He’s Knocking on My Door

Category: Daily Journal

  • Daily Journal #15: My Numbers Are Better. My Head Isn’t There Yet.

    Daily Journal #15: My Numbers Are Better. My Head Isn’t There Yet.

    My morning health checks are continuing to trend in the right direction.

    Finally.

    My weight has stabilized and I’ve even lost a little more. I’m still working toward my goal of 225 pounds by April 2027, so I’ll happily take a loss when it’s the kind I’m actually trying to achieve.

    My blood pressure was normal this morning.

    My body-water percentage was unchanged from yesterday.

    And maybe most importantly after what I’ve been watching over the last few days:

    No swelling in my feet today.

    Weight stable.

    Blood pressure good.

    Body water stable.

    No swelling.

    All of those signs tell me that I’m pretty much back to my version of “normal.”

    Physically, that’s great news.

    Mentally?

    That’s a little more complicated.

    Now I Have to Convince Myself It’s Okay to Eat and Drink

    After watching my weight climb and seeing the swelling in my feet, I became extremely cautious about what I was eating and drinking.

    Maybe too cautious.

    Truth be told, I didn’t eat or drink normally yesterday.

    I drank because I know my kidneys need hydration.

    I ate because I know I need enough food to keep my blood sugar from dropping.

    But I can’t say I was comfortable doing either one.

    That’s something I’m still working on.

    Logically, I understand that my body needs food and fluid.

    Emotionally, there’s another voice saying:

    Remember what happens when this goes wrong.

    Because the thing I really want to avoid is another hospitalization.

    I Really Hate Hospitals

    I don’t just dislike being hospitalized.

    I hate it.

    It’s incredibly difficult for me to stay positive when I’m in the hospital.

    Part of that is everything that comes with being sick enough to be there in the first place.

    But there’s something else.

    I’m kind of a germ freak.

    Okay…

    I’m definitely a germ freak.

    I practiced social distancing before COVID made it fashionable.

    When I was working, I’d walk around with Lysol wipes cleaning things.

    Door knobs.

    Conference tables.

    Chairs.

    Elevator buttons.

    Handrails.

    Basically, if another human being had touched it, there was a decent chance I was coming behind them with a disinfecting wipe.

    A little insane?

    Probably.

    But I rarely got sick.

    So you can probably imagine how I feel about hospitals.

    They’re full of sick people.

    There are germs everywhere.

    There are diseases I didn’t even know existed until somebody put me in a room next to one.

    That part of being hospitalized genuinely freaks me out.

    And unfortunately, I have a pretty good reason for feeling that way.

    Then There Was C. Diff

    After one of my hospital stays, I ended up back home only to develop C. diff shortly afterward.

    At that point in my life, I was barely leaving the house because of everything else going on with my health.

    Where exactly I picked it up isn’t something I can prove, but the timing certainly made that hospital stay stand out in my mind.

    If you’ve never experienced C. diff…

    Consider yourself lucky.

    It was awful.

    It even threatened to interfere with the timing of my heart procedure.

    At the time, there was absolutely nothing funny about it.

    Now?

    Well…

    Enough time has passed that I can find some humor in the experience.

    That might eventually become a Living With It article.

    Although I’m not entirely sure the internet is ready for that one.

    So Yeah, I’m Afraid of Going Back

    All of that helps explain why a couple pounds of weight gain and some swelling can mess with my head.

    It’s not simply:

    Oh, my weight went up.

    My brain immediately starts working its way down the road:

    Weight gain.

    Fluid retention.

    Heart failure.

    Diuretics.

    Is it getting worse?

    Do I need to call somebody?

    Am I going back to the hospital?

    That’s what I’m trying to get better at managing.

    My morning health checks are supposed to give me information.

    They’re supposed to help me make informed decisions and recognize trends.

    I don’t want them to become something that makes me afraid to eat.

    There’s a balance there that I haven’t completely figured out yet.

    Meanwhile, Welcome to August in Southwest Florida

    Life itself has been pretty boring lately.

    It’s August in Southwest Florida.

    Which basically means:

    It’s hot.

    Really hot.

    And I’ve been trying to stay out of it.

    I’ve had several episodes recently where I’ve become extremely lightheaded and started sweating profusely, particularly with exertion and heat.

    One of them happened while I was simply cooking on the grill.

    I wasn’t running a marathon.

    I wasn’t doing yard work.

    I was making dinner.

    Suddenly, I became so lightheaded that I genuinely thought I might face-plant.

    When that happens, I’m done.

    I sit down.

    I cool off.

    And it can take about 20 minutes before I start feeling normal again.

    That’s something I’m already working with my doctors to understand.

    Until we have better answers, I’m not going to prove how tough I am by standing outside in the Florida heat.

    The grill will survive without me.

    ❤️ Greg’s Take

    Physically, today was a good morning.

    Actually, it was probably exactly what I wanted to see.

    My weight has stabilized.

    My blood pressure looks good.

    My body-water percentage isn’t climbing.

    And the swelling in my feet is gone.

    That’s a win.

    Now I have to work on the other part.

    Trusting my body enough to eat.

    Trusting myself enough to drink what I’m supposed to drink.

    And using my morning health checks as information rather than letting every change scare me into thinking I’m headed back to the hospital.

    That’s easier said than done.

    I’ve had enough hospital stays that avoiding another one has become a pretty powerful motivator.

    Sometimes maybe too powerful.

    But that’s part of living with all of this too.

    Not every recovery happens on a scale.

    Sometimes the numbers return to normal before your head does.

    Today, my numbers look pretty good.

    Now I need to work on catching up with them.

    Medical Disclaimer

    This daily journal describes my personal experiences managing chronic health conditions and is not medical advice. My monitoring routine, diet, fluid intake and medications are based on guidance from my own healthcare team. Everyone’s medical needs are different. If you have heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes or another chronic condition, talk with your healthcare team about appropriate fluid, nutrition, weight and symptom-monitoring goals for you.

  • Daily Journal #14: Better Numbers, But I’m Still Watching

    Daily Journal #14: Better Numbers, But I’m Still Watching

    My morning health checks were much better today than they were the previous two days.

    And I’m definitely happy to see that.

    I dropped a little over three pounds since yesterday, bringing my weight back down to about where it should be. Considering the weight gain, increased body water and swelling I was seeing over the last couple of days, it certainly looks like I had been retaining fluid.

    My blood pressure was also lower this morning at 114/68 with a pulse of 57.

    That’s lower than yesterday, but not something I’m particularly concerned about based on how I’m feeling. It’s simply another number I’m going to continue watching.

    My feet also look almost normal again.

    I think there’s still a little swelling because they feel somewhat stiff, but there’s a noticeable improvement. Yesterday, they actually hurt.

    Today is definitely a better day.

    This Is Why I Do Morning Health Checks

    Days like today reinforce why I’ve become so committed to doing these checks every morning.

    It can seem like a hassle.

    Get on the scale.

    Check my blood pressure and pulse.

    Look at the body-water reading from my BIA scale.

    Check my feet and legs for swelling.

    Pay attention to how I’m feeling.

    Record everything.

    Then do it all over again tomorrow.

    But there’s a reason I do it.

    I’m trying to catch changes early rather than waiting until I’m sick enough to end up back in the hospital.

    Yesterday, several things were moving in the wrong direction at the same time.

    My weight was up for the second consecutive day. My BIA scale showed increased body water. My blood pressure was a little higher, and I could see swelling in my feet.

    Today, most of those things are moving back toward normal.

    That’s exactly the kind of trend I’m looking for.

    A Good Day Doesn’t Mean I Stop Monitoring

    It would be easy to look at today’s three-pound drop and think:

    Great. Problem solved.

    Not quite.

    My feet still appear to be slightly swollen.

    And more importantly, I still don’t know exactly what caused the fluid retention in the first place.

    Was it too much sodium?

    Was there more sodium in the shrimp I ate than I realized?

    Did the fruit I ate add enough additional fluid to make a difference?

    Was it a combination of several small things?

    Or is something happening with my heart that has absolutely nothing to do with anything I ate or drank?

    I don’t know.

    And that’s exactly why I can’t stop monitoring just because today’s numbers look better.

    Sometimes There Isn’t an Obvious Answer

    I think that’s one of the frustrating parts of managing a chronic illness.

    I want there to be a simple cause and effect.

    I did X, so Y happened.

    Unfortunately, the body doesn’t always cooperate with that logic.

    I can retrace everything I ate.

    I can look at how much I drank.

    I can check nutrition labels.

    I can look at my activity.

    And sometimes I still won’t have a definite answer.

    What I can do is continue collecting information.

    If something starts changing again tomorrow, I’ll know.

    If my weight continues downward and the swelling disappears, I’ll know that too.

    The individual number matters.

    The trend matters even more.

    The Goal Is Staying Out of the Hospital

    I’ve spent enough time in hospitals.

    If taking a few minutes every morning to check my weight, blood pressure, pulse, body water and swelling gives me a better chance of catching a problem early, those few minutes are absolutely worth it.

    Are morning health checks sometimes annoying?

    Yep.

    Would I occasionally rather just grab a cup of coffee and forget about all of it?

    Absolutely.

    But I also know the alternative.

    A few minutes checking numbers at home sounds a whole lot better than spending several days checking the ceiling from a hospital bed.

    So tomorrow morning I’ll do it all again.

    Even though today’s numbers were better.

    Especially because today’s numbers were better.

    I want to know they stay that way.

    ❤️ Greg’s Take

    Yesterday was a little concerning.

    Today was encouraging.

    But neither day tells the entire story by itself.

    That’s what I’m learning from tracking my health every morning.

    One bad number doesn’t necessarily mean disaster.

    And one good number doesn’t necessarily mean everything is fixed.

    It’s the pattern I’m watching.

    Today, I’m more comfortable knowing my weight has come back down, my feet look considerably better and most of the signs I was watching are moving in the right direction.

    I’ll take that win.

    But tomorrow morning, I’ll still step on that scale.

    I’ll still check my blood pressure.

    I’ll still look at my feet.

    And I’ll still write everything down.

    Because as much of a pain as this routine can sometimes be, I know which is worse:

    Five minutes of morning health checks or another few days in the hospital.

    That’s an easy choice.

    Suggested Links

    Morning Health Checks

    Watching the Trend

  • Daily Journal #13: The Scale Is Heading the Wrong Way

    Daily Journal #13: The Scale Is Heading the Wrong Way

    Well, my morning health checks are continuing to move in the wrong direction.

    I gained more than a pound again this morning. That’s now two days in a row with a gain of more than a pound.

    This time, there were some other signs along with it.

    My BIA scale showed an increase in body water. My blood pressure was slightly elevated, and when I looked at my feet, I could see some mild swelling.

    One number by itself might not concern me much.

    Several things pointing in the same direction get my attention.

    It looks like I’m retaining fluid.

    First Things First

    The first thing I did was follow the plan my cardiologist has given me and take my prescribed diuretic.

    Anyone who has dealt with heart failure and diuretics probably knows what that means.

    A good portion of today’s schedule will revolve around knowing exactly where the nearest bathroom is.

    Not particularly exciting, but that’s part of managing this.

    Now I watch what happens.

    Does the swelling decrease?

    Does my weight start moving back down?

    Does the extra water come off?

    Tomorrow morning’s numbers will be especially interesting.

    Now Comes the Detective Work

    The next thing I do when this happens is start retracing my steps.

    What changed?

    Did I drink too much?

    I don’t think so. I didn’t have any extra water yesterday. I did have a couple of peaches, which obviously contain water, but I don’t think that alone explains what I’m seeing.

    Then I started thinking about dinner from a couple of nights ago.

    The steak and shrimp rice bowls.

    They were one of my favorite meals, and I’ll admit it:

    I overindulged.

    The meal itself wasn’t necessarily the problem. We make it at home, so I have a pretty good idea of what’s going into the steak, rice, vegetables and seasonings.

    The question mark is the shrimp.

    Shrimp Can Be Tricky

    Shrimp naturally contains some sodium, but packaged shrimp can contain considerably more depending on how it was processed.

    Unfortunately, we already threw away the package.

    So I can’t go back and check the label.

    That’s frustrating because I’d really like to know exactly what I ate.

    Maybe we bought a different shrimp than usual. Maybe it contained more sodium from processing or packaging. Maybe the larger portion I ate was enough to push me over the edge.

    Or maybe it wasn’t the shrimp at all.

    I don’t know.

    That’s important for me to say because it’s very easy to see the scale move and immediately blame the last suspicious thing I ate.

    All I can do is look at the information I have and try to identify the most likely explanation.

    Maybe Fresh Shrimp Is the Better Answer

    One thing I’m considering going forward is buying more of our shrimp fresh from a seafood market.

    Living in Southwest Florida, we’re certainly not lacking seafood markets.

    That would give me another option when I’m trying to avoid some of the sodium that can be added during processing.

    But even then, I’ll still need to ask questions and pay attention to what I’m buying. “Fresh” doesn’t automatically tell me everything about how seafood was handled before it reached the counter.

    That’s one lesson I keep learning:

    Never assume. Ask. Read. Check.

    Sodium Doesn’t Always Give Me an Immediate Warning

    This is one of the frustrating parts of tracking everything.

    I don’t necessarily eat something salty at dinner and wake up the next morning several pounds heavier.

    Sometimes the pattern takes longer to become apparent.

    That’s why looking at trends has become more useful to me than reacting to one isolated number.

    Yesterday I was up.

    Today I’m up again.

    Now I’m also seeing increased body water on the scale and some swelling in my feet.

    That’s a trend worth paying attention to.

    I’m Watching — Not Panicking

    I’m still nowhere near the point where I think I need to head to the hospital.

    But I’m also not ignoring what’s happening.

    I’ve followed the medication plan my cardiologist gave me, and now I’ll monitor things more closely.

    That’s really what all of this daily tracking is about.

    It’s not about panicking every time the scale moves.

    It’s about noticing when several things start changing together and knowing when I need to pay closer attention.

    Hopefully, the diuretic does what it’s supposed to do today.

    Hopefully, the swelling improves.

    And hopefully tomorrow morning I step on the scale and finally see that number traveling in the other direction.

    ❤️ Greg’s Take

    This is exactly why I do morning health checks every day.

    Yesterday’s weight gain was something to watch.

    Today’s second consecutive gain, increased body water, slightly swollen feet and higher blood pressure gave me more information.

    Now I can respond according to the plan my cardiologist has already given me instead of waiting until things get significantly worse.

    I may never know whether those delicious steak and shrimp rice bowls were responsible.

    But I learned something anyway.

    Next time, don’t throw away the shrimp package until after I’ve survived the meal.

    And maybe don’t eat quite so much of it either.

    That second lesson may be the harder one.

    Medical Disclaimer: This journal reflects my personal experience living with chronic illness and how I manage my health based on guidance from my own healthcare team. It is not medical advice. Medications, including diuretics, should only be taken as prescribed by your healthcare provider. If you notice changes in your weight, swelling, blood pressure, breathing, or other symptoms, contact your healthcare provider for guidance. Seek immediate medical attention for symptoms that may be an emergency.

    Related Links

    Morning Health Checks

    How I Read Nutritional Labels

  • Daily Journal #12: Up a Pound and Keeping an Eye on It

    Daily Journal #12: Up a Pound and Keeping an Eye on It

    I woke up around 2:30 this morning. I’m still having trouble sleeping, but according to my Apple Watch, I managed 4 hours and 51 minutes.

    Is that great? No.

    But it’s better than no sleep, so I’ll take that win.

    Something Different on the Scale

    While doing my morning health checks, I noticed that my weight was up 1.1 pounds from yesterday.

    That’s a little unusual for me, so naturally I started trying to figure out why.

    My BIA scale actually showed my body-water percentage was about half a percent lower than yesterday. I’m also not noticing any swelling in my feet or legs.

    Then I started going through the other possibilities.

    The shirt I was wearing this morning was made from a heavier material than the one I wore yesterday. Could that account for some of the difference? Sure. But I seriously doubt my shirt weighs an extra pound.

    I’m not constipated, so that probably isn’t contributing much either.

    Then there’s dinner.

    A couple of nights ago, we made those steak and shrimp rice bowls I mentioned in my last journal entry. They were so good that I ate more than I normally do. The shrimp we used also had some added sodium from processing.

    Could the extra food, sodium and possibly a little fluid retention be contributing to what I’m seeing on the scale?

    Maybe.

    The truth is, I don’t know yet.

    And that’s where I’ve learned not to overreact to a single number.

    Watch the Trend

    A 1.1-pound increase by itself isn’t setting off alarm bells for me. It’s simply something I’m going to pay attention to.

    That’s one of the reasons I track this information every morning. One number gives me a snapshot. Several days of numbers give me a trend.

    I’ll keep watching my weight, body-water reading, blood pressure and how I’m feeling over the next few days.

    If the weight keeps climbing or I notice other changes, that’s information I can act on and share with my doctors.

    For now, I’m monitoring it.

    The last thing I want is another trip to the hospital.

    Some Changes Around the Website

    I also spent some time working on He’s Knocking on Your Door yesterday.

    I’ve added featured content to the front page, so now you can see highlights from the Daily Journal, Living With It articles, and Helpful Finds without having to click around the site looking for something new.

    I also decided to start adding featured images to these Daily Journal entries.

    They were getting a little boring without something visual. Besides, some of the images are giving me an opportunity to have a little fun with what’s happening that day.

    Yesterday’s Windex image might be difficult to top.

    Otherwise, a Pretty Boring Day

    Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot to report.

    My hip still hurts—a lot.

    One of the frustrating parts is simply trying to find a comfortable position. Sitting in a regular chair for any length of time can be difficult, which limits how much time I can spend working at a computer.

    I can accomplish quite a bit from my phone or iPad, but there’s only so much I want to type or design on a smaller screen.

    So today may be another relatively quiet day.

    A little website work.

    Keep an eye on the scale.

    Deal with the hip.

    And hopefully get a little more sleep tonight.

    Not every day needs to be exciting. Sometimes a boring day is perfectly fine.

  • Daily Journal #11: A Good Meal, Better Numbers, and… Windex?

    Daily Journal #11: A Good Meal, Better Numbers, and… Windex?

    My morning health checks were good today, which honestly surprised me a little.

    I ate more than I normally do yesterday.

    But dinner was really good.

    We made one of my favorite meals: steak and shrimp rice bowls. I probably could have eaten the entire pan if I had let myself.

    I’ll be posting my version of the recipe soon because it’s another meal we’ve been able to adapt to fit my low-sodium lifestyle.

    The steak, seasoning, rice, and vegetables are all pretty easy for me to control.

    The shrimp is where I have to pay attention.

    Not All Shrimp Is the Same

    One thing I’ve learned since watching sodium so closely is that shrimp can be tricky.

    Shrimp naturally contains sodium, but some frozen shrimp can have additional sodium from the way it is processed or packaged. That means I’ve learned to check the nutrition label instead of assuming one bag of shrimp is the same as another.

    This time, I bought shrimp from Sam’s Club.

    The label showed 280 mg of sodium per 4-ounce serving, which was about six shrimp.

    Shrimp already contains naturally occurring sodium, so not all of that 280 mg is necessarily coming from processing. That’s another reason I’ve learned that the nutrition label matters more to me than trying to estimate exactly where every milligram came from.

    It’s something I’ll talk more about when I post the steak and shrimp rice bowl recipe.

    And yes, I promise I’ll try not to eat the whole pan next time.

    The Hip Is a Little Better

    My leg and hip are feeling a little better today.

    They’re certainly not back to normal, but I’ll take any improvement I can get.

    After the last few days of pretty intense pain, I’m going to make today another take-it-easy day and hopefully let things continue to settle down.

    Sometimes knowing when not to push myself is just as important as getting up and moving.

    And Then There’s the Windex…

    The bug bites are also feeling much better.

    And this is where today’s journal gets a little strange.

    We stopped at CVS and asked the pharmacist what I could do about the itching.

    The suggestion?

    Put some Windex on a paper towel and dab it on the bites.

    Yep.

    Windex.

    My first thought was pretty much:

    “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

    I honestly wondered whether everyone behind the pharmacy counter was laughing their butts off after we walked away.

    But I tried it.

    And I’ll be damned…

    It helped.

    I’m certainly not turning He’s Knocking on Your Door into a Windex medical-advice website—and I’m not recommending anyone else try it—but I have to admit that my itching improved.

    Sometimes life with chronic illness is about tracking weight, blood pressure, sodium, medications, and symptoms.

    And apparently, sometimes it’s about leaving CVS wondering how Windex just became part of the day’s story.

    ❤️ Today’s Reflection

    Good health numbers this morning.

    A little less hip pain.

    Bug bites that finally aren’t driving me crazy.

    And a fantastic dinner last night that reminded me that eating low sodium doesn’t mean giving up good food.

    I’ll take those as wins.

    Today I’m going to take it easy, enjoy feeling a little better, and start thinking about getting that steak and shrimp rice bowl recipe onto the site.

    One day at a time.

  • Daily Journal #10: A Take It Easy Day

    The right hip pain is still pretty intense today.

    In fact, it’s bad enough that even getting comfortable has been difficult. No matter how I sit or shift, I can still feel it.

    Yesterday, I did manage to get out for a walk with my rollator. That part felt good. Any time I can get some movement in, I count it as a win.

    Unfortunately, I think the walk may have stirred up the pain in my hip.

    And because apparently that wasn’t enough, I also got eaten alive by mosquitoes or no-see-ums.

    The itching has been absolutely miserable.

    So today I’m dealing with two things at once: a hip that doesn’t want to cooperate and bug bites that won’t stop itching.

    Still, I’m glad I got the walk in.

    That matters.

    My right hip is bone-on-bone, and I’m scheduled for a total right hip replacement. The left hip has problems too, but the right one is definitely the bigger issue.

    Knowing there may be a solution ahead gives me something to look forward to.

    A few more months and, hopefully, this level of pain won’t be part of my everyday life anymore.

    For today, though, the plan is simple.

    Take it easy.

    Get comfortable when I can.

    Let the hip settle down.

    And try not to scratch myself to death from the bug bites.

    Not every day has to be productive.

    Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is listen to your body and give it a chance to recover.

  • Daily Journal #9: A Small Victory

    Some days your body simply tells you it’s had enough.

    Yesterday was one of those days.

    After only getting a few hours of sleep the night before because of my ongoing battle with insomnia, I was completely exhausted. Around 6:30 in the evening, I laid down in bed to watch a little television.

    The next thing I knew, I had slept for more than eight hours.

    I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept that long.

    Lately, a “good night’s sleep” has felt like something other people get to enjoy. Eight uninterrupted hours has become so rare that waking up this morning actually felt different. I felt refreshed. It’s amazing how something most people take for granted can feel like such a gift when you’ve been struggling with insomnia.

    My morning health check was encouraging. Everything looked good, and that’s always a reassuring way to start the day.

    Unfortunately, my right hip continues to remind me that not everything is moving in the right direction.

    The pain has been intense since yesterday afternoon. While medication would probably take the edge off, it comes with another problem—constipation. Like so many things that come with chronic illness, it often feels like solving one problem creates another. For now, I’m going to try and manage the pain without taking anything.

    At least today I can get comfortable in my recliner. Yesterday, even that seemed impossible.

    Living with chronic illness has taught me that progress isn’t always measured in big milestones.

    Sometimes it’s measured by a good night’s sleep.

    Sometimes it’s simply finding a comfortable place to sit.

    And sometimes, it’s waking up feeling just a little more refreshed than you did the day before.

    Today wasn’t perfect.

    But today was better.

    I’ll gladly take that as a small victory.

  • Daily Journal #8: Goods and Bads

    This morning started on a positive note. My daily health checks all looked good, and by later this morning I was down a few more ounces. It’s not a huge change, but every ounce is another step toward my weight-loss goal, and I’ll take every victory I can get.

    Unfortunately, the rest of the day has been much more difficult.

    Since yesterday afternoon, I’ve been dealing with severe pain in my right hip. The pain shoots all the way down my right thigh, making it nearly impossible to get comfortable. Even my recliner—usually the one place where I can find some relief—hasn’t helped. No matter how I sit or shift, the pain just won’t let up.

    I finally gave up and went to bed early last night, hoping sleep would help. Instead, I woke up at 12:30 a.m. and never made it back to sleep. Another night of insomnia.

    The combination of chronic pain and sleepless nights is exhausting. When your body hurts and your mind won’t let you rest, it wears on you physically and emotionally. You begin to wonder how much longer you can keep going like this.

    I’m hoping this stretch of insomnia ends soon because it’s becoming just as draining as the health issues themselves. For now, I’ll focus on the one positive from today—the scale moved in the right direction. Sometimes that’s enough to remind me that even when everything else feels like it’s working against me, there is still progress being made.

  • Daily Journal #7: A New Weight-Loss Goal

    A New Weight-Loss Goal

    I woke up and completed my daily health checks. Everything looked good, and my weight was down slightly compared with the past few days.

    My weight loss seems to have reached a plateau, so I’ve set a new goal: 225 pounds by April 1, 2027. I weighed 255.7 pounds this morning, which leaves me 30.7 pounds to go. Breaking through this plateau may be difficult, but I believe the goal is achievable.

    When I had my stroke in 2020, I weighed a little over 400 pounds and was in the worst physical condition of my life. The stroke was a frightening wake-up call.

    When I compare where I was then with where I am today, the progress is incredible. I still have work ahead of me, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come—and I’m going to keep moving forward, one pound and one day at a time.

  • Daily Journal #6: Finally Got Some Sleep

    My morning vitals looked okay today. My weight is up about 1.2 pounds over the past two days, but I don’t think I’m retaining extra fluid. My feet aren’t showing any additional swelling or other obvious signs of fluid buildup.

    The best news is that I finally slept. I went to bed around 7:30 last night and got about eight hours of sleep. After several restless nights, I feel a little more refreshed today.