makinglifebetter - Tumblr blog

[makinglifebetter]

This is going to be super long, so I'm putting it under the read more.

I have failed to make several updates to my TikTok and here are the reasons why.

I work for a gasoline distribution company. When I started working there it was owned by the family that founded it and several private investors.

Starting in 2017 or 2018, those investors began thinking of selling their majority shares. The sale went through in October of 2020. It was supposed to happen earlier in the year but the pandemic and some legal issues prevented it.

This new company uses different software to enter the sales data from our sites and began the process of switching us to this new software.

Back in May, we had to go to the office for one day for initial training. That day, one of my coworkers, B, had an issue with her laptop and IT gave her a new hard drive (I think, they might have given her a new laptop).

The next day I had my doctor's appointment (it had been rescheduled from April). While at the doctor, I got a text from A asking if I was having computer issues. Our manager was out for the day and I thought A was asking because I wasn't logged on yet. So, I replied that I was at the doctor's and apologized for not reminding her the night before.

She replied that she and B were having the same issue again, the computer kept trying to reboot, and were at the office.

When I got home, I turned on my computer, I hadn't set it up from being at the office the day before, and went to change (I had worn shorts and flip-flops to the doctor), just in case it does the same thing.

Which of course it did.

I had chosen to not make the update video in the doctor's office in case I needed to go in (I gained three pounds which while not as much as I had feared, was disappointing). I did take the time to stop for breakfast, though.

I ended up spending most of the rest of the day in the office waiting on IT to give me a new laptop and ended up forgetting to make that post. By the time I remembered, it had been several days and I chose not to.

Then there were issues nearly every other weekend that kept me from being able to clean (I hurt my thumb one weekend and had vertigo another, as well as plans with family).

I had originally planned to clean my bathroom today and my bedroom tomorrow. But I forgot that my birthday is Tuesday (I mean, I didn't forget, but I did forget) when my mother asked me last Sunday when I was at her house doing laundry what I wanted to do.

We have decided to go to lunch tomorrow and I am going to my daughter's boyfriend's parents Monday for the Fourth.

So, that is why my TikTok hasn't been updated recently.

I forgot to take before pictures but I did take after pictures.

I got started around mid-morning (I failed to note the exact time). I cleaned the counter, sink, and mirrors first. I took a short break after cleaning the counter and sink, then another after I cleaned the mirrors.

My back started spasming so I took a long break before cleaning the floor and toilet. I had to take several breaks while cleaning the floor and toilet and ended up falling asleep sometime after I ate lunch (I had originally planned to be finished before lunch). I finished cleaning the tub around 3, I remember this because I am trying intermittent fasting and do not eat past 4 so I had to eat dinner before I could finish putting the bathroom back together.

I changed the no-slip mat and the shower curtain. I had to lower the shower curtain because this one doesn't have weights/magnets along the bottom to keep it from getting sucked into the tub.

[makinglifebetter]

Part four

Last thing I did was vacuum.

The corner is my invisible corner, almost literally.

A few months after I moved in, back in 2015, I had an infestation of flies (still not sure why or even how they got in). There were rotting fly bodies all in that corner because I had been unable to get to it before now (I cannot move the nightstand and the vacuum cleaner I had before was horrible).

And this is what time it was when my body demanded I stop. My back is killing me, and my thumb hurts.

Overall, I think it was a good day. Even though I spent too much time sitting on my butt.

My intention going forward is to do my bedroom/bathroom every two weeks with the rest of the apartment, once I get there, on the week(s) in between.

This has taken nearly as long as it did to clean my bathroom/bedroom!

[makinglifebetter]

Part three

Then I dusted.

I started with the ceiling fan, then the dresser, the bed frame, the nightstand, and finally the armoire.

Then I changed the sheets. I have one set of black sheets and one set of white. My comforter is black and white, so I have mixed my sheet sets.

Does that make me weird?

And on to part four! (Who is the idiot who has a limit on the number of pictures? The last time I made a post with pictures, I didn't have to break it up into FOUR POSTS!)

[makinglifebetter]

Part two

I ate lunch at 10 because my stomach was complaining (I've gotten bad about snacking all day long, and I'm trying to get out of that habit).

Then I cleaned the sink/counter/mirror.

The sink was cleaned a week or so ago because I wash my bras in it and felt like they weren't getting very clean with how dirty the sink had gotten.

Tumblr is making me do a third part.

[makinglifebetter]

Hi, hello, and welcome!

It's been a while, and I hate myself for it. But we're here now, so I'm going to do my best to be better.

Under the read more for those who want to scroll on by (and because it's very long and picture heavy) is a description of how I spent my day.

I have been trying to do this for several weeks now, but it has not gone as planned.

The first time I tried, a couple of weeks ago, Mother Nature punched me in the uterus and laughed at how I thought I was almost in menopause (I'm gonna be 49 in a few months! Why do I still need to bleed once a month, huh?). So, I ended up spending most of that weekend cursing the fact that I'm a woman and downing ibuprofen like it's candy.

Then last weekend, my parents were out of town, and when I went to feed their cat, I did something to my thumb. It's kinda difficult to clean when your thumb is in a brace.

Then I was on vacation this past week, and I probably could have cleaned my whole apartment in the four days I didn't have plans for, but it was my first vacation this year, and so I did nothing.

I had told myself I was going to do this yesterday, but then I didn't. I then told myself I was going to get started after watching 48 Hours, but I ended up taking an hour+ impromptu nap, so got started a couple of hours later than I originally wanted.

I forgot to screenshot my lock screen, so this is a screengrab from the TikTok I made. You can go here to see them.

First thing I did was put away the laundry.

Then I cleaned off the chairs.

I took a break after cleaning off the empty chair and read a chapter on the ebook I was reading (I finished it on my last break). I then cleaned off the second chair and took another break.

My back has been bothering me lately, forcing me to take A LOT of breaks, part of why it took me so long.

Then I cleaned the bathroom.

I started with the toilet, then took a break. Then I swept the floor and took a break. (I did mention my back has been hurting, right?)

Most of my breaks were just a few minutes long. The longest ones were after I had finished a whole area and would read a chapter of my book. During the shorter ones, I played a game on my phone.

Tumblr wouldn't let me post it all at once, so there will be a part two.

[makinglifebetter]

Hi, hello, and welcome.

I know I posted a video nearly an hour ago about cleaning today. I took the trash out and then sat down to type this post, and got distracted by a story I have open in my web browser. I did mention I'm lazy, right?

Anyway, the Tumblr that has helped me in the past (and that I'm hoping will help now) is UFYH. They have a list of links on the main page that will help you get started.

And now, I am going to wash the dishes, dry them, and put them away. Then after a short break, I will begin to clean the kitchen.

Thanks for stopping by. Don't be a stranger.

[makinglifebetter]

Hi. Hello. And welcome.

Some additional information for you to know. My doctor has me on a sliding scale for my insulin. If my glucose is 60-100, I only take one metformin tablet. If my glucose is 101-150, I take three units and one metformin tablet. If my glucose is 151-200, I take five units and one metformin tablet. If my glucose is 201-250, I take eight units and one metformin tablet. If my glucose is over 250, then something is wrong. Also, I add one unit to the needed amount when I take my last insulin shot of the day unless the reading is under 100.

My glucose is rarely over 200 these days; it is usually under 150. As I stated last night, my goal is to have it be under 100 all the time by October.

These readings only pertain to before meals. I also take insulin before bed but that is a fixed amount. I started at ten units but when I saw my doctor for the first time post-hospital stay, she upped it to fourteen. Now that I'm taking metformin three times a day, she has me back down to ten. The eventual goal is for me to be off all my meds and to be back down to a healthy weight. And to reach that weight, I have to lose roughly two hundred pounds.

Thanks for stopping by. Don't be a stranger.

[makinglifebetter]

Hi. Hello. And welcome.

This blog will be about changes I need to make in my life. Below the cut *points to the 'keep reading' below* I'll explain in more detail.

If you don't want to read about the changes I'll be making, you can check out my TikTok and see them in action.

When I opened my TikTok account over a year ago, it was just so I could follow my favorite creators. But over the past several months, it has become clear that I need to make some major changes in my life. I need to be held accountable to make, and stick with, those changes. And what better way, than by putting it all out there for complete strangers to see?

I don't expect anyone to like or follow, this is one hundred percent for me. So, please, do not feel obligated to like or follow.

On to the reason for these changes.

I always say that I've always been overweight, but that's just not true. I have pictures of myself where I am a normal weight. I didn't actually start putting on the pounds until two things happened: 1) I hit puberty (or rather it hit me) and 2) I was diagnosed as having scoliosis.

I was told that my curvature was just a couple of degrees shy of needing surgery but was low enough on my spine to not need the brace that went up my neck (I remember looking at the x-ray and wondering how I wasn't a hunchback).

I was required to wear the brace twenty-three hours a day. That included gym class and bathing (according to my mother). It was incredibly uncomfortable and I hated the way it was obvious I was wearing it.

I became an introvert because of it.

My weight has fluctuated over the years, as most overweight people's weight has. When I graduated from high school, I was at my lowest. Several years ago I found out I was at my highest.

February 14, 2020, started as any other day. But when I got up to get ready for work, the room spun a bit. I suffer from vertigo so thought nothing of it. Until I was standing at the sink, brushing my teeth. The attack was so bad, I was clutching the counter to keep from falling down.

I texted my boss (luckily she also suffers from vertigo). She told me to rest and feel better.

As the day went on, I started to cough and I knew that meant I was getting my yearly cold. Now, I rarely get sick the same time every year. I usually get sick between September and December with November being the month I get sick the most often. I had my yearly cold in February of 2015 and it turned into pneumonia (the week I moved into this apartment). One memorable year, I had it the week of my birthday. In July.

I cannot remember if I told my mother and daughter I was calling off sick. But the next day, my mother called me. As soon as I answered she told me to call the doctor and she would take me.

While there, they became concerned about my blood pressure. They were afraid I would either have a heart attack or stroke out. So, they sent us to the emergency room.

While at the clinic, they did a rapid strep and a rapid flu test. Both came back negative.

At the hospital, they did the tests again. The nurse that did the swab, shoved it so roughly down my throat, I threw up all over myself.

Those tests also came back negative.

My mother says they told her I had the flu but none of my paperwork says that. Sepsis is all over my paperwork, but other than the negative flu test, it's not mentioned. I think I might have had COVID but since I got on broad-spectrum antibiotics early, it wasn't able to truly infect me.

They admitted me and began treating me for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. And something about my good cholesterol being too low?

I felt fine until early evening on Sunday. I'm not sure what time I fell asleep, but it was early. I think I woke briefly Monday morning and moved from the bed to the chair. But then I slept all of Monday. Or rather, I couldn't open my eyes and interact with the doctors and nurses. Until late afternoon. I woke up, my mother convinced me to order something to eat (I ordered toast and ate half of one slice), and then I was asleep again a little after seven (I know based on what was on the TV at the time).

Tuesday I was fine. It was like nothing had happened the day before. In fact, they discharged me that evening.

While in the hospital, I lost thirty pounds. Then lost another nine pounds over the next few months. But then I put some back on. I am currently (as of 7/15/21) four pounds heavier than when I left the hospital in February of 2020 which, considering how I eat, is something of a mystery to me.

My A1C is still over seven and my readings, while consistently under 150, are not where me or my doctor want them.

I told her that I want to lose twenty pounds and not have to take insulin before a meal by the time I see her again in October. The only way I can make that happen is by changing how I eat (something I already started). I know I need to exercise as well, but I don't really have room for that.

So, starting tomorrow, I will be posting TikToks of my glucose readings and what I'm eating. And of my attempts at getting my house cleaner.

And the other reason for the change is I have been in this horrible place six years too long (I moved in in February of 2015) and I am more than ready to move.

But I have a bug problem. I know I have contributed to it, I'm not the best housekeeper, but a lot of it is from when a neighbor moved out two or three years ago.

Before I move, I want to be as bug free as I can be so that I don't risk taking any of them with me.

I have tried in the past to have someone hold me accountable but it didn't really work. They never asked for pictures and if I said I didn't feel well, they didn't tell me to do at least the dishes or pick up trash. I'm not putting all the blame on them, I am the one who didn't want to clean and knew they wouldn't tell me I needed to despite not wanting to.

So, I will post at least three vids a day, with the exception of when I go out to eat or to do my laundry at my mother's. I will still take a screenshot of my glucose reading, but I won't be showing what I ate. I don't really want to have to explain it to my parents.

If you want, you are more than free to poke me if I don't post a vid by a time certain. I do not expect anyone to take me up on this, but just thought I'd put it out there.

If you've stuck around this long, thank you for reading.

Thank you for stopping by. Don't be a stranger!