I'm hungry. It's 3:30 pm -- more than late enough for lunch. There is food ready in the kitchen.
I'm temporarily too tired to go get it.
When I took Economics in college I learned that "Economics is the study of how people allocate scarce resources among unlimited desires."
My most scarce resource is stamina. Until I typed that sentence I thought it was energy, but stamina is more accurate. It's also sneaky. I can judge my energy level directly and allocate it accordingly. I don't know how much stamina I have until it's gone, and I'm back in my recliner, limp.
As I thought about what to fix for lunch I considered the fact that these are my last few days off a neutropenic diet. I have some corn tortillas, and wondered what I could have with them. I decided I wanted hummus. And olives. And as long as I was planning a Greek lunch, avgolemono soup. There are no greens in the apartment, or I would have added a Greek salad.
The avgolemono would have to be avgo-less: eggs are a treat food. I could thicken it with cornstarch. It cooks for a long time, so I could start it, then rest.
The hummus takes a little more work, but it can be done in stages.
I would be able to enjoy the tortillas, and the olives, and the fresh lemons that I can't have next week.
I did one thing at a time. I didn't commit to something new until the previous step was cleaned up and put away. I thawed some broth I made in December and started the rice cooking. I grated four mini carrots and added them to the soup. I washed and juiced a lemon. I mixed cornstarch in a prep bowl with some juice. I sat down to rest.
I looked at the soup; it was too thick. I used too much rice. I added water and let it cook. I got out the ingredients for the hummus. I sat down to rest.
I put the ingredients in the food processor: garbanzos, almond butter, garlic, lemon juice. No parsley in the house. I put the utensils in the dishwasher. I put the jars away.
I processed the beans. I let the processor run. And run...I like my hummus very smooth.
And all this time, when I wasn't sitting and resting, I was on my feet. I didn't walk very far, I didn't carry very much, I didn't work very hard....
I tasted the hummus. Yuck! Too much almond butter, barely any lemon. Get out another lemon. (Hmm...now I can add more lemon to the (extended) soup.) Juice the second lemon. Add to the hummus, which is now too thin.
Put the hummus in a storage container, so that none is wasted. Put the container in the refrigerator. Rinse the processor and its parts.
And collapse into the recliner. I am beyond limp. I'm beyond wet spaghetti. I feel fine. I don't hurt anywhere. I'm mentally alert.
And my legs are waving a white flag. My arms are pretty limp, too...I am just able to drape them on the laptop and type.
And I forgot to eat the olives!
Note: the lemon hummus recipe is available on the YouTube video clip at the bottom of the right-hand column.
Showing posts with label home stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home stuff. Show all posts
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What's next?
3pm: update at bottom
Status
As far as the leukemia goes, I'm healthier than I've been in a long time. I feel good. I finally seem to have gotten rid of the water weight from the steroids. I'm regaining my strength and stamina. My vision seemed to have changed while I was inpatient. It might have been a side effect, or it might have been never looking more than ten feet ahead; that seems to be improving today.
Treatment
I've completed the first of six rounds of chemo in this treatment cycle.
That accomplished the goal of destroying and flushing out the defective lymphocytes that were overwhelming my system. We put out the fire.
I need five more rounds to suppress the cells that are turning out bad lymphocytes in the first place. That will be seeking out and suppressing any hot spots.
Each chemo treatment will destroy my immune system, so for the next four months I will cycle between feeling great and having few limitations and feeling awful with many limitations. We don't know to what extent the side effects of the treatment will return. Although we don't expect them to ever be as bad as the last two weeks, we can't guarantee that. I may require hospitalization again. Because of my underlying auto-immune disorders I will almost certainly require red cell transfusions every cycle.
Each cycle will consist of a treatment, a period when my blood counts are falling, and I am most vulnerable, a period when they are rising, and a recovery period until the next session.
My next session is scheduled for next Wednesday, February 4, 2009. Now 2/11.
Game plan
I have a lot to do this week.
I left the hospital with more medication and protocols than I've ever dealt with. I need to establish routines and a tracking system to ensure that I protect my health and get the full benefit of the treatment. I need to become confident as an insulin dependent diabetic. I need to establish a little clinic area where I can organize my new supplies and assess and track my status, so that, when I'm sick and vulnerable, I can recognize the need for intervention right away. And I need all of these in place before my next treatment.
While I was in the hospital my friends did an absolutely amazing job of damage control. They removed the garbage and fresh food, washed the dishes, took the laundry home and returned it, took things to me in the hospital, brought them back with me. I cannot imagine how different yesterday would have been without their help, but it wasn't obvious where everything lives. I need to put things away.
The week before my admission I spent most of my time in my recliner. I felt well, but I had absolutely no stamina. (Funny what the absence of red blood cells will do!) The six weeks before that, as I dealt with increasing fatigue, I left routine things undone. I need to clean up and put away things I left lying around during that time.
Then there's the mail. Piles of mail. Bags of mail. Some of it is probably important. And I need to set up a system for the many, many bills I expect to receive.
None of that even touches recovering from the involuntary "upgrade" to my apartment last July. My office is unusable, but as my strength failed, that just wasn't at the top of the list.
More important than those last two, however, is the need to rebuild my general strength and wellness. Between the problems from my neck injury and the fatigue of the leukemia, I've lost a horrendous amount of general conditioning and fitness. My neck is fixed, the leukemia is being treated...I need to begin reclaiming lost ground.
So here's my plan
I've laid this all out, hoping to answer the questions many of you have about the next few months of my treatment.
I plan to spend today and tomorrow establishing the physical space and routines for my medical needs. I will begin incorporating a general fitness program, as well.
I plan to spend the rest of this week putting things away.
I plan to spend early next week putting things in place for my next treatment cycle: clothes, food, etc.
And I don't plan to spend a lot of time here.
We'll see how it works.
Update: It doesn't. The kitchen needs to be done first, so that I can easily prepare meals, and everything is going to take longer. I've had to go back to preparing meals as I did when my neck was bad, one step at a time, sitting down. When I was only halfway through preparing lunch, at 2:30 pm, and exhausted, I ate last night's leftovers.
Status
As far as the leukemia goes, I'm healthier than I've been in a long time. I feel good. I finally seem to have gotten rid of the water weight from the steroids. I'm regaining my strength and stamina. My vision seemed to have changed while I was inpatient. It might have been a side effect, or it might have been never looking more than ten feet ahead; that seems to be improving today.
Treatment
I've completed the first of six rounds of chemo in this treatment cycle.
That accomplished the goal of destroying and flushing out the defective lymphocytes that were overwhelming my system. We put out the fire.
I need five more rounds to suppress the cells that are turning out bad lymphocytes in the first place. That will be seeking out and suppressing any hot spots.
Each chemo treatment will destroy my immune system, so for the next four months I will cycle between feeling great and having few limitations and feeling awful with many limitations. We don't know to what extent the side effects of the treatment will return. Although we don't expect them to ever be as bad as the last two weeks, we can't guarantee that. I may require hospitalization again. Because of my underlying auto-immune disorders I will almost certainly require red cell transfusions every cycle.
Each cycle will consist of a treatment, a period when my blood counts are falling, and I am most vulnerable, a period when they are rising, and a recovery period until the next session.
My next session is scheduled for next Wednesday, February 4, 2009. Now 2/11.
Game plan
I have a lot to do this week.
I left the hospital with more medication and protocols than I've ever dealt with. I need to establish routines and a tracking system to ensure that I protect my health and get the full benefit of the treatment. I need to become confident as an insulin dependent diabetic. I need to establish a little clinic area where I can organize my new supplies and assess and track my status, so that, when I'm sick and vulnerable, I can recognize the need for intervention right away. And I need all of these in place before my next treatment.
While I was in the hospital my friends did an absolutely amazing job of damage control. They removed the garbage and fresh food, washed the dishes, took the laundry home and returned it, took things to me in the hospital, brought them back with me. I cannot imagine how different yesterday would have been without their help, but it wasn't obvious where everything lives. I need to put things away.
The week before my admission I spent most of my time in my recliner. I felt well, but I had absolutely no stamina. (Funny what the absence of red blood cells will do!) The six weeks before that, as I dealt with increasing fatigue, I left routine things undone. I need to clean up and put away things I left lying around during that time.
Then there's the mail. Piles of mail. Bags of mail. Some of it is probably important. And I need to set up a system for the many, many bills I expect to receive.
None of that even touches recovering from the involuntary "upgrade" to my apartment last July. My office is unusable, but as my strength failed, that just wasn't at the top of the list.
More important than those last two, however, is the need to rebuild my general strength and wellness. Between the problems from my neck injury and the fatigue of the leukemia, I've lost a horrendous amount of general conditioning and fitness. My neck is fixed, the leukemia is being treated...I need to begin reclaiming lost ground.
So here's my plan
I've laid this all out, hoping to answer the questions many of you have about the next few months of my treatment.
I plan to spend today and tomorrow establishing the physical space and routines for my medical needs. I will begin incorporating a general fitness program, as well.
I plan to spend the rest of this week putting things away.
I plan to spend early next week putting things in place for my next treatment cycle: clothes, food, etc.
And I don't plan to spend a lot of time here.
We'll see how it works.
Update: It doesn't. The kitchen needs to be done first, so that I can easily prepare meals, and everything is going to take longer. I've had to go back to preparing meals as I did when my neck was bad, one step at a time, sitting down. When I was only halfway through preparing lunch, at 2:30 pm, and exhausted, I ate last night's leftovers.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Crockpot revisited
Maybe a new, smaller crockpot wasn't that indulgent.
After searching three stores for yellow split peas I tried a new recipe. Well, half a new recipe. Yes, I said yellow split peas.
Apparently Low is really High if you only fill one third of the crock.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
True Confessions
I ordered another crockpot. It's already shipped.
Why is that a true confession? Because I already have three. And four pressure cookers. And a rice cooker. And money is extremely tight.
I'm working through the cookbook Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two. She recommends a 1.5 qt cooker for some things. (She suggests an oval, but I couldn't find one.)
I recognized that sometimes I don't eat well just because everything seems like a big deal. I wait too long, then it's too late to start. I'm working on a food plan -- no, it's really more of an approach, a philosophy -- along the lines of "small is more."
I think when most people think about cutting down effort in the kitchen we think of cooking big: once a month cooking, or make three/freeze two, or making a huge batch and freezing individual meals. That approach got me through grad school, but it's not working for me now, and I suspect I'm not the only one.
I happen to be sick and tired, but there are others who are simply busy, engaged in life.
Cooking big means buying big, prepping big, cleaning up big. I just don't have the energy. It also means having to eat a lot of whatever you make. Cooking small, however... I can peel one carrot, saute one onion, wash one pan. Then I can pop the crock in the dishwasher, eat leftovers for a day and start over.
I'm hoping that the smaller crock will be less of a mental obstacle, that instead of being put off by the thought of "dragging out the crockpot" I'll instead see it more along the lines of pulling a dish out of the cupboard.
So, I'm working towards a plan involving components from several schemes developed by others.
And the other tools I mentioned? I use all of my pressure cookers except the one that was my grandmother's. I keep that for sentimental reasons, but I use the second generation ones. I use my rice cooker, but the parts don't go in the dishwasher. I use my largest crockpot whenever I cook beans from scratch. I plan to experiment with the broth from scratch that I currently make in my largest pressure cooker. That gives me ingredients, though. I haven't been using the crockpots to put a healthy meal on the table.
Why is that a true confession? Because I already have three. And four pressure cookers. And a rice cooker. And money is extremely tight.
I'm working through the cookbook Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two. She recommends a 1.5 qt cooker for some things. (She suggests an oval, but I couldn't find one.)
I recognized that sometimes I don't eat well just because everything seems like a big deal. I wait too long, then it's too late to start. I'm working on a food plan -- no, it's really more of an approach, a philosophy -- along the lines of "small is more."
I think when most people think about cutting down effort in the kitchen we think of cooking big: once a month cooking, or make three/freeze two, or making a huge batch and freezing individual meals. That approach got me through grad school, but it's not working for me now, and I suspect I'm not the only one.
I happen to be sick and tired, but there are others who are simply busy, engaged in life.
Cooking big means buying big, prepping big, cleaning up big. I just don't have the energy. It also means having to eat a lot of whatever you make. Cooking small, however... I can peel one carrot, saute one onion, wash one pan. Then I can pop the crock in the dishwasher, eat leftovers for a day and start over.
I'm hoping that the smaller crock will be less of a mental obstacle, that instead of being put off by the thought of "dragging out the crockpot" I'll instead see it more along the lines of pulling a dish out of the cupboard.
So, I'm working towards a plan involving components from several schemes developed by others.
And the other tools I mentioned? I use all of my pressure cookers except the one that was my grandmother's. I keep that for sentimental reasons, but I use the second generation ones. I use my rice cooker, but the parts don't go in the dishwasher. I use my largest crockpot whenever I cook beans from scratch. I plan to experiment with the broth from scratch that I currently make in my largest pressure cooker. That gives me ingredients, though. I haven't been using the crockpots to put a healthy meal on the table.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
I'm a jerk.
I finally figured it out...I'm a jerk. That's why I keep making messes at home.
The first one was superheated, sweetened milk, while making rice pudding. I got the stove, the floor, the wall. The counters, the sink. Everything in the sink, everything hanging on the wall. The pans on the stove, the food on the counter.
Next was Dr. Pepper, in the dining room. My side table, my recliner, my lapboard, the carpet. My scrapbooking supply cart, the mail, the receipts, the calendar.
Miracle whip, flour, cocoa.
The kitchen is cleaner than it's been in years, right down to taking the stove apart.
I'm a jerk...that's why I keep spilling things or knocking them over. I misjudge the distance to a container, or pick it up before I have a good grip on it.
eta*: coordination. That's the word I need. I'm having problems with coordination.
*eta = "edited to add"
The first one was superheated, sweetened milk, while making rice pudding. I got the stove, the floor, the wall. The counters, the sink. Everything in the sink, everything hanging on the wall. The pans on the stove, the food on the counter.
Next was Dr. Pepper, in the dining room. My side table, my recliner, my lapboard, the carpet. My scrapbooking supply cart, the mail, the receipts, the calendar.
Miracle whip, flour, cocoa.
The kitchen is cleaner than it's been in years, right down to taking the stove apart.
I'm a jerk...that's why I keep spilling things or knocking them over. I misjudge the distance to a container, or pick it up before I have a good grip on it.
eta*: coordination. That's the word I need. I'm having problems with coordination.
*eta = "edited to add"
Friday, October 31, 2008
Ahhh!
My recliner is no longer a trap.
I bought my recliner for $13 at a thrift store twelve years ago. It has served me well, but it has also seen better days. The vinyl is cracked and torn. The stuffing is dried and crumbly, and falls out through the cracks.
The biggest problem, however, is the effect of Arizona's climate on the wooden frame. The wood has dried and shrunk. Bolts started falling out several years ago. I was able to put them back a couple of times, but earlier this year they stopped staying in place.
I can't remember how long it had been since I was able to recline past the first position. This summer it got worse. The seat started listing, first to the left, then to the left and back. I began to worry that it would fold me in half and I wouldn't be able to get out.
In October friends came to help me replace some of the furniture that was moved for the remodel. I asked them to take a look at the recliner. Instead of just sticking the bolts back in their original holes, Wes drilled new holes. It was worth enduring his comments on the quality my drill.
My recliner works better than it has in years, and I'm able to recline all the way.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I don't think we're in Kansas. Or New York.
I was supposed to be in New York today. Instead, I'm in Arizona. Bummer!
I've joked in the past about being able to prepare for a trip, or take the trip, but not both. This time it was true.
By the time I finished the laundry and running around, I crashed. I hadn't started packing when I should already have been at the airport. I could have still done it, but I questioned the wisdom. If I couldn't manage to put four days worth of clothes in a suitcase, what was I doing starting a 12 hour trip? (I do laundry at my sister's, and I left several important pieces there last time, some on purpose, some not.)
I started folding clothes, called my sister on the speakerphone and asked if she was okay with postponing the trip for a week. I'm really disappointed. Really! I'm also discouraged.
And, honestly? Today has been my worst day since my diagnosis. I'm tired, and weary, and concerned about the project my sister and I are pursuing. If I had been planning to get sicker, faster, I would have spent more energy putting the apartment back together. Of course, if I'd been able to do that, I wouldn't have needed to postpone the trip.
As it is, the only parts of my apartment that are fully functional are my bed, my bathroom and my computer corner. The stereo/DVD/TV are all the way I want them, but the recliner is on the verge of giving up. I can't keep one of the bolts in, so the seat is no longer level.
On the bright side? I'm making progress using my digital scrapping tools. And Fresh & Easy opened just four blocks from me. They have lovely, fresh food, both ready-to-use produce and prepared meals. Their hummus tastes better than mine and uses no olive oil or salt.
Things would look much better if I could just get enough sleep!
I've joked in the past about being able to prepare for a trip, or take the trip, but not both. This time it was true.
By the time I finished the laundry and running around, I crashed. I hadn't started packing when I should already have been at the airport. I could have still done it, but I questioned the wisdom. If I couldn't manage to put four days worth of clothes in a suitcase, what was I doing starting a 12 hour trip? (I do laundry at my sister's, and I left several important pieces there last time, some on purpose, some not.)
I started folding clothes, called my sister on the speakerphone and asked if she was okay with postponing the trip for a week. I'm really disappointed. Really! I'm also discouraged.
And, honestly? Today has been my worst day since my diagnosis. I'm tired, and weary, and concerned about the project my sister and I are pursuing. If I had been planning to get sicker, faster, I would have spent more energy putting the apartment back together. Of course, if I'd been able to do that, I wouldn't have needed to postpone the trip.
As it is, the only parts of my apartment that are fully functional are my bed, my bathroom and my computer corner. The stereo/DVD/TV are all the way I want them, but the recliner is on the verge of giving up. I can't keep one of the bolts in, so the seat is no longer level.
On the bright side? I'm making progress using my digital scrapping tools. And Fresh & Easy opened just four blocks from me. They have lovely, fresh food, both ready-to-use produce and prepared meals. Their hummus tastes better than mine and uses no olive oil or salt.
Things would look much better if I could just get enough sleep!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Really good visit with my oncologist yesteday
Hi!
I had a really good visit with my oncologist today. No, really!
No...the leukemia isn't better, it's worse. Again. But my doctor and I had a good discussion about treatment options, and we're on the same page.
I went to the appointment prepared to defend my decision to refuse chemo at this time. When my White Blood Cell count hit 36 in April she told me that if it didn't come down by July we would need to consider "more aggresive treatment." By July it had gone up an additional 35%. We discussed chemo protocols. We agreed that the number was inflated by a raging sinus infection and the stress of my apartment remodel ten days earlier. I was to return in four to six weeks...today. (Thursday)
I expected the numbers to have dropped only slightly, if at all. On the other hand, I feel good, better than I have some times when my numbers looked better. My energy has been better, my mental health has been better. I'm starting to reclaim my life after having my apartment gutted. I actually made a cake from scratch on Labor Day!
Even so, half of my apartment is still unusable. I don't feel much like starting four months of nausea and semi-quarantine-- plus a neutropenic diet -- with half my kitchen stuff in boxes and my dining table upside down in my office.
Above all, I'm not done helping my sister in New York. As long as I feel well enough, and she feels that I'm helping, I will be there until the project is done.
So I went prepared. It wasn't necessary. My WBC count was up another 10%. The discernibly swollen lymph nodes have increased in number, size and number of sites. That is probably why I'm unable to eat much at one time.
But...I still feel good. She told me today that as long as I feel good she'd rather not start treatment, that I'll know when it's time.
All in all, a very good visit.
I thank you for your prayers. I know they make a difference.
Note: This is good news, people! I posted this on another site, and everyone seems to be responding as if it were bad news. I'm happy with this result...my doctor and I are in agreement not to start chemo until I feel so bad that chemo seems like an improvement!And, about the apartment... My friend has tried, several times, to come put the furniture back. Once she was called in to work. Once both our days went haywire. Once I knew that I needed sleep more than I needed my furniture put back. Yesterday I realized that I needed to spend my energy on things that were more urgent, in order to be ready for my next trip.
And half the time I've been out of state.
It will get done.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Update
This entry is from an email I sent to a local friend. It pretty well covers everything.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I'm home. My apartment is still trashed, and I'm ok with it.
My bedroom and bathroom are ok. The kitchen and computer area are useable. The dining room furniture is still upside down in the office and the living room/guest room...(shudder!)
Now that the remodel is done, and I no longer have a deadline looming, I need to devote attention to areas of my life that I have been neglecting. It's working well for me, other than the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Literally. There's nowhere to sit.
Time and distance have helped me get perspective on putting things away in the kitchen. Instead of whining that the place that (fill in the blank) belongs is no longer there, I'm asking myself, "How often do I use this? Where do I use this? Where could it live?" Little by little....
And I'm getting rest. Lots of rest. Which I need.
I'm home for a little less than four weeks, then back to NY for two.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I'm home. My apartment is still trashed, and I'm ok with it.
My bedroom and bathroom are ok. The kitchen and computer area are useable. The dining room furniture is still upside down in the office and the living room/guest room...(shudder!)
Now that the remodel is done, and I no longer have a deadline looming, I need to devote attention to areas of my life that I have been neglecting. It's working well for me, other than the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Literally. There's nowhere to sit.
Time and distance have helped me get perspective on putting things away in the kitchen. Instead of whining that the place that (fill in the blank) belongs is no longer there, I'm asking myself, "How often do I use this? Where do I use this? Where could it live?" Little by little....
And I'm getting rest. Lots of rest. Which I need.
I'm home for a little less than four weeks, then back to NY for two.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
What is the expected life of a recliner, anyway?
Twelve years ago, shortly after moving into an apartment in the Biltmore area of Phoenix, I went to a thrift store looking for a filing cabinet. I didn't find one, but I did find a recliner, for $13. I called a friend, who called her brother, who picked it up for me. His good deed did not go unrewarded; on the way home he found a torchiere lamp discarded on the side of the road, which he took home and put to use.
Fast forward eight years. My recliner began sticking when I tried to change the position. Then I discovered that a bolt had dropped out. I turned the chair over and searched until I found a likely hole, and replaced the bolt. I could not make it stay in place. I knew that whenever I moved it, and sometimes when I didn't, I would need to turn the chair over again and fix it.
Just before leaving for New York last month I had a sinking feeling. Literally. I suspected that more than the original bolt was in trouble, but didn't have the time or energy to explore. Today I did.
A different bolt had fallen out, and the frame member that's supposed to hold it is split, too.
While I was looking for an empty hole I saw a stock tag, dated 6/23/70. I was still in high school.
What is the expected life of a recliner, anyway?
Fast forward eight years. My recliner began sticking when I tried to change the position. Then I discovered that a bolt had dropped out. I turned the chair over and searched until I found a likely hole, and replaced the bolt. I could not make it stay in place. I knew that whenever I moved it, and sometimes when I didn't, I would need to turn the chair over again and fix it.
Just before leaving for New York last month I had a sinking feeling. Literally. I suspected that more than the original bolt was in trouble, but didn't have the time or energy to explore. Today I did.
A different bolt had fallen out, and the frame member that's supposed to hold it is split, too.
While I was looking for an empty hole I saw a stock tag, dated 6/23/70. I was still in high school.
What is the expected life of a recliner, anyway?
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Leukemia is inconvenient
Leukemia is inconvenient. And I'm not even that sick, yet.
It's more important than ever to eat well, but I have no appetite. Most of the time I don't feel like eating, much less cooking or cleaning up. Then I get too hungry, and drink my calories instead of eating them. Sometimes Kool ade(sp?), or a Sonic Cherry Limeade, are all that sound good.
And my body thermostat's not working. And I get night sweats.
In this context I've decided that some purchases that would previously have been indulgences are now appropriate to support my wellness efforts.
I've purchased a second mattress pad, so that when I have night sweats I don't have to strip the bed down to the vinyl, wash the pad, wash the vinyl, dry them both and remake the bed before I can lie down again.
For the same reason I'm considering buying another nightgown. (100% cotton!)
I'm creating a Spring room / healing room. I've already replaced the light bulbs with full spectrum bulbs, and it changed the tone of the room completely. I'm aggressively decluttering, although in the short term things seem worse instead of better. I want to purchase a tabletop fountain, both for the sound of rain and to increase the humidity. I've acquired a plush, comfy, ladies-sized recliner and moved it to that room.
I'm trying to determine what I can do to facilitate eating better. I found a screaming good deal on a George Foreman-type grill, with removable, dishwasher-safe grids. I haven't taken it out of the box, though, because I may return it. I'm not sure it will provide the most improvement for the money spent. I'd like to get a bigger rice cooker, so that I can make one pot meals instead of just plain rice. While I'm at it I'd like one with a delayed-start feature. And a porridge cycle. My friends at ricecookerrecipes@yahoo.com love the results they get with their whole grain hot cereal.
I'd like to get another fan. My previous apartment in this complex had three ceiling fans in four rooms; it simply didn't occur to me to check for them when I viewed this apartment. It has just one, and I don't spend that much time at the dining table! I have two table fans, plus one small clip-on fan dedicated to keeping my laptop happy. I would like a fan in the Spring room without dragging it back and forth from the bedroom.
Google, which hosts blogger.com, as a wishlist facility. So I created one. It's on my profile.
It's more important than ever to eat well, but I have no appetite. Most of the time I don't feel like eating, much less cooking or cleaning up. Then I get too hungry, and drink my calories instead of eating them. Sometimes Kool ade(sp?), or a Sonic Cherry Limeade, are all that sound good.
And my body thermostat's not working. And I get night sweats.
In this context I've decided that some purchases that would previously have been indulgences are now appropriate to support my wellness efforts.
I've purchased a second mattress pad, so that when I have night sweats I don't have to strip the bed down to the vinyl, wash the pad, wash the vinyl, dry them both and remake the bed before I can lie down again.
For the same reason I'm considering buying another nightgown. (100% cotton!)
I'm creating a Spring room / healing room. I've already replaced the light bulbs with full spectrum bulbs, and it changed the tone of the room completely. I'm aggressively decluttering, although in the short term things seem worse instead of better. I want to purchase a tabletop fountain, both for the sound of rain and to increase the humidity. I've acquired a plush, comfy, ladies-sized recliner and moved it to that room.
I'm trying to determine what I can do to facilitate eating better. I found a screaming good deal on a George Foreman-type grill, with removable, dishwasher-safe grids. I haven't taken it out of the box, though, because I may return it. I'm not sure it will provide the most improvement for the money spent. I'd like to get a bigger rice cooker, so that I can make one pot meals instead of just plain rice. While I'm at it I'd like one with a delayed-start feature. And a porridge cycle. My friends at ricecookerrecipes@yahoo.com love the results they get with their whole grain hot cereal.
I'd like to get another fan. My previous apartment in this complex had three ceiling fans in four rooms; it simply didn't occur to me to check for them when I viewed this apartment. It has just one, and I don't spend that much time at the dining table! I have two table fans, plus one small clip-on fan dedicated to keeping my laptop happy. I would like a fan in the Spring room without dragging it back and forth from the bedroom.
Google, which hosts blogger.com, as a wishlist facility. So I created one. It's on my profile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
