July 14, 2026
I was doing well since the last update until I started to feel tired all the time. I put it to the weather and my thyroid and ate to keep going. What I didn't realize I was having a gout attack. It hit hard Saturday night and left me hurting like crazy. Today the pain and swelling has subsided and I am feeling much better. This has changed my outlook a lot.
Personal Goals
When I realized I had gout I knew I had been eating incorrectly. I had gravitated towards red meat, processed foods, and sugary processed items. I had overloaded my body for quite a while and it had to stop immediately. I was exhausted and my toe was acting up telling me what I didn't know was going to happen.
I am eliminating red meat, sandwich meat, sweets, etc. from my diet. I am back to eating poultry and salmon. I have eliminated sugar and foods that have fructose in them. I have upped the amount of fluids I drink by a lot. This is to help flush the uric acid from my system.
As I cannot take Advil or Aleve, I took Tylenol to help with the pain. I also used Voltaren on the toe which does help some. I alternated between resting and doing chores as I read that resting is necessary. I actually rested a lot as I was exhausted and wanted to sleep. As the pain subsided and I wasn't eating trigger foods, I started to feel less tired and wanted to do more things.
Physical Activity
My Fitbit wouldn't show its clock and after many days of trying to reboot it, I ordered a new one. It arrived the day after I ordered it.
Though my toe was extremely sore, I did more steps per day than I had for a while. I was happy to see that I was pushing myself to do more. Once the pain subsided, I started to do more things which required me to move more.
I have had less pain in my SI joint and the muscles in my thigh. This also allows me to move easier as I am not fighting the soreness in that area.
Mental Wellness
Though I was very tired for a while, I didn't get depressed or allow myself to dwell on things I couldn't control. I did go out more in the first two weeks of July and I did enjoy that.
I did not beat myself up when I realized I had gout. Instead, I set about doing what I needed to do so I can control this and, hopefully, have no more attacks. I had deviated from my diet as I was tired of the same old same old. I paid for that. Now it is time to focus on it. This is part of my mental wellness.
July 6, 2026
Check in time. I started July 1 doing well even if we had a delicious bbq. We then went under a heat warning with a cloud of humidity over us. The humidity pushed the humidex up so it felt like 40C. I struggled with the heat and humidity. I didn't want to eat what I had planned. I wanted to eat crazy and I did. The heat wave was over in 3 days and I was exhausted. My joints ached and I was not a happy person. I was actually miserable and by July 4th I was just holding it together even though I was not showing it.
Personal Goals
They were not met at all during the heat wave. I ate what I could and most of it was unhealthy. I worked hard at trying to stay hydrated. Yesterday was cooler and I managed to follow the goals I had set. I did eat cold food but it was healthier. I weighed myself and took the gain without beating myself up. I didn't snack and I drank a lot of water. The fluid started to move and I was spending a lot of time getting rid of it. I actually lost 1.5 lbs of fluid in less than 24 hours.
I am now at the point of feeling better and will prep vegetables to eat. I have cold cuts and some potato salad but am doing portion control. I know I can have them in moderation.
I did clean most of the sewing room during the heat wave. At first I was going to do a light clean but I ended up doing a deep clean. I will finish it today.
I did keep the upstairs clean by making sure everything was put away. I did a good reset in the kitchen yesterday and will start cleaning upstairs once I finish the sewing room. I am thinking of alternating days so I can clean the downstairs once again.
I could not do much outside other than water the plants while it was hot. Yesterday was cool enough that I pulled weeds along the west side of the house. I will try to pull weeds in the hedge starting tomorrow. I only need to pull for 15-20 minutes during the coolness of the morning.
Physical Activity
With the heat, I did not do a lot of activity. Outside was not a place to be. I did do some of my yoga exercises yesterday and want to do a few each day. They do help my SI joint and build my muscles. I did try to do a lot of steps each day and was successful.
Mental Goal
I stopped stressing about things and worked on what I could do each day. I was able to enjoy a few things like making a salad we love for July 1st's dinner. I took pride in cleaning the sewing room and keeping the clutter at bay upstairs. I wasn't perfect but I did find some joy in what I was doing and letting go of things that had been bugging me. I couldn't control the weather so I decided to do things inside where I could remain cool with the a/c on.
The first few days of July were trying. I pushed myself to do things even though I was tired and hot. I did have some bad eating days and some fluid buildup. I did catch myself before I became depressed. I forced myself to do things when I wanted to sleep. I felt joy when the wind had a coolness to it and when I felt the calmness in the sewing room as I deep cleaned it. I kept upstairs tidy which also made me feel joy. I now need to add a bit more to what I do daily. Weeding on cool mornings, yoga exercises for strength and flexibility and prepping foods so I can eat well.
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Though I did fall off the wagon many times during June, I was more focused than I thought I was. I realized that I needed to spend more time on myself and to have a plan on what I am going to do. I do have some limitations right now but I am figuring out what I can and cannot do.
Personal Goal:
To loose weight by doing the following:
Track everything I eat using the Weight Watcher's app
Eat foods that are less processed and keep meals simple but very healthy.
Keep trigger foods out of the house
Watch portion size
Work on having a lot of what I gained since coming home from Uruguay by the end of August (first mini goal).
Monitor my blood pressure, heart rate, and SPO2. Keep stress at bay and do the things I enjoy.
To keep the house and yard tidy
Work each morning to have the house tidy. Focus on a room a day.
Pick up and reset the house a couple of times a day. This means making sure items are gotten rid of right away and not left for another time. It means making sure everything I use is put away right away.
Get the outside work done on a weekly basis with watering plants done daily. As I get the weeds under control it is easy to keep my yard tidy. I need to use something strong on some of the weeds.
Physical Goal:
To start doing my yoga exercises on a daily basis
Begin to walk in the fall when the weather cools off. The heat and humidity during the summer affect me a lot. During the summer months make sure I walk more in the house or in stores when I shop. I know I can do 3000 steps a day in the house alone. In the winter months walk every other day at the arena.
Continue on with osteopathy and physiotherapy. This helps keep my body aligned and have the muscles relax.
Mental Goal:
Stop worrying about things outside of my circle of control. It is hard but I need to remind myself that what I am worrying about cannot be fixed by me. I need to worry about what is inside my circle of control.
Stop worrying about low spend months. I am allowed to spend money as long as I am not bringing unnecessary items into my house.
Balance what I need to do at home and in the yard with volunteering and relaxing. Enjoy reading something that interests me. Allow myself to work on my family tree.
Remember to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Make doing jobs enjoyable as this is important.
Sewing items that I can give away lets me live my fantasy life. Remember its okay to buy fabrics or yarn if I am going to use them right away.
Stepping away from the world is okay if I need time to think and rebalance my life. Stop worrying and live each day to the fullest.
I am going to keep myself accountable weekly. It is important so I can keep on track.
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