Week 10, Death and Taxes

This will be a short blog to catch up with friends. I haven't blogged in a bit, because I was busy getting paperwork ready for the accountant to do our taxes. It's always a big job. In the past we would itemize deductions, but after doing all the paperwork, adding up receipts, figuring out expenses, etc., it turns out that we won't be able to itemize this year due to the tax changes. It's a bit annoying, as we spent a lot on medical expenses last year. But...whatever...the paperwork is done, and that's a relief.

Then I got some sad news over the weekend, that my eldest sister passed away. She was 73. I had just talked with her on the phone two days before that, so this came as a surprise. She lives in another state, so I didn't see her often...maybe once every 10 or 15 years...but we would talk on the phone every few months. She had many health problems, including heart disease and terrible diabetes. I may have mentioned in another blog that she had hemoglobin A1C levels that were often in the 12 to 14 range, which is incredibly high, even though she was on medication and insulin. So in reality, it's a miracle she lived as long as she did. Even though we weren't super close, I am feeling a loss. I have other siblings that are in similar poor health, so I know it's just a matter of time before I get more of these phone calls. It's a depressing thought.

However, it's also an incentive for me to improve my health. It makes me even more determined to maintain control of my diabetes and to never let my A1C get to those numbers. I mentioned in my last blog that my A1C is now in the normal range at 5.6. I plan to continue on a keto diet to attempt to get it down even further. My weight loss has been slow, and that is a bit frustrating. I'm still at about the same weight the past several weeks...it fluctuates up and down three pounds or so. I was excited to see 200.0 on the scale last week, but then saw 204 on the weekend, and then back to 200.5 this morning. So I can't count another pound gone yet. But the weight loss is secondary to controlling the blood sugars, and that is going well, and I think the weight loss will follow, albeit slowly.

So I may not be on SparkPeople as often this week as I process the emotions and thoughts surrounding the loss of a family member and deal with potentially stressful family situations. I wish all SparkFriends the best and say thank you for the continued support. I'll catch up with everyone when I can.