A Fresh Start!

I have found that my diabetes, fibromyalgia, and sleep apnea, and weight all combine to play off of each other and increase how sick I am. As I get sicker and sicker (and gain weight), it becomes easier to do nothing and blame one sickness or another on my lack of energy.

On the 31st of May, I decided I need to turn things around and dig myself out of the hole I've dug for myself. I was getting depressed and was giving up. Funny how that works. I hit a low spot and then I realize that I am not pleased with where I am and I start working to improve. I still have a little fire in my veins.

First, my doctor put me on insulin so that we could start bringing down my blood sugar. Then I started using one of those little bicycle peddle machines that I had purchased over a year ago. I started with only 15 minutes a day.

That was just three weeks ago. I had two days of misery where my digestive system rebelled and I was in serious pain, then it started to improve. I started a food plan and restricted my calories and portions, then increased the exercise to 15 minutes after each meal. I was amazed at how my blood sugar readings dropped and I started sleeping better.

The next week I increased the time on the peddle machine to 20 minutes after each meal and I noticed that I had lost a couple pounds. Now I'm down 10 pounds and I'm feeling remarkably better! I can walk up the steps to our apartment and I'm not short of breath and my heart is no longer pounding. I sleep about 8 hours each night and I am getting normal blood sugar readings every day!! I'm not even nearly as hungry as my stomach decreases in size and I am no longer depressed!

Because I feel better, I find myself volunteering more and doing more around the apartment. I have increased the amount of time I can work on my knitting and sewing and I feel enthusiastic again!

Listen to your doctor! He/she really knows what they are talking about!

I Haven't Posted in a Long Time

I know I haven't been real good at keeping my blog updated, but let me attempt an update.

My fibro has remained pretty much the same. I changed doctors because the doctor I was seeing at the VA has retired and, since there were no replacements, I opted to use a program called Veteran's Choice and see a doctor outside of the VA. At my last appointment with the VA doctor, she told me that I had signs of kidney disease, but didn't give me any idea of what stage it was in or what I should do for treatment. It took me about 3 months to get in with the new doctor and when she did blood tests, she informed me that there were no signs of kidney disease at all. 😕 Since she is not interested in helping me figure out where the confusion is coming from, I have decided that I need to tend to my diet and exercise and do whatever I can on my own.

As far as keeping down stress, it seems like an ongoing battle. I knit and crochet still, but this month has been particularly rough. Our old male cat, Morgan, has had bowel problems for a long time, but lately he has taken a turn for the worse. We don't have the extra funds right now for Vet bills so we made the decision to have him put down, especially since he stopped eating and has had blood and a loose stool for a couple weeks and didn't look like he was going to pull through. We had it done over the last weekend and it was difficult. It brought back all the losses I've suffered through over the years and Michelle took it really hard as well. I keep getting up at night and find myself in tears when I don't hear him calling to me to feed him. We also have a move pending and that is stressful. The house is in that "kinda packed, kinda not packed" phase and it makes for a mess.

As far as my crafting, I'm excited that I'll be having a room to myself when we get moved. I picked up a couple patterns to make clothes for myself and look forward to turning my bedroom into a sewing room as well, in the new apartment.

I have been working on baby sweaters and hats for the last month or two. I closed down the clothing closet and have been working with the Others Helping Others facebook page  to take orders for sweater and hat sets. This is what they look like:

I still have a bunch of orders to go. The last set went to Michelle for a friend of hers at work. I got sidetracked for a week or two while playing video games and had to get myself focused back on my knitting. I started by using a crochet pattern for the hats, but, because my favorite sweater pattern is knitted, I designed a knitter version to make with the sweaters. Here is my pattern:

Baby Turban Hat

4 size 8 doublepoint needles
worsted weight yarn

cast on 60 stitches and divide on three needles at 20 stitches per needle.
Rnds 1 through 4, knit straight
Rnds 5 through 8, purl straight
repeat the last 8 rounds total, 4 times.
rnds 33 through 36, knit straight.
Rnd 37 *(knit 8, knit 2 together). repeat * to end of round
Rnd 38 knit straight
Rnd 39 *(kniit 7, knit 2 together). repeat * to end of round

repeat the pattern, decreasing one round and knitting straight one round, until you are done with the round where you have knit 2, knit 2 together around. Finish off by cutting the yarn with a long tail. Put the yarn from the tail onto a yarn needle and pull it through all the stitches on the needles, removing the needles as you do. Pull the yarn tight so that no hole remains on the crown of the hat. Pull the yarn through to the inside of the hat and knot and weave the end.

Put a long length of yarn on the needle and, leaving a long enough end to weave in, gather the bottom of the "rings" to the top of the "rings and, pulling tight wrap the yarn multiple times through to make the "knot" on the front of the hat. Weave all ends in on the inside of the hat.

Well, that's all for now.