Organized Chaos

I'm Back - No Really - Again

2008-08-04T19:47:05Z

Mats has left us and gone back home to his life - Boohooo!

A lot has happened over the last month.

My femur seems to have made a turn for the better after a turn for the worse. Last week, I was in so much pain. If it wasn't my knee, it was my ankles or back. Then, yesterday - out of the blue - I walked without pain or a limp! I haven't checked it out today. It really only happens after I walk a block. Today, I even started doing a 1 mile walk with a Leslie Sansone DVD Walk Away the Pounds. Okay, it's marching in place and it was only 1 mile but, it's a start and I'll take it.

I received some blood test results at the same time I received my MRI results and it looks like my sugars were elevated to early diabetes levels. I have a long rant about how this, in my opinion, went undiagnosed thanks to poor testing choices. However, I'll hold on to that rant because I just don't have the energy at the moment. I got myself a glucose meter and cut out the carbs. Today, my glucose is within normal range and i lost 9 lbs to date. That is nine pounds with little effort and virtually no exercise. My sugars raised slightly over vacation and today, I started Atkins Induction which should last 2 weeks give or take. Each phase adds more carbs but, gone are days of 60% carb intake. Yes, the ADA is providing death by diet.

I'll give you more details tomorrow -

~Danielle
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"Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork."

-- English Proverb

Vacation Hiatus

2008-07-28T22:28:12Z

I forgot to mention that I'll be on vacation hiatus. Mats has come to visit. I'll be back next week.

~Danielle

Video of the Week * ENGRISH *

2008-07-18T03:14:58Z

Forgive me for the rap music! You may want to turn down the volume if there are children around or if you can't stand rap music.

~Danielle

Pour Some Sugar on Me

2008-07-18T03:11:44Z

My glucose levels have been very good today! The more carbs I cut the better my levels.

My Grandmother is in a rehabilitation center for her back and she seems to be doing well.

Mats comes on Monday so I'll be on vacation hiatus from my blog.

I'll be back in the beginning of August and I promise more detailed blog entries.

~Danielle

Watch Out Chem Lawn

2008-07-18T03:07:57Z

My lawn has been looking pretty good so far. As you may know, I've been compulsive about it since the beginning of Spring. We had a a hot day last week and I was a little late watering it so, we have a few dead patches I now need to work on.

I'm sorry I haven't blogged much. I've been at the doctors a lot lately. It was just a bunch of appointments back to back. Then when I am home, I'm working on my glucose numbers and my weight. My numbers today have been very good and I lost about 5 lbs. Woohooo!

~Danielle

Same Old Same Old

2008-07-18T03:03:09Z

I went to the OB/GYN because I've been having some issues. They really provided no help. They just put me on a new pill. My results were all normal though. I have to go for an ultrasound to check my overies and that ends that conversation.

~Danielle

Satire or Too Much PC?

2008-07-14T22:08:47Z

I'm not sure I get what all the hoopla is over the satirical front cover of the New Yorker.

Video of the Week * PEMCO - NORTHWEST PROFILE *

2008-07-13T02:32:01Z

If you have never been to the Northwest, view these commercials. They say it all!

Bone to be Wild

2008-07-11T05:25:19Z

I received my MRI results today and it seems that I have a bruised bone. I need to keep off of it and not do anything that pounds away at it like running or for that matter walking. At least walking no more than daily activities. They suggested non impact swimming or biking. Of course, losing weight would be wise. I can't believe I never thought of that! It will take 3-4 months to heal - possibly more. I believe a bone bruise are tiny fractures in the marrow. However, I've also heard the bone itself is not bruised but its periosteum, which is a dense membrane composed of fibrous connective tissue that envelopes the bone. Either way, I keep thinking of the Meaty Bone commercials when I was a young girl.

(white part on the condyle of the femur is a bone bruise)

Meaty bones,
~Danielle
PS - I got our fence approved for 5'

Random Stuff

2008-07-10T00:11:23Z

My Grandmother: She had an MRI done yesterday. We should get some results tomorrow. However, the rumor is it's a fracture. She slept a lot today. Her days of living at home are numbered perhaps done.

My Knee: I had an MRI done yesterday. I felt like a French hot dog. I get the results tomorrow. I saw my chiropractor about my gait and he thinks it's me still hesitating when I walk.

My Lawn: It's finally on the up and up - literally. I wouldn't classify it as golf course but, it's headed there. I have a little burnt grass by the pavement. I need to soak it morning and evening to try and revive it.

My Fence: The committee approved us for 4 feet. I told them AGAIN about the 8-10' drop on our property. They are looking into it and calling me tomorrow morning. Either way - it's going up 5'. I'm done with playing by the rules.

Blood Test: My white blood cell count is still elevated. I need to lose weight because my insulin resistance is getting the better of me. I'm trying to find an endocrinologist worth my dime. It's proving to be a difficult task.

OB/GYN: Did you feel the earth move? I finally got an appointment with my OB/GYN...actually the NP at the office. That is fine with me. I'm almost positive the nurse practitioner is better than my doctor. The bar doesn't seem to be set high.

Sorry - I'm in a stinky mood!

~Danielle

Prayer Request

2008-07-08T16:24:06Z

My Grandmother went to the hospital yesterday in a lot of pain. It turns out she has a compound fracture of the spine. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. That is a difficult thing to handle for anyone, let alone, a woman in her eighties.

HUGS,
~Danielle

Video of the Week * ITALIAN WOMAN PARALLEL PARKING *

2008-07-08T16:20:12Z

We Italians do NOT have a temper! ;)

Happy Independence Day

2008-07-04T03:54:08Z

We have a few choices today. We have a BBQ at one friend's home or a BBQ with tons of fireworks at another friend's home. I think we may stick to the original plan which is to go to Micke's office at the top of the Union Square building in downtown Seattle and watch the fireworks at the Space Needle. Either way, I'm wishing everyone a safe and fun fourth of July!

~Danielle

Doctor McDreamy

2008-07-04T00:05:48Z

I went to the ortho today. He was handsome - which never hurts when you need a doctor and want sympathy - LOL. He is handsome in a Matt Lauer/Patrick Dempsey kind of a way and not the McSteamy/Tyson Beckford/GQ kind of a way.  I digress....anyway, he squeezed, twisted and knocked my leg/knee in every direction humanly possible. He is dumbfounded. This is the second time I have gone to an orthopedic surgeon and confused the heck out of them. The first time I was in Sweden and the only thing the Swedish doctor said in English was - "Beats the heck out of me what's wrong with you!". It turned out that I had problems with my hips and Lisa (chirolisa) saved me from a miserable existence.

So the good news is that he doesn't think it's my ligaments and he doesn't think it's anything too significant other than my quads going weak on me. He has reconfirmed my chiropractors diagnosis. However, since I played the role of hypochondriac so well, we will proceed with an MRI just to make sure it's nothing major. They will need a few days to get preauthorization from my insurance company. His other possible theory is a slight tear in my meniscus aka - cartilage. If it is a a tear than I would possibly need arthroscopic surgery. It's not a major surgery and requires a small incision but, it doesn't seem to be headed that way. It seems to be headed toward physical therapy to strengthen my fat thighs and of course, weight loss would be a smart thing.

After seeing the doctor, I went to the mall and purchased a new pair of New Balance sneakers. They have great support and allow me to walk with less of a limp. They have some silver on them which is scary because I bought my Father silver NB sneakers after his stroke. We all laughed because I purchased them on line and thought they were grey. When I saw them, I was stunned because silver isn't my thing. My new sneakers do have a little silver but, it was silver or black velcro sneakers. My knee feels a lot better but, I feel really off on my stance. It almost feels like one leg is slightly higher than the other and it makes my walking really labored. I almost feel like I weigh twice as much. It may be my hips that are off. I see my chiropractor on Wednesday. I walked to three stores in the mall and I feel like I ran a 5K.

Still velcroless,
~Danielle
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"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."

            - Redd Foxx

Happy Sverigeversary to Me

2008-07-03T15:17:54Z

Seven years ago I moved to Stockholm to be with Micke. We moved after a year but, it was nice while it lasted. I remember spending Independance Day with Brittany (brittanygh) and Benny. That was only day two or three of living in Sweden. I also remember a killer game of charades and eating rice crispy treats. Hmmmm - Rice Crispy Treats!

Fun times,
~Danielle

Money Talks and .....

2008-07-03T14:59:41Z

Hoopless in Seattle

I'm in The Zone

2008-07-02T20:07:15Z

I just got back from the chiropractor. My knee is a zillion times better. My inner thighs are sore but, my knees are holding my weight and I only wobble a bit. He even thinks I could go for short slow paced walks.

Tomorrow afternoon, I will go see an orthopedic surgeon. I know that sounds drastic but, I'm just going to get an x-ray and/or MRI with a second opinion. I can take pain and medical procedures. Really, for the most part, theydon't scare me. The two Bs, as I call them, freak me out - as far as medical complications/illnesses. Those two things are bronchial and bones. If I get bronchitis - I'm miserable. You know when you get that tickle in the throat? I mean, to me, that is torture. The T & A surgery was a joke compared to plain old bronchitis. Also the idea of bones breaking or grinding just make me ill. I cringe at the thought of my knee not working right. So, I'm wobbling my way over to the ortho tomorrow and plan on being the biggest hypocondriac known to man.

On a seperate note, remember last week when I decided liquid dieting wasn't for me? I've decided plan B would be the Zone Diet. I'm not following this diet to the "T". I'm following the concept of 40/30/30. It's not low carb like Atkins but, is lower carb than the USDA's Food Pyramid. The 3-Rule Diet (No White at Night) is also a 40/30/30 diet. It's a simple diet created by an Olympia, WA cardiac surgeon. I'll stick closely to that diet because of it's simplicity. Body for Life is another diet pretty close to the 40/30/30 principle. I guess you have figured out that I'm more into the concept than the actual food plans. I'll give that a try for a few weeks and see if my body can burn some fat with 40% carbs.

I love carbs,
~Danielle
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"You wouldn't worry so much about what other people thought if you realised how seldom they do. "

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

REM, KBG, AAA, SMS, SOS, FBI, USA, ENT -- MRI

2008-07-02T00:35:07Z

I went to my GP this morning. I have had elevated white blood cell counts for a couple of years as well as a low grade temperature. My ENT thinks it was chronic tonsilitis. Now that it has been several months since my tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, my doctor took some blood to see if anything has changed. My temperature was 99.7F. We'll need a few days for the bloodwork. He also referred me to a orthopedic surgeon and that appointment is on Thursday. We figured it can't hurt to get x-rays and an MRI of my knee. The knee thing really freaked me out because I've never experienced not being able to walk. I never had a knee injury and my Father had bum knees that needed replacing.

Okay, tomorrow back to my chiropractor and Thursday I go to the orthopedic surgeon. It's a week long event! On the bright side, my knee is much better. I'm walking with a slight wobble but, I can put weight on the leg and it only *wanted* to give out on me once this morning. Sunday, it gave out on me every other step. I can affirm, bone to bone is not fun! My chiropractor is a life saver. He made this far more tolerable. The rest of my muscle are sore as heck though - ewwwee. LORD, please let this only be a quick lesson on taking better care of myself. :)

Gimpy,
~Danielle

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"Weebles wobble but, they don't fall down!"

            - Playskool weeble wobble commercial - '71

The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone and ... well it should be!

2008-07-01T04:41:25Z

patellofemoral stress syndrome

That is my chiropractor's diagnosis. This morning, I see my GP.

Knee Deep in Hoopla

2008-06-30T16:19:58Z

Long story short, I was sitting down Saturday evening and when I stood up my knee gave out. By Sunday afternoon, every other step was quite painful. I spent most of yesterday lying in bed with an ice pack on my knee. I spent the rest of the day sweating because it was HOT. Micke and I purchased an air conditioner yesterday. I winced and cried my way through Best Buy. When we got home, we realized I would have to drill holes in my window frame. I'm sorry, my home is new and that wasn't happening. Micke figured a way to put it in the window and secure it using a piece of wood cut the width of the window. He is a genius I tell ya! All you single women out there - marry an engineer. However, that didn't help us last night- LOL. It's going to cool down a bit this week. I'm going to the chiropractor today and my GP tomorrow. I'm praying my knee is a temporary problem.

Ice, Ice Baby,
~Danielle
P.S. I'm still addicted to the song Viva la Vida - HELP!
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"If you suffer, thank God! -- it is a sure sign that you are alive."

-- Elbert Hubbard

Video of the Week * ANCHOR MAN LOSES IT *

2008-06-27T15:35:58Z

PIC on Someone Your Own Size

2008-06-26T14:41:57Z

As I mentioned before, Micke and our neighbor are building the fence around our properties. We began the project and then decided that it would be a good idea to hand in the required Property Improvement Committee (PIC) application. We live in a single family home but, our neighborhood is set up like a condo association. Therefore, property improvements must be approved. The application says to hand it in a month previous to starting work.

This week makes a month since we faxed in our paperwork. So, yesterday, I decided to call them up and find out what the deal is. The deal is that they don't have the application because it must have been misplaced. This morning I realized they have different contact information depending on which PIC form you use. They are the exact same form with different contact information. The updated information came after we sent in our original form. I want to congratulate them on letting us all know that this information changed. I faxed them the application again including our receipt from the original transaction and a note encouraging them to expedite the application.

It really burns me when people impose a bunch of rules and decide not to follow any themelves. I think that is called politics!

Sticking a PIC in their back and turning,
~Danielle
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“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”

- Henry David Thoreau

PCOS & Losing Weght... Possibly an Oxymoron

2008-06-26T14:17:41Z

I'm working hard at trying to get my extra weight off. It is very difficult to lose weight when one has PCOS. Most PCOSers are insulin resistant and we all know insulin pretty much rules the world of weight fluctuations. I lost 50 lbs back in 2000 by eating one meal a day and walking everyday for an hour. It started as a spiritual fast and when the weight came off, I continued. I really wasn't on a path to starvation. Honestly, I was never hungry or ill from this "method". When I moved to Sweden, the weight packed on two fold. I'll attribute it to boredom. I wasn't moving around much and I had no job. I cooked up a storm.

Fast forward to this past Monday when I decided to try a Medifast type liquid diet. Now forward to today when I decided four days of headaches is my breaking point.

Onward to plan B,
~Danielle
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"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people."

- Orson Welles

Addiction = Cold Play's "Viva la Vida"

2008-06-25T15:52:11Z

Lyrics | Viva La Vida lyrics

Who You Callin Chicken?

2008-06-23T16:34:00Z

It was a pretty calm weekend.

Micke had to go to work on Saturday morning. When he came home, we decided to go to Santorini's Greek Restaurant in Kirkland. They make awesome gyros. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a parking spot for beans. I was cranky and gave up searching. So, we headed back north and decided to try a new gyro place in Everett. I ordered a gyro with Greek fries. If you are unfamiliar to Greek fries they have a lemon juice, feta cheese and oregano sprinkled on them. The girl behind the counter told me it was cilantro but, it was oregano. That scared me a bit but, then I thought about my teenage years and how highly intelligent I was. Okay, I knew the difference between oregano and garlic but, I'm Italian and we use a fair amount of oregano.

A woman walked in and began to have a conversation with the young waitress. She had a hard time deciding between chicken and traditional lamb for her gyro. The waitress' response is what really scared me. I mean the oregano/cilantro scandal doesn't hold a candle to the fear her response put into me. She said; "There is no muscle in our chicken." I looked at Micke and before I could get a word out of my mouth, he yelped, "Don't say one word!" She had to mean something like bone or tendon because if you take the muscle away, you have no meat. I know vegans and vegetarians globally are simultaneously being grossed by the thought of eating the muscles of chicken but, the idea that the waitress and cook had no clue that the meat of an animal is muscle - well - it kind of scared me.

On another note, Mats booked his tickets. I'm excited to see him. I don't think it has really hit Micke yet that his brother is coming. However, he has mentioned many times that he misses him.

Sunday, we went to purchase a grass catcher for our reel mower. Our lawn has taken a turn for the worse and I am obsessed with it being a green lush lawn. I've raked the lawn to remove excess dead debris, fertilized and now I've even over seeded. Micke is going to test the soil tonight to see if we over fertilized or under fertilized.

A bit of sad news, George Carlin died. I can't believe it. Here is a clip. Here is a forewarning to the few who are unfamiliar with his comedy. He doesn't hesitate to use foul language. This is one of the "cleaner" skits I found.

Musclebound,
~Danielle
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"When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?"

- George Carlin