The Results Are In...

I got my results back from my physical (I had the CBC and a five-panel drug screen). Here's what I learned:

• I'm not on drugs (lol)
• My glucose levels were right in the middle of the range for being normal (YAY)
• All other levels were normal for my metabolic panel
• My thyroid levels came back normal

Total Cholesterol: 170

Total cholesterol refers to the total amount of cholesterol as measured in the blood stream. This is the number that most people refer to when they say, "What's my cholesterol?"

In general, a desirable total cholesterol is under 200. Total cholesterol is a measured value, meaning it is determined by chemical analysis of your blood. If your total cholesterol is over 200, you need to know your HDL and LDL to tell if you're doing OK or need further treatment.

HDL Cholesterol: 45

HDL refers to "High Density Lipoprotein" and is commonly known as the "Good Cholesterol." It is called the good one because it helps protect your arteries from getting deposits of cholesterol that clog them. A desirable HDL is over 35, but the higher, the better. If your HDL is under 35, it is considered a "'risk factor." HDL is a measured value.

LDL Cholesterol: 90

LDL refers to "Low Density Lipoprotein" and is commonly called the "Bad Cholesterol." It is known as the bad one because it clogs the arteries and is directly associated with heart attacks and some strokes. A desirable LDL is under 130 unless you have two "risk factors." If you have two or more risk factors, a desirable LDL is under 100!

Triglyceride: 175

Triglyceride is a type of fat transport system in the blood stream. Triglyceride is directly related to what you eat. High fat, high carbohydrate diets lead to high triglyceride. A desirable triglyceride is under 200. Very high triglyceride can cause pancreatitis and other problems.

 

 

Glucose:75

This is a measure of the sugar (or glucose) level in your blood. High values are associated with eating before the test, and with diabetes.

The normal range for a fasting glucose is 60 -109 mg/dl. According the 1999 ADA criteria, diabetes is diagnosed with a fasting plasma glucose of 126 or more. A precursor, Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), is defined as fasting glucose levels of 110 - 125. Sometimes a glucose tolerance test, which involves giving you a sugary drink followed by several blood glucose tests, is necessary to properly sort out normal from IFG from diabetes. 

 

I am so relieved that my levels were all good. I need to bring my triglyceride number down to at least 150 or lower... and that can be done with diet and exercise. It's not high-risk at 175 but it's considered on the borderline high side... so it's something I want to watch and work to bring down. 

I am actually thinking about joining LA Fitness. I was going to join the YMCA, but I saw that the LA Fitness that's literally around the corner from us, is $40 a month! They close at 10pm and I could totally go after we put Gus to bed. I usually feel sleepy after I workout anyway... so I could go to the gym at night, come home, shower and go to bed. 

When we get back from our vacation I'm going to schedule a tour and go in and check it out. I don't know if childcare is included (it is at Lifetime and the YMCA)... not sure that I'd put Gus in it anyway. But it's a $0 joining fee right now and you pay the first month and last month when you sign up ($80) and then it's $40 every month there after. It's an awesome deal (Lifetime is like $100 pp per month and has a HUGE fee to join and then the YMCA has a joining fee and it's like $70 a month or so). LA Fitness is close to us and has all the things that I'd want. So we'll see. It'll be a good way to get a workout in and I can run on the tredmill or I can walk, or I can do some weights... it's full of endless possibilities.

I'm off to bed. Gus and Steve have their physicals tomorrow. Gus's should be easy-peasy and I'm praying that Steve's visit goes as well as mine did.  :-)

8-20-12 Science Fun

 

Baking soda, vinegar, bottles, and food coloring

 

This afternoon Gus and I decided to experiment a bit with some things that we have around the house. He was very excited to help me pour the baking soda into the container and then said, "Oooohhhhh!!" when I squeezed the blue vinegar onto the baking soda. It made a fizzy sound and then bubbled and he clapped. :-)

I made the initial squeeze and then he was ready to play with the red, yellow, green, and blue colored vinegar. It was very easy to set up, cost next to nothing, and kept him very entertained for more than an hour. I loved watching him play and react to the sounds and reactions of the baking soda and vinegar. This is one we'll do again and again!!

 

Touching the baking soda

 

After it was fizzy he wanted to touch it

 

So pretty!

 

Lifting the bin to listen to the fizzing as the vinegar ran over the baking soda!

 

 

We were all done and he wanted to add more baking soda...

 

And was VERY upset that it was time to clean up!

We'll do this again for sure... I'm going to look online and see if there are other things that can be done with baking soda and vinegar and we'll see what happens!!

So Productive!

 

Our Home Study Packet

This weekend we have been VERY productive. When we put Gus down for his nap yesterday, we sat down and organized all of the necessary documents for the home study process. 

It brought back memories of when we started the process back in December of 2009 for our adoption of Gus. However, in retrospect, the home study process in North Carolina was 1,000x easier than it is in Georgia. 

What's the difference you ask??? Well... in NC, there's a separate process for adopting through foster care and adopting domestically through an agency or attorney. Here in Georgia, it's all the same process and all the same requirements. This means that we had to have a lot more documentation for our home study. Some differences include:

• 911 Call History reports from all jurisdictions in which we've lived in the past five years. This wasn't a big deal to get this info here in GA, but when I called our local police department in NC, they had no idea what I needed or how to get it to me. I spent over a week trying to contact different people at the HSPD before I finally got in touch with the right person- and even then, she wasn't sure exactly how to help but did the best she could.
• 5-Panel Drug Screen- We never had to have any drug screens when we started the home study process in NC.
• Complete and thorough physicals including blood work-up and chest x-ray for TB- In NC, we went to the doctor, they signed off saying we were healthy and that was that. Here in GA, I had to have an extensive physical (and a Tetanus shot) that took two hours to complete!
• Both FBI and GA BI criminal background checks AND fingerprints- In NC, we didn't need fingerprints at all unless we wanted to adopt a child with special needs. Here, not only do we need GA Bureau of Investigation fingerprints and criminal background checks, but we also need FBI prints (which take 6-8 weeks to get and we can't submit anything until we have the cleared report from the FBI).
• One reference from a former employer because I worked with children within the past five years (NC didn't care).

So... it's been intense. However, this week I'm going to the JCPD to get our 911 call history and can check that off my to-do list. Steve and Gus have their physicals on Wednesday and then we just need to go and get our fingerprints done (FBI done at the APD and the GBI done at a separate location). Once that's done... we wait for the FBI to send us our report saying that we're all clear and then we can send the entire packet to our home study agency.

Our home study caseworker is getting married and going on a honeymoon soon and she and I talked yesterday (she called our references and told them to tell us to call her because she didn't have our number) and she said that she'll be unavailable until mid-October. Since we're in no rush to get this done, we said not to worry and when she's back and ready, she'll give us a call and we can set up our one visit for the home study. 

That is one REALLY nice thing... because we already have had a home study, we only need to have one visit (in the home) and the cost is significantly less than what we were quoted from other home study agencies. 

I'm assuming that there won't be anything to report until mid-October, but if/when I hear from her about setting it up, I'll be sure to blog about it!! The home study really is the hardest part of the whole process... so I'll be glad when all this is done!!!

Steve is on his way to Texas for the night and will be back tomorrow night. I'm glad we were able to get a lot done this weekend because we leave for vacation next week!! I wanted to have it as done as possible so that I didn't have to worry about it while we were gone.

Now I can go and relax!!

Let's Get Physical!!

I forgot the a in that title... 

This morning I went in for my first physical in... um... maybe ever. Well, probably not ever, but it was my first physical (REAL one) since I was probably entering middle school.

Because Steve and I are looking to adopt again, we have to have another home study. One of the requirements for the home study is a physical for every person in the household (yes, this includes one for Gus). When we adopted Gus, our NC physicals were cake. We went in, they weighed us, did our blood pressure, asked some generic questions and that was it.

Because we moved here in December and I haven't been sick enough to need a doctor, I didn't have a general practitioner. I have one now! :-)

I called last week about setting up my physical appointment and they had something right away that met my needs with Gus. Not only was it important that it be at a time that would be good for him (and me), but I was going to have to have blood-work done, so it needed to be a fasting test, meaning that I wanted it done early in the morning so I wasn't starving all morning.

I really wasn't sure how Gus was going to do. My appointment was at 9:15 and I got there at 9:00 as requested. I was able to get all the forms filled out online BEFORE my appointment (SUCH A BLESSING) so I didn't have to sit there and fill out forms and try to watch Gus. It was nice to just go in, give them my forms, and wait in their GORGEOUS lobby. They have a HUGE saltwater fish tank and Gus was enjoying watching the fish.

We were called back and I had to weigh-in. With all my clothes on (and shoes), I weighed about three pounds more today than I had when I last weighed myself here. I'm not sure how much my clothes (tank-top, t-shirt, jean capris, flip-flops, and then bra and undies) weigh, but I'm sure they're at least one or two pounds.

Anyway, my next stop was the bathroom so I could pee in a cup. Oh joy!! Thankfully, I was able to give them a decent sample (there's nothing worse than having to produce some urine and not having to use the bathroom). 

We headed into our room and I got Gus set up with his trains and his iPad. The nurse came in and asked a whole bunch of questions, and then we talked about the sheet from the home study agency. She said that I was going to need a TB test (chest x-ray) and I'd need the T-dap vaccine (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis). On top of that, I was going to have blood drawn.

I seriously didn't sleep well at all last night because I was so stressed and nervous about having blood drawn and worried about my blood-pressure being too high. I'm sure stressing about it wasn't going to be helpful for anything, but I couldn't control it. I have such a fear of needles.

So... it was time for my chest x-ray. I wasn't aware that I'd need a TB test, and having Gus with me... was not easy. He could not be in the x-ray room with me, and so they had to get someone to "babysit" him while I was getting my x-ray. They tried to show him the fish, they even fed the fish at a special time just for him, but he was very upset that I had vanished. I could hear him crying while I was in the room getting my chest x-ray. :-(

They let him in as soon as it was possible and he looked so pitiful. He had pushed out his bottom lip as far as it'd go and he was sobbing. It broke my heart. We reunited and then we headed back to the room.

Gus was back to happy and went back to playing with his trains and cars. The nurse came in and did my Tdap and while it stung a bit... it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. The pain came about five hours after... oh man.

Then the doctor came in and she and I chatted... she was excited to hear that we were starting the process of adopting and she went through the form and filled out as much of it as she could based on her findings without the blood work.

Before it was time for us to go, another lady came in to take my blood. She was very nice, friendly, and understanding of my fear of needles. I think it hurt more for her to slap my hand to get a vein to pop up than it did when she actually started to poke me. I was able to lay down and I didn't black out or pass out (I can't sit in the chairs in the lab because I pass out 100% of the time). It was a much smoother experience, and I'm thankful that they were so understanding and willing to work with me.

She finished and had me stay lying down, and then about five minutes later, the original nurse came back and she gave me what I needed to check out. She said in about three-five days they'd have my lab results back and they'd complete my paperwork and I could come by and pick up the completed physical form.

I stopped at Taco Bell on my way home because I was starving, and needed an instant boost. And it makes me happy. :-)

We were there for two hours and Gus was incredible the whole time (and even was good when I was away from him). I'm amazed at how well he behaved. He was cute when the doctor was checking my ears, eyes, mouth, etc. he sat on my lap and just watched the doctor and I told him that mama's have to go to the doctor just like kiddos do. He liked watching me get examined.  :-)

I looked online to see what my blood pressure was (on paper it's just a number with no real meaning) and I'm happy to report that I'm in the high-normal range! I'm in the middle of the range... so I'm not super close to being risky, but I need to work on getting to normal. However, she said it was great and most-likely, I AM in the normal range but because of my fear of needles/having my blood taken, and the whole anxiety of being at the doctor and having Gus there, those were all things that probably elevated my blood pressure... she said she was very happy with my health and to keep exercising, keep watching what I eat, and to focus on losing weight. 

I honestly think that running/exercising has helped my blood pressure. When I moved from MI to NC, I had to have a physical (very basic) and Michelle Ferguson's mom helped with it and she did my blood-pressure and said it was too high and I needed to really watch it. Being just above "normal" today is probably from being more active and being aware of what I'm consuming.

So... I'm happy that it's over. I am happy that I have a Tdap in my system and it's good for ten years. I haven't had a Tetanus shot since I was in 6th grade, so I'm protected and with Whooping Cough coming back, I'm protected against that as well. Now my left arm is getting more and more sore-- talk about OUCH. Not sure how long it lasts, but my gosh-- it HURTS!!

I'm hoping that my blood-work comes back all normal. I take Gus to the doctor next week for his physical and to get the remainder of the vaccines that he needs to be caught up and then Steve goes next week too. Then we'll just have to go and get finger-printed and we can submit our paperwork and get our visit scheduled for sometime in September!!

:-)

Sunday Funday!

 

Colored Rice in our Sensory Bin

This morning Gus was a little cranky. It was a bit of a challenge to keep him content all morning long, so I decided to use the time to dye some rice and pasta for our sensory table. We also made some cookies.

I found a few recipes for dying rice with food coloring, but they called for rubbing alcohol and we didn't have any, so instead I searched for dying rice with vinegar and found a few different ways. I made the first batch with purple and it called for too much vinegar (1 cup of rice and 1/4 cup of vinegar with a few drops of coloring).

Then I decided to use less vinegar and it was just what I needed (I did two tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of rice and a bunch of coloring).Gus was ready and eager to help me and it instantly boosted his mood. :-)

 

Helping to dump the cup of rice into the gallon bag

 

Adding the food coloring

 

Ready to shake!!

 

 

He was doing a great job helping!!

 

Shaking the yellow

 

After a few times he knew what to do and I didn't have to help!

 

Crazy shaking!!

After we dyed the rice, we dyed some pasta (uncooked). We followed the same procedure as above.

While our rice and pasta was sitting (it's recommended that it sit in the bag for about 30-60 minutes to set), we decided to bake some cookies. I pulled over the tot tower and Gus got inside and he was ready to start helping with the cookies!!

 

Dumping the cookie mix into the bowl

 

Adding the butter

 

Mixing the dough

 

Ready to put into the oven!

By the time we were done making cookies, it was time for a nap. Gus was not happy about having to go for a nap, but he was really in need. He ended up sleeping until 6:15!! I had to go up and wake him and he was in a deep sleep. 

When he came downstairs, he was so excited to see what new bin was at the sensory table!

 

The rice sat for a few hours and dried

 

In the bin and ready for Gus to discover it!

 

So pretty!

 

Here's the pasta-- green bowties

 

Blue twisty

 

Purple shells

Here are some pictures of Gus discovering the new rice bin and playing for a bit before dinner.

 

Hmmmm... I wonder what's under the lid...

 

He literally said, "Ohhh!!" :-D

 

It didn't stay pretty for long...

 

He loved mixing it up with his hands and feeling the rice!

 

Fun at the sensory table!

Later this week we're going to play with baking soda and vinegar... should be loads of fun!! I'll be sure to take pictures and post them!!