

First I had WW class and it was a bit of a frustration for me this week, but after looking back at the things I ate, I think a minor adjustment will help me for next week.

After class, I headed out for a day of shopping and doctor’s appointments.

I went to a discount store called TJ Maxx and found the cutest dachshund dish towels for my kitchen. Aren’t they cute?

Then it was on to the big Tanger Outlet Shopping Mall. There are several stores I really love there and I went looking for some good deals. I got a new tunic sweater and a pair of Yoga pants. Heaven!

I ran into someone I used to know too. It was fine, I guess, but strange nonetheless. She had once been a good friend, but one day she just dropped me. It hurt me a lot back then, but then I remember this saying and it is something I just have to let go.

After that, I pumped my gas at 202.9 a gallon and went grocery shopping. I needed so much and since I knew I was going to be out for a while I had thrown the coolers in the back of the car.

I had 45 minutes to get the groceries I needed and so I grabbed a cart and into the store I went. I hit all the places I needed to go, got all the foods we required and then got to the checkout in 35 minutes!

Then, off I drove to see my Glaucoma doctor. I got there 15 minutes early and I checked in and sat down intending to make a few calls, but as soon as my fanny hit the seat, they called my name!

The short story is that my left eye (which is horribly bloodshot due to sensitivity to the drops) had a nice lower pressure of 16! Yay left eye! However, my “good” right eye still had a high pressure of 24. I was disappointed, but apparently this is common in the early days of treating high pressures.

My doctor decided to order a new drop, which I will have to use twice a day. She called the prescription in. Great, I thought.

I drove back to Meredith and went right to the Pharmacy. Only to find out that my Insurance Company had denied the prescription! It’s too expensive they said!

Then I recalled that I also have prescription coverage through the VA. I gave the Pharmacy Tech my card and she looked it up and bingo! Approved! So the drops are ordered and will be in tomorrow.

I picked up the last few things I needed at Hannaford’s and then came home, exhausted. But I did feel rather good about all I accomplished!

We are supposed to get 5-8 inches of snow today. I wonder what it will look like? A small amount or a fair chunk of the white stuff. We shall see.

Today will be a busy day. I have a WW class in the morning, with a new weigh-in, and then in the afternoon, I will be going to see the Glaucoma Specialist, Dr. H.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the eye doctor’s appointment. My stomach was in knots all of Tuesday. I’ve tried to remain calm, but it just isn’t working. Oh well, it will be what it is and I will simply have to do what I can to control it if I can.

The microwave is not too bad. I typed out a cheat sheet for the powers and the directions and so far so good. Because it is a higher-powered machine we will really need to be careful.

So, I am off to accomplish great things on this Wednesday. I am hopeful I will have great things to report tomorrow!

I’ve been back to WW for 2 weeks. Wednesday was my weigh-in and folks, I am not crying!

In the last two weeks, I have weighed, measured, planned my meals and tracked my food. The first week was much harder then the last one was. I swear I was going through sugar withdrawal!

Now I seem to be hitting my stride with the diet and I’m actually enjoying the planning and the cooking.

Most of all, I am really enjoying the fact that I have now lost 11.6 pounds in these last two weeks.

I know I will not lose vast amounts like this each week, but this certainly encourages me to stay on plan and keep up the good work.

Well, I went to my appointment yesterday and all was going really well. There were changes to my vision, but my vision is correctable to 20/20 and my right eye was actually correctable to 20/15! Not bad for an old chick of 61!

Then the doctor checked my pressures again. Then he checked them again. Then he told me that the pressures were 28 in the left eye and 26 in the right eye! Yeah, like almost everyone in my family, I have Glaucoma.

He said we would check things in a month, but I did not want to wait, since Glaucoma is in my family. My sister has severe Glaucoma and is being aggressively treated.

So, I left the office feeling somewhat blindsided. I called Jack and my sister and my daughter. I tried to formulate a plan of action. And it all came to me.

I researched doctors who specialize in Glaucoma. Then I looked at their Medical Schools, Board Certifications, and if they had been involved in any research work in the Glaucoma area.

I found a woman in Manchester, that I will see on January 29th. They will do a full workup and I will know what is happening, and if the optical nerve has been damaged. I will have answers.

Meanwhile, I want to relax and try not to drive myself crazy with worry. It is what it is, and soon I will be under a good doctor’s care.

It was not at all what I expected, but at least it was found and I will begin treatment very, very, soon.

Today I go to the eye doctor. I’m always a tad nervous about this. For those of you who have not known me since I started blogging, I have had detached retinas in both eyes. It was worse the first time when my left eye had the detachment. It was totally off and I had no vision.

Me in the hospital after the retina detached the first time. It happened so late in the day that they kept me overnight.

The second time, it was the right eye, and the retina detached halfway giving me really strange vision. Like looking out a window where the shade was half drawn.

What it looked like once the bandages were removed!

Anyway. I’ve done well since the reattachments, but today the doctor will check to make sure everything is where it should be.

I’m thinking I will keep my frames and just have the new prescription put in them.

Meanwhile after carefully watching the weather this morning on our local TV channel, “cold and clear“, we had flurries all afternoon. Good news, it left just a light dusting! Are these weather forecasters ever right?