Health update - a little late

Saturday, July 25, 2009

I feel like I've started to climb a mountain and I'm halfway to the top. What I mean by this is that in four months, I've lost 30 pounds and with the help of the diabetic pills, my sugar is now down to 127.

I know I've only just begun this journey, but I am very happy that I've lost weight slowly and safely and have gotten my diabetes under control. With prayers and a little luck, I'm hoping to be down to a size 18 or 16 (like I was in high school) by the time January rolls around. My next visit to see Doctor Smith is in January and I want to drop at least 30 more pounds. I'm being realistic and not saying 60 or even 50. But of course either of those would be great too. In 3 months I dropped another 17 pounds since I first blogged about being diabetic. That's not as grad as the 13 pounds I lost in the month after I was diagnosed, but I'm still very proud of myself. My doctor was also impressed so I keep doing what I've been doing since March. I watch my carb intake, I take my pill daily (when I remember), I try to get enough sleep, I drink either water or diet soda and I try to cook at home more.

The only bad news from my visit (at the beginning of the month) is that I have tendonitis in my elbow, which makes my entire right arm hurt from my neck down to my knuckles. I bought a brace for my wrist some time ago so I have it and a brace for tennis elbow. She told me that I needed a massage for my shoulder since it's so tense or a portable one if I can find one. My job stresses me out sometimes and so does life in general, but I need to learn to let go sometimes. I bought some Epsom salt to soak my elbow, though I've only done it once. It still aches, but as long as I do work where I have to move my elbow and wrist often, I don't think it will get any better. I try to rest it at night when I get home when I get home from work and if it aches or shoots a sharp pain, I try to work it out.

Since I last wrote, I had my 29th birthday and I spent half of it in Pensacola with my cousin, Jonathan and the other half at work. It feels weird being this close to 30, which goes to prove that time flies when you aren't paying attention. It's not like when we were kids, so I guess I've gathered a little bit of patience along the way.

I'm still trying to finish my novel, but I always try to keep the creative juices flowing by writing everyday. I roleplay online with friends, so I write everyday. I write third person or first person when I make a journal entry for one of my characters. I sometimes want to take a break, but I always keep getting pulled back in. The games are fun - cool ideas with lots of people to write with. It's like writing a story with a partner - going back and forth, to and fro in your character's point of view. I love it - mainly because I get to be someone I'm not and I get to write out emotions and feelings that my character needs to express. But I think I love the interaction most of all because I get to be social online even if I hardly get the chance in real life.

I hope all of you are doing well. I've been really horrible about reading blogs lately. Hopefully work will get less hectic soon and I'll be able to catch up with all of you soon.