Ireland!

Final thoughts for the Ireland trip. I am glad that I invited Dawn, Chris and Steven to join me on this adventure. I woke this morning wondering how the trip would have gone without them there, and I don't think that I would have had as much fun. I would have found another person to tag along with, I am sure, but I would have also found myself alone more and I don't explore as much, when alone. I never would have ventured into Dinley and made the long down then uphill walk. I would have not tried different drinks or sampled as many foods.

Ireland was a dream of mine since I was roughly 11 yrs old, and this trip lived up to the hype. Sure, I would do things differently - booked in a way to allow more time at places and considered upgrading my seat for traveling to - but the bottom line is it was a trip of a lifetime for me. I hope the first of many to come.

The landscape of Ireland was beautiful and fresh. It was the type that you have to see to believe, photos do not do it justice. You can clearly see that tourism makes up the main industry there, because the shops were full tinkles and tourist stuff, but they didn't have the flashing lights and billboards of "home". I love that they protect their nature so much, ruins can't be touched or torn down, stone walls cannot be removed. Here we would destroy these in the name of progress, this is why we don't have beautiful things.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip and now, I am ready to book my next...

Life changes

My sister keep saying I should write a blog...I find that writing helps me when I'm dealing with emotional stuff within my life.  However, when I wrote out a bucket list recently, I added "write a blog regularly" to the list.  I used to write fiction stories, and even had a couple published in an online magazine. I love the characters, story line and making the stories come to life. But at the same time, I found that I can't write fiction unless the characters speak to me.  They tell me their stories, then I just write it down.

However, when life is busy, crazy and insane...like all the time...I found that I write about real life. So that's what this blog is about...real life.  It's a 40-something, single Mom, going through life.

So 9 days ago...I was told "I feel a lump in your breast".  Then within the same doctor visit, I hear "you have Type 2 Diabetes".  It's fun to get that One Two Punch...but it didn't stop there.  She also informed me that the bruise on my leg (from a fall in the river during the Labor Day Tubing trip) should have healed by now.

Yay...1 - 2 - 3...Wanna hit me with anything else there, Doc?!?

So the bruise is a small muscle knot. The doctor suggested I partner with a massage therapist who will help work out the knot.  I have also been massaging it myself every evening.  Not a big deal at all.

One down...Next came the Mammogram and an Ultrasound.  The lump she thought she found was nothing, and I'm back to routine mammograms every year, unless something else changes.

Now for the biggie -- Type 2 Diabetes.  It's a family tradition, I guess.  My grandmother, who I never met as she passed before my birth, and then my father both had diabetes.  Throw in a couple aunts and Yay! it's a family of bad insulin producing organs.

As of that day, I have been on a strict low-carb lifestyle change. This isn't a diet to me, this is a survival lifestyle. I have read, asked questions, and talked with friends. I know nurses who have given advice. I have talked to friends who have diabetes. The only bottom line I have found is -- everyone has an opinion or suggestion to give.

Now, it's time to filter out the good advice. I test, adjust, change and move forward as needed. I haven't opened a "box" for over a week! No processed foods; in fact, the major majority of my foods this past week has had no labels at all! 

So this week in review...

Low-carb taco salad - basically my family's favorite taco salad only eaten without any chips or burrito shell.  Extra yummy and enough left over for the next day's lunch.

Salmon and veggies - Pan seared salmon, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and peppers.

Tonight, I baked pork chops, while making a salad. It's for tomorrow's lunch! Yum

Going forward...My kiddo asked for chili, so I will have to make a low-carb option. Unfortunately, my kiddo is used to chili having macaroni noodles within it.  They might have to learn to deal with it on the side.

But that will wait for 2 weeks, because in less than 2 days, I leave for Ireland! But before then, it's bed time.  Good night.