If things progress I shall be a qualified counsellor in June. I know I’m more suited to transactional analysis area of counselling, which means more study and training, and with my blood sugars more stable I will have the energy to push myself further in what will be my 63 rd year.
I’m slowing down too, which means more stillness and mindfullness .
Life isn’t better just because you employ the smokescreen of bustle
Life also isn’t a film script. There are no saviours, save for ourselves
You’re on yer own kid
Now who said that?
,
I'm on the edge of diabetes as well, sigh. My worst problem is my thirst, the fatigue has lifted with retirement.
ReplyDeleteI do admire you for retraining at your advanced age:) I'm trying to figure out what my next chapter will be. Death doula? Volunteer? Writer? One who only putzes? I don't know but time will tell.
Death doula , a magnificent new role
DeleteIt's the time of year for reflection and self-analysis. Well done for the weight loss. My husband was diagnosed with T2 diabetes a couple of years ago. He went on the Newcastle diet (800 cals for 12 weeks, no grains, potatoes, sugar) and lost 4 stones. His Hba1C has been perfect since. He's still very strict, only has rice once a week and very, very rarely has bread. As he says, it's simple, but not easy.
ReplyDeleteMoving from nursing into counselling will be a good life change for you, I'm sure. I wish you well. I'm glad you've realised that you don't need to fill every waking hour with busyness. Sometimes, it's good to stop and smell the roses (or cuddle a dog!) xx
I’m a big carbs guy, I know it’s not rocketscepuence
DeleteHopefully you will get medical information that's better than you expect,and can easily
ReplyDeletesteadily become healthier going forward - Mary
It’s also important to realise that I’m not invincible
DeleteJohn, if you can be ‘bloody minded’ about your health then please do look at the Newcastle University funded and proven diet which reverses T2 diabetes, also the book by the late Dr Michael Mosley - Blood Sugar Diet, neither are easy but hey when did you ever take the easy option especially re-training in your chosen career at this stage of your life. Please take care of you. Jan in Castle Gresley
ReplyDeleteFunnily I’ve been researching the same lifestyle change
DeleteI can identify with the slowing down bit.
ReplyDeleteAt our age we just gave to adjust and carry on. Hope your counselling results are successful.
Fingers crossed xx
DeleteWishing you much happiness in 2025 John
ReplyDeleteI will be 60 is a few days - the first “
significant “ birthday I have marked since Tony died .
Siobhan
Getting through this year is your biggest achievement deArheart xx well done
DeleteI see myself slowing down a bit too. It's inevitable, but as you said, there are tradeoffs. Stillness and mindfulness are positives in their own right!
ReplyDeleteI hope your diabetes concerns are unfounded. I've had friends who live in a sort of pre-diabetic state and they've been able to stave it off so far, with diet and weight loss changes.
Here’s hoping
DeleteHope the blood tests give you the solution to your fatigue. My son was suffering from that lately, too, and discovered he was low on iron so takes an iron pill each day now and is eating more foods with iron in them. How nice that you're making such good progress with your counseling training.
ReplyDeleteWe all need. A plan
DeleteI will have a plan to cope , which I will do well with
There is always lots to think about as a new year approaches.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of causes of fatigue, other than diabetes: low Vit. D, low thyroid, autoimmune diseases (like lupus for me), and too many other causes to list. Hope your blood tests are illuminating and that whatever is going on (if anything other than getting older) is easily treated.
Hugging dogs and cats is good for your mental health, so you've got that covered!
Hugs!
That was Roger more than me
DeleteBut it did you good, too, even if Roger needed the hugs more than you did. Dogs are like that.
DeleteHugs!
Transitioning to paid counseling will be much less physically demanding than nursing. And I think you will be very-very good at counseling. Maybe do the work you are training for while taking new classes to add additional skills? Take care of your physical health.
ReplyDeleteI know this David
DeletePerhaps like my heath im realising everything is very real.
You owe it to yourself to improve your health, and I hope the blood tests give you answers and solutions. Slowing down and getting a bit more mindful seems to come to us all eventually!
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve always felt invincible
DeleteMany of us do
And despite my works , looking after me hasn’t been high on the addenda
Agenda
DeleteSorry you’re having a few health worries . I am retiring after nursing for 49yrs tomorrow. Like you , a lot to reflect on but also need to have more time out to recharge and ruminate lately . Good luck in 2025 . You do live your life to the full John and that is all we can wish for be it alone or with a partner xx Bernie
ReplyDeleteThere’s a few of us older nurses here are there not ?
DeleteA club
40 years ago, as a young woman in sobriety, I faced a group of hard core recovering people. Overwhelmed with sober reality, and in tears, I claimed that I needed someone to take care of me. The whole room went up in laughter and I was told in no uncertain terms that this was an inside job. No one was going to ride up on a white horse and save me. I was furious!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to get it, but that was the best advice that was ever given to me. In time I learned how to care for myself as well as I had always cared for others - and I had been damn good at that. As are you. From my vantage point, you've made some excellent choices for your future and what a gift you will be to others. Now you get to give that same concern and love to yourself. I am sending a hug of support. You got this!
Sobering and timely
DeleteThank you for this Kate, it’s a philosophy I do adhere to generally,perhaps I’m just wobbling
My worry in ,2025 is financial and my forthcoming retirement fills. Me with dread
ReplyDeleteSquire John that was Lee
ReplyDeleteI get that Lee xx
DeleteWishing you all the best, John! You got this!
ReplyDeleteI hope so
DeleteLots of good advice and encouragement here, I hope you can feel better and I wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever get Mary to the vet? I hope she is ok and not pregnant.
love
lizzy
The vet says she appears Virginial
DeleteA new career will rejuvenate you, especially as it is a career that virtually demands older people with rich and varied life experience. I know you will know that it is very on trend these days to have everyone over 50 "pre-diabetic." But. Try to avoid being prescribed metformin. I was on it for a year and it almost killed me; exhaustion, horrendous lethargy, joint and muscle pain. I stopped taking it unilaterally - everyone is prescribed it first because it is CHEAP (my daughter would not prescribe it to her worst enemy, she tells me) I am now on another medication, which is much better....but first you have to prove metformin is awful - or just refuse it from the start. It is not your responsibility to save the NHS pennies, especially as the diabetes industry is worth £5 billion a year. Do not join Diabetes UK, which is a waste of space and money, basically for preaching over practicality and ridiculous recipes. I shall refrain from ranting more! Just take care of yourself! And be kinder to yourself!
ReplyDeleteSome good advice here my deArheart x
DeleteI hope you can get your health better. I want to say we don't know how bad we feel until it gets better but it seems like you do indeed know how bad you feel.
ReplyDeleteLots of love to you John
"You’re on yer own kid" ? Taylor Swift I believe. I am not kidding.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic. I have an appointment which I believe is going to show the same thing, based on the results of the bloodwork. It's a new way of life. I've adopted the diet in hopes of taking a miss on medication. I know that monitoring will be the new normal.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, you know what you want to do career wise. I think you will be great. Keep going and achieve your goals. Will you set-up a private practice or work for someone else?
ReplyDeleteI have always believed in: "you are on your own kid," and have been told I am too independent.
That said, I feel it has served me quite well...in most cases.
Thank you for sharing your 2024 with us all; I hope your new year is a good one.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for taking on a career change at ~60ish, I did it at 30, and it was terrifying at first. Worked out well in the end though. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI lost the equivalent of a person last year...no bariatric surgery. Just good old willpower. I called it the "No
ReplyDeleteWhite Food" Diet. My A1C has been 4.7 for a year + now so basically I am in remission my doc says. You can do it, just cut all the carbs out. It's not fun but you get use to it. ;-)
It's so easy to neglect our own health while simply trying to juggle work, social life and time for others. I hope you can adjust to whatever the blood test reveals.
ReplyDeleteAlso maybe you are just ready to slow down, and will enjoy it once accepted. Enjoy the good moments even more - especially your family, friends and animals. I wish I were able to add the animal part to my life again these days. I miss it so.
John, I wish you a happy new year, a year of good health and peace of mind.
ReplyDeleteMy diabetes was the gift of both my grandmothers. Ah well.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year x
ReplyDeleteI am happy that John is going to look after John in the New Year. You push yourself to fill every minute, but you need to have some downtime too. Maybe a few minutes when you wake up to just sit and do diddly squat. Those blood tests should at least give you a way forward. Good luck and happy New Year for you and the family, two legged and four. Gigi
ReplyDelete