Update for Everyone VIII: He who laughs have the last laugh

[Hammy]

Between pain from IBS and headaches and sneezing from non-stop allergies I've been not sleeping great, causing more pain from bad sleep posture, making things miserable in general

[Hammy]

Had my first physical in 13 years, everything came back normal aside from cholesterol (both total and bad were borderline, good was high which the doctor said can help mitigate the bad)

EKG was normal so a lot of the chest discomfort recently was more likely stress-related as well as something going on with my ribs (intense stabbing pain in various places with certain upper body motions and tenderness when pressure applied)

Blood pressure finally under control, had an anxiety/panic attack while there (just the 13 years of unknown finally overflowing having to face it) and bp was only 130/84 (it's usually MUCH higher in this sort of situation)

Unfortunately most of the things that I have wrong are largely untreatable pain issues--arch trouble, plantar fasciitis, IBS with accompanying lower back pain, and the ribs (which appears to be costochondritis)

[Hammy]

Had to refill prescriptions today and drove myself somewhere other than just going for a drive around the block or to a park for the first time since May of last year.

Asked about vaccine walk-in, there were none available until after lunch (which combined with the wait after to make sure there's no allergic reaction would've had me there for 90 minutes, surrounded by people with no mask in close contact), but I got up the nerve to push myself to at least try so that's one step closer that I've pulled myself.

[Hammy]

Got my second Pfizer dose today. Already sore on account of the pharmacist just jamming the needle in (more care was applied the first time) so hopefully someone can tell me if I should be concerned about it not having been applied properly, or if this will worsen the side effects.

[Hammy]

Got my second Pfizer dose today. Already sore on account of the pharmacist just jamming the needle in (more care was applied the first time) so hopefully someone can tell me if I should be concerned about it not having been applied properly, or if this will worsen the side effects.

It will probably be more sore but it should be fine. My first dose I had a mild reaction and there was a lady there who took my blood pressure as a precaution, and she tried to do it on the arm where I had the shot before asking!! My first shot was much more sore than the second as a result.

I can't even begin to imagine what that must've felt like. Fortunately it seems my arm isn't any more sore than last time, but the soreness did begin sooner. Hard to tell if I'm having any other side effects (the reported 'flu like symptoms' as I have chronic allergies.

[Hammy]

I finally got out of the house for a leisure trip for the first time since April 2020, and managed to not have a panic attack when doing so.  Still wearing a mask, but down to a single N95 rather than three.

About 50-70% of people had masks on depending on where I was and it was mandated in most stores, though Old Navy had a sign on the door saying they aren't responsible for you under Georgia law and you assume the risk of death from covid by entering.

[Hammy]

After losing control of the snacking and causing my weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol to go up slightly, I've put myself on a much stricter diet--half the carbs (granted, I was taking in almost 2x the recommendation before), keeping a closer eye on saturated fat and cutting back sugars, and my diet is generally consistent enough that I made a notecard of things I'd normally eat at least once a week so I can quickly add up my carbs, fats, and sugars.

I've managed to go from 161lbs (73kg) to 153.5 lbs (69.6kg) in about six weeks time.

Some dieting tips that have helped, some verified with the doctor (the amounts) and some other things I've tried that are helping based on Mayo Clinic or Diabetic/Heart Associations:

Research types of carbs, some can raise your blood sugar (and thus cause weight gain), for example sweet potatoes (cooked and then chilled) are better than white potatoes, or potatoes that are freshly cooked and eaten hot. For pastas, choose whole wheat and whole grain. Corn is safe to eat as long as you don't eat too much of it in a day.

Be sure not to eat too few carbs (minimum is about 150g ideally) because that'll cause drop in blood sugar and accompanying anxiety even in healthy people. Similarly, the ideal amount per meal is between 45-60g. Too little can leave you tired, too much can cause blood sugar spikes. Avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible, and limit the amount of added sugars where possible.

Artificial sweeteners--xylitol, erythritol, and sorbitol are good substitutes and won't affect blood sugar much if at all (though be cautious with volume--enough of it can act as a laxative). There are plenty of sugar free hard candies out there (that are also high in fiber)

Keep an eye on fiber especially with sugars--having whole fruits vs juices can drastically slow blood sugar increase as the fiber puts a lid on that. Similarly I add large amounts of raw cocoa powder to my milk both for flavor and to offset the sugar.

Protein can help you feel more full, but if you're still hungry after, chew some sugar free gum--that'll help suppress the desire to eat. If that doesn't help, it probably means you need water.

And while not necessarily a weight issue, keep a close eye on saturated fats--those raise your cholesterol. 10g is a good limit to stay under. There are plenty of lean meats so you shouldn't feel like it's a choice between health and meats.

[Hammy]

Got the bill for the shop, it wasn't near as bad as I expected, especially having them done a full check of everything. Some expensive stuff, but some can be put off:

Battery - died during 2020 from not driving and just got a cheap one-year one, been signs that was going for awhile
Thermostat/gasket/spark plugs/ignition system - likely reason for the check engine light coming on
four tires - been put off for several years
front end alignment - also been put off

I imagine the tires/battery is the bulk of the cost here.

other stuff:

front struts - not getting these done any time soon, I've had the car for a decade and they've been making noise since the test drive
rear brakes/cylinders - need to get these done next month, I skipped them twice already during two front brake replacements.