I have really slacked off with my writing here. I just don’t have enough to say. I am still fighting to stay healthy. I am still intermittently fasting and going to the gym semi-regularly. My blood work is still looking good. My a1c is still normal. For the most part, I feel pretty good. My only issue is back pain, which I will not talk about in this post. It’s just a fact of my life.
Eating
I still don’t eat right. I am doing better. I try to make good choices. However, sometimes I go on these sugar binges. I will be doing great if I eat more green leafy foods and other green veggies. I don’t believe we necessarily need meat at every meal or every day. I don’t just eat the wrong kinds of foods. When I eat the right foods, I usually consume too much. If it were not for the fasting, I am sure I would be gaining weight. I certainly am not losing any weight.
More changes
The other improvement is I rarely drink alcohol. I used to love drinking wine on a near-nightly basis. In the last 8 months, I have consumed almost no alcohol. Part of the reason is I’ve learned that a healthy liver is essential to weight loss and health, as well as a working pancreas. I don’t know how alcohol affects the pancreas, but I do know that it can damage the liver to the point of no return.
That knowledge alone was not enough. The real difference that brought about this change is my lack of money this year. I gave up driving for Uber, primarily because of my back pain. Other reasons included the increasing discomfort of having strangers in my car, the wear and tear on the car, and Uber’s increasingly making much more money than the actual drivers. At any rate, having limited funds made giving up alcohol easier. I was barely getting by. It was all I could do to pay the minimum payments on my monthly bills.
Relief
I spent most of the year working through the process of applying for aid from the VA. My back pain is service-connected and so is my shoulder, neck, and hip pain. I got assistance from DAV (disabled American vets) to get through the process. If you are a vet and need assistance with a claim, you should definitely contact DAV.
The VA came through, and I have been able to catch up on my bills. Even paid off a few. And it turns out that I have gotten used to not drinking wine every night. In fact, when I drink it now, I get a little bit of a stomach ache. I don’t drink crappy wine, either. Now it’s just easier to do without it.
Well, that is all I have to report for now. Oh, wait! I have been able to practice the saxophone a lot more. I’m getting better (I think). I wouldn’t say I was a good sax player yet. I do think I’m getting closer.
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