HOPE AT LAST!

Let's be free of our "'HEAVY'" burdens by helping one another!

My Profile

  • Name: MissyBelle
  • City: Bluefield
  • Region: West Virginia
  • Country: United States

My Weight Loss

Height: 162.6cm
Start weight: 255.00lb
Current weight: 218.25lb
Goal weight: 165.00lb
Lost to date: 36.75lb
Remaining: 53.25lb

My Calendar

26
May '12
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My Photos

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Really Simple Syndication
05/23/2009 20:21

5/23 - Busy

Hi.  Thought I'd let your know I'm still in the game.   I haven't gotten to get on the treadmill since the other day, 'cause I've been busy.
 
This weekend, we have our two grandsons from NC staying with us.  Yeayy!  We plan on taking them for rides on the 4-wheeler, fishing, movie at the drive-in and a kid's birthday party.
 
I probably won't get to treadmill or anything for a few days, but I HAVE been watching what I eat (so far) and walked a lot at Walmart last night.
 
I finally got to ask my doctor just how much damage I did to my shoulder.  He said that we have four muscles comprising our rotator cuff.  Well, I have a tear in one muscle and  i tore the other three completely away from the bone!!!   NO WONDER it's been so bad.  He said that he hasn't seen anything that badly damaged for many years!!!   He said that -- when I do something - I really do it ALL THE WAY!!!!   (ha-ha)  There's also a chance that one or more of those muscles could tear apart again -- and that would be it.  No more surgery would be possible.  I'd have to live without much use of my arm.
 
Sorry if that bored you.  I just wanted to tell about it.  (brag??)   Anyway, I plan on weighing myself on Tuesday or Wednesday.  I just hope not to gain anything this week.  Wish me luck, since having the boys to cook for isn't the best situation for not gaining weight.
 
Later!    Do well.

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (6) Top
05/20/2009 01:25

5/19 - Treadmilled/Amer Idol/Dancing w/Stars

Hey.  I finally treadmilled today.  I only did 1 mile in 29 min's. because I'm so out of shape due to no exercise at all in the last 5 months.  So, starting back slowly and safely.
 
Today, I went to town with one of my friends and bought some shrubs and flowers.  One Weeping Atlas Cedar, one Blue Star Juniper, one (I can't remember the name), one miniature rose bush, and one yellow-leafed coral bells.  The bushes were for my friend.  The rose and coral bells were for me.
 
A few days ago, my friend used a tractor witha scoop bucket on the pile of mulch we had.  It helped my DH spread the mulch around.   (He has to take it easy because of his surgery that he had a week and a half ago.)
 
Sorry this is so boring.  Hey!  Who do you like on American Idol?  Do you like Chris or Adam?   I like Adam -- because he is so talented.  He's weird, but I like him anyways!   Who do you like and why?
 
Plus, who do you like on Dancing With the Stars?  I've liked the french guy, Gilles, but last night the gymnast, Shawn was really good.
 
Later! 

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (3) Top
05/18/2009 18:17

5/18 - BEGINNING ANEW

Hi, guys!
 
Yesterday was my first day back, so if you want to know "the whole story", you'll have to read that post, too.
 
Today starts a new beginning for me.  These last five months have been a literal "horror" for my husband and myself.  But!!!  We made it through and are still alive to talk about it.  Ha-ha!
 
He didn't die and I'm about halfway back to normal.  At least, I feel like a human being again.  There are a number of things I can't do yet, but hey!  It takes a while to get back to normal after all I've been through.  The point is, I WILL get there in time.
 
For now, I only plan on doing SOME treadmilling on most days and starting to watch what I eat again.  (I still have my physical therapy appointments 3 X wk and have to do lots of shoulder exercises every day.  That doesn't leave a whole lot of time for extra exercises, which I'm not even sure if I can manage to do.)
 
My main objective for the rest of May is to, at least, not gain anything else.  I need to begin the habit of exercise again.  I KNOW that I can treadmill.  I THINK I can do some step-aerobics.  I KNOW I can dance around the house.  So, this is how I'll start back on my program.
 
The eating part is always the hardest, so for now, I'm going to limit my snacks and try to cut down a little on portion sizes.  That should be good enough for now.
 
Anyways, the most important thing for me is to keep up my shoulder exercises.  My main focus HAS to stay on that!!!  I WILL get the use of my arm back in full.  Just you wait and see.  My therapist said that I already have a much better range of motion in my shoulder than most people my age EVER get back!!!   Yeayyyyy!   I give a lot of the credit to having good flexibility BEFORE my accident.  Plus, the rest of the credit goes to my hard work at home -- using the pulleys that I received from my therapist, and from doing all kinds of stretching movements on my own, too.
 
I popped-in on some of you guys last night just to see how you were doing.  It looks like a lot of people are in a slump.  Maybe since I'm starting over again, some of you might want to renew your promises to yourselves and be a "partner" with me!!  You think???
 
Let's starting kicking some serious BUTT!!!   (Our own.  Ha-ha)
 
Thanks to those of you who have left me messages while I was having such a bad time.  I know it's not easy when you don't know what to say to someone who is in such a bad situation.  Just knowing that you cared enough to post a comment was worth a LOT to me!!!  
Drop me a line, okay?  I sure have missed you.
 
Love, MissyBelle

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (2) Top
05/18/2009 04:37

5/17/09 - Hey! We're Still Alive!

Hello, all of my old buddies!!!  It's so good to be back and talking to you!  
 
It's almost 10:30 pm, so I'll just make this short for now, okay?
 
DH and I are doing better now.  He's had his surgery and is healing at home for about 5 weeks.  (Then he goes back to work.)   I'm off pain pills now -- except occasionally when I really need a couple.  I'm still having physical therapy 3 times a week.  I worked a few days last week and I really hurt my shoulder working too many hours.  I'm going to have to work only one day a week for a short while ---  until I have a better range of motion and more strength!!!
 
I weighed myself a couple of weeks ago.  I only gained back around 10 lbs. since the middle of December, when all this bad stuff began.  Anyways, I'm not unhappy about that!!    I've managed somehow to keep 32 3/4 lbs. of my weight-loss OFF!!!   Yeeayyy!     Wow!  That's about 5 months of not even trying and I've kept off the majority of it!!!
 
I'll be dropping in on some of your blogs to see how you all are doing.  Sure hope you all are healthy and happy!!
 
Love,    MissyBelle/Judy
 
 

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (2) Top
04/06/2009 19:13

Help! My life is coming apart at the seams!

Hi.  I've really been missing you.  My sling is now off and I'm on to the second phase of my physical therapy.  Now I'm doing what's called "isometric exercise."
 
That's kind've in-between "passive exercise" and "resistance exercise."
 
I still can't move my shoulder very much.  Therapy makes me sore.  I go to therapy 3 times a week now.  Plus I do it at home.
I just got of my strong pain-killer pills and was put on one that is a little weaker ----- but are stronger than over-the-counter pain-killers.
 
Yesterday, my DD and her family were in for my 65th birthday.  They made it very enjoyable, special day for me.
 
Today, I feel like my head is starting to "clear" a little bit from all those drugs I've had to take.  I'm starting to feel a little bit more like a human being.
 
Today, since I've started to feel a little more like myself, I weighed again.  Huh???   What the???   I lost 1 1/2 lbs.!!!!  How did that happen?
 
---------------------------------------------------
 
 (I just got a bad phone call.)  Anyways, I was thinking about calling my DD at her place of work to share the good news, when the phone rang.  My DH may be on the verge of ANOTHER STROKE.  He had an ultrasound the other day, and they've just told him, his left carotid artery is 80% blocked!!!!!   Three and 1/2 months ago, it was only 50 % blocked!!!  The one on the right side of his neck is 100 % blocked, so THIS IS SERIOUS!!!!    I'm just FALLING TO PIECES emotionally and mentally right now!!!   Really, I just can't take any more right now!!!   Sometimes life hands out just too much!!!!  
 
I've got to go.  Be back another time.  I DO love and miss you guys!!!

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (6) Top
03/22/2009 01:03

Hi, guys. Update

Hi.   well, here i am, giving you another update.  i'm doing well.  been going to my physical therapy and doing what you call passive exercise.  that's more or less, --  bending over and swinging your arm around, not using any muscles at all.  just trying to improve range of movement.  i do it at home too, as homework.
 
i'll be seing the doc again next friday, the 27th.  hope he'll say i can take my sling off and start building back some of the muscle in my arm that i've lost.
 
i'm still taking pain pills around the clock.  i hate that.  i don't like taking any kind of drugs, but i will when i need to.  i still need to.
 
i had to sleep in my living room recliner for 2 weeks.  i've been sleeping in the bed for 2 weeks now., but i still have a lot of pain at night.  it really is a hard surgery to get over.  (it's been a month since my surgery.)
 
I talked with my boss the other day.  she's holding my job for me.     yeah!!  she's doing all of my share of the work for now.   she just stays late until she gets it done.   she says that she can't replace me very easily.  i've had a lot of experience and know how to do a lot.  i was very flattered.  awwwww....
 
I finally felt up to weighing myself a few days or so ago.  I weighed 220 1/2.  i'm going to enter that in my weight log.  If I need to change it again soon, i will, but that's it for now.
 
I'm pretty happy that i haven't gained much more than that!!!  I've done almost nothing except sleep, eat and do a little bit of shoulder exercise each day.
 
anyway, as soon as i feel up to exercising again, i plan to get right up, brush myself off, and start losing weight again!!!
 
That's all for now, guys.  Love you and hope you all are doing well.  Be back before too much longer!!!  
 
  love ya;   -  missybelle/judy

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (4) Top
02/22/2009 22:14

Post-surgery Update

Hi.  Well, my surgery is over.  i had a morphine-filled ball connected to a skinny tube which was inserted about 5 inches directly into my shoulder, but my dd took that out the other night as directed.   now, i'm cutting back on pain pills, too
.
dd went home this morning -- she was so busy with me and my house, that she didn't have time or energy to post for me. SHE WAS THE BEST CAREGIVER, EVER.          dh will now help me for a while ----- somewhat. 
i'm doing very well.  i'll have to wear a sling for 1 month.  plus i'll need physical therapy soon.  i'll be very good -- just you wait.  before you know it, i'll be a lot better.
 
the doc says it will take me about a year befgore my shoulder is back to normal.  that's okay -- as long as it does come back.
 
i'm typing with one hand, and i'm hurting, so i guess that's all for now.
thank you very much for your comments. please leave me some more.  i really need to hear from my friends     i'll be sure to talk to you all later as soon asd i can.  i miss you guys so much.    love you  --  -- judy/missybelle

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (3) Top
02/13/2009 02:26

2/12 - Checking In

Hi.  Sorry I just haven't felt up to blogging or anything.  I'm still waiting for my surgery next week.  (I tore all four of my rotator cuffs in my shoulder.)  I still have to deal with a lot of pain and discomfort.  Especially at night, in bed.

Like this week.  A neighbor-guy died this week.  He was 60 years old, and died of a heart attack.  That's almost five years younger than me.

Anyways, I've been trying so hard to cook for his wife and all the family and friends that have been at her house all week.  (He was cremated already and the memorial service won't be until Friday night.)

Everytime I cook a bit, I hurt a lot for 2 days.  Well, today I cooked again, and I'm hurting a lot!  I was going to cook tomorrow, but I'm going to "beg off" this time.  I just can't do anymore.  I just can't!

I've been gaining more weight, too.  (I'm so depressed about that.  )  I can't do exercise without paying dearly for it - painwise.  I just can't seem to want to exercise and hurt myself anymore than I hurt already.

My surgery is Wed. the 18th.  The doc is going to put two screws into bone, stitch everything back together, and hook it all back up again.  (The one GOOD bit of news is that I'll only have four little 1/2-inch scars around the top of my arm.)

They say it's pretty painful to get over, though.  I dread that, but I'm SOOOO looking forward to getting put back together again ---  just like Humpty Dumpty!!  Ha-ha!    I'm SO tired of being "broken."

I'll try to remember to have my daughter blog for me to let you know how I'm doing.  (I don't expect to post any blogs for a while, after my surgery.)

After my daughter goes home, I'll be dependent on my DH to help take care of me!!     He's not much of a nurturer, so I'll probably be doing a lot more than I'm supposed to be doing.

I'll have to wear my arm in a sling for 4 weeks after the surgery and also be going for physical therapy.

I don't know if I'll still have a job by the time I'm ready to work again.  Oh, well.   I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

This'll probably be the last time I blog for awhile, so don't worry about me.  Just say a prayer or two for my recovery, okay?   I WILL be back --  it'll just be around a month maybe.  I'll post all of my gains and just start over again.  I've decided to forgive myself for gaining -- since this has all been such a nightmare for me.  (My DH's stroke, too.)

For now, I'll say - I'm in good enough 'spirits" and I'l be fine, eventually.

 "Later!!  Love you!"  

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (4) Top
01/26/2009 22:23

Hi Everybody. Update! And Edit.

Hey.  I've been off here for so long, I don't even know if anyone will see this post.

 
Since my DH's stroke and my shoulder injury, things have been really hard.  I finally felt well enough and had time enough to go and have my shoulder checked.
 
I had x-rays taken.  They showed no broken bones and no fractures.  Then I had some MRI's taken.  I not only tore a rotator cuff, I tore all four of them and have some kind of leakage.
 
It's still painful, but not anywhere as bad as it was.  It's still hard to get a good night's sleep, too.  I can't move my arm up AT ALL.  You'd be amazed how hard it is to do things with only one arm.  (Even my good shoulder hurts from overuse.)
 
Anyways, this Friday, after my husband's physical therapy, I have a pre-surgery appointment.
 
My shoulder surgery will be near the middle of February.  My daughter will be coming to take care of me for 2 or 3 days.  She said that she heard that -- surgery -- for even ONE torn rotator cuff is very painful afterwards.    Since I tore them ALL, I'll probably be having a really rough time of it -- and she wants to be here for me -- to help me in any way that she can!   I'm so lucky to be blessed with such a good daughter!!   (Boo-hoo!)  (I'm "mushy.")  I'll have to ask her to post at least one time for me after I've had my surgery, to keep you all updated! 
 
My DH is doing really well now.  He may be done with both of his therapies very shortly. 
 
I hope he gets back to work soon.  He'll be lucky if I don't punch him out before then!!  He's been getting on my nerves SO MUCH!!!  We've been together almost all of the time for the last month and a half!!!  What makes me so mad is --- that --- even though he has use of both arms and hands now, he doesn't do ANYTHING around the house.  I -- mind you, -- I -- have to do all the cooking and cleaning, etc.  All he does is play with the dog and complains about how bored he is and how much his BUTT hurts from laying around!!!     The BALD-FACED nerve of that guy!  @#*+*@**~@*#!!!
 
Get this!  Now he goes out and rides on his four-wheeler for an hour or so each day!!
 
Well, I HAD IT!!!  Yesterday, I just got dressed up and went out the door telling him that I was taking a little "ME" time.  That - it was MY-Y-Y-Y-Y turn!!!  I drove myself (hurt shoulder and all) to the movies.  I saw "Paul Blart:  Mall Cop."  Boy was it good!!!  I was singing in the car, to and fro.  Went to Walmart afterward--got to chat with two salespeople for a while.  Bought myself a $5.00 pair of earrings.  Got myself a burger and fries.  I HAD A GREAT TIME!!!   Nobody to take care of, no housework, no complaining to listen to and no medical appointments to keep!!!!   Yeeaaa!  I felt like a PERSON again!!!!
 
I've decided to do that again soon.
 
As for my weight, the last time I weighed - I had gained -- I think it was about 6 lbs.  OH!!   I don't remember for sure, so I'll have to weigh really soon and enter it on my chart.
 
I haven't been feeling up to trying to watch my weight.  I think I'll start reading some of your blogs to try to motivate myself again.
 
I'm so sorry that I haven't been of any help to you guys.  I really am.   I hope that you all have been doing well.
 
If you're inclined to do so, please leave me a comment.  I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!
 
 MissyBelle
 
EDIT:    Hey!  I just figured out that I've only gained two pounds!!  Hooray!  I must've been thinking of my lowest weight of 208.5 to make a 6-lb gain.  But, instead, I had already gained four lbs. (=212.5 lbs.) -- leaving two NEW pounds only to make the present 214.5!  Yeeaa!  That's not bad at all with all that's been going on.
 
I entered the new weight already -- so now it's up-to-date.  I still don't know if I'm ready to exercise yet, though.  Time will tell.
 
 
 

Posted By: MissyBelle Add Comment | Comments (6) Top
01/06/2009 01:22

Hi, guys.

Hey.  I'm still here.  I just weighed myself this morning and before you know it -- I forgot what it was!  Ha-ha!  Does that give you a clue how I am "mentally" right now?  Ha-ha!  (I DO know that my weight was somewhere near where it was the last time I weighed and posted it.  It might have been a tiny bit more --   I think.  I'll post my weight in a few days - when I weight again.)

Anyways, I treadmilled this morning for the first time in WEEKS!!!  I did 1 1/2 miles in 30 minutes.  I'm so proud of myself for starting back - taking care of myself.  I couldn't walk normally because of my shoulder, though, so I held onto the treadmill with one hand and tucked my other hand into my shorts' waistband to keep that shoulder very STILL so that it wouldn't hurt!!   (I still haven't had it "looked at" yet, but I WILL before too much longer.  I still can't move it upward -- AT ALL!!)  At least I don't have a whole lot of pain anymore!   (I CAN use my arm from the elbow - down.)

Tomorrow, I won't be able to do any exercise, but I'm going to try my BEST to do some on Wednesday,. (Tomorrow, Tuesday, we have 3 medical appointments to go to -- for my DH -- , plus a few errands besides.)

I've also had to change quite a bit of the food in my house for my DH's sake.  He has to eat low-cholesterol and low-sodium now.  Who knows  ---  maybe it'll be easier for me to lose weight now!  Ya' think??

He isn't allowed to smoke even ONE CIGARETTE now, either!!!   Heh-heh-heh!!!   I've BEGGED him to quit for soooooooooooooo many years.  Now, he has no choice!!!  (He hasn't had even one cigarette in weeks.)

My DH has made so much progress already!!!!  Most people wouldn't even know that he's HAD a stroke!!  His sense of balance has greatly improved.  His arm works GREAT!  His hand is still in the process of getting back to normal.  It seems to become a little more flexible and a little bit stronger every few days or so.

His speech is still below par.  He slurs a bit - still yet.  But!  He talks quite a bit better than he did right after his stroke. 

Anyways, I'm going to read the comments in my last post now.  I'm sorry I don't have time to anwer them yet.  I'll try to get to your blogs within the next few days, or so.  (It seems like things are "easing up" a little on me now.)  I love you guys for staying in touch with me.  It means more than you can know.   I love you!!!  You guys are the GREATEST!!!!!!

I sure hope you are all doing really well.  Be in touch soon!
 Later!  Love,  MissyBelle/Judy

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