Stroke Class with Susan ~ Late Again, Perpetually

One of these days I actually going to attend the live class. Now, for the third week in a row, I was absent. I did manage to squeeze the 45 minutes in yesterday.

But then again, that's the beauty of this type of class. It fits your schedule. Mine is terribly hectic. That's why I think this exercise class will be a lasting thing with me except it's not a free trial anymore. There is a monthly subscription rate of $19.95. My personal pledge to do the exercises twice a week has fallen by the wayside this week with my new AFO fittings, OT, hospice, my hubby's pneumonia, and assorted other things. It's a real shame too since it was the last one I could attend.

I just can't get my life back to the orderly world I once had. My master juggler status has been a long forgotten feat since my stroke. I thought being a mom of five, two careers, caregiver for three elderly parents, and being an author was tough. I had no idea what tough was. My earlier life was just a primer for today and I'm failing miserably. Well maybe not failing, but only succeeding with a lot fewer balls. In some ways, I'm supremely thankful not being able to work.

This would be a salad plate

Part of the problem with not attending the exercise class is my husband's new eating schedule. We now have our big meal around one-ish instead of around six. The reason I say one-ish is because the time will vary because of when the aide, nurses, and appointments happen. Stroke Class is at 1:30. It may be closer to three before I can set a meal before him. But he's eating better. He's actually gained two whole pounds in the past month since the change over and his calorie intake has gained a whopping 300 calories per day. Yeah, I keep track. He now weigh 97 pounds. Five out of eight grandchildren now weigh more than he does.

I'm still measuring food by the tablespoons for him. We also do a reverse weight loss thing for him. It takes twenty minutes for the stomach to register it's full. So he crams as much food into his stomach for that amount of time. Granted he feels stuffed to the eyeballs afterwards, but he's getting almost twice as much calorie intake.

Yes, I could make it easier on him and myself by buying Ensure, but have you seen the cost of these nutrition supplements? $7.99 for six cans and that's for the store brand. It's not covered by insurance or hospice. It's cheaper to cook for him and give him vitamins. But I do give him one supplement about 11 PM to take with his bedtime medicines. For him, it's got to be dark chocolate and ice cold. It may mean going to up to three stores to find it-maybe on sale for a buck cheaper for me, but he's worth it. It accounts for one-third of our monthly food budget. But he's got to have it. The dying process is full of hidden costs between dying and dead.

Meanwhile, I watch what I'm eating the same way. I'm hoping with my new AFO to start exercising on my machine again because I can stand without pain for longer than thirty minutes. You'd think with all the stuff I do I'd lose weight, but no. Unhappily, I haven't. Round is still the shape I'm in. Between combating fluids with 40 mg of Lasix and a poor eating schedule, I still weigh more than I should. But since the Stroke Class with Susan is out of my price range, but my machine is available to me that may not be my legacy.

Nothing is impossible with determination.