Thanks for reminding me of this. I see all sorts of info out there connecting these two. I guess I just don’t know about permanent damage. Lots of people seem to put up with it because the benefits of the meds outweigh the discomfort.

I don’t know? I’ll go look that up. Thanks.

He’s not been diagnosed with that, but it seems likely he has a mild case possibly? His fingers or toes do not get white, just super cold and somewhat numb. Can you stay on adderall if diagnosed with Raynauld’s?

DS20 started on vyvanse last year about this time. A couple months into it after the dose had been increased, he was diagnosed with Covid toe by telehealth visit and also in person express clinic. They gave him a steroid cream and it cleared up. He ended up switching to adderall for other reasons and after ramping up, the toe issue returned. The dr refused his adderall renewal and referred him to another NP who dealt more with these meds. The new NP switched him to a non stimulant one I can’t ever remember the name of but after a few months, they agreed to let him try the lowest dose of adderall again. Which he was on for about 6 months, same dose, no increase. Last week when the weather turned cold again, his toe issue returned. Does anyone know if this could be a circulation issue caused by adderall and the cold? Would Covid toe return only in the cold repeatedly? We don’t know if he had Covid. He was sick last December, but tested negative. Express clinic said that was most likely Covid, and thus Covid toes. They do look exactly like every Covid toe picture on the internet. What kind of dr/test would determine if he’s having a bad side effect like this? He’s always had extremely cold hands and feet but no diagnosed issue- same as his dad and grandmother really. He does pretty well on the adderall but decided at his last appointment to take himself off again given this toe issue in case it’s a side effect. Any thoughts?

I’m newer to the process, so I don’t have years of success behind me, but last year at this time I decided I was done being heavy. I have lost about 30 pounds this year. I have about 10 more I’d like to lose. FWIW, I’m 52 and post menopausal. What I discovered along the way was that I although I did enjoy being less heavy, what I most liked was how much better I felt. When you feel better it makes sticking with the changes easier. I started slowly, mostly replacing bad habits with better ones. Then I concentrated on good quality sleep. Changing up whatever I needed to to make sure I get what I need. I thought I had good sleep hygiene, but when I switched up a few things, I really saw some improvement. For me that was no wine or food 3 hours before bed, no caffeine after noon, exercise early in the day. I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I don’t eat much processed food, and I try to eat at least 35 to 40 different plant products every week. This was the single best change for me. It was a mindset of abundance and not restriction. Then I add in high quality animal protein sources. I try to keep my blood sugar very stable by concentrating on protein, healthy fats and lots of fiber. When I eat like this, I feel good. My stomach feels settled, I have more energy, my mood is better. I really couldn’t get over the changes in mood. I started out with weight loss as the goal, but I then decided I really only could follow through with changes that I believed were good for my long term health. Everyone probably has different ideas on what those are, but once I found the ones I believed in, they made the follow through easier for me. Of course I still have treats, but most of my decisions are based on- is this a healthy choice for my body and mind. Will I feel better or worse after eating this? For exercise- 10,000 steps a day, body weight and dumbbell exercises 3-4 times a week. In the warmer weather I do play a lot of pickleball.

I am so sorry your Christmas didn’t go as planned. I hope your dad has an easy time and feels better quickly. I, too have heard of lots of older people doing fine with this strain of Covid.

I have a son in similar circumstances, although he declined to even go to college. I have read along for some good advice, because we need to make some changes going forward with monetary support as well. I like how it was stated above- maybe I have removed the natural motivation to adult. It is hard for me to be the tough guy, and frankly I’ve never had to be that for my child before, which makes it even harder to start now. But I know I have to think about it as doing the right thing, not the mean thing, which is how I feel when I think about it. We are dealing with late diagnosed ADHD as well. He’s tried vyvanse, adderall and he’s on something else now. The adderall did work, but it had some side effects he couldn’t tolerate. So, we’re kind of back to the drawing board with that. It certainly complicates things. I hope you can find some solutions there. All that to say, it’s tough launching young adults. And sometimes I look around and think my son is the only one foundering. But, I don’t think that’s the case at all.

I felt like this last year at this time. I ended up going all in with a glucose monitor and a nutrition coach and lost 30 pounds this year. I loved the glucose monitor because it really made my bad decisions black and white and easier for me to change. But they are unrealistic to get for most people. Taking it back to basics worked for me- baby steps of improvement. The first 2-3 weeks I’d focus on something, then add something else. But the first and most effective thing I did was focus on good quality sleep. I made so many bad choices when I was tired- chasing energy with bad food, too tired to move, etc. Good sleep made a lot of good choices easier.

That’s wonderful! The A1C is amazing, but sleeping through the night is such a gift- and so great for her health and her daily glucose levels. I bet she feels so much better. Hooray for sure!

Saraha- I’ve been following along as well and learning a lot actually. My parents have always told us they wanted to stay in their home to age, no nursing homes at all. And they luckily have the financial resources to do that if we can make it happen. They both took wonderful care of their parents through their older years and expect us to do the same. Which we will make every effort to do! But, my mother has dementia as well. And for now my dad can take care of her. But she’s going to get worse and no one wants to talk about how her care is going to look then. Especially not my dad. We have our heads in the sand as well. Neither of their parents had dementia. They aged in place pretty beautifully for the most part. But dementia is a whole different ball game. And dealing with elderly people is hard. I get that, they just can’t always make the decisions and plans they need to. I see it with my dad. He just wants things to stay the same. He wants to be the caregiver, but he’s wearing himself out. And dementia patients are just hard to make happy. Luckily she’s easy to get along with, but it’s still sad and frustrating and lonely to see your life partner of 65 years disappear in front of you. All that to say, I feel for you. Your family has a lot of extenuating circumstances and you are doing a great job walking a thin line. I wish all the best for your MIL and your husband. It’s a very rough time even in the best of circumstances.

I haven’t started next year’s list, but for me, I am not very goal oriented and a bit of a procrastinator. I’m an empty nester with a good bit of free time. So, my list looks different for sure. I found it helpful to push me to experience things I might not have gotten around to before. And looking back on my list, I have fond memories of what I did do. I will look for new experiences and also things that need to get done. But, mostly new day to day experiences. If you already make yearly goals, then this isn’t much different for you. For me it will be fun to kind of brainstorm 23 new experiences or variations of new things to do next year.

Congratulations! That’s wonderful.

Awe! I love stories like that. Much happiness to them!

I do think it makes you appreciate every day life more. Many of mine were things just to make me conscious of my daily life. I looked back on my list and I did the 52 list. Looks like I checked off about 35 that year, and since have done about 7 more. Several of them were do this every week for a year - those were not accomplished, nor do I think I'll try that again. Looking back, some of the most memorable ones were actually pretty easy- try a new local restaurant, see live local music, learn about a new local nonprofit and make a donation, make an original kiva loan and always relend when payments are there, take a picture every day on my phone, either for the memory or just to appreciate the daily beauty. Some were more a call to action - mammogram, update will, etc. And some were to push me out of my comfort zone - yoga class, kayaking. Those are the ones I need more of this year. I'm a little stagnant right now. Two that I didn't check off yet, that I might keep on the list are - studying and then watching an opera. And reading and listening along to this book - that honestly I probably read about on this site. Year of Wonder Book

This a great idea. I did 50 new things the year I turned 50 and it was fun to do and rewarding to look back at. I’m going to try this again!

I eat a lot of dark chocolate and thought I was picking good brands. I don’t think I can give it up. It seems like something new every day. I hope I can find a brand to still eat. I’m sad😢

Man, this is tough! I feel for you. This is a situation where you do your best and it is truly the thought that counts! What do she and her DH do when you babysit? If they go out- restaurant gift cards? An Airbnb gift card for a localish staycation? Instacart subscription so she doesn’t have to leave the house to shop?

Yes! Something like this. It’s the words that are important. Compliments mean the word to words of affirmation people.

My DH is acts of service as well. For his birthday I cleaned out our closet. Usually he asks me to file his office papers 😂

My love language is words of affirmation and I would like something like if my DH got me a red sweater and said you look Pretty in red so I wanted you to have this. I mean it could be more significant than that😀 Something you admire about them and can verbalize tied into a gift that they need or could use.

I heard about universal yums here a few years ago😀It was a great present!

I did Universal Yums for a then 15 year old girl. She really enjoyed it.

Wow! That’s so wonderful❤️

I like your idea a lot- it’s a favorite of yours and consumable. Always a plus in my book. Think about your truly favorite things you use every day. If you like them, they probably will too. Other ideas to get you thinking- darn tough wool socks, a warm scarf, soft cuddly throws for the couch, Christmas themed wine glasses.

Thank you for bringing this up. I too am very thankful for all who serve. It can come with a lot of trauma sometimes as well that a lot of people, myself for sure, don’t recognize until they see it up close in someone they know. As my action item I donated to a veterans charity today that helps provide service dogs to veterans. My year has been all about improving my health to hopefully increase my healthspan as I age. It has been quite the process, and I have a lot of room to keep moving forward. But I can definitely look back and be proud of the changes I’ve accomplished.