A Little Scare & Lifestyle Changes

 Every time I have one of my regular infusions, I have to have a blood draw to test levels of ... whatever in my body. Most times, everything is fine and I sail right from the lab test and into an infusion chair. Every now and then, one of the levels of... whatever is high or low or something, and the nurses will check with my doctor. The doctor will give the go-ahead for my having the infusion. Usually.

The last time I went in for my scheduled infusion, the nurses called the doctor and he did not give the go-ahead. 

What???

Less than 8
bucks for this

The nurse scheduled me for another lab test and an appointment with my doctor for that very next week. I don't do so well when my infusions are not done within every 7 to 8 weeks.

I was a little puzzled but I didn't get too shook up until the nurse mentioned that the problem was with my kidney function.

Oh, please, Lord, not the kidneys.

I went home and stressed myself to prayer, tears, and insomnia. I worried about my weight (I've put on a few pounds lately), and I worried about not drinking quite enough water. I worried about everything. 

I was in a higher than usual state of stress and anxiety all the way up to my appointment with the doctor. I went and had the labs done, then had to wait another hour until time for the appointment with my doctor.

$7.99
on Amazon

When the doctor came in and saw how tense I was, I think he was confused but he's probably used to me being weird. He immediately let me know that my labs looked good and that he would have my infusion re-scheduled quickly. He said that there had been a problem showing up with my liver on the day the nurse had called him from infusion, but it was fine now. He said that I had probably had some kind of viral infection that had cleared itself up in the meantime.

Well. Okay.

Not my kidneys, then. Oh, thank you, Jesus. what a relief. Whew!

Tasty but
so tangy

healthy
but, ugh!

But... my liver? What the heck? That explains why the nurse had casually asked about whether or not I was a drinker. If only she knew the sorrow of having lost an uncle and two exes to alcoholism. I might be many things but a drinker is not one of them...

I was relieved and kind of mad, then just relieved again. But I realize a need to step things up with my health. And, for once, I didn't just think about doing better, I've actually gotten into the game. I am about to turn 60 so if not now, when?

I now have one of those water bottles with the time markings on it. I empty that at minimum twice a day and sometimes more. I started getting out on the days I can and taking short walks - twice a day most days. I have cut back on creamy-sugared coffee I love and am drinking more tea - and not just tea but the healthiest I can find. 

I can always smell leaves
burning when I get to this block 
of homes

 Do I feel better? I don't know. I still struggle with fatigue. Contrary to what I've been told, walking is not helping to alleviate that. I do think that walking helps with my balance. I mean, I don't go walking on days when I feel off-balance, but my good days are better than ever. I've only tripped on the carpet a few times this week and I have not walked into door frames turning the corners. 

This is the shady
stretch & my favorite
part

One of the reasons that walking is such a challenge for me, even when my balance is good, is that I get anxious. I don't like walking through a lot of people or where there is a lot of noise or activity. I don't know why this makes me feel like laying on the ground and curling into a fetal position. It is what it is. Thankfully, I live in such a beautiful little town that there is plenty of space to walk without going near the crowded beach or park.

If I make it to this point,
I'm probably going to finish

I have gotten used to following a couple of different routes that let me get in a good 15- to 20-minute walk. I try to go before it's hot out or when the day has cooled off. Since I am such an insomniac, this works well.

Let's hope this is true!

There are days when I think I am addicted to the morning walk, then there are days when I have to fight my anxiety and depression to get out the door of my apartment.

Hopefully, I can keep this up. Hopefully, it will help with the weight and the moods. I did not walk yesterday. My fatigue kicked in big time. I couldn't sit up without feeling like my body was made of lead. Maybe one day, someone will come up with some cure for fatigue.

I think that maybe we sometimes need a good scare to motivate us. I wish I had had some kind of warning before I got this silly sarcoidosis. For now, though, I want to baby my kidneys. And getting my weight down is a good way to do that. Keep prayers going up for me, people.

Peace

--Free

Water Challenge

I started the Water Challenge yesterday. With some modifications.

The challenge is to drink a gallon of water each day for a month. Sorry, but I got halfway through my gallon by lunchtime and knew that it wasn't even feasible for me to do an entire gallon each day - unless I cut out all other fluid sources (coffee, fruit, veggies, etc). I will be shooting for a minimum of 100 ounces each day.

Because I know that it's beneficial to ones health (and vanity) to drink more water, I am sticking to the challenge, but I modified the amount. Not by much, but...

First, because it makes my brain hurt, let's get some math and recommendations out of the way:

• A 'cup' = 8 ounces
• A gallon (U.S.) = 128 ounces
• Certain factors need to be considered to determine individual fluid needs
• Here is a conversion chart for those who need it
• Foods that count as fluid (useful for those on a kidney diet - but see your doctor!)

Most recommendations I've heard of all my life are to drink 8 glasses (or cups) of water each day. So, I decided that my minimum target should be those 8 glasses (8 ounces each) of water each day - or 64 ounces. Like I mentioned, I am going to aim for 100 ounces per day, but I'm okay with 80.

Of course, we can find lots of benefits to drinking more water - or, I should say, enough water. I have to tell you that, even after just one day of drinking close to 100 ounces, I noticed one major difference: my hands didn't go bone dry in between moisturizing. Here are some other effects of getting enough water:

• May help prevent some kidney problems. 
• Water helps us feel full so it can help with weight loss
• Helps with food digestion
• Provides hydration which helps with skin issues
• Prevents dehydration. Uh, duh!

Even though there are lots of benefits to drinking water, I do hope people doing these water challenges realize there are also some risks to overdoing it:

• People with certain medical conditions/treatments have to watch fluid intake (dialysis patients, for example)
• There is such a thing as water intoxication.
• And, on a common sense level, don't let water replace intake of proper nutrition
• Always check with your doctor before making any drastic changes - even drinking lots of water for a challenge

I don't think I am going to have to worry about overhydration. I made it halfway through the day and realized why my pedometer app was sending me kudos for almost doubling my daily step level. I made so many trips to the bathroom that I was getting plenty of exercise. That made me want to laugh, but I was in the middle of the grocery store and too far from a bathroom to get into a giggle fit.

Lots of people are talking about drinking more water. I like this idea -

(source)

This is what my gallon jug looked like a couple hours before I went to bed last night (or attempted to) -

sigh...

Yeah. Then, after that, I still managed to put down another 16 ounces or so. It took me three tries to actually settle down and sleep. The first time, I was back up every twenty minutes or so, trotting to the bathroom.  (And I found this both high-larious and useful!!!)

This is what I'm using to drink from. 

It's an 18 ounce bottle that I picked up at Walmart for around $1.08. I feel like I can drain it pretty quick without feeling like I've got a ton of water to drink. It's a good way to pace my intake.

Today, I am going to try to get the first 80 ounces down before 6 or 7 pm. That way, I might be able to get a no-trot night of sleep before church tomorrow. 

I'm thinking that I might ought to mark my gallon jug the way some people are doing - 

Love this one the best
(source)

I love it! Looks so much better than what I did to mine this morning...

a little uninspiring :-(

Yeah. I'm going to be re-doing my bottle! LOL

Anyway, I'll be letting you know how the whole thing goes. If nothing else, I will lost a few pounds from all the extra walking to the bathroom!

yeah, that's me on the left

Peace

--Free