I've now officially had pneumonia for a month. I've had to take nearly three rounds of antibiotics to kill the bacteria in my lungs, and though I am almost finished with this last round of Avelox, I still feel like I am breathing through pudding made of acid--my lungs hurt and it feels like my back has been pummeled. I've been working out at least 3 times a week anyway, just huffing and wheezing harder and trying to keep my heart rate from skyrocketing. Slowing down so much makes me feel like I'm 70 during my workouts, but I figure that its important to keep active so my immune system will kick in at some point. Plus, I over ate after Thanksgiving (I love leftovers!) so I know I won't reach my weight loss goals unless I keep pushing myself to gain muscle and lose fat.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, my nose was so stuffy that I couldn't smell or really taste much, except for discerning texture, so I did fairly well at dinner that day because I wasn't hungry enough to overeat...and food isn't as appetizing when you can't enjoy the aroma of it cooking.
But I daresay our guests for the afternoon feast, Bill K and Anita,his significant other, seemed to enjoy the repast and the company, though, compared to their fancy condo in Seattle, our humble abode must look like a slum.
While shopping for the feast, I was actually hit on by a very nice older guy (as in someone in his 50s) in the beer aisle of the grocery store. He advised me as to which beer is most appropriate for dining with my husbands former boss, and flirted shamelessly for several minutes. It was quite refreshing, considering no one has flirted with me for about 20 years.
My son Nick celebrated his 8th birthday this past weekend, and had a Pokemon cake with 'eyeball" marshmallow ice cream. The ugly chocolate "eyeballs" in the ice cream were much coveted by Nicks buddies. They all played games at Noobs in Covington and had a splendid time. Today is Nicks actual birth date, though, so I am going to bring cupcakes to his classroom and read them all a story or two. I find it hard to believe that 8 years have gone by since I felt that little boys big baby foot cut through my cervix in an effort to escape his now-dry womb...he was such a tiny little fellow, all of 3.5 pounds, but he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen when they wrapped him up and showed me his sweet face. What a miracle he was, and is, now that he's a big, strapping 80 pound child. I have a great deal to be thankful for, and when all the financial woes of my family start to get me down, I try to remember that. I also try to remember that I have friends who have recently lost someone they love, or are about to lose someone they love, and so far, knock wood, I haven't lost my parents or any of my immediate family.
Fortune favors the bold, they say, but I think fortune also favors those who have compassion for their fellow humans and want to believe the best of everyone they meet.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Craving the White Stuff
I'm on antibiotics for what my doctor tells me is a case of walking pneumonia, and I've been directed to taking more inhaled steroids and, if those don't work, oral cortisone, which I am loathe to ingest, because the side effects of having an appetite 24/7 and gaining 30 pounds or more tends to send me into a deep depression.
Ugh.
The winter lunger is a tradition with me, as I've had winter virus/flu/respiratory infections for as long as I've had asthma, which is about 42 years.
It's getting harder to get over these things as I get older, though, and doctors are not as good about helping out my tattered immune system with antibiotics as they used to be, mainly because of MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria that are lurking around out there, killing off old folks, children and other immune-compromised people, like myself (I am taking azithioprine, a drug that depresses the immune system).
Oh, and before I forget, I'd like to set the record straight about something that could be misunderstood from previous posts. I do NOT hate Janice Zander,co-owner of Work It Out Womens fitness, easily one of the best gyms I've ever had the good fortune to attend.
Janice is a very tough and intense instructor, and, as such, somewhat frightening to those overstuffed with avoirdupois, like me. I'm not limber, nimble or agile, and I have a hard time with some of the moves she devises for her classes. I realise its all in the name of fitness, muscle building and health, and that there's no malice involved, but, being raised as the good midwestern child that I was, I am loathe to disappoint my teachers, and I hate feeling like a big fat plodding idiot, which is what often happens to me when I attempt moves that are beyond my physical limitations.
Yet I still take Janices classes and modify the moves I can't accomplish. Since Billie is still out with kidney infections, Janice is teaching her classes, and yesterdays balla and weights class was surprisingly easy...I assume because the lovely Marilee has bronchitis and I mentioned that I have pneumonia, and I can only assume Janice didn't want to have to call 911 for either one of us. So she mercifully kept it low impact, though we did a lot of reps during the weights portion of the class. Still, it was a manageable class that I enjoyed and was amazed to complete, crap-filled lungs and all. And Janice rocks!
I find that I tire more easily when my lungs are infected, and that it hurts to take a deep breath. I also find that inhaled steroids and antibiotics make me crave the white stuff--sugar, in copious amounts. I have this insatiable need for sweets, and, knowing it will end up on my belly, I have the opposite desire to not consume too much of it, lest I gain back all the weight I've worked so hard to lose. Of course my husband, who lost 15 pounds in three weeks just by giving up coke and exercising, hasn't gained an ounce back, even though he is back to eating fake cheeze products on crackers, beer nuts, chocolate milk and beer, with the occaisional peanut butter cup or chocolate brownie thrown in for good measure. And he doesn't gain it back! ARG!
How unfair is that? And his doctor told him today that she thinks he may just be able to go swimming a couple of times a week, stay away from cola and sweets, and not have to go on any type of diabetes medication for his insulin resistance. Again, how unfair! I think she should have told him he needs to exercise at least three times a week, and lay off the beer and crappy snacks completely. But no. He gets a get out of jail free card, while I'm working out 5 times a week and not losing a pound.
But today is Jims 47th birthday, so I suppose the man is entitled to a bit of good news. I just wish my body worked as well as his does at shedding weight and fighting off colds and infections. Men and their superior ability to gain muscle and lose weight really chaps my hide this time of year. I know that hubby will be able to overeat on Thanksgiving and Christmas with impunity, dagnabit.
Oh, well, there are some compensations to being female, I suppose. Being cleaner, softer and being able to produce wonderful people like my son Nick are but a few I could name.
Ugh.
The winter lunger is a tradition with me, as I've had winter virus/flu/respiratory infections for as long as I've had asthma, which is about 42 years.
It's getting harder to get over these things as I get older, though, and doctors are not as good about helping out my tattered immune system with antibiotics as they used to be, mainly because of MRSA and other drug-resistant bacteria that are lurking around out there, killing off old folks, children and other immune-compromised people, like myself (I am taking azithioprine, a drug that depresses the immune system).
Oh, and before I forget, I'd like to set the record straight about something that could be misunderstood from previous posts. I do NOT hate Janice Zander,co-owner of Work It Out Womens fitness, easily one of the best gyms I've ever had the good fortune to attend.
Janice is a very tough and intense instructor, and, as such, somewhat frightening to those overstuffed with avoirdupois, like me. I'm not limber, nimble or agile, and I have a hard time with some of the moves she devises for her classes. I realise its all in the name of fitness, muscle building and health, and that there's no malice involved, but, being raised as the good midwestern child that I was, I am loathe to disappoint my teachers, and I hate feeling like a big fat plodding idiot, which is what often happens to me when I attempt moves that are beyond my physical limitations.
Yet I still take Janices classes and modify the moves I can't accomplish. Since Billie is still out with kidney infections, Janice is teaching her classes, and yesterdays balla and weights class was surprisingly easy...I assume because the lovely Marilee has bronchitis and I mentioned that I have pneumonia, and I can only assume Janice didn't want to have to call 911 for either one of us. So she mercifully kept it low impact, though we did a lot of reps during the weights portion of the class. Still, it was a manageable class that I enjoyed and was amazed to complete, crap-filled lungs and all. And Janice rocks!
I find that I tire more easily when my lungs are infected, and that it hurts to take a deep breath. I also find that inhaled steroids and antibiotics make me crave the white stuff--sugar, in copious amounts. I have this insatiable need for sweets, and, knowing it will end up on my belly, I have the opposite desire to not consume too much of it, lest I gain back all the weight I've worked so hard to lose. Of course my husband, who lost 15 pounds in three weeks just by giving up coke and exercising, hasn't gained an ounce back, even though he is back to eating fake cheeze products on crackers, beer nuts, chocolate milk and beer, with the occaisional peanut butter cup or chocolate brownie thrown in for good measure. And he doesn't gain it back! ARG!
How unfair is that? And his doctor told him today that she thinks he may just be able to go swimming a couple of times a week, stay away from cola and sweets, and not have to go on any type of diabetes medication for his insulin resistance. Again, how unfair! I think she should have told him he needs to exercise at least three times a week, and lay off the beer and crappy snacks completely. But no. He gets a get out of jail free card, while I'm working out 5 times a week and not losing a pound.
But today is Jims 47th birthday, so I suppose the man is entitled to a bit of good news. I just wish my body worked as well as his does at shedding weight and fighting off colds and infections. Men and their superior ability to gain muscle and lose weight really chaps my hide this time of year. I know that hubby will be able to overeat on Thanksgiving and Christmas with impunity, dagnabit.
Oh, well, there are some compensations to being female, I suppose. Being cleaner, softer and being able to produce wonderful people like my son Nick are but a few I could name.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Mercury Retrograde/Full Moon Mess
I don't know whether its the full moon or the oft-mentioned Mercury Retrograde (if you ken to astrology) that was at fault these past 10 days for all the things going wrong or painful lessons being learned, but I, for one, am praying that it has passed now. Please.
Here's what happened (not necessarily in this order):
My computer, that I'd only had for three weeks, died. It cost me $180 (thanks Adrian!) to fix it. I was planning on using that money for gifts for my huz and son, both of whom have November birthdays.
My mothers refrigerator died, and she was only able to find another side by side for over a thousand dollars. So her holiday and birthday budget was compromised as well.
Halloween happened and I have no will power when it comes to candy corn. I must have eaten at least a cup of those triangular sugar bombs.
I caught the lung crud that has been going around and coughed up my lungs every night, so I didn't get much sleep. My favorite instructor, Billie, had the same thing, but also ended up with a kidney infection that has her doctors threatening her with the hospital if she doesn't take it easy and just teach her aerobics classes without breaking a sweat herself. I haven't been able to get an appointment with my doctor until doomsday, so I will either have to shake this thing myself or go to the urgent care, which is always a bummer, because you end up spending all day in the waiting room. Due to my lungs feeling like they were on fire, I didn't get to work out Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so I had to do double workouts on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. I plan to take a family trail walk on Sunday.
I had a telephone interview for a position I was told was telecommuting/freelance that turned out to be anything but, and I wasted a whole day preparing for it.
I washed something red in with other clothing and turned a bunch of stuff pink, including a stripped shirt of my sons...he actually thought I'd done it on purpose, but he was okay with the cotton candy coloring, which is slightly disturbing from a taste standpoint.
I broke several dishes, a pitcher, the lip of my lap desk, and three ponytail holders.
My husband was laid off from his very good job on Friday. His company didn't get the contracts they thought they were going to get, and subsequently can't afford a full editorial dept, so they laid off Jim and another editor. And he has to work through next week, during his birthday, and suffer through a goodbye party when he's the kind of guy who hates crowds. I think they should give him a birthday bash and a huge severence package. He will get some severence, but not much, as he's only been there a year. Hopefully, he will get contract work soon. Our sons birthday, mine, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all coming up, and we'll be strapped for cash, again. Oy.
I took a belly dancing class last night, which was, as Beth warned me, WAYYYYY harder than it looked, and I realized that I have all the grace and coordination of a water buffalo. Undulation is just beyond me.
I gained 5 pounds and then lost 3. So I am still two pounds up from where I was about 3-4 weeks ago, but I am hoping to get back on track this month and lose another 4-6 pounds. I will have to stay away from Naan bread, Rice Dream peach pie "ice cream" and their ginger cookie version, too. I am betting I need to keep paws off the "Tings" as well. I've been baaad.
Two zits appeared on my face this week...why, I don't know...stress, maybe?
The lovely libran belly dancing instructor, who told us she's "near 60" looks younger than I do, and she's a total hottie. She is in flawless shape, and can move in such a sexy and sinuous manner that I am sure most men would be drooling on her toes after being in her presence for 5 minutes. She was a delight to talk to, and I thoroughly enjoyed her class, though I sort of waddled my way through it, but I don't think I have the gene that allows my hips to slide and shimmy in such a seductive fashion. I plod and thump about like an old badger. Still, it was enriching and invigorating to give the class a try. I wish I could afford to go again.
Which brings us to money, and my lack thereof. I haven't a clue how I am going to find money for birthdays and holidays. I need a monetary miracle, or cash-flow feng shui.
One happy thing that I heard from Carol Kayler was that Lori, one of my fellow boot campers, got back from her trip to Ethiopia, where she lost 20 pounds, due to that country's lack of sugar (a sugar free country? However do they manage?), Starbucks, and any kind of junk food. This news had everyone within hearing planning trips to Africa.
Another good idea was reading Victoria Moran's "Lit From Within" which was a joyful book full of positive ideas and wonderful words of wisdom on leading a light-filled existence, and being the beautiful woman you were meant to be. I highly recomend the book, though I do not agree with everything in it. Still, I passed it along to my friend Janine. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Here's what happened (not necessarily in this order):
My computer, that I'd only had for three weeks, died. It cost me $180 (thanks Adrian!) to fix it. I was planning on using that money for gifts for my huz and son, both of whom have November birthdays.
My mothers refrigerator died, and she was only able to find another side by side for over a thousand dollars. So her holiday and birthday budget was compromised as well.
Halloween happened and I have no will power when it comes to candy corn. I must have eaten at least a cup of those triangular sugar bombs.
I caught the lung crud that has been going around and coughed up my lungs every night, so I didn't get much sleep. My favorite instructor, Billie, had the same thing, but also ended up with a kidney infection that has her doctors threatening her with the hospital if she doesn't take it easy and just teach her aerobics classes without breaking a sweat herself. I haven't been able to get an appointment with my doctor until doomsday, so I will either have to shake this thing myself or go to the urgent care, which is always a bummer, because you end up spending all day in the waiting room. Due to my lungs feeling like they were on fire, I didn't get to work out Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, so I had to do double workouts on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. I plan to take a family trail walk on Sunday.
I had a telephone interview for a position I was told was telecommuting/freelance that turned out to be anything but, and I wasted a whole day preparing for it.
I washed something red in with other clothing and turned a bunch of stuff pink, including a stripped shirt of my sons...he actually thought I'd done it on purpose, but he was okay with the cotton candy coloring, which is slightly disturbing from a taste standpoint.
I broke several dishes, a pitcher, the lip of my lap desk, and three ponytail holders.
My husband was laid off from his very good job on Friday. His company didn't get the contracts they thought they were going to get, and subsequently can't afford a full editorial dept, so they laid off Jim and another editor. And he has to work through next week, during his birthday, and suffer through a goodbye party when he's the kind of guy who hates crowds. I think they should give him a birthday bash and a huge severence package. He will get some severence, but not much, as he's only been there a year. Hopefully, he will get contract work soon. Our sons birthday, mine, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all coming up, and we'll be strapped for cash, again. Oy.
I took a belly dancing class last night, which was, as Beth warned me, WAYYYYY harder than it looked, and I realized that I have all the grace and coordination of a water buffalo. Undulation is just beyond me.
I gained 5 pounds and then lost 3. So I am still two pounds up from where I was about 3-4 weeks ago, but I am hoping to get back on track this month and lose another 4-6 pounds. I will have to stay away from Naan bread, Rice Dream peach pie "ice cream" and their ginger cookie version, too. I am betting I need to keep paws off the "Tings" as well. I've been baaad.
Two zits appeared on my face this week...why, I don't know...stress, maybe?
The lovely libran belly dancing instructor, who told us she's "near 60" looks younger than I do, and she's a total hottie. She is in flawless shape, and can move in such a sexy and sinuous manner that I am sure most men would be drooling on her toes after being in her presence for 5 minutes. She was a delight to talk to, and I thoroughly enjoyed her class, though I sort of waddled my way through it, but I don't think I have the gene that allows my hips to slide and shimmy in such a seductive fashion. I plod and thump about like an old badger. Still, it was enriching and invigorating to give the class a try. I wish I could afford to go again.
Which brings us to money, and my lack thereof. I haven't a clue how I am going to find money for birthdays and holidays. I need a monetary miracle, or cash-flow feng shui.
One happy thing that I heard from Carol Kayler was that Lori, one of my fellow boot campers, got back from her trip to Ethiopia, where she lost 20 pounds, due to that country's lack of sugar (a sugar free country? However do they manage?), Starbucks, and any kind of junk food. This news had everyone within hearing planning trips to Africa.
Another good idea was reading Victoria Moran's "Lit From Within" which was a joyful book full of positive ideas and wonderful words of wisdom on leading a light-filled existence, and being the beautiful woman you were meant to be. I highly recomend the book, though I do not agree with everything in it. Still, I passed it along to my friend Janine. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
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