Thank you all so much for checking up on me. You are all truly wonderful people.
I went to a local "urgent care" type place on Friday afternoon. I am now on some serious meds for a sinus infection. Just as I suspected. I am FINALLY starting to feel human again, so the meds must be working! I no longer want to just sit and stare or lay around and sleep. I tell you, that is such a scary feeling when you've been through serious bouts of depression where you feel like that. To feel yourself falling back into that pattern again is something you never want to do and someplace you never want to go.
Needless to say, I've not been on my game as far as the journey to better health is concerned. No exercise for a week, and pretty much eating what I want. I'm sure the scale isn't going to be my friend this week. But I'll own it and start back on my journey. Not every week can be a stellar week. And there are always bumps in the road, including getting sick. It's all just a part of life. How we choose to deal with those bumps, and how we recover from them when they are past is what speaks to our character. It's the true test of our strength.
Again, thank you all so much. You probably don't know it, but each and every one of you gives me strength.
Well, I'm back at work today, but I'm still feeling yucky. I'm thinking the weekend brought on a Sinus Infection due to being outside for so long with the pollen and the campfire smoke, combined with the not sleeping.
If I don't feel better by the weekend I'll head to an urgent care type place and get some antibiotics. I haven't felt this crummy since I don't remember when. But I'm going to give my body the rest it needs, at least until this weekend, and not push myself to get to the gym.
Nothing fun or exciting to report. Sorry I'm such a downer right now. I hope to return you to your regularly scheduled Gellis Blog shortly!
Check my photo album! I've uploaded a few pictures from the weekend into a new photo album. And if you'd like to see more, contact me privately and I'll be glad to send you the link to my entire album.
Some of my less serious observations from the weekend: DH laced me into my bodice, and I kept waiting for that moment when he starts tightening it and I can no longer breath as deeply. That moment didn't come. I kept waiting for the moment when it was tight enough for me to "fluff the girls", and that moment also didn't come. He said, "Ok, you're all done!" and I said, "No I'm not!" There was NO cleavage and the amount of excess room in the front was unreal. So DH and S had to tighten up the laces on the sides of the bodice. Each side had a gap of 1 to 1 1/2 inch, and when they finished there was no gap at all on either side, or at the back. And still the bodice wasn't tight enough. It was serviceable, and I was able to achieve a little cleavage, but it certainly wasn't a proper fit. This is a good news, bad news situation. It's great, because it's validation that my body has changed immensely!!! But it's bad because it's expensive to get new bodices made. I think I have a couple that were made a 1/2 size smaller than the one I wore this weekend, so I might be able to adjust them to a more proper fit. We'll find out at the end of May, when the ren. faire season begins.
Also, in looking at the pictures from the weekend for the first time, I seriously didn't recognize myself. I mean, I know my face, and I knew what I was wearing and all that. But...I had that "Is that really me?" moment. It was a little surreal.
I took yesterday off of work in order to recover from the weekend, and I also didn't exercise yesterday in order to give my body some recovery time as well. I'm not sure if I'll get back to the gym today or not, as we have our weekly dinner guest coming this evening. But hopefully soon things will return to some semblance of normalcy around here.
Where do I begin? How does one sum up in words such a moving experience? I think it is safe to say that each of us present at the event was touched and changed in some way. It is almost impossible to participate in the Relay For Life and not be affected.
The weekend presented us with many highs and some lows as well. It got off to a great start with beautiful weather on Saturday for the set up of the campsite and the beginning of the Relay. This resulted in sunburned faces, shoulders, etc. We walked through the evening and into the late night hours, resulting in blisters, sore legs and hips, burning feet, and exhaustion. At around 2:30 or 3:00 AM the sky opened up and started leaking on us. But still we prevailed, keeping someone on that track at all times, when other teams had called it quits and run for shelter. While walking in the wee hours of the morning, with some of the luminaria still burning, despite the rainstorm, I found myself searching for the strength to withstand the elements, and the physical discomforts, and keep going. I'm sure my team members encountered similar challenges. But the pain and discomfort that we endured pale in comparison to what the survivors we walked in honor of, and others we walked in memory of, experienced in their fight against the cancer that we were walking to defeat. So we kept going, proudly. At around 4:30 or 5:00 AM the rain and wind picked up, making it impossible to keep a team member on the track. The organizers stopped the event early, and during a break in the rain the teams took down their campsites and went home, before another storm moved through.
There is no question that my team brought it's own flavor to the Relay! From walking for over 5 hours in full Renaissance garb, to our fabulously decorated "castle" campsite, to our resident rogue presenting Survivors and Relay Chairpersons with roses. I think one of my favorite moment was when one of the chairs of the event approached us to thank us for bringing "style" to the event. I'm still unsure if she was speaking of our garb, or our attitude, or the combination of both! Our team made such a positive impression on so many people that our team was presented with the "Most Team Spirit" award at the end of the event. That is an amazing honor, and one that is very difficult for a first year team to achieve.
I have no idea how far I walked, or how many calories I burned. And frankly, it's just not important. What is important is that my team was able to raise upwards of $1500 for the American Cancer Society. And that will make a difference in so many people's lives.
Just a quick note to tell you all that the Relay For Life went well. Our team made a great showing, and much fun was had by all. I will get into everything in much greater detail soon, and hope to include some of the amazing pictures my DH and some others have taken. I was too in "Team Captain" mode to remember to take pictures most of the time. I am currently working on about 3 1/2 hours sleep in the past 37 hours, so my Mind is a little tired, as is my body.
The weather was beautiful until around 2:30 or 3:00 AM, and then the skies opened up and leaked all over us. We still kept someone walking through the rain at all times until about 5 or 5:30, when the wind picked up and the rain came down even harder. They stopped the event about 2 hours or so early, when a break came in the rain, and told everyone to pack up and go home, so that's what happened. But the rain certainly didn't take away from the power and beauty of the event. I will blog more about how deeply moving the whole experience was for me when I'm better able to form sentences.
I have no idea how far I walked. The pedometer DH got for me was, well, let's just say you get what you pay for, and he paid nothin'!! But in the heart of the rain, between 3 and 5 AM I know I walked for at least 2 miles straight. And many more miles were put on before that, as the event started at 3 PM yesterday! One of our teammates counter her laps, and completed 40 laps. That's over 10 miles people! I have to remember to count my laps next year, I hate not having a ball park figure of how far a I walked.
I have an abundance of blisters on my feet today. I think even my blisters have blisters. They shoes I wore were well broken in from my workouts, but not overused to the point of providing little cushion since I use mostly the elliptical, a strider, and the stationary bikes. The socks I used are the ones I always work out in. So, I'm not sure why the blisters. But I know someone out there in EP land wrote a blog a week or two back about "Blister-free socks" of some sort, and I'm definitely interested in looking in to those. But I'm entirely too tired to go searching right now, while I'm thinking of it, so I'm putting out an APB to all of you, my fabulous friends. So if you are out there, or you know who posted it, could you please let me know? Thanks!
More soon on the amazing experience. Until til then, make it a good day!! And Happy Mother's Day to all of you!!
Stop the world, I wanna get off!! Or at least slow it down for a bit, can we?
No exercise yesterday, no exercise today; been running around to get ready for the Relay. More running around tomorrow before the relay. Then there's the walking. Granted it's no High Intensity Interval Training (I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms from not using Cardio Coach!!), but at least it's movement.
And my parents have deemed themselves the "Comfort Crew" for us, so I know there will be some healthy food choices and I won't be thrown into fast food hell for two days. There WILL be some serious Coca-Cola drinking, of that I am sure. And not the Diet stuff either!! I know, I know....tons of sugar, empty calories, yada, yada, yada. Didn't have any from Jan. 1st til March 20something. Haven't had any since March 28th. Sometimes, ya just gotta break the rules. And I'm a rebel!!!
I'm trying to keep myself awake now as I wait for some sister wenches to arrive from that state up North so they can participate in the Relay. (Being a Buckeye, I just can't say the name of that state! JulieW, you know what I mean girl!)
Bigwig company prez. visited the office. Can we all say "waste of time"? And we get another big wig visit next Friday. *eyeroll* Also spent 2 hours on the phone with a parent today. She just needed to be assured that she was doing the right things for and with her daughter. Needed someone to talk to about her concerns and fears for her daughter as she gets older. (Every parent has these, but when you're a parent of a child with a disability, as they get closer to the age where they should become independent, those concerns and fears are magnified exponentially)
Update on the drama from the other forum I belong to: A truce has been reached, understandings have been worked out, etc., etc. Will it happen again? It's inevitable when you have a bunch of opinionated, strong-willed women in a concentrated environment. But there's just no need to result to name calling.
Make it a good weekend, everyone. I promise some pictures from the Relay once I actually get some sleep!!!
...for being so wonderful and supportive and "sister-like". I know I've said it before, but it certainly bears repeating. It's so nice to have someplace to come on the web where it's all about being supportive of each other, about being positive, about "sisterhood".
I started my morning today being called "transparent, childish, ridiculous, a wimp and a liar". All because I pointed out some inconsistencies in what a few people have said in the past and in the present in an online forum. How dare I disagree with them and then try to defend myself when I am flamed for it. *sigh* As for being transparent...I'm not right now, but I'm working on it by losing the weight! Childish and ridiculous? I kinda take pride in my ability to be both of those things! A wimp and a liar? How dare someone even pretend to know me well enough online to call me those things? Needless to say my blood is boiling. And I can't even go workout to work it out of my system cause I have to be at work all day.
Yesterday ended up being yet another crazy day at work, with a million things going on at one time. I'm truly hoping that today is calmer so that I can focus and get a few things accomplished. Tomorrow we have one of the head honchos from the company headquarters coming for a visit. I normally go home around 3:30...but of course the VIP isn't arriving until around 3 and staying til around 5, so I'll be working late tomorrow.
I got a good workout in last night. Did CC 1 on that different strider I talked about the other day. Made it through the full 35 minutes on that sucker! My whole body was glistening with sweat and my clothes were soaked. I also was able to get in a weight training circuit, so I'm sorta back on track. I'm not sure I'll be able to workout the rest of the week though, with the Relay looming so closely. Tonight is bank night, so I have to go turn in the rest of the money we've collected and pick up our team t-shirts. Tomorrow I work late then I have three women coming down from Michigan to participate in the Relay and they'll be staying at our house. Saturday morning and early afternoon with be setup for the relay, and then the relay starts at 3 and goes til 9 the next morning. I just hope all of this doesn't have too much of a negative impact on the scale numbers. I'm sure I won't be able to eat ALL healthy during the relay, as we'll have to have some fast food, and I'll require caffeine in some form to stay awake for all of those hours straight. But it is all for a very worthwhile cause, and I am willing to sacrifice a pound or two if I can help raise money to find a cure for cancer.
Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like the world threw up on you? (I know, gross, sorry) That's how my day was yesterday. It was as if a million different "chunks" of things were thrown at me and I had to do my best to clean them all up. I feel like I started about a hundred different things yesterday, and I'm not sure that I really finished a single one of them. But ask me this morning what those things are, and I don't have a clue. The whole day went by in a complete blur.
But that was yesterday, and today is a new day, right?
So, after work, I did make it to the gym. I did the full Cardio Coach Volume 2 on the elliptical. That's all I did. I say that as if it's no big deal, but that's quite a workout. I just didn't have the time to stay for weight training afterwards due to our dinner guest. So tonight after work it's back to the gym for more cardio and a weight training circuit.
And it seems as if TOM is trying to arrive at the party a little early this month...about 5 or 6 days early. That certainly explains my exhaustion and my feeling jiggly the past few days. Gah!!
My Relay for Life team (the Relay is this Saturday and Sunday, for those who have asked me) is pulling in some really good donation numbers in this final week, so that's great. I was worried we wouldn't meet the suggested minimum, but we've met and exceeded it. But I have to tell you, I'll be really glad when this whole thing is over. I don't mean for that to sound negative in any waym I'm really pleased with what our team has accomplished in our first year. It's just that it has turned into quite a large committment, that has been going on since January. I'm sure it's contributing to my tiredness on some level as well. So it will be a weight lifted off my shoulders on Monday, that's for sure.
I sure hope today is a little calmer than yesterday. But in any case, make it a good one everyone!
I can't believe it's after 2 PM and I haven't been able to get here to write a blog! This day has been hectic, that's for sure.
I really don't have a whole lot to report. I took yesterday off from exercise because my body was begging me to, and if it's begging, I'm going to listen. Through my day off it was determined that I can NOT be trusted in a house full of cookies. Thank goodness those went off to DH's work today. I instructed him NOT to bring them back, even if he had to throw them away! Hopefully he'll take me seriously. Because I don't know if I'm strong enough to throw away perfectly good cookies right now.
I plan on heading to the gym as soon as I get home and can get changed. Our weekly dinner guest comes tonight, so I can't stay there too long, but I have to get there.
I brought my new pedometer to work because I was going to read the instructions and test out how well it works before the Relay, but I haven't even had time to get it out of my purse. Phew! Stop the world I wanna get off!!!
Honestly, I can't even collect my thoughts to write a coherent blog right now, so I'm out.
