Hi @~Christina. I hope your upcoming trip is pleasant and without negative issues. After reading about this, it made me think how lucky you and Steve now are that the trip is even possible again. It's been a while, but I recall those months when Steve was extremely sick. And you were struggling a lot then, as well. As you did before, do feel willing to say "No" to anything that seems too much/stressful. I hope you and Steve do manage to catch a few weeks before you set off. That's also great that you see T right before.

Though I don't have joint swelling, my husband also brings up how I don't wear my wedding ring. My reason? I'm about 35 lbs heavier than the day I got married. At one point I struggled to get it off my finger, as it was strangling it. It hasn't gone on since. I do still wear my unofficial engagement ring. Unofficial because Czechs don't have them. I sort of pushed him to at least buy me something like one. Not sure why that still fits.

Thanks for the idea of making our new friend a dinner dish. I have to think more about what it might be. As for the weather, it has cooled down where I am. We even wore light jackets yesterday. Right now (at almost 4 pm) it is 64 F (18 C). It was raining a little.

I once went on a low"ish" carbohydrate diet about nine years ago. I was successful, losing almost 40 lbs in six months. I don't have proper knowledge about diabetic diet requirements, but I can say there are plenty of tasty low sugar/carb goodies out there that can be made at home. They will always be better than any junk they make for sale at stores. Do you mind using sugar substitutes? If not, there are so many options. Low carbers are big fans of cheesecake. I also often made bread puddings, no sugar added smoothies and frapuccinos, lots of fruit with low/no sugar whipped topping, angel food cake made with Swerve sugar substitute, various ricotta desserts, clafoutis, blintzes, fruit tarts, and the like. There are also so many nut-based goodies, including low carb peanut butter cookies. I tended to try to keep things a little lower in fat, but I know many super low carb dieters are quite generous with them. That certainly offers even more options. Some are easier to make than you might think. Others are more work.

As examples, the attached three photos are sweets that I made in the past that used low/no calorie sugar substitutes in place of regular sugars. They were yummy. If you're more of a chocolate fan, there are ideas at The Best Low-Carb & Keto Chocolate Dessert Recipes — Diet Doctor