A "minor" gout attack kept us at the house a couple of days. 
Course, Rick wouldn't call any gout attack "minor"! 
The only reason I said "minor" was because he was still walking! 
Pain and discomfort, but I have seen him with gout so bad that he couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't stand to lay down and have his foot touch the bed, certainly couldn't walk thru the house without crying out in pain. 
Thankfully, this attack was not near that bad. 
A couple of days of drinking more water, eating fresh and canned  cherries (not pie filling) and resting it up - and he feels better. 
Thank you God!!! 

The heat is still taking its toll on both of us. 
Doesn't take long in the heat to drain us and make us exhausted! 
 
We have been talking more seriously about losing the weight and getting in better shape. 
It's hard on the road, but not impossible. We just need to be a 
bit more creative in what we eat, and in figuring out ways to get exercise. 
Walking is the best form of exercise for us right now - less 
stress on these hurting bodies - but, it is difficult to find good and safe places to walk while on the road. We had thought we could walk around the truck stop parking lots - but the way some of these drivers drive? OMW! You literally take your life in your hands just to cross the parking lot and get into the store! OMW!!! Total lack of consideration. NO reason whatsoever to drive so fast and crazy in a parking lot! Good grief! 
Anyway - we are looking for different places that we could stop 
and walk ... maybe a roadside park. Course, it has to be somewhere that he can get a big truck and long trailer in and out of - which limits us a lot. 
Like I said - not impossible. 

Still have to get him to the lab for blood drawn and "work". 
Then, in to see the doctors and see what they have to say. 
Praying for good and excellent reports - much better than what 
we are afraid of. 
Lord, help us please.

I have not forgotten to write here ... just didn't know what to write. Sigh.
Life has been crazy to say the least. 
And to be honest - I guess that is just an excuse we use to say that we have screwed up. 
Allowing "things" of this world to come between us and what we need to be doing. Sigh. 
Rick has always said that you make time for those things that are most important to you. 
Sigh. 

Rick's health is important to me. But then, he is a grown man. And I am only his wife. Not his momma. Sigh. 
He has to have and take responsibility of himself for his own body and health. 
I cannot do it all. Sigh. 

He is needing to get back to each one of the doctors and have a follow up visit. First, he has to have blood drawn at the lab for a CBC test. 
Trying to figure out the timing of it all - to work around his job ... which the job has NO schedule, no rhyme or reason to it. The "schedule" of the job is to go wherever dispatch sends him. And he doesn't know what dispatch will say until he calls in at 10 a.m. and then again at 4 p.m. 
I have been struggling to figure out how to put it all together around the job. 
Finally in the midst of terse words between Rick and me this week, he tells me to call the lab and the doctors - get it all lined out, and he will tell dispatch that he has to be available here for the appointments. 
ARGHHHHHHH!!! I'm sorry - but I could have already had that done! 
Oh well ... 
At least now maybe he will get in this month!!! 

Thankfully, he says that he feels good. His appetite is good. Other than a few dreams at night (when he eats too late, or too much) he is sleeping good. He is peeing good - no pain, no blood, no straining. His color is good. His energy level seems to be good - course after working he gets tired, but he isn't exhausted. The summer heat is hard on him, but then, it is hard on me and everyone else too. Not sure how much is "normal" and how much isn't. Something to discuss with the doctors. 
His blood sugar seems to be stabilized around 130 - 15o. Occasionally higher in the mornings - depending still on what he eats late at night, and how late he eats. (That has been one of his biggest challenges - not eating while watching TV late at night. He has always been a snacker late at night. Sigh.)
He said that the worst thing he seems to have right now is his feet hurt. Said that the tops feel like fire ants are stinging him. 
My first thought is nerve damage. ??? Something we need to talk to the doctor about. 
Hopefully before the end of July I will have some updated numbers to put on here ... and some answers from the doctors as to how they think he is doing. 
***
We are still struggling thru the allergies - some days better, some not so much. But I think just about everyone can relate to that! 
Cough ... sneeze ... gag ... wheeze ... good grief! 
***
My legs are better! Praise God! Thank you my son and daughter in love for telling us what to do! 
Joshua said that I needed to be treated like they treat their horses. LOL ... He took one look at my legs and said that they looked like "proud flesh" to him. 
So, in accordance with Joshua and Dessie's prescribed treatment - black pepper and gauze covering them, they are better than just better! :-) 
***
And the journey goes on ...