It's the Little Things.....

I got this plate on sale at JoAnn's for $2.50.  It has become my "sugar fast" plate, and I use it every day at breakfast and lunch.  It is a little bit of happy!

I Quit Sugar - Days 1 and 2

Two days ago I quit sugar.

I had been feeling moderately convicted to do it for months, but was ignoring the conviction because, well, I knew it would be hard.  And I am tired of doing hard things.  But the conviction got stronger, and the guilt at telling my children to do hard things while I was unwilling to do so, got heavier.  I signed up for this quitting sugar support group, but they weren't starting until October.  So I decided to just take the plunge and do it now on my own.

What that means is that for the next 8 weeks I am cutting out ALL sugar (as much as possible anyway) from my diet.  No pop or Snapple, no Cheerios, no fresh or dried fruit, no cookies or muffins (at least not the way I am used to making them).  No ice cream or orange juice or lemonade! It DOES mean meat, and lots and lots of veggies, bread, cheese, eggs, nuts, and a new way of preparing snacks and desserts.  After 8 weeks I will slowly add back in some low fructose fruits and see how my body tolerates them.

My timing is somewhat ironic, as we are experiencing warmer-than-normal temps and currently have no a/c in the house, so I am already dragging from the heat.  Now I am also dragging from the sugar crash, or withdrawal, or whatever you call it when your body suddenly realizes it's being deprived of the chemical jolt it was used to getting (multiple times) every day.

Day 1 was not too bad, actually.  I made myself an awesome omelette for breakfast, with two eggs and loads of veggies, a bit of cheese and a touch of fresh basil.  So I was all protein-ed up and satisfied for several hours.  My hardest time came before bed, when I wanted a small snack and didn't think I had any good sugar free options.  After a bit of googling, I came up with toast with peanut butter on it.

Day 2, yesterday, was REALLY hard.  My body just wanted sugar sooooo badly!   I made it through the day, but it required every ounce of will power I had, and I was not a very pleasant person that last hour before dinner.

Today I have dinner already prepared, sitting in the fridge waiting to bake tonight.  I will move our toaster oven out to the porch and cook dinner out there so it will not make my kitchen any hotter.  I am trying my hand at my first naturally sweetened, non-bake dessert.  This no-sugar way of eating is requiring adjustments to the way I plan and prepare for meals, but I like that it is really simple.  There is really only one prohibition so it's really easy to remember!

I'll let you know how it goes....

Ugh...

Strep test was negative. "Just" a virus.....

Third time in three months.

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Sick

I have been so sick this weekend! The stomach kind. :-( I have not been this sick in a long time. I'm starting to feel a little better, and can stay out of the bathroom for longer and longer periods of time, so I think I'm on the mend. I slept off and on all day yesterday, watched college football, fell asleep during the fourth quarter of the USC/Stanford game and woke up during their THIRD overtime. Then fell asleep again so I still don't know who won. I was apparently not too sick to enjoy a really good football game. ;-)

Foot Update!

Have I mentioned that I love my physical therapist?

She is part therapist, part trainer, and part counselor. God was SO GOOD to answer our prayer of pairing me with the right person!

I am improving steadily and my pain is decreasing steadily. I am definitely on the right track. I can do things now, with mild discomfort, that seemed impossible six months ago. Small things, like standing in the kitchen to cook dinner, going up and down the stairs doing laundry, and standing in the doorway talking to someone. And I can do big things, like..... RUN!

Yes, I am running again. It's only twice a week, for five or eight minutes each time, on the treadmill under the watchful eye of my physical therapist, but it's RUNNING! (jogging actually, but let's not quibble....)

At her urging I visited a Running Fit store and bought some expensive, cushy new running shoes. I took them in to show her last week and told her that my biggest fear was getting to the point of being able to start 5K training, experiencing a set back, and having to stop because of the pain. And she said, "then we need to attack the fear. Get on the treadmill." I said, "right now?" "Yes, right now. I'm going to show you that you can run, hurt a little, and recover. You are ready."

And you know what? She was right! My foot hurts when I'm done. But by the next morning my foot has recovered and I can walk with virtually no pain. I'm not ready to run every day yet, but I can run about every third day. She will work with me until I am ready to begin 5K training and then turn me loose. She knows about my life goal and she is taking her job of helping me get to that goal very seriously. She even made me my very own, customized for me, 5K training schedule. I won't be ready to start it for a couple more weeks, but I'm getting there!

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for her?

Observation (and foot update)

I have been going to physical therapy four weeks already (and was just approved for 4 more weeks). As I am there about two hours each time, two days per week, I have seen a lot of other people come and go through the PT clinic. Some of them are on crutches or using walkers, obviously injured or recovering from surgery. Others walk in straight from work, nicely dressed, and it's hard to find anything obviously "wrong" with them. Do they ever wonder why *I* am there? Limping is unusual for me now, so my issue is less obvious than it used to be.

Observing so many people who are all coming in because they are in pain has reminded me that we just never know the hurt someone is experiencing. They may look fine to us, but actually be in a lot of pain (I got really good at hiding mine). The same is true for soul wounds. People can be functioning on the outside, but be in tremendous pain and turmoil on the inside. I'm thankful for the reminder to pray for each person I come in contact with, because they are probably dealing with all kinds of things I know nothing about. I'm also thankful that God does know. And that He cares deeply for everything that concerns us. (I Peter 5:7)

Regarding my foot.... I have made significant improvement in several areas, and my pain has definitely decreased, but I have quite a ways to go yet. I had a very frank discussion with my PT yesterday about the probability of ever running again, and meeting my life goal to run a 5K before I turn 50 (only 10 months away!). I really appreciated her honesty. She told me that if I am to run again, pain free, I need to lose weight. The extra weight I am carrying around is significantly contributing to the pain I feel, because it all ends up being carried around on my feet. I have known for a long time that weight loss would make a healthier me, but I don't think I directly connected weight loss specifically to the health of my feet.

The good news is that even a modest weight loss would be FANTASTIC for my feet. My PT told me that 10 pounds off the body is like 50 pounds off the feet. Isn't that amazing? I cannot do any exercise that puts weight or pounding on my feet, but I can do anything else. Which means I can bike. She said I can push myself to bike as much as I can. So, I am biking now for exercise. I started today. And I started working a diet plan yesterday ("diet" in the broad sense of the word, meaning what you eat) that mainly involves smaller portions and no eating after 8:00 p.m. I am hoping that these things combined will help me to lose weight so that, ultimately, I will be able to walk and run for exercise once again. My short term goal is to be 5 pounds lighter by the end of April. I think I can do it!

If I am not able to run pain free by the end of summer, I will change my 5K run goal to a 10K bike goal. For me, it's all about managing expectations. :-)

If you think of it, please pray that I can maintain motivation and consistency!

New Orthotics!

I love my physical therapist. Love her.

She takes lots of time with me. She explains things. She listens. She is not content for me to feel "a little better" at the end of a session than when I walked in. Her goal is to get me feeling as good as I possibly can during each visit.

Since beginning PT three weeks ago, I have not used my old orthotics at all. My PT told me to try them again, and bring them in so she could take a look at them. So today I wore my "old" orthotics all day. The ones prescribed by the podiatrist last September. My feet were killing me all day, but I am so used to that, and was so busy, it never occurred to me to just take the orthotics out. Dumb, I know.

I limped in to physical therapy this afternoon, told my PT my feet felt terrible, and she immediately went to work. First of all, she couldn't believe the orthotics I had. Could. Not. Believe. that anyone had given me those. They are very hard inserts, with no cushion in the heel at all, and she felt terrible that I'd been walking in them all day. She has never seen orthotics like mine! She explained it was like my heel had been pounding against a wood floor with every step. She gave me new ones, that could heat up and be molded to my feet exactly (while I was standing up, which is important, and which the podiatrist never did), taped my ankle and heel, and VOILA'! Virtually pain free. I did my exercises and walked back out to my van with no limp.

AMAZING!

My new orthotics have firm arch support, but a nicely cushioned heel, and they extend the entire length of my foot so I don't feel a "line" under the ball of my feet. It's only been a few hours, but I am hopeful!

I am so thankful for insurance and for income!

And have I mentioned that I love my PT?

Update on Foot Pain

I started seeing a physical therapist last week for my plantar fascitiis, and so far I have had two workouts with her. Yes, they are workouts! My pain is already significantly lessened and I am hopeful this will provide long term answers for me! It is absolutely fascinating, just fascinating to learn how the hip, knee, ankle and foot are connected and meant to work together. I am learning so much.

One of the things I learned today is that there are three mechanisms in the body that are intended to work together to support the arches in our feet, and if any one of them (or all three) are out of whack, it can cause fallen arches which leads to foot/heel pain. Since I have lived with the pain for so long, it is impossible to tell which mechanism originally caused it, so my PT is treating all three mechanisms at once. Which means three times the stretches and exercises. Each stretch and exercise has a specific purpose, and correct form is key. I was at PT for over two hours this afternoon, and worked up quite a sweat!

The three mechanisms we are working on are, my hips (yes, hips! who knew???), ankles, and the muscles and fascia in my foot itself. Currently my foot and ankle are taped with special tape made just for plantar fascitiis, holding my bones in correct position, and when the PT finished taping and I walked around, I literally cried with relief. My pain was instantly cut in half!

So. I am hopeful. Encouraged. Motivated. Thankful, sooo thankful for medical insurance!

Lost Day

A stomach bug attacked our family the day after Christmas. It hit Little Man first (and hardest) on Sunday evening, me in the wee hours of Monday morning, and son C later that morning as well. Daughter G was hit with it in the night last night. So far my husband and sons L and G are unscathed.

Yesterday was a completely lost day. Us three (at the time) sickies slept off and on all day. By evening we were able to hold down toast and water. I am SO thankful that my husband was well and could care for C, because I was virtually comatose all day. Little Man didn't want to leave my side, so he slept beside me or laid beside me, or sat beside me all day. And my presence was about all I had to offer him! The well children watched hours and hours of PBS.

Today I feel well enough to eat more than toast and to start in on the laundry. And for that I am truly grateful!

Taking Care of Me

I started the summer with good intentions (don't we all?). Really, really good intentions. I was going to be full fledged running by the end of summer. And at least 1o pounds lighter. :-)

I was sidelined by severe heel pain before summer barely got started.

And that was tres discouraging.

I saw a podiatrist, was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, and purchased orthotics. I felt good about finally seeing the Dr, and finally doing something proactive to help my foot. Well, 6 visits and about $300 later, my orthotics still aren't perfect and I have not been overly thrilled with the care I've received. I still have a lot of pain and walking for exercise is among the last 1,000 things I have wanted to do.

So I got a second opinion this week. The second Dr concurred with the diagnosis but contradicted just about everything else the first Dr said. So, for now I am keeping the orthotics (I feel they are helping, just need a bit more tweaking) but doing several other things differently.

Last winter I injured the rotator cuff in my shoulder while shoveling snow, and it has been getting worse and worse. The pain has spread to my neck and has become constant. So I saw my Dr about that too. Since I have lost only minimal range of motion, my Dr recommended seeing a physical therapist and taking mega doses of ibuprofen for a week. I did not know that 400 mg doses or below are considered pain relief doses, while doses of 600 mg or higher are considered anti-inflammatory doses. And I need anti-inflammatory. It will help both my neck/shoulder and my heel. I was hesitant at first about taking so much, but it's only for a week.

Part of me feels guilty spending money on all these Dr visits for myself (we have no insurance at this time so are cash patients), but the truth is, it is very important to take care of myself!! My family needs me. I need to be the best I can be for them. And I tend to let things go too long before taking care of them. Bad, bad, bad.

I am learning how important it is to take care of myself, and to take charge of my own health. If I don't get answers from one Doctor, I need to find one who will give me the info I need. Sometimes the answer is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. You hunt and hunt for the one piece you need. And once you find it, it's up to YOU to put the whole thing together.

I am hopeful that one more piece of my health puzzle can be answered next week when I see a chiropractor again for the first time in several years. Specifically, I am seeking his opinion on whether or not one leg is truly shorter than the other. We shall see....

BUT, the upshot of all this is that I have recently begun walking again! They are very short walks, but compared to sitting or lying on the couch most of the time with my foot elevated, they demonstrate progress and are amazingly refreshing!! I am thankful!

Who Says You Can't Play Soccer with Crutches?

Update on Broken Foot

The preliminary report from the radiologist said there was NO break, which is very good news! C is, however, still experiencing considerable swelling and pain. We'll see how he feels in the morning and if he is no better, we will have to go back for more x-rays.

This is how he spent his afternoon. Very unusual for him to sleep during the day! But it was a dark, rainy day here ~ perfect for napping. I actually took a nap too! Last night was our first night of REAL moms (formerly MOPS). It was very fun to see all the returning moms and meet several new ones, and most everyone seemed to have fun. I'm very excited about this new REAL moms year. But I was exhausted today. Once the year gets started my preparation time drops sharply, but getting ready for the first night is always a bit like a marathon.

Exciting Afternoon

We spent the afternoon at the Dr.'s office and radiology, because it looks like son C may have broken a bone in his foot. We are waiting for a call tomorrow after the radiologist has read the films, to be sure. In the meantime, it is splinted and immobilized and C has been given strict orders not to bear weight, play outside, get it wet, etc.

So of course that means.....movies!

I fear his soccer season may have ended before it even began.

Foot Problems

I have not really talked about it here, but I have had moderate to severe pain in my feet for a number of years, and in recent months/weeks it has intensified to the point where I had to stop walking (for exercise) and couldn't do some of my normal activities that required me to be on my feet (which is nearly all of them actually!). Since we do not currently have medical insurance, I thought the timing was wrong to see a podiatrist. But when I had to start using the motorized cart at the grocery store I realized I needed to take my own advice. I always tell my girlfriends to take care of themselves because they are the glue that holds their families together.

So.

I saw a podiatrist this week.

I have severe plantar fasciitis in one foot in particular, that same leg is shorter than the other one causing me to walk "harder" on that foot, and I have a bone spur in that heel. All of these issues can apparently be relieved by wearing orthotics in my shoes. They had a $30 pair that has an 85% success rate, and a $400 custom pair with a 95% success rate. I thought 85% sounded pretty high, and $30 sounded pretty low, so I came home with that pair. I also came home with a lift in that shoe to even out my leg lengths. I am slowly ramping up to wearing the orthotics all day and I already feel a difference.

I am so very thankful!! And I should have taken care of this a long time ago. If you have a nagging pain or health concern of any kind, please get it checked out right away and don't wait like I did. You may be able to spare yourself years of discomfort, and perhaps nip something in the bud before it becomes serious.

**This has been your friendly public service announcement**

:0)

Huge, Gut-wrenching Confession

Okay, did that get your attention? ;-)

I use "confession" in the "to spill your guts" sense of the word. And when you say things outloud, and you say them to others, they tend to seem more real. So that's the huge gut-wrenching part.

Here it is:

I have a goal to run a 5K before I turn 50.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, even those of you who know me well, but for most of my life I have been a runner. I ran track in middle school and high school ~ longer distances (a sprinter I am not). During college and throughout my 20's and early 30's I enjoyed running for exercise. Back in my hometown I had several routes that were familiar, predictable, and beautiful to me.

There was the 2 mile maintenance route to Cornwall Park, through the park, over the footbridge across the creek, past the playground and the spot where I got my first kiss, out the big gate and back home. Then there was the lengthier, more grueling route that involved a long slow ascent up the Illinois Street hill. I loved the route that took me by Sunnyland Elementary School, the school I attended as a child and where, years later, I first taught kindergarten. I would run behind the school, through the Memorial Park, and back home through tidy, familiar neighborhoods. And on a regular basis (because where I grew up truly is "God's country") I would run one of the lush trails in my hometown, soaking up the spectacular beauty and the presence of God as I ran.

In my mid to late 20's, while serving as a missionary English teacher in Japan, I developed new routes that passed through traditional neighborhoods along narrow streets, with Japanese housewives sweeping their front stoops, past soup vendors and small grocery stores, large Buddhist schools behind tall gates, and Shinto shrines. At first I was a curiosity to those who saw me run past, but soon the "regulars" grew accustomed to the tall, curly haired "gai-jin" and we exchanged brief greetings as I ran by. I loved these runs, and I loved praying for the people along each route.

While in Japan, in an effort to be intentional about my life, I made a life list. A list of things I hoped to accomplish, by God's grace, before I died. And one of the items on that list was "run a marathon". I have never shared that with another living soul before now, so this truly is a huge, gut-wrenching confession for me!

Fast forward 20 years from the writing of the life list, and I have never been farther from that goal. Numerous pregnancies (and miscarriages), five children, one c-section, and about 60 pounds later, I am a medium aged, often tired woman with arthritis in my knees. Along about the third baby or so I must have realized that "marathon" was a tad too optimistic so I changed the goal to a 5K. But still, in my present condition, a 5K is a big, big goal. I could walk a 5K today. I don't want to walk it. I want to run it.

This goal truly motivates me. I want to do this. I need to do this. For me. So I am officially in 5K training. I have been walking a mile (or more) most days, with a few interruptions due to sickness, for nearly a month now (I "walk" - and do light aerobics - in my family room to Leslie Sansone videos). I can tell my endurance is growing. I'm thinking just about the time all the remnants of snow finally melt, I will be able to move from walking to jogging. We shall see. If you think of me, please pray that God will help me to persevere. And if you're working on a big goal, please consider sharing it here and I will pray for you too!

Yes, we know how to Par-tay!!!!

This was our rockin' pre Super Bowl party. ;-) The kids watching Monsters, Inc and me konked out with 3 sickies on me.


A 24 hour vomiting bug invaded our home just a few hours after the Pinewood Derby, starting with Little Man. It hit L and C shortly after they'd gone to sleep Saturday night. It was a long, horrible night, but after much laundry, scrubbing of beds and carpet, pajama changes, and trips to the bathroom, L and C's stomachs seemed to finally calm down and my husband and I fell into an exhausted sleep around 4:30 Sunday morning. The other 4 of us seem to have dodged it this time, thankfully.

I did throw on some clothes and run up to church during the worship service to cast my vote for our new teaching pastor ~ I am SO EXCITED that our new teaching pastor was voted in by an overwhelming majority and officially starts his new job TODAY!!! I find him to be a dynamic speaker, but even better, his messages are all based solidly on the truth of God's Word, and he doesn't shy away from "difficult" passages. He is eager to work within our new governance structure (governed by the elder board and not him as the "senior pastor") and seems to be a humble, approachable, man who truly loves and worships the Lord. I am very thankful for God leading him and our church together.

So now that we are on the mend.....did somebody say "party"??!

I Hate....

Cancer.

Hate is a strong word, I know, but I really, really, really, really hate cancer. I'm sure you know, as I do, many people who have both lived and died with cancer. It is all around us. Every week, sometimes more often than that, I learn of someone else who received a cancer diagnosis.

This week, it was someone close to me.

It is crushing. Devastating. It is a whole different world, that I would never want anyone to enter, and yet so many have to. There are enough testimonies out there that the logical part of me realizes it can be an incredible crucible of suffering that changes and shapes a person for good. For God. I know enough Scripture, and I've experienced it personally, to know that God loves each of His children and has good plans for them. Who am I to question His purposes?

And yet, today, I just really, really, really, really hate cancer.

Exercise Accountability Update

I worked out 4 times last week!! Yes, count 'em. FOUR. Whoo-hoo!!! I only walked twice though. The other two times were heavy duty gardening sessions ~ the kind where you turn over a shovel full of dirt, whack it numerous times to break it up, sprinkle on some sand and peat moss from heavy bags in order to amend the soil, and then stir it all up (ie, turn over numerous more times) before crouching to plant seeds. I did this for 3 hours each, two days in a row, and I'm still discovering muscles in my arms that I didn't know I had. So I'm counting it as strength training.

I do hope to actually walk 5 times this week. I haven't made it to 5 times yet, but I'm determined to keep trying!

Exercise Accountability Update

Walking 5 times a week, or even 4 times, remains elusive. But I'm determined to keep trying! I walked 3 times again last week. Shooting again for 4 this week! It may be that I just can't walk 5 times until school is over, but this is our last week so the timing is good. :-)

Any of you willing to walk "with" me today?

p.s. Happy June!

Exercise Accountability Update

Well, I still have lots of room for improvement. Three weeks ago I only walked once. The week after that I walked twice, and last week I walked three times! So perhaps this week I'll walk four times! I know the "busy" excuse is just an excuse, but it's so darn convenient isn't it?

My friend Susan is exercising "with" me (she's exercising too, but we are several states apart) and when we can both run a 5K without collapsing we are going to enter a 5K together. Last week she exercised SIX times!! So the pressure is on. This is a very huge goal for both of us, but I think with dedication it is also realistic. So, pray for me! And for her! And get out of that computer chair and exercise with us!