My Journey Back to health January 18-24

Monday January 18th, 2010

Oh goody....3.8 lbs lost this week. That's very encouraging and maybe getting on the treadmill is the reason. I didn't walk a lot, but I did walk.

So, my total is now 29.3 lbs after 3 months of Optifast. This week I did have a few times where I almost gave it up on the program.  I wanted a bowl of popcorn for some unknown reason. I couldn't get the craving out of my mind...but I didn't act on it. I went to bed instead with a copy of Twilight.  The thing that really helps me is looking at the amount of money I've spent on the program and their protein bars and shakes.

I was able to get into a pair of slacks and a blouse I haven't worn in a long time, so I am seeing some changes. The problem is I see myself every day and it's not easy to see the weight loss. It must be spread out along every inch of me...although I will say that I notice that the layer of fat under my scalp is almost gone. I remember my sister Sherry telling me, when we were going to weight watchers together, that she knew she was losing weight because her scalp was thinner. Now I know what she meant.

I am having a few problems, but I'm not sure if they are related to the diet, age or just my overall karma....but I'm losing a lot of hair and I'm suffering from insomnia again.
I can go to bed at let's say 1:00 am and just lay there until 6:00 am. I keep thinking that I'll fall asleep, but every time I look at the clock it's an hour or so later but I'm still up. Luckily I don't have anywhere to go in the mornings, but it is maddening. If I had to go to a job it would be almost impossible to function.

The hair loss is expected I guess on the program, because they weren't very concerned about it at all. So, I'm not going to worry about it.

The other good news is that the weather has warmed up. It got into the 60's today.


Friday, January 22nd

I'm bundled up again...enough of this COLD.  We had 2 days up in the 60's and 70's and then the cold blew back in.

I'm posting the link to our house that is for sale here in SC. I can't move to Florida until we sell so.... TAKE A LOOK....please!
http://morganalexadesigns.blogspot.com/2009/01/check-out-my-link-for-pictures-of-our.html

I'm hoping to sell by owner to avoid the 6-7% real estate fee. We did list it last year with Prudential, but I don't think they did anything I can't do for myself.  Matter of fact, they never even held an open house, which was the main reason I hired them.

Even though most buyers start looking on the internet, I think an open house couldn't hurt. As soon as the weather breaks, I'm going to do open houses on my own.

*******************************************************************

Check out this site where Dale and Jenn got the newest member of their family.
http://www.coastalgsr.org/  
They rescued the second dog on the page named Leera. Such a cute puppy who despatately needs Jenn's help with her horrible injury. There is a special place in hell for people who harm animals and a special place in heaven for those who rescue them.

Here is Leera with Libby, they are getting along just fine.

Sleep without fear puppy, you are in good hands now.

My journey back to health 11-9-09 t0 11-15-09

Monday, November 9th
I lost 2.8 pounds this week. Is it a sin to round it up so it sounds better???

I knew it would be less than last week… so I’m happy but a tad disappointed too.

I spent $100.00 toward the plan fee and bought 10 Chocolate pre-made shakes for $35.00. Oh, and $1.35 for a bottle of Dasani Grape flavored water. Who’d of thought that I’d be buying water... that’s the height of laziness, but it’s so convenient.

I have to admit that buying the pre-made shakes is a real convenience and they are smoother than the ones I mix in the blender. I can get them colder than the mix too.

I also had a meeting with the behaviorist. Since I know myself so well I think I surprised her. Most of the hour I had her in stitches talking about my family.

I had about an hour to kill before my group meeting so I went to the $ store. I guess the holidays are right around the corner huh? I bought a few glasses to put my shakes in…they have snowflakes on them…time to get into the spirit of the season.

Tuesday November 10th
After yesterday’s weigh-in I started walking. I know, I know…I didn’t get the OK from my doctor. That hopefully will happen on Friday when I see her.

I figured if I monitor my oxygen saturation with my pulsox, and keep it above 90, I shouldn’t croak. I ended up walking for 15 minutes on my treadmill.

That’s all I could do without pushing it. Tomorrow’s another day…if I can get out of bed!

You know, when I was healthy, back in 2006, I was walking 2.5 miles per hour at a 5 degree incline…without oxygen. Oh I pray I can get back to that again.

Wednesday, November 11th
Today Wayne took me to get my blood work done for the Optifast program. I have one more to do in December.

We went to Michael’s….50% off one item…couldn’t pass that up; then off to Wal-Mart for some more stuff to put in my water. The Wal-Mart brand is really pretty good and a lot cheaper than Chrystal Light.

Wayne found a bottle of Chocolate syrup (sugar free) so I’ll try it with the vanilla shake. Vanilla is one flavor that I can’t seem to get tasting good. If the chocolate doesn’t work I may have to mix ½ a vanilla with ½ a chocolate shake. Help...I’m running out of ideas!

The last place we stopped was Publix…had to get some yummy ham for the dog. Yep…the dog gets ham. Wrapping his night time pill in a slice is the only way to get him to take it.

I walked again tonight. I cranked my oxygen up to 5 liters per minute. It’s ok… the doctor at the Cleveland Clinic said 5 was good if I was exercising.

Here’s an interesting fact about oxygen therapy. The oxygen is not for my breathing. Really, it’s for my heart and brain. When I was having trouble with my “brain”… or old age, I’m not sure which… the doctor said to wear the oxygen more. So, I thought it would improve my Phase-10 scores with Brian but…. Nooooooooooo...he still beats me every time!

Back to exercise…tonight I did .6 miles in 30 minutes. I was turning the speed up and down as I could tolerate it. OK I’ll admit it…I did stop it one time for about 15 seconds.

So, what more can I do? No food and exercising… I should be a twig in no time!!!

Wayne has been so helpful. The other day, he was going to make fried shrimp, one of my favorites, and he cooked it in the garage so it didn’t tempt me. He has trail mix hidden in his bedroom. He also buys stuff that I wouldn’t eat if it was the last food on earth…like head cheese and spinach bread…yuck! That’s my man!

Thursday, November 12th

Wayne and I watched Pelham 123 the original. The storyline was basically the same as the new one and I was really surprised at the swearing in the movie. I didn’t think they said those words in movies back then. Oh well…we liked it but I liked the new one better.

Today I didn’t walk on the treadmill. My knees are a little sore. I didn’t wear walking shoes and I’m paying the price. What did I wear you ask...why slippers of course.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my doctor…hopefully my echo cardiogram is good enough so I can start working out. If not, I’ll have to cancel my membership because I know Wayne won’t go if I can’t. I’ll let you know tomorrow…wish me luck!

Friday, November 13th

What a great day!  My doctor signed the form to let me work out at the Y.

My echocardiogram was the best it’s been in 4 years. When I was really sick, back in 2005, my ejection fraction was 30%. The test I had last week shows it at 60%.
That is really, really good news.

All labs were good too so I have no excuse not to get off my butt and start getting this body back in shape.

Today was the last broadcast day for three of my favorite TV shows. Tru TV (used to be Court TV) took Ashleigh Banfield, Jack Ford and Jamie Floyd off the daytime court shows because they are moving the show from NY to Atlanta. Tru TV is owned by CNN who has made some really bad decisions in the last couple of years. They went from informational programming to this reality “crap”. They have completely ruined the station IMHO. Although the programs continue they will have different hosts and who knows what else will change.

I’m really sick about it as I loved watching real court cases. I’ve watched court TV since it became popular back during the OJ trial. I’ve learned enough to be able to understand Brian and Dale when they talk about the law.

Today I watched 7 episodes of Flashforward. Brian told me it was a good show so Tivoed it but never watched it.  Boy...once I started...I couldn't stop. It was like watching 24...I couldn't wait until the next scene.  Like 24, it moves pretty fast and kept me on the edge of my seat.  So, what's up with the kangaroos?


Sunday, November 15th
I’ve spent the last few days making a ton of zipper pulls and earrings. Next Saturday a few friends and I are having a Holiday Bazaar at my house. We’re all members of etsy and sell our handmade items online. So we thought, why not get together, bring our stuff and invite our friends, families and neighbors to come and possible do some holiday shopping.

Here's a link to the flyer I put together. Feel free to come if you live in the upstate.
Upstate Holiday Bazaar

Today was a special day for my three granddaughters. David bought them all tickets for the Miley Cirus concert in downtown Cleveland. David is so thoughtful, he originally bought the tickets for Kim, Morgan, Madison and himself…but decided to let Alexa go in his place. Then to make the night extra special for the girls, he surprised them and hired a limo to take them. When they went to pick up Alexa, Brian told her Miley was in the limo. They all went out to dinner before the concert so Chase and Mason got to ride to the restaurant in the limo with the girls. What a wonderful, sweet and loving thing to do. David…you ROCK!

David left his truck at work so the limo driver dropped him off to get it…then David killed about 4 hours then went back to pick the girls up.

Here is a picture of the girls at the concert. Kim is there with them so don’t freak out!
Someone had to take the picture.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DALE AND JENN

Tomorrow I weigh in again. It’s been three weeks since I started this journey and I simply can’t believe I’ve gone three weeks without one bit of real food. Isn’t it amazing what you can do with a little motivation???

My journey back to health October 26 to November 1

Sunday, November 1

Tomorrow is the big day…my first weigh-in. I really did a great job with the meal plan and didn’t cheat one time!

Saturday, October 31

Another quiet day at the Colemans. Wayne spent the day watching college football and I spent the day freaking out because my computer acted up. I was sure I lost everything. I was on the internet and wanted to open a Word document. Word hung up and I couldn’t open or close the program. I even brought up the Task Master and couldn’t get out of word there either. One of my really bad character traits is my inability to be patient so after a few minutes I restarted the computer.

As that was being done I saw that Windows Update was attempting to install 2 new downloads. So I patiently (for me) waited until the 2 downloads were installed. Then the computer continues to shut down. That damn little blue circle went round and round and round and round…nothing was happening. By this time my heart was racing and I didn’t know what to do. So…I held down the off button until the computer shut off.

The next hour was not pretty. To make a long story short…I finally got everything working by restoring my system to a point about two weeks ago. OMG I thought I was going to have a stroke.

As soon as the net was up and running I went to Carbonite and bought a year subscription to their backup software. I’ve been meaning to do that for a few weeks and did some research on the products available. I couldn’t decide between Carbonite and Mozy. I went with Carbonite because it’s rated the best by Kim Komando on her site and on nextadvisor too. It will take hours for the site to backup my files but once the initial backup is done it continues in the background updating any new or changed files.

I got a little creative with my shakes today. I have to find a way to make the vanilla palatable or I’m going to have a bunch of expensive white powder to get rid of. For my first shake I cut the water back to 6 ounces and added two tablespoons of the caramel syrup to the mix. Instead of blending the ice with it, I just poured the mixture over a glassful of ice. In this way the amount I had to drink was less and I think using ice cubes actually made the drink colder than if I crushed it into the shake. The next one I made the same way but instead of caramel I put the raspberry syrup in the mix. I also had two protein bars… that makes 4 meals for today. I’m supposed to have 6, but I’m just not hungry.

I’m surprising myself by drinking 64 oz of water a day. I’ve never been a water drinker but I’m determined to follow the program to a T. Crystal Light is a great product to make water actually tasty.

On a lighter note:
Every night Wayne gives griffin a piece of ham with a pill in it. It's a treat for the dog and it's the only way we can sneak the pill past his tongue. Tonight Wayne left the ham out on the kitchen sink. When I went in to make my shake I unconsciously reached out for the ham. I stopped myself before I actually took a piece, but I found it funny how I just did it without thinking. I've got some really bad habits to break in the coming weeks.

Hope you all had a great Halloween…. Mine was candy free for the first time EVER!

 Friday, October 30
I had my Cardiac Ultrasound this afternoon and on the way home stopped by our veterinarian about Griffin (our 17 year old mutt). When Dale and Jenn were here, Dale found a lump on Griffin and Jenn said it looked like melanoma. So, I scheduled him for surgery on Monday to have it removed. There’s not much we can do except remove it and hope it hasn’t spread.

I was able to get in 2 shakes and 3 protein bars today. I’m not feeling hungry at all which I really find surprising. I thought I’d be starving but that’s not the case at all. If anything, it’s hard to get 6 meals in at all. I seem to be only able to do 5 a day but I think that’s what I start next week anyway. The first week is supposed to be 6 meals because they don’t want you to be hungry at all. Having the meals spaced 2 ½ - 3 hours apart keeps your blood sugar at a good level…no real highs no real lows. It must be working….


Tomorrow is Halloween and we are NOT having candy in the house. We’ll turn off all the lights so no one comes begging. Truth is, we’ve been here 5 years and haven’t had one single trick or treater. Of course that didn’t stop me from buying Snickers, Bit O Honey, and other goodies…knowing full well that I would get to eat them.


Thursday, October 29th

Not much to report today except that I got through another day. I’m having a little problem getting down the vanilla shakes. I’ve tried mixing in both the caramel and the raspberry syrup and it’s pretty bad. I did get one strawberry and one chocolate down.


The problem is I bought two boxes of the vanilla shakes. I’ll keep trying to find something to mix in. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to let me know.

Wednesday, October 28th

Another day over and I made it with NO CHEATING! Really, I can’t believe it myself.

I couldn’t do the three shakes… I had the chocolate powder this morning mixed with one once of caramel syrup. It was pretty good and I blended a ton of ice into it. It took me 45 minutes to finish it. I sure do miss my hot tea in the morning (or when I get up for those of you who know me, I don’t crawl out of bed until late morning). I can’t drink tea without milk so I just decided not to have it at all. I looked up in the cupboard and saw that Wayne has 6 boxes of Lipton tea bags in my stash; I hope they’re still good when I start drinking it again.

Later in the day I made a strawberry shake and I didn’t care for it very much. The one I had yesterday was premixed and I thought it was good. Maybe I need to blend a little longer next time. In between the two shakes I had 3 of the protein bars. That’s 5 meals for the day…but I should be doing 6.

The Lemon Meringue bars are awesome! My grandma used to make lemon meringue pie every time I spent the night at her house. So…I think of her and remember all the good times we had. She would take me on the bus from Nelson Avenue to downtown Cleveland. We’d go to the basement of the May Company and have a malted milkshake and always bought me licorice from a small candy store on Cleveland Square. Now that I’m a grandma I so appreciate all she did for me and how special she made me feel. You know what??? My grandchildren all call me Grandma Licorice… How cool is that?


Tuesday, October 27th
I was up early this morning so I could go to the doctor with Wayne. He had a couple of old people’s barnacles frozen off his back, chest and forehead. It didn’t hurt me a bit!


In addition he had an A1C because his glucose numbers are slowly getting higher. As a result, he’s now going onto diabetic medication.

What I bought today:

While we were out I did some more shopping. I went to the World Market to get some syrup to add to my Optifast shakes. I picked up a large bottle of Caramel and a tiny bottle of Raspberry. I’ll give them a try in the next shake I fix.


A stop at Nutritional Solutions was necessary because I need some of the protein bars. Originally I was just going to go straight liquids, but I tried a couple of the bars yesterday and they were pretty good. The brand is Health Wise not Optifast. They are going to phase out this brand so I figured I best get loaded up before they are gone. I got 3 boxes: Lemon meringue, Cinnamon Raisin and Double Chocolate. The price however about put me into cardiac arrest. Each box has 7 bars and the price I paid was $16.99 which works out to $2.42 a bar. My total spent on the bars was $50.97.


Since I’ve never bought supplement bars I have no idea if that is price is good or not. Does anyone know? I’m going to google the brand and see if I can get them cheaper online. I think a look on ebay might be in order too.

Wal-Mart was our next stop. I got 3 boxes of Chrystal Light drink mix @ $2.50 each and one box of an off brand for $1.79. Colace was on my list so I found a generic brand for $3.78.  So all in all I spent another $73.99 on things to help me stay on this program.

I was able to get in 2 shakes and 3 protein bars. I really like the protein bars and could probably just get by with them. Unfortunately, I’m only supposed to have 2 per day.


I went online and tried to find these Health Wise protein bars that I like so much. The company only sells them to weight loss centers. I did find some other brand that looks promising for $9.99 a box of 7. That sure beats the $16.99 a box I paid today.


You know if I spend all this money on the shakes, I won’t have any left to buy new clothes. I certainly hope I have that dilemma.

Tomorrow I’m going to do at least 3 shakes and add the Torani Syrups I bought.


Monday, October 26th

The group meeting:
The first thing I did was go to the Group meeting at 10:00... can u believe I was up and functioning that early?? The topic was "body image". Mine's not too hot right now. I enjoyed the presentation and got to talk with a few people. There were a few average weight people there, so I see that the program works.

Vital Signs: I weighed in, had my BP taken (120/70), had a Body Composition Analysis and an ECG.

Meeting with Dr. Browne:
I really liked her and we talked about my history, meds, labs, tests and then she explained the program she wants for me.

History:
There is nothing in my history or my current health that prevents me from doing this program. I was a little worried that all the meds I take might be an issue but... NOT SO...yeah!

Lab work:
The good news is that my HDL (good cholesterol) is great @ 84. But, as I expected, my cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol results were all high.

The shocking lab results were my glucose and AIC results were both high.
Holy crap!!!! That means I'm heading toward diabetes if I don't get this weight off. It's ironic that I didn't mind when students practiced venipuncture on me in class... I used to come home with bruises all up and down my hands and arms. I believed that they needed to have a "real" person to stick not one of those plastic arms. Now, if there is a chance that I'd have to give myself insulin shots...I'm freakin' out. NOT GONNA HAPPEN... when I lose this weight the numbers should drop into the normal range.

I was impressed with the amount of lab done. It was really comprehensive and even included a full thyroid panel with TSH, T4,T3 uptake and Free thyroid index.

Another nice thing was that I received a copy of all the tests without even having to ask. Now I can take them to my doctor in a few weeks.

ECG:
I am happy to report that this was normal. I've had myocarditis in the past and always look for my T-waves to be inverted. Now THAT would NOT BE GOOD!

Body Composition Analysis:
OMG...These numbers are embarrassing. I know I'm overweight (OK FAT) but I sure hate to see real numbers, ranges and percentages that prove it. So, my Body Mass Index (BMI) puts me in the World Health Organization classification at Grade II Obesity (there's only one grade that's higher than that). Fat % should be 36% and I'm at 50%. No wonder I floated in the pool at Captiva. I just bounced along sitting on my purple noodle like a fishing bobber. Fat Mass is 112 - the desired number at the top of the range is 62. So what have I learned???? I have a lot of work to do and I'm ready to do it! Also, my hydration level was at 36%... I don't drink enough water. This too shall change.

Pedometer:
Yep, I bought one. I need to put it on in the morning and take it off at night. Right now Dr. Brown agrees that I shouldn't get into an exercise program for a few weeks. But, I can keep track of the # of steps I take in a day, eventually working up to 10,000. "Do pigs fly yet?" Naw...just kidding, I know I can get there. I just have to be realistic and build up to it. So, I put it on after I got home at about 1:00 pm. So far today I walked 409 steps. Most of them were trotting (literally) to the bathroom since I already drank 48 oz of water and had a couple of shakes. Janet at the center showed me her pedometer at about noon...she had over 5,000 already today. Oh yes, I have a lot of work to do.

What I paid today:
$100.00 towards my enrollment fee.

$39.99 for the pedometer

$29.99 for a 30 day supply of a fiber additive. I imagine I can get it cheaper or use Benefiber instead, but it was there...on the shelf...calling me. You're right, I was too lazy (and tired) to go to the store. Anyway, this stuff is colorless, odorless and GRITLESS... I mixed a dose with a Strawberry Shake and really didn't taste it at all. OK, back to what I spent... So that's $1.00/day to ward of constipation which can be a problem on Optifast. Darn, I was looking forward to chewing the bark off a tree. I also have to get some Colace and keep the ExLax handy. Sorry...too much information huh?

Optifast: I need to have 6 meals a day during this first week. So, I bought 5 boxes of the powdered shakes @ 20.49 per box. 2 chocolate, 2 vanilla and 1 strawberry. Some of the women gave me hints for increasing the tastiness of the shakes by adding flavoring. They were so helpful... thanks ladies!

I had a coupon for $100.00 off the drinks and $5.00 off the pedometer. Drum roll please.... the total paid today was $175.09 including tax.

What I had today
1 strawberry shake, 1 chocolate shake, 1 Double Chocolate Bar, 1 Cinnamon Raisin bar (these were given to me to try when I signed up and were not Optifast bars. They were actually pretty good, I'm going to see if I can buy more)

My journey began today and I survived it.

It's almost midnight and I still have to drink at least one more shake and another 16 oz of water.

Feelings:
Overall I had a great day. I met some very nice women. One in particular really made my day....I was paying for my food and Kim, a lady I talked to in the hall while waiting to see the doctor, came over and handed me a paper with her phone number on it. Wasn't that a nice thing to do???? She invited me to call her anytime.

When I got home I sat down and explained everything to Wayne. He is still a little skeptical about my commitment to really do this. I can't blame him because I've said I was going to do things in the past and my resolve only lasted a few days.  I really feel that this time I will change in my life and I will be successful. I have to do it for me and for my health.

I have to admit that I thought about the ice cream in the freezer and the hot fudge in the refrigerator. I had these thoughts "no one would know", "I can wash the bowl so Wayne won't know", "I'll really start this diet tomorrow", "I'll have a small bowl"... and guess what??? I DIDN"T ACT ON THEM.

My journey back to health

Preparation... 10-16-09 to 10-24-09

I am keeping a journal here on my blog of my journey to better health through weight loss and exercise. I'll start a new post every week and do a running log for that week only. That way, if you're following me, the most recent week will be at the top and you won't have to scan through old posts to find it.

My feelings and thoughts, in addition to helping me, may encourage someone else to take control of their own life. I've always tried to find the easy way out or a quick fix to problems... this time I realize there is no quick fix and I'm ready to accept that and finally get moving in the right direction. My hope is that I can stick to my program because talking about it will keep me focused.

10-16-09

This is me...Sandy...this picture was taken in May of 2009

This is Wayne and me in 2006. I was about 160 lbs and feeling pretty good. It's my goal, to get back to this weight. I was on a pretty high dose of prednisone at the time so my face is full due to the side effects.

The lights of my life...my grandchildren.

Time for a little story I was staying at David & Kim's house earlier this summer...Morgan and Madison were heading off to bed. They had a candy bar or some sort of candy on the kitchen table. Morgan kissed everyone goodnight and started up to bed with the candy. Kim said, "Morgan, leave that on the table" to which she replied, "But grandma will eat it!" I nearly peed my pants laughing...out of the mouth of babes. This was a real "moment" for me because she was right...I probably would have.

A little background information:
I’m 62, have emphysema and need to lose weight and get into a healthy state of mind or I won’t be around to enjoy my family and grandchildren. I realize that I have got to make some serious changes in my life now. I decided to commit to a weight loss program and an exercise program before it's too late.

I had a dream job, as a college instructor doing what I always dreamed of doing…teaching radiology…my profession… at the college level.

I started teaching as an adjunct professor in 1990 at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Fl. In order to get a position as an instructor I had to get a college degree. So, in 1990 at the age of 43 I went to USF. It took me 9 years (I worked full time as an x-ray technologist, taught as an adjunct and went to college). I received my M.Ed. in Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development and went on to a part time position at Polk Community College in Winter Haven, Fl. In 2000 I moved into a full time position as the Clinical Coordinator in the Radiography Program at Greenville Technical College in Greenville, SC. I worked for 5 years until I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks with MRSA and an exacerbation of my pulmonary disease. I was really in bad shape at that time and had to take four months off from teaching. In April I returned to the classroom and attempted to keep up the pace of teaching, doing clinical visits and all the extra committees and meetings required of the teaching staff.

In October of 2005 I began a downward spiral…to this day I don’t know what triggered it, but I assume it was because I couldn’t keep up with my responsibilities as an instructor due to my failing health. About this time I was put on oxygen with exertion. How embarrassing that was to drag that tank with me. I also was on a nebulizer every 4 hours.

The changes came on gradually, but brutally. I couldn’t eat or sleep and was just on my last nerve every minute of the day. I went to my pulmonologist begging to be put into the hospital. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I had a nervous breakdown because I couldn’t cope. I finally went to the emergency room and insisted on being admitted or being put onto something to help me calm down. Finally I was give medications to calm me down and help me sleep. I lasted until December 5th, 2005 when I had to quit my beloved job and go on disability retirement. I did it to myself through smoking and now I was going to pay for it. I began to gain control of my life after a few months and decided to look into new procedures available for COPD sufferers and found a research study at Cleveland Clinic.

The study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the IBV Valve System for the treatment of severe emphysema. The research was experimental to help patients with acute and chronic conditions of the lung. As a believer in research I was thrilled to get into the selected group and to participate. An additional incentive is the fact that two of my sons live in the Cleveland area so I had free room and board too! I really worked hard to get into shape so the company would accept me into the study. I lost 50 pounds and went into pulmonary rehab at St Francis Hospital. Wayne and I went three times a week from January until June. I was up to walking on the treadmill for 50 minutes at a speed of 2.5 miles per hour. In addition I was working on machines to strengthen my muscles, especially chest muscles used for breathing. I was really proud of my accomplishments.I went into Cleveland Clinic in June, 2009 and had the surgery. Here is a link to the research information http://spiration.com/ the valves didn't work for me and I had to have them removed after about a month.
At this point I think I gave up on myself and lost hope. I quit going to rehab and started to gain my weight back. I lost sight of the fact that my illness was progressive but that my quality of life depended on being a healthy weight and being as fit as possible.

My wake up call...
This summer I spent months with my sons and grandchildren in Ohio. The limitations I experienced were almost overwhelming. Even small trips out to the store or to a park were nearly impossible. In October we took a trip to Captiva, Fl with my brother and I had a rude awakening about my deteriorating health. Thank goodness he brought along a golf cart to help me get around the resort. I could hardly function at all. Walking just a few feet in the heat nearly put me into respiratory arrest. I couldn’t catch my breath and would have to stop doing whatever I was doing and rest until I could breathe again.

Denial bit me in the ass….I took a good look at myself a few weeks ago and saw how much my health has deteriorated. I have gained all my weight back....plus about 20. I can't walk across the room let alone a mile and my breathing is getting worse. I'm on oxygen at 2 liters at night, but find that I need it during the day if I'm attempting to do anything around the house. Getting dressed is a major feat and taking a shower exhausts me for hours. So it’s decision time… I either have to take charge of my life and get back in control or… continue on this downward spiral until my health is completely gone.

The hardest part is getting started...
Today I signed up at Nutritional Solutions in Greenville for help with weight loss. The program I chose is 9 weeks with doctor supervision. The 21 week program is still open to me, but I want to make sure I can do it before I commit to 21 weeks. The cost was $949.50 of which I paid $249.00 down and owe $100.00/week for 7 weeks. I saved $250.00 because there is a special on now with 1/2 off the down payment fee. It's usually $499.00. I received a notebook and program information, a lab form to have blood work done, a bag full of the products to try before I buy and an appointment with the doctor for October 26th. I can't start the program until I see the doctor and she goes over my history and the labs. I'm feeling positive about this because I know after I lose about 20 lbs. I will be able to get back into exercise. I also joined the Y and will begin once I get the OK from the doctor. I decided to blog about my journey, hoping that I’ll stay on track if I write down what I'm doing as I go along.

I will probably write a new post each week and put the most recent post at the top of my blog. We’ll see how it goes…this is a work in progress.My sweet hubby Wayne is very supportive and will probably join me on this journey. He’s in excellent health for his age of 81 and I might need his help getting around to the different meetings and appointments. So, when I talk about Wayne…you’ll know who he is…

And now it begins......

Tuesday 10-20-09

Tomorrow I'm going to go for my lab work and then see the doctor on Monday.

I finally got my flu shot today. Since I have to attend weekly meetings on this program I sure don't want to catch anything. The flu would probably put me in the hospital...thank goodness for hand cleaners. Now if everyone would just cover their mouths when they cough...ahem...

We went to Sam's and bought a blender to mix the Optifast powders. I think that they are cheaper than the pre-made ones.

My friend has just gone through gastric bypass surgery and is having a hard time getting enough protein down. She's an inspiration to me because if she can take that drastic step I certainly should be able to stick to a program for 9 weeks.

Time to taste the Optifast

The vanilla pre-made drink took me about an hour to drink. Not the best taste (doesn't compare with a MacDonald’s shake) but palatable.

I tried their berry bar and their peanut butter bar. They gave me samples to taste before I buy an item. Each is 170 calories and can be substituted for a meal. I finished the Berry one, but the peanut butter one got pitched. I have one more to try, it's the chocolate bar and I'm saving that for Sunday.

Wednesday 10-21-09

A visit to the YMCA...
Wayne and I started the day at the YMCA checking out the facility. It has a large pool with lap lanes. Problem for me is that the chlorine smell was overwhelming and I wouldn’t be able to stay in that environment for very long. As we get into a routine, I need to find out when they chlorinate and avoid those times. There is also a sauna and a hot tub. They don’t provide towels or locks for the lockers.

The exercise room was much smaller than I expected, but had three huge TV screens and they had Nancy Grace playing on a TV in the lobby….my kind of place.

A visit to the lab...
After the Y we went to Spectra lab in Mauldin. That’s where Nutrition Solutions has an account.

Thursday 10-22-09

Wayne and I went to the Y today for an orientation on the machines. Jeremy showed us how to use every machine but we can’t see the personal trainer until we get medical clearance from our doctors. In my case that’s two of them, my internist-Dr. Bray and my Pulmonologist-Dr. Hollinger. Why do they make it so difficult to get into an exercise program???? Come on guys… I’m not trying to run a marathon after all.

I made an appointment with Dr. Bray for tomorrow and I’m hoping that my pulmonologist, who saw me last week, will fill out the form without needing another appointment.

Friday 10-23-09

It looks like I won’t be going to the Y for a few weeks at least. The doctor wants me to have a few tests before she’ll sign off on the Medical Clearance Form. I need an echocardiogram and some more labs. I swear if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all…. My recheck with her is on Friday the 13th of November… hope that’s not an indication of things to come…

Wayne’s doctor filled out his form and already faxed it to the Y.

I will start the Optifast 800 on Monday regardless and will begin to walk on the treadmill here at home.

Saturday 10-24-09

Today I had lunch with Norma (bannercelebrations) , Hazel (nascarnanna) and Rosemary (minniemaes) who are members of my SC etsy street team. We try to get together once a month to talk about etsy and how our shops are doing. It's great to network with others trying to sell their handmade items on-line. We decided to get together again in November at my house for a Holiday Bazaar where members can bring their items to sell and invite family and friends to shop. Sounds like a great idea to me! Since I'm always looking for something to organize, this is right up my alley.

Sunday 10-25-09

Today is a gloomy day in SC, but I feel pretty good. Beginning in the morning I won't have to worry anymore about what to eat. Meals (drinks) will be lined up in my frig... what will I choose??? vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?