Wonder drug?

I guess wonder drugs are not always wonderful. I’ve been on Ozempic for seven months now. And while parts of the treatment are truly amazing, I’m not thrilled with all that it does. First the good parts. My blood sugar is doing great. I am still taking some metformin, but I’m down to one a day, rather than four. Anything that can get me off some meds is good in my book.

Now to speak to why I think most people are interested, the weight loss. I’ve been so shocked and pleased by all this. I’ve lost just shy of thirty pounds and that’s the part shocks and thrills me. But it’s still very strange. I can’t wear some of my favorite pants because I’m afraid that they’ll fall off in public. Looking in the mirror the other day I saw I had a thigh gap! My thighs have been rubbing together in a most annoying way for the past thirty-five year. I was stunned. I’m not quite used to all this change and I’m not sure what to do about my clothes. I still want things loose and comfortable, yet I’d like to show off the weight loss a little. I’m working on it.

 

I think being on Ozempic has taught me better eating habits, especially in portion control. You can’t overeat on Ozempic. You’ll be sick, I promise! When you’re full – STOP! I don’t care how good that last bite looks, if you feel full you better just leave it.

 

Now the not so good parts. It doesn’t work the same for everyone. A good friend began about a month ago and really hasn’t see much weight loss at all. Mine began almost at once.  I guess it reacts differently for different people. My biggest problem came when I went up to 2 mg. That’s when I began feeling nauseous most of the time. To be honest it was mild, but it didn’t matter. I either felt sick or felt like I was about to be sick if I did anything or even thought about eating. 

This went on for about two to three weeks and I decided I’d had enough. It was during this time I had that awful bout of vertigo (nothing to do with the Ozempic) so I’d felt pretty crappy for nearly a month when I told my doctor I was cutting the Ozempic down to 1 mg. Since then, I’ve felt human again, so much better. The best part is that my blood sugar is still down, and I haven’t gained any weight back. Now that I feel like exercising again, I feel like I’ll continue to lose.

 

Here are some thoughts for those of you thinking of trying it. Eat slowly and mindfully when you start. Don’t let your doctor rush you into increasing the dose. If it’s working where you are you don’t have to increase it right away. Now my friend is afraid to go up from .25 to .5 because she’s listened to my tales of woe. I suggested she try it. She’s not diabetic so she is only taking it for weight loss. If she isn’t losing on .25 and not willing to go up at all, then what’s the point of being on it in the first place. My most important piece of advice, pay attention to how you feel and while you should listen to your doctor and discuss things with him or her – the final decision is yours. Remember that.

A sentimental Mother's Day thought

I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day. I got to spend the afternoon with Mollie, which is always nice. I got a text from LJ earlier in the day that just shows what a sweet, sentimental boy he really is. He found this tweet and sent it on to me and there are comments on it from from Collin and Mollie.

 

My mom is a prosecutor and every year she brings up the fact that Mother’s Day is the day with the lowest crime. I think that says a lot about how many moms commit crimes throughout the year but can’t today because they’re too busy being celebrated.

 

LJ: Something to think about

Collin: I’ve always assumed as much.

Mollie: It seems like something to look into.

 

Really, what sweet children.

It didn't go as planned

We planned our trip to Florida months ago. We were taking a bus tour with some friends. All was paid for, bags packed, arrangement made for the cats. It was all go. But it didn’t go as planned.

 

We were to leave early Thursday morning. On Wednesday I was finishing up the last of the packing, last minute things. I haven’t been feeling great, but there was nothing really wrong either – I just felt tired and a little off. Around noon I stretched on the bed, it felt wonderful. There was a nice breeze from the window and I thought a short nap would be just the thing. Problem was I was barely out of that bed for the next twenty-four hours. About the time I was planning on getting up I was hit with the worst vertigo I’ve ever had (I’ve only had it twice before.)

 

If I so much as thought of lifting my head from the pillow, I began vomiting. The dizziness was as intense as anything I’ve ever experienced. Thank God for Nick. When I had to go to the bathroom – which is only steps from my bed I quickly realized it was impossible alone. It felt like I’d been on this for a solid hour or more.

                                           

Nick would guide me as I held my little container and vomited the whole way there and back. Although I took what the doctor had prescribed for me before nothing helped that day. I certainly couldn’t finish the little packing left to be done, couldn’t take a shower and I knew that there was no way I could ride on a bus for six or more hours the next day. So long trip.

 

By late was feeling so much better. Still a little dizzy and unsteady, but a tremendous improvement. Part of me feels guilty because of causing us to miss the trip, being out the money and letting down the friends we were to travel with. But it truth I know there was nothing I did to cause this and nothing I could have done to prevent it. Sometimes things just happen. Maybe I should just be happy it didn’t happen while I was on the bus or while we were there. Getting back would have been a hassle.

 

Not many bright spots I can see in this saga so far, except that I have lost several more pounds.  If you’ve ever taken advice from me, let me stress, do NOT try this method for weight loss – it’s not worth it!

Busy Weekend

My house seemed very, very full this weekend. We had Nick and me, and our two I cats – what I would usually call a full house. The we had Mollie’s dogs, those two beautiful Goldens! With what they left all over my house I feared we would send her home with two bald dogs, but no, they had enough hair to completely cover our floors and furniture AND still had more for her car and her house. Amazing!

 

Then, of course, we had my two boys, LJ and Collin. We loved getting to see them and we had some wonderful long talks. The dogs loved them, in fact the youngest wanted to be in LJ’s face every minute. LJ is more one to love seeing a dog lying close by rather that one constantly trying to get in his lap. Especially when said dog weighs about eighty pounds. But for the most part we all got along well.

 

We stopped by old elementary school where LJ and I both went, even Mollie began there. It was taken over by the town and has many little shops, and meeting rooms. There is a small bar and a large theater as well as a small museum. We were in one of the shops when Collin ask a lady working there if she was… and called her by name. She said yes and he told her he had gone to the elementary school where she taught and that he remembered her smile.  She seemed delighted. As we talked the other woman working there. she mentioned that she was a writer. I mentioned the problems I was having with my publisher – she had had similar problems and was able to recommend the lawyer she had used. I’d already called a few lawyers and they all said they didn’t do that kind of case. I feel like I finally have a place to begin.

I enjoyed going to the play and the retirement party with the boys. When their teacher saw them, she began to cry. She had really liked both of them and to think they had come so far to acknowledge her retirement really got to her. I mentioned to her that they hadn’t come for Christmas, but they did manage to get here for her. I told her that didn’t bother me a bit, I’d take them anytime I could get them.

Mollie’s trip to see Taylor Swift went smoothly and they all had a great time. But I was very happy when they all returned home safely. I took the boys to the airport on Monday. I’m not wild about the drive to the airport a good part of it is on an eight-lane highway with tons of traffic so it’s just not a drive I like to make – but I did it!

 

Now I can just relax at home, for a while. But next week Nick and I are heading to Florida for a few days. I’ll tell you all about it another time.