Monday Mileage and Merry Christmas

As of last night I have 913 miles towards the goal of 1000. Counting today,I have 8 days to walk 87 miles.  Don't think that's happening.  My goal now is 16 more miles.  That is manageable considering the various gatherings I have between now and the end of the year.

I had a bit of a panic last week about my year end mileage when I lost my pedometer briefly.  On Thursday, I had a free and open day stretching before me.  I had no appointments of any type.  No where to be at any certain time.  It was glorious.  I needed to go by the bank, and post office and then finish shopping.  I got that done in short order and came back home.  We have some winter lettuce in the garden that I wanted for supper so I rushed out to gather that in the cold and wind.  I came in and started doing some indoor chores and noticed at some point that my pedometer was not on my waistband.

The last time I knew that I had it for sure was when I dressed in the morning.  It was well into the afternoon when I noticed it was missing.  I knew I had a lot of steps because I'm good at taking the long way around at home and parking in the far slot at the store.  I was bummed and began to think through a fair way of estimating my steps.  I just knew my pedometer was in the store, or worse the store parking lot.  But before total freak out set in, I retraced my steps in the house.  Not there.  I went outside into the cold & drizzle, knowing it would not be out there either.  After all, wouldn't I have heard it when it fell, wherever it fell?  There is a lot of noise in the store and parking lot so I could have missed the clatter as it fell.  Much to my surprise, the pedometer was right at the edge of our little garden spot on a bed of leaves.

Apparently, the bending & twisting cutting the lettuce worked it loose.  It fell on the leaves, so it did not make a loud noise as it would have if it had fallen off in the kitchen.  I was quite relieved.  It had been a couple of hours since I'd been outside, but I didn't miss the majority of my steps for the day.  And, I was saved from having to buy another pedometer or trying to come up with a fair average steps for the rest of the year.

On another note entirely, my hip is much better but not where I want it to be as far as range of motion is concerned.  I've got a regimen of exercises and stretches to do twice a day.  They're not hard or time consuming.  Since they are so 'easy' I often think I can do that later and later doesn't come more than I care to admit.  It is simple enough to do this routine in the morning time when I had been doing P90X.  I need to actually schedule an afternoon time.  It will happen, I'm sure, once I get back into my new normal routine.  For now, P90X will have to remain a goal for another time.

I probably won't be back except for maybe a quick hello before the first of the year.  Family will begin gathering tomorrow and we'll be together until January 1.  I will relish every second of it!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday Mileage

I crossed over the 900 mile mark this weekend.  As of the end of the day yesterday I have 901 miles.  I knew when I took on this challenge it would indeed be a challenge.  I felt like I'd get 900 miles in at a minimum, I thought it would be more like 950+.  I've still got a couple of weeks and I'll still keep up with my steps, but I'm not going to beat myself up over not making the full 1000 miles.  If I were in school and got 900 out of 1000, I'd get an "A" so I'm giving myself one for this challenge and the rest of the mileage for the year is extra credit.

My weight has hovered between 207 and 208 since December 1.  We splurged and went out for Mexican food yesterday and this morning my weight is 210.4!  YIKES!  It has to be water retention from the chips & salsa.  I'll be diligent about the water today and it will drop back down.

My life is still revolving around doctor's appointments and medication management.  I'm feeling a little frustrated because I'd just gotten a taste of freedom from schedules and now I'm right back in it.  We have to have schedules to function in life, so I'll just have to deal with it.  My mother is getting stronger and healthier everyday, for which I am extremely grateful.

And on another note entirely, I have a new niece.  She was born last night about 9:30 and I am thrilled for the new little one.  She is my older sister's first grandchild.

There are a lot of emotions rambling around in my head, from utter disbelief and sorrow for those left behind in Connecticut, to the absolute delight with the new life in my family, from frustration and anger over my mother's health, and my weight, to the excitement of family from near & far gathering for the holidays, my head is swirling.  I'm trying to focus on the happy aspects and deal with the unhappy without getting bogged down in it.

Our New Normal

There really isn't much to report on the weight loss scene.  I'm preparing meals that work with my mother's new eating plan.  It isn't so bad and even 65MD is on board with it.  My weight has remained stable, for which I am very thankful.  The nutrition plan M has now has far more carbs than I'm used to.  I'm not eating nearly as many as she is, but it is still more than I generally eat.  So, staying fairly stable is a real feat.

We are slowly figuring out the rhythm to living together.  It is the end of the semester for 65MD so we would be adjusting anyway.  This is the first big school break since I've been working from home.  Now we have one more element. 

Overall, this has been a very good thing.  I am in a position with work to be much more flexible so that I can take M to her appointments.  We had a vacant room, which we were deciding the best use.  Now we know the best use of it.  Everything is slipping in to place.  It is just different than it was before.

I'm hoping by the first of the year that we will have established our patterns and feel like this is the way life has always been.  If so, I'll get serious about restarting P90X if the therapist allows.  If not, I'm already looking for an alternate plan.

In the meantime, I'll drop in on Mondays to report my miles and weight.  I'm hoping the accountability will help me not go completely crazy.  I'll check in with posts as I have something to say.  I will continue to read my favorite blogs.  I can't miss that!

Miss Me?

I got thrown a couple of major curve balls by life in the last several days.  Blogging suddenly became much less important.  I'm still in the midst of a major life upheaval so I'm not sure how much I'll be around.  To keep from seeming so mysterious, I'll recap my month so far.

On December 1,  my mother and I had a meeting regarding her sister's estate.  It got ugly but by the time it was over, things had smoothed out.  I left her at her house about 1:30 and moved on with my day.  65MD and I went out to a late lunch/early supper because we had a football game to watch.  We had just gotten home and settled in for the game when my sister called.

A friend from church has stopped by my mother's house and discovered she'd had a 'spell' so she called my sister who is a nurse.  My sister quickly realized that our mother was in serious trouble.  She called 911 and me.  65MD and I met the first responders on the way to her house.  My sister had not been able to find a pulse or a BP, but my mother would respond when she was asked a direct question.  That was the only way we knew she was alive.

She spend a couple of nights in CCU with dangerously low BP and then a few more nights in the hospital with more stable BP.  She was released on Friday with no diagnosis for the cause of the episode although an irregular heartbeat was diagnosed and will be treated with medication.  The irregular heartbeat does not cause the sort of symptoms she presented.  We've been told we may never know the cause.

As a result, we are all a little nervous about her health.  Although, every test came back indicating she was incredibly healthy, we are still concerned.  Since we all have this concern, my  mother has moved in with 65MD and me at least until Christmas.  We are leaving the door open as to how long because she isn't ready to talk about it.  That is fine.  65MD and I are glad to have her with us.  We are thankful that we are in a position to have her, and so far it has worked well.

The biggest issue we face now, is adjusting her diet to accommodate the new medication.  The allowed foods are much higher in carbohydrates than we are used to.  65MD is fine eating whatever is prepared and is doing his best to think of creative menus that will work for the three of us.  But that isn't the entire story of the week.

On Thursday, my mother had stabilized to the point that I felt comfortable keeping a therapy appointment I had for my hip.  I'll not go in to detail, but the bottom line on that is P90X is off the table for me at this time.  I was given a couple of exercises to do to heal my hip, but that is all I am allowed to do at this time.

After a week in the hospital, eating and drinking what kind friends brought by, I was surprised to see that my weight has been somewhat stable.  My friends know that I have lost weight, so they brought diet beverages, fruit and the like to the hospital.  There was no meaningful exercise, and the few steps I got were from pacing the halls.

I know there is no way that I will make the 1000 mile challenge by the end of the year and I'll likely still weigh over 200 pounds on January 1.  Right now, all of that pales in comparison.  I'll do my PT exercise faithfully.  I will serve my mother the food she needs to be healthy and eat that myself, avoiding the carbs.  I will be around as much as possible but I make no promises about blogging once a week or anything like that.  I will continue to monitor my weight, and try to at least maintain.  I am setting no goals and have no expectations of weight loss.

I very much appreciate prayers during this time of transition.  I know that it will all work out as it should.  It just might not be a lot of fun getting there.

For the record, I have 889 miles for the year, and I weigh 208.6.

Steroids

I have had pain in my right hip off and on for years.  I was diagnosed with arthritis in the right hip joint several years ago.  When I get a flare up, I just pop a naproxen.  Generally that does the trick.  But not lately.

The past several weeks I've had off and on pain, but more on than off and much more severe.  I began to think that I'd injured myself somehow.  The pain would at some times be excruciating and at others just mildly annoying.  I hobbled around like a little old lady.  I knew I had a doctor's appointment soon, so I just waited for that.  It was Monday.

My doctor was quite concerned about the pain, and referred me to a specialist.  He was impressed with the P90X, but shocked that the weight loss had not been more dramatic. The last thing he said to me as I left his office was NOT to stop the P90X.

The specialist diagnosed inflammation in the connective tissue and prescribed a round of steroids and physical therapy for three weeks.  I'll start that as soon as I finish the steroids.  I am to continue with the workouts as best I can.  (Which is all I can say for myself anyway!!)

I was most unhappy to get the prescription for steroids.  I have fought too long and hard for the little ground I've gained to see it all slip away.  I asked if I would be hungry or grumpy ('roid rage) and was told my appetite would increase but so would my energy level and I would not get grumpy.

Yesterday was day number one of 6 days.  The doctor was right about one thing.  I wasn't grumpy.  I did not have a boost in energy and I was not hungry AT ALL.  In fact, I've had to force myself to eat.  Food just grosses me out right now.  I've been quite thirsty and have been chugging water like crazy. but eating, not so much.

My weight stayed the same this morning.  It is obviously too soon to know if this is related to the steroids or just something odd that has happened.  It is also too soon to know how my weight will be effected.

I'll just keep doing what I know to be right and see what happens.  Right now, I just want my hip to feel better.

Almost NSV

I have to share this funny story, probably giving too much insight into my psyche, but humorous none the less.

On Sunday, just before walking in to the auditorium for worship, I'd stopped by the ladies' room.  I checked the mirror to be sure my clothes were straight before exiting and thought that perhaps, just perhaps my outfit was a bit slimming.  And that just maybe all the workouts were beginning to show.

As I approached my seat, with that in mind, a kind gentleman whom I've known for 20+ years asked if someone 'had been whittling on me.'  I immediately felt as though my thoughts just moments earlier were being confirmed and smiled broadly at this.  Instead of thanking him, however, I said "Whittling on me?" because I did not want to automatically assume that is what he meant.  He gestured to the bandages from the surgery last week and said "Yes, right there.  Whose been whittling on you?"  I thanked him for his concern and explained that a suspicious spot had been removed and that all was well.  He expressed his pleasure that all was well and we went on our respective ways.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I had not automatically thanked him for noticing the minuscule weight loss and maybe even sharing how hard it had been.  That would have been embarrassing for both of us!

Oh well, soon enough I'll have that NSV where someone will notice my slimmer figure.  One day, it will happen.

Monday Mileage

 I now have 856 miles in the bank for the year.  I'll get well in to the 900 mile range, if I don't get to 1000.  That's OK.  I know I have given this my best shot and I'll walk the remaining miles in 2013.

Sunday marked the end of the second four week phase of P90X.  As of this morning, I have lost 0.4 lbs.  Some of my more alert readers might remember that just last week I had posted a gain since October 1.  I lost 2 pounds last week.  Let me rephrase that.  I lost 2 pounds THANKSGIVING WEEK!  I'm really, really hoping that means I've turned the corner with this thing and the next 5 week session will bring some much anticipated results.  I have lost 5.25 inches over my entire body.  I'm sure the slow melt is the best.  I'm OK with that.  I just want to lose no matter how slowly.  I do not want to regain one ounce.

I am not getting too excited about the loss just yet.  I don't want to create an unrealistic expectation and be disappointed yet again.  I'm tired of being disappointed.  Besides that, I really can't tell in my clothes or in photographs just yet.  I had 65MD take pictures again last night.

They are in order from top to bottom.  The very top picture is the start picture.  The middle is after 4 weeks and the bottom is after 8.  I'm just seeing microscopic differences.  I debated about even posting them.  It seems a little pointless.

I will forge ahead still.  I will know soon enough if I've truly turned the corner or just had a fluke week.  Which by the way, was fabulous!  I'll refrain from gushing about what a great family I have.  I'm counting the weeks until we are all back together again.