Hello Again

Hi everyone,

I want to show you my progress, although these photos have not been updated for this month since I am in DE now:

I also don't have October in there because October was a very regrettable month...

---

As always the internet here is coming and going. I had a nice day today looking at paint chip colors and wood colors with Derek's mom who is looking for a new look in their home. Here's how everything is coming along:

Goal 1/Weightloss: doing pretty well. I did not eat the pie or the chips hat everyone else was eating. I did have some crackers but not too many... I mostly ate veggies and whole grains today and yesterday. When I get home I am going to go on a very strict elimination diet as recommended by my doctors. So far I am following that diet about 75% of the time but it is hard while staying at another house. I should be home on Tuesday and also back to the gym!

Goal 2/ Pain Management: It has continued to be a very painful week, but now I have permission from my doctors to take my vicodin for pain again. I am much happier now. This is NOT a long term solution and I am hoping that finding the right diet and meds will come next, but for now I do not want to spend most of the day in agonizing pain. So: intense painkillers for me.

Goal 3/ Get a Real Job: ..... well, I am doing a design project for a friend who is in turn going to advertise my skills in her newsletter. She has lots of readers who are trying to start their own business so I have advertised that I can create their logos. Working from home might be an arrangement that works if the pain continues, but I would much rather work in an office because I have social needs!

Goal 4/ Exercise: I miss my gym. I know most people can exercise without a gym, but I am either in a vicodin stupor or in pain now so it is hard for me.

Goal 5/ AIDS ride: I was feeling very pessimistic about this today. For one thing I need a lot of money to fly both my bike and myself to and from CA. I will do my best! If the other goals are met I can do it in time for this one. If it takes a little more time I will still keep this goal until it happens.

Goal 6 (new)/Art: I have a sixth goal which is to do something creative every day, even if it is something small. Today I spent lots of the day looking at color combinations with Mrs. Rennie and that was very healing for me.

That's all folks!

The Past Few Days

Hi everyone,

The internet was down at Derek's parents' house for a few days and my phone doesn't support Blogger for some reason. Thus: I am going to post now.

Goal 1/ Weightloss: I have been well within my calorie limits. Most people around me have been indulging in LOTS of holiday cookies, chocolates, candy, etc. I haven't been strong enough to have zero junk, but I have for instance one half of one cookie instead of eight cookies like I would if I wasn't thinking. And I only have one of these very small treat allowances per day.

Goal 2/ Pain Management: This has been an interesting situation. My pain has been severe for the past few days and I have been stuck in bed. When we went to see the Hobbit I decided that I did want to go and took my vicodin, because that is the only one that works. I was told not to take vicodin regularly because it makes IBS worse. I have been calling my doctors' office to ask for a good pain medication that will not make my IBS worse. They wound up calling me back and recommending I stay with vicodin for now but take lots and lots of laxatives. So... that's the very tenative plan...

Goal 3/ Job: Looking at the job listings and working on what should change on my resume due to my last job

Goal 4/ Exercise: Nothing :( I have been in a lot of pain and it is too rainy and frigid to go for a walk. I tried some sit ups but that was too painful because of my irritated intestines. I am really looking forward to getting back to my gym!

Goal 5/ AIDS ride: Also nothing, except continuing to pursue a pain management strategy and trying to figure out what I have.

Yep... thats all for now. I wish I had something more positive to report but I have been feeling extremely lousy.

in re 12/25/2012

Hi everyone!

I know I missed posting yesterday and I'm sorry!! That evening and night I was basically immobilized with pain so I was staying in bed. I tried to post using my phone but for some reason I was not able to type on the phone.

Well: Christmas at the Rennies' went pretty well in terms of my health. I consumed about 200 calories more than usual but that just bumps it from 1200 to 1400, which is still reasonable for Christmas. I stayed away from the pecan pie and other things I know would make me feel sicker. I did have one, single solitary chocolate, and that may very well be why I was in so much pain later in the day... the pain was intense at one particular point in the abdomen and made it hard for me to walk without the assistance of Derek.

I also don't know what I should do for exercise here. It is extremely cold and rainy outside and there is no exercise stuff inside. Today I will try to do some body-resistance exercise work.

My goals for 2013 are:

1. Get to 150 pounds. I was 210 pounds in July and I am now at about 183. My healthy weight for my BMI is at about 158, so if I am at 150 I have some room should an emergency occur or I need a medication that causes me to gain a few pounds. The transformation in my body so far already feels great! I feel lighter and (when not in immobilizing pain) more agile.

2. Figure out my pain situation. So far I have been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis and irritable bowel syndrome, and my doctors think I may also have endometriosis. Seems like a lot of things to spring up all at once (the pain has been going on since October), but apparently it isn't uncommon for a flare in one problem to cause you to feel the other problems. In any case, it seems like I now have a chronic pain condition and I will need to treat it with changes in my diet and the right medication. Right now the medicine is tricky because the only things that make me feel less pain are narcotics, but I am not supposed to take them anymore because they can cause constipation. I also have OTHER pills that counteract the constipation... oh well I'm trying to follow dr's orders and lay off my Vicodin. I wasn't specifically forbidden to use my dilaudin in case of emergency, but it causes extremely violent and disturbing nightmares - really a different category of nightmare altogether that seems to be drawn from the place in the brain where my deepest fears are. So... I am still not sure how to manage my pain.

3. Get a real job! One with benefits and a salary, and one that suits my interests and will be a stepping stone into my career. My career advisor says I should make sure my pain is under control first and foremost, so that I know what to tell my interviewers. Still, this is an important priority!

4. Exercise six days a week. Exercising and weight loss should help me with pain if indeed it is chronic. Also it will balance my hormones and make me think more clearly, and boost my mood. Exercising is good for me, plain and simple, and I want a healthy body and mind.

5. If Possible: AIDS ride. I am registered to participate in the AIDS ride in June, and I was really really looking forward to it! I have been using the recumbent bike at the gym for my main source of exercise, and I enjoy it. Whether or not I can accomplish this ride in 2013 seems to depend on whether I achieve my other goals - can I manage my pain on such a ride? Will I be physically strong enough? Will I have the funds to buy a real recumbent bike and fly both it and myself to California? Will the job I have allow for such a break? These are factors I will try my best to pull together. If in spite of my best efforts I am too sick or not in the right place to make this ride in 2013 then I will definitely do so in 2014.

These are my goals! I will post as to whether I am getting closer to accomplishing them each day. Thank you for reading and commenting!

12/24/2012

Hello! This is my new blog, inspired by my lovely Aunt Roberta's weight loss blog. She has lost over seventy pounds, and she posted a daily blog of her progress and plans. I think this kind of public accountability would help me reach my goals too.

I think I am going to simply invite friends and family to view this blog.. I'm not sure I'm ready to put it on facebook every day. My blog will be about both my weight loss plans and my plan to manage interstitial cystitis and IBS, two chronic pain disorders I have been diagnosed with. My overall goal is to be a healthy weight, energetic, and with as little pain as possible so that I can be happier and more productive.

I will be updating soon...