Motivation

Hi everybody!  Been remiss about posting.  I've been reading all the stories and they sure make me feel good.  I've managed to lose the halloween pounds just in time for Thanksgiving.  Been exercising like a fool to do it though.

Tomorrow I'll probably get all my exercise in pacing around worried since Carl (my guy) is going to be in surgery for 4 hours to repair the torn tendons in his shoulder.  At least we'll get it over and done and he can start the healing process.

Thank you all for being here and posting.  It helps to know that I'm not the only one who falls down occassionally -- that's the biggest help there is!

I'll post again soon.

Deanna, that makes three of us!!

Allie, Beemer is a cutie!! and glad you are safely back from crazyville aka Vegas, haha

Flower, praying for Carl tomorrow. Big hugs 

kmmd, happy you woke up rested!!

Meg, love your Autumn outlook!

this was a quickie driveby, hugs!! 

Gosh Joy it's always raining by you!!

I was happy I made it to the gym today--40 mins on elliptical--yay! Needed it badly after vegas. I had two margaritas and was laughing at how "happy" I was! Hee hee! haven't had a drink-drink in a long time...am only one glass of wine a week or so...

Am off to visit with the onc tomorrow--am annoyed that they didn't set up my blood tests even though I called last week to go over which ones I needed--argh. So will have to make a separate trip. But I can do my next mammo at the same time--wanted to put that off a few months after reading how much $%^& radiation we get from each one. (I'm going to ask about that with my onc tomorrow--that doesn't seem right.)

Good night all!  

Hi all, Still no news. I was with his mum yesterday and she is numb. I just wish he could be found, no matter what. I'm finding the whole situation draining so what must his family feel. I just can't stop thinking about him - such a waste of a lovely lad - when I think of the stupid youngsters who are pumping their bodies full of drugs and alcohol everyday I want to just slap them and tell them to cop on - life is so precious.

We've had 280% of our rainfall for nov in the past 10 days - it's really making the search so difficult - everywhere is flooded.  I had to go to the dr today to get my N1H1 jab and the roads were so bad - I was afraid I wouldn't make it home again.

Thanks for all your support.  I'll update you if I have anynews - please keep thinking of him and his family - your strength, prayers and supportive thoughts all help.

Ainm--Your presence with his mother I am sure is reassuring for her and the family.

Our fisherman's family at least got closure.

Walked the Dd twice today and then after dinner with friends walked on the waterfront boardwalk. It is beautiful tonight. Did see the pictures from Nags Head and that was bad. Start nights on Friday. See my onc on Friday afternoon before work. Have a great weekend.

So sorry Joy, I wasn't sure if the fisherman had been found alive or not.

Kari have a great time!

Ainm, just don't know what to say, my thoughts are still with the boys family.

Have a great day all! 

Joy, I, too, either misread or misunderstood your original post.  How tragic that the missing fisherman was not found alive, and sorry that I glanced over that without realizing what had happened.

Kari ~ So happy to hear that you are pain free today!  Have a great time in Cabo!  We'll be looking forward to some pix.

I've kept up my walking pretty well this week.  4.5 miles on Wed., and 2.1 yesterday (had to cut it short for an app't.).  I also had an eye-opener last night when I tried to dress for a cocktail party.  I knew my jeans have been getting loose, but you should have seen the 2 pair of slacks I tried on.  It was shocking (in a nice way).  I've dropped at least a full size in the waist and probably more in the hips/buns.  The baggy bottoms were a riot.

Then something very interesting happened at that party.  This was a large, fancy event -- several hundred people -- and as DH and I were standing eating a little food, a vibrant woman came up to us and introduced herself.  It turns out she's a Life Coach, a woman who is originally from Bosnia and had escaped during the war there.  Don't ask me how, but she had a message that could not have been a coincidence.  Without knowing anything about me, she told me that when we have had trauma in our lives, referring to her own trauma of living through war, it's very important to figure out how to use that experience for good, otherwise we will always continue to be victims.  OMG!   I was stunned -- that out of maybe 400+ people, she decides to stand next to me and deliver that message! 

Of course, the overriding thing on my mind is still your friend's son, Ainm.  As we were driving home last night, I was so distracted thinking about him and his family.  I can't imagine the pain they are in.    Deanna 

Allie - shadow wants that ball!! And that would be added to the dozen or so she already has. Only she peels them!

Bloodwork came back marginal. Moving forward each month.

Ainm still thinking of you and your friends. 

Off to work. Everyone have a great weekend. Got up this morning and went back to bed. Felt weird! Slept another 2 hours- feel better now and have to go to work. Cloudy but no rain. My driveway is a mud hole.

Flowerartist - hope Carl is feeling better and you can get your rest you need. Don't over do it.

Kari -  have a great time and post pics. 

Joy - I was thinking of your fisherman community member too and I am so sorry that it was not to be. Our boy is still missing - where do you go from here, it's 11 days now?  For the sake of my DD I'm trying to keep things 'normal'. The university was flooded (the whole city was flooded!) so she has been sent home for a week and it was her 20th birthday on Friday.  She thinks she will spend some time with her friends who were also the young fellas friends - I wish she would stay at home, but I think she needs to do this. She has resigned herself to the idea that he is gone forever but it is so sad.

But life must go on - I told her that the best thing she could do to remember her friend is to live her life to the best of her ability - she has that chance, he hasn't.

I will visit with his family again this week - I don't want to intrude on their grief too much but if I can help in anyway I will.

The weather is still dreadful - it's like nature is conspiring to keep us from finding him - too cruel.

I'm sorry for not thanking you all individually - you cannot imagine how much being ableto share this trouble with you has been - I felt that across all these miles you were all so supportive and your kind thoughts lent energy to all our endeavors here. I can honestly say that I got great strength from all your kind comments of support - I can assure you this young man is worth every second of it all and I appreciate your support so much.

I hope all your exercise plans are working out well - I have kept up my Wii Fit but my food plan has taken a bit of a hit - I was ever a comfort eater but I am still conscious of keeping the weight off and I hope that I will keep losing although progress may have slowed down somewhat.

Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh agus buíochas libh go léir.

Jess

I actually made a mistake in my Irish - I'm totally scattered at the moment.

Anyway it should read (I'll edit the original to correct it) : Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh agus buíochas libh go léir. - basically it means thank you all a thousand, thousand times and I am grateful to you all.

Still no news unfortunately. 

Ainm, thanks for letting us know.  My heart is breaking for the family that lost their last shred of hope.  Happy that they found closure, but so sorry for their grief.

So sorry to hear that Ainm.

What a tragedy, Ainm.  There's just nothing anyone can say.  It's so heartbreaking.  How is your daughter doing?

Sorry you have to work on Thanksgiving, Joy.  Hope you get paid triple time for it.

I'm still plugging away at walking.  A total of 21 miles last week; 4.6 yesterday and 2.4 this morning.  I've lost a solid 10 lbs. (in about 9 months, but I was small to begin with).

Yesterday afternoon I sat down over coffee with the Life Coach I'd mentioned meeting last week at a cocktail party.  We chatted about life after bc, and she had some interesting insights.  One of her ideas that I liked to help move beyond where I and some of us seem to be stuck now is to put all of the breat cancer papers and books we have setting around in a box; mark it "My Growing Experience" and stick it in a closet or the garage, to be given to someone who needs it in the future.  Of course, this is coming from the perspective that accidents and illness happen to us for a reason, and that we can grow from them if we understand what was going on in our lives that maybe needed change when they happened. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone.  I am truly so thankful for each and every one of you!   Deanna

Spring ~  Is your next surgery considered "Stage II" already?  I waited so long to do Stage II after rads, it seems amazing if that's what you're already doing.  If so, it truly is nothing compared to Stage I!  I know they kept telling me that, but Stage I was so rough, I figured Stage II might still be bad, but it wasn't at all.    Deanna

Yes, Deanna, stage 2 already. I am not sure if it will be as easy as some Stage 2;s. My abdominal incision is very high, so I want it lowered, so that will be doing that whole ab thing over again. Plus, there is some abdominal muscle repair I may get. I will only know how "bad" it will be once he sees me. But, i am truly hoping this is it. I really want to be DONE!!!