Baby Steps …
Looks like I’ve been a bit remiss in my blogging. I guess I’ve been a bit preoccupied with all the goings on around here. I’ve been to my doctors, things are looking ok. My liver enzymes are dropping and so is the evil prednisone that goes along with them. My blood pressure is good. And I’ve been following my blood sugar also, which seems ok. Gets a bit high after supper, but not too high that it’s dangerous. Important thing is that it’s normal in the day and not high all the time. It seems to bounce back fairly rapidly too, so i’m producing plenty of insulin. It’s just the prednisone that slows down the sugar absorption into my cells … so it stays high for longer after I eat. In about 2 weeks I’ll see my specialist again and get a copy of my latest blood tests. He was so rushed last time that he couldn’t find my file! So he wasn’t sure exactly where they were, but knew then were way down, heading for normal. Hope that’s the case so I can drop the prednisone more and faster. Fairly sure now that the liver inflammation I have now is a result of the botched biopsy and later surgery … and not a flair up of my autoimmune disease. That would be great, took so long to get that stablised!
My mom fell and fractured her upper arm/shoulder about 5 weeks ago … tripped on a stool trying to answer a phone call from me! So I’ve been thinking a lot about that - figured that was a fairly good sign that I was jinxed. Not by itself, but with all the rest of the unluckiness following me around! LoL. But I got over that. My Mom’s shoulder injury lead to blood tests while she was there and she’s been following up on what they found and looking after the shoulder. Good thing she went to the hospital though, they found a host of other things that need tending too - high blood pressure, diabetes, and some unknown thing that is causing elevated liver enzymes. So she’s a bit freaked out by all of that at once, but seems to be coping and making some changes to improve things. All good.
I’ve been travelling out to visit her a few times since then, and in so doing have passed through my hometown twice. This gave me the opportunity to stop by and visit my 95 year old Grandma. She’s doing well - body starting to fail her a bit (eyesight, hearing mostly) but her mind is still sharp! My tough independent Gram - that’s a good role model to have for sure. 
I’m doing ok as well. It’s now been about 6 weeks since my liver operation. First week or two was really tough, felt so weak and pain in liver was pretty bad. Now, my energy and endurance is about back where it was before the operation which is good. I’ve been walking (almost) every day for the past 4+ weeks. Not far, just around the block or the big block if I’m feeling good. That’s about half an hour at a good pace. Back is really sore when I get back and liver pain increases as it goes along. But a shot of water, some fruit, and a couple hours rest and i’m ok. LOL. seems silly to recuperate for so long for so little, but what can you do? I think the liver pain is slowly going away, I don’t feel it as much after activity … but it’s always there. Discomfort, like I have a wooden branch in my liver … which, as my specialist says, it’s far from the truth! a bunch of clots plugging things up. A strange sensation for sure.
I’ve been trying to get outside more too. Going to the waterfront or local parks when it’s nice out. Feels good to just go and sit, walk a little bit. For an hour or two. Starting to get a little boring since the places are so small, so I’m desperate to find something else. I finally took my bike to get repaired and I rode it around for the first time today. I think it’s been 3 years. Long time. I didn’t have much back pain while I was on it … hopefully that will be the case for longer rides (I only went around the block). It’s a bit hard to get on and off since I have to swing my leg up and over. Worse since I purchased the bike with a frame that is about 1-2 inches too large. Anyway, hopefully a week or two of small trips and it will be easier. I’d really like to make it down to the waterfront for a ride. We’ve got this great bike path that runs the length of the Chambly Locks here in Old St-Jean. Something to work toward. But I’m pretty terrified of falling off the bike. Not sure my back can take a fall like that … or even if I could get up after! Would be horrible if I have to call an ambulance out on the bike path, eh? I’m a bit wobbly on the corners, so I will have to take it pretty slow. Of course keeping my cell with me. Of course, with my luck, if I fall, I’ll fall ON the cell phone and smash it. LOL. Wouldn’t that be something!
In other news, my brother-in-law finally arrives (from Morroco) next week. So everyone is just abuzz about that. Looking forward to it, but it’s going to be an adjustment for sure!
