Limit Doing Too Many Things In One Day

Today I came to the realization that I have to limit doing too many things in one day. Something as simple as taking a shower is now more complicated. Before I can shower I have to use dry brushes and brush my skin to move the lymphatic liquid under the skin. Then I can shower. After the shower I apply the Goldenseal Myrrh ointment to the skin on areas of my legs that had rashes from the Lymphedema. Then I can apply my normal body lotion. Takes longer than twenty minutes now. Okay, I can live with that as long as it is helping me........which it is. Some mornings I will have to shower later than the first thing due to other things going on. I need to be flexible. 

On the day I wash my laundry that is all I can do because I sit downstairs in the laundry room while my laundry is in the machines. Our apartment building is not one that is safe to leave your laundry alone and come back later. Sometimes you come back to nothing left in the machines. I cannot afford to do that. Usually I bring my adult coloring book and gel pens with me so I can color while waiting. Doing laundry tires me out. What tires me out the most is when I bring the laundry back to my apartment and have to put it away. That is because I have been letting it back up. Now my rule is to do small loads maybe twice a week instead of once every two weeks. Make it easier if possible.

Grocery deliveries is another chore that I like to do on a day when I don't have other things to do. I usually order early in the morning and then wait. Wait some more. Waiting for hours for them to delivery my order unless I pay for fast delivery. That makes it hard to do chores that take up more time and effort. Now I order the groceries and then while waiting I work on my computer or some other chore that I can do in my apartment. I also order groceries for my son but on a different day than when I order my groceries. 

Then there is the big chore day. When I do vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathroom, dusting and cleaning the counters and appliances in the kitchen. Maybe I should break those chores up into different days but once I get going I want to do them all. So it is over and done with. Turn the music on and get to work! 

Presently I am going to therapy for the Lymphedema three times a week. So on those days I am not doing much at home. I can do some little chores after I come home but these days just leaving home is a big job. Pretty soon I will not be going that often. Once a month when my Social Security check is deposited I have to do errands. I am the "Payee Representative" for my son's money so have to do errands for him also. That is another day that I am wiped out when I get back home. Not doing much on that day either. 

I don't expect to always be doing these same things for years. Who knows? Maybe not or maybe I will. Life is like that. I accept what I need or have to do. Not going to get myself down over struggles in day to day living. Try my best and carry on. I do my best to stay positive no matter what is going on. I lived with negativity for many years and I refuse to let it in my life now. When people start talking negatively I am out the door! Dwell on the good not the bad.

Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

 

A Lifetime Of Changes

 

There comes a time when a person has to accept the reality of their life. Some goals you had planned are never happening. As I think back on my own life I remember goals or dreams I had at one age and then changed them at another age. They were not in line with what I was doing at that time. You are not a failure if you failed to attain that goal. A goal you may have had as a teenager might be something you can never even try to do as you got older. The influences of television, magazines or books sometimes will cause you to have a dream that is not ever going to happen for you. 

Parents may influence you as well as your siblings or friends. What they might want for you might not be anything you want to do but accept it and try. Failing at whatever it was will affect you and the way you think about yourself. It was not right for you to begin with. Aging gives you another outlook on your life. Doing something one way for a number of years and then suddenly you want to change it. People around you may not encourage you or some might. It is up to you in the end. What do you want to do in your life? It is your life. It is your journey. 

I have made many changes throughout my life. Different ages meant different things were happening to me and around me. A lifetime of changes is inevitable. What I was doing at twenty was completely different at forty. I look back at those years and wonder what was I thinking back then? Today I feel they were bad or wrong choices. Maybe though, they were just different and the outcome was not what I wanted or needed. At age fifty I dealt with changes that were the most difficult of my whole life. Yes, even now and the changes that have happened to me at ages sixty and seventy-three were not as difficult as fifty was.

2002 was the year I turned fifty. Along with that came the accident that almost killed my husband. Having to have one of my Parathyroids removed (not that big of deal). My mother's health became much worse and she died later that year. I was also in the process of menopause. It was a very stressful time and I don't know how I got through it. I was living on my Peaceful Forest Homestead at the time and it was a lot of work. I made it through it in one piece. By the time I left there in 2018 my life had taken many changes and continues to this day. 

Now I feel most of the changes in my life have to do with my health. I have had to change the way I do things due to mobility issues. Due to my knees and to Lymphedema and how they affect me. I will go more into those issues in a future post. My whole life I had a car of my own and once I gave that up I felt like I lost my independence. When I moved here to my apartment I chose not to buy a vehicle due to all the expenses associated with it. It was the right choice for me but it is also a burden for finding rides to appointments. I am finding my way through it and doing what I must. A lifetime of changes never ends. I believe change is a daily activity for me. 

Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

 

Which Diet? This Diet or That Diet? No Diet?

Everywhere you look you see this diet or that diet. Whatever diet someone else is following, is the one you need or so they will tell you. Do you though? I have been following many different people who promote a zillion types of diets. Or food plans, as I call them. I am following one particular plan, keto or ketovore, and I might do everything they say or do. Next time I turn their next video on it is all different. At times I can tell they are going to change before they actually say they are or did. I learned over time that the reasons they may have changed has nothing to do with their followers. You see what you eat, like to eat or hate to eat, is all very personal. That is why some people will never give up sugar or grains. They have been eating them their whole life and not all of them are sick. Another thing that happens within the YouTube channels is after they have achieved their goals they want to move on to other topics. Not food so much. Maybe not even health. Actually they should just start a new channel but they don't want to have to monetize a new one when they already have one that is making money. I can see that.

For someone like me who has a difficult challenge to make any progress at all, be it my health or weight, it is easy to give up. I am always thinking nothing ever works for me. That is the story of my life not just my diet life. Some doctors don't know anything outside of what they were taught years ago in medical school. I ask them questions and they cannot answer. Especially about Lymphedema! I was fortunate to have a doctor write an order for me to go the Lymphedema clinic (about 35 miles away) and work with the therapist there. The therapist told me the doctors don't know much about it. I had changed doctors since then which was back in 2022, I think. Since that time the Lymphedema clinic had added a couple of therapists to the physical therapy clinic near my home. I have started going there and I will write a post about my experience soon. 

Compression Sleeves

My new doctor mentioned that I am not retaining fluid, but lymphatic fluid and I probably will not be able to lose weight. I am not letting that set me back because I find doctors to be wrong about me most of the time. I am trying my hardest to stay prescription free and sticking to my food plan which is based on a meaty 20 carbs or less meals. One of the things I had stopped doing was wearing my compression stockings. They cause my knees to hurt so bad which has nothing to do with the Lymphedema. After I came to the realization that my knees hurt whether I wear the stockings or not I decided to try them again. Wasn't able to wear them. I think I need the wraps. 

Half of my hall

The next thing that I have to start doing again is activate myself. I have been sitting at my computer for most of the day. I need to get back into walking. I used to walk laps on my hall but had stopped doing that. So I am starting to do it again. Right now I am limiting myself to do one thing at a time. I plan on walking outside in the parks and on the streets after I get up to that speed. I did walk a few blocks the other afternoon and did pretty good. Often I have to push myself to do something and then find it to be a good thing. 

Bacon, Eggs & Chaffles

Back to the diet or food plan. One reason I have so much trouble with this is everyone tells you to do something different. I finally found a YouTube channel that says to do what works for you. To try different things till you find your answers. My plan may not look like your plan. That is okay. My plan used to be only two meals a day and the first meal was after eleven. Now it is an earlier meal at whatever time I get to it or am hungry for it. Usually eggs with bacon. Sometimes a chaffle that I make without cheese or almond flour. I felt like changing it because I think I was not eating enough food. I like to be done with all eating by five. So I needed to start earlier to get that breakfast in. Often I still end up with only two meals for the day. Still having difficulties getting enough protein in unless I have the Keto Chow. 

Keto Chow Ice Cream

Normally my second meal is around one and I have a Keto Chow replacement shake as ice cream. Yes, even if it is below zero I am making ice cream! Keto Chow is one thing I will not give up. It has kept me on track. Since eating it as ice cream is like a treat it is always something to look forward to. Which I do. I worked it into my budget as I think of it as food since it has the nutrition of one third of your daily food requirements. Oh yeah, did I mention how good it is? Better than store bought regular ice cream! Then for supper I usually have some kind of meat. Cooked simply in the oven. I might have a can of Zevia soda (sweetened with stevia) after supper then I am all done for the night. 

Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

Doing The Best I Can Even In Hard Times

 

Fall in New York

Every morning when I get up I decide it will be a good day. I will be happy. No matter what the weather is. No matter any difficult tasks I have to do. No matter who I have to see. No matter any pain I am presently feeling. Otherwise my day would be miserable and I can't get it back. The first cup of coffee always comforts me no matter how I feel. That is one reason I will never be giving up my coffee. It is a start to a happy, positive day for me. Keeping myself positive is not always easy depending on what is going on in my life. 2025 has been a year of many changes and not especially good ones. So having to deal with life as I get older and still remaining hopeful about what lies is hard at times.

Home

It is a good day when I have a list of things to do. Living alone means I can get started on my tasks for the day without having to do anything for someone else. Well, except for my bunny rabbit. He has patience though so no need to hurry for him. It would seem to anyone else that living in a studio apartment I would not have much to do as far as cleaning goes. I find it is easier to do cleaning chores every day. Not all at once but one or two each day. That way it is never a big job at one time. Also a small apartment needs to be cleaned more often than a large one. At least that is my experience. Small apartments can become cluttered in a minute if you are not mindful of it. There is the tough problem for me being that I am not as strong as I used to be. Not being able to stand somewhere for longer than five minutes at time. It makes my chores harder but I am able to manage. I find it frustrating that I cannot stand on a stool or a chair to reach high areas. So I just do the best I can. 

Enjoying Pretty Flowers

One thing I will say is that I am never bored. I am busy all day long just doing my thing. Being an introvert helps I think. When I was a child I always lived in my bedroom. It was my favorite place to be. Shut my door and I was in my happy place. I still felt that way in my adult life. Especially when living with others. My last home (Peaceful Forest) I did not have any privacy or a bedroom to retreat to. I think that is what broke me at that time. Now when I come out of my apartment I am ready to face whatever awaits me outside that door. Sometimes it is not so good depending on the personalities of the various people I encounter. Doing my best to stay pleasant to everyone I meet along the way. Having a good life means making it a good life myself. Accept what comes along and figure out how to live with it. 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

Consider A Studio Apartment For Solo Senior Living

First Look at My Apartment 2018

The first thing I had to do once I downsized and moved from a house to a studio apartment was to figure out how to set it up. It is not as easy as it sounds. Especially if you bring boxes of things that you used in your previous homes. My studio apartment is 338 square feet which is pretty small compared to some others. I have been here now since 2018, so seven years. Over that time period I have gotten rid of more items that I didn't need or use. If I use it I will keep it. Sometimes I cry at the thought of getting rid of certain things but I have no room for things I can't use. After all that time, I am still doing it. Still getting rid of items. The hardest has been kitchen items. As long time readers of this blog know, I was a "modern homesteader" and did a lot of cooking and canning. It has been difficult for me to give up that part of my life. It has come over time though. Now my focus is making my life easier so not as much cooking. 

The kitchen

Most studio apartments are one big room with a kitchen area along one wall. The bathroom of course is the only separate room. I am very fortunate to have an ideal setup. My kitchen and bathroom are next to each other and are disabled friendly. I could use a wheelchair in them if I needed one. My kitchen is a small square with the bathroom door opening into it. One wall of the kitchen is completely open that goes into the rest of the apartment. The area outside my kitchen doorway is my "office". My table is where I keep my computer and all my computer related equipment. Since I do not have others here for meals I am on my computer when eating because that is what I like to do. 

My office is opposite the kitchen

When I am cooking or cleaning in the kitchen I can take a break to sit down at the table and still keep an eye on the kitchen. I am very careful about the electrical appliances I use. The last thing I want is a fire so I double check everything every time. I cannot stand for more than five minutes so I put something on to cook and then take a break. Checking on it every now and then. It is always within my view. Of course now I cook simple meals and clean up is fast. I wash the dishes after every meal so they do not pile up. If for some reason after supper I cannot do the dishes it is no big deal. I will do them in the morning. Living alone is really a plus for me in the kitchen. 

Living Room Area

The rest of the apartment is basically set up for sleeping, relaxing while watching television and for my pet bunny rabbit. Since I have not been sleeping in a bed for over a year now I do not have a bedroom in this space. Right now the area I had for my bedroom is where I keep the bunny cage and his area. A large dresser creates a wall for that space so it is not seen from the rest of the apartment. When my bunny is gone I will make it into my bedroom again. I have enough space in this area that I could have a love seat or small couch. For me though. a recliner, the curio cabinet, a stand with a lamp and a chair is enough in this tiny space. The television is on top of the big  dresser which puts it in the middle of the room. So the sound of it will never affect the next apartments. The same with my CD player as it is on the dresser next to it. 

My bedroom area

The reason I chose a studio apartment over a one bedroom is because I really love the open plan. Growing up with my own bedroom where I spent my happiest times made me miss having one as I got older and was married. I wanted my own space! More than anything. Most people want a one bedroom and when I moved here I did too. But as soon as I stepped into this apartment to look at it..........I was in love with it! High ceilings in the living and bedroom area makes it appear spacious. I took my name off the list for a one bedroom and have here in my studio happily ever since. Things are different when you live alone. A studio might be harder to live in with another person. It is all about privacy.  

kat's Kitchen

I can take a quick glance at my home and see what needs to be done. If you are planning a move and think a studio apartment is too small maybe you should go look at some first. For one thing they are much cheaper in rent and utilities. Easier to clean and take care of. Easier to live in if you end up with some kind of mobility issues. I can use a walker, a mobility chair or a wheelchair in mine if needed. Another plus is that it makes you get rid of all your excess stuff. It does not mean I live like a pauper. I just use different things here than I did at my old house. 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

Living With Lymphedema Basically On My Own

Moving in or out

Two different residents had been moving out recently so the elevator had been getting a work out. I always feel that is when it starts to have problems. Too many trips or heavy items that hit the doors, walls and buttons? No clue. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Just in case you are new to my blog, I live in a senior living apartment building. It is for disabled residents also. There is actually a mix of ages here but leans toward older people. Presently the elevator will work good then on a random trip I will have to hit the open door for it to open. As long as it opens then I am happy. I do not think I could tolerate it well if I had to wait for the police come to open it in this hot weather. Our building management no longer runs the air conditioning in the halls and public areas. Even in this extreme hot weather. It was nice in previous years when they used to do that for us.  

The back of my apartment building

We are living in a world full of chaos and scary headlines daily.........yet living here in this apartment building it feels like none of that is happening. Most of the people here have televisions. So they must know what is going on but never speak of it. The big stories around here have to do with who is moving out and why? Who left a washing machine or dryer with cigarette butts or pet hair in the rubber filter? Unfair management rules. Who spilled something on the stairs, hall or elevator floor and did not clean it up (most likely could not clean it up because they cannot bend down to do so)? 

Senior and Disabled Living

Reasons of importance change as your health starts to decline or you just feel old. I see it happening within my own self. Problems with my knees started way back around 2001 I think. I helped take care of my mother and when I would get down on the floor to take care of her feet it was agony for me. I didn't want her to suspect so I acted like it did not hurt. It did though. Very badly. Even as my knees became worse and my feet swelled all the time, I never knew it could be a lymphatic issue. I had never heard of that. Eventually I started using a cane and soaking my feet in cold water for relief. I did not have health insurance and never had any way to pay for it. I tried to get various jobs but I think due to not being able to walk very well would not get hired even though I was qualified. 

Long drives are not good for me now!

Even now that I can go to doctors they don't seem to know much about Lymphedema. Even the Lypmphedema therapist I went to agreed about that. I had to stop going to her though because I cannot tolerate the 40 mile ride to her clinic. There needs to be more Lymphedema therapists in physical therapy clinics. They are rare. Mostly I do my own research. Reading and watching videos about it and learning the newer research and studies about it. More people have it now so doctors are specializing in it and attending conferences on it. I figure most of them are researching it online anyway so I can do that myself. 

The first pair of compression stockings bought from Amazon

The only relief I could get from it was the compression stockings. As soon as I put them on I feel instant relief. I would wear them every day without fail. Soon my leg below the knee where the stocking ended became out of shape. I took a break of more than a month of not wearing the stockings. The area below the knee did not change or go back to its normal shape. I hate it. When I have shown it to any medical person they barely gave it a glance. So I went back to wearing the stockings and I have had relief and my swelling has gone way down. Even it this hot weather. I will stick to wearing them every day from now on.

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole