it's nice to see results!

As most of you know, the science of weight-loss is anything but scientific, and often our efforts are met with inexplicable stasis or, even worse, weight GAIN. Well, I'm happy to report that my efforts over the past couple of weeks have actually worked, and I am once again down to my "happy weight," having lost 4.5 lbs. over the past two weeks. I put myself on a 1500-calorie diet and wrote down my calories, and stepped up my workouts a bit, and it did the trick! I think I'll stick with the 1500 calories for another couple of weeks and see if I can drop another pound or two, and then I'll take it back up to 1800 or so to maintain. It's nice when X + Y really DOES = Z!

update

So, just by mentioning my lack of babysitter in a status update on Facebook, I got one! What a happy surprise in the middle of a poopy day. :) Thanks to Brandy and Brianna...

aaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!

So, I had a very frustrating morning with Nick. See, he's sort of a pansy when it comes to getting in the pool, getting his face wet, etc. He's rather afraid of it all, more than other kids his age. It's probably our fault, because whereas neither of us are afraid of the water, we are both non-poolish people - we can go the whole summer without getting in a swimming pool, and that's just fine with us! So, we've probably done Nick a disservice by simply not exposing him enough.

So, we did the Level I lessons last summer - this was just a 5-day thing, 45 mins. each day. He didn't do very well, so we repeated them earlier this summer. Brian took him to those lessons, and said that Nick did OK. So, we decided to go ahead with Level II lessons - this session lasts 10 days for 45 mins. each day, and therefore costs twice as much as Level I. Today was the first lesson, and it didn't go well AT ALL.

[Before I get to the story of the aborted swimming lesson, I have to tell you about the embarrassing/hilarious thing that happened at the pool. We got there and walked out next to the pool. Nick had on sandals and swim trunks. I took off his sandals, and then turned my back and walked over to a chaise lounge to put our stuff down. When I turned around, Nick was standing behind me, COMPLETELY NAKED! Mind you, there were quite a few people there, and they all witnessed this. When I realized he was naked, I was just incredulous, and exclaimed rather too loudly "What happened to your trunks??!!" He said he didn't know. I asked a couple of people nearby if they saw what had happened, and they said they hadn't. His trunks were lying several feet away. He swears he didn't take them off, so I don't know if they just fell off or what! (This is a distinct possibility, as they had been riding rather low on his hips.) It's still a mystery. A lifeguard saw the trunks and brought them over, and I got them back on Nick as fast as I could.]

OK - back to the lesson from Hell. It's time for the lesson to start, and the teacher has all the kids get into the 3-ft. end of the pool and line up against the wall. Nick is the last one in, and it takes FOREVER. He doesn't want to get in, and he totally holds up the lesson for probably 5 minutes. He's the ONLY kid with a problem. Then, when the lesson finally starts, Nick is the ONLY kid who won't do what the teacher is asking - putting their heads under the water, an assisted front float, etc. He just refuses. Then, after about 10 minutes, he gets out of the pool and refuses to get back in, so we leave. I was so angry, which I know is irrational, but I couldn't help it. We had gone straight from the gym to the pool, so I had spent time last night thinking of everything we needed and getting all packed up, and then I lugged all this stuff to the gym. Then, at the gym, I spent all this time getting us into our swim gear and getting us all coated in sunscreen (which I hate!). Then, I drove us on post to the pool where the lesson was supposed to be, only to find a sign telling me to go to a different pool. So, back into the car we got and drove to the other pool (thereby wasting even more gas) and waited around for the lesson to start, all for NOTHING! When we got into the car to leave the lesson, I just ripped into Nick, putting him on a total guilt trip. I know, I know - it's awful! I know that! I was just overcome by my frustration, and it was not a proud moment. He was pretty upset, but still says that he wants to quit and not go back again. I'm going to let him quit, because frankly, I don't want to waste another morning like that. I don't know if we can get our money back, so there's $30 down the drain. Grrr. I'm feeling calmer about it now, but I feel pretty guilty for the way I handled it. I just don't understand why he's the ONLY kid who can't deal with it and who can't just get in the water and do what the teacher asks. Why does he have to be so afraid? I'm ashamed to even admit this, but I was kind of embarrassed that the other parents were seeing my child be the only child to refuse to cooperate and to quit the lesson. It was just very frustrating.

Then, when we got home, I found out that the two people I had asked about babysitting for me this coming Saturday can't do it, so I'm back at square one with no babysitter. (There's a membership drive "event" at my gym that I need to go to, and Brian has a gig at the same time.) I hope I can find someone, but at this point, I'm not banking on it. And ya know how when you're already having a bad day, the tiniest, most inconsequential thing can just be the icing on the cake and totally piss you off, even though it completely doesn't matter? See, Nick had this toy bin with suction cups in the tub, but it kept falling down. So, yesterday at Walmart, I got a different one that had more suction cups and seemed like it had a much better chance of staying up. Well, when we got home today and right after I found out that I didn't have a babysitter, I discovered that the new bin had fallen already! That just about put me over the edge. Ridiculous, I know, but I have a feeling that you guys will understand.

So, today has not been great so far. But, I'm calmer about the swimming, and I know that none of it really matters in the greater scheme of things. In fact, just writing this blog post has helped to put it all into perspective. Hope you enjoyed my asinine ranting! :)

not very bloggish lately...

Hmmm...I've realized that I've not been very bloggish lately. I don't know what's up with that. I wonder if the ability to do quick little status updates on Facebook has made me lazy in regards to my "real" blog. Could be. Summer probably has something to do with it, too. Just not as much to talk about.

But, here I am, blogging today, finally! It's very gloomy outside, which is putting me in a rather melancholy mood - never fails. In a couple of hours, I'll be leaving to go to Springfield for the weekend by myself (!). I'm going to do some shopping and mostly spend a lot of time with Tim, working out, talking, making dinner together tomorrow, etc. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll miss my boys, but it's only for the weekend!

I'm still up about 4 lbs. over my "happy weight". I'm not freaked out about it, but I do want to drop those pounds. After everything I've accomplished, I know that I have the capacity to do something about it, and I need to just buckle down and do it. So, my plan is to resume counting calories next week. I figure that if I do that, I can easily knock those 4 lbs. off within a month. Wish me luck! It really sucks to count calories, but it's what works. It's going to be hard to discipline myself and feel hungry, given the way I've let go lately and overindulged, but I know I can do it! After losing 65 lbs., 4 ought to be doable. :) And who knows? Maybe I'll drop a couple more and actually get under 140. We shall see. Baby steps.

And that's pretty much all I have to say right now. Catch ya next week!...

more fun than should be legal!

We drove up to Fenton, MO yesterday afternoon to spend the day with some of my relatives on my Mom's side of the family. The main family involved were the Klinglers, and I love them! Uncle Jim is my mom's brother, and then there's Aunt Karen and my cousins Jessica and Brian and John and Sarah. There were various other peeps there, including another cousin of mine named Mike who is a serious hoot. We were also joined by Tim and his friend Brian (three Brians at the same party!), which served to seriously ratchet up the hilarity level. :) I don't think I've had so much fun since college! At one point, I was sitting at the basement bar with "the guys" and Jessica, and we were all being so incredibly bawdy and laughing so hard that I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'm so glad we went. Nick had a great time playing with his little cousins Claire and Evan (whom he called "Kevin" for most of the day), and we just all enjoyed the family, good food, and good times. Ironically, we didn't really get to partake of the fireworks, because by the time those were started, we were all exhausted and Nick was rather scared of the loud noises. So, we decided that we should go ahead and make our way home, since it's a drive of an hour and 40 mins. We didn't get home until almost 11:30! We poured Nick into bed and then poured ourselves into bed for blissful slumber. What a long, great day! Hope everyone had an equally faboo 4th of July!

And now (drumroll, please) for the quote of the day (when discussing the merits or lack thereof of various kinds of underwear): "I don't mind a gentle wedgie, such as the one I'm experiencing right now..." - Amy Hoogstraet ;)

skirting the issue :)

So, I had a couple of embarrassing moments during the trip, which I thought I would share with you. I have this skirt that I got for $14 at the PX (Post Exchange, for those of you who aren't military), and I have really fallen in love with it. It's just a simple soft knit flouncy knee-length affair in a goes-with-anything grey color, and it's beyond comfortable. I decided to wear it on the drive, because it's just so comfortable, non-binding, and "easy." It didn't give me any trouble on the trip to VA, but for some reason, on the way home, I had some issues with it. First, we had stopped at a rest stop to go to the bathroom. I did my business and came out of the restroom to wait for Brian and Nick. An older lady who was passing by me on her way into the restroom tapped my shoulder and said "Your skirt is tucked up in the back, dear." !!! Yes, my skirt was tucked up into my granny panties! I wanted to die. Thank goodness that woman told me before I had gone on that way any longer. The second incident happened at a gas station, and I was once again wearing granny panties. (I do actually have cuter, sexier panties, but didn't see the point in wearing them on the trip and was only concerned with comfort. ) It was quite blustery, and despite my attempts to gather up my skirt in my hand and hold it against myself, the unthinkable happened. I was squeegeeing the windshield, and a gust of wind came along and completely blew my skirt up, exposing my granny panties (once again) to everyone at the gas station. I quickly retreated into the car, red-faced. :) Thought those anecdotes might brighten your day - after all, what's the point of an embarrassing moment if you can't laugh about it and share it with your friends?

eleven days later...

We're back from VA, obviously, and the trip went really well! I have discovered that I really don't mind a long road trip. Now, mind you, I realize that this has a lot to do with having Brian with me. If I had to do that all by myself, I would probably mind it very much. :) Also, having only one kid doesn't hurt. I have to say, though, that I actually enjoyed the long drive, and am glad that we once again chose to drive rather than fly.

Nick was great in the car. We had purchased a portable DVD player for the trip, and even though he chose 10 movies to bring along, he proceeded to watch Cars THE WHOLE TIME, OVER AND OVER. Seriously. Hey, whatever makes him happy, I guess! He is just such an adaptable kid, and had no problem with sitting in the car for hours on end. We did take pee stops and stop at rest areas and to eat, but actually stopped a lot less than you might think. The whole drive, to and fro, went smoothly and uneventfully. I would rather not eat at a Denny's or a Cracker Barrel again for quite some time, though. :) We spent the night both coming and going at the Holiday Inn Express in Huber Heights, OH (outside Dayton), and it was very nice, with a great breakfast and a very reasonable military rate. Yay! And that pretty much describes the actual trip.

As for the visit with Brian's parents, it went well, too. Mind you, it was somewhat boring and unexciting, but we knew that going in. Mostly, we just sat around the house enjoying each other's company. Nick seemed to have a blast, even though his activities were largely comprised of playing on the floor and watching TV. We did go to a really neat pool, which he loved. And he just enjoyed basking in his grandparents' love - likewise, they enjoyed basking in his cuteness and precociousness. :) One day, we went to a neat historic movie theater in downtown Leesburg to see "Up" - good movie! We got to spend a little time with Brian's sister, too, which was nice. She took me out to Trader Joe's and World Market, so we got to have a little female bonding. I worked out almost every day I was there (yay!) at a really nice rec center close to my in-laws' house. The classes were pretty good! It was a bit spendy, but I figured it was worth it.

All-in-all, it was a very nice trip, but it's good to be back in our own home. I'm so glad we went, as it had been 2.5 years since our last visit. It was high time that Nick spend some more time with his grandparents. I don't know when that will happen again, since we will have major upheaval in our lives next summer (what with Brian retiring, etc.), and because Marv and Anne are getting pretty old. Now that we're back, I have so much to do and wade through that I'm feeling rather overwhelmed. I'm just plugging along, doing one thing at a time - what more can one do?

Oh, something kind of neat is that I brought home a really cool, retro quilt that was made by Nick's great-grandmother - Brian's dad's mother. It's really neat - it's very colorful, with lots of pink, blue, and green, and some really retro, kitschy fabrics. I currently have it draped over my couch. I also got a very retro, rectangular lampshade that looks great on one of my living room lamps. Everything old is new again! Marv and Anne are purging big time, in preparation for their move into a small apartment in a retirement community next month. So, pretty much anything I wanted was up for grabs. I didn't take much - just the aforementioned 2 items and a handful of kitchen stuff, like a tube pan, mixing bowls, etc. As far as decor goes, my taste doesn't really jibe with Anne's, so there wasn't much in the house that I wanted. :)

I've really gotta get to work on tomorrow evening's strength class, not to mention Thursday's yoga class - I got a call while in VA asking if I could sub for it, and said yes. Ack! I'm off...

shocked and horrified

I have somehow managed to gain 4 lbs. in a week!!! I'm pretty upset to be up to 145, because I have been maintaining my weight around 141 for months now, and haven't weighed 145 since September! It just kills me that in one week, I'm back to what I weighed 9 MONTHS ago. Drat. Ack. Bah, humbug. It's ironic, because while I was sick, my weight held steady, but the first week that I've gotten back to the gym and actually worked out at all, it's up! I know it has to do with all the non-working out I've done over the past few weeks, and with the fact that I HAVE been eating pretty crappily lately. There's just something about feeling like hell that makes it seem OK to have some McDonald's, ya know? I just never would have thought I could gain 4 lbs. in one week. That has NEVER happened, during my whole weight-loss endeavor. I guess I just have to really buckle down and start eating better, and hope that getting back into a regular workout schedule will help get those 4 lbs. back off. Of course, going on our trip tomorrow isn't going to help matters at all, eating-wise. I'm just feeling pretty upset and freaked right now. :(

As I just said, we are leaving tomorrow for 10 days, and my Internet access will be spotty to nonexistent. So, I probably won't be blogging again until July. "See" you then!

meet me in st. louie, louie...

Tim came for the weekend, and we had a great time! We got going around 9 Saturday morning and headed for St. Louis. Our first stop was the Cathedral Basilica, which we have visited a few times and will visit many more times, I'm sure. It has the largest collection of mosaic art in the world (basically, the entire interior of the cathedral is decorated with mosaic tiles), and is absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend a visit to any local peeps reading this!

When we had had our fill of the pulchritude (and our tummies began to rumble), we walked the three blocks or so to St. Louis' Central West End, which is a neat little neighborhood with many restaurants, shops, etc. We enjoyed burgers for lunch, and then made our way to The Cupcakery for scrumptious, delectable cupcakes - Tim had peanut butter chocolate, and I had strawberries 'n' cream. YUM!

Then, we walked back to our car, enjoying the cute row houses along the way, and headed to the Brentwood area to hit two of our favorite stores - Trader Joe's and World Market. We also went to the Target that was right there, because, really, how could we not? :)

On our way home from St. Louis, we stopped in St. James to dine at Sybill's, which is this absolutely amazing restaurant that I've been telling Tim about forever. He was very pleased to finally experience its wonder. Our food was amazing, from the salads to the pork chops to the chicken piccata and right down to the Bailey's chocolate creme brulee!

We got home around 9 p.m. and watched Baby Mama (pretty funny!) before pouring ourselves into bed. What a wonderful, exhausting day! Today was more low-key. We stuck glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on Nick's bedroom ceiling, I clipper-cut Tim's hair, and we went to Walmart for various and sundry items. Tim left a couple of hours ago, and I'm just getting a few things done around the house (and the Internet). That was my weekend! 'Twas a good one, and a healthy one, knock on wood...

feeling better...

Well, I almost hate to say it out loud for fear that I'll jinx it, but I'm feeling quite a bit better today. Still rather tired, but better nonetheless. I even put street clothes on for the first time since Sunday! And so far, I've managed to stay out of bed since I got up this morning. I'm still taking it easy. Brian's going to keep taking Nick to school for the rest of the week, but I think I'll pick him up tomorrow and Friday, to give Brian a break. And I've made the decision to not even think about working out again until Monday. Sigh. I can't believe how much I HAVEN'T worked out over the past month. It's horrifying. But, the last thing I want to do now is overdo it and push myself too hard too soon. Tim is visiting this weekend, and I'm really excited about just having some fun with him and continuing to feel better, knock on wood. Next week, things will really kick into gear again - in addition to resuming working out and chauffeuring Nick around, I'll have a lot to do as we prepare to visit Brian's parents in VA.

sick of sick

So, I've been very ill, again. This illness has included pink eye and another throat infection, plus fever, chills, and generally feeling like complete and total crap. There has been much crying and despair, and not one, but TWO visits to the ER, both yesterday and the day before. Yesterday when I was there, my fever reached 104, and I was given some lovely morphine due to my splitting headache. The upshot of it is that I have been given a different antibiotic and am now hopeful for a recovery. Wish me luck!

in a nutshell

So much has happened, and I'm so tired and have already given the whole story to so many people - therefore, I'm just going to do a nutshell update here (Of course, my nutshells tend to be rather large - I'm just a wordy person!):

Nick rallied Saturday morning, so he and I went ahead and went to Springfield. By Saturday night, though, he had gone downhill again - high fever, still not eating, etc. Sunday, I took him to a pediatric urgent care clinic in Springfield - they were wonderful! We found out that Nick had lost 2-3 lbs. since Friday. :( He had blood work done and ended up with 2 injections of a strong antibiotic. They said to nix the Amoxicillin, since it obviously wasn't working. They wanted us to follow up the next day, so we spent an extra night in Springfield. He was still feverish and not feeling well. Monday, we went back to the clinic. By this point, his ears were red and he had white stuff on his tonsils, in addition to the completely congested sinuses. The doc prescribed a 10-day course of a better oral antibiotic than Amoxicillin. When we left the clinic, it was the middle of the afternoon, and we were both tired and Nick still didn't feel well, so I decided to spend one more night in Springfield and return home this morning. Happily, Nick's fever finally broke yesterday evening and hasn't come back! I think he's finally responding to the meds and turning the corner. His appetite is still quite puny, but he's feeling a lot better, aside from the complete sinus congestion. We got home today around noon, and here I am, frantically trying to get caught up on life. :) He has a follow-up appt. at the Ft. Wood hospital tomorrow, and he can hopefully (finally!) start summer school Thursday, a week late. It will be nice to get back to "normal" life, finally, and be able to work out regularly again, etc. Between my illness and Nick's, life has been 18 shades of messed up ever since May 11!

i know i've been quiet...

For the majority of the week, I just didn't have much to say. I've just been getting back into the swing of normal life. I'm feeling 100% better, luckily! I got back to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday, and taught a great class.

Yesterday, though, everything was derailed by Nick being sick. Poor little guy has missed the first two days of summer school, and is absolutely pathetic! He ate a banana and a waffle yesterday morning around 8 or 9, and has literally not eaten anything since, as of 2 p.m. today. He's been running a fever between 100 and 103, and has been very lethargic and sleeping a lot. We have kept him sipping Gatorade and water, which is good, but he just has no interest in food. He's been complaining of a headache, and ended up throwing up twice yesterday. This morning, when his fever was still there and he still felt awful, I decided to seek medical attention. I couldn't get an appointment at our hospital or at any of the local clinics where I was authorized to go, so I took him to the ER. Luckily, it was quite empty and we were in and out of the hospital in 2.5 hours, including getting X-rays and waiting at the pharmacy for his meds! Not bad. The doctor suspects a sinus infection, which is really odd, since there has been absolutely no snot. But apparently, his sinuses are swollen and the sinus X-ray looked "cloudy." So, he was given Amoxicillin and Zyrtec (which, oddly, is an allergy med - so does the doc think it's an infection, or allergies, or both?). The medical care here is spotty at best. Though I haven't officially worked out today, my arms and back have gotten quite a workout because I've had to carry my 48-lb. child all over creation. He just didn't want to walk, so I carried him all over the hospital and from the hospital to the car. Yes, I'm quite the She-Ra. :)

Now, we're back home and he's in bed, dozing and still not eating. He still has a fever, but it's down around 100 now. Wish us luck that he feels much better tomorrow and can go to school on Monday!

new photos!

Click here to view my latest online photo album, with pictures from the past month. There are some good ones!

Here are 3 of the 14, just to tease you...

feeling better

So, I taught my sculpt class last night, and it went pretty well. There were a couple of things I couldn't keep doing - moves that were more "cardio" in nature. I just had to quit and keep counting for the students. But, I made it through the whole class, and did almost everything. The only other incident was at the end when we were stretching, and I got a pretty bad head-rush and felt faint. But, I stopped what I was doing, and I was OK. So, I consider the class a success! It was good to be back up there teaching, and it felt good to work my muscles. After class, I was pretty tired, but still felt a lot better than I have lately.

And this morning (knock on wood), I daresay that I feel WAY better! I stopped taking the antibiotics yesterday, like I said I would, and I really do wonder now if they were what was making me feel so awful. This morning, I haven't had any nausea or lightheadedness, and I feel a bit tired, but much more like my usual self. Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel? I sure hope so.

Brian has gone to work today, for the first time since this all started, so it's a bit weird that I'm on my own today with Nick. But, I think we're going to have a good day. I'm not going to go to boot camp class this morning - as the name indicates, it's pretty strenuous, and I don't want to push my luck right now. But, I might take Nick to the gym and just use the treadmill or elliptical for awhile. As for the rest of the day, I'm not sure what we'll do, but I'll figure out something. I just hope that I don't hit a wall today and end up exhausted again. But, I'm optimistic that that won't happen. And I'm beside myself with excitement, because tonight is the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance - the most faboo show ever! :)

another day, another episode

So, I was hoping that this would be the day when I would feel much better. I had such high hopes when I woke up! I took stock, thinking, well, I'm a bit tired, but I feel generally OK. I got out of bed, put some clothes on, and went in the kitchen to make my breakfast. As I was making it, I was feeling a little nauseated. Sometimes I feel mild nausea when I'm hungry, so I figured that was it. It kept getting worse, though, and I kept having to stop and just lean on the counter during my preparations. By the time I sat down at the table, I entered into a full-blown attack of the most horrible nausea you can imagine. I broke out in a sweat over my entire face and body, and I literally felt like I needed to either barf right that minute or just die - there was no other viable alternative. I hung my head over our "barf bowl", crying and whimpering. (I've mentioned that I'm a total pansy when I feel awful.) Eventually, I began to feel better, and I managed to eat my breakfast. (Never did barf.) I no longer feel nauseated, but I just feel generally weak, tired, and "not right." Grrr. My high hopes have been dashed, once again. I'm really hoping that the nausea is a side effect of the antibiotics, as nausea is actually listed as one of the possibilities. As for the tiredness and weakness, I'm just not sure, though my brother (a drug rep) confirmed for me that I'm taking an awfully high dose of an awfully strong antibiotic. So, even if tiredness and weakness aren't listed, I guess it's possible that in my case, those could be side effects. It would, of course, be highly preferable if all of this is caused by my meds, rather than being indicative of something else wrong with me. When I talked to my doc two days ago, she wanted me to stop the meds three days early (which would be today). This makes me really nervous, as my worst nightmare would be that there are resistant bacteria left in my body which would regroup and cause an even worse infection, but the doctor seems confident that 7 days is plenty to avoid that. Ten days is the gold standard for antibiotics - the CYA duration, if you will, but she thinks that 7 days is more than enough to have eradicated the bacteria. I had been waffling about whether to take her advice or finish the course, but after this morning, I think I'm going to take my chances and take her advice. I just feel like I need to know if it's the meds causing all this, and the sooner I'm off of them, the sooner I'll know and the sooner I will have relief if it IS the meds. Does all this make sense? So, it's a gamble, but I'm going to stop the meds today. I'll let you know what transpires...

After much agonizing, I have also decided to go ahead and teach my class tonight. I know I probably shouldn't, but I really need to get back in there and do something. And since it's a sculpt class, I can always stop doing the reps and just count for my students if I have to. I just really hate to miss two weeks in a row, ya know? And I'm not stupid - I will NOT keep pushing myself if I start to feel terrible. I'll let you know how it goes...

baby steps

After another day of being exhausted, I decided I had to do SOMETHING, so I decided to try going to step class this evening, after 10 days with no workout. I knew that it would be hard and I might not be able to get through it, but the reality was still sobering and frustrating. I managed to get through a half hour, and that was pushing it. And I wasn't even doing it "all the way." If I had really gone whole hog, I probably could have gotten through 10-15 minutes, max. The worst part was that I didn't have the energy to do any real jumping jacks - I had to modify them. This from a woman who can do jumping jacks for a couple of minutes if I have to! I'm glad I went and worked out a bit, but it was pretty depressing. :( At least now I know where I am right now, and what I'm up against. And before you start yelling at me for going, I believe it was the right thing to do, I DID listen to my body and modify my movements, and I wasn't in any danger, nor did I ever feel like I might fall or pass out. So there. :) I'm still undecided as to whether I should teach my sculpt class tomorrow evening. I guess I'll see how I feel. I can always stop doing the moves if I need to, and just count while the class does them. We shall see. Lordy, I hope I don't have mono - I won't know until next week....

well, crap

Here I was, all rarin' to go today, thinking I was going to get back into the swing of things and have some semblance of normalcy again. I was going to take Nick to daycare and go to step class. And then this morning, it happened: I felt like I was going to pass out again, and have felt weak, tired, lightheaded, and queasy ever since. I have once again spent the morning in bed, and am beyond frustrated. Apparently, the doctor now thinks I could have mono, and I'll be going in for a blood test later today. Great. That's all I have to say right now.

a nice visit

We had a good time in Springfield, celebrating my niece's college graduation. I was quite tired on Saturday, and slept the whole car drive there, but I managed a quick shopping trip to JCPenney, where I scored a fabulous little dress to wear to the grad party. We made our way to my sister's house, and much fun and laughter and love were had by all. I love my niece so much, and am so sad to see her leave, but I'm excited for her as she embarks on the rest of her life. She's heading to Florida to pursue a master's and her dream of becoming a marine biologist. We ended up playing UNO until quite late at night, and boy did my bed (at Dad's house) welcome me when I finally slipped into it!

We got home today around 2:30, and here I am. I'm really feeling a lot better today - yay! It's sort of weirding me out that "normal life" starts again tomorrow. Everything sort of went on hold and entered some strange parallel universe this past week when I was so sick, and now it's going to be business as usual. I'm a little nervous about going to step class after 10 days of not working out, but I'll just listen to my body and won't push myself - promise! I'll let you know how the week goes...

update

I think the antibiotics are finally starting to conquer this infection, though I'll admit that I'm surprised and disappointed at how slowly I'm improving. I'm still very weak today, and my throat still hurts, though it is a bit better. I'll probably still spend some extra time in bed today, but I'm still really hoping to make the trip to Springfield tomorrow for my niece's graduation. I had another sweaty, restless night last night, and continue to fluctuate between feeling temperate and being sweaty and clammy, but the dizziness and faintness are gone, and I'm just feeling a lot more like my usual self. I guess I just thought that almost 48 hours after receiving the first antibiotics, I would be feeling even better than I am. This really must be some nasty infection - I'll be interested to get the results of the strep culture next week. Knock on wood - I haven't developed any side effects from the antibiotics yet. I've been eating a lot of Dannon Activia yogurt, which will hopefully help me to avoid diarrhea. That's about the full report at this point. Thanks again to all of my friends and family who have been so caring and concerned - it means more than you will ever know. I feel so loved! My hope and plan is to be back on track as of Monday - I'm going to go to the gym Monday morning and do the class, and I'll just quit early or dial it back if I need to. Don't worry - I won't overdo it, and will listen to my body. I really hope to re-enter the land of the living next week, and to talk to and see my friends! Wish me luck...