Dear Bloggie,

I thought I should bring you up to date on what’s been happening to me since I’ve been under investigation for the 2 TIA-like (mini-stroke) episodes I have experienced thus far in 2016.

I have completed all of the scheduled testing and last week I saw the neurologist to get the news about the results of the 2 MRIs I recently was privileged to receive. No, I am not being sarcastic, Blog. How can you think that?!? Wait. Uh, OK. I have been a bit of a pill IRL about the medications the doctors have put me on, and all of the tests. I’ll own it.

But really Blog, I am also very grateful at the same time that I live in this great country where health care is deemed to be a necessity and everyone’s right and the griping is about being made to wait a bit rather than how to come up with the money for diagnosis and treatment.

So, to describe my results in one word: NEGATIVE.

Negative, negative, negative. All of my cardiac and neurological testing is blessedly, head-scratchingly negative. So what happened to me? Dunno. Will it happen again? Dunno.

Can I get on with my life now? Will my doctor release the restriction on me that I am not to perform any exercise more strenuous than a slow walk? The cardiologist wants to see me again and you bet I will be asking.

In the meantime, I have been focusing on cleaning up my diet for the past 2 weeks using a no-sugar, no grains, low carbohydrate high fat Paleo-ish approach. I’ve done this before with magnificent results but since JD passed I have been kinda loosey-goosey with my diet and here we are 3 years and 20 pounds later. A-HEM!

So, two weeks have gone by and I am only a scant 2 pounds lighter…dammit. I am a bit disappointed it isn’t more but I am not as active as I could be (see exercise restriction, above). And I am older too, meaning whatever magic menopause is wreaking/has wrought upon my metabolism since about 4 years ago could be to blame as well.

However, I feel GREAT! I really do. I am up early (like 5 am early) each day with tons of creative and mental energy to burn. I’m alert all day – no afternoon slumping – and sleep well each night.

No cravings anymore. In fact very little hunger or when it hits, it is so subtle of a nag that I can easily ignore it until I am ready to make time to eat. This I remember very well from the last time I ate this way. Nice to not feel shakey or sick or mentally drained if more than 4 hours passes between meals and my blood sugar tanks. I’ve turned myself back into a fat-burning machine, from a sugar-burner. And no “carb flu” feelings either. I guess my body remembers the good ol’ days when I took better care of it. 😉

So what if it takes me 20 weeks (or more) to lose 20 pounds, dear Blog? The time will be here regardless of whether I try to change my habits or not, and how nice will it be to arrive there and have removed that excess weight? I’d love to train again for another half-marathon (on doc’s blessing of course) and it certainly would go a lot easier with 20 less pounds to carry.

Maybe I can even stop taking some medication. I’m thinking the blood pressure meds, at least. And maybe the blood thinner too. It might take a bit longer and a couple of more blood tests to convince the doc I really don’t need a statin in my life. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Rock on,

The WB