Re: Disappointing Diabetes Class

Sorry that went so badly. It kind of reminded me of taking ethics courses from professors with law degrees versus professors with philosophy degrees, not that either was bad, they just tend to have a different focus. I know that Kimberly has had different experiences with different dietitians and doctors. I think that knowing what your doctor expects as good, better and best for limits is helpful, and then using constant testing to make sure you are within his parameters.

Organic dairy products can be pasteurized, so I don't think there is really a connection between something being organic and not being pasteurized. For example, even raw milk may or may not be organic. What organic does mean is that the cows were fed organic feed (no pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertilizers) and were not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Those would be the benefits you would be looking at in purchasing organic cottage cheese. Unpasteurized (raw) milk and milk products (excluding cheeses aged 60 days or more) are not considered safe by the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html#legal. 

I really think I can do this.

You only see a dietician twice in a two-month period at the clinic my doctor sent me to. Last night the class was taught by two pharmacists who seemed intent on convincing me that I should be and needed to be on a medication. It made Dad so upset that he left. He said they were treating me like I was brain-dead.

My blood pressure is 118/70 and everything else about me, but my sugar level, is good. I think I want to do as the doctor suggested and try to beat this with diet and exercise. Dad and I walk for 30 minutes everyday. That takes up up to Turkey Hill and then back down. We had to add two more blocks to that today because we went too fast to just come back to the house.

I have lost 10 pounds! (Cheering!) That is just because for the first 10 days (up tomorrow) I do not eat any sugar, sugar substitute or sweetner of any type. I just get to add fruits to my diet tomorrow. I don't miss sugar and I never will. I do like to have my oatmeal with a tablespoon of nuts cooked in and I can have cinnamon which is actually supposed to help.

Eating out yesterday with Aunties and Dad was an adventure because the cafe was one that served only corn for a veggie, iceberg lettuce (not good for my tummy) or potato soup for a side. So I had a roasted turkey steak with a couple of leaves of Romaine and I small scoop of no-fat cottage cheese. (Auntie Helen said that was not good for me because it was pasteurized and I should only eat organic. I don't know where to get that.) Dad ate my rolls as well as his. He had peach pie for dessert and I enjoyed lemon water and the conversation.

I am going to be OK! I really, really think I can do this. I had my remaining five free (on the carb exchange list) veggies when I got home and a boiled egg. Now I just need to find a different class. This one costs $35 a time and was $70 for my first time. If I am going to pay for it, I would rather go somewhere else. The guys said that my medicare should pay about half the cost.

Dietitians‏

Mom, I think you can hire a dietitian and pay a per hour fee that is less than $35. If I were you I would look into that. I would search someone who has experience treating people with diabetes and find one that you can pay per hour and do private sessions sounds like it's cheaper than what you're already paying for the session that's not as effective. Love, Kirsten

Terrific videography - crazy people!

Myrna wrote: So, tell me, does the guy falling off the cliff die? Gordon wrote: Of course he doesn’t die. If you pause the video when he is in the close up picture where you can clearly see his back, you will see that he has a pack on his back which I am sure contains a parachute. If you look at the people doing free fall just before the man is climbing the steep mountain in the snow, you will see they are wearing the same kind of backpacks. The one I worry about is the first cliff climber who is holding on to those ridges sticking out from the face of the cliff. I don’t see ropes or packs. I hope he had a way to be safe if he fell. Of course he probably didn’t fall. That kind of fun is just not for me. Myrna wrote: If it might take my life if I make a false step, it just isn't fun. By the way, Leonard clicked on the other video at the bottom of the one you sent. It did show the guy I was concerned about falling and then his parachute opened. How they keep from hitting the sides as they fall, I'll never know.