Running From The Grim Reaper

Amazing how timing works. Some medical issues have come up that, if I had still been employed, I wouldn't have had time to focus on. Being unemployed has given me a great opportunity to focus on running from the Grim Reaper.

Mom came to visit from Illinois in late January, right after I got laid off. While we were up at Meredith's house, I got a call from the doctor's office. I had gone in for routine blood tests in conjunction with an annual physical (gotta use that medical insurance while it's cheap!), and apparently my blood glucose levels were too high. They wanted me to come in for more tests.

Sooooo ....... we know what that means. Given our family history, and my age (about the same age as when Dad was diagnosed with diabetes), and my weight, I didn't need more tests to know that the news was bad.

It was like a lot of the analogies ... insert the most appropriate one here ..... a light went off, a door to a dark hall was opened, the Grim Repear came a-knockin' .... my future was staring me in the face ..... whatever. Diabetes came calling.

Prior to my next appointment, I bought a great little book ("The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes, An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed", by Gretchen Becker), researched what the different glucose count levels mean, got a blood glucose meter, got a pedometer.

No sense waiting to hear what I already knew --

I started walking, shooting for a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. For me, that means walking with Bill and Shiner in the morning and evening (about 15 minutes and 2200 steps each) and then 30-50 minutes sometime during the day. Unfortunately, there are no sidewalks in Lago Vista, but there are 9 holes of golfing behind our house, and another 9 holes of golfing across the street, so plenty of walking paths. I listen to audiobooks during the longer walk, and have a great opportunity to talk to my wonderful hubby on the other two.

Then I started tracking what I eat and keeping the calories to about 1200. I was having awful cravings all the time -- always hungry -- but I was losing about 1/2 pound a day. OK, but agony.

Then, for kicks, I started tracking the fat, protein, cholesterol, fiber, carbs and sodium in the food I was eating. OMG!!! I was consuming hundreds of carbohydrates and thousands of milligrams of sodium. Horrible, horrible. No wonder I was having cravings ....

So I started looking for substitutes for the high-carb, high-sodium foods. Thank goodness for the internet. So many resources out there. I set goals of 20 carbs a day and 2400 mg of sodium.

And little by little, day by day, I started changing out the foods. I've tried every diet known to woman -- none of them have worked for me -- but for me, tracking on a spreadsheet (I love spreadsheets, for some inane reason) and tweaking the numbers and seeing what the results are, works.

And now ....... today is the end of my first-month project to run as far, and as fast, from the Grim Reaper aas possible ..... I am free of cravings, feeling full of energy, 10 pounds lighter -- and as of this morning, my fasting blood sugar (which turns out to be my problem) is down TEN POINTS. In another month, I should be down 20 pounds and within normal range on my blood sugar. This morning I pulled out 2 skirts and 3 pairs of slacks from the next-size-down part of my closet. Hallelujah, we're on our way.

I feel empowered, and motivated .....

And grateful for a second chance.

Amazing How Things Work

So far, 2009 has been an interesting year for me, and we're only 60 days into it.

In mid-January I got laid off. Not unexpected, I must confess -- my employer has had lay-offs every month since last September. This time, they let everyone go that didn't have a direct tie to bringing in revenue. Everyone who's still there is partly hopeful, but mostly just waiting for the end to come. In any event, they couldn't afford severance pay, so instead the lay-offs were done as temporary lay-offs, which means that the company still pays its share of medical benefits for 12 weeks. Fortunately, I can keep my benefits until mid-April while still collecting unemployment insurance. Not a bad way to go.

It's good to be debt-free in this period. While I'm jobless we'll have to forego investment contributions (but who wants to throw that $$$ down the black hole right now anyway), but unemployment more than covers our needs. Regardless of how I feel about the federal "stimulus package", Obama will be paying 65% of my COBRA expense from mid-April forward (should I remain unemployed), and we're feeling lucky to have that. And once unemployment runs out, savings will keep us going for 7-8 months. Freedom from debt is truly the secret, though, to keeping the expenses low. I thank my brother Matt and sister-in-law Shelley for being such a great example of how to weather tough times. We've definitely learned from them.

So, everything is good for us for at least a year, should worse come to worst. Still, I'm antsy to get back to work. Been spending my days networking, sending out resumes, applying for everything from $15/hour up. I have no fear of starting at the bottom again ..... it's fun working my way to the top.

My days are busy .... nights bring anxiety-driven thoughts, but that just comes with the unemployment territory. All will be well.