Post Chemo Spa & Shape Up

Hey guys.... I fell off the wagon yesterday with the SuperBowl.  Chips, dip and soda.  Gonna pick myself up and start again.  It could have been worse, I almost got the chunky monkey ice cream too.

Puppy -- you should be very proud.  Stopping smoking has to be one of the hardest things to do and you did it.  Keep up the good work.

Hello to everyone else.  I'm going to try to get started again.  Miz I still have the link to the spreadsheet and will try to get an account set up today.

Girls, girls, please....this ain't a wagon!!!!  I'm not telling anybody to stop drinking, in fact, I think drinking doesn't have to be all bad in moderation.  In fact, I love it too much to give it up forever...

BUT...I think DH & I developed some bad habits during my treatment because of all the anxiety and got to drinking on too many nights.  I'm always careful about staying under my limit, but I think my liver needs a break, and I need a break.

And...Puppy my dear--and Raye--the two of you have just accomplished such a wonderful thing with the way you've given up your cigarettes, I'm inspired, and I've decided I am going to try again, this time just to give up drinking for Lent.  I like the idea of going 40 days without taking in any drugs or intoxicants and purifying my system.  And I am hoping to drop a few pounds in the process.  Lent is an ideal time to do this for me..but please, don't be offended any of you...I'm not doing this to challenge your belief system, but only to strengthen mine.

I do feel that the reason I failed with my earlier resolution was that I was too stressed, so I am going to intentionally make this period a quiet, stress free time for myself, a time to reflect, and to improve my physical & spiritual health.  I do think it is hard to separate the two.  I am going to try to avoid processed foods, to drink more water, get at least an hour of exercise every day, work on strength training, and give up drinking at least temporarily.

Since chemo I really haven't gotten totally back on track.  Life is beckoning, but I physically don't seem to be as up for as I should be.  I can run for over a mile and bike for 15 miles, but I am having trouble just getting through a day.  I am still sleeping twelve hours a day and feeling tired!!!  I really want to get back to having more energy.

So, that's what I need to do and I feel so lucky to have all of you to help me with this.

Carol, it is so nice to see you.  I don't care much about sports but I was thrilled to see the underdog win on Sunday.

Mary...everything is going to look just fine I'm sure....what you have gone through!!!  Appreciate your references to the way aerobics can boost your immune system.  That'll help motivate!

Tina, tell us how that jump rope works.  

Jazz and Tina..when are you gals gonna make a commitment and log your stats.  I am going to log mine.  I am starting at 133 (ahhhh, 2 pounds more than I was this time last year!!!) Cathy,  you need to update too!

Casey, I don't go quite 1 1/2 miles on a treadmill, but almost!!!  Which makes me like I'm not totally hopeless and out of your league...but Raye, you are putting us all to shame!!! 

Allyson...how is class going?  Is it fun?  Nothing better to get you back into things!!!

Well Dottie is the only one who hasn't checked in for a while but we know she's busy with union activity.  I used to do that too...and that's impt!!!

Miz 

Wow Casey, I envy you the freedom you had for your walk abouts. I never could have done that - I was way too focused on my career. I wish I could have done that once or twice. I have been telling my husband that I want to go cross country with our kids one of these summers. I think that would be fun. I hope your stress goes away and doesn't hang around too long. Carol

good morning all-

Casey- not to worry- i hope I didn't make you feel like you had Spanish homework . Ignore it if it' too stressful versus fun. What I do (since my Spanish is not the greatest) is say what I can in Spanish and write rest in English. In other words, "Si yo hablo Spanglish!" I hear you re: the stress- I've overbooked today- going to go stand in the rain at the polls for 2 hours then get ready for my class tonight (which should take me most of this afternoon. Walkabout sounds like a great idea. Oddly enough my bc dx took me on a trip like that- rethought my life- changed jobs- changed other things- which brings me to- Mizzy- on the drinking- good goal. I have not had a drink since the day I got my full pathology report last year- have not looked back once. Benefits have included weight loss, $ savings, better sleep and just feel better overall. Also some social benefits like feeling more at ease visiting with our closest neighbors/friends who are Mormon. Always felt uncomfortable if they came by and I'd have a glass of wine (or 3). Now it's a non-issue. Mainly it's nice to know that I am doing my part in not ramping up the estrogen production. Have a good day all. Allyson

Good morning ladies!

I'm off to Nashville this morning with my DH.  The American Physical Therapy Assoc. is having it's annual national meeting.  I've never been to one and I have never been to Nashville so I am pretty excited.  My MIL has come to watch Gus.  I am a little afraid he will try and take advantage of her.

Carol,

I think you should take the kids and the hubbie on a cross country trip!  There are so many cool things out there. Yeah, I also made some choices based on my career that had I to do it all again.....

Jasmine,

It's never to late to go on an adventure. I was very fortunate because my career has almost always been in high demand and if I quit a job on Tuesday afternoon I knew I would have a job (albeit maybe not the ideal one) by Wednesday afternoon.

Tina,

I hope YOU are JUMPING away THOSE calories!

It is such an awsome form of exercise.

No, I haven't read "Walkabout".  Tell me more.

Allyson,

I can't immagine having to wait two hours at the poll.  I think it is a good sign.  Maybe people are a little more interested in this election then they have been in a while.  I didn't even realize that the Republicans were caucusing in WV yesterday, all 1200 of them.  WV is a tough place to be a Republican.      

I didn't feel like I had Spanish homework, my brain is just having trouble thinking in English at the moment

Have a great day.

Yeah, that once-in-a-while drink is a slippery slope, the "whiles" get shorter & shorter!!!  I was never much of a drinker all through college & graduate school, and then DH & I got into a wine mode...and that led to heavier stuff when the wine got too expensive (& too disgusting, I learned to hate American wine after a couple trips to Tuscany!!)

We had a little bit of a party last night, celebrating Fat Tuesday and the fact that I got into the show, which turned out to be a bit more competitive than I thought it would be. No one else I know, except a really wonderful sculptor, got in.  It was kind of funny too, because I had two artist friends who gave me different advice.  One of them wanted me to submit a 5-minute sketch of a male figure. The other one, who claimed to be more knowledgeable and who had years of experience with the show submitting works, was quite emphatic that my sketch was too skimpy to impress the jurors.  Well, you can guess what got in and who didn't!!!

But today is the first day of Lent and I am going to try to make it mean something this year...and really do it.  I am just going to have to find another way to relax the next time I have a stressful day and need to unwind. 

Wishing everybody a nice day!

Miz 

Good evening ladies, how is your weekend going?

I am through my first half week of Lent and everything is going fine.  I am keeping my resolutions.  My soul is getting purified, and I feel a little bit lighter each day.  Last night was Friday night and I went to Detroit and hung out with several sculptors who had been friends for over 30 years and it was like being in college again.  I DID NOT DRINK.  In fact, I was not even tempted.  Perhaps because my brain was functioning a little more clearly than normally, I actually didn't miss much in conversation, understood all the jokes and had a great time.  In fact, I got to giggling so much that people thought I was drunk...

The giggle juices flowed all the way home, in the car when it was getting gassed and beyond...I can't remember having so much fun since I was a freshman in college.

HOWEVER...as proud as I am of *not drinking* something else has happened which I don't understand fully, and that is that most of my clothes are too tight, especially my jeans.  I have probably been eating more to make up for not drinking, and even though it's been less than a week it's already showing.   But I will deal with this...start drinking again?.  One thing at a time...

Allyson, Raye, Puppy, Casey, Mary, Jazz, Carol, Cathy, Dottie, Tina..have a great weekend. 

More later,

Miz 

PS..Anybody know any single women in Detroit aged 45 to 55 ?  I know of quite a few very attractive, financially successful men in that age group who are *dying* to meet some nice women.  Anybody in their 30s willing to date a little older????? 

Here I am, sitting and looking out at the snow.  I just spent a couple of hourse shoveling yesterday's mess and here it goes again.  Well, it sure is good exercise.  I worked up such a sweat!

And, the jump rope has arrived!  Oh, this is too cool for school.  You plug in your height and weight and it counts your jumps and calculates calories burned.  Makes a clicking noise so it feels like a real jump rope and no tripping over the rope!  Oh, I'm lovin' it.

Okay, back to the fireside to settle in with my cat and do some knitting.  (Hey, I already got my workout!)

Tina

Jump rope URL

http://www.hammacher.com/publish/74619.asp?promo=QSearch

Tina

OH...it hasn't been that easy..there are nights when I am totally tired like last night & good for nothing & I just want a drink and forget about it all...I have to admit I broke the fast just a little last night... but there's this rule that Sundays don't count as fast days, so I broke mine a little early !!

But I'm back on the wagon today and am going to try to stay there until Easter!!! 

I was going to run today but we got some new snow that made the roads treacherous again, and it is so darn cold we can't even ski!!!  It was 5 degrees at eight this AM and the thermometer hasn't budged!

Casey- glad to hear the adventure went well. I like doing professional development stuff (not that I've done any this year). We've been insanely busy here too. Spent all day at Tuft's veterinary school (in MA) today with Wendy- she slipped a disk and had back surgery just a little while ago- did well. Hopefully she'll be home Thursday. Gus came along for the trip so as not to be at home alone wringing his paws.

Miz- you are far away but sounds like you've got the same weather- single digits this am and the wind is unbelievable. No way am I setting foot outdoors to exercise. It's Denise Austin or yoga/pilates videos until things warm up!

It's unbelievably cold here too. 11 degrees and so windy. It's just so unbelievable because it was 70 a couple of days ago! Of course, I know it's nothing compared to what you Midwest girls have out there. Casey - aside from the drive - sounds like a nice trip.

MizSissy - did you paint the picture on your avatar? I love it - you should post a bigger one.

I am going for a test today - retrograde pyelogram and cystoscopy. Hopefully it will give a clear picture of what is going on and a clear idea as to how to fix it. Send me some good vibes!

Allyson, Dottie, Mary, Tina, Jasmine Raye - have a great week everyone - stay warm. Carol

Hi Girls!

Raye- Friday wasn't THAT long ago!

Casey- Welcome back.  What are you using to learn Spanish?  We just decided to go to Mexico in May instead of Greece because of my stupid work schedule (we will make it to Europe in 2009, though!). So, now I need to learn Spanish in the next three months.  HELP!  All I know right now is the crucial tourist phrase, "Uno mas, por favor!"

Carol- good luck with your tests today.  You are in my thoughts.

Allyson-stay warm!  I worked out at home for years when my children were babies.  That's how I got hooked on lifting weights.

Puppy- way to go with the cigs.

MizS- I gave up my New Year's resolutions for Lent!

No, really I saw Juno which was great, and Atonement, which was great.  I've been trying to treasure every moment with the kids, but they make it hard sometimes.  They are in the "Mom, s/he's looking at me!" stage. I made it to yoga last week and on Monday this week. So, I'm doing pretty well resolution-wise. I ran a whole 5k on Sunday.  I had to walk for about 100 yards at the halfway point because I was gasping for breath, but I am going back out today, and I am determined NOT to walk any of it. 

We are under a tornado watch here.  Not much chance of snow.

Best wishes to you all. 

Mary

Good afternoon girls...from a very snowy & cold environment.  Some winter we're having here...I had a feeling it would be a real winter, but this business of being snowed in so much is something I wasn't prepared for.

I have a secret:  I love winter!!!!  I love to ski, I love the beauty of it, I love not having to worry about yard work, I love cuddly evenings by the fire, and I love not getting so many hot flashes and have cool sheets to stretch into at night.  I just don't like so much darkness, but the days are getting longer.

Mary, well at least your "observing" Lent in some way.

Carol, the picture was a painting that my art instructor did of me as a class demo on Block Island a few years ago...here it is full size:

Glad you enjoyed Atonement, Mary.  

We have seen some really awful movies from Netflix lately.  Saw "Man on Fire" last night....I think the moral message of that movie was "Violence is the Best and Fastest Form of Justice," or "The Ends Always Justify the Means"....it was hideous!!!

I need to go back and make a list of some of the recommendations here.

I did recently see a film called "High Art" which is supposed to autobiographical of Nan Goldin, a photographer who had many friends who died of Aids.  I am not into lesbian films per se, but this one was very sensitively done and I think I was so influenced by Nan Goldin's approach to photography that it is going to affect my approach to art. 

Hi all,

MizSissy - I love that watercolor.  It's gorgeous  - thanks for sharing it. Interesting photos too. I haven't been to the movies in ages.  i would love to see Juno and Atonement too.  those are the two movies that seem to be getting the best reviews.

I went for my procedure today and, unfortunately, I have to have abdominal surgery to reimplant my ureter into my bladder.  Hopefully it will take place sometime in the next few weeks.  I am sick of dragging this bag around.  I would just like to get it done before spring.

Allyson, Glad to hear your dog is on the mend. Raye and Mary - I am impressed with your workouts!  Keep it up. Terrible weather here - took me 2 1/2 hours to get home from the hospital  - the roads are awful and people drive like idiots!