Awesome People!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Making Progress, Chia Seeds and Bad News About Matthew

I am actually succeeding at losing weight!  I've got a very long ways to go, but I hit my mini-goal of 15 lbs lost by 3/29/12.  yea me!  I wanted to lose a significant number for the time I've been doing this because I went to see my doctor that day.  I wanted to be able to tell him, "Look what I've done!"  And let me tell you...he was soooo proud of me!  He said that almost everyone who comes to his office in my situation (diagnosed with diabetes because of a weight problem) doesn't do anything about it to help themselves.  They just accept being on meds forever.  Or simply ignore him altogether.  He said I truly made his day.  I'm putting in effort and seeing good results.  Here it is April 1 and I'm down another 1.5lbs already.

My insurance company denied paying for the Victoza the doctor prescribed, and from what I understand it's about $165/mo and you have to buy 3 months at a time.  yikes!  I can't afford that out of pocket!!!  When I first got diagnosed the nurse gave me 2 Victoza pens, which last about a month each.  So I was wondering what he was going to change me to after that since there's no way on God's green earth that I can afford that kind of money.  Before I left he GAVE me 2 more Victoza pens!  (In case you don't know what a "pen" is, it's medicine in what looks like, well, a pen.  You twist the end to dial your dosage, put on a new needle, stab yourself in the stomach and push the button to inject the medication.)  That way there are no vials, and it's super easy to use.  The needle is so small you can't even feel the shot.  It's kind of cool.

The thing that is hardest for me is lunch.  I'm so bored with what I've been eating that it's become the hardest time of the day not to snack on unhealthy things.  So far I have resisted for the most part.  I have an occasional Pringles and two bites of brownie, but nothing serious that has derailed my efforts.  whew!  Usually I have a salad of iceberg, cabbage and carrot slivers, sunflower seeds, light dressing and chicken in the salad. I have also started adding broccoli slaw (slivered up broccoli and carrots) as well.  Oh...and chia pet seeds!  More about that later.  But it's getting BORING.  Sometimes I have a tuna sandwich, which is good.  And a lot of protein, too.  Any ideas on tasty and EASY lunches?  I need some suggestions!!!

Btw, I read something really great the other day...I'm not on a DIE-it.  I'm on a LIVE-it.  How appropriate is that for a long term lifestyle change?

Chia seeds.  They are the seeds that grow chia pets.  Yes, they are edible.  Not only that, but they are actually a powerhouse of nutrition.  The seeds come from Southern Mexico and Guatemala.  They have been cultivated since the Aztecs and Mayans.  They have more antioxidants than fresh blueberries.  They have more fiber than bran flakes.  They have more calcium than 2% milk.  And more fiber, protein and calcium than flax seed.  Plus, they absorb 9 times their size in water, so they puff up in your stomach and make you feel fuller faster and longer.  They are ridiculously tiny and have no taste.  You just sprinkle some in with any food (it won't change the flavor)...add it to smoothies, yogurt, cereal, soup, salads, whatever.  I've put it in my oatmeal and spaghetti sauce too.  If you want to try them, try your local health food store.  I bought mine from the bulk bin and it was cheaper because I didn't have to buy a whole pound so the seeds were only a few dollars...like less than $4...and I've got plenty to last a long time.

On to Matthew.  Poor guy.  He has a lump on his leg and has been complaining A LOT about it hurting.  He asks me to rub his leg at night and it causes him to limp.  Long story but the school nurse had me all in a tizzy about getting it xrayed immediately (even suggested going to the emergency room) and was making it sound like something horrible like cancer.  I got him in to see his pediatrician that day, got the xray done and she called me the next day.  It does not appear to be cancer, thank the Lord for that!  She said what she believes it to be is something called an osteochondroma, which is a non-malignant bone tumor.  I have an appointment to take him to a pediatric orthopedist on April 18th.  They'll take another look at his xrays, decide if there needs to be more testing and what we are going to do about it.  Normally they don't like to remove them until the kids are done growing (which is about 18 for boys, so another 6 years for him), because they can grow back.  But I would really like it removed if we can.  It causes him so much pain, and it's getting worse.  He couldn't even finish his whole baseball game today because it was hurting so much.  I can't imagine him going on another 6 years like this.  What happens is that the tendon grows over the lump and becomes sore.  So, it's not the tumor itself that hurts...it's all the surrounding tissue.  I had to go get an ice pack from the canteen and he sat out the 2nd half of the game.  I took a picture of his xray to show you what it looks like.  The tumor is on the outside of his right leg about 2 or 3 inches above the knee.  You can click on it for a larger view.
He's also got a lump that gets painful coming out of the side of his foot.  I wonder if it's the same thing.  I'll have to ask the doctor about that.  Anyways, say prayers or whatever it is that you do for good things to happen for Matthew.  I want him back to 100% healthy!

That's what I've got going on.  What have you been up to?

2 comments:

  1. "Hi"!
    I was sad to read you've had to close your beading blog (and you're not beading) but life throws these turns at us whether we want them or not, doesn't it?! dang. I wish you & your family all the best of health. Your doctor sounds like a wonderful man...
    Take good care, Lisa!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aw. I’m sorry to hear about Matthew. I hope that he is feeling better now. Also, congrats on your little victory! I hope that you are still on your way to a fit and healthy body! Anyway, I read that chia seeds helped you with your weight feat. Another benefit of this little powerhouse of nutrition is that it adds the healthy omega-3 oil to your diet which is good for the heart. Well, I do hope that you continue to bank on its benefits! Keep us posted! [Ethan Frye]

    ReplyDelete