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Sleep Better With These Tips

February 21, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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When it comes to your health, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get plenty of sleep. Adults need at least seven hours of sleep every night and benefit from much more — but over a third don’t even get the minimum amount required. Children need even more sleep, and with modern technological advancements and the introduction of more and more screens in our homes, there’s a much greater threat to our sleep quality. Read on for a few short tips on how you can make your home a better place to catch some Zs.

First, carefully monitor screen time and understand the detrimental effects that these artificial lights have on us. Humans are designed to wake up and sleep with the rotation of the sun, but spending too much time indoors and looking at screens throws off our internal mechanisms. Moreover, blue LED lights — which are common in televisions, smartphones, and other screens — suppress melatonin, wake us up, and make us more alert. This is a cyclone of problems that leads to restlessness. Make sure no one in your home is looking at screens within 30 minutes of bedtime.

Second, take a closer look at your air quality. Dust from clogged filters will inhibit your sleep, so change these regularly. You should also schedule routine maintenance checks of your HVAC and clean your home frequently. Curtains, drapes, sheets, and blankets in particular harbor lots of contaminants that can leave us feeling lousy. Remember these suggestions to make your home a much friendlier place for sleep.

A Crappy Story With A Good Ending

February 10, 2018 Karen 1 Comment

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So, the bad news is that Kroger Pharmacy is no longer filling RX’s for colostomy supplies. I called in my refill last Friday morning, knowing I had 3 sets of “equipment” left, and I change every other day. For the last year, they have filled my prescription very quickly. I called in the refill, and they filled in two days. They called me on Saturday to tell me that the order did not come in on their truck, so I would have to wait until Monday to pick it up. Monday they called again. Tuesday they called again. Wednesday I got a text telling me it still had not come in. Yesterday, they called to tell me they are no longer selling the colostomy supplies. Well crap. Really. CRAP.

what supplies do you need for an ostomy? — These things are all in the backpack

So, I went online to Medicare.gov and searched for suppliers of these products on their website. I spent yesterday calling EVERY supplier listed on the government website, and NONE of them are providing them for their customers anymore. Even though they are still covered at 80% by Medicare, and the remaining 20% by my insurance company, I was just about to flip out wondering what the CRAP I was going to do.

So, I called my insurance company and asked if they could recommend a company that could provide the necessary products. They could not.

Next, I called Convatec, and asked for a supplier in my area. They did not have a supplier in my area, but they did recommend 180 Medical out of Norman, Oklahoma. By this time it was too late to call Oklahoma.

This morning, I called and talked to a nice lady at 180 Medical. She said that they DO supply products that I need, and that they do accept Medicare and Manhattan Life Insurance. The bad part is that they take at least two weeks to get an account set up. They have to verify that I am who I say I am through Medicare and Manhattan Life. Then they have to call my doctor and get them to fax a prescription for the products. Once all that is done, they can then ship the products, and next time it will only involve a phone call. She took all my information over the phone, including the REF numbers of the products I use.

The wafer fits over the stoma and adheres to your abdomen.

ALSO, because I am almost out and it would be a CRAPTASTIC day if I ran out of these items, the nice lady at 180 Medical connected me to Convatec, the manufacturer of the products I use, told them the situation with Kroger, blah blah blah, and the nice lady at Convatec sent me an order of free products which should arrive on Tuesday. Thank the Lord that I always keep a couple of sets held back in case of emergency. If you don’t have a stoma, colostomy, illiostomy, or urostomy, then you really don’t understand how much of a nightmare this has been. I am so thankful that I chose the right insurance company, and that I also got through to the right people today.

I am seriously considering not shopping at Kroger anymore. They are not the only grocery store in town. I feel like that if corporate decided not to provide the products I need due to the cost of them, then they don’t care about their customers. The person in charge of the pharmacy department at the corporate level at Kroger should at the very least tried to find out who in their customer base uses these products and sent them a letter to let them (us) (ME) know they would no longer be supplying them. I used my customer loyalty card every time I picked up a prescription. They send me advertisements by email and via the regular snail mail all the time because I have that loyalty card. There are coupons for products I buy all the time in those mailers. For something as important to my life as colostomy bags, they could have let me know is all I’m saying. And if they really wanted to keep my business, they could have taken the hit to their bottom line that providing me with the necessity of MY life would have caused. How many of us could there possibly be? I’m not sure. Not spending my pension and Social Security dollars at their store won’t hurt them. I know that. What would YOU do?

Health Update

January 21, 2018 Karen 2 Comments

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Fabgrandpa and I went to our endocrinologist on January 2. My visit was less than stellar. I have gained 14 pounds since my last visit in October and gone up one whole point on my A1C to 8.4. I can no longer ignore the fact that I need to lose weight. Just figuring out how I’m going to do it is what is holding me back. (Yeah, I know, excuses.) Tomorrow I am going for a session with a nutritionist at the endocronologist’s office. I went to one about 17 years ago when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, but over the years I have forgotten, or just failed to think about, what she told me. A refresher is always a good thing, right?

A couple of days after I went to the endo, I had an appointment with my pain management doctor. I have been having good results with the treatment she has been giving me. I am off of the percocet that I was on for over five years, and now take 600 mg of gabapenten three times a day. She also gives me a prescription for hydrocodone to take twice a day if needed, and baclofen, which is a muscle relaxer. I take the baclofen at night. I don’t take the hydrocodone every day. If I have an especially busy day, like going grocery shopping, I get worn out and then things start to hurt, so that is when I take that. This time she gave me a shot in my left hip because it was hurting so badly. I also went to the chiropractor the next day. My hip has been giving me so much trouble I can barely walk. I guess the next step is to see an orthopedic doctor.

This week we had an ice and snow storm here in Georgia (well, all over the southeast). There was ice on the roads, covered by about two inches of snow. During that snow storm, I went to the bathroom to empty my colostomy bag. It was full of bright red blood. I freaked out! That has never happened before, and it scared me to death. I called the gastroenterologist on call at the hospital, and he said for me to go to the emergency room. I don’t know about you, but I have never driven on ice and snow, and I was certainly not going to start when I was freaked out due to a health problem. I live 30 miles from the hospital. So, I called 911 and asked for an ambulance.

In just a few minutes, there were three firemen in my living room. Of course, Rosie The Boy Cat and Morti ran and hid under the bed, but little Frank was right there in the middle of them, so curious. He was stretching his neck, trying to see every little thing these new humans were doing to his lady. It made me laugh! Soon after the firemen got there, the ambulance arrived. They parked on the road, because of the snow in the driveway I suppose. The firemen helped me get out the door and off the porch. The EMT’s started an IV, took my vital signs, and strapped me onto the gurney before they took off.

I looked a fright. wearing a blue print LuLaRoe Carly dress, pastel green leggings, my red plaid house slippers with the fake fur collar around my ankle, and my olive green parka with fake fur around the hood. I had hap-hazardly thrown some things in my tote bag to take with me in case they admitted me to the hospital–underwear, a robe, a clean dress, socks, my phone charger, and some extra colostomy supplies in case they wanted me to take my bag off. There is no telling what all else was in that bag.

It took us over an hour to get to the hospital, but when I got there they took me right into an exam room. They had me empty my bag into a bedpan, and did a test to see if there was blood in the stool. They also drew blood, and gave me something for nausea. Then, I went down the hall for a CT scan. All of this showed no reason for the bleeding. They finally sent me home with a referral to a gastroenterologist, to see them next week. My appointment with Dr. Sharma is on Wednesday. I saw him before, back in 2014, when I was trying to get my colostomy reversed. He is the one who referred me to Dr. Galloway at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. I guess it was about time to see a gastroenterologist again anyway.

One of my friends, someone I used to work with at BellSouth, has had a colostomy for about twelve years. She said she has had this happen before, and her doctor said it was caused by arterial vein malformation in intestines. She had a colonoscopy through the stoma, and they found three polyps or AVM’s. So, that is probably what will happen with me, which is not so bad. The worst part of it is the prep for the colonoscopy. Yuck!

Travelling with Diabetes? 5 Essential Tips to Keep You Healthy

January 20, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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Diabetes doesn’t have to stop you from seeing the world. It’s true that you have a little more to think about than your average traveler, but don’t let this put you off — careful planning is key to making sure your trip goes smoothly. Here are five things you can do to stay healthy on holiday and keep your diabetes under control.

Keep medical documents with you, and let people know you have diabetes

A doctor’s letter

Make an appointment with your doctor once you’ve decided where you’re going on holiday. They can give you appropriate advice and they’ll also be able to write a letter. This letter should state your condition, list your prescribed medication and equipment, and provide contact details for your diabetes consultant. Not only is the letter useful to have while going through airport security and customs, but it’s also helpful to have on you in case you’re taken ill while you’re away. Carry it with you at all times, especially if you’re prone to hypoglycaemic attacks.

Your prescriptions

Prescriptions provide proof that your medicine is essential, which can save time if someone doesn’t know much about diabetes, so bring them with you and keep them close to hand. It’s worth researching what your medication is called in your destination, because it may have a different name than the one you use in your home country. Glucose levels may be measured differently, too, so a conversion table will come in handy.

A copy of your insurance policy

Travel insurance is important for everyone, but it’s especially vital when you have a condition like diabetes. Medical costs and emergency repatriation (in the most extreme cases) are expensive — the right insurance ensures these are paid for should you need them. Always tell your insurance company about your diabetes, otherwise any claims you make could be invalidated.

Pack a complete kit in your hand luggage

You’ll need to keep a supply of needles, injection pens, sensors, pumps, spare batteries, ketone test strips, tablets, and insulin, plus a coolbag to keep the insulin at the right temperature. Keep everything in clearly labelled and in its original packaging, and make sure you have the appropriate prescriptions within easy reach.

Remember: Different airlines have different rules. Look them up well in advance to be on the safe side.

Stock up on snacks

It’s normally possible to eat a balanced diet when you’re diabetic and away from home, but it never hurts to have snacks available if you need them. Cookies, crackers, cereal bars, chips and fruit buns all have good levels of starchy carbohydrates and are generally allowed to be taken into another country, or try some new snack ideas if you fancy a change.

Some airlines offer a diabetic meal, and if not then the standard one is normally the best choice. Either way, it’s unlikely to contain the amount of carbohydrates you need, which is why snacks are so important. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, feel free to sample the local cuisine — just make sure your carbohydrate intake remains at the right level for you.

(Photo by Samantha Lynch on Unsplash)

Check the weather

The temperature can have an effect on your diabetes and the way your body deals with it, which is something to bear in mind when booking your trip.

How temperature can affect insulin

Hot weather can damage insulin. It may go grainy, or if it’s already grainy then it may turn cloudy. Keep it in a coolbag or refrigerator whenever you can.

How temperature affects your body

Warmer temperatures: Long periods of sun exposure can increase your blood glucose levels and lead to exhaustion, even if your diabetes is unaffected. Additionally, your meter may not be as accurate in warmer temperatures.
Colder temperatures: Your body will use up more energy trying to keep warm, which increases the risk of hypoglycaemic attacks.
Poor circulation or neuropathy mean you’re less likely to feel extreme temperatures, which increases the risk of frostbite or sunburn, particularly in your feet. Protect yourself with thermal clothing or a high SPF respectively.

Maintain your usual routine

Keep your routine the same and you’ll find it much easier to adjust when you’re travelling to and from your destination. Take double the amount of supplies you’d normally need, just in case, and find out where you can get supplies of insulin while you’re away. Doing this will give you peace of mind and allow you to enjoy your holiday worry-free.

Myths About Dieting And Tips For Eating Well

January 17, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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Crab Cakes with Cranberry Chutney make a low calorie dinner

Does eating at night make you fat? Is light food more expensive? Do I have to kill myself in the gym to lose weight? Let’s demystify popular beliefs about dieting that do not help to burn calories. Get the correct answers here!

What is the right way to diet?

Far from any myth or popular belief, the best way to lose weight or maintain the right weight is to learn to live with food and our environment. For those who have struggled against extra pounds for years, a new diet that promises to be revolutionary or a miraculous nutritional supplement may appear as a light of hope.

But not everything that shines is gold. Fasting, impossible diets, or a single food, do not favor lasting weight loss, and are only a variant of the salad which our grandmothers ate when on a diet. The secret is a true change of habits: good nutrition habits and healthy habits must be maintained throughout life and are the only safe ways to achieve and maintain the desired weight.

Myths about diets

* To lose pounds it is necessary to go hungry.

* Avoiding breakfast makes you consume fewer calories in a day.

* Skipping meals helps to lose weight.

* The best way to lose weight is to eat only one meal a day.

* Dieting is eating everything boiled, like boiled vegetables and boiled fish.

* Eating pasta is incompatible with losing weight.

* You have to eat only fruit to lose weight.

* You can eat everything you want and still lost weight if you do not mix foods.

* Eating at night makes you fat.

* A fasting grapefruit or lemon juice diet burns fats.

* Diet meals are complicated and laborious.

* Eating healthy is more expensive.

* Taking natural supplements lets you lose weight without dieting.

* To lose weight you have to kill yourself exercising.

Tips For Eating Well

* Dieting is compatible with the enjoyment of food. Cooking in the oven, roast or microwave are tasty and help in weight loss.

* You can lose weight without giving up basic foods such as bread, pasta and legumes. It’s better for you to consume organic foods even though they’re sometimes expensive. LOL you can get a loans to buy them. If you have bad credit history, you can still get a loan using loans for bad credit.

* For maintaining weight loss it is important to make your diet as varied as possible, so that the appetite is appeased.

* Make a weekly shopping list, and go to the supermarket with a full stomach. You will buy better food choices that way.

* Eating several times a day will help you lose weight effectively and without going hungry.

Goals For The New Year

January 17, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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This year when I have thought about goals I want to accomplish, they all seem to revolve around the house. Some are easily achieved, while others may not get done due the cost. I have included them, though, because they are things that I really want. If you don’t tell the universe exactly what you want, I think, you will never get there. So, for you, my dear readers, and the universe, here are my goals for 2018.

New Curtains

I have been looking at the curtains in my bedroom and living room since 2012, when we moved into the house. I made them out of large pieces of fabric I already had on hand, remnants from a couple of big projects I made for other people. The fabric I used for the living room is a Victorian floral, and matches our furniture quite well. But it was not what I really wanted at the time. So, I am ready to change them up and do something different with the window treatments in that room. I am thinking I would like to have some blinds on the windows, and just have a valance at the top. A valance that swoops down on both sides and in the middle. I don’t know what that is called but I like the look of it.

For the bedroom, I would like to paint the walls a soft lavender, and get purple curtains. I haven’t mentioned that possibility to Fabgrandpa yet, but I think it would look very nice and be a calming color for the bedroom. That room has not been painted since we moved in, the only room that has not been touched.

New Carpet For The Bedroom

Another goal I have for this year is to get new carpet for the bedroom. The carpet that is in there is an indoor/outdoor one, and is just plain ugly, and looks dirty even after it has been vacuumed. I want to get a sculpted carpet in there, one that is warm and soft when you put your feet on it. I miss having a plush carpet in my bedroom. I was thinking about a deep aqua or turquoise color to complement the lavender walls.

A Walk In Shower

A walk in shower is at the top of my list for this year. I really need it, too. I am not able to get up and down to take a bath, and always shower anyway. I have been in showers that just transition from the bathroom floor to the shower, with no step up or down. That is what I want in my bathroom. In my vision of what I want my shower to look like, it will have a built in seat, grab bars, and an extra long movable shower, and a hook to be able to hang it on the wall while you wash your hair or shave. Somehow, I am going to make this happen this year.

Staying Informed About Heart Attack Causes and Deciding Upon the Appropriate Treatment Options

January 8, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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More people die because of heart attacks than any other forms of known ailment. Seniors are even more susceptible to this dreadful disease. There are many reasons behind an elderly person becoming a victim of heart attack. Some of the causes are diabetes, high content of fat, lack of exercise, low rate of metabolism, and adhering to a sedentary lifestyle. Aged people of both genders i.e., male and female suffer from this fatal disease. However, it can be stated that though the symptoms of heart attack among men and women are pretty similar, still there exists slight differences.

As far as the symptoms of heart disease are concerned, it can be said that it remains associated with a sudden chest pain or a general sense of discomfort. Usually, similar uneasiness lasts for more than a few minutes or so. Elderly persons who have experienced heart attack will let you know that the pain is usually felt at the center of the left side of the heart. It may happen that the pain subsides after a short interval but usually recurs all over again. Elderly people having heart attack often experience a heavy pressure on the left portion of their heart. There are some who describe the heavy feeling as one sort of squeezing or fullness, while others have reported the feeling to be much like heartburn.

Seniors who strictly adhere to a healthy lifestyle are less likely to suffer from a mild or major heart attack. However, there are some seniors who naturally have high levels of certain chemicals within their body. This enhances the possibility of them experiencing heart attacks in the immediate future. Some of the chemicals which trigger a similar ailment among seniors are fibrinogen, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. If you have an elderly person at your home, you can lessen the probability of them having heart attack by staying informed about the different risk factors. Some of these are stress, high amount of alcohol consumption, overweight, inactive lifestyle, diabetes, high blood pressure and undue stress.

In this context, it can well be stated that it is never too late to start making changes in one’s lifestyle which can help in lessening the possibility of one getting affected by heart disease. It is always nice to encourage seniors to affect positive changes in their life which can prove to be helpful for their overall health. Adhering to a new exercise regime and cutting back on the intake of sugar, alcohol, and fat can play a significant role in reversing the effects of arterial clogging. This can surely make a huge positive impact as far as improving heart health condition is concerned. Remember, heart attack symptoms are clear indications that permanent damage has been caused to your heart or the damage is likely to occur. Still, only after conducting proper tests must you decide on going for the available treatment facilities. Home care professionals who aim at extending the best care facilities can come to the rescue of your much-loved seniors.

How is bottled water different from filtered water?

January 7, 2018 Karen Leave a Comment

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Is there any difference between bottled water and filtered water?

Are you one of those people who spends a fortune on buying bottled water because you do not trust the water that comes straight from the tap? If you are then you might be surprised to learn that you could be wasting your money, as well as causing damage to the environment.

This is because the answer to the question, “Is there any difference between bottled water and filtered water” is “Yes”. And, filtering the tap water in your home is a much better idea.

Why is buying bottled water such a bad idea?

To start with, there is little evidence to suggest that drinking water from a bottle is any safer than drinking water which comes from the tap in your home. So, why pay for bottled water? After all, you are already spending money on the water bill for your property. It’s also worth noting that three times as much water is used in creating a bottle of water than is actually contained in the bottle. Add to that the fact that there is a major issue with pollution from plastic, and you start to see why buying bottled water is not the best idea.

Why should you filter tap water?

The difference between filtered water and bottled water is that filtering water does not cause a significant amount of damage to the environment. Filtering also means that the water you drink is safe, clean and tastes good. Of course, you could simply drink water straight from the tap. But, this water has been treated with chemicals such as chlorine, and may be contaminated with dirt and other additives. It’s not the healthiest liquid to drink. This is why filtering the water makes sense.

What type of water filter should you choose?

You do have the option of installing a water filtration system for the whole property. But, many people choose a water filter that they can use for drinking water in the kitchen. If you want to invest in a water filter for this purpose, you could choose a counter top water filter. This type of filter does not require any plumbing, so it’s often a more affordable option.

Another option is to have an undersink water filter plumbed in. You do have the added expense of paying for plumbing, but this type of filter has some advantages; it does not use up much needed counter top space and you can filter more water at one time. Using any type of water filtration system means that you get access to the clean and safe supply of water that you and your family need.

You can see that there is a big difference between bottled water and filtered water. You can also see that filtering the tap water in your home is the best option. It’s more cost effective in the long term, when you take into account the amount you would spend on bottled water. It’s also less damaging to the environment.