Feeling Better

Dear Family and Friends,
My last night was pretty awful, heavily congested, coughing, trying to use the cpap mask, awake and finally the alarm at 5:45. How I wished at that point that I had never agreed to walk but having made the commitment I walked. It turned out very good. Although most of the walk was sort of a shuffle I made my three miles and stumbled in the house, to my work chair, fell asleep for a few minutes with the little heater blasting my cold feet.
Finally the smell of steel cut oats lured me to the kitchen and along with a slice of bread that is backed with about 10 kinds of grain and some excellent jam made by a friend I had breakfast. Then it was off to the shower where I steamed off a layer of walking sweat, unstuck my eyes which had been totally crusted over when I woke.
I came down and prepared for an appointment of a wonderful Italian Villa on 11 acres. You just would not believe how special this home really is, so tastefully created, decorated, it is joy to photograph. Pizza oven by the pool in the outside kitchen, Grecian reflecting pools, professional kitchen with huge stainless steel frigs, theatre room with cushy chairs, every bedroom perfectly decorated, wow. After seeing this spectacular property once again I came back home and began to write on two appraisals that were due tomorrow. I wanted to be a day ahead of schedule.
This evening I was so ready for weight watchers, I just knew I had lost a bunch of weight but when I arrived there was no one there, oh now I remember, no meeting this week due to Easter. Bummer.
Good news for Ray and Lois. Today their heard a kitty crying and discovered to their joy that Cassie had returned. Of course catching her will be a bit more difficult as she is very frightened so at this point they still do not have her captured but at least they know she is alive. Great news.
The mail has been good to me lately so now I can restore the savings account until the next crisis.
As the day progressed today I gradually felt better and better. I keep water close by and drink a lot now which seems to help so much. At about 1 pm I was feeling pretty weak, this new medicine, Victoza seems to really be working to drive down my blood sugar levels. I decided to check it out on the web and found out interesting things like it helps one lose weight, individuals who had written comments all mentioned dropping 4 or more pounds right away. It seems to inhibit appetite as well as drive down the sugar level. When I had my salad ready with tomatoes, pinto beans, romaine hearts, small cheese pieces and 0 fat dressing I paused to check the blood level. It was 85, the lowest in over a year. It is hard for me to get used to how ones feels at 85 when one is used to it being 140 or so. Yet this is huge progress and I am gratified. Now to get the insurance company to pay for it in the future when the samples run out. This morning when I weighed I saw a 221 instead of the old 236. That is encouraging.
I'm listening to an audio book Lois was kind enough to put on CDs for me. It is called younger next year and it the most amazing book. It not only lays out solid reasons for aerobic exercise at least 6 days a week but explains what is taking place inside the body and how if we don't exercise than the body is breaking down. Its an every day struggle, exercise and be younger or stagnate and be older, sicker, sluggish and defeated. Roxanna and Rick gave me the book several years ago and I read it as I was flying home from Boston after visiting Nan who was in a trial program. The book is amazing, I mean really amazing and I can't recommend it highly enough.
So in contrast to the last few days which have been pretty much downers today was a good turning point. Someone suggested a new tooth brush after illness, great great idea and since I use a sonacare I'll just put a new head on it. I now use wipes that kill germs on my mask each morning when I rise. Got to fight back against illness. I don't get to see my kidos when I'm sick and I don't get my work done either.
So on this upbeat note I'll sign off.
Exercise 6 days a week for the rest of your life, don't push your heart rate above 110 if you are my age, just get your body up to that rate and keep going.
Love to all,

Tim