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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Here's what I've been up to...Ruidoso and some health stuff...

I thought I would give a little update on some of my summer health goals and also share a few pictures from a trip we recently took to Ruidoso, New Mexico.  I think I'll start with the mountains and the coolness.  Central Texas is hot, hot, hot in the summers, but we've been a bit lucky this year or rather we were earlier this year.  Lots of rain - well, too much rain at one time in late May and June.  July, however, did not see us with one single drop of rain and I'm thinking that there has not been any in August either.  And it's hot, with way too much humidity.

We escaped to New Mexico for a week - Ruidoso to be exact.  It was lovely.  Temperatures in the high 70's (and a few low 80's) during the day and 50's at night.  And some rain.



Here's a lovely picture of the Sierra Blanca mountains in the golf community of Alto, just north of Ruidoso.



This is a shot my husband took early one morning from the golf course at the Inn Of The Mountain Gods - a resort in the Ruidoso area that is owned by the Apache Tribe.



The hubby golfed and I spent a lot of time on this front porch of the house where we stayed, reading of course.  It was a log home and all the wood was really beautiful.



This is a whimsical little bear on the back porch/deck area.  Isn't he cute?  And yes, there are actually bears in the area.  Trash has to be placed in steel dumpsters located on the streets of the town.  They have heavy lids so the bears and other creatures will stay out.  There are a lot of elk and deer as well.  And a few mountain lions.

I'll share more about a couple of places in Ruidoso next week.  I have one post about a bookstore that I love to visit each time we go and also I'll have a Weekend Cooking post about a great coffee/sandwich/cookie/gelato shop.  It's called Sacred Grounds and I love it.

Otherwise, my quest to shed some pounds, avoid a diabetes diagnosis, and improve my blood work numbers will hopefully be successful.  I've lost 20.4 pounds since late May.  I have worked hard at eating better and also moving more.  My doctor had told me to work on this for 3 months and then we would do the testing again.  Well, I went on Tuesday morning early to get my blood drawn.  I don't have the test results back yet, but I am hopeful for better numbers and no additional meds.

I also had a dermatology appointment this week to check several little spots on my face and legs.  I have had some skin cancers in the past and so must go in for skin checks periodically.  Happily, the spots were benign and so I'm cleared for another 6 months.  Unhappily, a tendency toward skin cancer has been something I have passed on to my daughter.  She has had Mohs surgery on her scalp in the past and recently found that she had more basal cell carcinomas on her scalp again and also on her nose.  I went with her on Wednesday when she had Mohs surgery on her nose.  It was fairly extensive, but she is feeling better now.  She has one more scalp surgery to get through and then will be cleared for 6 months too.

Oh, and I have to have a crown on one of my back upper molars next Friday.  Sigh.  I'm not a very happy camper in the dental chair.  But, needs must.  I've only ever had one other crown and then that tooth had to have a root canal a few years later and then it got an abscess and had to be extracted.  And then I got a tooth implant, which took forever, but has been very successful.  I'm crossing my fingers that this crown will not have issues.

Only an eye exam will remain and then I'll be finished with doctor appointments for a while.  Whew!  Sometimes it seems that by the time you get through checking all these parts of you, it's time to begin again.

School starts here in our area week after next and that must mean that fall is coming.  I'm looking forward to cooler weather.  Ha!  Seriously, it will be weeks and weeks before that time comes, but I can hope can't I?  

38 comments:

  1. Your little get away sounds divine. It does seem the older we get, the more time we spend with doctors. I have to admit, though, I've lost a lot of faith in them these last few years. I hope you get good blood test results!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy. We did have a great time. And I'm lucky that the doctors that I see are all ones I've been with for a long time. So they know me and my history very well. That helps.

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  2. Congrats on your weight loss. Hope you get good news from the doctor. Thanks for sharing your vacation pics. They are lovely.

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    1. Thanks, Jill! I'm pretty proud of the weight loss. I've got a lot more to go, but I'm hopeful about the test results. And the vacation was lots of fun.

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  3. Your vacation looks so peaceful! I love New Mexico and would like to vacation there soon.

    Congratulations on your weight loss and I hope you get good test results!

    My husband had all 3 types of skin cancer. He had a lot of surgeries on his face, back and stomach.

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    1. Thanks, Vicki! It was a very peaceful vacation. We mostly have those type these days. Gone are the days of theme parks and such. LOL

      So sorry about your husband's skin cancer. I know you miss him. Yes, seems like once you start having those little places, there are more and more. We just didn't know to worry about that when we were young, did we?

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  4. Woo hoo! Congrats on shedding those pounds, Kay! Here's hoping those numbers go down down down as well! Ruidoso looks fantastic - I could use a relaxing reading retreat myself. Can't wait to see more pics!

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    1. Ruidoso is a very relaxing little town. And it's a vacation spot both summer and winter. More pics to come next week.

      And thanks for the good wishes, Becky!

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  5. The weather in NM is much like here. Wish we were closer so you could spend a vacation here! 20 pounds!!! That is wonderful, excellent. So happy for you. Sorry about your girl, but it sounds like all will be fine. Scary, though.

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    1. Yes, I agree, Nan. Much like your part of the world. I'd love it if we could hop right over to see you too. And, yes, I'm pretty proud of my 20 pounds. More to come or go, as it were. LOL

      And my girl is fine. She was a little worried about the nose one and she'll have a scar there I suspect. Her doctor was very good though. My own dermatologist said that the Mohs surgeon was the one that she used personally.

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  6. I've never heard of Ruidoso, but it looks beautiful. I'm glad you got in lots of relaxing and reading on the porch. It doesn't get better than that, does it?

    Good luck with all your health issues. I've got on onlay that's been giving me all kinds of trouble. The dentist replaced it, but it hurts worse than ever. *Sigh* I think I'll end up having to have a root canal on it. Yuck. I hate going to the dentist, too!

    I hope your blood work results are excellent. Sounds like you're doing everything right, so hopefully that will be reflected in your numbers. Diabetes is the worst -- avoid it like the plague!!

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    1. Ruidoso is very nice, Susan. And it's closer to you than to me. I think Phoenix is about 400-450 miles from there and we are something like 600. It was a great vacation.

      Yes, I'm very hopeful about the test results. I know that you are well aware of what living with diabetes is like. Good luck with your tooth. I didn't used to be nervous about the dentist, but then I had a bad experience with one and somehow, it's never been the same.

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  7. Congratulations on the weight loss! And yes, hope it removes the "threat" of diabetes meds.

    I tested pre-diabetic and had to take pills. Then my numbers got so good, that my doc took me off of them. !!!! Always keeping regular blood work checks of course.

    Ahhh yes, some months do seem full of doc appointments and check-ups and etc. :-) But we keep tabs on our health this way. :-)

    Tessa

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    1. Good to know that you were able to get off the pills, Tessa. My goal is to not have to go on them. :-)

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  8. What a lovely place! And how lovely to spend time reading while your husband plays golf.

    Well done on the weight loss! I'm not pre-diabetic but my husband is diabetic and was told to lose some more weight or insulin beckons. So we've both been watching what we eat this summer. I've lost 8lbs so am happy with that and will keep going. I'm hoping it will help my arthritis.

    Glad your skin checks turned out ok but sorry to hear about your daughter inheriting the tendancy. Being very 'moley' I too keep an eye. Good luck at the dentists"

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    1. Good for you, Cath! 8 pounds is great and here's hoping that your husband is able to avoid the insulin.

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  9. Such beautiful pictures and what a great place to visit.

    I hope all works out with your health issues.

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  10. That's a lovely place to visit! And it's beautiful and relaxing too!!

    I hope your health issues will be better and remain positive. Sending good vibes your way, Kay!

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    1. It was very relaxing, Melody. And thanks so much for the good wishes!

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  11. Your getaway looked lovely, Kay. My husband and I would love to visit a place like that and we'd do the same - he would golf and I'd read on the porch :)
    Congrats on the weightless. I know how tough that is and I hope you see good test results. Good luck to your daughter too.

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  12. Woohoo! Well done on the weight loss! Hope it has the desired effect healthwise.

    The wooden porch looks lovely... *jealous face*

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    1. Yes, that porch was a lot of fun. And thanks for the good wishes.

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  13. If only the arrival of the school year brought cooler weather! We escaped to the cool weather of Yellowstone and it was a welcome relief.

    Prayers for a good diabetes report.

    http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/08/yellowstone-summer.html

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    1. I know. How about in November? LOL

      And thanks for the good health wishes!

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  14. What gorgeous pictures! And that bear is too adorable. Congrats on loosing 20 lbs! I need to do that myself! :D

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    1. Isn't it a cute bear? Loved it. And thanks for the support. Lots more to go, but a good start made.

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  15. Hi Kay, That looks like a marvelous vacation spot. Congrats on loosing weight. I keep trying and trying to stay active. I also had mohs surgery this year (on my forehead). I will keep your daughter in my thoughts and prayers because I know it must be difficult for her. Thanks for sharing your post.

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    1. Thanks, Pat. Yes, she was a little concerned. Your nose is just so 'right there'. I think all will be well though. Seems that Mohs is performed a lot on the head and face.

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  16. Glad all seems to be on a positive path!

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  17. It's gorgeous and definitely not how I would picture it!! Even up in Taos the landscape can be a bit scrubby (even though in the mountains there are pines).

    I hope your results come back clean--it sounds like you've been doing a lot of really hard work! 20 pounds since May is fantastic. And ugh the skin cancer. I KNOW I need to go and get tested but I've been avoiding it (which is stupid). I had a spot next to my eye removed almost two years ago and it was kind of a traumatic experience! (with a 2m old baby, mostly). I wish I had been more diligent in my youth on lathering up!

    Anyway, thanks for sharing the pictures. :)

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    1. Some years, Ruidoso, is very dry and there have been fires in recent years. This year was different. They have had a lot of rain and so the fire danger was minimal.

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  18. Ah, getting older sucks! Congrats on the weight loss!

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  19. I should have read this post before the most recent one (see how behind I am? and I don't feel guilty about it :)). Keep on working toward health, that's where I am right now too.
    Love the reading porch!

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Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy to hear your thoughts and will respond as soon as I can. Happy Reading!