The "What's on your mind?" Thread -2017

[arouetta]

I assume that was directed at me. No, it's not a lactose intolerance problem. It's a "sensitivity" to a milk protein. If it was lactose cheese wouldn't be a problem, because when cheese is aged the lactose disappears; the protein doesn't. I digest milk just fine; then the casein is in my body, in the system if you will, and doing bad things to me that I don't understand and can't do anything about.

Lol, nope, it's about me. I got so sick today after drinking two glasses of milk I had to call out. And then I realized that milk has been making me sick over the previous week, but I had chocked it up to the Nesquik I had been putting in it, while today I didn't add it. A lot of things I'm no longer used to eating have been making me sick (sugar and oil are two biggies) but milk is healthy. And crazy enough, it's not causing diarrhea like I would expect becoming lactose intolerant would cause, it's causing severe nausea and a general feeling of malaise over a couple of hours.

 

[Margret]

Lol, nope, it's about me. I got so sick today after drinking two glasses of milk I had to call out. And then I realized that milk has been making me sick over the previous week, but I had chocked it up to the Nesquik I had been putting in it, while today I didn't add it. A lot of things I'm no longer used to eating have been making me sick (sugar and oil are two biggies) but milk is healthy. And crazy enough, it's not causing diarrhea like I would expect becoming lactose intolerant would cause, it's causing severe nausea and a general feeling of malaise over a couple of hours.

Sorry, I just re-read and realized that and have now edited my response. Go back a message or two and check, as the new version is more useful.

My first indications of lactose intolerance came from nausea. It never got far enough along to cause diarrhea those first few times . Later on, I could always tell a really bad pizza parlor because if I ate their pizza without taking a Lactaid I'd get diarrhea (evidence that they were using a "processed cheese product" like Velveeta or American Cheese rather than actual aged cheese on their pizzas).

Margret

 

[NewYork1303]

Well, I just spent an hour on a chat with Tracphone. Looks like I will be switching soon. Not only will I get a smartphone (I have a flip phone now), but it will save me a ton of money in the long run. If I stayed with Verizon and got what I need, it will cost $150/month (3 lines). With Tracphone it will only be around $50. That's less than what I'm paying for 3 lines now. And, I can keep my number, which is a big one. I already know I get good reception here. I had friends stay with me for a short while and they had Net10 and never dropped a call. I can't tell you the last time I didn't drop a call with my provider.

Do any of you have bad things to tell me about Tracphone before I switch? I would appreciate any comment on them.

What do they give you for that price? I use AT&T gophone. I have unlimited calling and texting for 25 dollars a month on my smartphone.

My friend used Tracphone. Had a terrible time with them overcharging and not honoring a lot of their original agreements.

 

[NewYork1303]

Lol, nope, it's about me. I got so sick today after drinking two glasses of milk I had to call out. And then I realized that milk has been making me sick over the previous week, but I had chocked it up to the Nesquik I had been putting in it, while today I didn't add it. A lot of things I'm no longer used to eating have been making me sick (sugar and oil are two biggies) but milk is healthy. And crazy enough, it's not causing diarrhea like I would expect becoming lactose intolerant would cause, it's causing severe nausea and a general feeling of malaise over a couple of hours.

My mother became allergic to milk a few years ago. She is not actually lactose intolerant but allergic to the milk itself.

Also cow milk actually isn't healthy. Human beings were never meant to drink the milk from cows. This is why so many people have trouble with it.

 

[arouetta]

Unless there is something very wrong, we're all born with the ability to make lactase since we need it to digest our mother's milk. However, over time that ability can turn off. There is some evidence that people whose ancestors came from places where milk cows were common are less likely to develop lactose intolerance as they age.

I think that's a temporary thing, it automatically shuts off after a couple of years. But somewhere in Northern Europe a bunch of gutsy (pun intended) people turned to animal milk so long that evolution kicked in causing a gene change, and they their descendants were so prolific that about 1/3 of the world's population now has that gene.

If you buy a TracPhone minutes card, keep the receipt!!! I've had trouble with them refusing to honor an old minutes card because I no longer had the receipt.

Margret

When my daughter had a TracFone, we simply went on the website and bought it there. You simply put in your phone number and it auto-adds as soon as you hit the payment button.

 

[Margret]

When my daughter had a TracFone, we simply went on the website and bought it there. You simply put in your phone number and it auto-adds as soon as you hit the payment button.

My experience dates from before the internet was so ubiquitous.

Margret

 

[kashmir64]

What do they give you for that price? I use AT&T gophone. I have unlimited calling and texting for 25 dollars a month on my smartphone.

My friend used Tracphone. Had a terrible time with them overcharging and not honoring a lot of their original agreements.

The plan I was looking at is $20/30 days. 300 minutes, 1k text and 1GB data. I don't use my phone much and right now I share 700 minutes over 3 lines and it's $76 a month. I almost never use my phone except to make a call every now and then. Or a text when my prescription is ready. I probably don't even need a smart phone.
The problem with AT&T is that there is no reception where I am. I tried one a few months ago, and couldn't get a line out.

 

[NewYork1303]

The plan I was looking at is $20/30 days. 300 minutes, 1k text and 1GB data. I don't use my phone much and right now I share 700 minutes over 3 lines and it's $76 a month. I almost never use my phone except to make a call every now and then. Or a text when my prescription is ready. I probably don't even need a smart phone.
The problem with AT&T is that there is no reception where I am. I tried one a few months ago, and couldn't get a line out.

It might be a good idea to look at other prepaid options also. I know one of my friends used boost with great success for a while. My mother also used to use Virgin, but their service was a bit spotty. It really does depend where you go.

 

[debbila]

I have Consumer Cellular. They are inexpensive and have good customer service. If you have AARP you get a discount. I have 250 minutes for $15. The next higher plan is 1500 minutes for $20... unlimited for $30. I don't have internet or texting on mine, but it's a few dollars more depending on how much you want.

 

[Margret]

I think that's a temporary thing, it automatically shuts off after a couple of years. But somewhere in Northern Europe a bunch of gutsy (pun intended) people turned to animal milk so long that evolution kicked in causing a gene change, and they their descendants were so prolific that about 1/3 of the world's population now has that gene.

I remember seeing (or hearing on the radio, NPR perhaps?) a story a few years back about one of the earliest European settlements in the New World, in Greenland or Iceland. When the settlers arrived they found no natives because the natives were elsewhere at that season, so the settlers figured the land was unoccupied and proceeded to build a fortress and start farms. Then the seasons changed and the natives came back and were rather startled to find these strangers on the land, but they were willing to be reasonable about it. The settlers wanted to be reasonable as well, so they proposed a big friendship feast to make everyone happy and cement a friendly relationship. The natives thought that feasting sounded like a good idea and went along with it, and at the feast the settlers introduced the natives to this wonderful drink that the natives had never tasted before -- cow's milk. A few hours later, the natives concluded (quite logically) that they had been deliberately poisoned, and responded by wiping out the entire settlement.

Wish I knew where I encountered that story; I'd like to know something about the researchers and their sources.

Margret

 

[Margret]

Rest in Peace, Jerry Pournelle, August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017.
Passings…. – Chaos Manor – Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Pournelle - Wikipedia

Margret

 

[arouetta]

I remember seeing (or hearing on the radio, NPR perhaps?) a story a few years back about one of the earliest European settlements in the New World, in Greenland or Iceland. When the settlers arrived they found no natives because the natives were elsewhere at that season, so the settlers figured the land was unoccupied and proceeded to build a fortress and start farms. Then the seasons changed and the natives came back and were rather startled to find these strangers on the land, but they were willing to be reasonable about it. The settlers wanted to be reasonable as well, so they proposed a big friendship feast to make everyone happy and cement a friendly relationship. The natives thought that feasting sounded like a good idea and went along with it, and at the feast the settlers introduced the natives to this wonderful drink that the natives had never tasted before -- cow's milk. A few hours later, the natives concluded (quite logically) that they had been deliberately poisoned, and responded by wiping out the entire settlement.

Wish I knew where I encountered that story; I'd like to know something about the researchers and their sources.

Margret

Some time last month I read an article that spoke of a recent study where they got DNA from something (I think a tooth) from a body found somewhere in Northern Europe. Though the archaeological site showed that milk was a staple for these people, the DNA did not have that genetic variation. It had always been a chicken vs egg thing, did the gene variant come first and someone figured it out and kept a lactating goat, or did there be a long-term need for milk and the gene variant occurred in response to the lactose, and this study strongly agreed with the latter. But it left the question of why the people would have become heavy milk drinkers if it caused intestinal issues.

 

[foxxycat]

Well, I just spent an hour on a chat with Tracphone. Looks like I will be switching soon. Not only will I get a smartphone (I have a flip phone now), but it will save me a ton of money in the long run. If I stayed with Verizon and got what I need, it will cost $150/month (3 lines). With Tracphone it will only be around $50. That's less than what I'm paying for 3 lines now. And, I can keep my number, which is a big one. I already know I get good reception here. I had friends stay with me for a short while and they had Net10 and never dropped a call. I can't tell you the last time I didn't drop a call with my provider.

Do any of you have bad things to tell me about Tracphone before I switch? I would appreciate any comment on them.

Me personally I don't care for Tracphone. I think they are a rip off.

I use Walmart Straight talk which I know IS on the Tracphone network and I have really good reception just about anywhere. One thing I was told by a rep for cell phones is when looking at the map for coverage-if the map is in red-it's Verizon, blue it's for AT&T. He explained how they have different levels of connecting-the prepaid is the lower end but personally I haven't had any calls dropped. I do the $45 every 30 days. its unlimited talk/text and 8 Gig of data. I think they have one that's $25 a month. Since I text ALOT I like this plan. Plus if I want to watch a youtube video I have some data=the only thing I hate is some sites automatically play video so I have to go into my settings and disable this. Plus disable programs running in the background that take up data. The newer phones are to me harder to change these settings=but if you have wifi in your home=just turn on wifi on phone, enter password then it won't eat up data.

I used to have AT&T in the 2005 era years and it was $89 a month for CRAP. then I dumped them and went to Net10 for YEARS. Then I wanted a Samsung 3 and went to straight talk. Never looked back.

Jon got his tests back..interesting mixture of results..inflammation is off the charts, he has prediabetes and has to change diet. not happy about that. Going to rheumatoid doctor too-his RF was still high. He's got some other stuff going on that I think will fix themselves once we get on a better diet of more legumes and veggies and less sugar and crap food. I always trying to get him to eat more beans and veggies..he says I don't like them..so I will mix them in brown rice and put ketchup on it or something-he loves ketchup and if that's the only sugary item he eats-it will be an improvement. I guess we should cut out fruit but he needs the fruit for the help it gives for issues. He says he will eat a bowl of broccoli and I said that's fine but you still need complex carbs and meats/veggies instead of candy bars, crackers, ice cream and other JUNK. oh and no more ice cream sandwiches for now. Told him to buy one at the corner store instead of a box of 24 where you pig out on them. I was told his cold feet and circulation could be from diabetes. We shall see.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

So, this was the discussion at my house last night:

Hekitty: "I want a treat."
Me: "You just HAD a treat."
Hekitty: "Well, I want another one."
Me: "NO! Go eat your kibbles."
Hekitty: "I don't want the stinking kibbles!"
Me: "We've talked about this before. Cat does not live by treats alone, but by the water in the bowl and the kibbles in the dish!"
Hekitty: " 'Basement cat can cite scripture for his purpose.' "
Me: "OH COME ON! I'm hardly Basement Cat! Who takes care of your every need?"
Hekitty: "My litter box needs changing."

~hangs head~ Not only is she accusing me of being the devil, she's apparently reading Shakespeare!

 

[arouetta]

Jon got his tests back..interesting mixture of results..inflammation is off the charts, he has prediabetes and has to change diet. not happy about that. Going to rheumatoid doctor too-his RF was still high. He's got some other stuff going on that I think will fix themselves once we get on a better diet of more legumes and veggies and less sugar and crap food. I always trying to get him to eat more beans and veggies..he says I don't like them..so I will mix them in brown rice and put ketchup on it or something-he loves ketchup and if that's the only sugary item he eats-it will be an improvement. I guess we should cut out fruit but he needs the fruit for the help it gives for issues. He says he will eat a bowl of broccoli and I said that's fine but you still need complex carbs and meats/veggies instead of candy bars, crackers, ice cream and other JUNK. oh and no more ice cream sandwiches for now. Told him to buy one at the corner store instead of a box of 24 where you pig out on them. I was told his cold feet and circulation could be from diabetes. We shall see.

The way I sneak veggies into my husband's food is to mince them (broccoli stalks, not florets) and saute them with onion and garlic. Neither of us likes bell peppers, but I can put together a nice mix of broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery and other similar veggies. The mincing has to be small though, no chewable chunks.

Whole wheat bread has really changed over the years, it used to be hard to find a (for lack of a better word) fluffy whole wheat bread to ease the transition from white to whole wheat, now a lot of whole wheat bread is fluffy. Sometimes I can find something called "whole grain" bread, I can't remember the manufacturer, it's got not just whole wheat but a few other whole grains like rye mixed in, and it's really good tasting and a few cents cheaper. Not much cheaper, like 10¢ cheaper, but hey that's still 10¢. Whole wheat buns for hot dogs and hamburgers have also gotten better. Whole wheat pasta is a mixed bag, I find it far too chewy. And don't forget the substitutions for the other two "whites", brown rice and sweet potatoes.

A lot of things that try to present themselves as healthier suck. For example there's some kiddie cereals like Frosted Flakes that advertise reduced sugar, and there's Baked Lays and other baked chips. When you read the labels though, it is very, very apparent the carb count is the same or even worse, they simply substituted another carb to get the "crunch". When considering carb counts, remember to subtract out sugar alcohols and fiber to determine the glucose affecting carbs. Atkins junk food really is diabetic friendly, Russell Stover makes diabetic friendly chocolate, if he needs to take baby steps to healthier eating. If he gets far too possessive about his junk food, load him up with the Russell Stover stuff. It's neither Nutrasweet nor Splenda, so once he survives all the bathroom trips he may not want to eat another piece of candy again.

Protein is the absolute best for blood sugar, and it usually is low in calories too, so highly encourage things like grilled chicken or baked fish. Even fried chicken or fish is okay if you can find some way to dump the breading, or maybe make your own breading from whole wheat flour and bread it very lightly. And hard cheeses are great, the process of making cheese destroys the lactose. As you get softer though, the cheeses retain more lactose, so ditch the cottage cheese and double up on the cheddar and gouda.

Beans are a double-edged sword when it comes to diabetes. Great in protein and fiber....and lots of carbs to go with it. Even when you subtract out the fiber the carb count is still eek! high. In fact a dietitian told my husband to treat things like corn and peas and lima beans the same way as white bread and white potatoes. So go easy on the beans when you make chili.

My husband was never given a carb limit, but other diabetic people say they've been given a limit of a flat 60 carbs a day. If you think your husband might have an easier time actually counting carbs, maybe trying to stay under that limit might help him control his own eating habits. When I was actually counting calories (which I need to start doing again), knowing what my cumulative total for the day was and knowing how much more I could take in and calculating if I could afford a cheat item really helped me stay in control.

 

[foxxycat]

The good news is he hates most veggies. Peas. Carrots. Squash. Sweet potatoes. Most corn. Brussel sprouts. Tge only one he eats is broccoli. He wont eat noodles or rice or couscous or quinoa. Hes fussy about textures. Me i love a mix of food. Hes happy with wheat slice with butter. I believe fats are better for us than carbs. When i load up on fats im not as hungry. He eats nuts so thatz ok. Hard stinky cheese. He doesnt like greek yogurt. I hate yogurt. Yuck. For now we eat dark green broccoli meat and cheese. He likes potatoes but not sweet potatoes. Hes not big on cakes. Cookies. He likes ice cream. We dont do low fat anything in this house. I wont use man made ingredients. Dont like man made sugars either. I work hard to find food with no high fructose corn syrup. That stuff causes so many problems. Now they call it cane sugar. Theres hidden tricks. Spices. Another code word for extra salt. Ive been making everything scratch that we eat. Salads. Only dressing is made. Im still trying to find food without soy. Thats impossible. For ladies with hormone issues soy is bad for us. It makes my endo act up. I found a natural bread that doesnt have it but lately i dont want any carbs.

Once i go 2 or 3 days without too many carbs it gets easier. I did 2 weeks of low carb high fat protein and veggies. Then i ate chips m crackers and felt crappy for 3 days. I am now trying to stick to the keto diet. I feel so much better without simple carbs or white carbs. We dont eat canned foods here other than cream of soups or sloppy joes. Most time we just use shake n bake and a salad or corn on cob.

I eat a ton of cashews which helps. Peanuts give me heartburn. We will be ok.

My only worry is the shingles from April still causing trouble. So it could be a combo of both rheumatoid arthritis and shingles. At least we know its not in his head. Blood work helps support my suspicions. His sugar isnt bad. It was 101. To me for a guy his age i think thats really good. The blood was taken at 11am. Last meal was 4pm the night before. He didnt take his advil that morning. So only drank water. I said thats too long to go without food. The last time i was tested mine was 89. And i had eaten at 9pm the night before. Test was at 7am.

I think him being thirsty may have had his numbers be higher than they would have be had he hydrated.

 

[arouetta]

I work hard to find food with no high fructose corn syrup. That stuff causes so many problems. Now they call it cane sugar.

"Cane sugar" is regular sugar, the stuff in leaky bags next to the leaky flour bags. High fructose corn syrup manufacturers tried to call HFCS "corn sugar" and the FDA slammed that one down hard, said they cannot under any circumstances call it a "sugar". I think the FDA was bowing to the consumers that don't like HFCS because their ban was based on the fact that HFCS is a liquid not a solid like cane sugar is, but whatever it takes, lol.

 

[Margret]

But it left the question of why the people would have become heavy milk drinkers if it caused intestinal issues.

My guess is that people got sufficiently addicted to it in childhood that they were willing to deal with the intestinal issues if it meant they got their "fix." But I'm talking mental addiction, not physical.

I was told his cold feet and circulation could be from diabetes. We shall see.

I think him being thirsty may have had his numbers be higher than they would have be had he hydrated.

Yes, the cold feet and circulation could very well be from diabetes. And if he's thirsty a lot, so could that.

Any time I go in for lab tests they tell me to fast, but drink lots of water because they'll want a urine sample as well.

Margret

 

[tallyollyopia]

It's important that everyone knows it's HAPPY CAT MONTH and that they act accordingly. Of course, every month is happy cat month to a cat.

We have electricity!!! And it took a good deal less than the 5 - 6 hours they told me to expect all electricity to be off.

Sitting here with the evening news on, and I just heard two things I feel I should mention.

1. The Better Business Bureau warns that someone has been sending out email in their name, and it's not actually from them. It's a phishing scam; don't click on the links!
2. Amazon is being sued for selling people defective eclipse glasses.

Margret

Congratulations! (And thanks for the warning!)

And I thought it was ridiculous having the Halloween things out now!

I heard a piece on NPR, on the way home from my Aunt's 100th birthday party on September 9th. It seems that there was another 100th birthday that day -- the first known use of OMG occurred in a letter to Winston Churchill on that date in 1917.

Margret

I was in a store (I forget which one) with RB and we were staring at this huge inflatable black dragon with glowing flames coming out of its mouth when RB suddenly yelled, "Whatever happened to Thanksgiving?"

!

Most '80s/early '90s TV shows are terrible. Quantum Leap is really holding up to rewatching!

Don't start rewatching "Murder, She Wrote." Although the mysteries are genuine and there's a lot that holds up--you'll want to smack the main character for stupidity. Honestly. I've never seen a character on TV fail the Darwin test so many times and still survive!

Can your body learn to digest lactose? I know there's a gene involved, which to my mind is weird as bacteria actually do the digesting, not our intestines (maybe the gene makes the intestines a happy breeding ground for the lactose bacteria?). But after a few glasses of milk, it seems that my lactose intake has been low enough in recent months that I must have starved my bacteria to death. If I suffer through the stomach upset (not intestinal, I'm talking nausea and other unwell feelings) long enough, will I have my happy lactose bacteria back?

I don't know. I'll tell you what I've noticed, though, if you'll read it. When LS was born she would shriek. She shrieked when eating, when laying down, when sitting up--I've never heard a baby shriek so much and she was in the hospital a lot to find out why. It turned out the problem was two-fold: 1) she was lactose intolerant and getting all the accompanying digestion problems (and you have no idea how hard it is to get lactose free formula) and 2) her upper muscle sphincter had a defect in it preventing it from closing all the way--so that every time she laid flat or was jostled too hard stomach acid was escaping and eating away at the esophogus and, before we discovered this, at part of her lungs. She's never been able drink milk or eat dairy products (of any kind).

Now, when I was in middle school there was a summer where I refused to eat anything other than fruit and vegetables, but not for the reasons that most people do that. See, the supermarket where DD shopped had recently begun putting out a refrigerated "bargain bin" of products slightly past their Best Buy Date or had other deformities. (I still remember how horrified I was when DD picked up a package of open hamburger meat and put it in the cart with the justification, "We'll cook it thoroughly anyway, and it's only twenty cents a pound!" So--yeah. And please don't forget--I had no sense of smell and there was no way for me to tell if the meat was bad. Only ate fruit and veggies--raw--the whole summer and pretended it was a phase I was going through. Egads.) Anyway, after three months of no milk products I had problems digesting them when I got back home with AWM, but I got my ability back after a while.

So--maybe?

Well, I just spent an hour on a chat with Tracphone. Looks like I will be switching soon. Not only will I get a smartphone (I have a flip phone now), but it will save me a ton of money in the long run. If I stayed with Verizon and got what I need, it will cost $150/month (3 lines). With Tracphone it will only be around $50. That's less than what I'm paying for 3 lines now. And, I can keep my number, which is a big one. I already know I get good reception here. I had friends stay with me for a short while and they had Net10 and never dropped a call. I can't tell you the last time I didn't drop a call with my provider.

Do any of you have bad things to tell me about Tracphone before I switch? I would appreciate any comment on them.

I want you to bear in mind that my story is old--from 2007, when I got my first cell phone after starting college (I didn't want one, but the college I was attending is in the middle of nowhere--still, and my car's alternator kept snapping on me.) My first phone was a Tracphone--and I hated their service. My minutes (I didn't have internet browser or anything--my first phone was as simple as I could find and I haven't updated much except to get a flip phone that actually has a camera as well--and that was only so I could receive pictures) would randomly disappear, forcing me to call (on another phone) the help desk. Each call had me on hold for an unbelievably long time (the shortest was three hours) before I could talk to someone--and when they did, finally, give me my minutes back it was only half the amount that was lost. Another problem I had was that, for some reason no one could adequately explain to me, sometimes when I received calls the plan would charge me double for accepting them. These weren't long distance calls either--sometimes when I got calls from home (the same zip code for my phone number) it charged me normal and sometimes it charged me double. Needless to say, I switched to Net10 as soon as I was able to get enough money together for a new phone and never looked back.

Then again, this was ten years ago. They may have changed for the better.

Some time last month I read an article that spoke of a recent study where they got DNA from something (I think a tooth) from a body found somewhere in Northern Europe. Though the archaeological site showed that milk was a staple for these people, the DNA did not have that genetic variation. It had always been a chicken vs egg thing, did the gene variant come first and someone figured it out and kept a lactating goat, or did there be a long-term need for milk and the gene variant occurred in response to the lactose, and this study strongly agreed with the latter. But it left the question of why the people would have become heavy milk drinkers if it caused intestinal issues.

In one of my college history classes, a famine caused it for a select portion of Europe, written down and noted by a Medical Monk (I know that's not the right term for a man of faith who also persued the medical profession back then, but I can't remember the right one and "Medical Monk" kind of rolls off the tongue anyway). The crops were insanely bad because of some kind of pest (but grazing, for cattle which were being raised for meat, was plentiful) and the people were starving--but they didn't kill the cows for meat, because they belonged to a ruthless lord. One day one of the people saw the calves drinking udder milk and decided, with no other viable options (since killing the cows would have gotten them killed) to start milking and drinking that. The monk noted that while the adults had bad intestinal trouble (not the words he used), the children who grew up drinking the milk (and remember, babies were breastfed a lot longer back then) had no such problems.

Of course, just because it was in a college history book doesn't make it true. I had one history class that claimed the Salem Witch Trials never happened and that the holocaust was a "mass hysteria event of the mind." So--grain of salt everyone.

Me personally I don't care for Tracphone. I think they are a rip off.

I use Walmart Straight talk which I know IS on the Tracphone network and I have really good reception just about anywhere. One thing I was told by a rep for cell phones is when looking at the map for coverage-if the map is in red-it's Verizon, blue it's for AT&T. He explained how they have different levels of connecting-the prepaid is the lower end but personally I haven't had any calls dropped. I do the $45 every 30 days. its unlimited talk/text and 8 Gig of data. I think they have one that's $25 a month. Since I text ALOT I like this plan. Plus if I want to watch a youtube video I have some data=the only thing I hate is some sites automatically play video so I have to go into my settings and disable this. Plus disable programs running in the background that take up data. The newer phones are to me harder to change these settings=but if you have wifi in your home=just turn on wifi on phone, enter password then it won't eat up data.

I used to have AT&T in the 2005 era years and it was $89 a month for CRAP. then I dumped them and went to Net10 for YEARS. Then I wanted a Samsung 3 and went to straight talk. Never looked back.

Jon got his tests back..interesting mixture of results..inflammation is off the charts, he has prediabetes and has to change diet. not happy about that. Going to rheumatoid doctor too-his RF was still high. He's got some other stuff going on that I think will fix themselves once we get on a better diet of more legumes and veggies and less sugar and crap food. I always trying to get him to eat more beans and veggies..he says I don't like them..so I will mix them in brown rice and put ketchup on it or something-he loves ketchup and if that's the only sugary item he eats-it will be an improvement. I guess we should cut out fruit but he needs the fruit for the help it gives for issues. He says he will eat a bowl of broccoli and I said that's fine but you still need complex carbs and meats/veggies instead of candy bars, crackers, ice cream and other JUNK. oh and no more ice cream sandwiches for now. Told him to buy one at the corner store instead of a box of 24 where you pig out on them. I was told his cold feet and circulation could be from diabetes. We shall see.

Good luck changing his diet! (And yes, if the diabetics in my family are anything to go by, the cold feet and other heart-related problems--and they are heart related problems) could be caused by the prediabetes.)

The good news is he hates most veggies. Peas. Carrots. Squash. Sweet potatoes. Most corn. Brussel sprouts. Tge only one he eats is broccoli. He wont eat noodles or rice or couscous or quinoa. Hes fussy about textures. Me i love a mix of food. Hes happy with wheat slice with butter. I believe fats are better for us than carbs. When i load up on fats im not as hungry. He eats nuts so thatz ok. Hard stinky cheese. He doesnt like greek yogurt. I hate yogurt. Yuck. For now we eat dark green broccoli meat and cheese. He likes potatoes but not sweet potatoes. Hes not big on cakes. Cookies. He likes ice cream. We dont do low fat anything in this house. I wont use man made ingredients. Dont like man made sugars either. I work hard to find food with no high fructose corn syrup. That stuff causes so many problems. Now they call it cane sugar. Theres hidden tricks. Spices. Another code word for extra salt. Ive been making everything scratch that we eat. Salads. Only dressing is made. Im still trying to find food without soy. Thats impossible. For ladies with hormone issues soy is bad for us. It makes my endo act up. I found a natural bread that doesnt have it but lately i dont want any carbs.

Once i go 2 or 3 days without too many carbs it gets easier. I did 2 weeks of low carb high fat protein and veggies. Then i ate chips m crackers and felt crappy for 3 days. I am now trying to stick to the keto diet. I feel so much better without simple carbs or white carbs. We dont eat canned foods here other than cream of soups or sloppy joes. Most time we just use shake n bake and a salad or corn on cob.

I eat a ton of cashews which helps. Peanuts give me heartburn. We will be ok.

My only worry is the shingles from April still causing trouble. So it could be a combo of both rheumatoid arthritis and shingles. At least we know its not in his head. Blood work helps support my suspicions. His sugar isnt bad. It was 101. To me for a guy his age i think thats really good. The blood was taken at 11am. Last meal was 4pm the night before. He didnt take his advil that morning. So only drank water. I said thats too long to go without food. The last time i was tested mine was 89. And i had eaten at 9pm the night before. Test was at 7am.

I think him being thirsty may have had his numbers be higher than they would have be had he hydrated.

After having tried quinoa, I see his point about it. I think you're right about the test, and remember that we're all supporting you.

 

[tallyollyopia]

Since it is "happy cat month" I have some happy cat stories to share. (Well, really, I have stories to share, whether it's happy cat month or not.)

Where we are just massive amounts of rain, semi-large gusts of wind, and thunderstorms for Irma, and I was working that night. Well, during one of the bad downpours this customer came in, pulled parallel to the doors, and left both the car door open and the car running as he dashed in to use the bathroom. (Didn't talk to me the whole time he was in there and didn't buy anything either.) Well, I was cleaning the roller grill at the time, so I kept an eye on the car to make sure it wasn't stolen. I saw two of the stray kittens walk by under the overhang where the rain didn't reach, and stopped in front of the open door. Then the two of the jumped in (he must have left the heat on or something) and they hadn't jumped out by the time the man got out and back into his car. I hope they found a good home.

After the storm I came home and as I was heading in I saw a pile of feathers on the back porch. No bird parts, just a pile of feathers. I made an off-hand comment about how they'd already had wet food, and when I looked out, one of them had pulled a fallen pine bough over the feathers as if to say, "No we didn't."

A little later Spot came in with a dead squirrel. Not sure why, or if the storm killed it or he did, but he proudly presented me with the dead squirrel just like he used to give me bunnies. Since I was still feeling bad, I think he was trying to cheer me up.

A little while ago I was on the floor petting Asia while talking to AWM, who was gaming on her phone. Asia was resting just a few inches away from AWM's foot, happily lying under the pets I was giving her when AWM, reaching a certain point in her game, leaned forward and her foot gently brushed Asia's back. Asia promptly leaped into the air, bounced off my shoulder (giving me a nice set of puncture marks at the same time) and ended up in a corner panting with fear. Poor baby.