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Introduction Text Update 11/8/2018: Tomorrow is my birthday! I am not depressed about it. I have also made 6 new friends since I last posted here. I put feelers out on Next Door. Have you ever been on that? They all live close by. We have been meeting for coffee or lunch every few weeks or so. The most exciting thing is I now have a craft room. I am still putting the finishing touches on it. I have been too busy running errands this week to do anything, but will start making throw pillows next week. Photos to come. Update 08/18/2018 I got up early for the Women of Worth breakfast. I needed this. I have been depressed. Depression is no fun. I am not handling aging well and my in-laws are not helping. They are becoming a burden in our lives. They live 2 hours from us. There is more but I won't go into it. So I decided I need more in life. I made a new friend today. I can always use new friends. We plan to meet for coffee or tea sometime. Update 07/07/2018 No business yet and the year is half over. I am doing a lot of soul searching and studying. My health is going back and forth. Mostly, I am getting better. I will follow up with MD Anderson late this month with CT scan and lab work and appointment with the surgeon. I am certain all will be well. I need to exercise MORE. Trying to commit. Eating is mostly on track. Update 06/23/2018 Back from Vegas and I had gained weight after not eating much and walking a LOT! Then depression set in. I am over that now and exercising, so the weight is back down to what it was. I am thinking of business ideas to supplement retirement income. We need some cream, lol. Update 06/02/2018 Vegan eating was a fail. My A1C went up. Too much starch. Doctor said get back on DASH Diet because it worked for me. Ah well, I gave it a go for 2 months and ate only healthy stuff. Everyone's different. I don't feel any different, either way, eating meat or not eating meat. Still trying for eating all my veggies each day. The scale says I am up. I have changed my ticker for 10 pounds at a time. Maybe that will help. We are planning to go to Vegas, June 11. Cannot wait. I have already planned where we will eat. Maybe that will work out, maybe not! Update 04/07/2018 I went vegan. So far loving it. Not a problem, except that I crave sweets. I have been going through a bit of detox. Today I either have a cold, allergies or my sinuses are going through detox too. I think this is normal for someone of my age and health issues. I have lost a few pounds. I am working my way up to 40 minutes a day of walking. So this time next year, I hope to be planning my first walk... you know, the 4K or whatever. If nothing breaks, lol, see my latest blog. Update 02/22/2018 The health is coming along. I have not lost weight, but feeling better after a fall I took in December. Just last night I ordered a Cricut machine. I hope to make some money with it. I am so thankful and blessed to be able to order it. I am thinking gifts for the bridal party, anniversaries, etc. I am doing my best to exercise more. I am reading Younger Next Year for Women. It is hard to get through. The main focus of the book is exercise! All kinds of exercise, 6 days a week. They also recommend a low carb diet. That is a problem because of the delicate balance I must maintain with sodium, potassium, and kidney function. I am sticking with the DASH diet. Yes, you lose weight on low carb, but I still don't believe it is for everyone. Am I wrong? Update 01/04/2018 My main priority this year is health. On my team we started a book club on anti aging. I still follow the DASH Diet. It is a healthy balanced diet. However, I slipped up on sugar. So I plan to eat NO SUGAR for a month. Next is my craft business. I make jewelry and have sold some of it, not enough. I am adding personalized gifts to the business. We are having new flooring put in our house as I type this and rearranging our home to have a new study where the formal living room was and a craft room for me where the office was. So exciting! I cannot wait for the house to be finished and I can start making things again. I fell in the shower a few weeks ago and it took a few days for the bruise to show up. When it did, on my left bum, it was watermelon size and black. Now it is going away. Nothing was broken and I did not go to the doctor because I could walk and put weight on it. It did hurt to sit and I just take Tylenol. I can now lay on my left side without pain, too. Thankfully I have been blessed with strong bones. Some my age might have broken a hip. SO I will be working on getting stronger this year too. Lovely! Update: 11/18/2017 Next June I will have been on Sparkpeople 10 years! Since then I have made friends I still want in my life... and I have never met them in person. There have been many ups and downs in weight and health. I believe I am getting better health wise, now to lose that weight again! This is not the time of year for that, but will be watching what I eat anyway. Surgery update: my body is still adjusting to one adrenal gland. I was told it could take up to a year to "get right." We are doing some updates in our home. We are blessed. Update 08/11/2017 I had surgery to remove my right adrenal gland on July 10. I am finally feeling normal again. I just began working on my core due to back pain and the discovery that L5 is out of place. Good news is that I am off the powerful blood pressure medication. I do still take half of a Toprol, but that is all for blood pressure. I am also off gout medication. So I am happy. I am still on my health quest and will not give up. Trying to find ways to make money to pay for theology degree, now. Making jewelry is one thing I am doing. I plan to have a jewelry party and then purchase a Cricut machine. Then I plan to use that to make money too! I am 66 and believe that you can still grow and learn as long as you take a breath on this earth. Update 03/06/2017 I have pain and did an MRI last week. I have stenosis and arthritis in my spine. Will see specialist in May, so must not be too bad or they would see me sooner. In the meantime I am learning about controlling pain naturally. I am eating fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Grain only in the morning. Update 01/07/2017 Setting goals is easy. Keeping to it is a set up for disappointment. This year I am going to try to be less stressed and take care of my health. I hope to lose weight, as per usual. My business is slow but going and I have started making jewelry again. When I get about $1000 worth made, I will have a show at my home with friends and neighbors. If it goes well, I will try Etsy and craft shows. Problem is, lots of people make jewelry. I plan to add more crafts as I go along. A year of discovery! We also hope to travel to Denmark. Not sure yet, but hopeful. Update 12/12/2016 Yesterday my Mom would have been 97. I sure miss her. No one loves us like our moms. 2016 has been successful in many ways. I am off diabetes meds, cut down on cholesterol meds to every other day. Lost 20 pounds over all. (Lost 35 and then gained. - Still a loss) I have started a business and although I am not rich, I am doing better in this network marketing company than I ever did before! Overall, a good year, so far. Update 10/19/2016 My business is doing well. I am happy. My health is improving. Weight loss is still difficult, but a low GI is helping. I was doing low carb, so it may take my body a bit to adjust. That is the story I am sticking with. :) Life is good. Update 08/26/2016 No iris is in photo now, and I changed my hair. Still at a standstill on weight loss, but no gains, thankfully. Today I was laid off my part time job. I guess that is OK. I was getting sick a lot lately from the stress of work, business and maintaining a house. Needed some more money, but maybe this is for the best. Now I plan to shop wisely and cook all meals. I will also be able to exercise now. I haven't had a lot of time lately. So I will be better off physically and eventually financially. Update 04/01/2016 The background photo is the first iris in my back yard, there are more now and many more that will burst forth soon. The sad thing about the iris is that the flower only lasts about 4 days and then withers up. The wonderful thing about the iris is that it is SO gorgeous when we do get to see it in its glory! So far, I have lost 35 pounds. I am working part time to pay for my teeth and working a business part time which is going well. Life is beautiful and so are my teeth now! ;) Update 12/28/2015 It was nice to lose weight in 2015 at long last. I will lose the last 40 pounds or so. I am getting my front teeth capped, an expensive proposition, even with insurance, so I am going back to work to pay for it. I will look better, feel better and BE better all around in 2016! Update 08/18/2015 My A1C is the lowest it has been in 10 years! The doctor said I could eventually get off diabetic meds... sooner than later, I hope. I have this wardrobe background because I will be purchasing new clothing before too long. Of course, it may not be these particular type of items, but according to my shape. I am finally losing weight and loving it! I CAN! So can you! Update 04/18/2015 I changed my Spark Name. I found that my priorities and lifestyle has changed, so the old name did not fit me any more. I am still a bit bohemian and still LOVE cats, but now I am more positive and focused on my goals in life and health. Update 03/23/15 My labs are all normal or near normal. Hooray! I have cut down on meds, again (see below). What does it take to get off meds? A real commitment to what you put into your body. I still have a bit of a problem with sugar, but have not had any for 4 days now. I believe that I will attain health and that it is possible, no matter what age! Update 11/02/2014: This week I went to the hospital with atrial fibrillation. Guess what? Now I take more pills. Good news: I am on the lowest dose of all the pills. Bad news: That brings me to 6 prescriptions. Could be much worse! I will take the pills and continue my quest for health. Update 07/02/2014: In my 6 year journey while on SparkPeople: 1. I have got off of insulin and only take one small pill for diabetes 2. I have lowered the amount of prescription medications I take for high blood pressure. I have had HBP since age 26 and it was not controlled, so the doctors just kept adding until I was taking 5 different pills. Now I take one medication, twice a day. 3. I have a stent and my cholesterol is always low. PLUS I was able to get onto the lowest dose of statin. I will have to take this which is not desirable, but the doctor also told me to take CoQ10, good for counteracting the side effects of a statin. 4. I had developed Chronic Kidney Disease as a result of high blood pressure for many years. Now my labs show a great improvement in kidney function! The Nephrologist said I did not have to see him for a year. In conclusion, life is good. I owe all of this to exercising daily as possible, eating healthy, as possible and to prayers. I feel good and even though I am still overweight, I am believing that the weight will come off eventually. The doctors are happy and just say, "keep doing what you are doing." Update 06/01/2014: On June 16, I will have been on SparkPeople for 6 years. It is hard to believe! It has been quite a journey, ups and downs with health and weight. I have come to realize that I just need to love myself and like who I see in the mirror while I am on this journey of attaining health. So, now I do! I am healthier day by day and more spiritual. I love the Lord! This belief has helped me immensely on this journey. So here is a person who has grown while on Sparkpeople, is healthier and is still learning and growing. My weight, well, I still need to lose, but I feel SO much better and that is more important than anything else. AND, I am still here! Update 03/04/2014: Never give up, never give in! Sadly, I have gained weight even though I am trying to lose. So I got the go ahead from my doctor to try vegetarian diet, also taking vitamin B12 supplements. I am also juicing, apples, kale, carrots and other things. We'll see how that goes for a while. I will live out my days to the fullest, praising God! Update 02/06/2014: I have good news on my kidney function. The BUN and Creatinine are now in the normal range for the first time in several years. The eGFR is still low, but has come up from 27 to 30. I still have to take pills and some day will get off the pharmaceuticals, but I take less than I used to! It is all good news. I am still working on eating right and I exercise daily, 10 minutes to 45 minutes. Not much weight is gone, but I am praising God for healing!

Attain Health! Manage thoughts for successful outcomes. Live life to the fullest the rest of my life.

Walking outdoors as much as possible and on the treadmill in bad weather.

Jointed 6?/8/2008 Live in Central Texas Retired and re-fired! Artistic and creative - love arts, crafts, writing, blogging

"We are not afraid to be a bit different, to make shades that are bold." Francois Nars

Add a Link Linda in Central Texas - Austin suburbia “For the unlearned, old age is winter; for the learned, it is the season of the harvest.” ~Hasidic saying Leader of Beauty Over 50 <link>www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/groups_individual.asp?gid=24019</link>
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