June To-Do List 2023.....Outcome

Here's how the June 2023 To-Do List came out...........

JUNE

*  Pay Bills  DONE  All paid on time or early

*  Go to 1 Dr. Appointment  DONE  Got a new PCP, YEAH!

*  Buy Car Port  DONE and paid for.

*  Clean & Organize Stuff in House  IN PROGRESS  This may be in progress until I die at this rate.

*  Buy Stuff for House  IN PROGRESS  Don't remember what we bought in June but it wasn't big ticket stuff...probably hardware for installing ceiling fans and such.

*  Price Generators  IN PROGRESS  Looking into which kind/size to get

*  Clean out Q Inserts and Envie  DONE

*  Edit more Photos  IN PROGRESS  I've got all the "old" photos edited now I need to edit everything from Dec 2022 until now but using new-to-me editing software so that's going to go slower than it should.

*  Post about Old Trips  FAIL  Just didn't feel like it and then typing got very hard.

*  Work on Genealogy  DONE

*  Hang Ceiling Fans  FAIL  We weren't home for much of the month so no, this item moves to July

*  Organize Clothes  DONE  Mostly Done.  I've still got to fold and put some pants on shelving in the closet but I'm calling this done.

*  Unpack from Trip  DONE  Washed and put all the clothes away.

*  Convert Foreign Currency  DONE  Hubs took what we didn't spend back to the bank.

Sluggy

Frugal Friday on Saturday, July 22nd

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   

There are very few Frugal wins this past week and not everything here would be considered frugal but here goes......

*  Being on this restrictive short term eating plan meant we spent very little at the grocery store this past week,  under $50.  The freezer is packed with food for Hubs to eat(that are not part of what I can consume right now), so as long as he remembers to thaw something, he eats. lol

*  Been cropping and renaming photo files and uploading videos to my You Tube channel.

* Saw a Neurologist(will wonders never cease?)this past week instead of in February.  Yay!  Got put on an Rx and this drug is FREE until I hit Medicare in January(as are all my meds).

*  Went to Physical Therapy for my back.   Basically did water aerobics in their pool.  No copays so again FREE.  I go back 2 x next week and the week after, and the week after, etc.

*  I found money! 
Nope.  Nada. Zilch.

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found this Year.......$2.49

That's all for this past week.  Just sitting home is frugal, right?

It's too damn hot here(triple digit heat indexes for weeks now!)so I rarely leave the house except to hobble to the car with a/c then to wherever I am going that also has a/c.  Can you say I am over Summer down here on Satan's front porch??

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy 

Thank You All!

I had to draw a spiraling circle and mine looked not quite as bad as the one on the right in this photo.

Miracles do happen it seems.....either that or my PCP did really listen to how desperate my ADL(activities of daily living)situation was(I was actually considering checking myself into an assisted living facility).  After they gave me an appointment 7 Months out, I was put on the Wait List for Neurology and miraculously an appointment opened up on Wednesday and I saw a text about it Tuesday evening.  Either someone canceled at the last minute(but I can't think why someone would cancel/reschedule a Neurology appt!)or somehow they figured out how seriously impaired I had become and they squeezed me in.

So I got a good going over with a new Neurologist, a med student(it's a teaching hospital after all)and then the head Dr. came in too after the Neurologist went to consult with him.  I got tested(I failed the touch your nose with your pointer finger, then touch the doc's pointer finger test as well as hold your hands out i front of you and keep them from trembling test.)

 For now I've been diagnosed with Essential Tremors and put on an epileptic anti-seizure medication.(This or a Beta-Blocker(which I have adverse reactions to)is standard treatment for this disorder.)

Now we start working on getting the dosage right.  I'm on 25 mg(half a pill)for the first 4 days to get me use to it.  Then I go on the full 50mg dose and wait a few days and if that doesn't take care of the tremors we start upping the dosage.  

They are also scheduling me for an MRI to check that I don't have something worse going on(like Parkinson's or lesions on my brain)since my tremor condition seemed to worsen at a quick clip and could be part of something else developing in my head plus I have family history on both sides of neurological conditions.

I'd be happy with "just" Essential Tremors thankyouverymuch!  There is no cure for this condition and it can get worse and most probably will.  Kim's hubby who passed had this condition so I've seen first hand how it can affect your life.  I don't know yet(didn't ask)how bad or how high they can push the med for it but we'll cross that bridge when and if we get there.

I see the Orthopedist early in August so we are moving ahead with the knee replacement here.  But I am also moving ahead with the elite joint surgeon program available through our insurance too.  I had picked a surgeon near Columbus OH but then they told me he insists on an in person pre-op appointment and won't do that through telemedicine.  That means trekking 995 miles to OH TWICE-once for an in-person appt. and then again for the actual pre-op testing/surgery/beginnings of PT afterwards.  And what if I go to OH and go through that initial visit and fly home and the surgeon says he won't take my case?  All that effort was for nothing and I have to start all over again in that program. ugh

So I switched to a different surgeon in the same practice who will do the initial pre-op stuff via telemedicine.  They are suppose to get back to me next week to schedule that particular appt. so we can get that ball rolling.  

Basically whichever surgeon can schedule me for the knee surgery sooner gets to do it. 8-)  Either way I'll be in Physical Therapy afterwards for many, many months.

And next week I get to have more fun.....2 days of PT for my back bookending my 10 year Colonoscopy.  Goody!  I don't mind that procedure but the day before prep?  That's the b*tch!  But at this point I eat so little anyway I won't mind and barely notice going a day without eating.  Now drinking that nasty prep stuff and staying close to a bathroom all day is another story. lol

This year is genuinely what I've been calling it, the "Year of the Shit Show"(and next week will be an actual shit show on Wednesday).  

I just want to thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, concerns, etc. for me this past week.  I was in a very dark place mentally before getting into see a Neurologist.  Between that and family drama plus Hubs brother passed away up in PA on July 13th, things have been nothing approaching "normal" with us.

Sluggy-who can sort of type today but writing is still beyond her skill set

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Weight Loss is Still the Focus" Edition.                                            

Here's another vendor booth from the Spring Fair we stumbled upon in Belfast, Ireland.  We didn't buy any fudge but if Kim had been with us, she would have made a serious dent in their inventory! lol

I'm still making weight loss progress(after hitting a plateau for 2 weeks), am in PT for my lower back issues, got a Neurology consult and meds(though it will take awhile to get them balanced)and am moving forward with both avenues available to get my knee replaced(at some point will need to decide on which one to go with but we aren't at that point yet). 

My PCP is on board with this way of eating to reach a short term goal so no unsolicited advice on this eating plan please.  While I appreciate the concerns I am fine and I am losing weight.  I haven't had any sugar(other than a bit of honey in some hot tea)nor any white food.....bread, potatoes, rice, pasta since returning from the cruise on June 4th.  I am craving fresh homemade bread and Crab Rangoon!  But I am holding fast to my plan anyway.....so far.

I am down 43 lbs. since April(but 51 lbs. if you count the 8 lbs. I gained on the cruise and had to take off again when we got back).  Ideally I want to get rid of 12 more lbs. before the knee replacement(could be as soon as Sept. but likely in Oct.)and I have a goal(but at a slower pace)of 20 lbs. more gone after that surgery(maybe by the end of 2023/beginning of 2024? if it's doable).

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned for last week.......

1. Sunday--Brussels Sprouts, 4 strawberries

2. Monday--Salad(half of it), a yogurt cup

3. Tuesday--Protein drink, more strawberries perhaps

4  Wednesday--small piece of brisket, Broccoli

5. Thursday--other half  of Salad above, yogurt

6.  Friday--Protein drink

7. Saturday-no clue yet-maybe clean out fridge of protein and veggies?

And here's what actually happened........

1. Sunday--Brussels Sprouts, 4 strawberries

2. Monday--Salad(half of it), a yogurt cup

3. Tuesday--Protein drink, more strawberries

4  Wednesday--small piece of brisket, leftover Brussels Sprouts

5. Thursday--other half of Salad above, Catfish, 1 Ear of Corn

6.  Friday--Protein drink, Watermelon

7. Saturday--no food, just hydration

I also drink, water, iced tea(unsweetened), hot tea with lemon and honey and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.   I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

This one mini-meal per day where I change between vegetable matter and a lean protein and a yogurt cup when these other meals won't suffice.  There also is a regime of supplements I am currently on, either to maintain my body's condition or were already taking them for various conditions.

I guess you'd call this an extreme intermittent fasting deal with many supplements to keep all my innards working and healthy.  I consulted a new PCP and my food plan was given the green light and my blood work came back aok. 8-)

What got taken out of the freezer last week...

*  bag of Brussels Sprouts  

What got put into the freezer last week....

*  a small Hunk of Smoked Brisket

*  9 bags of frozen veggies

*  4 lbs. of Catfish 

*  4 Sirloin Steaks
*  2 lbs. of Chicken Breast

Last week we spent $129.45 on grocery shopping.

 Total comes to $260.98 for July(so far). We stocked up on some items like frozen veggies, meats, wet dog food(again), and more protein drinks, olive oil, Jell-o and yogurt drinks.

There are 14 shopping days left in July(as of Monday 7/17).

I've earned $72.05 on Ibotta in July.

I've earned $9.00 on Shopmium in July.

I've earned $13.00 on Coupons dotcom.

I've earned $0 on Kroger Cash Back in July.

I've earned 299 points from food shopping on Fetch in July.

I've earned 2,890 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in July.

I've earned 0 SB from food shopping on Swag Bucks in July.

That is $94.05 in rebates(not counting the Shop Kick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $260.98 of grocery spending so in reality it's $166.93 in food spending after the 5 rebate apps I count.

My savings percentage for the last week was 31.38% and the monthly savings total for July comes in at 26.33% so far spent.

Leftovers going into this week...nothing really.

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday-Zalad from Zaxby's, Watermelon

2. Monday--leftover ear of corn, a green bean appetizer for dinner

3. Tuesday--Protein drink, Watermelon

4  Wednesday--Teriyaki Stir-Fry Veggies and Shaved Beef, yogurt cup

5. Thursday--1/2 a bag of Veggies(Broccoli?), yogurt cup, Watermelon

6.  Friday--Salmon, half of a Spinach Soufflé, Watermelon

7. Saturday--leftover Stir-Fry?

I also drink, water, iced tea(unsweetened), hot tea with lemon and honey and the odd zero sugar soda or Zero sugar Powerade/Gatorade and keep my stomach full and it also keeps me hydrated.   I mostly stick with the water or unsweet iced teas with lemon added.

This one mini-meal per day where I change between vegetable matter and a lean protein and a yogurt cup when these other meals won't suffice is not hard to do once you get past the first 3 or 4 days.  There also is a regime of supplements I am currently on, either to maintain my body's condition or were already taking them for various conditions.

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Well my menu is pretty basic and I have everything here for it.  Hubs will have the Stir-Fry dish and Salmon with me on those 2 nights but otherwise he's on his own. :-)

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any deals on food at your stores this week?  I confess that I don't need to buy anything right now nor have I had any desire to read the ads.

Sluggy  

Neurological Issues-Don't NOT Want to Blog But.........

 I am taking a break because of neurological issues that make it nearly impossible to use my hands.  

The soonest I can get a Neurology consult, testing and diagnosis is February of next year here!

I've been waiting 2 Freaking YEARS!  Symptoms have starred to rapidly to progress now but nobody will schedule me something now.  This has become an urgent matter since there are neurological diseases on both sides of my family-father, with MS, his sister's daughter who died 2 years ago, as well as my maternal grandfather's mother suffered from severe MS almost her whole adult life.

I haven't been able to write for a few months and now my hands shake so bad I can hardly use a keyboard on this computer without having to retype letters constantly.  The tremors make me hit a key multiple times which means going back and correcting my typing over and over again.

This brief message has taken me over an hour to type.

So say a prayer that the issue gets addressed sooner than next year and I can regain the use of my hands.

Sluggy