The Talk....

It was circa October 2016....my parents were here visiting for a wedding...and Momma Bear said the words, "We need to talk...."

THAT can never be a good thing can it?  EVER?  With ANYONE?  Let alone your MOTHER?!?

Well, it turns out it was not as bad as I thought it would be in that split second of panic in my mind.  Of course in that split second, I never imagined the positive turn it would have in my life.  Of course, hindsight being what it is...WHY didn't you suggest this talk sooner?!?  Seriously!

What was the talk you ask?  Well, Momma Bear felt that I had become more emotional lately during our daily chats.  That I was crying too easily.  Then she dropped the news that she went through Menopause during her early 40s and thought I might be to.

Whaaa...Wait....WHAT?  What happened to that conversation we had when I turned 35 and was upset because I never had kids and you and my Texas Momma said "40 is the new 30"?  Was THIS forgotten in that conversation?  I'm not really certain when I would have expected to go through menopause other than I know it happens, eventually.  But I'm 42...REALLY so soon?  Am I really going to have to come to terms with the reality of NEVER having a child, already?

From that talk...the journey began.  Momma Bear will tell you it is the best money I have ever spent in life.

I've always know that my hormone's have been a little out of wack.  I would have mid-cycle spotting.  Sometimes they said it was hormones and tried to address with birth control.  Most recently they said it was from a Fibroid that I have.  So, for that reason, I just didn't want to go see my regular well woman doctor.  I mean, nothing personal but I just wanted some answers.  So during my guilty pleasure watching of the Young & the Restless, I saw an advertisement for the Hormone Wellness Center.  Now they seemed like someone that could help me...so an appointment I made.

The first appointment is what they call the "free consult" where they take a lot of blood, talk to you about their program and what happens and then give you a free B-12 shot.  Holy hell...if you have never had a B-12 shot...that burns like no other.  Thankfully as I write this, I believe that my butt is now dead because I do not feel them anymore.  Thank you God!

Of course with the "free" consult comes the sticker shock.  Since they do not accept Medicaid, they do not accept insurance.  The program cost some $3K+ to go through.  You have to $500 upfront and then they offer different payment plan options.  The cost covers all your appointments, blood draws and everything but one of the hormones, which you get at a pharmacy.  I can't explain why, but something just told me I had to do this.  So, during my "free" consult, they took my $500 deposit.

As they say, the rest is history.  As the UNICORN said, I am a plant.  The good news, I am NOT menopausal or pre-menopausal.  So AMEN to that.  However, the test results showed I am a plant. My Estrogen was fine.  Yay!  But that's where the celebrating stopped.  For a woman, progesterone should range between 5 - 10.  My blood result showed 0.2.  Yup...that is right, ZERO Point TWO.  I basically had no progesterone in my system.  For testosterone, woman do have that in their system, just not at the levels of men.  Woman normally are in the range of 15 - 95.  Where did I fall on that scale, yeah...I DIDN'T!!  Basically I was worse off on testosterone than progesterone.

So, great now you know.  But how do you fix it you are asking, right?  Well the testosterone they do what they call an "in office" procedure.  They inject something into my butt to numb a small area.  The stuff burns but that is about all I feel after that.  After the medicine works, they make a small incision and insert these testosterone capsules under the skin and they are slowly absorbed into the body.  The incision is steri-stripped closed and those stay on for 7-10 days.  I cannot do any work outs for 7 days after an insert is done.  The progesterone is a LOT easier.  That is a dissolvable tablet that I take two weeks a month before bed.  It goes under my tongue and will dissolve rather quickly.  I also go into the doctor's office every two weeks for that lovely B-12 shot and then have a B-12 chewable that I have to take twice a week.

That's it.  A month after the insert, they did another blood test to check levels and did another insert of testosterone and adjusted my progesterone.  The do that once when you start to make sure everything is balanced as it should be.

Can I tell a difference in my moods?  I don't know if I can really answer that.  My mom will tell you she definitely can tell a difference.  I know that I don't wake up in the morning with my normal grumbling tone and for that I believe my coworkers are thankful.  Of course, we should not sugar coat it...I'm still not a morning person.

What changes have I noticed?  Who knew I could sleep through the night?  I was always up, I always had to go to the bathroom.  I was always waking up in a pool of sweat like it was 100 degrees in my bedroom.  That mid-cycle spotting is pretty much gone.  I don't crave the carbs anymore.  The doctor has said that I may also be able to come of the anxiety/depression medication as the hormones actually impact that.  I also do not go through PMS like I used to either. There are a couple other changes too, but Momma Bear does read this and there is nothing I can do about it...so we just won't discuss those.

The bad news is there is no "cure".  I go for a blood draw again next week and they will do a new insert the following month.  Then in 2 months, it will be another blood draw and the cycle repeats until the year is up.  Then it will be up to me to decide if I want to shell out another $3K for this or be done.  I know what Momma Bear would say.  So, until the time comes for that decision to be made, I am just going to enjoy feeling better.

An Apple a Day...

Is not keeping the doctor away.

I think I am adjusting to life as a diabetic, pretty well.  Maybe as well as can be expected.  From a medical standpoint, my last check up reveals that I would considered someone that is pre-diabetic or has very well managed diabetes.  So, THAT is a WIN in my book.

I have come to find that like my Grammy and Momma Bear, I too suffer from the diabetic crash at night.  I was always waking up with headaches but my blood sugar numbers were higher than what they should be by morning.  Well, after doing a few tests in the middle of the night, I was finding that my numbers were really low and my body was automatically rebounding them.  So, to counter that, if I have not had a late dinner, I will have a cracker with peanut butter to tied me over to the morning.  So far it is working because waking up with a throbbing headache is NOT a good start to the day.

Outside of the middle of the night crashes, I really do keep it in check and have only had one recent blood sugar crash.  That happened while flying for my racecation in Seattle.  Going through two different time zones and leaving Austin before 6:30 am and arriving at 2:30 pm Seattle time...well I learned that a bagel with cream cheese and a piece of fruit will NOT keep my blood sugar stable for that long of a period of time.  Thankfully I had my Glucose tablets on me and Momma Bear was wiser than me and had traveled with peanuts, both of which saved the day.

I am still watching what I eat and making a slow gradual decline in the weight front.  With all the marathons this year, two 1/2 marathon's so far, I am seeing more inches versus weight go. So far, as of Tuesday, I am down 11.6 lbs, or 6%.   Definitely been a great feeling shopping in the closest.  Runner is also kind enough to point out those outfits that should be retired or never worn again unless they are going to a tailor first, which is never a bad thing to have happen.

But even with all the victories, the last six month check up was still a bust on the blood work and back to the doctor I went.  My overall cholesterol number is good, however, my LDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides were NOT good.  From what I have learned, it is a complication that is common with Diabetes.  At least the cholesterol is.  But, I have an amazing doctor that thinks outside of the box (or at least I see it that way) and had another plan of attack than going on more medication to fix the cholesterol and triglycerides.

So with that, I have started the journey of the weight loss pill.  No, it is not the magic fix all pill that everyone wants.  This first 4 weeks, I am on a very low dose to see how I tolerate it and make sure that it does not leave me with the jitters.  So far, so good on that front.  I am still required to get my exercise in and journal my food.  So, if you are using MyFitnessPal or a Fitbit, hit me up.  I can always use extra motivation and encouragement.  I go back in for a follow up on September 30th. If all is well, then they will up my dosage and I will continue that for 6 months.

The overall goal of this is to try and spring the weight loss since I have stuck around 183 for awhile now.  Her belief is that as the weight goes, my cholesterol and triglycerides will follow suit.  If that does not happen, it will be time to add a few more pills to the mix.

So while an apple day is not keeping the doctor away, I am fairly healthy and trying to at least stay on top of that which is not healthy.

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?

Well, I haven't been posting much on my weight loss journey more because it has resembed more of a weight loss roller coaster.  A week of down, followed by a week of big up, with a little down and so on.  Then there were in between weeks because of scheduling that I just didn't make it to a meeting. 

Two weeks ago was the last time that I managed to weigh in.  At that time, I knew that it was not good because the lady asked me if I wanted to take off any of my jewelry or my sweater.  Well, the sweater couldn't come off because it was attached to the shirt.  I knew it was not good and it didn't disappointing, 186.8, 0.8 lbs. higher than when I started Weight Watchers.

Well, all I can say is that being in a relationship must suit me okay.  I know that I don't eat as much these days because I am not hungry.  I also know that I don't eat out as much because usually either NoDIY or myself is cooking.  I also know I don't have mindless eating at night and on the weekends because I am not thinking about it and eat when I am hungry.  Genius concept, I know.

All of this has translated into success on the scale!  Now it is not the clearest picture but it still shows a weekly (well two week) weight loss of 6.4 lbs. and a net loss of 5.6 pounds!  Now this means that I should be receiving my 5 lb. star in the meeting but since traffic was terrible, there was only 10 minutes left of the meeting so I am waiting until next week to get it.

Now let's see if I can get that 5% goal, or 9 lbs. before I head back home for the holidays?!?  If you count my journey prior to Weight Watchers, so far I am at 10.6 lbs. lost!  Feel better and better every day!

Deliciousness

So this is by far becoming my new favorite recipe.  I LOVE, luv, LUV how the house smells with it and never mind that they are tasty, moist, delicious and kinda healthy!  The original recipe called for 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour but I opted for wheat flour instead.  Based upon the ingredients...it 317 cal, 5g protein, 39g carb, 2g fiber.

So - maybe not the best for you but they are good!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!!!

1 1/2 c wheat flour

1/2 c brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c mashed ripe banana

1 lg egg

1/4 c 50/50 butter blend spread (suggested Smart Balance)

1/4 c 1% Buttermilk

3 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c + 2 T chopped walnuts

1.  Heat oven to 350*F.  Coat 8 cups of a standard size muffing pan with cooking spray.

2.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3.  Mix banana, egg, spread, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth.  Gradually add flour mixture and stir until blended.  Add 1/3 cup of the walnuts and mix thoroughly.

4.  Fill muffin cups three-quarters full.  Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons walnuts over tops.

5.  Bake until a wooden pick instered into center of muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.