Thrive Without Janelle: The Accountability Group

[Gramto6]

4,976 steps yesterday.

The drive to and from the new dr took about 2 hours out of walking time. It was so hot when I finished with the Podiatrist I did't feel like doing much shopping there. I hit one thrift shop and got a few things then just came home.

Most of my steps today will be inside due to the smoke.

@Absolom the empire waist line gives a false sense of a slimmer waist. Yeah, if I had the disposable money that Sally Field has, I'd have custom made clothes too... if I ever had need of very formal clothing...which I don't/won't have!!

[Gramto6]

5,082 steps yesterday.

Just puttering around in the house and today looks to be the same. It is going to be hot again today (90°) and no wind, so the heavy smoke will be back. I  really don't like going outside with the smoky air, so will be doing my walking mostly inside again.

[Absolom]

My neigbor says she's doing 12,000 steps a day walking inside the house.  How does one do that?  I'm toast at 500 in the house, but was OK with 6000 outside this morning.  I don't know how I'm doing the increase.

[Gramto6]

51 minutes ago, Absolom said:

My neigbor says she's doing 12,000 steps a day walking inside the house.  How does one do that?  I'm toast at 500 in the house, but was OK with 6000 outside this morning.  I don't know how I'm doing the increase.

Given where I live, I had to adapt for Winter when there is snow on the paths for months at a time plus it is too cold to go out.  Then there is fire season when the air is just too smoky to breath in outside. I walk from one end of my house to the other and circle through rooms that interconnect. I have the TV on all day just for background noise and no matter what I am doing, I stop and walk a loop or more during each commercial break that I hear/see.  It is rather boring sometimes but ya gotta do what ya gotta do to get the steps any way you can.

There isn't a mall anywhere near me to go to for walking, I am basically out in the boonies...so in the house it is!

[Absolom]

There is a very large Albertson's near me and in the rainy season when I don't see a good enough break in the rain to walk, I go there.  There's always an item or two I can buy so I'm not totally freeloading.  Maybe I should try to practice walking inside during the commercials as a back up plan.  

[Yeah No]

On 8/1/2024 at 4:25 PM, Absolom said:

That's a marvellous design and tailoring job to give an illusion of a waistline.  Most people follow the Queen Elizabeth plan and wear straight cut and sack like dresses or go to pants and shirts.  There's a reason yoga pants are so popular for over 65 year old women.  

Oh I don't think Sally Field needs to create any illusion of a waistline. She clearly has a defined waist. Me, I have a ball where a waist should be.

I just get frustrated with women that don't really have a problem thinking they have a problem. Walk a mile in my shoes. My stomach is out of proportion to the rest of me. If I put on a dress like that I'd look pregnant. The entire space below the waistband would jut out with my stomach and look awful. 

I want to provide an example but it would be hard to find a model wearing a dress like that that would look the way I would in it unless she were short and pregnant. Because I'm short I look even worse than any model would because being tall is more forgiving of a stomach. Somehow with all that torso length and long arms and legs you don't see it as much. Mine isn't really a very big stomach as they go but on me it looks HUGE. It's all about proportion.

Mind you, when I was younger and the same weight as I am now I did not have this issue because my weight was distributed differently and had a much smaller midsection. And thanks to being younger I had more muscle mass so I looked thinner (and took a smaller size, too). Most models online, even plus sized models, are chosen because they DON'T have the issue I have because they would look awful in any kind of dress with a defined waistband on it. Plus they are younger so they just tend not to have all their weight go to their midsections.

That said, when I went on my recent cruise and needed something to wear for a formal night I found a couple of stretchy form-fitting dark colored sheath dresses that worked for me but they had thin filmy veil like jackets or cape coverings to hide my stomach. Over a few weeks I tried on dozens of dresses with any kind of defined waist and ended up on the floor of the fitting room in tears every time.

So all I have to say to Sally Field is, "Cry me a river sister, walk a mile in MY shoes". 😜

This is the closest I could find because no one would allow themselves to be seen on camera looking the way I would in a dress like this. And this woman is young and tall and so even her at that stage of pregnancy doesn't look as bad as I would with less of a stomach than that! I also have the "grandma arms" that come with genetics and age and I'm probably at least 7 inches shorter than she is, too. And forget about wearing heels anymore, sigh. 😢

This is the twin set I bought for one of the formal dinners with pull on stretchy wide leg pants. It does give the illusion of a waist while hiding the unfortunate belly. Although from the side I feel like I look very wide, but that's the best I can do.:

[precious pupp]

15 hours ago, Absolom said:

There is a very large Albertson's near me and in the rainy season when I don't see a good enough break in the rain to walk, I go there.  There's always an item or two I can buy so I'm not totally freeloading.  Maybe I should try to practice walking inside during the commercials as a back up plan.  

I was bummed when my neighborhood Albertson's closed.  Safeway in my area took those stores over, but instead of a grocery store, Ace Hardware moved in.  I still walked there the other day, but I don't have a walk-to grocery store any more.

 

[Absolom]

18 minutes ago, precious pupp said:

 I don't have a walk-to grocery store any more.

I haven't since we moved here and one will never be built closer than the one we have now.  It's a mile and a half to two miles away.  I live in a cul-de-sac that is in a housing development that is on a dead end street that turns off a dead end street.  There are signs at the entrance and people still turn into the area and are shocked they have to turn around and leave the way they entered.  It's 3/4 of a mile or more to a turn with a choice of directions to escape.  

I guess I wasn't clear in my post.  When it's pouring rain, I don't walkTO the grocery store, I drive there and then make circuits of the large store to get in some steps.  There is also a covered walkway outside the stores in the shopping center and I can do loops there.  

Edited August 4 by Absolom
Clarity

[Absolom]

40 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

My stomach is out of proportion to the rest of me. If I put on a dress like that I'd look pregnant. The entire space below the waistband would jut out with my stomach and look awful. 

Oh I feel you.  I haven't worn a dress with a defined waist in 20 years.  I'm also short and so is Sally Field.  She's about 5'2".  That dress she's in is a marvel of fluff above and below the pretend waist.  She's also no doubt in double shapewear which I will never do.  Losing the waistline isn't quite the same as the basketball tummy.  Some unfortunate people get both while others get one or the other.  I still have indentation on the sides of my waist, but the bubble tummy makes it all challenging.  I have dresses with sweaters and jackets to disguise the bump just as you do.  Finding a MOB dress with jacket was interesting, but I found a shop that specialized in wedding wear for mother and grandmother of the bride or groom and they ordered whatever was needed.  I did find a lace dress that was quite effective without a jacket and had the right fullness and skimming abilities for the second wedding.  It's possible, but very difficult to find, I agree.  

[Gramto6]

5,436 steps yesterday.

Mostly done inside. Probably will be the same today except for the Celebration of Life for my neighbor that passed away earlier this year. It is at my friend's place, just down the road but the weather is drizzly and I'm not sure I want to walk.  Our road is dirt and they have a long dirt road up to their house and I don't want to be slogging through the mud. So I will drive and keep my walking to inside their home or deck and here at my house.

At least the showers today will hopefully at lessen the smoke! Problem is they also predict thunderstorms this afternoon. 🙁

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

Oh I feel you.  I haven't worn a dress with a defined waist in 20 years.  I'm also short and so is Sally Field.  She's about 5'2".  That dress she's in is a marvel of fluff above and below the pretend waist.  She's also no doubt in double shapewear which I will never do.  Losing the waistline isn't quite the same as the basketball tummy.  Some unfortunate people get both while others get one or the other.  I still have indentation on the sides of my waist, but the bubble tummy makes it all challenging.  I have dresses with sweaters and jackets to disguise the bump just as you do.  Finding a MOB dress with jacket was interesting, but I found a shop that specialized in wedding wear for mother and grandmother of the bride or groom and they ordered whatever was needed.  I did find a lace dress that was quite effective without a jacket and had the right fullness and skimming abilities for the second wedding.  It's possible, but very difficult to find, I agree.  

I bolded that sentence above because that's it in a nutshell, although I do believe I would still have a defined waist if not for the basketball. It's awful how the older I get the more the weight concentrates in the middle. I guess I'm just more depressed over this after seeing photos of myself from the cruise. Of course my husband, the former professional wedding photographer can't manage to take photos of me that don't make me look huge and awful, LOL. Don't get me wrong, he's an amazing photographer, he just thinks I look great no matter what, but that's not what I see. I wouldn't even post any of those photos of me online for friends to see, I look so bad. It didn't help that the sea air did a number on my hair either! The best recent photos of me I have are either selfies or were taken by our friends who hosted us down in Florida last Fall. 

Anyway, despite all of that doom and gloom, I have some good news to share at least -  I had been avoiding the scale for about a week and this morning lo and behold the scale showed that I lost the 4 lbs. I gained on the cruise. Well, I'd better have lost something with the small portions I eat! At least I won't feel as bad for the next cruise coming up, which is next week if you can believe that. This was not my idea - he saved his bonuses for the last few years to afford them and we sat around during Covid doing nothing for so long that he wants to break out of that. I can't blame him but did he have to book another cruise a month after coming home from the first one? I couldn't say no because he got a really rock bottom price on it and I had so much fun on the first one. Let's just hope the rain from that storm coming up the coast won't be a big party pooper. I hear it's not supposed to be so bad but it's a few days away so we really don't know yet. I would never book a cruise during hurricane season that goes anywhere near where those storms go but it's Bermuda and the storms usually don't go near it for some reason. The only place I'd have to worry about is when or if they go up the East Coast and still are strong enough to cause issues. But the cruise lines know how to avoid them, so I am told. I heard about a cruise last year that had to be diverted to Nova Scotia because of storms so the worst thing that could happen is being delayed or diverted. I wouldn't mind going back there anyway, LOL.

[Not Buyin It]

On 11/4/2020 at 12:54 AM, iwantcookies said:

@TurtlePower oh yes the doctors are terrible nowadays. I go to ask for help and get ignored or shoved to someone else who is just as clueless/useless.

You ought to be under VA care. I had Lyme Disease back in 2021. Of course, all they gave a damn about was Covid. I didn't have that, so they sent me home. Weeks later I went back, and raised a fuss about being blown off. She finally tested me - how about that, I was really, really sick. Honest. Fast forward to my most recent annual appointment. I have a lump on the side of my neck, behind my jaw (a gland, perhaps?) that has been present since my Lyme diagnosis. It's no longer painful, but it's Still There. Oh, says my care provider. Well, if it's still there in 6 - 8 months maybe we'll have a look at that. (It is said that the VA puts veterans off so that perhaps they'll either give up or die before they do anything. Either way, problem solved, right?)

[precious pupp]

6 hours ago, Absolom said:

I haven't since we moved here and one will never be built closer than the one we have now.  It's a mile and a half to two miles away.  I live in a cul-de-sac that is in a housing development that is on a dead end street that turns off a dead end street.  There are signs at the entrance and people still turn into the area and are shocked they have to turn around and leave the way they entered.  It's 3/4 of a mile or more to a turn with a choice of directions to escape.  

I guess I wasn't clear in my post.  When it's pouring rain, I don't walkTO the grocery store, I drive there and then make circuits of the large store to get in some steps.  There is also a covered walkway outside the stores in the shopping center and I can do loops there.  

I know an elderly lady that walks around a Walmart SuperCenter.  I don't go there very often, but I would probably do the same.  I just love a walk outside, weather permitting.  It's 96 degrees out now, and that's too hot for this old gal.  

[Absolom]

I was out walking at 6:30 this morning to avoid the heat.

[Gramto6]

7,132 steps yesterday.

Mostly done inside though I did walk around some in my friend's garden and yard some at the remembrance.  She came from a family of 9 children so between spouses and kids and nieces and nephews there were a lot of people there, most I did not know. I chatted with some of her family and with her husband but felt really out of place after a while. So I came home after about an hour and a half. It was a sweet sad gathering but also lots of lovely memories too. I'm glad I did go.

Today is going to be quiet other than getting the garbage up the road. Weather permitting I may try some walking outside.

Edited August 5 by Gramto6

[Absolom]

We're supposed to continue the heat wave so I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up an order and will likely walk there and Albertson's near there.  I haven't been in that one in years.  I also walked at 6:45 today but quit as it warmed.  I have some plant cuttings I need to pot and a vacuum cleaner part to try to repair.  

[precious pupp]

The wildfire smoke was here yesterday, but this morning I didn't see or smell it, so I walked outside.  It was 74 degrees and cloudy, for it had just rained an hour or so before, but it was nice to get out, after being housebound yesterday.

[Absolom]

I walked in the pharmacy some, but skipped Albertson's (too much fried chicken smell) and planned to stop at the plant nursery.  Traffic patterns went counter to that so I'm home and will try to finish the steps in the house.  800 or so to go.

[lookeyloo]

I walked 2.9 miles today most in my hilly subdivision and some in Walmart.   That gave me 7,272 steps so far.  I have tried walking inside my house but it seems like I can't get as many steps in as walking outside or in IKEA for example for bad weather.  It is close enough with back roads to make it very doable.  I do have steps and go up and down several times a day.  

[Gramto6]

7,072 steps yesterday.

A grocery run helped the count. The rest was mostly in the house with a little clean up outside.

I am glad to see I am not the only one striving (pun intended) to get steps in. I enjoy hearing the different ways others are able to do it. Where there is a will there is a way as long as the body is able... is my motto.

A huge thunder storm blew through at 2AM lots of thunder and lightening. And lots of rain!! Rain is good if any fires were started....not so good for walking on my muddy road! It is supposed to be 86° here and partly sunny, but I have been hearing thunder in the near distance for about an hour now...I'm thinking maybe some more rain. The smoke seems better maybe the rain put down some of the fires. One can hope!

[Absolom]

I walked steep hills two days in a row.  This morning my back said even walking on flat areas is going to hurt.  I guess I need to limit the steep hills to twice a week.

[TurtlePower]

On 7/29/2024 at 12:28 AM, Yeah No said:

Sorry to hear you're dealing with that, @TurtlePower. I've never dealt with Cushing's but I totally get the frustration over having to limit calories. I recently found out I may have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and in many people, especially post-menopausal women, controlling one's weight can become more difficult. It is getting more difficult for me all the time. I do wonder about my cortisol levels, though. I may ask to have them checked.

You might remember I lost 25 lbs. between 2022 and 2023. I somehow plateaued after that and was unable to break it no matter what I did. I wanted to try weight loss drugs but was unable to tolerate Metformin (after a while it made me feel sick to my stomach) so the doctors didn't recommend trying one of the injectables like Ozempic or Wegovy. So without that I am left struggling and it feels like a losing battle. I was doing relatively well until this past Winter, when I gained a stubborn 5 lbs. that I could not lose no matter what. I stayed on my diet but it didn't help. I even tried other things like intermittent fasting and that didn't help either. I was stuck with those 5 lbs.

Then I went on a cruise in late June/early July of this year and gained another 4 lbs. in only a few days. I was very careful about what I ate and avoided fattening desserts and a lot of other fattening foods. If I ate a dessert (which I only did a handful of times) I ate a few bites and my husband ate the rest. Portion sizes were not all that big either, especially at the buffets so it was easy to engage in portion control. And there were many diet/healthy options on the menus too, like grilled fishes and tasty grilled and sauteed vegetables.

The kicker was that my husband and I averaged about 13,000 steps a day! For two people closer to 70 than 60 that's not too shabby. We walked everywhere in port in Halifax and Boston. Even on sea days we walked all over that ship from stem to stern on every single deck, exploring the entire thing. It was fun and I knew it would help burn calories. How I could have gained 4 additional pounds doing all that is just adding "insult to injury". But that's my new reality. I have to run faster than humanly possible just to stay in place. And that's of course just not possible.

I am following the media reports on the development of new pill-form diet meds. that work like Ozempic, etc., that do not cause stomach upset or nausea. I am reading that up to 40% of people that go on them experience some of that, often making them only tolerate it for a short time. 

I do want to say that some of what you may be experiencing (and me too) may be age related. As we age it does become harder to stay in shape and it will take longer to reach the same levels of fitness. But that's no consolation either because it's just one more thing conspiring to make things more difficult.

BTW, my thyroid levels are still considered within the normal range, although they are admittedly at the low end of that range. The specialist does not want to put me on thyroid hormone just yet because of that. I worry about having to take it anyway because I am very sensitive to all hormones. So I am not in any rush for that. My thyroid is slightly enlarged on both side but nowhere near needing to be removed. So I am just living with all of this for now.

Anyway, best of luck to you when you visit the dr. again and many ((hugs)).

I’ve upped my workouts and weight training and feel surprisingly good on just fish and vegetables (with the occasional treat or carb). I’m hoping the extra weight training will make a difference.

I’m fighting this, not giving in. 

[Gramto6]

I'm so glad you have found a routine and diet that is working for you. And with your positive attitude you get there!

[Gramto6]

7,384 steps yesterday.

Most of them inside. Probably will be the same today. 

The huge thunder and lightening storm that blew through here the other night generated a lightening  bolt that struck a direct hit on a home near me. Just a few miles away, down by the river, it hit and burned the house to the ground! I haven't heard of any casualties so I am assuming (hopefully right) that everyone got out safely.

Today and tomorrow I plan to be getting ready for the surgery on my left hand Friday. Laundry today (that generates a lot of steps) and a quick vacuum/dusting. Tomorrow I will open a bunch of the wet cat food cans (2 day supply) and put in bowls in fridge. By day 3 I should be able to open them again. I have to think of things I usually have put away that I use daily and get them out easily available. I didn't think of that with the right hand surgery.

Had a surprise when I went out to feed the cats this morning. There sitting right inside was a frog!! There is flowing water on two sides of my house but in 20 years here I have never seen a frog!! The cats didn't know what to do with it, they sniffed and backed away. A couple took a few soft paw bats at it but left it alone. I carefully scooped it  up and put it in the grass at the edge of the creek. Totally surprised me!!

[Absolom]

I love the surprise frog.  Good luck with the surgery.

I walked too much and the lupus is telling me about it.  Today I'm not leaving the house and yard.  Tomorrow I have an adjustment osteopathic appointment.  I need to pack before going to that.

[Gramto6]

6,407 steps yesterday.

My knees were starting to complain about the last couple of days and my cat decided she needed more lap time so I just took it a bit easy. I think I am going to do the same today since tomorrow is going to be rather busy and tiring to say the least.

[Yeah No]

On 8/6/2024 at 12:49 PM, TurtlePower said:

I’ve upped my workouts and weight training and feel surprisingly good on just fish and vegetables (with the occasional treat or carb). I’m hoping the extra weight training will make a difference.

I’m fighting this, not giving in. 

I'm very happy to hear that! I wish you continuing success with that. And I want you to know that thanks to you I'm going to have my cortisol checked at my next physical exam. 

I'm looking forward to this next cruise coming up because all the YouTubes I've watched on this particular ship show that it has better food choices for my diet than the last cruise. And I'm going to be sticking to it as much as possible. Also, there is a great walking promenade and a lot of exercise areas/equipment so I will be able to get in a LOT of exercise.

And also the weather seems to be cooperating, thankfully! That storm is going to be out of here by the time we leave. Yay!

[Absolom]

So I got the osteopathic treatment and she warned me I'd be stiff and sore today.  She was definitely right.  It had been a year since my last one that eradicated the daily migraines and she said try coming in every three months if I could fit it in.  I shouldn't have nearly this much reaction if I do that.

[Gramto6]

6,900 steps yesterday. A nice round number, doesn't happen often. Today will be much lower.

Home from surgery around 11 AM. It went well. It pays to be first or second surgery of the day!

They gave me a little more pain meds, hand is still numb, A little more bleeding this time. Turns out Meloxicam is also a blood thinner! No one ever told me that! It will be a couple days before I can use that hand enough to see how it really feels, I expect good results just like before.

Really tired, plan for today is rest and keep my hand above my heart!

[Absolom]

9 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

They gave me a little more pain meds, hand is still numb, A little more bleeding this time. Turns out Meloxicam is also a blood thinner! No one ever told me that! It will be a couple days before I can use that hand enough to see how it really feels, I expect good results just like before.

Yes, meloxicam is an NSAID and like all of them can increase bleeding.  They should have had you stop it 2 to 4 days before surgery.  You'll know now.  I hope you have excellent results.  My hands are in splints today although for different reasons.  

Edited August 10 by Absolom

[Gramto6]

4,637 steps yesterday.

Actually more than I expected. Some walking at the surgical center and of course there were things I had to do when I got home, but I tried to keep it at a minimum. Today I will be taking it easy. As much as possible....

My hand is very bruised and obviously sore, but at least the numbness is finally gone. The first few weeks are uncomfortable, but in the end it will be great to have 2 fully functioning hands again!! My right hand isn't up to 100% function yet, but very close, so some things are awkward, but in time it will be so much better!!

[Absolom]

The stiffness and soreness from the treatment is almost completely gone.  I walked about 3/4 of a mile again this morning.  I've upped walking inside the house by trying to walk twice as far as I need to every time I get up.  

[Gramto6]

3,575 steps yesterday.

Really exhausted feeling and achey all over, didn't do much at all. I think I need one more day of taking it really easy before I try to do too much of anything.

The numbness in my hand was gone in the morning so I was able to use that hand a bit more than on Friday. It is the weirdest sensation when your thumb is numb. No opposing finger to hold onto things or do things with like zip a zipper! My hand is still very sore/tender, so I will be using it with caution and only when absolutely necessary today. My whole hand is bruised this time, much more than the right hand. Not really sure why, but it is what it is...

[Absolom]

We're both catering to a thumb.  I sprained my right thumb a few days ago.  As long as I wear the splint when I'm doing things like driving and remember to use my hand not fingers to turn water on and off, it's doing OK.

I hope tomorrow is much improved.

[Gramto6]

Mine is my thumb and the two fingers next to it. One longish incision base of pointer and middle fingers and one smaller one at base of thumb. I get to take the bandages off tomorrow and leave it open, but I learned when I had my right hand done to put bandaids loosely over the incisions if I was doing anything requiring a lot of hand usage.

I get the stitches out on the 20th or 21st (I have a conflict with original date). Then I will be able to use that hand more. There are a series of exercises I have to do to get full mobility back.

I had right hand, same fingers, done 5/31 and it is just about at 100% movement. Still not there in strength but getting there. Could be 6 months for each hand before everything is back to normal according to what I have read. 

Just in time to shovel snow!! :(

[Gramto6]

Oh so late to post!!

4,100 steps yesterday. It always surprises me when it is a nice round number!

I really didn't do much yesterday. Today will be about the same. I don't want to mess up the stitches at this point in healing.

My hand feels much better today, movement is much easier already. Today I took the bandages off. It feels good to air the stitches out and let my hand feel free! I don't have to cover them any more but I feel better when I am doing some things to put bandaids loosely over the stitches. I'll have to drive the garbage up to the road but that is about the only really strenuous thing I'll be doing with my hand today. Resting/taking it easy is still on the agenda for a few more days.

[General Days]

@TurtlePower! I'm sorry you have had such a difficult year. I'm glad you're back. 

[Gramto6]

5,559 steps yesterday.

Picking up the pace a bit but still going slow. Hand feels better each day and the swelling is just about gone. Doing a few of the exercises, but any pain and I stop. Fingers already have fairly good movement. Glad to have it all behind me!

[Gramto6]

4,638 steps yesterday.

That's about all I had in me for the day.

The pest people are coming today to spray outside. I have to get the kitty cardboard houses that touch up to the house all pulled out so they can spray the perimeter. It is going to be a bit tricky trying to keep my hand protected, but I have enough bandages and some gloves to pad it pretty well. It is feeling surprisingly good so far, I don't want to mess that up!

Edited August 14 by Gramto6

[MaddyMaeboxerbabe]

Be careful!  

[Roslyn]

2 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

4,638 steps yesterday.

That's about all I had in me for the day.

The pest people are coming today to spray outside. I have to get the kitty cardboard houses that touch up to the house all pulled out so they can spray the perimeter. It is going to be a bit tricky trying to keep my hand protected, but I have enough bandages and some gloves to pad it pretty well. It is feeling surprisingly good so far, I don't want to mess that up!

Can you cover the whole hand with an oven mitt ?

[Gramto6]

2 hours ago, Roslyn said:

Can you cover the whole hand with an oven mitt ?

I use a plastic glove over loosely applied bandaids. My friend gave me a bunch of those gloves that come with home hair color kits. Then I cover it with one of those stretchy knit gloves (the smallish ones more decorative than useful) which I have cut all the finger tips off just  beyond the first knuckle. That pads the stitches while the plastic glove under it seals my whole hand to keep it dry and clean. And gives me my finger tips to handle/move things. Works like a charm.

[Gramto6]

4,748 steps yesterday.

Lots of cat in lap time. She has been very needy the last few days and scratches at me if I don't pay attention. Not like her at all. So she got a lot of attention yesterday!

Edited August 15 by Gramto6
typo

[Gramto6]

Again, very late to post. 

5,405 steps yesterday.

I noticed a couple of days ago there was growing red around the longer incision and it was hot.  I called the dr's office yesterday and they directed me to their Urgent Care department as my dr has surgery all day Fridays. They said it was walk-in but they would call and let them know I was coming.

Yesterday evening another big windy storm blew through. The TV news kept saying it was only 9mph. Not here! It blew all the kitties cardboard boxes outside all over and even blew a 2 seat metal framed rocking porch swing off my deck! The gale force winds we had last week didn't even do that! so I don't believe it was only 9mph!

Didn't do too much yesterday. Today what with picking up mess in yard and dr visit, count should be more! While I was in town I went to a couple grocery stores and then to my pharmacy on the way home. Totally exhausted!

Oh and yes, infection was just beginning so I caught it right away!. The dr put me on a week of Keflex which should nip it in the bud.

Edited August 16 by Gramto6
added on to post

[ginger90]

17 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Oh and yes, infection was just beginning so I caught it right away!. The dr put me on a week of Keflex which should nip it in the bud.

Did you fill it at your regular pharmacy? I’m just curious since you mentioned you take meloxicam.

[Gramto6]

6,444 steps yesterday.

The shopping did add a good amount of steps. But I am really tired today already. I don't know if it is the Keflex, all the activity yesterday, or the infection which today looks even worse (glad I started the antibiotic sooner rather than later!) but today aside from my friend add her husband coming over to help lift the swing back up on the porch, I don't plan on doing anything else!!

@ginger90 well shoot! Yes II did fill at the pharmacy where my pcp is located. And I specifically asked the pharmacist if the Keflex would react with my Meloxicam and Metformin and she said no problems with them. Whelp, I did a quick dr google and called my other local pharmacy! They said no meloxicam and take the metformin every other day. Thanks for the heads up @ginger90!

That storm that blew through the other night was more than just wind (as I expected per the swing off the porch!). Our winds were in the 50-60mph range and what also was included was what they call a Gustnado. We had several.

 Gustnado

(or Gustinado) - A gustnado is a small, whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows. They do not connect with any cloud-base rotation and are not tornadoes. Since their origin is associated with cumuliform clouds, gustnadoes will be classified as Thunderstorm Wind events. Like dust devils, some stronger gustnadoes can cause damage.

I am so tired of this weird Summer weather!!

[Gramto6]

5,025 steps yesterday.

That was about all I had in me.

My hand is really sore and yesterday there were swollen pus layers around a couple of the stitches. This morning even more, and it has started to ooze. I left messages to cancel my Tues Podiatrist appt and then one to hand surgeon to see if I could get back on the schedule for Tues instead of Thursday. Maybe it is the Keflex clearing the infection out??? I don't know, but I don't like it!

I need to do some chores but my hand is really bothering me so I don't know how much I will get done. This hand has sure been more difficult than my right hand! Right from the get go with much more bruising all over my hand to now with infection. If I had done this one first, I might have not done the other at all!!

[Absolom]

I'm glad you called.  It shouldn't be getting worse.

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

I'm glad you called.  It shouldn't be getting worse.

I think the PA I saw at Urgent Care thought I was over reacting to the redness. It hadn't gotten to the pus stage at that point yet. I knew something was wrong that is why I jumped on it right away. He gave me the rx for the Keflex "just in case". I hate it when drs discount us when we know something is wrong!!

I'm going to call the surgeon's office again first thing Monday too just to be sure they act on my call re the appointment. Just maybe my dr will see me Monday though that is his OutPatient surgery day... sigh.

I have been taking photos each day of the changes just to show them I am not imagining this!

[Absolom]

My last surgery with the huge scar, the doctors were always, always questioning me about any redness at all.  Some medical personnel are simply not as well trained as others or have no experience with our particular problem.  The one time I had a beginning surgical incision infection, they gave an antibiotic wash and a cream to use along with the antibiotic pills.  I think the wash and cream were chasing it off before the pills could possibly have been working much.  

Edited August 18 by Absolom