Hopeful

We are hoping for a good offer from a company in Hartford. 

More details if it pans out.

Oh... the suspense 

LOL

In other news, the WIND WAS INSANE yesterday and today. It finally let up and now, thankfully, it is raining. 

Today we drove up to Sheboygan to buy chicken. That might sound weird, but we don't like the taste of regular store-bought chicken. We keep trying different brands and we eat a little and throw the rest away. We hate to throw away food. We have been buying chicken from different meat markets and so far we like Miesfeld's in Sheboygan best. It's only a little over an hour's drive so we stocked up. The wind was horrible all the way there and back.

Medication updates. I'm still weaning myself from the heartburn medication. I haven't taken any omeprazole but I am still using the famotidine once a day. 

I tried stopping the Jardiance. Today is five days out and I'm noticing a slight puffiness in my ankles and a tightness in my chest. Well, dammit. At least it took five days this time instead of three. That's my heart. No, I'm not dropping dead, but it hampers me without medication, apparently. The low carb way of eating has helped to heal my body in many ways, but I guess I still need a little help.

Let me explain. I have Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Mitral valve disorder. What that means is the left ventricle of my heart is a little stiff and slow to empty and my mitral valve is a little leaky. Back in 2021 when I was diagnosed I was having issues when out walking on the trails. I would become short of breath to the point I was having some chest pain. I would get dizzy and because I thought I might be having a heart attack, I got checked out. After all these tests I got the diagnosis. My cardiologist told me to eat whole foods and low salt, not "no salt", and continue taking Jardiance. He said there was nothing about my heart that would give me a heart attack, I was just out of shape and with the issues, need to stop and let my heart catch up. I had problems with heart palpitations, but other than that, I continued to walk with hubby.

Fast forward to the ketogenic way of eating. Electrolytes are very important, and once I started them the palpitations went away. I use salt, as much as I want, and little by little I got healthier. But the Jardiance is like a thorn in my side. I take it for two reasons, diabetes and for my heart. The way it works is by reducing fluid retention and by making me pee more and pee out sugar. It makes it harder for me to stay hydrated. I already ended up in the ER with dehydration and a bladder infection. The last thing I want to happen is for fluid to start building up in my chest around my lungs, which could happen with the dysfunction. So I'm seeing slight puffiness in my ankles and my breathing is tight. So...back on Jardiance and drinking extra water. I want to continue doing climbs like we did up Gibraltar Rock with no problems, no shortness of breath. I'm not slowing down just because I'm 74! Wait....did I say that?

It's late. Heading to bed. Goodnight.

 

Fall Leaves October 26, 2024

 I didn't want to forget to post these, from beautiful Quarry Lake at Harrington Beach State Park.

In other news, my hubby had a very good job interview today! More details later.

Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area

 We decided to try a new place on our mini vacation. We have become quite good at this. We pack a bag a drinks and snacks and head out for a destination that can easily be reached in an hour or two. It's amazing how many destinations there are in Wisconsin! We are essentially only spending gas.

We drove back to the Driftless Area and visited a place only a little southeast of Devil's Lake called Gibraltar Rock. It was a climb but the path meandered around and made it easy. We took the direct (steep) way down. Here are a few pictures.

"You Are Here"

Walkway made of thick, heavy planks

Rocks near the top

More

There were many rock pathways and steps at the top. I see a nice Baraboo Quartzite

The view from the top

The Memorial

Rocky cliffs

I am not sure which outcropping is the Gibraltar Rock. Some people go out to the edge. It's a 200 foot sheer drop. No way!

Our walk. We had a mild elevation gain but the climb was not too difficult. I noticed a lot of people of all ages use a walking stick and I have begun using mine. I love it for uneven surfaces.

Here is an informative website Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area Area

Interviews and a Walk

 Hubby has two interviews next week! One is in Germantown, the other in Hartford. 

We took a walk in the woods around Holy Hill. The colors are not as vivid this year because it's been so dry and the trees are stressed. It was still great to get out and walk. We did about two miles. The last time we walked this trail I was struggling. Since changing what I eat and taking electrolytes all of those problems have disappeared! Here's to better health!

My favorite picture from today

Going to H in a Handbasket

 My hubby worked at Helgesen for two years and 3 months. Everyone got along, did good work, got paid well. The end of 2023 the overtime stopped. It never came back in 2024. We learned Helgesen was bought by Standard Iron in August. We kept hoping for better times. They never came. It got worse. People left. Management got mean. More people left. Everyone working there is sad and stressed. They took away overtime, they took away money, they force people to work their own job plus the job of the person who walked out. More people left. Hubby returned his uniforms this morning. He said the parking lot is nearly empty. Everyone is leaving.

I'll write more later. Much to do today. 

Progress

 I found a Medicare Advantage plan that isn't charging an arm and a leg for my Jardiance. They use a different formulary, which places it into Tier 2, making it free with mail order. It actually goes off patent in February 2025, but generic version aren't expected to be available for several years. Negotiations begin in 2026 to lower prices for all insurances.

I'm finally weaning myself from omeprazole, the PPI acid reducer. I've been taking it for years, and it is hard to stop taking it because of acid rebound. I eventually discovered that my heartburn was caused by a high carb diet. Attempting to stop the PPI caused several frightening incidents when I woke up aspirating acid. This was over the course of several years of attempting to stop taking it. Day one....Ok, day two...disaster.

So far I am 5 days out and doing well! I did buy a low dose of Famotidine to calm things down while my stomach learns to operate properly again. I stopped the PPI on Friday. By Saturday my stomach felt like it was boiling and I had some pains and nausea. Each day there is less boiling and finally only a hint of a problem. I still took one tiny Famotidine tonight to make sure there are no middle of the night disasters.

So this will be three (3)!!! medications down with the low carb way of eating, blood pressure, asthma and heartburn. 

Unfortunately my triglycerides are through the roof. They should be going down, because carbohydrates and alcohol are the main cause of high triglycerides. I must be making a mistake and consuming too many carbs. I don't drink alcohol. I am reviewing my food choices. I am ok with placating my doctor and my insurance with a very low dose of Crestor, even though that one doesn't do much for lowering triglycerides. One other is for some people, coffee can raise them. I cut my coffee way down, even just one cup of decaf per day for the week before my test. Will continue to work on it.

It's getting late, and I need to wake up at 2:30 am to get hubby off to work. At least I can go right back to bed after he leaves.

Oh, and I got my Covid-19 and flu shots on Sunday. Felt tired but I'm fine now.

 

Fun Times and Uncertainty

Hubby applied for a well paying job in another community. We were going to visit Baraboo again, but decided to check out Jefferson instead. We had no idea what to expect. Jefferson turned out to be quaint and charming. It has preserved it's history and lovely old brick buildings with beautiful architecture. 

Hubby apologized, "I know I promised you Baraboo, but I don't think there are any good jobs. I hope you don't cry."

I told him I'm OK, I like Jefferson, too.

So many uncertainties. They have yet to call him for an interview. They state that they get hundreds of applications and it takes time to go through them. Their hiring process involves three round of interviews, a video call, an in person interview, and another in person interview with 10 people present asking questions. They say expect the hiring process to take at least one month. Pretty intensive for a manufacturing job. In any case, we cannot move in winter, per our lease, and it's too far to drive everyday from here, and there are no vacancies in the apartments anywhere in the area.

Pictures of Jefferson:

So many neat buildings

The riverwalk

Still in business!

Former industrial building turned into apartments

Preserved architecture

More architecture

Along the riverwalk

The dam

Looing toward the riverwalk and the other side of the river

Jefferson has a strong German heritage

This, That and The Other Thing

 Weekdays are busy and sometimes stressful, weekends are a time to relax. Saturday October 12th we decided to drive to Baraboo, because Baraboo is so close to the other places we visit, and we have been to the zoo, but we just never actually went to Baraboo.

A Renaissance Faire was just ending and people in costume were walking everywhere. Fun!

Downtown has a square with shops all around

It is so charming!! We didn't want to leave. I only took a few pictures, but we drove around and walked around quite a bit, talked to some people, and stopped in for coffee.

Hubby: "Would you move here if I could get a job?" 

Me: "I'll pack tomorrow!" (tears)

Let me backtrack a minute. We actually went to Devil's Lake State Park first. The Driftless Area of Wisconsin is a place of wonder and beauty, and this state park is admired by many, judging by the number of filled parking lots. We found parking the second time we drove around the lake. We saw visitors from other states and from around the world. 

You Are Here map

Walking along the North Beach path leading to a trail

Tumbled Rock Trail follows the western shoreline

The path is cement and asphalt, which winds among giant boulders

Remember the big purplish rock from the Dells post? We found the Motherload!!!!

Not sure how well they show up in my pictures, but the majority of these boulders have a purple tint

One of the giant boulders. Maybe you can tell that it is slightly purple/pink. This is Baraboo Quartzite!

A very enjoyable path

Here you can see the color of the Quartzite in contrast to the grey-green lichens

We entered a forested area. Here I was wishing I had brought my walking stick as the path was quite variable and challenging

We walked over a mile and then turned back. It was difficult to get pictures as the path was narrow and I was stepping aside to let others pass and not wanting to misstep into a cavass among the boulders 

We returned to the truck and drove to the South Beach as a thunderstorm rolled in. I took this picture of a beautiful tree in the parking lot before we left.

The first thing hubby said when we got home was, "There are no rocks here." We both feel magnetically drawn to the Driftless Area.

Before I sign off...an update on my son-in-law. He is doing well, but found out that he is type 2 diabetic. His A1C of 17 is quite high. His doctor put him on a ketogenic diet. He can eat all the meat and cheese he wants. This way of eating to reverse illness is becoming mainstream!