Reflections of My Life

Every day I am cutting three or four of Rabbit's claws. No matter how many I cut, it seems like it is never enough. I am afraid to put him up on something high so I could stand up to do this. So afraid of him just jumping off and breaking a leg. Very common with rabbits. He is not a jumper so his legs are not use to that and it could injure him. Today I thought I made progress and then when he came back to me, the long ones stood out to me. Thing is that when I have done them, he acts like he really likes it.

I have been having such problems with the compression stockings. As I think about it, when I first started wearing them they actually felt good. I could wear them all day. Now almost as soon as I get them on I have to take them off. As soon as my insurance situation gets straightened out, I will be making an appointment with a doctor in my immediate area to see what I can do about this. If they even know......... My lymphedema therapist said the doctors don't know much about it. Now the best thing I have found to do is to soak my feet in cold water a couple times a day. It really helped me the last couple of days. Doing it right now as I write this.

Now I am going to take a walk to the dumpster and maybe around the building. I will see how my legs work when I get to the dumpster. Then come back and make coleslaw.

Have a nice day!
 

I have an uneducated guess @katlupe (but makes sense) as to why the compression stockings used to feel good on your legs and now are very uncomfortable. As we get older our skin becomes thinner and pressure is felt more.

Less likely, and a wild guess might be nerve damage from arthritis or neuropathy. I know nothing about that but read little bits and pieces of stuff.

How did I come up with "thinning skin" due to age? When I'm laying out on the couch, it used to be that my dog would politely stand on all fours (she's got tiny paws) on the lower half of my legs to let me know she wanted to go out or eat. She's lightweight so it never bothered me. Time went by and now it kills when she does that! She hasn't gained any weight...she's the same. But I know the skin on my shins is thin and I'm more sensitive.

When you talk to the doctor, let him give you his thoughts first. Don't mention thinning skin. When he's all said n' done then if you think my guess is worth mentioning, that would be the time. Because you want to know if he's going to say "I don't know" or if he has a better answer.

Btw, @RadishRose , that's my favorite avatar of yours!
 

I did take that walk this morning. Then sat in the park in the sun for a little while. It felt good. Listening the birds and just relaxing watching cars and people. At first I wasn't going to walk but then I thought "why not?" So off I went. I found some dandelions and violets for Rabbit in spots that were away from the sidewalk and hopefully were not contaminated by dogs or men.

On my way back I ran into the man who walks a dog (not his, belongs to a woman he knows who cannot walk herself so he does it for her) and stopped to chat with him a bit. Then back home.

Now I have eaten and think I will put my legs up for awhile before I do the bunny cage. As you can see, Rabbit came right out for his treat.

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katlupe said:
I did take that walk this morning. Then sat in the park in the sun for a little while. It felt good. Listening the birds and just relaxing watching cars and people. At first I wasn't going to walk but then I thought "why not?" So off I went. I found some dandelions and violets for Rabbit in spots that were away from the sidewalk and hopefully were not contaminated by dogs or men.

On my way back I ran into the man who walks a dog (not his, belongs to a woman he knows who cannot walk herself so he does it for her) and stopped to chat with him a bit. Then back home.

Now I have eaten and think I will put my legs up for awhile before I do the bunny cage. As you can see, Rabbit came right out for his treat.

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awww how sweet does bunny look today..... 🥰...fab that you got out for a walk and a sit in the sun Kat... it makes a ton of difference to the psyche..

Was sunny here too today... I put some pics on the photo thread... took some of the Village and the Ewes with their lambs in the field.....
 
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Since I started reading the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear I have been working on establishing new habits that make a difference in my life. I have used the idea of "little steps" or the Japanese term, "kaizen" many times over the years. Kaizen refers to good changes or improvements and was used (and still being used) in Japanese business practices. One little thing you do differently every day can result in a big change in your life once you start doing it and stick to it.

It can be something as simple as putting something away every time use it. Something I kept doing was not putting tops on things I was using when preparing food because I was going to be using it again. Ended up spilling it because I forgot the top was not tightened or even on the jar. Now I always fasten the top on no matter what. No more spilled spices or whatever on the counter. Putting my keys away every time I walk in the door. No searching for them because I put them down somewhere else. I keep them near the door so I can just grab them on my way out.

Another thing this author focuses on is changing your thinking so instead of saying I want to do this, think of yourself as if you already accomplished it. Not I want to work on my health, but I am a healthy woman. Not I want to lose weight but I am a woman at a healthy weight. Not that I want to be more attractive but I am an attractive woman. A poor self image is something that will hold you back from accomplishing your goals every time.

Not in the book but something I have learned over my life is not to dwell on the negative things going on in your life. I loved the books by Dr. Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking and they helped me so much in the past. Visualizing what you need or want to do really works. One day you wake up and realize you have attained that goal. If you had to meet your goals by doing a lot of changes at once you might give up. Simple tiny steps is much easier to accomplish whatever your goal is.
 
katlupe said:
I did take that walk this morning. Then sat in the park in the sun for a little while. It felt good. Listening the birds and just relaxing watching cars and people. At first I wasn't going to walk but then I thought "why not?" So off I went. I found some dandelions and violets for Rabbit in spots that were away from the sidewalk and hopefully were not contaminated by dogs or men.

On my way back I ran into the man who walks a dog (not his, belongs to a woman he knows who cannot walk herself so he does it for her) and stopped to chat with him a bit. Then back home.

Now I have eaten and think I will put my legs up for awhile before I do the bunny cage. As you can see, Rabbit came right out for his treat.

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Your photos like this one, put an instant smile on my face! ☺️
 
katlupe said:
He is not cuddly but he is adorable and if you give him a berry he promises not to bite your finger!
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That is definitely good enough for me!(y):love::love:
He doesn't need to want to cuddle.;)
I would love to bring him a few berries, or a few dandelions! :D

I also loved your wordings about how it matters, to do a very small thing that is an improvement in the direction you want to go, and to fully embrace it. That is a reminder of how I used to do things, and it was very good for me to read it, now.
Thank you for all of your sharings, here. You can't know which parts will benefit others, but they do anyway. :)
 
Kaila said:
I also loved your wordings about how it matters, to do a very small thing that is an improvement in the direction you want to go, and to fully embrace it. That is a reminder of how I used to do things, and it was very good for me to read it, now.
Thank you for all of your sharings, here. You can't know which parts will benefit others, but they do anyway. :)
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I try to write about the way things are in my life and improvements I try to make life easier. I always hope it will help other people who may need to do things like this too.
 
Today I was sure I would not be able to take a walk. My feet were swollen big time. How could I walk anywhere? But I had to take the garbage out to the dumpster. So without thinking, I packed my camera in the bag under the walker seat.....just in case. As soon as I got outside, the fresh air felt so good, I knew I had to walk. Swollen foot or not. I cannot let that hold me back from doing things. My knees hurt but they always hurt. Besides they say to move and try to walk if you have lymphedema. So............

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Today I have to take it easy. Put my feet up most of the day. I like to be busy and sitting all day with my feet up is torture. I think Sonny is coming to work on Jazzy's tire. He is having a time getting it off to put the new one on. It is seized up. I think he is bringing some sort of tool to attempt it once again. I need it so much but if the tire cannot be changed I may as well junk it.

There is a repair service that will come to do it but don't know what special tool they would be using. Plus it is very expensive. My friend paid them $300. to put new batteries in her scooter. Now someone in the building does it for her and won't take a dime.

I am walking more without Jazzy and maybe that is good. But not going very far. So not able to go to the store and do not want to use Instacart every time I need one or two things. It is bad enough to have bad knees and now this Lymphedema has made it so much worse. It does not go away. I have to learn to handle it and live with it. There are new studies showing the keto diet will improve it though. So I guess I am in the right direction.

I am fighting the option of the carnivore diet because even though I know I could easily stick to it, I want other foods as well. This is making me tweak it even more now. Eliminating keto sweets first. Even though I do not use sugar in them or eat a lot of them. Nuts too. I measure out a portion so I am not overdoing them, but I am going to stop them for the rest of the month and see if that helps. Members of my keto group on fakebook have had good results with it and eliminated many health conditions by just eating beef, bacon, butter and eggs for 90 days. Usually the beef is not just beef but all meat. Maybe I will attempt it after I use up my homemade yogurt........not throwing that out.

So that is my thoughts for this morning.
 
Today is my book discussion at five, so putting a note on my computer so I remember it. I think I will put the "out" sign on my door so nobody interrupts it. Last week I had two people show up at my door.

Yesterday I walked in the two parks again. I am trying to make it a habit by taking my camera with me when I go to the dumpster. Once I am out there it makes me want to stay out. I don't know how much exercise it actually is since I am using a walker. I always walk properly with the walker.........stand up straight, stomach in, shoulders back and a very light grip on the handles unless I need more. Oh yeah, and look straight ahead not down at my feet. This is how I was taught to walk my residents when I worked as a CNA in nursing homes.

I also like to stop for a bit and sit in the sun on my walker. Yesterday I sat in the park that is in front of the courthouse and at the corner. Just people watched. I saw a lot of people out and about and many with walkers or mobility scooters. Then I went to the other park (they are across the street from each other) and sat there for awhile too. That one had more people than usual. It was a nice walk.
 
RadishRose said:
@katlupe, Good that you're getting outside. The vitamin D in sunshine is so helpful for our mood. I hope Sonny can get Jazzy fixed for you!
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He got one tire fixed so I can drive it. But the other one is threadbare and needs replacing but for now I can drive it. It still rumbles underneath and he says it is nothing to worry about (???????????!!!). So for now, I am only driving it to the dumpster or downstairs.

What I am trying to do is to get physical exercise by walking to the park with the walker. Even when he gets Jazzy back for me to drive to the stores, I plan on walking every day if possible. If my knees are too painful, I will skip the day. Tomorrow he is taking me shopping so I don't think I will walk or I will have trouble shopping.
 
katlupe said:
Today I have to take it easy. Put my feet up most of the day. I like to be busy and sitting all day with my feet up is torture. I think Sonny is coming to work on Jazzy's tire. He is having a time getting it off to put the new one on. It is seized up. I think he is bringing some sort of tool to attempt it once again. I need it so much but if the tire cannot be changed I may as well junk it.

There is a repair service that will come to do it but don't know what special tool they would be using. Plus it is very expensive. My friend paid them $300. to put new batteries in her scooter. Now someone in the building does it for her and won't take a dime.

I am walking more without Jazzy and maybe that is good. But not going very far. So not able to go to the store and do not want to use Instacart every time I need one or two things. It is bad enough to have bad knees and now this Lymphedema has made it so much worse. It does not go away. I have to learn to handle it and live with it. There are new studies showing the keto diet will improve it though. So I guess I am in the right direction.

I am fighting the option of the carnivore diet because even though I know I could easily stick to it, I want other foods as well. This is making me tweak it even more now. Eliminating keto sweets first. Even though I do not use sugar in them or eat a lot of them. Nuts too. I measure out a portion so I am not overdoing them, but I am going to stop them for the rest of the month and see if that helps. Members of my keto group on fakebook have had good results with it and eliminated many health conditions by just eating beef, bacon, butter and eggs for 90 days. Usually the beef is not just beef but all meat. Maybe I will attempt it after I use up my homemade yogurt........not throwing that out.

So that is my thoughts for this morning.
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i have been on keto a little over 4 months.have lost 14 lbs,not a lot lost even being very strict.but my intestinal problems have slowly gotten better.
 
Today I walked again. Both parks. Took a small break in each one to sit in the sun for a bit. I think it is doing me good to do this every day. I see a lot more people out every day. Everyone speaks to me and I like that. Even the teenage boy on a recumbent bike who was driving it like a race car making motor sounds on the sidewalk through the park!

The sunshine felt really good. I can't help but think of how much time I spent in my past race walking and spending hours walking somewhere every day. I worked as a CNA and you had to be able to walk fast or run down the hall for some reason or other. I used to run up and down the bleacher steps at the local high school football field. When I lived in St. Petersburg our car was broken down and I would walk 10 blocks to the closest store and back loaded down with grocery bags. Always took the gift of walking for granted.

Now I am not depressed about it. Yes, I would like to be able to walk like I used to but I can accept my reality. Instead I am just working on trying to improve my ability as much as possible without getting some kind of operation. Or medications. I have not taken even a Tylenol in months. I ran out and never got more. I don't feel like I need it. I figure my biggest health problem right now will be getting the rest of my teeth extracted. So I know I will be taking pain medication for that. I will want it!
 
fatboy said:
i have been on keto a little over 4 months.have lost 14 lbs,not a lot lost even being very strict.but my intestinal problems have slowly gotten better.
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Yes, I have been doing keto or some form of low carbs for a very long time now. My issues with Lymphedema is holding me back on the results I know I should be having. I honestly like the food plan. I do not miss bread or any high carbs really. Though I admit I loved ice cream, french fries and popcorn. I make my own versions now......well not popcorn.

I follow a few different keto channels on YouTube and one of them (Joe on 2krazyketos) says that if you have health issues you will lose slower while your body repairs those issues. So I am patient. 14 lbs. is a good loss! I think anything lost is a plus. I do not have a scale as I don't trust those results. I threw mine in the dumpster. I use my clothing as the way to judge my results. I have lost and have gone down in sizes.
 
"I use my clothing as the way to judge my results. I have lost and have gone down in sizes."

It's weird. My scale is telling me I lost 5 lbs but a few of my pants feel tighter. Maybe I'm redistributing or the pants shrunk! My scale is accurate, btw.
 
Pepper said:
"I use my clothing as the way to judge my results. I have lost and have gone down in sizes."

It's weird. My scale is telling me I lost 5 lbs but a few of my pants feel tighter. Maybe I'm redistributing or the pants shrunk! My scale is accurate, btw.
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The scale can be accurate but your body can hold water weight based on many different things. Such as stress, medications or an ingredient that was in one of the foods you ate the day before or even a couple of days ago. Usually measurements are more accurate.
 
Yesterday I had my book study/discussion whatever you want to call it. It was really good and the time passed so fast it was over before I realized an hour had gone by. Rachel, the moderator of this study was much more relaxed this time. Some participants had this book for a long time and had never read it. Doing this with a book seems to make it more interesting and makes people really get to know the book. Since it is about goals, it causes you to do the exercises in the book and talk about them together.

Last night my fairy lights over the kitchen cupboards died...........boo hoo. I ordered the same string of lights immediately because I can't stand it without them. They add that sparkle to my kitchen and it looks dark and gloomy without them. They are supposed to be here Friday so I will be working on that project over the week-end. I will have to stand on a chair but I can do it. Little bit at a time.

It will be an opportunity to change the vases around and possibly clean them. I would love to take them down and wash them all and then put them back up. I will see if it is something I can do. Now if money wasn't so tight, I would hire someone to come help me do this. At least to stand on the chair for me and do the work on top of the cupboards for me. But I don't so I am doing it.
 
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