HL/WWSG - Week of Mar 12th

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greetings all, visitor and regular alike! This past week was a fun one for many of our regulars and we’ve established/reestablished our discussions. Weather issues have moved back to the forefront as Spring (or at least the vernal equinox) approaches. We’ve seen some much needed precipitation in the southwest and some much unneeded winter weather in the upper Midwest. I guess we really aren’t done with winter just yet. I hope that those who read our words and gather “at the screen” will find a place of sanity in a soon to be insane season - but I digress so without further ado here are some things that stand out over the past weeks:

I’m still fooling around with the format of the opening salvo - I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done recently but I’m still trying to “make it better” (if you can really do something that is this free-form better). Last week continued to be a better week for most which is a great thing after our not so good weeks. Nice to have another stable week for a change.

People issues: We had a new member - Leigh trying to get back to a more healthy life and get her kids more healthy. Laura K reported that DH was doing better finally (he had the yuck for a couple days) and it was nice to hear from her. She also mentioned that FIL was doing ok post surgery. Lisa got to see Bon Jovi this past week and had a great time! Nettie (generic) checked in with a “frustrating mom” story that finally resolved itself and she’s still waiting for results from her MRI. I had a relaxing day with my father (always good) and spent time in reflection (something I’m doing a lot these days). Lastly, Karen’s family is still doing the walking before school and DD is swimming again.
Medical issues still abound with Lisa through two chemo weeks and a week off. I had no real medical issues for the week except stump the doctor and scheduling more blood work (fasting blood test tomorrow morning). In the grand scheme of things this has been a great medical week for me and Karen - good to have healthy ones around once in a while.
We see family life across the thread is still plugging along and helping whenever and wherever it can. Leigh is working on her kids to get them more healthy and active and she got a lot of good hints from the board. Karen’s kids are wrapping up their fitness time at school and keeping busy with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Tae Kwon Do.
Things we’re kind of looking forward to: I top will be working on my “dolphin” award at the Shamrock Marathon this year (running an 8k this coming Saturday and a half-marathon on the following day - am I crazy).
We’ve been trying to live healthfully and maintain workouts and healthy eating and sleeping regimen and for the most part are doing a good job - keep it up folks we’re doing great!

I’ll skip my workout routine because it really doesn’t change from week to week. But that’s ok because it’s nice to have a rut that will provide some stability in my life. Something to top off the psychological stuff I’m doing for my ordination process. Oy Vey! You’ve got to read last week’s exchange about psych testing and dreams. :rolleyes:

Healthful living - I’ve got to work on some healthful living things - most of which deal with a little residual pain from yesterday’s run and sleep habits. Nothing I can’t fix but still not a lot of fun.

I guess that should do it for now - time to cook dinner and get started with the rest of my evening. So until later, greetings to any new comers and lurkers out there. I hope all our regulars are doing well and that I haven’t excluded or slighted anyone. Until this evening friends and visitors

Peace,
Les

[leightx]

Hello all!

Les - I love your intros! And an 8k followed up by a half-marathon? Yes - you're crazy! :D ;)

I haven't done any "official" exercise, but spent about 2.5 hours in the garden on Saturday, and another hour today. We cleared out our vegetable beds, weeded, trimmed, etc. Today we planted tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. It's been in the high 80's all weekend, so I think it's safe to say we're past our last freeze this year. Honestly, I wouldn't be devestated if the temps dropped again (but the veggies might think otherwise)...

If all goes well today with kids / dinner / DH, I do plan on run-walking on the treadmill for a bit. Yesterday was a planned rest day, but today I really need to get something in.

I'm going to Portland next week for work and am excited about sight-seeing, but a little nervous about continuing with the healthy habits I've been working on lately. Traveling seems to throw me off - I love to eat out, but I know I can be making better choices. I don't have to have dessert with each dinner, for example. :p I also plan on exercising, which will mean squeezing in even more clothes and shoes into my suitcase - yikes!!

I've been telling people all weekend that I'm doing the triathlon, and I'm officially registered now, so there's no backing out now! Or at least, not without a lot of embarassment and loss of money! :o The search for a bike still goes on - I have my SIL's $30 garage sale 10 speed, but it's really uncomfortable. I may be just sucking it up and getting a new one soon. All of this looking is taking up time I could be working from home (and since I'm paid hourly...I might as well be working to pay for a bike at this point!).

And speaking of work - this week is Spring Break, AND I have a lot of work to do for my upcoming trip, so it will be kind of crazy! Hoping to squeeze in workouts whenever I can (and that might include walks with the kids and dogs).

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Leigh

[karen w]

Good evening everyone,

Les-Thanks for getting us started in your usual eloquent manner. I'm with you on the "ruts"....er....uhm...routines!! I'm all for them! And I like mine, thank you very much! :D That's what helps keep me sane and keep the cogs on the machine well greased and running, if you know what I mean! Glad you had a good visit with Dad, and some good "reflecting" time this past weekend. And I must agree with Leigh, the Shamrock race followed by a half-marathon. UGH! :eek:

Leigh-Wow, you guys have an early spring break. Ours is not until late April. DH has planted many things for our garden as well, but not outside, yet. Way too cold!! We have a heated greenhouse, so he starts many things from seed in March. The peppers and eggplants have already officially sprouted! :) We often can't get those into the ground until mid to late May depending upon how our Spring pans out. Last year we had a very cold spring, and alot of stuff did not do well whereas the year before was great. This year we are cutting back on some stuff and doing alot more tomatoes. Enjoy your travels and sightseeing this week, and good luck with the healthy living on the road.

Our weekend was busy, but good. DH worked, but it was not too busy for him at the hospital. He did manage to take the boys to Tae Kwon Do yesterday. Then we did a switcheroo and I took DD to swimming and DS#1 to his party. DD did great. She is still timid about the diving board, but she did willingly jump off the raised platform into the deep end with lots of gusto. So we are making progress. Baby steps!! Today the kids had the Purim carnival after religious school. We stayed for an hour. I bought 10 dollars worth of tickets, divided them evenly among them, and shooed them off to play games, collect their prizes, and then call it a day! They enjoyed themselves. Since it was a colder, dreary, rainy day, we came home and I baked cookies while the kids watched TV and played with their new "loot." Of course, DS#1 is not on the "A" list tonight since after dinner was when I found out he needed to do some work on a project for school that is due tomorrow! :mad: So typical! He's done, now...but...it better not happen again(I know it will, though! :( ).

Tomorrow DH is off. I will swim and I will also be able to box as DD's teacher sent me a note on Friday telling me they do not need writer's workshop parents on Monday so I'm off the hook. I also must remember to get my passport photo this week(gotta renew the thing before it expires!).

Hope everyone else enjoyed a nice weekend. Looking forward to a good week,

Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

OOOH I knew I forgot to put something in the opening post - Karen and celebrating Purim. And we even had the discussion last week about the who and what of Purim (they almost wiped us out but we prevailed so let's eat). I hope your kids had a good celebration today and the rest of the week is good and goes as planned.

I know I didn't post back on the going to Portland thread leigh but the rest of the gang hit a lot of th good places to eat in town. Beiing somewhat partial to the Willamette Valley I'd recommend a side trip south into Oregon Wine Country. Of course the gorge is beautiful and scenic - especially this time of year. I'd almost recommend buying a bike considering what you have to work with right now.

Well, I just caught myself asleep at the keyboard and my day starts with a fun test - a fasting blood test. I stopped eating (after slugging down my daily requirements for food and caloric intake abuot 3 hours ago and have to go until the morning. Not that the fasting bothers me but I'm not doing well with sleep to top the prep off so I'll go to bed now.

See you tomorrow.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-Isn't it funny how if we know we have to fast, we feel so hungry even though we normally go through the night without eating and are just fine. Says alot for what funny(or not so funny) games the mind plays on us. :( I'm sure the test is over by now, but I hope all went well.

DH and I stayed up late last night watching a movie, so I went to bed with a tummy full of popcorn and it took awhile to fall asleep. However, sometimes some of my best swims occur the night after just a few hours of sleep which was the case this morning. And the pool was not too packed, either. Kickboxing class was pretty decent, too. I accomplished the grocery shopping this afternoon, however, I am not too inspired about meals lately. I did alot of baking over the weekend(froze some), but as for dinner plans this week....aside for the leftovers in the fridge, I have no inspiration. This happens to me every time the seasons change! Huh!? :confused: This too shall pass........eventually! :rolleyes:

Tomorrow's plans:swim, walking club if the boys want me to join them, kicking, and if up to it, BBC. And for the kids, ballet for DD.

Have a good night,

Karen

[lisalee]

Les, I hope the blood work came back with good results too. Is it based on the results from the previous tests? I understand the sleeping problem all too well!

Karen, what movie did you and DH watch? Glad to hear the swim went well. I understand also about being uninspired about dinner, I'm having major issues along those lines (more farther done) I'm sure whatever you put on the table will be good! Glad the kids had a good time at the carnival. Aren't you all done for now with holidays?

Today was the first day of the chemo cycle, in effect we started all over again. I thought we were going to be there forever because I had to see the PA before I could get the ok for chemo. She didn't even know I was suppose to see her so I had to wait for a while. :rolleyes: I found out that others were also complaining about not getting reminder phone calls for visits and that there is a new person at the front desk. To be fair she needs to be cut some slack because she is brand new to the job and it does take a while to get use to it. I was very disappointed because I've lost 9 pounds! :( Food just isn't interesting and I will make something for dinner but by the time I get done cooking it I no longer feel like eating it. So they suggested Pedylite (spelling) and wrote a prescription for an appetite enhancer. I have to figure out how to eat more or I will have to have a feeding tube or something equally unpleasant. Now today I was hungry so ate a pancake and half for breakfast, a banana, and someone gave me half a sandwich and I ate a little coleslaw. I just need to eat!! They did say I could start walking around when my hip started to feel better and we talked about decreasing my pain medications because for the most part I only take them at night. I did have to take two tylenol 3 at the office today because the hip was not happy, but right now it feels pretty good.

So for the first time since before September I can actually have an exercise goal. Yeah! My goal is to be able to get out and walk 2 days a week as far up and back on my block I can go.

The other goal is to keep up my hydration and to increase my food intake. I'm willing to try any ideas although I have tried various things. But give it your best shot.

I have to go back tomorrow, wednesday and thursday, two days for white cells shots and one for blood count and to check on my hydration level. I was agruing it a little because I don't have a set ride after Mondays, because my brother works and this week I will have spent an $100.00 in co-pays for that doctor alone. And then there is the cost of the prescriptions. Yes, I know I need these things, but I am the one that has to worry about the money situation. I look at the total picture. Anyway I have realized after coming home that I have to accept their decisions and do what they ask because after all they know more than I do about what is needed. No matter what I think I am NOT the expert in the field! So a lesson learned today.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great rest of the week.

Lisa

[Leslie Ferguson]

I stopped eating (after slugging down my daily requirements for food and caloric intake abuot 3 hours ago and have to go until the morning. Not that the fasting bothers me but I'm not doing well with sleep to top the prep off so I'll go to bed now.
HUH???? :confused: I'm not sure what I wrote there. I was obviously asleep at the keyboard. Weird how that post ended up - seemed pretty lucid to me last night - ah, the beauty of sleep deprivation or a serious case of the nods. But I'll wait a little to talk to a couple of the comments.

Karen - It really is weird how our body plays tricks on us when we can't do our normal thing. It was a little unnerving last night but I got over it. An uninspired cook - especially with three kids and a DH, not a good thing. I hope you find some inspiration. I'm always amazed how I rebound from lack of sleep to do well on a run/swim/race. I hope your swim is peaceful for you and the rest of your day unwraps as you expect/plan.
Lisa - The blood tests are follow up for my liver ultrasound. The doctor told me the live was "bright" in the ultrasound so they have to check for iron and a couple other things to determine if I have fatty liver (which they don't expect because I don't have any of the other symptoms/conditions that would lead to fatty liver like diabetes, obesity, or drinking problems). They drew three vials of blood today and I'll make an appointment to get the results of the blood work and the plan of attack for both the liver function and the intestinal issues.
So for the first time since before September I can actually have an exercise goal. Yeah! My goal is to be able to get out and walk 2 days a week as far up and back on my block I can go... The other goal is to keep up my hydration and to increase my food intake. I'm willing to try any ideas although I have tried various things. But give it your best shot... I have to go back tomorrow, wednesday and thursday, two days for white cells shots and one for blood count and to check on my hydration level. I was agruing it a little because I don't have a set ride after Mondays, because my brother works and this week I will have spent an $100.00 in co-pays for that doctor alone. And then there is the cost of the prescriptions. Yes, I know I need these things, but I am the one that has to worry about the money situation. I look at the total picture. Anyway I have realized after coming home that I have to accept their decisions and do what they ask because after all they know more than I do about what is needed. No matter what I think I am NOT the expert in the field! So a lesson learned today.
There's a bit of good news there - cleared to do a little walking which is great news! I'll be a little "motherly" (I'd say fatherly but it just doesn't have the same ring) and tell you to not do too much. The last thing you need is to whack your system and get set back completely. Sorry to hear about losing weight and I wish I had advice but not having been in a situation where I didn't want to eat I can't be of help. It may be good to make things ahead that you would typically like and keep them in the freezer. Also, how are you with eggs? I know when I'm not very hungry or I don't have a flavor in my mouth that eggs with "junk" (chopped shicken, thawed and heated frozen veggies, cheese, etc.) generally hit the spot and they only take as long as it takes to nuke the frozen veggies and make the eggs (of course I use already cooked chicken so that only has to be heated through). YIKES about the co-payments, wish there was something we could do to help. Might you be able to get a lift to the hospital from one of your teaching friends? What about the local cancer support groups (I would assume there is at least one in your area). SIGH - such a hard time for you. Prayers for assitance you need to get through these next couple weeks.

I had a weird day - blood test this morning, short day at work because I had to go and get my new hearing aid shaved (one of them doesn't fit), bought new shoes (a rerun of my current model), ran a little to loosen up a little but not too hard so I have energy for Saturday's race (the one I'm racing) and it felt good - new shoes are amazing. :cool: Went to dinner with my coach for sushi - we haven't had much time together going the same direction so it was good to sit and chat and discuss stuff. We also planned our weekend at the races.

But for now I'll end without getting to my condition last night. What was that stuff I wrote? :confused: I hope everyone has a great Tuesday and I'll be in touch.

Peace,
Les

[leightx]

Les - I'm cracking up at your discombobulated state last night - I just thought you were speaking in code. ;) Yay on the new shoes - I need to get some as well. This healthy living stuff is costing me a fortune! ;)

Lisa - sorry to hear about you losing weight. What about Ensure or something along those lines? That would help with hydration as well. Protein shakes / smoothies? Homemade cookies always do it for me! ;) A feeding tube sounds terribly unpleasant - hopefully you'll feel like eating again soon!! :( Yay on the walking though, but keep that hip feeling happy...

Karen - we're hoping to have tomatoes by late may. Of course, you can rub it in when it's blazing hot in July and August, and we have to pull the plants out :eek:

I'm pooped, so this will be a short update. Went for a 2.5 mile walk with the kids and both dogs (both are still pulling a bit - my lats got a workout at least!) I tried to swim in the neighborhood pool but it was closed :( so I had to drive to the gym instead. I swam 350 yards - boy, is this going to get any easier?? I'm still having to rest a minute or more every 25 yards. We're off to the rodeo with the kids tomorrow. Have a great Tuesday everyone! :)

Leigh

[karen w]

Hi guys,

Crazy, hectic day here, today, but more about that later(maybe??). I had a great swim in my own lane today!! YEAH!!! Getting the kids off to school was when the craziness began. DD and I both had "callings" from mother nature shortly before it was time to leave the house. Fortunately we both "took care of business" with seconds to spare! :o DS#1 was in panic mode as he finally realized that with one day left to do his project(due tomorrow) that maybe mommy and daddy were right when we tried to tell him the work he has done on the project was "not up to par." DH and I have helped him "revamp" things tonight, but he is going to be up re-writing past his bedtime tonight. I just hope he learns a lesson from this one! :( Anyway, I went to walking club with the boys, kickboxing, and BBC so it turned out to be a busy morning. In the afternoon, I layed low and hung out at home to prepare dinner and relax. Tonight DD had ballet.

Les-Congratulations on the new scooters! Enjoy them(I know you will).

Leigh-Yeah on the swimming. I did not start off swimming 1 1/2 miles every morning without rests in the beginning either. It takes time. Be patient! Enjoy the rodeo!

Lisa-Sorry about the weight and all those nasty co-pays. You do what you have to do, though. My dad also had no appetite after his heart surgery. They also threatened to put a feeding tube down. That threat and an appetite stimulant did the trick for him. I hope something works for you. I'm with Les...try making things that you can prepare quickly like eggs, supplement drinks, PB and J sandwiches or other calorie/nutrient dense foods. Good luck. I'll keep up the prayers.

Tomorrow I will box in addition to swimming. If I feel up to it, I may stay for BBC. I'll decide during class.

Have a good night,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

I call that a double workout Leigh walking the dogs will get you an upper body workout and a cardio workout too. From where I sit right now, I wouldn't be too concerned about only swimming 25 yards at a time with ~1 minute break in between. I've seen beginning swimmers at the Y doing the same thing, and I'd guess they had been in the pool and done laps more than a couple times. Your total distance and stamina will increase over time. 350 yards right now is fine. I know scoots are expensive but figure it this way, a good pair of shoes should last you at least 4-6 months (depending on your mileage per week). In my experience my shoes last between 300 and 400 miles (as long as I haven't purchased "soft" shoes with a smooth ride). In general I tell the folks who are just starting out running that they'll get about 20 weeks out of their shoes if they run ~20 miles a week (5x4 mile runs a week). So when you look at it that way shoes aren't that big a burden over time. I don't envy you with the upcoming summer since it's so hot down there anyway. I have a feeling this summer will be hot and humid here in Norfolk (not any fun at all).
Karen - Ah - DS#1 waiting for the last moment... sounds familiar from my family too. ;) Hopefully DS#1 works his way out of the habit sooner than my brother did. Uh oh about this morning and nature calling. At least Kathy and I don't normally have those issues simultaneously but every once in a while it is nice to have two bathrooms in the house. sorry - TMI Did DD have fun at ballet? Isn't DS#2 doing dance too? How was Purim (it was today - the 14th wasn't it)? After last weeks discussion I'll never look at Purim the same way again.
Lisa - I had a couple other thoughts for quick/prepare ahead food that was always a comfort for me - pancakes and waffles. I know they are more expensive but you can either buy pre-made ones or make your own ahead and freeze them (they'll last quite a while). Then slather them with honey butter (a favorite from my youth and my grandmother) or peanut butter or Nuttela (SP?). If those aren't things you like then chop up fruit and nuts and go to town.

I hope that generic/nettie is out there and doing well. I know she doesn't write often but checks up on us most days. I hope there were some results from her MRI and a roadmap coming forth soon.

Well, winter is on its way back. It was nearly 85 yesterday, topped out in the middle 60s today and should be in the middle 50s by Friday and 40s by the weekend (not all that bad because of the races this weekend). I'm tapering down a little in my running and I only did about 42 minutes of running tonight. If everything goes as planned I'll run about the same distance/time tomorrow and then rest until I race on Saturday. It was good to give my hooves a rest (a little). Hopefully with the temperature drop I'll have a decent nights sleep tonight. It was terribly humid last night and way too warm to keep the windows closed.

Prayers for peaceful sleep and healthful days tomorrow. Take care friends and peace,

Les

[leightx]

Karen - I was (am) the WORST procrastinator, so I can totally relate. In fact, I find it really hard to get motivated until the last possible minute, and then I kick myself for staying up all night. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now, since this started in high school, but sadly enough, I haven't changed!! :o

Les - thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll go check out the running store next week - we have a great one in town (Run-Tex).

I managed to squeak out about 40 minutes on the treadmill tonight - later than I would have liked, but I had work to finish up before my trip tomorrow, and also wanted to spend time with the kids. We went to the rodeo this morning - I forgot to put sunscreen on my chest (v-neck t-shirt) and got SUNBURNED - yikes!! It's not too bad - I just feel silly (remembered the sunscreen everywhere else, luckily). The kids had a blast riding the carnival rides and watching Whiplash, the cowboy monkey (who rides a cattle dog and herds sheep :D ). We never really see any of the real rodeo events - we're just there for the rides. Oh, and usually for the food - although I brought my own this year (since something-on-a-stick-deep-fried doesn't really fit into my new approach to eating).

I'm off to Portland tomorrow, and will be taking my running shoes. Hopefully the gym is halfway decent and I can hop on a bike - I know there's no pool, so I'm glad I got at least one swim in this week. I might have spotty access at the hotel, but if I can get wireless, I'll post some updates from lovely Oregon! If not, I'll be back late Sunday night (and Les - have a speedy racing weekend if I don't post here before you go to the Shamrock!).

Take care everyone,
Leigh

[lisalee]

Just a quick check-in tonight. I really am not feeling too well today most probably from the chemo. I was sick this morning that seemed to actually help this morning and just feel blah now. Off to find something to eat or drink and then back into my "bed" the reclining chair.

My two pieces of good news is that my sister told me last night she is coming out to see me next weekend or perhaps the one after that. It will be nice to see her! And my niece emailed me the other day and said she is planning on coming out in either May or June. I haven't seen her in years so that will be very nice too. :)

Hope everyone had a nice Wednesday.

Lisa

[karen w]

Les-Winter is back here, too. Blustery and cold today. Yes, DD as always enjoyed her ballet class. And no, DS#2 is not taking a dance class of any kind. He wanted to do gymnastics, but we have not been able to find one for boys that I can get him to with our hectic schedule. The only one available in our area is too far out of the way and not at a time I could even fit into the grand scheme of things. :( Purim will be officially over(in my book) when the last three hamantaschen are polished off! ;)

Leigh-Enjoy your travels!

Lisa-{{{{Feel better}}}}. I'm glad you have some nice visits to look forward to soon.

Another busy day here. A good swim this morning, but in all the hub-bub last night with DS#1's project, I forgot that he had band this morning and never called the neighbor who was supposed to drive today. I tried calling this morning, but she must have been in the shower or something. Anyway, I ended up driving him. Of course that meant we missed DD's bus, so I had to drop her at school. By then, we were cutting it very close for DS#2's bus. Well, I made it back home with about 1-2 min. to spare for his bus(fortunately it has been running later recently). Kickboxing class was good this morning, but nobody stayed for BBC(so I did not either). DS#1 had religion tonight. When he got home he showed us his grade from his project. It seems the "all nighter" paid off(as well as alot of help from mommy and daddy :rolleyes: ). He got 100%.....but....if it ever happen again....errrrrrrr! :mad:

Tomorrow I will swim +/- box. After breakfast, DH and I are going to DS#1's class before school. The teacher is having an open house to display the kids projects.

Have a good night,
Karen

[Leslie Ferguson]

Leigh - Although you won't get this until you're in Portland (at best) I hope you have a great trip and the snow and rain leave you alone for a while. If you're into it there's a nice trail that goes along both sides of the Willamette River that's a lot of fun to run on. The West side of the river is nicer but there's a good trail on both sides. My only issue when I run in Portland is getting across the river because a couple of the bridges are a little slippery (expanded metal/steel grating) but still it's worth it to "cross over" and run in downtown. Enjoy all the neat natural food (and there's lots of it in NE Portland).

Lisa - I'm with Karen, I hope you feel better. That's great news about your sister and niece. It'll be good to have a couple visitors to take care of things or at least to share a little time with. I hope you feel better in the morning and that you slept well in your chair.

Karen - Good and bad news for DS#1 - the grade is great but that's a bad precedent (should only get a C for an all nighter). What a flap this morning with the busses and delivery to schools. Maybe tomorrow will be a little more sane for you. Have a good swim and boxing session. That's the spirit about Purim - never too good to cut a good holiday short in my book. I love listening to Christmas music all the way until mid-January most of the time (of course I don't like to start listening to it until mid-December so... I'm a little of an outcast around these places).

Iforgot to mention that Dad ended up with pneumonia - not just your run of the mill cold. His doctor told him that he needed to stay home until it was better or he (the doctor) would have to put him in the hospital. Dad's a pretty good patient these days so I bet he'll stay home. He wrote earlier that he was feeling better except for pain in his diaphragm from all the coughing. And did I have a terrible night last night. And I can't blame it on the temperature this time because it was much cooler. But I couldn't fall asleep, tossed and turned all night, awoke with a pain in my rib cage (costacondritis again I'm betting :( ). I'll say it's a lot of stress right now: 1) two races this weekend, 2) work is floundering (more later), 3) 4 - 6 1/2 hours of psychological testing and evaluation in a couple weeks (the 27th), 4) a bridge installation on Monday (for the tooth extraction from last Apr), 5) Dad coming down with pneumonia, :( 6) sore ankle from too much running in dead shoes. I think you get the picture. I took (at LW's recommendation and "plea") a rest day today. I'll probably not run between now and Saturday which is just fine by me. Maybe the long break will get my ankle back into running shape. Ice, tylenol, and rest are prime for the next couple days.

Wish I had a run report but... discretion is the better part of valor. Now to wrap up and beat the light to bed (it goes out at 11:55). It'll be close but I think I can make it.

I'm making a plea to mother nature to figure out what she's going to do with the weather, especially for the weekend.

Take care friends and sleep calls...

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Les-I think you need a hug, too {{{{Les}}}}. You certainly do have alot on your plate right now to distract you. LW is a smart woman. Hey, now that is certainly redundant. . ."smart" and "woman"!!!! :D Resting was a very wise idea. I hope your races do go well this weekend, and I'll put in a few good thoughts/prayers for a speedy recovery for your dad.

Another very busy day here. I started off a bit groggy as my alarm jolted me out of a dream, but my swim turned out quite nice. After breakfast, DH and I got DD on her bus and then went off with the boys to their school for DS#1's Arctic project open house. The teacher had all of their artwork and papers on display for the parents to see. And to be fair, Les, DS#1 did have the project done on time, and he thought he had done a good job. DH and I were the ones who recommended he include more information. He just did not seem to have enough facts in the paper to clearly describe his "animal" and "object" to someone who knew nothing. That is why he was up late Tuesday rewriting his paper. Anyway, after the open house I went for milk and veggies;DH headed home and then off to work. I went to kickboxing later in the morning(good class, too) and conquered Costco as well as DS#1's orthodontist appt. in the afternoon. I'm drooping now, and the kids were bickering over who gets to go in the fort they built up in their playroom. I had a talk earlier with them about getting along with each other, compromising etc... But after listening to another 15 min. of bickering, I decided it was time for everyone to go quietly read in their bedrooms until lights out!! ;)

Tomorrow I am planning to swim and I think I am going to take a break from boxing so I'll hop on the bike. I also want to pick up a few things at TJ's for the weekend(leftovers are cleaned out of the fridge :( so I have to come up with some inspiration for meals next week). And regarding the weekend, nothing too big. Tae Kwon Do for the boys, swimming for DD, religion for all on Sunday, a b-day party for DD. I think that about covers it.

See you tomorrow....Happy St. Patty's day in advance. No corned beef and cabbage here, but I did get a head of cabbage to make a big pot of Russian sweet and sour cabbage borscht(mmmm, I love that stuff :) ).

Good night,
Karen

[lisalee]

Les, I'm sorry that so many things seem to be happening to you all at once! I hope a virtual hug from both Karen and myself will help. Here's mine (((Les))).
I'm glad to hear that your father seems to be doing better and will send up good thoughts that it continues. Your pain doesn't sound like much fun either, so I hope it is improving. Good for you for heeding Kathy's advice and plea to take it easy until Saturday! When you are ready to share about work, you know we will listen.

Karen, quiet reading time always sounds like a good idea to me!! ;) Do your kids react to changes in weather like bickering more when a storm is coming? We always use to say that our studens acted just a little bit crazier after a full moon. Have a great swim tomorrow followed by your bike ride. It's too bad that choir doesn't fit into the transportation schedule for one of the boys. But maybe next year.

Nettie, I hope things are going well for you. I think of you often.

Leigh, hope the trip in Portland is successful and productive. And that you get some kind of exercise in. Hi to the others we haven't heard from in a while.

Well, today again I didn't feel good. A little dry heaving this morning to try to clear my stomach of something (not sure what since there wasn't anything there) I'm glad that we went to the dr.'s. They gave me fluids plus IV drugs for my stomach. I felt better. I need to be drinking lots more water (hard to believe that I'm not!!) :confused: and I still need to eat. I'm finding for the last couple of days I've been nibbling on food up until early evening. Because of the concern with the kidney, the dr's office set up for home health to come set up hydration for me for the three days following chemo. They are also suppose to draw labs when asked to. Tonight home health tells me they are only coming once a week and I have to learn how to hook myself up for hydration and learn how to mix the drugs as needed. I am not happy about this at all. If I wanted to learn how to do all of this, I would have gone to school to learn to be a nurse. :mad: And there is no way I'm drawing any blood for labs. I believe I will have them come several times to walk me through the procedures because I am very concerned about clotting off the port cather and already told the person that if that happened becasue I did it instead of the nurse, I would be making very loud noises to everyone. So the nurse is suppose to come sometime tomorrow, and tomorrow I am calling the dr.'s office to have this explained all over again to me. It's not a matter of my not being able to learn how to do this, it just seems to me that should be their job not mine. Could you tell there was a rant there? anyway we will see what happens tomorrow.

That's it for today. I'm off to force more water down and to eat a pedilyte popsickle or too.

Have a great Friday.

Lisa

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks ladies -- I needed that. I agree too, a smart woman is redundant. (I admit it, especially when it comes to Kathy). I'm feeling better but that will wait 'til the end of the post.

Les... I'm glad to hear that your father seems to be doing better and will send up good thoughts that it continues. Your pain doesn't sound like much fun either, so I hope it is improving. Good for you for heeding Kathy's advice and plea to take it easy until Saturday! When you are ready to share about work, you know we will listen.

Well, today again I didn't feel good... I'm glad that we went to the dr.'s. They gave me fluids plus IV drugs for my stomach. I felt better. I need to be drinking lots more water (hard to believe that I'm not!!) :confused: and I still need to eat. I'm finding for the last couple of days I've been nibbling on food up until early evening... They are also suppose to draw labs when asked to. Tonight home health tells me they are only coming once a week and I have to learn how to hook myself up for hydration and learn how to mix the drugs as needed. I am not happy about this at all... because I am very concerned about clotting off the port cather and already told the person that if that happened becasue I did it instead of the nurse, I would be making very loud noises to everyone. So the nurse is suppose to come sometime tomorrow, and tomorrow I am calling the dr.'s office to have this explained all over again to me. It's not a matter of my not being able to learn how to do this, it just seems to me that should be their job not mine. Could you tell there was a rant there? anyway we will see what happens tomorrow.

That's it for today. I'm off to force more water down and to eat a pedilyte popsickle or too.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers for my Dad. He's doing better. The pain in my rib cage isn't too bad once I remember what causes the pain (not my heart or anything bad like that). I think resting is the best thing for me right now - to include a little "mental health" time. Good for you going to the doctor and for them to set you up with IV meds and hydration. Fie on the home health folks for telling you that you will have to do your own blood tests and set up of the hydration packs. I'm with you, make the doctor explain it to you and them what they're supposed to be doing. I'm sure the procedures are easy enough to learn but I'm with you, not the thing I need or want to do to myself when I'm not feeling well. :mad: I hope the doctor talks some sense into the home health nureses. A pedilyte popsickle - sounds fun. :D What flavor are you doing right now (I assume you have some flavors to consume). I'll keep the prayers coming for you to stay hydrated and have a happy tummy. I also think you've found the ticket for eating - nibble the things that make you feel ok and just kind of graze your way through the day. Can I join you? ;) Have a great Friday too.

Karen - Thank you for the hug - yep Kathy is the smart one. :) Thanks for the clarification about DS#1's project. But still, he needs to do as well as he did under the gun but earlier. But I'll also say it took me a few years to come to that realization. I'd love to comment about the rest of your day but I'm just tired thinking about it. And I need to turn in - the witching hour is rapidly approaching.

After a couple days ago, thankfully I really did listen to my LW - often the more rational of the two of us - and I did the things I know I needed to do to cope with all the stress. Oddly, I was afraid to take OTC meds for congestion and sleep issues (two things they specifically asked about on my questionnaire) but Kathy reminded me that this was a "test" to see how I coped and if I had problems coping what I had in place (if anything) to help me out. LW and her well-reasoned thoughts are a big thing to me about keeping my sanity when I'm wrapped tighter than I can imagine (and I am right now).

I took it easy again today. No need to tweak my chest muscle and it's too close to Saturday's race. I'm really feeling better - amazing what a little sleep (even diphenhydramine aided) can do. Finishing ice for the evening and I need to turn in - volunteering for a 5k on base tomorrow and need to sleep before the weekends events start (probably little sleep with the start times being what they will be).

I missed the light tonight (it's just passed 11:55 and the light on the timer just went off so... time to turn in. I'll post tomorrow (honest) from work.

Peace and thanks for being good friends and holding my feet to the fire.

Peace,
Les

[karen w]

Lisa-Good for you for being firm with the doctors and home health care providers. Unfortunately, this has what has become of health care with insurance co.'s not reimbursing like they used to for things. More and more of the burden has been put on the patient than the actual health care providers in some instances like your situation. I could rant on and on about this issue too(and many others), but I will stop here. Just stick to your guns, and do what feels comfortable for you.

Les-Glad you rested again and are feeling a bit better. Perhaps, the virtual hugs had something to do with it!!?? :confused: :D I agree with you about DS#1 and his school work. I'm just hoping the light bulb is beginning to flicker after this incident. I'm sure it will take more time, though. I just hope it does sink in. . . .eventually! :rolleyes: Good luck on your races.

I had a super fantastic swim this morning!!!! :) Best one in a long time. And I followed it up later in the morning by a nice bike ride. Went to T.J.'s to pick up stuff for the weekend as well as our Friday night Challah for shabbat(they have the best challah!). This afternoon I made my cabbage borscht and some meat sauce for a baked ziti I'll put together over the weekend. DS#1 went to cub scout's tonight. DH just went to get him from the meeting.

Finally gotta go wrap the present for DD's b-day party Sunday and go out to get yet another gift....DS#2 just got an invite for next weekend! :eek:

Have a good weekend everyone,
Karen

[lisalee]

I just have to check in after my nurse's visit today. It turns out tht I was given some mis-information in my phone call I received last night. According to what I heard, I would have had to change the needle also which was what was freaking me out so much. :eek: That and the idiot last night did say I would have to draw my own blood-that's not happening! Anyway, the nurse came in today and after we talked for a while and got things straighened out said she wondered why I was so upset. It's not up to me to change the needle and under no circumstances am I suppose to take my own blood. Thank GOD! She has figured out who I talked with and said she would have a conversation with them. I still do have to mix three medications into the fluid bag but it doesn't seem to be that difficult nor is hooking up the tubing from the bag to the cather. I felt much better about the whole thing by the end. The nurse, Sandy, said she was coming out tomorrow, even though it was her day off, to do the paperwork and to walk me through the procedures again.

It didn't help last night, that there had to be a delivery of supplies and the driver called me at 9:00 to come and deliver. Uh. no. . . I'm tired and ready for bed (which surprised him). Of course the person I talked with from the company neglected to mention there were things that needed to be delivered.
I'm not good about being surprised, and things need to be explained out to me. Once they are then its no big deal. This added step of hydration is jsut bringing out again how serious this whole illness is. I've known its serious but. . . it's hard to explain. Working through the beginning stages of grief again I suspect.

The hydration and one of the medicines, Avitan, that is included are making me feel a lot better. The Avitan makes me sleeply which can't be a bad thing since I haven't slept well since this has all started. It is also helping with the hip. You know I spent so much time trying to make sure I wouldn't get addicted to any of these medicines that I have done a dis-service to my self in making myself feel better. I'm not taking enough medicine and/or all the ones that are available to me. Everyone tells me to stop worrying about addiction, that I'm not addicted, and that there's no reason for me to be in pain and trying to tough it out. Family mantra you know to just grin and bear it. :rolleyes:

I've been nibbling all day again today which is helpful. This morning started off with a milkshake although I need to work on the consistency a little more.
I even nibbled last night when I woke up besides getting some water to drink.

Wow, this has turned out much longer than I thought it would. Obviously it needed to get out of me and somewhere! Thanks for allowing me to share all my feelings with you all. Sometimes I think this might not be the best thread for it, but it is healthy living and I am trying to get that back! So I think you all are stuck with me! :p

Karen, I'm glad that the swim went so well. I miss being able to be in the pool if for nothing else but to play around and stretch. Like Leigh I would be stopping frequently in the beginning to breathe. Perhaps that should be one of my goals to work towards getting into a pool. I hope too that your son got the message from his last assignment, but I think you are right it may take awhile. Maybe a not so good grade one time? Spring does bring out the party invitations doesn't it?

Les, I hope your days of rest paid off for you. If you're not feeling a 100% tomorrow (or even 80%) will you still run? I think you sound like me to just tough things out (therefore lack of sleep), but again I would heed Kathy's advice and take what is available as necessary.

I hope Leigh is enjoying Portland, that both Lauras' and families are doing well as is Nettie.

Have a great weekend, gang!
Lisa

[Leslie Ferguson]

Greeting ladies, one and all! It has been a spirited afternoon and I'm starting to turn into a pumpkin but I feel I "owe" you some responses.

Lisa - I think you would like to meet Kathy - you and her have a lot in common. You don't like surprises and she can handle just about anything (being married to a career Navy Officer and traveling half way around the world is a good example of that). She's great at stressful situations if she's been able to make at least a basic plan for the possibility (hard to explain but I think you'll get it). I too wouldn't be too thrilled about a delivery at 9 pm, even if I were wide awake and it were something that I needed. I think there are better times to do business. I'm glad that the information you were given yesterday wasn't wholly correct and I'm like you, I could probably take my own blood but I'm not sure that I'd want to do it because I had to. I'm glad you're starting to take the medications that the doctors think will be helpful to you. For the longest time LW didn't want to admit and take her anti-depressants but once she decided that it wasn't admitting defeat she started taking them and she got a lot better. You're always welcome to come to the HL/WWSG thread to vent and get stuff off your chest - that's the big part of Healthful Living (the first two letters of our thread). It sounds like you've found a "plan" for eating that will keep you going - I hope it lasts (and bet and pray it will). I'm all for listening to Kathy - she's really about the only thing in my life right now that makes sense and is helpful (with the exception of my reflection time and prayer life but that's different - not as aural).

Karen - I'm a big belivere in virtual hugs - they work as well as prayers do. :) Spring birthday season is upon you again - what is it about springtime birthdays? Our family seems to be the opposite end of the spectrum - late fall/winter birthdays. But then we are a little special. ;) I hope your bread turns out well and that you have a great weekend. It sounds like you all may have a blustery weekend too. It's supposed to be cool and a little windy by midday on Sunday. Oy Vey!

I did rest again and I think I'm pretty much as recovered as I can get. I don't think I'll ever be 100% again (too many chronic things) but stasis has been reached and things are manageable. Still hitting the ice and taking the OTC stuff that keeps me running smoothly. I've got to be true to myself and I think I am. I did get a short note from Nettie - things are a little better with her but she's still having pain and it is hard for her to get to the board and post. I think she wouldn't mind me relaying that her MRI came back with no readily identifiable cause for her pain issues so she's back into the mill to figure out what the cause is. It isn't Chiari malformation which I'd take as a good thing. As I get more information from her I'll pass it to you but I'll say that she misses us but needs to take care of her pain issues (and I think that's most important really). I'll pass your regards to her next time I post to her.

For now I need to wrap up and head home. It's going to be an early morning tomorrow. The race starts at 8 which isn't too bad but I'm meeting the other 8k runners from our group at 7:15 and it's about 30-40 minutes to the beach from here (not including parking). So I've got to leave at about 6:20 or so to get there on time.

I had a good rest today and think I'm a lot better because of it. I'm resting better and having better thoughts about work. I know I told you I'd let you in on my issues but now's not the time... suffice to say that my expectations for my work production are different than their expectation for me (mine are higher than theirs are).

I think that wraps it up for tonight. Happy (end of) St. Patrick's Day to all and I'll "see you" after the race tomorrow.

TTFN - Peace,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Just thought I'd check in with my report for the morning. I can say that it's one race down and one run to go. The temperature wasn't too bad and the wind was a little tricky this morning. I had an ok race for the first 3+ miles (of course the wind was only in my face for the first portion of the race so I didn't have to fight it). There were 3234 runners in the 8k and my official time was 35:45.10 (162 overall, 17/200 in my age group, and 122/1371 in my gender) which was only a little slower than I wanted top run so I'm happy. But the race didn't go as well as I wanted. I had a good first three miles and I was at ~20:52 then we turned onto the boardwalk and into the gusting wind from the North. After running for about 2 minutes on the Boardwalk I had to slow down because I thought my heart was going to explode. So I dropped down to ~7:25-7:30 and brought it home. I was a little concerned because of how I felt on the Boardwalk - almost like I couldn't catch my breath so I decided (rightly) to slow down. Better safe than sorry in my book.

I think I may have had the image of the guy being rolled out of the 5k that I volunteered at yesterday on a stretcher - not a pretty sight and enough to get me wigged out considering my stressed out state these days.

But in all, I'm happy with the race and I'll be ready to take it easy tomorrow. I hope everyone is having a good St. Patrick's Day weekend. I'll check back later.

Peace,
Les