Yep, I am still here, my attention is on food….oh so much. :)
Well, I have been out of the hospital a little over a month and still staying away from Politics except occasionally likely a friends post or making a quick comment. My focus remains my health and it ain’t been easy.
I have had a home health nurse coming out once or twice a week since I got out of the hospital as well as an occupational and a physical therapist. Don’t ask me what the difference is, except that apparently, the physical therapist has me do one set of exercises, and the other has another set. I am still trying to get used to my walker, which really does seem necessary for anything other than maybe going across the room….so far.
Then there is my “battle” with the nurse and my primary doctor. The nurse wanted me to start checking my blood sugar every day, which I haven’t done for years. When I asked my primary care doctor, of course, he said that wasn’t necessary. He indicated that taking blood sugar readings every day at home is important if the sugar levels are bouncing around, or spiking and otherwise creating problems. My isn’t…even in the hospital which was an isolated 4 day period, I don’t think my blood sugar was every over 140 or so…and the A1c is an average, and they didn’t have enought to get an average in that 4 days.
But then she also was worried about my salt intake. I have some saltines, but they are low sodium because the crackers don’t have the usual covering of salt on the outside. But the doctor didn’t seem to know how much sodium was idea for me, which ticked the nurse off. (the politics of the med world) but then she decided that 1500 g or under was ok. I have been trying to prevent going over that.
Then there is the protein question which I still don’t have an answer for. You would think that the internet would be a good resourse, but there seem to be almost as many different answers as there are “resourse” sites. I am thinking I need somewhere between 50 and 180, but gosh knows for sure, so I am getting as much protein as I can work it with under 1500 g sodium and 2000 calories or under.
I do have an a possible appointment with a dietician if the insurance will cover part of it, and I am about to lose my “home therapy” and will have to make a decision about going to on site therapy to try and get back some strenght because I am still wobby and weak at times. Let’s be honest, the walker was what I ended up having to have because I was too vain to accept that I needed at least a cane, but really a walker is of more benefit because I could easily take a cane down with me. A walker MIGHT have a chance of stopping a fall.
Oh and I thought I was getting a counselor, but turns out the appointment is with the kind of doctor that prescribes pills for calming you do, and to keep your sanity intact…not what I wanted but I guess it is a first step.
Remember, If any of you get diarhea at any point and start feeling weak and maybe have trouble eating, get yourselves to the doctor or some sort of critical care or emergency room as soon as possible because if you lose all your digestive flora, including potassiam and magnesiam, it really does take a lot of a person. I never knew it could be such a problem till I went though it, but that I have found that is usually the way I learn about possible health threats that are out there, seeing someone go though it…like I saw my mother deal with a blood disease where the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, and it has to be removed by needle. Then of course I found out that our neighborhood in rural Tennessee had about 3 others that had the same issue.
