Summer

OMG, it has been HOT here! The kind of hot that is barely relieved by AC. Or crawling under a damp rock in a cave. The whole town seems to have gone on a week long siesta - no one is out there. All the hot weather advice in the world pales in comparison to reality. Don't go outside. Or even move if you have to. This past week has been one big hot flash for me!

Last fall, our pool died a quiet, barely noticed death. One day there was less water in it than the day before. A trend that continued until there was less than an inch in there. We scratched out heads and wondered what had happened, as there was no noticeable cause. Then we pulled the stairs out and there it was - a gaping hole in the liner, worn through by the stairs. Not knowing anything about anything, we left it alone. We decided to pull the pool out and plant a garden instead.

But one day in late spring, my husband changed his mind. He began looking at liners and discovered that they really didn't cost too much. We could buy one and put it in and be back in business.

Except there's this other guy at work who just put in the same sort of pool. He's been trying to install his liner for OVER A MONTH. It's still not in, but he's hopeful that they'll be swimming by the fourth of July.

So I suggested that we see about hiring someone who knew what they were doing to install it. Hubby jumped at that suggestion and began making calls. He settled on a company, who ordered the right liner - and then we waited. It took forever for that liner to arrive, but when it did, those guys showed up on our doorstep and made short work of our pool. I took the boy to lunch and when we got back, the pool guys were gone and hoses were hanging over the sides of the pool putting water in.

They came back the next day to cut the holes for the filter equipment, hooked it up, took our money and left.

Now, I wasn't crazy about the pool for the last two years and rarely got in. But this year? I was in there right after the boy. We played and played and ran (it's only about top of the ribcage deep on me and I'm short) and swam and played "Catch the Dolphin" with a little motorized dolphin toy. It was great fun and cool to boot!

And it was great exercise.

We've had this pool for two years. Why did I never realize it's exercise potential? Because you can't swim laps in it? Because you can't dive into it? Or maybe it's because I'm just not a pool girl. But the heat of this particular summer has driven me to it and I have discovered that I like it!

I did go to the doctor last week. My BP was an astonishing 100/70. My skin is in remarkably good shape for a Florida-born-and-raised-person of a certain age. But I'm still too fat. All that illness and immobility has taken its toll on my figure. I'm still supposed to be taking it a little easy but the pool makes exercising so much easier!!! I can go and go and go all I want and never overheat or overstress my joints. It's perfect.

In addition to a low-carb diet, my doctor has recommended incorporating the Alli plan into my diet plan. It's an over the counter fat-blocker. Much lower concentration than Merida or Orlestat (prescription strength), blocking only about 25% of your fat intake. In order for it to be taken without rather dire "side effects", one must reduce fat intake to about 15% per meal. Otherwise you are subject to gas with oily discharge, sudden-urge bowel movements or more frequent bowel movements. There really are no other side effects - except losing weight. And you can avoid the unpleasant side effects by controlling your fat intake.

I haven't started it yet. I plan to start on Monday (they recommend you alter your diet a few days prior to starting Alli). I'll let you know how it goes.

Hot and Humid

Summer is upon us. Florida has finally, after over a decade of drought, reverted to the weather I knew here before... coolish mornings, rapid heating to a sweltering afternoon, relieved briefly by a rainshower, then muggy-ness until the sun goes down and the slight cooling of night.

It makes it hard to feel motivated about getting out there and sweating - losing a ton of water weight - but somehow, I don't mind it much.

My boy and I joined another friend with a dog last night and walked the neighborhood. It was hot and humid and we collapsed into lawn chairs with cold diet rootbeer when it was over, but it felt good to be out there and moving again.

I really must be feeling better now. My body is reminding me that it wants to DO - up and down stairs, walking the neighborhood, working in the garden... I think it missed our workouts as much as I did.

I'll be breaking out the bike shortly - I've missed that too.

In addition to this urge to move, I've discovered that I now have an intolerance for certain fast food. Taco Bell turned my stomach upside down a couple of days ago. I used to eat there all the time but I just can't do it anymore. McDonald's doesn't sit well either. I can't stand Burger King or anything it offers (other than Star Trek glasses). KFC is too greasy, Pizza Hut too salty... My choices for eating out seem to have turned to sushi and a local sandwich shop that makes its sandwiches right there in front of you (not the big chain one either, which has too many additives for me to eat comfortably). While it's inconvenient, it's a step in the right direction.

Now... if I can just stay healthy long enough to take advantage of these urges to do stuff!!!

Argh!

Bad cold has knocked me on my ass for a whole week. Cannot breathe. Sound like Lauren Bacall. Throat itchy and raw. Sinuses hurt, head hurts.

Damn.

I thought I had all this sick shit out of the way.

Guess not.

Sigh.

And again...

I'm feeling fine. Finally. And am ready to begin again.

I don't want to overdo. I do want to build up gradually so that I don't injure myself or backslide. Slow and steady wins the race.

Next week is the last week of school. My son has no plans for the summer. Camp is too expensive. So my husband and I will be doing the tag-team parenting thing. I get the boy in the mornings - when it's as cool as it gets around here.

We talked it over, the boy and I. He's a little on the chubby side now too. After the recent health scares, he's very interested in helping me get healthy. I want him to stay healthy. So he's decided to be my trainer. He also wants me to do the NutraSystem Diabetic diet, but I told him that wasn't necessary.

Our first little workout was this morning. 20 crunches. 5 push ups, 10 dirty dogs. Tomorrow, we will add five to each set. A gradual increase is the way to go for me. And for him. Too much soreness is discouraging. And makes it tempting to quit.

My bike has been fixed and we're going to ride the bike trail a couple of times a week. Again, building up.

And walking every evening. Building up.

By the end of the summer, we both should be in fairly good shape. Not perfect, but better than we were. Strong. Less heavy. Breathing easy.

Just in time to buy back to school clothes!

I wrote a post in Lauren's Comment section. Here it is.

I got on the scale this morning and it said 220.

220.

That's 10 pounds less than where I started a little over a year ago.

You're a bit ahead of me with your 100 pounds, but I think you and I suffer from the same malady.

No follow through. We're wonderful in fits and starts, but have a hard time keeping up the consistency that it takes to actually reach our weightloss goals.

I can blame my setbacks, but those sure haven't taken up a whole year's worth of my time. It's time to *pardon the expression* shit or get off the pot. All I've managed to grow is hemmroids in the past year *so to speak* and have lost a whole 10 lbs as a result.

It's time. I've set myself a goal so far outside myself that I will HAVE to follow through. And I'm going to be meeting that goal with someone else, so I have that added prod to move my butt off the couch and onto the street.

So what's it gonna be? Floundering around and whining? Or setting a goal, then doing what needs to be done to get there?

When I thought I had cancer, I decided to do whatever I needed to do to live. Whack off my breast if I needed to. Chemo if I needed to. I don't have cancer. But I realized that I need to apply the same sense of urgency to my weightloss journey. Because even if cancer doesn't kill me - this fat will. It will take longer and be more emotionally painful but eventually it will kill me. So I need to do what needs to be done to save my life longterm - just like I was prepared to do short term.

Heck. I just wrote a post in your comment section. I think I'll copy it and post it on my blog.

What will YOU do?

And I thought April was bad...

Let's just say that April wasn't a banner month for me. I got sick. I hurt my back. My car was wrecked. It wasn't a very good one for me. Surely May would be better?

No such luck.

Warning: If you don't want to read personal scary medical stuff, stop right here and come back another day.

On the morning of May 1st, I was sitting at my computer when I noticed my shirt was wet with little light brown spots. Right over my left nipple. The freakage level racheted up a bit when it wouldn't stop. I called in to work and told them I was going to the doctor and would check in later.

My own doctor was out of the office that day, so I went to a walk-in clinic and saw the doctor there. After lots of questions and examination, he agreed that something was going on - probably an infection, but he wanted me to schedule a mammogram and ultrasound examination to rule out breast cancer. I knew there was something not right going on there, but to have the C-word out there was terrifying. Still, I would do whatever needed to be done. In the meantime, he gave me prescriptions for two antibiotics to take care of the suspected infection and sent me on my way.

A week later, the leakage stopped and everything was feeling more normal - except my stomach which was a bit upset. This is not unusual for me and antibiotics, so I didn't think anything of it. I continued taking the pills until the 10 days were up (as prescribed). On the 11th day, my stomach suddenly rebelled. Extreme diarrhea, explosive vomiting, sweats. My temperature started downward, 95, 94.3, 93. I went to bed.

The next day, I couldn't get out of it without great effort. I dragged myself to the doctor who looked me over, asked some questions and told me that I had overdosed on antibiotics. As antibiotics are cumulative it would take a couple of days for the toxicity to go back down. My own body was doing a pretty good job of it with all the throwing up and such, but it would still be a rough couple of days. He couldn't understand why this other doctor had put me on TWO. (If anyone tries to prescribe two at a time, question it!!!)

I went back home and back to bed. And there I stayed. No dreams. No tossing and turning because it hurt so much. The stomach cramps were severe and painful. I couldn't eat. Couldn't drink but tiny sips of water.

Wednesday was when my mammogram and ultrasound were scheduled. I dragged myself from the bed again and got into the shower. When I realized I couldn't lift my arms, I also realized I couldn't drive myself to the appointment either. Darling Man came and took me. By then I was having a hard time staying conscious. I was freezing cold, felt like I was burning up, and was sweating like crazy. After the mammogram, I sat in the chair to wait and passed out. I woke briefly when a nurse put a heated sheet around me and realized that I was cold. She asked if I wanted some juice or crackers and brought me apple juice and cheese crackers. Never have I tasted anything as wonderful as the apple juice - but the crackers just wouldn't go down. I needed a wheel chair to get out. And back home, I collapsed into bed and didn't move again.

Until this morning. When I woke up and actually felt alert. And hungry. I finished the crackers on the bedside table and the sprite that was still there. I didn't want to push it, but I finally went downstairs and made myself some chicken noodle soup. I ate half the can and now I wait - to see if it stays, to see if I want more.

But I don't have to wait for my results. The mammogram and ultrasound were clear - no breast cancer.

SURELY June will be a better month...

Faux Fat

You know that phenomenon when you get sick and lose like 15 pounds in three days? And then as soon as you start feeling better, that 15 pounds magically reappears AND brings a friend or two along?

In the last month and a half of being laid up in one way or another, I have managed to put ON 15 pounds.

And secretly, I was hoping that once the pain went away and I was feeling pretty good again, they would magically disappear and take a few friends with them.

Alas, it was not to be...

At least now that I'm feeling better, I can do something about it the old fashioned way.

P.S. The mammogram is scheduled for Wednesday, with a follow up appointment with a general surgeon to be scheduled after we get the results. Things are feeling a bit more normal, so I did actually have an infection, but there are still some troubling symptoms hanging around that need to be checked out. I suppose that if there were a bright side to cancer it would be the appreciation of life and your body's ability to accomplish so much. On the downside, I hear the chemo-diet sucks. Keep your fingers crossed for good results so I can get back to living my life, losing my weight (the good way), and restart training for that marathon in a couple of years!