We're Back

I have been completely neglectful of this blog (and my other ones) for over a year now and I want to apologize to all my readers.  I have very little to excuse this except to say I took a brand new job about 14 months ago and it pretty much took over my life.  I have been thinking I do want to continue writing about my diabetes and my beloved Bizz and since New Year's Eve is rapidly approaching perhaps this can be one of my resolutions.

My diabetes is actually doing quite well but only because I took some extreme action this year.  My diabetes had actually become much worse the past year or so - largely due to the fact that I was having to take more and more units of insulin to try and control my blood sugar. I was still walking 2-3 times per day and trying to regulate my eating but nothing was working.  I was in what I call the spiral - the more insulin I had to take, the less effective it was, the more weight I put on so I had to take more insulin, so I put on more weight so I took more insulin.... you can see where I was heading.  I had been given by Kaiser a diabetes educator but she was not working for me. 

My friend Anne had lost weight a few years before and I finally inquired whether that would be an option for me. Did Kaiser have a medical weight loss program.  It did.  I immediately called and got on the list for the next orientation session.  Luckily for me it was the week after my big conference (my biggest project of 2014 - more on it some later time).  I attended the orientation and immediately signed up for the class. The average weight loss was 44 lbs and it is an 82 week program. 

So I am now 3 months into the program and I have lost 48 lbs.  I feel amazing, I am almost completely off my insulin and my A1C dropped a full 6 points - and will continue to drop as I continue on the program.  I walk about 5 miles per day and so does Bizz.

This program is great and I look forward to sharing more about it and of course the wonderful Bizz in the coming months.

The Cava Poo Chon

Just read an article on the newest designer breed of dog - the Cava Poo Chon.  These dogs, created in the lab by geneticists, are a combination Cavalier Spaniel, Miniature Poodle and Bichon Frise.  All I can say is that Bizz has them beat by a mile. 

Read the article - http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20131120/45c2c1bd-0b64-4d9a-a0fa-d7459e730a74.  Everything they say about their dog is what I say about Bizz except that he also has a hilarious sense of humor.

Dining out at Pampas

Last night I went to an amazing restaurant here in Palo Alto, CA.  It is called Pampas and is a Brazilian Restaurant that is a meat eaters delight.   The set up is very simple.  We all ordered the Rodizio and side bar. The side bar was a long salad bar filled with all kinds of veggies, salads, cured meats, fish and artisanal cheeses.  We all filled our plates though we were warned not to.  The Rodizio is an assortment of meats that is served by men circulating in the restaurant. A dozen all told. And they were amazing.  Top Sirloin, Filet Mignon, Lamb, Pork, different kinds of marinated chicken were all served to us and it was all delicious.  Much like dim sum or tapas - it all looks reasonable when it comes one little piece at a time.  But looking back we all just went to town.  As one of my co-workers said, the paleo diet come to life.

So the morning after I feel like I have a major food hangover.  My blood sugars didn't get too jacked up but my stomach is on strike and I could easily lie down for a nap right now. 

But for anyone wanting a gourmet treat who loves all kinds of meat I do recommend Pampas - http://www.pampaspaloalto.com/food.htm.  Bizz would have loved it but alas and alack - no outdoor seating.  And sadly - no doggie bags.

Nostalgia Foods

Listening to NPR this week I heard a story about Nostalgia Foods, specifically Mallomars.  Mallomars are a cookie with a layer of thick marshmallow which is then dipped into dark chocolate. They are only available a few months a year, stemming from the fact that in times before refrigeration - in the summer the chocolate would melt.

The household I grew up in also had Nostalgia Food.  We called it Lebkuchen, a Christmas cookie, made with molasses, brown sugar, assorted spices and a healthy dose of lard.  The cookies would normally be done by the women in the family, mixing the batter on the stove (since you had to melt the lard), then putting the dough on the backsteps to cool so you could roll it out and cut it into all kinds of shapes, then after baking icing them with a confectioners sugar icing that gave them a glossy sweet glaze. As far as I know I was the last woman in my family to make Lebkuchen. I would make it every year during Thanksgiving week, spending hours and hours mixing and rolling and baking, then packaging it into cookie tins and shipping them off to my siblings, aunt and uncle, step grandmother and putting together smaller packages for friends.  My mom used to tell me that if someone didn't like Lebkuchen then they would not last long in the family. 

The onset of my diabetes did not deter me but a few years ago I did stop baking the cookies.  They were just too much temptation for me to have in the house.  But this year I am rethinking that decision and I'm thinking of making a small batch up.  Not eating it myself, well maybe one or two bells or crescent moon shapes, the gingerbread men are way too big.  But making it to rekindle those wonderful memories of holidays past and create a few new ones with new friends.  Plus I have a really big oven now so the baking would go a lot faster.

Starting Over

I think I've written before about how important your medical team is when you are a diabetic.  As you age with diabetes you have a team of doctors who know you, and your body. They are constantly checking for changes and helping you address them.  Right now I have a crew of doctors I really just love.  They are my primary care physician, my gynecologist, my podiatrist, two eye doctors (one for regular checkups and the other who works with her to check me for any eye damage caused by the diabetes), the endocrinologist, and my diabetes educator (ok she's not a doctor but she helps me).

It has taken me years to get to the point where I have a team that I like, who all seem to like me (or at least they put up with me) and where I can schedule and have work 2 or 3 appointments at one site in one morning.

And two days ago that all blew up. I got a letter from my insurance company telling me that they are no longer working with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.  And that I would be assigned a new primary care physician at the end of the year.  Since this is a g-rated blog let me just say that the cursing that went with this announcement was very, very blue.

Things were already getting complicated because I'm working for a nonprofit that is going to give me absolutely free insurance when I finish my probationary period.  The only problem was it was Kaiser insurance which would not cover my staff of doctors. I seriously was considering continuing to spend almost $500 per month for my own insurance just so I could keep my doctors.  But now that's all over.

So here I am.  Literally starting over and rebuilding a team, a team which took me since 1998 to put together. I am planning my farewell tour of the doctors.  One last visit to get one last look and to get a copy of my records for my new doctors. 

I cannot imagine the chaos this is rendering in other lives where people are in far worse situations, where they are being actively treated for cancer, heart disease, aids - to be told nope can't see that doctor any more is a nightmare.  There should be a grandfather clause.

So a new chapter in my treatment begins.  But I do find myself wondering - is this all a first volley in a tough negotiation and will there be another letter in a month saying, oopsie, we didn't really mean it, we were having a tiff but it is all worked out.

I'll keep you posted.

Little Dog in the City

Bizz and I spent a few hours up in San Francisco today.  We drove up to see my friend Carolyn's new place and to have brunch nearby.  Bizz did not want to take his usual place in the car so he rode shotgun all the way to the city - sleeping on the passenger seat with an occasional pat on the head from me.

I was really impressed by Carolyn's place.  When I drove up it looked like a typical warehouse district. But they rented an apartment in a lovely building that was completely rebuilt - lots of glass, a receptionist at the front, lots of security and a roof top deck to die for.  Bizz loved it.  We had lunch outdoors at a terrific little restaurant and he was served his very own scrambled egg in a to go box. The egg went - but into his belly.  He quite enjoyed all the smells of the city, and added a few of his own. But hilariously he was most excited when we walked by the French butcher shop - I nearly lost him when he lunged to try and go through the door.  It must be the poodle in him.

Anyway, a lovely way to spend a lovely day.  More adventures to come.

Cultural Enrichment for Dogs

Since I've gone back to working in an office, my time with Bizzy has become more limited on the weekdays.  However, I've configured my work so we get an hour together before I leave each morning and I spend at least two hours in the evening just focused on him - we take walks, we play, we cuddle, all good things.

I am now coming up on a three day weekend, and I'm finding myself planning what kinds of activities Bizz and I will do.  Yes, I've become a mother.  I find myself thinking of my own Mom who's way of spending free time with me was primarily being in shopping mode.  Since she was an antique dealer we would often head out with a set of sites to visit - garage sales, other dealers shops, flea markets - and while she'd look at items and talk to the dealers I would do my own shopping. I collected books and all kinds of miniatures, as anyone who has seen my house can attest to since I still have most of them, and horse figurines.  Some sites were better than others, I remember a small antique market out in the country that was next to a horse farm. I'm not sure that my mom knew while she was shopping I was crossing a large field and climbing fences to get a closer look at the horses.  I don't think she focused on my cultural enrichment, but I did learn a lot about people and how to be a collector.

With Bizz my cultural enrichment program is primarily focused on finding him new places to explore.  We have currently got 5 regular walks we take - 3 paths in the neighborhood and 2 at the nearby park.  We walk in a couple of different places in Campbell and we take day trips to different towns.  But given I have a three day weekend at least one of the days we are going to take a longer field trip.  But to where I don't know yet.  Any ideas?