lpkcarlson's Journey to Health

[LegalBeagle]

I adored my MIL. She was a truly beautiful spirit. I miss her dreadfully.

More hugs.

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[lpkcarlson]

Not too bad of a day today (emotions wise, anyway!) DH went to the Dr. today for his "epilepsy checkup" He has to have one every 6 months to check for liver damage from his meds. About a year ago, the Dr switched one of his meds to a less expensive (but, in my opinion, less effective) one since the low cost health care program that he is on didn't cover the more expensive (we're talking about $450/month with no insurance--can't afford it!) one. So, today, he finds out that the program is going to start covering the more expensive med in 2 months, so the Dr wrote him a prescription for that one, effective in 2 months! We're very excited about this, as he has been experiencing a few Petit Mal seizures...

B: Kashi GL w/ sliced peaches; water
S: skip
L: Large salad w/ romaine, tomatoes, cukes, carrots, red pepper, a little turkey breast meat, few slices of turkey pepperoni, about 1 1/2 Tbsp of grated parmesan and ceasar dressing. Water & diet coke
S: Maybe some grapes or a pear
D: I'm craving the crispy almond oven fried chicken from the SB orange cookbook (I think that's the name), some spaghetti squash & a salad.
D: I'm also craving popcorn (I should be having TOM in a day or so...I'm sure that's what's causing these cravings)

[LyndaB]

Hope everything works out with the new meds... I have to imagine that, even after you've lived with seizures for a while (your own or someone else's), that it's still a pretty scary thing to experience.

I'm sorry to hear about your MIL... I'm one of the lucky ones, too, in that I'm very close to my MIL. Don't worry about being strong for everybody else... that's a whole lotta pressure and additional stress that nobody needs. Somehow, you'll all be there for each other, when the time comes.

(((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))

[lpkcarlson]

Thanks Lynda,

the siezures are scary, but I'm pretty used to them. When we were first married 14 years ago, DH was on Dilantin and Phenobarbital. The Dilantin was okay, but the Pheno was a real pain...didn't work worth a darn. DH was having Grand Mal siezures 4-5x a week...usually after he would get home and relax from work (I always said that working for his Dad was enough to make anyone have a siezure--I love the man to death, but he's a real pain sometimes).

It's especially scary for our 8 1/2 yr old DD. She hadn't really witnessed them until the last year, when they switched his meds & he started having problems again. Sometimes I get so angry with the health system. I would call & complain that this new med wasn't working, and they would tell me "well, you can get a script for the old med, but we won't pay for it" We just can't afford to fork out $450/month, so we've had to put up with it.

[yellobeuty]

hi, didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you.

I'm sorry about your dh's meds. I don't want to even start about these darn medical ins. who play doctor

The doctors know what is needed and we do too. But, then again who can afford to not have insurance these days. they have us and they know it!

[LegalBeagle]

What really bothers me is the insurance companies that will only pay for certain drugs. How can they know what medication you need, or refuse to pay for something your doctor says you need? Especially when he's taken it before and knows it works? Sheesh. Makes me mad!

Hope you have a great Beachy day!

[LyndaB]

Never be shy about asking your doctor to give you some sample packets of a med that your insurance won't pay for. My nephrologist wanted me to be on a certain med for BP and ended up giving me about 6 weeks worth of it in sample packets until my insurance carrier agreed to pay for it. The worse they can say is "no". But it's always worth it asking.

[lpkcarlson]

Lynda, nope, I'm never shy to ask for sample meds & in the past have gotten my b.c., allergy meds & antibiotics for dd...unfortunately, we've never been able to get samples for the epilepsy meds (and believe me, we've asked! ) Unfortunately, DH's low cost health care is through the state, and, as far as I'm concerned, they are worse than dealing with insurance companies. We're also arguing with the worker's comp insurance company about his injury from work last year. He had surgury right before Thanksgiving last year, then was approved for about 8 weeks of physical therapy, but was denied further therapy after the Dr requested it, because his shoulder still wasn't fully functional (probably never will be at this point), but the Dr won't release him to work and since he's not able to go to therapy, his muscle tone in his upper body is just wasting away. Now it appears he has another tear in the muscles of the shoulder area & we're waiting to see if worker's comp will approve an MRI and probably another surgery, and of course, the therapy he should have been continuing to receive!

Anyway........medical venting over (for now...don't even get me started on MIL's medical care.... )

B: Kashi GL w/ peaches (they are so yummy right now, fresh picked from Palisade, CO just last Friday am)
S: few carrots
L: leftovers: oven fried almond chicken, spaghetti squash, small salad
S: either a pear or an apple w/ pb
D: Didn't take anything out of the freezer this a.m. I have some cod fillets in the freezer, so maybe that

[yellobeuty]

hope your having a good day today. Since you haven't posted I will assume your busy. lol

[lpkcarlson]

Whew! What a day! It's 3:07 p.m. here & I'm just now checking in. We've got a new girl here in the office...today was my BIG payroll day (huge payroll to get out)....training...need I say more??? BREAK TIME! Actually, more like play time

B: Kashi GL w/ peaches & starbucks sf nf vanilla latte (my wonderful DH brought me coffee!)
S: Skip
L: Steamed Veggies & chicken w/ brown rice from Chinese place 2 doors down...it was okay...I like the stuff from the place across town, but didn't have time to go across town!
S: Skip
D: Not sure yet

I hate days like this....I don't have time to breathe, eat...pee..

Hope everyone else had a great day!

[lpkcarlson]

Happy Friday everyone! I'm sooo ready for the weekend. We're having our annual "end of the summer BBQ" on Sunday, so it'll be a busy weekend, but lots of fun! We are having about 20 people & are having at MIL & FIL's this year. There'll be volleyball, batmitton, and horseshoes to play. Course, I'm sure there will be the usual water fight. DH even picked up a couple of new supersoakers at Garts last weekend, so he & DD will be well armed....

We're having the meats & salads catered in by one of my bookkeeping clients, a wonderful bbq catering company. We're having ribs, pulled bbq beef brisket & chicken, baked beans, coleslaw & italian pasta salad. Then we're doing a large veggie & dip tray, fresh peaches n cream sweet corn (dh will be cooking it in his turkey fryer), and roasted veggies on MIL's outdoor/indoor George Foreman. Not beachy food, really, but it'll be the summer's last fling, and probably MIL's last "end of summer BBQ", so I intend to enjoy fully, and focus mostly on the company!

Need to start thinking about what to do for our anniversary - 14 years with my wonderful DH on Sept 5! Doesn't seem like it's been that long! Time really does fly when you're having fun!

B: Kashi GL w/ peaches & nf milk; coffee
S: skip...Breakfast was a little late
L: leftover chicken, cauliflower & salad from last night
S: apple or pear
D: don't know yet; we're talking about going out

Hope everyone has a great day!

[lpkcarlson]

Happy Monday. Hope everyone had a great weekend! Ours was wonderful and we all sooo enjoyed our bbq yesterday. My eating was definately NOT SB freindly, but I'm not worried about it and started up my morning today back on track.

Sunday:
B: scrambled egg w/ cheese; nf sf vanilla latte
L: snacked on a few veggies & some fruit
D: We ate about 2:30 p.m.--I had beef ribs (they were HUGE!), bbq beef brisket, baked beans, coleslaw, one ear of sweet corn, some fruit & fresh veggies.
D: A small brownie, a oatmeal raisin cookie & about 1 C. homemade vanilla ice cream.

Lots of water (it was hot & we did a lot of activity)

Today:
B: Breakfast quesadilla - ww tortilla w/ egg, tomato, onion, green chilis & a little lf mexican cheese blend
S: few blueberries
L: Chicken salad on a slice of ww bread; about 2 c. veggies (cukes, cherry tomatoes, sliced red & yellow pepper) w/ dip; diet coke
S: Probably a pear
D: The quesadilla made me crave Mexican food, so maybe a taco salad or fajitas (w/ out the tortillas, since I've already had 2 grain servings).


Yesterday was truly a blessing for our family. MIL was feeling really well; Auntie & I made her sit down & rest several times in the a.m. while we were getting ready...we didn't want her to wear herself down too bad. We decorated the gazebo, shucked the corn, got the tables & chairs wiped down & tablecloths placed on the tables, helped the guys put up the badmitton net & the horseshoe pit. As soon as we had eaten, the kids got out the water guns & started their water fight. Of course, the older children (our DH's ) had to get right in the fray. We ladies were all sitting at the tables visiting & warned the kids not to spray us, but the guys kept "accidently" spraying in our direction & MIL got a bit wet, so she got up & headed for the house...I figured she was angry & was going to dry off...next thing we know, she comes running around the corner of the house w/ two water hoses hooked together & the spray nozzle on full blast. Those "kids" were soaked to the bone. It was wonderful to see mom so full of spunk! I got quite a few pictures & wish we would have had a video camera (ours bit the dust). These will be the memories we really cherish in the coming years.

BTW, we had so much food left, Auntie took it home to freeze and we're all getting together again in 3 weeks to it again. Maybe DH & I will bite the bullet & get a new video camera before then.

[LyndaB]

Oh, what a wonderful party! You described it so well, I felt like I was there... and I felt very, very wet! LOL...

[lpkcarlson]

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

I was so happy that MIL had such a wonderful time at the party on Sunday, but when I went over last night for my piano practice last night, (our piano is currently living at their house, since we are living in a somewhat small apt. for now) I could tell that it had really taken a toll on her. It hurts to see her losing this battle.

I practiced piano for about 45 minutes last night--I've been such a bad girl all summer and hadn't practiced once. Today I started lessons back up (I take them at my DD's school). DD's lessons start again on Friday. The kids always have a recital around Christmas, and then again in the spring. I would like to work with one of the other mom's that are taking lessons and see if we couldn't perform at the Christmas recital. There's one who started lessons about 2 months before me last year, so we're close to the same level. I've wanted to play the piano since I was a little girl - so at 38, I finally started learning. I love it, but it is a challenge, since I was never in band in school.

DD's school is a Christian school and they emphasize the musical and educational gifts that the children possess...and the competitive sports are downplayed somewhat. They still get plenty of exercise, we're just trying to avoid the sometimes over-enthusiastic parents/students and the problems they can cause.

Hopefully, it will be a beachy day for me:

B: Kashi GL w/ blueberries & nf milk
S: grapes
L: leftover taco salad--lots of romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped (fresh roasted from the local farmer's mkt) green chilis, kidney beans, lf cheddar, salsa
S: apple w/ pb
D: baked cod w/ steamed cauliflower, tossed salad & brown rice

[LyndaB]

I was so happy that MIL had such a wonderful time at the party on Sunday, but when I went over last night for my piano practice last night, (our piano is currently living at their house, since we are living in a somewhat small apt. for now) I could tell that it had really taken a toll on her. It hurts to see her losing this battle.

My mother died 3 days after we kids hosted a great 40th anniversary party for her and my Dad. She was not ill, so we had no idea that just days later, we would lose her to a heart attack. But I am always, always comforted by the fact that she had the opportunity just a few days before her death to be with all of the people who meant the most to her. How many of us will be able to say that? Every day is a treasure. We just need to be sure to look at it that way. I'll be that your MIL, even though she may be a little tired after the weekend, wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Try not to think of how much it tired her out... think of how much she enjoyed herself.

((((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))))