GiST #28

Today was a doctor sort of day but it wasn't so bad. It was cold but I think the sunshine made all the difference in the world!

1. My blood pressure is wonderful again after running too high last month. Lydia (the nurse practitioner I've seen for years) wanted to know what changes I made and TB answered right away, "There's a whole lot less stress." That is so true!

2. Lydia also looked at the bloodwork results my surgeon'd ordered. My vitamin levels look good to her too so I'm feeling pretty happy about that. I'm boosting my level of Vitamin D a little and I'm going to try and take in a little more iron to boost my saturation level but otherwise those numbers are good

3. My liver function tests came back high and so the surgeon's sending me to see a hematologist. He told me not to worry about it; he's proactive and just wants to check it all out. Lydia went online and found some information for me to read that I could understand. It's so reassuring to have a caretaker who spends time with you and who does stuff like that for you!

4. My TB and I did a little Christmas shopping today. We got my granddaughter an electronic diary with a password on it. My grandkids in Tennessee have been through so much this year. I thought they'd like to have journals but I also know how important privacy is...especially when there's some, um, dysfunction going on. So I was really glad to find this diary. Now I'd like to find something similar for the boys. The major dysfunctions are: financial instability (they've moved from place to place about 3 or 4 times in the last year), an increasingly disabled dad (muscular dystrophy), and the fact that their parents were both arrested for selling hydrocodone & oxycodone to undercover policemen. Their dad actually went to jail for 90 days.

5. My little guy here in NJ, my grandson, has achieved 90% of his IEP already! He is such a bright little boy and he is really taking off, especially now that his communication skills have gotten dramatically better. What a blessing he is!