Going to the Doc

This morning I went to the doctor for my annual check-up. In 2007 my normally low blood pressure began to soar. And it stayed up. I had some blood work and my cholesterol was pretty high also. After a trip to the doc I began to take some meds for lowering my blood pressure and lowering my cholesterol. Dr. Larry also suggested I begin to adhere to the South Beach Diet.

I made some radical changes to my diet and found a great blog. Kalyn Denny post wonderfully tasty (and easy) recipes that follow the South Beach Diet. Thanks to Kalyn I was not only able to find a new way of eating, but was able to understand how to make it all work.

Over the last 3 1/2 years I've brought my blood pressure down to normal/low and my cholesterol numbers into the low range too! Dr. Larry is happy with my numbers. He was happy to hear I've found a fondness for Aqua Aerobics. As I am ending my check-up he tells me I need a mammogram. There's a lot of breast cancer in my family and I try make sure I get regular mammograms. There's a lot of squishing, squashing and smashing. Poking, pressing and pinching. Mammograms can make a woman feel violated....almost like this:

What was pretty amazing was that Dr. Larry handed me a mammogram order and suggested we take it next door to the Imaging Center. Surprise, surprise! I could have it done in 10 minutes. Usually you have to wait for them to call you (often several weeks go by) and then you get to make an appt. It could take another month or more before you can get in. So this morning I got it all done.

Then Mr. Scottie Dog and I were off to our bank to get several documents notarized. We had our new wills witnessed and notarized as well as the new Revocable Trust we've set up. We had the deeds to our properties put into the trust and registered with the County Clerk. Interestingly the bank branch manager's mother-in-law is one of our regular customers and so it the county clerk. You find quilters every where.

Mr. Scottie Dog and I went out to lunch and then I had to go to work. We don't often get to do that. Then it was time to go to work. Wednesdays are my late day. I go in after lunch and stay for the evening Sit & Sew class. A lot crammed into one day.

My Tuesday

Tuesday began as any other Tuesday for me. I got to the store early for the large Drop-In Quilting Class I teach at Scottie Dog Quilts. These ladies celebrate birthdays, have pot lucks, gab about their children & grandchildren and even do some quilting! The UPS man came and delivered 6 huge boxes containing our new GO! Cutter display, several machines, dies, tote bags and more. This is the home version of our big AccuQuilt machine. The Go! Cutter will cut perfect shapes using up to 8 layers at a time in just seconds. To learn what I'm talking about Click here. We'll have the display up by next week. We are now distributors of the Go! Cutter.

We also got several boxes of fabrics...new flannels from Robert Kaufman, a gorgeous red, black & white line of Poppies from Fabric Freedom, blenders and more. Be sure to check them all out.

Then I had to go to the doctor for my annual check-up. I was anxious about it. Nearly three years ago we discovered I had very high blood pressure (a new thing since for most of my life my blood pressure bordered on too low) and my cholesterol levels were sky high too. I had originally gone in for severe knee pain (osteoarthritis). That is pretty much under control...I have some stiffness and pain but haven't had to use a cane as I did a couple of years ago. So first thing I got weighed. Every woman's nightmare, right? I was less than last year...not as much as I'd like, but the evil scale did record a loss. The verdict: I was in great health! My BP is quite normal and my cholesterol levels are also in the normal range. Success! Dr. W had suggested in January 2007 that I go (permanently) on the South Beach Diet. I was leery.....wasn't that a fad diet? One of those crazy no carbohydrate, high protein diets? I picked up a couple of books and did a study on-line and found out that this diet was designed by a heart specialist in Florida and had been successfully tested by millions. I've tried to be pretty faithful and after nearly three years I know what & how to each. No white flour, white potatoes, white rice, refined sugars. This diet is based on glycemic index of all you eat. Took me a couple days of reading to be convinced that it was a very healthy alternative diet. I found Kalyn's Kitchen, a blog that Kalyn Denny writes for South Beachers and her food is fabulous, quick and easy and for the most part uses foodstuffs you can get at any grocery store.

Dr. W's assessment was that I was in fabulous health. He felt that it was apparent that there had been a huge change since last year and he was proud of me. I was pretty proud of me.Made me feel pretty fabulous too!

After work it was the Humboldt Accordionairs night. Sydney and Liz came too (see Liz binding a quilt in the background?). This picture is of Sydney and her "beau" Caleb doing the Cakewalk up and down the aisles to "When The Saints Go Marching In." I danced several dances and got my exercise in for the day!

Here's what I had for dinner tonight (sorry about the glare...I don't know how to Photo Shop it out yet). Grilled chicken breast with garlic & parsley, steamed asparagus and some broiled tomatoes (first spread with a very grainy Dijon mustard and then topped with fresh ground pepper and fresh shredded Parmesan cheese. I was stuffed and satisfied! All South Beach Heart Healthy! Delicious!

And that's the way it was.