Samson, bad blood

When I got home from work yesterday, I had to dig a grave and put Samson down. While Victoria, Grandma, Grandpa and Mama went out to dinner to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa’s birthdays, I stayed at the farm and took care of Sam. He had not moved from the spot in the front yard where Mama and Seth had earlier deposited him. He was breathing in shallow breaths and his back legs were not working at all. He did not seem to be in pain, but he was not going to be with us much longer. It was very difficult to dig a grave for him. The ground right now is as hard as iron, and Samson was a big dog. Using the front loader on the tractor I was able to scratch deeply enough to make a suitable resting place for Sam in the paddock of our nanny goats. Positioned there, the grave will not be disturbed by hogs or coyotes. So, Gemma is on her own now and she is noticeably unhappy about it. Overall, it was an unpleasant task. He was a good dog and we will really miss him.

Part of my day yesterday involved a visit to the doctor for some follow up. Last week I had gotten some blood drawn and we were to review the outcomes of that testing. Everything on the lab tests was exactly within the margins – except for one little thing. My A1C was 6.0. That is bad. It is an indicator that my body is struggling to keep my blood sugar levels in check; an indicator of potential diabetic issues should I keep eating as I have been. That information was both good news and bad news. Good news in that I now know the underlying issue I have been dealing with but unable to identify; the lethargy, the headaches, the unexplained weight gain. Bad news in the diet change that will be required to address the issue. Like my grandson Blake, I will be required to drastically limit the carbohydrates I eat. I, unlike Blake, will not be able to dose myself when I eat a carb rich meal – especially Mexican food (like a bean burrito from Taco Casa – fifty-five gram of carbs) or a rice or noodle dish from our favorite Thai or Chinese restaurant (about sixty carbs per meal).

Such a diet mandates eating those things that are either high in salt or high in fats or tasteless. One of the reasons diabetic individuals struggle with weight gain is that they have to focus on foods that are high in proteins and fats in order to avoid carbs and sugar rich foods. Most of the things recommended for me at this point are fairly flavorless – green salads, green leafy vegetables, and the like which require some type of flavoring be applied to make them satisfying. Meats are low in carbohydrates, but they are high in fats and my body can only handle a limited number of fats per day and still avoid gaining weight. Same story with nuts. That will require an enormous shift in focus. No wonder Mama could not maintain that diet when she gave it her best effort several years ago.  

It is a further challenge to me and Mama to avoid sugary snacks when there are constantly several boxes of snack cakes sitting on the dining room table that must be avoided. A Swiss Roll – we have two boxes on hand for Grandma and Grandpa – weighs in at 42 grams of carbs per roll. There are two rolls in a package. My recommended diet is to keep my carb intake below sixty per day. Nine Vanilla Wafers have twenty-two carbs. Ten of my peanut butter filled pretzels contain seventeen carb. It is a good thing Mama and I use Truvia to sweeten our green tea, or I would give that up as well. It will be a challenge, but it is only food. It could certainly be far worse.

Also, based on a record I have been keeping of my daily blood pressure for the past month, my new doctor is recommending a change in medication. My average blood pressure over the month is not bad, but it could be better. To that end, I have to take on a new medication. That is always fun. I will start that tomorrow. The three-month supply of the old medication I have is going to waste. I do not know a way to get unused medications to a clinic that could use it for someone.

Oh, well. Life goes on – hopefully.