This morning’s health check was pretty uneventful, which was exactly what I wanted.
My weight did not go up any further.
Everything else looked normal too.
Blood pressure was good.
Pulse was good.
Body-water reading looked normal.
So after yesterday’s unexpected weight increase, I was happy to see things stay stable.
The Rib Pain Got Bad Enough That I Went In
The bigger issue today was my rib.
The pain got bad enough that it actually hurt when I breathed.
That started freaking me out a little.
There is a big difference between:
My side hurts.
And:
It hurts every time I take a breath.
With all of the medical crap I already deal with, chest or rib pain combined with breathing discomfort is not something I really want to sit at home and guess about.
So I ended up going in to get it checked.
I’m glad I did.
The X-Ray Was Reassuring
They took an X-ray.
The good news is that it did not show a rib fracture.
That was reassuring.
Obviously, an X-ray doesn’t magically make the pain disappear, but at least I knew there wasn’t an obvious broken rib staring back at them.
Later in the day, the pain actually started feeling considerably better.
Now I’m wondering if I aggravated whatever I originally injured while I was sleeping.
Maybe I rolled onto that side.
Maybe I flipped onto my stomach.
Maybe I just managed to sleep in exactly the wrong position.
Whatever I did, it was definitely angry when I woke up.
I’m Still Glad I Went
Sometimes I question whether I should go get something checked.
You start thinking:
Maybe I’m overreacting.
Maybe it will go away.
Maybe I’m wasting everyone’s time.
But I was in enough pain that breathing hurt.
Given everything else going on with my health, I would rather get checked and be told nothing serious showed up than sit at home worrying about it.
So even though the X-ray was reassuring, I’m still glad I went.
That alone took some of the anxiety away.
Another Easy Day
I took it easy again today.
Between the rib pain and the exhaustion I’ve been dealing with lately, I really didn’t need to prove anything.
Rest.
Keep an eye on everything.
Let whatever I aggravated calm down.
By tonight, the rib is definitely feeling better than it did this morning.
This journal reflects my personal health experience and the evaluation I received from my own healthcare providers. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or a recommendation about chest pain, rib pain, breathing problems, medications, activity, or treatment. Pain with breathing can have many causes, some of which can be serious. New, severe, persistent, or worsening chest or rib pain, shortness of breath, fainting, coughing up blood, or other concerning symptoms should be evaluated promptly by qualified healthcare professionals.
I’m down another half pound or so, which puts me at 247 pounds.
My blood pressure was good.
My pulse was good.
My body-water reading was good.
So from the health-check side of things, everything looked pretty encouraging.
The Renal Blood Work Came Back
I also got the results from the renal blood work.
The numbers were acceptable.
Nothing jumped out that required some drastic change or immediate action, which is exactly what I was hoping for.
After everything that has happened with the AKI, the ultrasound, the MRI, nephrology appointments, and repeated blood work, it is nice to finally have a stretch where the kidney news is basically:
Nothing dramatic. Keep going.
I can live with that.
Sleep Is Still a Disaster
Unfortunately, the sleep situation is another story.
I barely slept again last night.
According to my Apple Watch, I got about an hour and a half of sleep.
I know a watch is not a sleep lab, but I really don’t need technology to tell me I barely slept.
I can feel it.
I am completely beat today.
My body is tired.
My brain is tired.
Everything just feels slow.
The insomnia has been going on long enough now that it is becoming one of the most frustrating parts of my day-to-day life.
You can have good numbers on the scale.
Good blood pressure.
Good pulse.
Good kidney results.
And still feel like absolute garbage because you didn’t sleep.
Calling It an Early Night
So today’s plan is pretty simple.
Get through dinner.
Then go to bed.
Early.
No trying to push through the evening.
No pretending I’m not exhausted.
I’m hoping my body finally gets the message and lets me sleep tonight.
Today’s numbers were good.
The renal labs were acceptable.
I’m down to 247 pounds.
Those are all wins.
Now I just need one more.
Sleep.
Medical Disclaimer
This journal reflects my personal health experience and the monitoring and treatment plan developed specifically for me by my healthcare providers. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or a recommendation regarding kidney function, weight loss, sleep, medications, or treatment. Consumer wearable devices can provide useful estimates of sleep and other health metrics, but they are not a substitute for professional medical evaluation. Persistent or severe sleep problems, significant fatigue, or changes in kidney function should be discussed with qualified healthcare professionals.
The lack of sleep over the last few days has definitely caught up with me. Nothing dramatic happened today, but sometimes the quiet days are the ones where you realize how worn down you actually are.
So from a numbers standpoint, things are continuing to move in the right direction.
That part I’m happy about.
Doctor Follow-Up
I also had a follow-up doctor appointment today.
Nothing particularly exciting came out of it, which at this point is probably a good thing.
While I was there, they drew another set of renal blood work.
After the recent AKI, kidney ultrasound, MRI, nephrology appointments, and all the waiting around for numbers, I’m definitely ready for this chapter to settle down.
I should hopefully get the lab results tomorrow.
That will give us another look at where my kidney function stands now.
Mostly Just Tired
The biggest thing today is fatigue.
I’m tired.
Not “I could use a nap” tired.
More like the kind of tired that builds after several nights of bad sleep and starts making everything feel like work.
So today wasn’t about accomplishing much.
It was about getting through the appointment, getting the blood work done, keeping an eye on the numbers, and resting.
Sometimes that has to be enough.
Hopefully tomorrow brings good renal numbers.
And hopefully tonight brings some sleep.
I’d gladly take both.
Medical Disclaimer
This journal reflects my personal health experience and the testing and follow-up plan developed specifically for me by my healthcare providers. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or a recommendation regarding kidney function, blood testing, medications, fluid intake, or treatment. Renal laboratory values and symptoms such as fatigue can have many causes and should be interpreted in the context of an individual’s complete medical history. Always discuss laboratory results, symptoms, and treatment decisions with your own qualified healthcare professionals.
Normally, seeing the scale move up would make me start wondering about fluid retention, especially after some of the ups and downs I’ve had lately.
But today, I really don’t think that’s what is going on.
My blood pressure was good.
Pulse was good.
Glucose was good.
My body-water reading was good.
So for now, I’m not reading too much into the extra pound.
I’ll keep watching it like I always do.
A Pretty Boring Day — Which Was Actually Kind of Nice
Today was pretty uneventful.
Not much going on.
I went to a furniture store.
That probably doesn’t sound like much.
For most people, it isn’t.
For me, it was.
I’ve spent an incredible amount of time at home over the last year because of everything going on with my health and mobility.
So going to a furniture store is not just going to a furniture store.
It means getting dressed.
Getting out of the house.
Getting in the car.
Walking around pushing a walker
Managing the pain.
And the fatigue.
Making sure I don’t overdo it.
And then getting back home.
That whole process takes more out of me now than it ever used to.
Two Days in a Row
The thing I’m actually happy about is this:
That makes two days in a row that I left the house.
Yesterday was the beach.
Today was the furniture store.
Neither one sounds like a major accomplishment when you say it out loud.
But when you’ve been mostly stuck at home for a very long time, they feel different.
They feel like progress.
Not huge progress.
Not life-changing progress.
But progress.
And I’ll take it.
My Leg Is Reminding Me Who Is in Charge
Of course, there is always a price.
As I’m writing this tonight, my leg is killing me.
The extra walking over the last couple of days definitely caught up with me.
That part is frustrating.
I want to do more.
My brain says:
You got out two days in a row. Keep going.
My body says:
Yeah, about that…
So tomorrow I’m going to take it easy.
That is another thing I’ve had to learn.
Doing more doesn’t always mean doing more every single day.
Sometimes doing more means knowing when to stop.
Resting tomorrow doesn’t erase what I did yesterday or today.
It just means I’m trying not to turn two good days into three bad ones.
A Small Win Is Still a Win
Today wasn’t exciting.
There wasn’t some big medical update.
No major test.
No dramatic story.
I went to a furniture store.
That’s it.
But I left the house.
For the second day in a row.
And right now, that counts as a win.
Medical Disclaimer
This journal reflects my personal experience living with chronic health conditions and mobility limitations. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or a recommendation to change medications, activity levels, exercise, rest, or treatment. Weight changes can occur for many reasons, and pain or worsening mobility symptoms should be discussed with qualified healthcare professionals. Always follow the activity and treatment guidance provided by your own medical team.
That puts me just 25 pounds away from my goal of 225 by April.
After the fluid issues I was watching over the last few days, it was also reassuring to see my body-water measurement back in its normal range.
My blood pressure was good.
My heart rate was good.
My glucose was good.
For once, everything seemed to be cooperating.
I’ll take that kind of morning anytime.
I’m Going to Start Tracking My Food Here
I think I’m going to make a small change to the Daily Journal going forward.
I want to start adding a section where I record what I ate during the previous day.
I’m not trying to calculate every calorie or milligram of sodium with laboratory precision. What I really want is a simple record I can go back and look at.
If I suddenly gain two or three pounds, my feet swell, or my body-water reading jumps, I want to be able to look back and say:
What did I eat yesterday?
Was there something unusually high in sodium?
Did I eat something different?
Was there a restaurant meal, sauce, dressing, packaged food, or something else I didn’t think about at the time?
That’s really all I need.
Something close enough to help me identify patterns.
I’ve Tried the Food Tracking Apps
I’ve tried quite a few food-tracking apps over the years.
Some are pretty good.
Some are not.
And some, in my experience, have been a complete waste of money.
My worst experience was with CAL AI.
When I first started using it, I actually liked it.
It worked well.
I could enter what I was eating, and it gave me the kind of quick estimate I was looking for.
Then, about 30 days into using it, the app suddenly stopped working properly.
It would no longer record the food I entered.
I contacted the company for support.
That didn’t get me very far.
My experience was basically an AI support bot giving me the same response over and over again without actually fixing the problem.
I eventually asked for a refund.
That didn’t happen either.
So I disputed the charge with my credit card company.
The company challenged the dispute, and in the end I was left without a refund and without a working application.
So that was fun.
The really funny part is that I wouldn’t be shocked if I somehow get charged again when the membership renews.
At this point, I think keeping my own simple food record right here might actually work better for what I need.
Yesterday’s Food
Going forward, I think I’ll keep this part intentionally simple.
I’m not trying to turn this into a calorie-counting diary.
I just want another piece of information I can compare with my weight, swelling, blood pressure, body-water readings, and how I’m feeling.
Over time, maybe I’ll start seeing patterns that aren’t obvious in the moment.
Still Staying Out of the Heat
It’s still hot here.
Another heat advisory today.
So I’m continuing to stay inside and out of the heat as much as possible.
With the lightheadedness and near-passing-out episodes I’ve had, I don’t see any reason to tempt fate by spending time outside when the temperature and humidity are brutal.
There will be plenty of time to go outside when Florida decides to stop trying to cook us.
Kidney Appointment Tomorrow
Tomorrow is my nephrology appointment.
Since the renal blood work somehow wasn’t done with the rest of my labs, I’m expecting there’s a pretty good chance I’ll need another blood draw.
That may be especially important because my MRI on Monday is scheduled with contrast, and they may want updated kidney-function numbers before giving it to me.
So I’m guessing there are probably a few more needles in my immediate future.
At this point, I should probably start earning frequent-flyer miles for blood draws.
Still, today started on a good note.
250 pounds.
Body water back to normal.
Good blood pressure.
Good heart rate.
Good glucose.
Tomorrow we deal with the kidneys.
Today, I’m enjoying the good numbers.
Medical Disclaimer
This journal reflects my personal experiences managing multiple chronic health conditions and the treatment plan developed specifically for me by my healthcare providers. Nothing in this article should be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or a recommendation to change your diet, medications, fluid intake, testing, or treatment plan. Weight changes, swelling, abnormal heart rate or blood pressure, changes in kidney function, and other symptoms can have many different causes. Dietary sodium and fluid recommendations can also vary significantly from person to person depending on their medical conditions and medications. Always discuss symptoms, medication changes, dietary restrictions, imaging with contrast, and other medical decisions with your own qualified healthcare professionals.
I’m down three pounds from yesterday, which pretty much confirms what I suspected yesterday — I definitely had some fluid buildup.
That’s good news.
My blood pressure was still slightly high, and my pulse was significantly elevated. I’m not really sure why. I had been sitting and resting before I took the reading, so it wasn’t like I had just been walking around or doing anything strenuous.
I’m still dealing with some anxiety about all of the testing coming up, so maybe that is playing a role. I honestly don’t know.
For now, I’m watching it.
Another Near-Passing-Out Episode
I also had another episode yesterday that got my attention.
I was getting out of my recliner to go eat dinner when I suddenly became extremely lightheaded. My vision started closing in — that tunnel-vision feeling — and for a moment I really thought I was going to pass out.
I didn’t.
Thankfully, this episode passed pretty quickly. Within a few moments, I was feeling better.
It also felt different from some of the other episodes I’ve had. I wasn’t sweaty this time, and it didn’t linger nearly as long.
My first thought was that maybe my blood pressure dropped when I stood up too quickly. That would make sense, but that is only my guess. With everything else going on, I’m not going to pretend I know exactly what caused it.
It is another thing I’ll be mentioning to my medical team.
These are the kinds of symptoms that make all of the tracking feel worthwhile. If something happens, I can look back at my blood pressure, pulse, weight, medications and everything else instead of trying to remember it later.
The Blood Work Came Back… Mostly
I received the results from my blood tests.
Well, most of them.
I had something like eight different tests ordered, but somehow the renal blood work wasn’t run.
Of course.
That’s probably the test I’m most interested in right now.
I’m guessing the person who drew my blood somehow missed that order. I have my nephrology appointment on Thursday, so there is a pretty good chance I’ll end up having it drawn after the appointment.
It’s frustrating because, with everything that has been going on with my kidneys, those are the numbers I really wanted to see.
But there was another result I had been anxiously waiting for.
My PSA.
And thankfully, it was normal.
One Less Thing to Freak Out About
Prostate cancer runs in my family, so I was definitely jonesing for that PSA result.
Between the recent acute kidney injury and the blood I had in my urine, my mind had already gone down every possible road.
That’s what anxiety does.
You know there are probably several explanations for something, but your brain immediately starts working its way toward the worst one.
So seeing a normal PSA was a relief.
One less thing to worry about.
I still need additional testing on my bladder, though.
And there is one procedure in particular that I am not exactly rushing to schedule.
The Cystoscopy
Eventually I need to have a cystoscopy.
A cystoscopy is a procedure where a doctor uses a thin, lighted tube called a cystoscope to look inside the urethra and bladder.
Yep.
That means it goes from the outside into the bladder.
There is really only one route available for that journey.
Let’s just say I am not terribly excited about it.
I’m planning to wait until after my hip surgery before dealing with that one.
Is that partly because I have other medical priorities right now?
Absolutely.
Is it also because the procedure sounds like about as much fun as you would imagine?
Absolutely.
The Next Few Days
So now the schedule looks like this:
Nephrologist on Thursday.
MRI on Monday.
Hopefully, between those appointments and the missing renal blood work eventually getting done, we’ll have a much better idea of where things stand with my kidneys.
My hope is that we can finally put this AKI behind me.
Yesterday I was worried about fluid buildup and had another near-passing-out episode.
Today I’m three pounds lighter.
The PSA was normal.
There are still unanswered questions, but at least this morning there are a couple of things moving in the right direction.
I’ll take the wins when I can get them.
Medical Disclaimer
This journal documents my personal health experiences and the treatment plan developed specifically for me by my healthcare providers. Nothing in this article is medical advice or a recommendation to diagnose, treat, monitor, delay, or change the treatment of any medical condition. Symptoms such as rapid weight changes, swelling, elevated heart rate, dizziness, tunnel vision, fainting or near-fainting, blood in the urine, or changes in kidney function can have many causes, including potentially serious ones, and should be evaluated by qualified healthcare professionals. Do not assume that symptoms similar to mine have the same cause, and do not change medications or delay recommended testing or treatment based on anything you read here. Seek prompt medical attention for new, severe, persistent, or worsening symptoms, especially actual fainting, chest pain, significant shortness of breath, new neurological symptoms, or other symptoms that concern you. Always discuss your individual situation with your own healthcare team.
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.
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.
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.
The Five Minutes Every Morning That Help Me Stay Ahead of My CHF
Living with congestive heart failure has taught me something important.
Your body is constantly giving you information.
The question is whether you’re paying attention.
Every morning, before I drink my morning water or begin my day, I spend about five minutes checking in with my body.
To some people, it probably looks like I’m filling out a simple spreadsheet.
To me, it’s much more than that.
It’s an early warning system.
Over time, I’ve learned that it’s much easier to recognize a problem before it becomes serious than it is to recover after the problem has already happened.
That’s why I track my health every single morning.
Not because my doctors told me to.
Because it helps me understand my own body.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned while living with chronic illness is this:
Nobody will ever know your body as well as you do.
The more information I collect, the better conversations I have with my doctors, and the more confident I feel when something doesn’t seem right.
Download My Daily Health Tracker
If you’d like to use the same spreadsheet I use every morning, I’ve made an example version available for you to download.
Feel free to customize it for your own health conditions. What I track may not be exactly what you need, but hopefully it gives you a good starting point for building your own daily routine.
What I Track Every Morning
Below is a screenshot of the actual spreadsheet I use every day.
It isn’t complicated.
In fact, that’s intentional.
The easier something is to use, the more likely you’ll continue using it.
Each column serves a purpose, and together they give me a quick snapshot of how my body is doing each morning.
📅 Date
The first column simply records the date.
It sounds obvious, but dates become incredibly important when you’re looking for trends over several days, weeks, or even months.
Sometimes a doctor will ask,
“When did this start?”
Instead of guessing, I simply look back at my spreadsheet.
🕒 Time
I try to record my information at approximately the same time every morning.
For me, that’s usually around 5:00 AM, after using the restroom but before eating breakfast.
Keeping everything consistent makes it easier to compare one day to the next.
⚖️ Weight
Weight is probably the most important number I track.
For someone living with congestive heart failure, sudden weight gain often isn’t body fat.
It’s fluid.
That’s why I weigh myself every morning under the same conditions. After using the washroom and wearing the same type of clothes.
A sudden increase can be one of the earliest signs that my body is retaining fluid.
📈 Daily Weight Change
The next column calculates the difference between today’s weight and yesterday’s.
I’m watching for one thing in particular.
Have I gained 2–3 pounds overnight or about 5 pounds in a week?
Those numbers can be an early warning sign of fluid retention and may indicate that it’s time to contact my healthcare provider.
Instead of trying to remember yesterday’s weight, Excel does the math for me automatically.
💧 Water Percentage
My scale also estimates my body water percentage.
While I know this isn’t a perfect medical measurement, I still find it useful.
The spreadsheet uses that percentage to estimate approximately how many pounds of my body weight are water.
For something that only takes about five minutes each morning…
I’d say that’s time well spent.
⚠️ A Note About Pacemakers, ICDs, and Implantable Devices
If you have a pacemaker, ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator), CRT device, or other implanted cardiac device, some consumer smart scales that measure body composition use a small electrical current (bioelectrical impedance analysis, or BIA) to estimate body fat, muscle mass, and body water.
Before using these features, follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions for your specific scale and ask your cardiologist or electrophysiologist if they’re appropriate for you.
If your healthcare team recommends avoiding these measurements, you can still use this tracker by recording your weight and the other health information without using the body composition features.
Medical Disclaimer
This spreadsheet is intended as a personal tracking tool only. It should never replace the advice of your healthcare providers or be used to make medication changes without their guidance.
The information in this article reflects my personal experience living with chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. It is shared for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
Always follow the recommendations of your own healthcare providers regarding medications, diet, fluid restrictions, and health monitoring. If you notice sudden weight gain, worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or any other concerning symptoms, contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency medical care as appropriate.
