The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Monday, December 17, 2012

Wow! I just lost a whole blog! Here it is in a nutshell - The Good - I graduated nursing school! Yea! Now on to pass the NCLEX and become an RN. The Bad - I had right knee surgery in July (5 months ago) and am still having issues. I did have 3 good days where things were so much better and I could see myself finally able to get around without limping and in pain, then I hurt it again during my last clinical and now I am back to where I was before. :/ The Ugly - My sciatica reared it's ugly head again also in my right leg, so now I am really having trouble getting around. Looking into decompression because I want to treat the issue and not the symptoms like with pain meds. I want to get out there and help people get better and I can't do that like this. Trying to stay positive!

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Discouraged

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Well after being accepted in the Nursing Program at my college, I spent too many hours sitting at a desk studying, grabbing food when and where I could because I felt I didn't have much time to cook, and not exercising for the same reason. And now I weigh my highest amount ever in my life. I have type 2 diabetes and I have knee pain. With my right knee, I have a tear in my meniscus, some wear and tear, as well as some arthritis. My insurance is fighting me on the surgery my doctor says I need (he is very well respected). In the mean while, my final semester in nursing school as well as my new career lies in the balance. No one is going to hire me if I have these knee issues. I may not be able to finish school because of it. I just ask that any of you that may read this, please pray for me. I only have 7 weeks left before school starts back. I need to be ready for this somehow. I am revamping my diet and whatever exercise I can attain. I have a stationary bike and I pray I can use it without too much pain. Thanks for any encouragement or info you offer. Unfortunately I do not have access to a pool which I think would be ideal.

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Making Plans

Saturday, May 23, 2009

I am making lemonade today. Well actually I am making plans. Things in my life aren't going quite the way I would want. Hence I am making lemonade out of my lemons. They aren't terribly bad. I'm not sick, no one is dying, I'm still working. Things just seem to be falling just short of where I would like them to be.
I just learned my grade in Chemistry is a B. I was 1.35 points from making an A. Now B's are good. But I am going to apply to nursing school in August and competition for this plan is fierce. I'm going to apply anyway and hope for the best. But I am also signing up to retake the two courses this fall I made B's in, just in case I don't make it. Then I will reapply in Feb. if needed. Not what I want to do, but it would work.
I am also rethinking my stand with diabetes. Diagnosed in Feb. I tackled it pretty strongly. My doctor felt we were moving on the right track, when my body goes into protest mode and I can't seem to get my blood sugar numbers to behave for very long. I'm trying to do stay off of insulin as long as I can, and hopefully stop taking the oral medicine too, one day. After re-evaluation, I've decided to ask my doctor to recommend a dietitian or nutritionist. I've also decided to up my walking. Something will work out and if not, then I will makes other plans to get this under better control.
My weight is coming off, but it is soooo slow that I am thinking I must have the metabolism of a sloth. Still, it is coming down and at the very least, heading in the right direction. I am thinking the extra walking and hopefully the nutritionist too, they will help ramp up my metabolism,
And on the other hand, making lemonade for the Memorial Day weekend isn't a bad plan either! Well, sugar-free anyways!

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Failure

Saturday, May 16, 2009

I have been struggling the last couple of weeks. A rebellion of sorts at times, and a pure plateau that seems permanent at other times along with still working on my diabetes. Diabetes is crazy in that when you think you have it figured out, you find out you really haven't. Anything can come along and change things so that what you are doing to keep your numbers in line, doesn't seem to work anymore. This can be especially frustrating when this still seems very new to you and you're trying essentially to save your life and improve your very existence. Top that off with work, school, volunteering, and family. I have been stressed. It's so easy to give in when you feel pulled from every direction. Still when I have not done as well as I would like to, I pick myself up and start again. I don't wait till the next day or next week, I start right then. Yet it is hard to feel successful when you've been struggling. Luckily, my daughter graduated last night and I was fortunate to be able to hear the keynote speaker. He said something that made so much sense to me. He said as long as you are still trying, you have not failed. Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in like I did. As long as you are still trying, you have not failed. Not Failed! Just when I was feeling as if I had failed, I discover that I have NOT! Yes, I didn't do as well as I would like at times. Yes, I have had struggles with weight, with diabetes, with life. But I have not failed. As long as you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over, YOU ARE NOT FAILING! You are trying. And trying is not failure! Struggles in life can get you down if you let them. Or they can make you stronger and more determined. If you keep struggling or slipping, keep trying again, keep not failing! Never give up and you will never fail. We are all in this together. We have our SparkPeople and our teams that help us everyday. And yes we do struggle, but we are not failing when we do. We are getting stronger and we will make it to our goal one day as long as we keep trying.

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Learning the ropes....

Friday, March 20, 2009

For those that are new to diabetes, there are a lot of things to learn. Now we have to learn to eat so our blood sugar numbers will stay within a good range. The first couple of weeks after being diagnosed, there were times I was afraid to eat. Although my doctor told me I only had to check my numbers twice a day, I had to know how my body was responding to eating. I used so many test strips that I had to go purchase some more out of pocket because my insurance would only cover the amount that my doctor had written me. That's one thing I am going to see if he will change. I do not think twice a day is enough for me to determine how my blood sugar is doing.
From what I have read, many things can affect your sugar level besides eating. Things like illness or stress for example. But the one thing I have got to get a handle on is the way I eat. I am overweight (why I am at Sparkpeople initially) and I don't always eat the way I should. From what I have read, there are a couple of ways you can approach your diet. One is the diabetic exchange program and the other is the plate method. There may be more but these are the two I read about.
The plate method is what I am using at the moment, simply because when I was diagnosed I was getting ready for mid terms in Chemistry and Psychology. I didn't really have a lot of time to put into learning the exchange method.
The plate method is basically this: Using a 9 inch plate, divide the plate in half and use one half for non-starchy veggies. Take the other half and divide again. You have two 1/4 sections. Use one secion for protein or meat and the other portion for starches, breads, or grains. Starchy veggies such as potatoes, corn, etc. would go here instead of with the veggie section.
This is actually a great way to look at losiong weight whether you are diabetic or not. I found a great resource which can be downloaded and used to get you started if you are interested in this. It is on the website platemethod dot com. From the front page, click on "free teaching material" on the left side of the page. The third and fourth choices are a downloadable booklet basically. One is for basic weight loss and the other is meant for diabetics. It is an awesome tool to have. I just saved mine in my newly made Diabetic Recipes file on my Desktop. Hopefully this will get me started and hopefully you can use this info too. Afterall, we are all in this together.