Still Here

I am shocked to see how long it has been since I posted. I got on Facebook with family and have posted quick updates there but I forgot to come back here and let my group friends know what was going on.

I left it hanging that I had to take a bunch of tests and there might be a heart blockage. A heart cath showed NO blockage at all. How about that? I was able to tell all those people who kept claiming my excessive meat and egg eating was going to block my arteries "Neener neener." LOL

After all the tests, the final diagnosis was enlarged heart with only 20% function or chronic systolic heart failure. The good news, a new test last month shows me up to 40% and I have lost 83 lbs since May 2011.

In Jun 2012 I had a series of x-rays and was diagnosed with extreme osteoarthritis in both hips, knees and shoulders. My doctor was supposed to send me to a specialist but then she moved and I still can't find a new GP so I can get a referral. In addition, we found a small spot on my left breast in May and I am supposed to do a follow up scan in Nov but, again, I need to find a GP in order to have the tests ordered. If all else fails, I will have to return to the clinic where the Nurse Practitioner blew me off for 5 years when I kept complaining about shortness of breath and chest pains until I insisted she run some tests.

I am still very tired most of the time and in a lot of pain when I try to sit up or walk but I am able to do a few things at least 2 days a week. Before it was one day a week and I would spend the rest of the week in bed recovering. I do manage to cook and keep a few basics done like the dishes washed, the bed changed, the laundry done and the animals cared for. However, vacuuming is done sitting down about once every six weeks and dusting? Well, let's just say I don't have to hunt for a pen and paper when someone wants to give me a phone number LOL.

I still have another hundred pounds to lose and my entire life these days is really centered around my diet. I cook everything from scratch and reinvent lots of recipes so I can have my favs and still keep losing. (Yes, I am going to try to post them on my diet blog since so many have asked for them.) My latest goal is to find some low impact exercises that I can start and build on. Otherwise, the fuzzy butts and I are doing fine. We had our first dusting of snow this morning and I am stocking up the cabinets over the next few months in case I get snowed in this winter. I baked a fresh loaf of bread when I got up and have been staying wrapped up and enjoying hot tea and toast all day. Mmmmmm:)

Hugs to all,
LindaB in TN:)