#HealthNews – #BuildingALocalReadership – And a #MondayMeme (Or three!)

/ Marcia Meara

Every now and then, it’s good to stop and take stock of things–where you’ve been, where you’re going, how you’re planning to get there, and stuff like that. Thought I might do that today. 

Some of you may know I’ve had some health issues crop up in the last few months. Skin cancers, which aren’t new for me, Type 2 diabetes, which is, and other age-related things that plague all of us who persist in sticking around a long time. My thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement! Hope you’ll forgive me if I update you all at once.

After having had many, many basal cell carcinomas removed over the years–I grew up under the Florida sun before we’d ever even heard of sunblock–I finally developed my first melanoma. Luckily, my dermatologist and I are old friends who see each other at least annually, if not more often, and it was caught very early and totally removed. Whew. The basal cell in my ear was a bigger problem to get rid of, though not as dangerous, and I was quite happy to keep the top of my ear. 

In May, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and I’ll tell you, it scared me more than you might imagine. My father passed away due to diabetes when he was a mere 8 years older than I am now. So, I took my doctor’s advice seriously, and determined that while I have no way of knowing whether I’ll be here in 8 years or not, I would NOT let diabetes be the reason I wasn’t.

My doctor told me it was up to me to manage it, gave me plenty of info on how to do that, and I committed myself to getting healthier by our 3-month follow-up visit. I managed to do so beyond even my own expectations, going beyond every goal she’d set for me. I saw her this past Friday, and she said she was extremely proud of me for how well I’d done. Of course, that made me proud of me, too, so I’m passing it along for those of you who may deal with something similar. Commit yourself to getting healthier and follow through. You’re worth it!

I expect even better numbers when I go back in another 3-months, and have learned SO much about what works for me and what doesn’t. It’s made a profound difference in my life in several ways. 

And finally, many of you have read my post from Saturday on building a local readership via face to face events with readers. There are many ways of doing this, of course, but I’ve chosen to speak at several local venues (Enterprise Museum, DeBary Hall, and others in our area) and at private book clubs. I’ve talked at times about writing and self-publishing, not as an expert, but just explaining how I went about it, myself, and what had worked for me versus what hadn’t. I’ve also talked on one of my passions, Florida wildlife and habitat.

Saturday, I did a slide presentation on backyard birds and wanted to report that things went super well. First of all, as I was greeting early arrivals, two women I hadn’t met before came rushing up as soon as they entered the room. They wanted to  tell me how excited they were to meet me in person, and that they had most of my books, but only just found out that I do talks at various venues. Their happy smiles and big hugs started my afternoon out in the best possible way!

One of these ladies had a bag with the books she’d already bought from a local store and on Amazon, very hesitantly asked if I’d sign them, even though she hadn’t gotten them from me. I teased her about thinking that over, and then of course, happily signed them all.  Both of them were excited to learn about birds, and stayed afterward, waiting until last in line to thank me for such a great afternoon. 

And then there are the 33 other folks who showed up, some new faces, some old friends, but all of whom were part of a friendly, outgoing, engaged audience. They asked good questions as we went through the slide show, and they laughed at all of my jokes, always my acid test! 😀  It was a super group and I had so much fun with them.

Now, if that doesn’t convince you to put on your thinking caps and come up with your own ways to get out and talk to folks, I don’t know what would. Don’t forget, I had my books displayed at the signing table, and sold several after the talk ended, too. But mostly, I felt like I connected with a terrific bunch of people, and I know that many of them will also be buying my future books. (Especially those who wanted to know when, oh when, would the next “Rabbit book” be out.) 

So that’s it in a nutshell. Take care of your health, be good to yourself, and find a way to get out and talk to folks. You’ll be inspired by the people you meet, especially the ones who love your work already, and you’ll end up with some new readers, too. And if you’re doing everything your doctor tells you, you’ll be around long enough to keep writing new books for years and years! 

That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ to it! 

But it’s okay to laugh about it, too, you know.
So with that in mind, a couple of Health Memes for you!

 

65 thoughts on “#HealthNews – #BuildingALocalReadership – And a #MondayMeme (Or three!)”

  1. Guess that means no Scottish tablet when you come here, Marcia. It’s pure sugar with some butter added. Well done you on managing the diabetes and making sure you are around to write some more books for us.

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    • You can put the Scottish tablet on the same list as the haggis, though for completely different reasons! 😀 But not to worry. I can have all the eggs I want, and I’m VERY fond of Scotch eggs. (Hope that’s what you call them there, too, and that they aren’t something we made up over here.) Also, if I get my numbers much lower and maintain them, I’ll be allowed to have a treat once in a great while. I’ll save any of those I’ve earned for Tablet Time! 😀

      I’m pretty stoked (chuffed?) about how well I did. I knew from my own glucose testing (4 times a day) that I was doing pretty well, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough to make the doc happy. It did! 😀 I’m doing Mae Clair’s Snoopy Happy Dance all over the place now. 😀 And frankly, I think I’m due a LOVELY reward for my hard work–like a trip to Scotland! I “know” people over there these days! 😉 And even have a friend from years ago, too. Think I’ll start a Scotland Piggy Bank. 😀

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      • Haggis is delicious! Yes, we call Scotch Eggs, Scotch Eggs if you mean hardboiled eggs surrounded by sausagemeat and bread crumbs. Our family name for them was elephant’s eggs and I thought everyone called them that until I ordered one in a shop and the woman looked at me like I was crazy. I hadn’t realised it was only my mum’s family who called them that. It sounds like you’ve been doing brilliantly well and I’m sure a wee square (or even two) of tablet will be allowed. You just keep going as well as you are – and keep putting those pennies in the Scotland Piggy Bank.

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        • Thanks, Mary! I feel so much better, and funny thing, a lot of it came from finding out for sure I was actually on the right path. I was having terrible anxiety attacks that I thought were from the diabetes (vertigo, dizziness) and as soon as I realized I was on the road to good health again, I had no anxiety to attack me! 😀 😀 😀 I will continue to be watchful and take care of my health, and I will also continue to put pennies aside for a trip to the place I most long to see in the whole, wide world. But I will not–not now or EVER–eat haggis! Nope. Not gonna happen. Heck, I don’t eat kidney, liver, tripe, tongue or ANYTHING even similar. Haggis is RIGHT out! But please put me down for a whole bunch of those Scotch eggs. I love them!! 😀 😀 😀

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  2. I am so pleased you have your health under control, Marcia. You are quite amazing, and I´m not an eggplant, so there´s your second opinion. I too love talking to people and I totally agree, if you can get some speaking gigs, they are the best. I try to visit schools and libraries and do talks. I find them invigorating. xo

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    • Thanks, Darlene, and good for you!! I’m so glad to hear from someone who is actively involved in speaking to groups. I’ve been thinking about contacting some libraries, myself, but then realized I had too much on my plate as it was. I do 2 and sometimes 3 talks a month, and there’s a lot of prep that goes into one. Research takes time and so does putting together a good looking presentation. I’m building a library of talks, though, and I’ll recycle them from time to time, too, so that helps.

      I truly enjoy what I do, and it sounds like you do, as well. 🙂 ❤

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    • Thanks, Olga, and it would be lovely to meet you and share some of the fun things about this area with you. Especially the unique wildlife! Hope you are able to do so one of these days! 🙂 ❤

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  4. Well done for sticking to the effort, it’s so worth it!
    Not in the league of issues you have, but a couple of years ago, I had to make the decision whether to accept I was going to give in to my age-related weight gain and go up a dress size, or do something about it. Perhaps it’s my Scottish meanness coming out, but I didn’t want to have to buy an entire new wardrobe, so I took myself off to a dietician and learned how to eat myself thinner. Seven months later I’d lost 22 pounds and was wearing clothes I hadn’t fitted into for decades!
    I feel so much healthier and fitter, and I love my regained shape. It takes a little effort at times to maintain it, but never as much as that initial period.
    Keep it up, my friend, looking forward to showing you around the Highlands 😀

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    • Yay for you!! So glad you were able to set a goal and ACHIEVE it! That feels great, I bet, and you are healthier and happier as a result! Not to mention saving money on that wardrobe. 😀

      BTW, if you ever want to lose a ton of weight overnight–NOT something I recommend–try developing diabetes and giving up too many carbs, too fast. I dropped 14 pounds in 12 days!!!! Arrrrgggh.
      My husband kept saying, “That’s good. You wanted to lose weight.” Errmmm, yeah, but not at more than a POUND a DAY! Eeep. I leveled it off somewhat, and am down 23 now, since May. Still faster than I wanted to lose, but I think I’ve got it balanced now. Of course, all of my clothes are miles too big, but I don’t care.

      It feels good to be healthier, doesn’t it? 😀

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      • Sure does, though I wouldn’t recommend losing it that fast! My weight loss was tough to achieve, as I don’t eat that much anyway, and with the job I do, I’m pretty fit already, so more exercise didn’t help. For me it was learning what to eat, (protein) and what not to eat (carbs) in the appropriate quantities. I’ve tried calorie counting and other diets before, and got too tired to do my job, but I now eat an athlete’s diet, and it works for me 😀

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        • It was the protein/carb thing for me, too, but I misunderstood my doctor’s advice to “watch my carbs,” and cut them out altogether for two weeks. OMG. The weigh fell off of me so fast, my skin couldn’t keep up! Ack! I would strongly advise against anyone doing that. When I finally got the idea of what I was supposed to be doing, I kept track of everything I ate, until I hit a good balance between protein and healthy carbs that works for me. (No processed sugar, though. If it has more than 2 grams in it, I don’t eat it. Period.) And it seems to be working. I’m feeling better every day.

          I do NOT have an athlete’s body, I’m afraid, and I still need to lose more weight, but I’m doing it sensibly and in a healthy manner, and so far, so good. ( Personally, I think both of us ROCK!!! 😀 😀 😀 )

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  5. That’s such good news, Marcia! I’m not sure how you’ve managed to keep the blogs, and the support for people like me, going with all that going on in the background. I’m hoping that some of your positive nature will rub off on me. I’d love to do some talks but I can’t even claim to be a jack-of-all-trades, let alone a master! I shall work on the idea, though, especially after the wonderful story of the fans and the bringing in your books for signing – surely that’s something we all dream of (well, I do!).
    Inspiring stuff, my friend.
    When you come to Scotland you’ll need to travel south west to my bit of Wales – it’s hardly any distance by US standards! If you’re in the area around Burns night you can have a vegetarian haggis… it’s delicious but aficionados of the real McCoy doubtless frown on it
    And Mary’s right about the sugar content of tablet. Both my parents were Scottish and I think the stuff’s in my DNA – I make some every Christmas for friends and have to post it quickly before I succumb to the cravings.
    Congratulations on the weight loss as well, albeit a tad drastic at the start. You’ll need to post a new pic!
    And did someone mention Rabbit…? ❤ 🙂 ❤

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    • Thanks, Trish! I’m not sure how good of a job I was doing with all the irons I’ve had in the fire lately, though, and I know for a FACT that my writing suffered because I couldn’t seem to get my time organized and find a schedule that worked. But the good news is, I’m almost done with CH 25, so you’ll soon have it on the beta blog. I have a (*shudder*) dentist appointment tomorrow right in the middle of the day, so it might be Wednesday before I get it posted, but rest assured, it’s coming.

      I don’t know that you need to be an expert to find a subject to talk on. If you enjoy something, and have at least some experience with it, you can often fill in all the blanks with information found online. I’m an ardent bird watcher and do know most of the birds I talk about on sight, BUT, I sure didn’t have any statistics on them. I had to research size, weight, diet, range maps, and all sorts of stuff like that. Plus, I looked up any unusual habits or coloring. (Some species of birds are prone to albino or melanistic forms, for instance.) Lots of stuff I talk about I learned while researching. So don’t think you have to be an expert in every aspect of a subject in order to put together a fun program. Honest.

      And don’t tell anyone–it’ll just be OUR little secret–but even though I try to have a positive outlook on life, I can guarantee you, it fails me at times. I can get sad, angry, or just down in the dumps like everyone else. I have, however, learned some fairly decent coping skills over the years, and can usually get myself going again.

      I promise that if I ever make it to Scotland (or anywhere in the vicinity!) I’m coming to see you in Wales, too. I wouldn’t miss it for the world! There are several of my online friends in that area that I’d dearly love to meet in person, and someday, it just might happen.

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  6. I LOVE that you kicked butt on doing everything you could to stand up to diabetes, and doing it so exceptionally well! You are highly determined. I wish you plenty of continued health and applaud all of your efforts and successes.

    I think it’s awesome you’re connecting with so many local readers, too. I’ve enjoyed the talks I’ve done, but I’ve been limited with available venues. Instead of them seeking me out, maybe I need to start thinking of places that might be interested in what I have to share.

    A great post, Marcia, memes included. Happy Monday!!

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    • Thank you so much, Mae, and yes! Seek out places that might enjoy having you visit. My friend who owns the eco-tour boat introduced me to the head of programs at DeBary Hall, and I did my first talk there. Compared to how I approach the programs today, I’m surprised it went over as well as it did, but they’ve continued to have me back for over three years now. And once I started doing them there, I found a couple of other places that were interested, too. Plus, at many of the talks, someone will come up to me and ask if I’d come visit their book club, etc. If you find a library or other venue that likes to have regular speakers, that’s your foot in the door. It will grow from there. Keep us posted if you decide to try it. (You might even contact the group that had you as a guest before, where you had such a beautiful table set up, and ask if they’d be interested in you coming to talk about your new book(s). Good luck!

      My determination factor can be really wimpy about lots of things, but this is one time I was NOT going to give in without a fight. And I just took a minute to go over ALL my test results on the printout my doctor gave me Friday. Holy Moly! Three months ago, ALL my numbers were really high, and this time, some were down to about 1/4 of what they’d been! Even my cholesterol levels are really lowered, and my triglycerides went down over 150 points! So this diet is clearing up a lot of my health issues. Yippeee! And nothing like positive results to encourage you to keep on keeping on, eh? 😀

      I owe you an email! Couple of things on the Gideon books I have to respond to! 😀

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      • Wow,, that is all awesome news, Marcia. Your med results are stellar. I am so excited and happy for you!

        I do have a book club engagement coming up in October and hopefully that will lead to more. I have to be more proactive about seeking out venues.

        As for Gideon–woohoo!–I’m not sure Doug and Linc can do any wrong, and that’s a great thing for readers like us 🙂

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        • Oh, I’m glad to know about your October event and want to hear all about it, afterward. 🙂 And thanks for your encouragement on the health issues.

          And just think–one more week until we can get our hot little hands on Old Bones! Wooohooooo! I’ll be reading it on Kindle before the signed copy arrives in my mailbox. Can’t wait. Don’t know how I’ll feel about Nora as the main character, but I’m willing to give it a go, especially since A.X.L. is supposed to make a guest appearance. 😀

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          • I’m sure I’ll post about the October event afterward. And you are doing great on the health front. Keep it up!

            We’re on count down for Old Bones. I’ll be reading it on Kindle, too, and eagerly awaiting an appearance by our guy. The plot does sound awesome though, and I like that Corrie Swanson is going to be in it too. I really like her character.

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            • I have very mixed feelings about Corrie, but I’m hoping she comes across as someone I can really like in this one. At any rate, I can’t wait to read the story, and to wave at Pendergast when he pops in! 😀 We will be comparing notes by the end of next week, I’m sure. 😀

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                • It’s her willful disregard of what she’s been told specifically not to do that bothers me. She professes to think Pendergast is a genius, but ignores him, going against everything he’s warned her about, and then she gets in trouble and has to be rescued. I feel like she’s being juvenile when she does stuff like that. But then she IS young. So maybe there’s hope that she’ll maintain her spunky attitude but learn to use some common sense, too. I’ll TRY to like her more, but for now, we’ll have to agree to disagree on Corrie.

                  But on the plus side, I do enjoy almost everyone else (other than the ones we’re SUPPOSED to hate) including a few that were heartlessly killed off that I wish were still in the mix. Oh, these books! 😀 I will be reading Old Bones next Tuesday, the minute it appears on my Kindle. Everything else I’m working on will stop until I’m done with it. 😀 😀 😀

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  7. Marcia, you are an inspiration. I’m glad your health is improving, and I love your positive outlook. My husband had open-heart surgery last November and needless to say our eating habits have changed for the better.

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    • Nothing like a wake-up call to make you change your habits, huh? I hope your husband is doing better every day, and that your healthier eating habits are working for both of you. I would LOVE to think that anything I do (or write) might inspire others for the better. I always make it a point in my talks to tell people that it’s never too late to follow their dreams, and now I can add that it’s never too late to improve your health. I figure if I can do it, most of them can, too, so why not encourage them? There are always plenty of people around telling you why you can’t do something. I’d rather tell people why they can!
      😀 ❤

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  8. Congrats on your handling your diabetes and sticking to your healthy routine. I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier, cutting back a little on my snacks and sweets (but not out entirely, and hard to do with chocolate) and don’t drink much soda, mainly water. I really want to start trying to exercise more, but I find it hard to get started, what with my busy work schedule. I’ve bought some exercise equipment (a step deck, a small fitness kit, a starter yoga kit) but have yet to use them. I need to somehow psych myself up to start, I think – at least with the step deck, which I’ve thought I could at least use while watching TV but haven’t yet.

    Anyway, congrats on your progress. Keep up the good work. And I’m glad your local events are going well, also.

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    • The most practical and helpful thing I ever got was a FitBit from my husband for Christmas. I had admired his that he got at work, so he gave me one, too. It buzzes at 10 minutes to the hour and reminds me to get up from the computer and walk 250 steps. I can do that in just 2 or 3 minutes by circling around in my house, and if I do it every hour, by the end of the day, I’ve walked over 3 miles without ever leaving the comfort of my own home. How much easier can it be? It made a HUGE difference in my ability to take long walks with my daughter and grandkids, and she notice it the first time we visited after I’d been using it. It tracks all sorts of stuff, too, that I find very helpful. SO worth it, especially if you have trouble making yourself exercise. I HATE it, and never kept up any exercise program longer than a couple of days. But THIS, I do. It’s easy, and it works, and my ankles don’t swell up from sitting at the desk for hours at a time without moving.

      Good luck! 🙂

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      • I may look into getting something like that. I used to use my Nintendo Wii to work out with (a game called Wii Fit), and it came with a little thing that tracked my steps. I’d use it just about every day, but I stopped using the Wii Fit after I picked up a second job . I’ve been thinking of trying to start using it again too, even if only on the weekends. Again, intentions but no follow through yet.

        Keep wishing me luck. Maybe the thoughts will eventually reach me and push into action.

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        • What I can tell you is that I hate–HATE–doing any kind of “exercise,” which I generally find pointless or boring. If I’m working at something physical like gardening, okay. But flailing around on a mat or doing windmills or touching my toes? Pointless. Boring. And I LOVE my FitBit. It’s easy. It keeps me accountable. It only takes 2 or 3 minutes at a time, which I don’t even miss. And it rewards me with little rocketships and jumping up and down stick figures to tell me what a good job I’ve done. Hahaha. Okay, those aren’t such a big deal, but when I open the app on my phone at the end of the day and see that I walked THREE miles or more in air conditioned comfort, and in small bits and pieces, I’m a happy camper.

          And it definitely has helped me greatly. Plus, I can track my weight on the phone app, I get a complete breakdown of my sleep each night, showing how many hours in deep sleep, how many spent tossing and turning, and how many times I awakened. I have a lot of trouble sleeping, and this often helps me figure out why. You can track the amount of water you drink each day (really important), and all manner of other things if you wish. I just track the ones that I’m interested in. I truly think it’s the best single thing I’ve ever done for my health, until this latest surprise caused me to make drastic changes in what I eat.

          Another good luck wish coming your way. 🙂

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  9. First, way to take charge of your health—I love your attitude, Marcia. Determination is a powerful force when we set our minds to something.

    My mom and dad spent many a happy time as birdwatchers. My dad was a wildlife biologist working for Fish and Wildlife, so this was more than a hobby for him. He was a member of the recovery team to try and restore population of the Aleutian Canada Goose (a subspecies of the Canada Goose). I’m sending a link in case you are interested in learning more. They are amazing travelers flying from the Aleutian Islands to the Central Valley of California and even as far as Mexico.

    Click to access acg_fact.pdf

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    • Very interesting about your dad, Pete, and thanks for the link. I’ll definitely be checking that out. We get Canada geese all the way down here, though range maps vary widely on when and how many. (And the maps are seldom dated, so I can never tell which info is the latest). I’ve only seen them in wintering months, myself, but that could be coincidental, as some maps show them wintering in small areas of Florida, while others show a small population as being here year-round. Weird. Lovely birds, though I haven’t seen any in some time. (Maybe I should try birding somewhere other than my backyard again. It’s an old birding trick: go where the birds are! 😀 )

      And yep. We can do so much more than we think we can. It’s so often just a matter of mindset, and I often fail at that like everyone else. But now and then, determination takes over, and I surprise myself. Like deciding to become a writer at age 69 to fulfill my lifelong desire. Or realizing failure to act could cut my life short. (There’s inspiration for you!)

      Always nice to see you stop by, and thanks again for the link. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Harmony! I figured if I could do it, others might realize they can, too. (On both the health issue and on the getting out to talk to or meet readers now and then issue.) I can’t even tell you what a good time I had Saturday. I was still on a roll from my good news at the doctor’s office, and then to be greeted by such nice ladies before I’d even started talking, and have so many stay afterward–well, it was just a very rewarding afternoon, on many levels!

      Hugs back atcha! 🙂 ❤

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    • Glad you liked them, and that one on junk food really made me laugh.To avoid me having to do that, I do almost all of my shopping either online or by Husband Pick-Up, a new service I’ve found I really enjoy. And I don’t even feel too guilty, since he passes right by the grocery store on his way home from work, and since I do all the cooking (such as it is these days) and clean-up. HPU Service is free, no tipping necessary, and food arrives just in time for dinner. What more could you want? 😀 😀 😀

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    • Thanks, Lisa! Truthfully, I did my share of moaning & groaning when I was first diagnosed, but that doesn’t accomplish a thing. Once you get it out of your system, you have to get busy and do the work to make things right again. Or at least better. So I did, and they are, and now I’m smiling and laughing. 😀 Worked out well! 😉 ❤

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      • Yeah! That’s always a better way to do it. My mom was told she was prediabetic in December. Here we are in August and not only are her numbers perfect but she’s lost 40 pounds . Sometimes we need a wake up call to get our butts in gear and her wake up call woke me and her up! I’m working on eating better and getting in better shape as well.

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        • Now THAT’S a great success story–times TWO! 🙂 Good for you and for your mom. If we set our minds to it, we can do almost anything, and where our health is concerned, it’s worth the effort. WE’RE worth the effort! Continued success to you both! 🙂 ❤

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    • Thanks, Staci. I’m pretty happy with my results, and hoping to improve even more by my next 3-month follow up. I liked the eggplant, too. It was a toss-up between that and the last one for me. Navigating that junk food aisle takes all the help I can get! 🙂 ❤

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  16. All such great news, Marcia:) Glad your skin cancer is under control. I go in for my yearly checks since that runs in our family and Ive burnt too many times to count. Happy you were able to make diet changes and it paid off! It’s hard to do but so worth it.
    I love your talk went so well and you signed books. That’s inspiring.

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    • Good for you, Denise. All that childhood sunburn damage is coming to the fore now, so those check ups are vital. With my melanoma, mine just jumped from annual to every six months. It pays to stay on top of them and catch them while they’re tiny! Hopefully, you’ll never have anything come back positive, or if you do, it’s tiny and easily removed. You’re smart to take it seriously. 🙂

      I’m still smiling over Saturday’s talk. I’ve loved them all–except for ONE a couple of years ago, which was for the rudest group of ladies I’ve ever seen–but Saturday’s was just extra-special nice. Just what I needed after the difficult three months that preceded it. That kind of group can leave me smiling for days and days. 🙂

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  17. Wow Marsh,I’m glad your scary stories have a happy ending. And look at your the most social author, good for you! And, my husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over 10 years ago too. I got his diet under control (scared him into it) and he’s on a wonderful pill Janamet which works great for him. He has his blood checked monthly and I go with him to the endochronoligist (however you spell it lol) twice a year. I just can’t get him to go for a walk enough, which is important. ❤

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    • So far, my doctor is confident that I can handle this via diet and one Metformin a day. I was checking my blood 4 times a day for the first 2 months, trying to see for myself which foods, etc, caused which issues. I’ve got a pretty good handle on it now, and boy, did my numbers get good. Even my cholesterol is drastically reduced, and all via diet and the same Metformin I’ve taken for years. My doctor was all but dancing, she was so pleased. But I’ll do whatever it takes. If I need to make more changes, I will. I’m NOT going to be beaten by a disease that can usually be managed.

      I have a FitBit and walk 3+ miles a day, inside, broken up into hourly circles around the house. (Too hot to even think about going outside.) I’d been doing that and getting in better shape before the crapola hit the fan. My cardiologist says I’m doing great with that. There’s other stuff, too, but I’m not ready to lie down and be an invalid. I have things to do, and people to talk to, and books to write! 😀 I plan to keep on keepin’ on for a good while yet. 😀

      Hope your husband continues to stay stable and enjoying life, and I’m sure you’ll be there for him every step of the way.

      (BTW, my blood sugar is exactly where the doctor wants it to be, my A1C is only one tenth of a point above normal, and all my numbers are really good right now. The trick is to maintain at this level, or a tiny bit lower, and I should be just fine.)

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