November update

This is a picture of the rear of the nursing//rehab facilty that I am in presently.It's a nice place with wonderful people working here.

It's been awhile, since I last posted here. Well, lots of good things happening here.

Bloodwork

                             July 2014                           October 2014
Cholesterol        200                                      144
Triglycerides     131                                        68

A1C                       6.6                                        5.9

These results are the result of drinking green juice and making smoothies.
I'm so happy with the results.

I'm now walking with a rollator (a seated walker). I had to fight to get the facility to release me to use it by myself. At first in August, I was denied beause they said that my gait was not steady enough. I continued to fight and just before they were to have another meeting at the end of August, I pulled one of the physical therapy people aside and told her to fight for me. She knew that I was ready. At the meeting I got approved for the rollator training. They ordered the rollator andI started my training onthe week of October 12th. I was released to walk byself with the rollator on October25th.
I have to tell the truth the first day walking by myself, I almost gave up...I walked too much and I could hardly get up from the dining room table to go back to my room. I was in so much pain. I wanted my wheelchair back and I wanted it now!!!
I asked the nurse for two tylenol and I just lay in the bed for the next two hours and waited for the pain to subside. Finally, I finished changing my clothes and dragged myself into the bed. During the night, fear stepped in and I was afraid that I was going to fail, after begging for the rollator. I prayed and I walked less the next day, Ifelt a little better. I cntinued to take the tylenol for the next two days. Finally on day three I felt much better. I realized that my legs had to get used to carrying my big, beautiful body around again. I had to learn how to transfer from the rollator to a chair or couch. I learned my lesson about sitting on low chairs and couches. No bueno, no good for me. I took the cushion from my wheelchair and put it on the seat of the rollator, so my tush wouldn't hurt so much, so fast.
It's now two weeks snce, I have been walking with the rollator and I discovered anoter fact,that I should have know, but didn't. I had to stop wearing flip-flops while walking. I put my Puma gym shoes on and  walked and I felt so much better. The support made all of the difference in the word. I hated that I had to wear the Puma shoes until bedtime and couldn't take them off. I could not put them back on by myself,yet! I've also been wearing my cloth Keds shoes too and I'm beginning to feel so much better walking. Monday I go to shop for a pair of slip on gym shoes, so I can take the shoes off whenever I feel like it.
Well, God blessed the fear to leave me  and I'm walking everywhere. When I get tired, I just put the rollator against a wall or sme other secure place and sit down for a rest.
It's too kool!!! The cloth storage underneath the seat is great. I have that thing packed.

The next bit of good news, I will have an apartment by Christmas or maybe even Thanksgiving.. My own apartment!!! I'm thrilled. Well, let me fill you in on how this came about. My state has a program called "Money Follows the Person". From what I can tell from viewing YouTube videos, It's nationwide. This mean that whatever money alloted to you, follows you to help you no matter where you are. I mean it's a one-time $3-4000.00 payout verses $4-6000.00 payment every month to this nursing/rehab facility. In my State someone sued because they wanted to get out a nursing home and needed help from the government agencies to do so. Well, the courts agreed and since 2010 they have asssted 1,100 persons to get out of nursing homes and be integrated back into the communities.
Well, they came to my facility and asked if anyone wanted to live back in the community instead of the nursing facility. I said yes and less than two months later, the housing person is lookng for me an apartment. Think of the freedom that I will have. I will have about $700.00 a month of my money after rent, instead of $30.00. What a miracle from God.
The different agencies will pay for the furnishing in my apartment from rent security to maybe paying my rent for a year. a year !!!!

They let you choose furniture and then take you to a store of your choice, armed with a budget from them to purchase everything that you need from the apartment. Everything from flatware, dishes, glassware, rugs, garbage cans, etc. They also purchase you a month supply of groceries. Then they have everything delivered and setup at the apartment and finally come and move me and my belonging from here to my new apartment.

The social service agencies will check on me monthly for a year.
They arrange everything from health aids that I need and even a homemaker to assist me for several hours each week, to pick up medications, do shopping, laundry chores and whatever else is needed.

Is that a miracle of God or not??? Thank you Father God !!!
I hope that I don't take this long to update this blog again.

(If there are any typos, I'l fix them tomorrow, since I'm half asleep now.)

nite, nite.

An amazing day !!1

Today was an amazing day. I was so happy. God has really blessed my spirit. I love myself so much. I feel so glad that I'm growing. really growing.

First, i had breakfast. I had a veggie and fruit smoothie, then later I had green juice. Then, I had a appointment with the eye doctor. I had my eyes checked. The doctorfound out that my glasses are too strong. Imagine that too strong. From changing my diet, God blessed my eyes to improve. i got thoses glasses when i was going through that pre-diabetes drama. but, now my eyes have improved, since I changed my diet. The glasses that I'm wearing now are from 201 0. So, It has taken about 4 years or less for my eyes to improve. I'm very happy, to say the least. New glasses  in a little while.  Oh yeah, my new frames are purpe... too kool. Yowers!!!

Then I had lunch. I had 2 smalll round pizzas and  2 cups of ice cream. No guiilt. It was what it was.

Went outside and meditated for awhile. read my book and did some visualizaton.
I enjoyed the nice weather and stayed outside a total of 2 hours.

Told my daughter that I was going to not return home but, instead go to live in an assisted living place. Usually she doesnt agree, when I bring this discussion up.. But, today she asked a few questions and said maybe, it's  time for me to do my thang. Well, I disussed it with the social worker and decided to apply at a place she recommended. I have to pay all of my social security check to them, except for $100.00 each month. But, i get all my meals and laundry service and a housekeeper. Sounds good to me. I've got to really get on the stick to make some money with my jewelry or foster grandparents. We'll see what happens.
 I refuse to give in. I can make this work. I'll be praying to God to bless me. I wish that I had more savings to assist me on this run. But, I am rich and amazing through God the Holy Spirit.

Came inside and freshened up.

went in to dinner and got some mung bean sprouts, bananas, canteloupe and skim milk to make my veggie and fruit smoothies.
Made some good smoothies. Drank one tonight and put one in the refrig for tomorrow. I also put a green juice in the refrig for tomorrow.

Getting ready for bed at 9:30pm.

Oh our bains...One thng that we have to realize is that our thoughts, which originate within our brains can create for us a beautiful life or a horrible, self-destructive one, depending on how we act on these thoughts.. For example, every day I want somethng sweet, irregardless of how full my tummy is. I mean, I can be bursting at the seams and I still desire M&M's and chips. What's that insanty about??? Well, I have hardwired my brain to produce desires for sweets, especially after each meal. I've been eatng eating sweets and chips after each meal and in the evenings for over 55 years. I grew up abused and so food,was the only true enjoyment that I had. Everything else in my life was so horrible, I loved mealtimes, unless i was being punished for some invented crazyiness. So through the years, even after I came out of the abusive home,  there was a daily demand placed on me through my thoughts to have sweets and chips as a reward for making it through the day, every day.
All these many years and pounds later, I finally am beginning to have a breakthrough in the area of controlling my thoughts. Why? Because my back is pushed to the wall. The only way for me to be discharged from this Care Centre is for me to have a total knee replacement on my left knee. Before the knee replacement can be scheduled, I have to lose 35 pounds. Well, I've done some weight loss and bingo, two weeks ago I gained 3 pounds! Why? Because of the same self-sabotaging thoughts  that have been my downfall for the last 55+ years. These same friendly (lol) thoughts have helped my beautiful figure to gain so much, that I'm 100 pounds overweiigt and my BMI is 49.0.

I have cried, prayed, anagonized and fretted over this quandry that I find myself in to no avail. I finally stopped worring and relaxed, since the only other health problem that I have is high blood pressure, which is under control with meds. So, I cannot worry about stuff.
I started reading, first I read, "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. I tried it but, no long-term success. Then, I read several other books and finally I read "The Rational Brain" online, "Brain Over Binge" and some other cognative behavior books and articles, some of which were bible based, which started the change process within me. "Thin Within" was one. I also read some works of  Dr. Joe Dispenza.
The last book I started reading was " Desires FulFilled" by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I like to listen to Dr. Dyer,but, I have to carefully divide a lot of the things that he says and writes about. Why? Because I don't agree theologically with them. I started reading this book and  I scratched out some words and replaced them with what I thought was correct and I started learnning a lot about myself and the God whom I serve. The scriptures that Dr. Dyer used in the book, caused the Holy Spirit within me to bring even more scriptures to life within me. Scriptures that I had heard for the last 32 years began to come alive and have new meanings for me. I started to feel the love that God has for me and how all He wanted from me for all these years, is for Him to be glorified through my life. What does it mean to glorify God? To glofiy God means to take God, who a lot of people think as nothing special, someone unimportant, something not real and for a person to represent Him in such a way through that persons life, his manner of loving, thereby causes God, not the person, to appear special and elevated. Therefore God is accepted, appreciated, loved and desired in a brand new way. That's as simple as I can put it.
I have been just meditating on the Word of God and  starting to see God's answers to my prayers and His promises found in His Word, coming true as I meditate.
 Today for example, I wanted some M&M's  and chips so bad. I was craving them so bad and then, I realized that it was just a thought, just a thought, which I could let pass by and just think about something else. The thought and craving left. I got so excited, because it was one of the first times, I've had success, not acting on a thought to eat sweets and chips. Man, this initial success is the first of many more to come for me.
So what new thing will I do daily? I will let not let wrong thoughts flow freely through my mind and then fucus and act on them. I will view them and allow them to pass though, with no following action on my part, to fulfill said thought, just realize that they are only thoughts...thoughts that come and go. I'll have 50,000 of them every day.
Selah..........................

Guess who used the potty today??

Today I used the potty for the first time in 5 months. Yipee!! What's funny is that just this morning I was praying to God and asking Him to bless me to be more independent now.  I spend over a hour seeing myself using the potty and walking easily with my walker and with a rollater (?). I mean it's time for another great step. I have got to  progress even more.
So this afternoon, I was waiting for my CNA to appear to assist me with going to get freshened up, which I do daily at 4pm. But, today, my CNA asked me if I wanted to try to use the potty. I said "yes" and I told her what transpired this morning. We went into the washroom and I was able to potty with her help, with very little pain. I could not hold onto the wall rails with both hands, since I can't move  from side to side yet.s So I improvised and put on hand on the wheelchair and the other on the bar and I fandangled my way onto the potty. It was even easier getting up from the potty. I was so happy. Who'd a thunk it?? Too funny. But, every bit of progress made by me will be celebrated by me. I'm still excited, even now hours later.

Now, to just get the rest of this weight off, so I can get on with the first total knee replacement done.

making smoothies in a care facility

This photo is of the end product of making my own delicious smoothies in my room at the Care Center, here I'm located....yummy!!!!

I wanted to post a video (couldn't get it to post correctly, so it's pictures instead, sorry) on how I make smoothies in a care center (nursing home). If you haven't read my prior posts, let me take a minute to explain how I got here and why I'll be here the next few months. Feb 8, 2014 horrific back pain brought me to the hospital for the third time in as many months. This time they admitted me and found out the I had Stenois of the back and a bad infection in the bone. After two months on antibiotics, the infection was gone. But, I had lost my ability to walk with my cane anymore and therefore, I had to have a total knee replacement done before, I could be released to go home again. Home which is a mere 8 blocks away, but requires that I walk up two flights of stairs (18 steps) and in need of 24 hour care, until I'm able to walk with  the cane again. But, alas, there will no more cane for me but, a total knee replacement, coming soon to this beautiful body.

I now walk with a walker a distance of 150 feet, but, still with the wheelchair following behind me and yes,I do rest while completing the 150 foot route.But, I'm making progress.when I got here, I was in so much pain you could not touch me without me screaming in pain. God really has blessed my body. I now get out of bed by myself and transfer into the wheelchair.

So here I am in a nice care facility, with great people looking after me as I go about losing the mandated 35 pounds that I need to lose. I've already lost15 pounds in the last 6 weeks.My daughter has been bringing me green juice and cut up fruit. But, I decided to take a break from the green juice and commit to fruits smoothies and eat only fresh fruit and green tea with coconut oil.

This has not been easy but, I realized that you can be in a care center and still restore your health. I'm a firm believer that God answers prayer. I prayed that God reveal to me how to lose this weight, while in a wheelchair and getting almost no form of exercise.I decided to exercise every morning on the side of my bed. I was doing it but my diaper kept slipping down and Lord knows that I needed that diaper on my body.

 So then i decided to exercise after I transferred from the bed with my walker to the wheelchair. That's working better. I move like I'm walking and then mix in an assortment of other exercises.

Then came the how to to make smoothies in my room. I got my granddaughter to bring some things of mine from home, the next time the family came to visit. She brought my $15.45 mini blender, I purchased from Wal-Mart, my flaxseeds, my Hemp protein powder, chia seed, coffee grinder( to grind the whole flaxseeds), my cacoa powder and coconut oil. She brought the items that I needed. I purchased almond milk, frozen fruit and plastic storage bags from the Aldi located right next door from the care facility. The facility allows me to go out to Aldi with an escort.

A fiend sent me birthday money,so I went online to Amazon and got some terrific deals. I got 96 ounces (6) pounds of whole flaxseed for $17.99, 2 pounds of cacoa for $19.99 and 2 pounds of chia seeds for $13.99. I was so happy, had been  purchasing 10 ounces of chia seeds for $10.99, 1 pound flaxseed for $9.99 and 8 ounces of cacao for $12.00 at various health food stores. Glad that I became an informed consumer.

In the pictures,you see the smaller bags of chia seeds and cacao, that I used to purchase, I keep refilling these bags, since they're easier to use. I keep the newly purchased larger containers, in my closet to maintain freshness. The ground flaxseed is the plastic cup you see in the pictures. I keep a larger package of flaxseeds in the refrigerator. As needed, I grind enough flaxseeds to to fill a bag and stick it in the refrigerator and only keep 1-2 days worth in a small plastic container in my room in a dark, cool place.

After a while I realized that I could save some money by getting items from the facility for free. So, I started requesting bananas, yogurt, fresh fruits with my meals. The fresh fruit and bananas I cut up and froze for use later. I got styrofoam cups with lids to store my smoothies in. I also noticed that they had liquid protein that they gave to patients with wounds. I requested some and the informed me that I needed a doctors request to get it. So they called my doctor and explained my purpose for wanting the liquid protein. My request was granted. They are getting me hemp protein powder, just what I wanted.

Below is a photo of my set up as I prepare the smoothies.

Smoothie ingredients:

1/2 cup to 1 cup of frozen fruit
1/2 banana
1 scoop Hemp protein powder
1-2  teaspoonful Chia seed
1 tablespoonful ground flaxseed
1 teaspoonful Cacoa powder
2 packets Stevia
8 ounces Almond milk
 I mix in blender and enjoy one container for now and the other container I pour into cups and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours to eat like a frozen treat later in the day.

I added another picture to show you how the chia seeds look in the little cups of water.  They are in the little black looking cups and they expand in the cups and they make you feel fuller longer.

you can also add something green like spinach, kale, romaine or anything green to make it a green smoothie.

So, you see there is no excuse that you or a loved one cannot add to their health in a care center. I wish you the best in your recovery!!!

Fight for what you need in a senior care center. July 2, 2014

I'm taking my coconut oil three times a day with tea so, I will be able to press in the correct year every year that I'm alive.

 God has blessed me through this whole adventure of being in  a resident of a care center at 62 years of age, because of  the need to have both knees replaced. I mean total knee replacements. Yowzers!!!!!!!! An adventure to say the least.

God is good. I did not get to go home on May 30th, when my medicare ended. I'm in need of a total knee replacement on both knees. The left knee is much worst than the right knee and now I am not able to walk on my own anymore. I'm learning how to walk with a walker now. So, it was assesed that I'm not able to go home until I get the left knee replaced and go through physical therapy successfully.

I'm in this facility under medicaid. I'm getting a little stronger daily. I started to change this blog to "How to survive in a care center". Man, there are a lot of things to learn being in a care center. My physical therapy ended when the medicare ended on May 30th and I was to start restorative therapy the next week.Where as I had 30-45 minutes daily physical therapy under medicare, now I have 15 minutes a day with restorative therapy at 4pm daily. I don't know about you but, at 4 pm, I don't want to do much of anything physical. Plus the RT lady was working by herself. I'm not a little dainty lady but a  thick chick (as the kids say)....lol.Well, they decided to have me work out on the omnicycle but, I wanted the focus changed to my walking daily instead. But, they are concentrating on me just standing. She had me standing daily. I was counting up to 300, so to me that means that I'm steady on my feet. duh... Well, to make a long story short, I had to fight with them for a whole month. I even bought my own mini bicycle to get more exercise.
Finally, I told the head of restorative that I was getting ready to send a email to the administrator and also to the social services director expressing my frustration with the process.  She was still trying to explain to me, why they were not walking me. I explained to her that on May 30th, I was walking 70 steps with my walker. and now almost a month later, I have walked no steps, except transferring from my bed to the wheelchair. No bueno, No good!!! To say the least I was very upset. So she sends in the one person, who helped me during the past 30 days, to talk to me. We talked and agreed that I would be walked the next morning. So the next morning comes and all 6 of the restorative assistants are in my room to see if I can indeed walk or even transfer from bed to wheelchair. They then tell me that I will be transferring from the bed to the wheelchair 5 time today and that's it.Boy, I started screaming that I was going to walk today with or without them and if I fall, well so what, but, I'm walking today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So then they say that the Therapy Doctors assistant had not released me to walk yet. I told them that it was she, who was making me walk. So they go and find her and she tells them that I was already walking (sigh)!! So then they had me transfer from bed to wheelchair and then from wheelchair to bed and back again. Then they took me outside walking. I walked 30 steps or equal to 60 physical therapy steps. That was friday June 27th. They took away my Hoyer lift sling, so that I was forced to transfer by walking. Well, here comes Friday afternoon and there is no gait belt large enough to fit me, so they can't allow me to get up and transfer from wheelchair to the bed. I called restorative and told them of my problem, which was one of the reasons that I constantly had the sling put behind me in the wheelchair.Problems with the afternoon staff who were afraid me making the transfer from wheelchair to bed, all because they had never seen me do it.    I had been asking them for my own gait belt, to alleviate this problem but, no they never got one for me. well, this day, they found me a brand new gait belt. How about that!!!! So we made the transfer smoothly.

We made arrangements to walk me on Saturday June 28th. So on June 28th, I walked 60 steps. Then on Monday June 30th. they did not serve me my breakfast until 9:30 instead of 8:15, so when they came to walk me, I was not quite ready. They were mad. I got ready in 15 minutes, so I was 15 minutes late for my walk. Then it was discovered then one of the RT assistants had prepared my breakfast tray for me and the CNA told her that my tray had my name on it but, there was no food on it. Then they all understood that I was not lying. I walked 80 steps that morning. Yipee. Tuesday July 1st,they came and told me that they would be walking me at 10am only  on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is Wednesday and I waited this morning until 10:45 am and no one came to walk me. But, I was able to compete30 minutes of exercise, which was great. I had the CNA call RT and they came and said that they had a seminar this morning, which is why I was not walked.They will come and walk me tomorrow.
I said all of this to tell others that they have to fight for their life and services owed to them, which are being paid by Medicare or Medicaid. I didn't walk for 27 days but, I bet they billed the state for 27 days. Days which to me they are not entitled to be paid, because they really dd nothing for me. Yes, I did not participate some days to just standing or being put on the Omnicycle. But, I feel they should not be paid those days.Ijs...................

Here's another example of fighting for what you need in the Care Center.. The only kind of dressing the center serves for salads are ranch and french, which I later found out was fat-free. Man, all of the patients are trying to get well, so we need more vinegrette type dressings instead of those heavy rich dressings. So, I asked for a vinaigrette dressing for weeks and was made promises, which were not filled. There were two people asking for the vinaigrette to no avail. Last week we a resident concern meeting was held, which the administrator attended and we asked her for the vinaigrette and I specifically asked for a raspberry vinaigrette and lo and behold two days later, I had  the raspberry vinaigrette delivered to me. The dietitian also told me that he had more bottles for me, when I finished that one.Today a lady at the table asked me if she could put some on her salad. To tell the true, I didn't want to share but, I knew that was not right. I only hesitated for a second but, that was one second too long.You have to share to be blessed. So, you see we much we must fight for what we need.

In the meeting, which I mentioned earlier, I also asked for a lock on my closet, since we have resident across the hall who wanders into other peoples room and shops. and less than a week later, I had a lock put on my closet with a key!!



I still have to lose 34 pounds before I can receive my total knee replacement. I already lost 9.1 pounds. yipee!

 I know that I have favor from God with people but, if you don't think anyone likes you still fight. Relatives fight, fight, fight for your loved ones needs in their care center.  I find that when relatives come to visit patients, the staff responds more quickly to their needs, especially when a relative requests something. Ask for whatever you needs, all they can do is say no, but sometimes you might get a yes! yowzers!!!!

In my next post I will give instructions on how I make great low cost protein smoothies in my room at the care center.

May 5, 2014 Too funny!!!

Saturday, was a funny day, here at the care center. I got dressed and needed for the cna's to put me into the hoyer life to  get me into the wheelchair to go down to pysical therapy. the two young people didn't know what they were doing and I wound up gong round and round in circles.Thank God, my knee was not hurting, because they left it hanging as they tried to get me situated. it was so funny. They were so afraid that I was going to be screaming and mad at them but, I just hung there and laughed.
Last nigt a man died two doors down from us. I hear loud noises and then the nurse calling for all the nurses to come to his room and then they said to call 911 and then more noises, and then the police came, more noises. the patient died, I found out this morning. I had my roommate turn down her tv and we prayed for the man, but to no avail.
My roommate had her tv on all night again, but, it was on low at least. this morning, when she turned on her tv at 5am, I turned on my light and my music and prayed and sang.  I took a tylenol and norco, this morning. I went to tp and I walked 20 steps after I warmed up my legs first. I was happy.
At happy hour I ae cheese n crackers and at taco and drank sparking juice.at 4>30 pm my blood sugars was 100. God has healed that diabetes attack out of my life.
I  used my nurses phone to call sprint to get my phone fixed. I think that it worked.
I still have my turkey burger from lunch and I got a diet pop and a bag of mms for dinner. I am going to have a tylenol 325mg and a norco at 9am daily to help me walk better.

Good news today

Well, I celebrated my 62nd birthday and it was great, really great.I enjoyed a visit from my family. Too kool. a lot of gifts. I was so happy. They also brought green juice for me too.

I have not been doing too bad with my eating but, everyday it seems like there is always an opportunity to eat what I shouldn't.

Missy gave me green juice, which I drank up and also made smoothies for myself.

But, there always seems to be a way or opportunity to do the wrong thing.

I had a great day yesterday.my eating was good.

My friend L. visited me on Thursday and she went off again. I told her again, that God is not not answering a person for 3 years regarding her finances, job, living conditions,the women at church and her sister. i was so tied of her, really tired of her, but God. In my flesh I really don't want to be bothered with her, but, God could feel the same way about me,but, he never gives up and still loves me even when i talk and act crazy.But, I just acted like nothing happened, when I texted her a few minutes later.

My doctor from in today came in today and  he asked why i was still here, I told him about my total knee replacement and about the weight markers. He said he knew a good surgeon from U of C hospital,who could do my surgery right now with no weight loss. I was so excited, I mean I want to lose the weight, but I'd rather get the surgery and do rehab and go home. I pray that this works out for me and get this surgery done in at least the next 6 weeks or less. we will see. I want to have the surgery done by a good surgeon. God be my help.

I also have been wearing my hair in twists for the last 3 days. I'm liking how I look. I'm not trying to please anyone but, myself. The people of other races here don't know what to think and keep telling me  how good I looked in that wig. Oh well.
I ordered a texturizer kit, gel and black castor oil for my hair. I will do my hair on wednesday. God willing. My hair has really grown and it will be so nice and long when I do it on wednesday. I'm so excited, really excited.I have 3-4 inches of new growth. I'll try to keep wearing it in twists or my two twists on the top f my head. We'll see. I'm encouraged. I feel that I'm pretty good looking with the twists. I mean I see other women here doing nothing with their hair and most them have thin hair too. I just don't care anymore. I love myself just like I am.

I am doing lo carb and feel pretty good but, I still making excuses to eat wrong. Tomorrow is another day but, I'm going to make it

I'm doing a prayer challenge next week. one hour or more of prayer per day. God I need you to help me through all of this I pray in Jesus name.

Tomorrow is my birthday.....62 years young

This last 5 months have been crazy, real crazy. First ended the year in horrific pain, as my back was going crazy with pain.I wound up going 3 time to the hospital. Was admitted on Feb. 7, 2014. After the hospital and a diagnosis of spinal stenois ( a narrowing of the spine, for which I required no surgery, Thank God. I was just reading of a athlete who had to have surgery for the same condition. Glad that I dodged that bullet.

I'm now in a care center awaiting a total knee replacement, without which I cannot go home.I've met all my markers except the weight loss of 35 pounds. I lost 9.1 pounds already. But, since the last the I saw my orthopedic surgeon,  had gained 8.1 pounds from being on prednisone, So, I now still have 34 pounds to lose before being scheduled for surgery. So,after I lose the remaining weight, I'll be scheduled for surgery about a month or two later. So, looks like I'll be here for awhile.

Today Maribel,Emelissa and little Emmie came to visit me and brought me early birthday gifts. A matching bag, pen, journal, kwiws, strawberries and other fruits.
We had a nice visit and I was so happy.

Today, I made fruit protein shakes. I mean I have got to lose this weight and lose it fast. I made a shake for lunch and after lunch I had a granola bar and dark chocolate bar and peanuts and ice cream. So, now its 6 pm and I'm drinking my other shake. It's all kool. I'm trying and I'll get it right. God is blessing me already and I feel His blessings on me. I mean for them to bring strawberries and other fruit for me is a good sign. I divided the strawberries into my fruit bags in the freezer. So, I have more fruit to put in my shakes.

Sad in my spirit May 2, 2014

I'm waiting for my dinner now. It's been a nice day a long day but nice I just received a email or a rather a text from nanette and saying that she had been admitted into the hospital they think its a stroke. I'm not a happy camper to say the least, but I have people praying for her.

Earlier today L. came by and said that she was offered a job part time with the Skokie school programs as a the crossing guard. The pay was $16 an hour for 5- 6 hours a day. I informed her that she would only be making $1 a day less than what she was making now and told her that the she would pocket the $300.0 monthly toll fees, since she no longer needed to use the tollway to get to work anymore. She was so stuck on the idea of the word part time, that I couldn't even get through to her. It really grieved me. She has to make her own decisions, but I felt that God had opened the door for her and she refused to go through it because of the word part time. If she had just prayed and ask God if it was for her, I believed he would have shown her what to do.  I know that she wants to find another full time job, that pays decent money. But, it's between her and God now. I hope that God gives her what she desires because, it's kind of rough out there. I don't know why it upset me so bad, but I just want her to seek God and see if that's what he wanted for her.

I also  walked 20 steps the first time that I walked with the walker today and about  30 steps the next time. I'm very very happy but very very tired after I finished. I have 28 days left to get this together so that I can go home on a walker so I'm very happy about that.

Tonight I watched the bible on Netflix. it was so good. I cried abut the part of abraham and Isaac. It was so different to see it come alive on film. It touched me deeply.