Fearful Friday - How safe are we?

It's not easy to just stay indoors when you still have to get groceries, go to your health appointments and go for your daily walks.  But with all the news and the amount of information with regards to the Corona virus aka COVID 9, there is so much fear out there and we have been watching too much news, I guess.  We needed something at COSTCO and we did go in but at that time there were not panic shoppers.  A couple of days later, it was on the news that the same Costco had ran out of toilet paper and some other shelves were being emptied. In our province there is currently 19 confirmed cases and we believe there is one in our small city but that information is not on the local news.  Most of the grocery store and drugs store and even the dollar store are out of the hand sanitizer.  As for the face masks, I believe they ran out of it at least a month or so ago.  In fact the hospitals started locking up their masks as some of the staff were taking them home.  So how safe are we in our small city?  I think we are lucky in that we are retired and don't have to go to work.  We could self quarantine ourselves as much as we can and for as long as we can.  As for me I really have to be so careful as I am one of those with some underlying health issues. It doesn't mean my hubby shouldn't be careful.  On that note, we are hopeful that this hopefully will get resolved sooner and that a vaccine will be available by next month.  Now it's time to wash my hands.

Woozy Wednesday - Trial and error

How long do you put up with not feeling right before you see your doctor?  Well, for me I usually give a couple of weeks just to make sure that it's nothing instead of something.  But since I had already a scheduled appoint to see my doctor, I would just bring up all the issues

that has been bothering me lately.  After my appointment, the doctor wanted to see me again after four weeks.  We are trying a couple of things to rule out some of the issues.  It would be nice if the blood pressure medication can just be omitted, but I have a feeling that he might

just find another one that would help to lower BP as well as protect my kidneys.  I am sure if you are taking any type of prescription medications, we all know that each and everyone of them have numerous side effects.  This what I think is all about trial and error.  Yes, it will help with whatever issue you might have but sometimes the side effects are way too much that if affects you day to day normal life.  So, this is when you start questioning as to whether

is it really helping or is it just covering it up or just a temporary relief.  So what am I trying for the next 4 weeks, I am suppose to stop taking this particular pill and record any unusual event as well as take my BP measurement once a day, taken at different time of the day.  My doctor will find some other type of prescription that would best serve my BP control and kidney.  I would be dreaming if I think that I could just get off this particular prescription but unfortunately elevate blood pressure is in our genes.  In the meantime I try to do a little of my own researching/reading of the different BP pills available, their side effects as well as cost and reviews.  Now a days, with all the information online, it's easy to get sucked in to what you read, but I know that I do these, just so I am informed and can ask the correct question.  I am still woozy every now and again, so it's still a trial and error each day but I know that there's that light at the end of the tunnel and I just need to be patient.  

Tiring Thursday - I lost my bounce

Since I stopped taking my blood pressure medication for a few days (as per my doctor's instruction), I have not been feeling my normal self.  Sometimes I get up feeling really dizzy or woozy and I am tired for the rest of the day.  Other days I start OK and then slide down to the couch feeling less energetic.  Each and every day I try different things as well as still completing the chores at hand.  I hope this is just the adjustment of the medication whether to take it or not or to find a replacement.  Anyway, like Tigger of Winnie the Pooh, I lost my bounce.  I don't like the feeling when I am not as energetic as I usually am.  So that's why I am doing this post about getting back to normal. How long does it take to get your bounce back? I ask Tigger and this is what I got.

1. Pounce on every opportunity
2. Focus on the wonderful things that make you an individual
3. Let your friends support you
4. Try new things
5. Figure out what you do best
6. Start by living the "TTFN" instead of "GOODBYE"
7. Celebrate all stripes and sizes

I hope that I can get my bounce back sooner than later.  

Fasting Friday - No more treats

No more sweets, no more alcoholic beverage, no more high carb meals, and no more going out for meals.  Until when, one might ask.  Oh, I don't know, maybe until the end of the year. Oops, that only four more days.  Well, I am going to try anyway starting today.  I have been noticing that I can't seem to finish most of the food I put on my plate.  So I have been trying to only dish out small portion so I don't waste any food.  Of course if I get hungry I can find something to snack on, but lately I am finding that I don't need too.  For today's post, I would just like to share some of the holiday things that we receive or made and tried.

Gift from my neighbor's mom.

Candy cane jello shots served during our caroling.

Gift from the Smith's

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Worn-down Wednesday - Didn't know what hit me

There's definitely one thing that I am not fond of doing is just sitting or lying down.  The past few days unfortunately I could not get my energy back.  I truly didn't know what hit me. It all began at on the back 9 of golf last Saturday.  All of a sudden I felt this exhaustion and at first I thought my blood sugar was going low.  So of course, I corrected it with what I needed. But after four more holes, the tiredness feeling is getting worst to the point that I was contemplating on just quitting.  But I didn't and finished the round.  We sat for a cup of coffee after and I am still feeling exhausted.  When I got home, all I wanted to do was lay down and I did.  For the next 72 hours, the feeling was punctured.  I use to say that word as the worst of the feeling.  You know how at first you are tired, then exhausted and finally  you are punctured.  My blood sugar was OK, blood pressure normal, no cough, no fever, no dizziness. What the hell is happening.  Each time I feel a little bit of energy, I would try and do something easy but each time I do a little bit then all the energy get sucked out and I am back to zero.  Luckily today is my first day that I have a bit more energy but still not 100%.  My girlfriend said that I must have overdid it, like coming back from a two week vacation where it was a very very schedule.  Then within a couple of days we were on the road again on our RV and although there were a lot of relaxing, the long drive is also tiring even if I am not doing any of the driving.  Somehow it does take a little toll on my body, maybe it is more of the stress of whatever it is.  I told my hubby that if I don't feel back to normal by today that I will be making an appointment with my doctor.  Hopefully I am truly on the mend.

Toonie Tuesday - A dollar a pound

A month ago we decided to have this little game that involves losing and gaining weight.  We each put the number of loonies for the number of pounds each wanted to lose.  Every Sunday morning we would weigh ourselves. If one lost a pound, then you win a loonie and if the other gain a pound then he or she would have to put a loonie in other jar.  The first week we stayed at our original weight when we first started this game.  The second week I lost a pound and Jeff gained a pound, so he just gave me the loonie.  The third week I lost another pound and so I got a loonie ($1 dollar coin) and he stayed the same.  The fourth week, I weighed the same and Jeff gained a couple, therefore he had to put a toonie in the jar.  We know that the jar will not really have a lot of funds, but it's just an incentive to lose weight or at least try to maintain our weight and not gain.  We don't know how long we will continue but for now it is still fun.  What is your incentive when you are trying to lose weight?  Do you eat less or exercise more?  Maybe you can create your own game with your spouse or partner or maybe even co-workers.  We thought it would be a good system to try and stay healthy and have a good BMI.  For now we both have to keep trying and it's really not about the loonie or the toonie, it's about keeping tabs on the weight so it does not get out a hand.

Meditation Monday - Something new to learn

Meditation.  The only story I can tell you is my one experience while I was living in San Jose. After my family doctor referred me to a psychologist about something I thought was an issue.  She recommended that I attended this meditation class at Kaiser.  She made the appointment and provided the time, date and location where I needed to be.  On that day, I actually did not know what to expect.  First you had to see the front office, had to pay the $20 co-pay, then I was told to go into a particular room.  By the time I got there, there were at least 15 people sitting around in a circle.  Then the teacher/instructor arrived.  It seems like some of the participants have been on this class for a few times.  Everyone shared their stories and each and everyone had a story to share but from what I gathered, they were all experiencing some type of depression.  Anyway, the instructor began talking and one participant turn down the lights and it appeared that everyone closed their eyes and soon after, the instructor was done with talking (which did not include what were we suppose to be doing). I really didn't know what to do because I have done any type of meditation.  After a few minutes, I decided to open my eyes just to check out what was happening with everyone as the room was so quiet.  To my surprise, the instructor's head was nodding down (he is taking a nap).  I wasn't sure if I was suppose to nap as well, so I closed my eyes but was quite aware of the surrounding.  This continued for almost half an hour and then all of a sudden, he started asking one of the participant to turn the lights back on.  He asked again everyone to share what they had experience during that half an hour.  When it came my turn, I stood up, took my purse and responded "This is not for me" and walked out.  I emailed the psychologist about my experience and told her I am fine and do not need any additional appoint.  You are probably wondering why I'm sharing this story.  It is because every time I hear the work meditation, this story always seems to come back.  During my weekly chat with my daughter, she had suggested that I try doing meditation in order to help me with some issues that we discussed.  Now I will have to search for an APP in the hopes that I can learn how to meditate and hopefully this time, it is something I can learn how to do and it is not all about taking a nap.  My hubby calls me PON (Princess of Nap) so I don't believe I need help in that category. Do you know how to meditate? What app do you use?  Did you learn it by reading a book or attending a class?

How to meditate: Simple meditation for beginners

Sit or lie comfortably. You may even want to invest in a meditation chair or cushion.
Close your eyes. ...Make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.
Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation.