Sunday Morning Blog Fest

It is a chilly Sunday morning and I am sitting in front of the fireplace in my favorite chair. Very relaxing. I have my coffee and my breakfast (measured and counted) next to me. I feel good. It is so nice to catch up on every one's blogs. I have been behind. I have been blogging now for going on three years. It is amazing how much I have gotten to know people. I miss reading and finding out what is happening in their day to day lives. So I am having a nice, long, unlimited blog fest this morning! Here's my update..

Friday I want to the doctor. He referred to me as "slender" when he was talking about medical conditions. Funny I cannot recall exactly what he was saying - just the slender part! I'd lost 11 pounds since I saw him last. But since I have been focused on my gain from the holidays, and not my overall loss, it was a MAJOR shift in perspective for me. I stopped him and said "slender?" and he went over my weight history, from the highest point and told me I had done what few people are able to do. As far as he is concerned my weight is good where it is and he recommended not losing any more and staying the same. I have decided for now I am happy anywhere in the 150's but prefer the lower 150's and even the upper 140's. He does not consider me overweight and said that a few extra pounds was better than being under - he had a rationale, but I forgot it. It may be the bone loss stuff.

Boy, I needed that one. I floated out of that appointment. It was a celebration of how healthy I am and what I have accomplished. I am having blood work to check my cholesterol and things. I have not had blood work since the weight loss. It will be interesting. My ratio was at the very end of the range at my top weight. But that was because my good cholesterol was high enough to balance the bad, most likely due to exercise. I was right at the brink, though. I have to fast so I will get the blood drawn Monday or Tuesday morning.

The main outcome of the doctor visit was hormones. I am taking them now. A woman at work said something yesterday about it helping her with arthritis. That made me wonder if the arthritis flare up after the accident had any relationship to my drop in estrogen. Anyway, maybe I will get a benefit. Since there is a small weight fluctuation associated with hormones, I am back to tracking and measuring to make sure I know what my food intake is. Like last year when I took the prednisone, I am using this as an opportunity to get back on track. I like my doctor very much. He sat for a long time and discussed various hormone therapies and the risks and benefits. He talked about studies. He looked up costs. It was really nice.

The work week was a roller coaster. At Wednesday's big meeting we all sat together and listened to the general manager drone on about what is best for the company and the customer. I know people were probably thinking about what was best for them and their families, having been told the day before that they would be losing their jobs, but not exactly when. . And at the point of knowing your job is going away, do you really find the new business plan - the one that excludes you - of any interest? It is interesting to me up to a point and then it makes my stomach hurt a little or makes me feel kind of nauseated. But I have spent some time celebrating my own career accomplishments. I started feeling that way when I was putting together a resume. I try to stay positive but sometimes it feels strenuous.

I have been watching my food. I weighed less at the doctor's office fully clothed than I have been weighing at home first thing in the morning with no clothes. I may have lost a couple of pounds. I have not been weighing every day. My last gym visit was Thursday. Friday night I took the kids to the art museum for the evening. There was music, and of course art. That was a nice outing. Daughter brought a friend. Yesterday I took the long trip to see one of my sons. I did not get back until almost 10. So there has not been any exercise time for me so far this weekend. But it has been relaxing. Even the long drive was fairly relaxing except for the trip back which involved large trucks and buses passing me at close range in the falling snow and wind. More than anything my body is telling me I need rest.

I think I need to have a nice long day of relaxing activity. Taking frequent breaks while getting a few things accomplished here and there. I want to focus on things that make me feel positive about life. It is good to be home.