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Another NSV: Diabetes Medications

A year and a half ago I was taking 5 metformin pills a day for my diabetes, 2 in the morning, 2 in the evening, and 1 at noon. I now take it only if my morning blood sugar is high enough to warrant it. Over the last 17 days, I have taken 2 metformin pills. Doing the comparison, a year and a half ago I would have taken 85 pills over that same time period.

Similarly, a year and a half ago I was taking 180 units of long-acting insulin a day for my diabetes. I now take it only if my evening blood sugar is high enough to warrant it. Over the last 23 days, I have taken insulin only 3 times, totaling 21 units. Doing the comparison, a year and a half ago I would have taken 4,140 units over that same time period.

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Major NSV: Walking the Property

Because of my back injury I have never been able to just walk around my property. I have a large lot, and anytime I’ve been out walking I had to sit, or bring a chair, or just not go. Today our contractor was over, and I went out the front door, walked around past the garage and into the yard, walked all the way to the back of the yard (where I had never been!), all the way around to the side garden, carried some paint cans back and put them under the house, and came inside. I was in a small amount of pain the whole time, but I did it! And I am not in massive amounts of pain now!!

This is huge. This is why I’m on this journey! While the weight is coming off at an agonizingly slow rate, I am moving more, and with less pain.

Wow

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Further Reduction in Diabetes Meds

It is now a week since I needed to take my once-a-day Metformin pill, based on my morning blood sugar measure.

Over the last 2 weeks I have had to take insulin in the evening only twice.

While the weight is coming off agonizingly slowly, I’m clinging to the non-scale-victories (NSV’s).

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NSV: Free Shirt

Non-scale victory:: when they throw t-shirts to the audience at the basketball games, it was really theoretical for me: I was not going to be able to keep it if I caught it because it would be too small. Today we got a t-shirt, and it’s an XL. I can keep it! Made me cry…

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Another NSV: Opthalmologist

You know when you go to the Opthalmologist and you have to scoot forward and put your chin and forehead on various machines so they can look in your eyes and take pictures and such? My belly used to get in the way and it was really stressful and uncomfortable. No issues today! 😁😁

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Thrift Store Clothes

I’m a big fan of “reuse” in clothes; I love to shop at thrift stores. But because of my size I haven’t been able to find anything that fit me for many years.

Dani went to a thrift store today and came back with two shirts and two pairs of shorts for me. The shorts are size 36 and 40 (men’s), and I’m still pretty big around the waist, so it will be a while before they fit. The two shirts are a little snug, but are close to being my size. They are a size XL! I haven’t worn an XL since… I can’t remember when! I have been a 4XL for many years. I remember being a 3XL maybe 20 years ago, but don’t have a solid memory of anything smaller than that for probably 30 years.

Weird, but kinda cool

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I Went For A Walk

After yesterday’s walking experience I decided to dabble in the amazing and elusive world of walking. Rio and I took off towards the little park that’s about 100 yards up the street. Up a gentle slop, then a steeper slope up the driveway to the park. My hips and lower back hurt, but not bad. I did not get out of breath. * We set on a bench for a few minutes, then did something I’ve loved to do before: climb on the play structure and go down the slide. Then we walked back.

Sounds simple, but it was a HUGE deal for me to just decide to go for a walk, enjoy the outdoors, and be a kid for a few minutes. I admit I got choked up. I haven’t been able to just go for a walk since about 2014.

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Oops, but yay!

So I had a doctors appointment today. It’s a reasonable length walk to get to the appointment because you have to go all the way into the main entrance and go through a Covid check and then all the way back to the clinic and up the elevator, so I generally use my scooter to get upstairs. Within the last six months I’ve been leaving the scooter in the waiting room and walking in to my appointment from there.
Today I got out of the car and started to pull my scooter out of the trunk, and realized that I had left the battery at home on the charger. Either I was going to miss the appointment, I’d be very late, or I was going to walk in. I chose to walk in.

I got upstairs, and my back was sore, but not excruciating. I got through the appointment, walked down to get an x-ray, and walked back out to the car. I am in pain, but not bad at all.

Victory!!