The high of my week was attending a fun author event last night! My friend Lynn gifted me this event as a belated birthday gift and it was so much fun! The event was held at my favorite local indie bookstore and I really enjoyed hearing the author speak about her writing process and her journey to becoming published. She’s a debut author and at one point, I was standing inside the bookstore when some of her friends came in, and the author was like, “Can you believe this?” I thought that was so sweet! She was just so happy to be promoting her book and I can’t wait to read it soon. (The book is Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan.)
The low of my week was disappointing blood work results. I was really hoping to see some improvements thanks to exercising more and being on CPAP for a few months, but nope. Things actually got worse in a few key areas (cholesterol and A1C). I know I need to clean up my eating, but this is the kick in the pants that I need a full overhaul of my diet. I’m not healthy and I really hate seeing all of those red squares when I look at my blood work.
I’m currently reading three books! I am working my way through The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, which I’m reading to fulfill my goal of reading four 500+ page books this year. I’m a little less than halfway through and enjoying it! I’m also rereading a favorite romance (Making Up by Lucy Parker) and on audio, I’m listening to Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard.
A Reel I enjoyed was this series about training shelter animals to become therapy pets from the Michigan Animal Rescue League. It basically entails one of their volunteers telling the animals all of his intrusive thoughts and it is genius. Plus, the animals are adorable and have great names – my favorite is definitely Oven Mitt, ha. (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for your viewing pleasure!)
A podcast episode I enjoyed was The Popcast deep-diving what’s going on between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. When all of the news came out about Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and I realized Knox and Jamie were on their holiday break, I was devastated. I needed a deep dive STAT. So I had to wait a bit for this discussion, but it was well worth the wait!
The best money I spent this week was $12 on breakfast after bloodwork. This is probably the last time I can have this breakfast (or at least for a very long time) but I couldn’t help myself to a Sausage Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s since it was right on the way home. After fasting for 12 hours, that breakfast sandwich tasted delicious!
My plans this weekend include not much! I’m going to do an early morning workout at the gym on Saturday and I have my weekly writing date with Mikaela. And it’s a full weekend of playoff football! There are two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday so I’m looking forward to them. (And lots of family time!)
What was the high of your week?
I have been there on feeling bummed at blood work results; it always stings more when I think they’ll be better and then they go in the other direction. Sometimes, that kick in the pants is just what I need, though, to start making some changes (vs. know I really should but never actually doing it). I really enjoyed The Shell Seekers when I read it years and years ago!
It’s so frustrating because I really thought I was trending in the right direction. I have an appointment with my doctor to talk through the results, so we’ll see what solutions she has! Bah.
Lots of great stuff on your writing front! I’m sorry about your bloodwork, I agree, diet is the toughest part – that being said, oh boy, those Sausage EggMcMuffins!
Your reading goal is amazing ! I find there are so many books, so little time.
Have a great weekend!
Diet is sooo hard. There will have to be a very honest discussion with my dietician about how to improve my diet, gah.
So many books, so little time is the TRUTH. It’s so hard when I have so many other competing interests, too.
OVEN MITT!! When we went to meet Hannah, the rescue had Lunchbox and Sloppy Joe on the same transport. Those names got lots of chuckles. Sloppy Joe was a curly haired mess of a dog and the name really did fit. Lunchbox was a skinny tan dog and the name didn’t seem to fit, but we still regularly wonder what happened to Lunchbox.
I always feel personally attacked by bad results at the doctor’s office. I mean, sure I can control some of it, but some of it is genetic and I can only fight genetics so much!
Sloppy Joe is SUCH a cute name for a curly-haired doggo! I love that. I always want to know how these dogs get their wild names, haha.
I do have to wonder how much of this is genetics vs things within my own control. I don’t really know, but it’s frustrating.
How fun that you went to an author talk! A few years ago, I went to see Alexander McCall Smith when he spoke in a nearby town; it was the best! I’ve also been to several at my local library. The reels were so funny! I had an excellent laugh, especially when the cat smacked the guy! Thanks for sharing those. Animals are the best.
Author talks are really fun! So inspiring. It was really great to support a debut author, too.
Yesss – I laughed out loud when the cat smacked the guy. Like, “I am not giving out free therapy here!” HA. I’m glad they made you laugh!
That author event sounded really fun! How great to support a debut author at a local Bookstore. I’m sorry about the discouraging blood results. That’s always hard to process. 🙁
Honestly, this week was kind of the pits. I got some nice cards in the mail today and we got $400 worth of DoorDash gift cards so that was super generous of our friends and family! I DoorDash’d a Jersey Mike’s GF sub yesterday and it was such a nice treat after eating the same leftovers day after day! Another high has been very on talk to text. It’s really good on the iPhone, it’s less good on my PC but is still workable.
Ahem that comment should say figuring out talk to text – clearly it is not perfect!
I’m glad you’re able to use talk to text! I’m sure that makes things a LOT easier for you, especially being able to read and comment on blogs.
And hooray for being loved on by friends and family! You deserve it. <3
What a lovely author event! It sounds like a lot of fun.
So sorry about the blood work results. It stinks if you’re making changes and they don’t reflect in the bloodwork. I do hope it won’t get you down too much and you can continue on this path of making positive changes!
Thanks, San. I am very discouraged and hoping my doctor has some feedback for me how I can move forward. I do need to clean up my eating, but I was really hoping adding exercise/more water to my routine would help trend things in a better direction!
The therapy pets reels were gold! I’m still in a reading slump, so I might pick up Shell Seekers. I know nothing about this book but I’ve seen it around since junior high, so it’s probably time.
I hope if you do pick up The Shell Seekers it will help you get out of your reading slump. I find that a good thriller can also help with that!
Oh what a bummer about your blood work! That’s disappointing for sure.
I’ve heard a lot about the Shell Seekers, but haven’t read it myself. My TBR is so long, Stephany, it’s crazy! I know you can relate.
I can so very much relate. There are so many books to read! And reread! Gahhh. And then trying to balance reading with other hobbies/priorities sometimes feels like a losing battle. I feel you!
Have you noticed any other changes on your CPAP? My dad started CPAP this year and ended up gaining a good amount of weight after that, which was really confusing to him. The doctors first claimed there was no reason he would gain weight from it, and that it should help him be healthier and potentially even lose weight. But then he also heard that some people do actually gain some weight on CPAP because they are no longer waking up/ stirring so much etc at night, and therefore burn fewer calories overnight? I don’t really know. Anyway, he still doesn’t know if it was just a weird coincidence or what.
Saus mcmuffin w/ egg is my fav McDonald’s sandwich too!!! I usually get a little saus burrito just bc I’m too cheap for the sandwiches, lol. (Even the burritos- they used to be $1!! Now they’re like, $2.79 or something?!) But I do love to occasionally get a sausage mcmuffin w/egg! I especially loved them with a big Dr Pepper but I gave up soda (again…. for like the 10th time….) on 1/1/25. Hopefully for good this time!! It’s my biggest addiction. Today is day 18! Going strong. I have been getting unsweetened iced tea when I want a fountain drink (or at gas station, I get unsweetened iced tea and add a splash of lemonade to make it a little more fun but still WAY WAY less sugar than a big Dr. Pepper.)
Oh wow, I had no idea that it was possible to gain weight after being on CPAP, but that makes so much sense! I haven’t noticed a huge spike in weight myself, but I was hoping being on CPAP therapy would help improve some of my bloodwork numbers since I’m finally getting regular oxygen throughout the night! But maybe I just need more time – it’s only been in the past couple of months that I’m getting normal blood oxygen readings finally.
I do think it all really comes down to my diet and lessening my sugar intake. Like you, I am a HUGE Dr. Pepper fan and it’s so hard to get off it. I’m proud of you!
Oh this sucks doing so much and it not showing up in the blood work. I am sorry.
The birthday preset from your friend is such a great idea. Something you like and you get to do together. Great idea.
Thanks, friend. It was very discouraging, but I saw my doctor today and we have a plan! So that feels good.
I love the idea of doing experiences as gifts, and I might steal this idea from her for this year. It was such a fun night with someone I rarely get 1:1 time with!
That author event sounds fun. It is funny that basically she is just a human too and has fears and things. I think we put people up on a pedestal and think of them as an “other” but really they are just one of us, and it would be really hard to write or create something that so many people were going to judge, and that has so much competition! I would love to write but that part scares me!
Sorry that your bloodwork was not better. I am assuming since this was your last egg McMuffin that you are going to have to change your eating habits? That sucks, but I have heard that the food intake is more important than the excercise level when it comes to health, which I hate because I would rather eat crap and then run a lot than eat boring food and do no exercise!
Authors are real people! I try to remember that when there’s a book I really don’t like. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean I need to shit all over it. Sometimes that’s warranted (I feel less bad about shitting over books written by straight white men, ha), but often, there’s a kinder way to criticize a book.
Yes, I really need to tighten up my eating habits. I have to get labs again in 3 months so these next few months have got to be STRICT on the eating front, which I’m not looking forward to. But it will be worth it if my labs are much better in the spring!
I can tell you for sure that at least some of your numbers are genetic. That doesn’t really change anything, the treatment is the same, but know that my mother was VERY heavy, and never had high blood pressure, and her AC1 numbers only started to climb when she was in her late 50s or early 60s. My husband Ted, however, is a normal weight and fights both high blood pressure and diabetes. So he has to be pretty strict about his diet, and also take medication. He’s not as disciplined as he used to be, though, which isn’t good…I think he’s just sick of it all and not getting decent results, which I totally understand.
What has worked for me in the past (and I shall try again now, in solidarity) is to not say I can NEVER have something, but put a hard rule on it. Like, I can have the breakfast sandwich that I like from Starbucks (probably pretty similar to the one you get at McD), but I can only have one on the first Friday of the month. That way I have it to look forward to, and don’t have to feel like I can never have my favorite thing again. I don’t know if that’s helpful or not, but it has helped me.
I love that you got to meet an author! Very cool.
Thanks for such an encouraging comment, J! This really helped. I do need to take things slow as I clean up my eating and not have any hard or fast rules. There is a family history of high blood pressure/cholesterol, so genetics does play a small part here. But I could also do a LOT better with my diet.
Aww I love that pic of you and the author! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the book!
Ugh, I am sorry some of your bloodwork was WORSE. What a letdown 🙁 I see in the comments you are going to work with your dr and nutritionist and I hope you come up with a sustainable plan that doesn’t feel restrictive <3
I hope the book is good, lol. I’m so worried it’s going to be terrible! Fingers crossed.
Sorry to hear about the bloodwork, friend. You’ve been making changes and it must be disappointing to not have that reflected in the bloodwork. Would more time on CPAP help?
I love the picture of you and the author!
I think more time on CPAP therapy will help with some of the numbers. I’ve only been on it for a few months and it’s only in the last month that my blood oxygen numbers have leveled out to a normal range. So hopefully with some changes to my diet and more time on CPAP, I’ll see some improved numbers in a few months!