Linda G.
Who Knew.......the amazing feeling of accomplishment!
May 09, 2012
Well it has been a while since I wrote an update on here, truth is I didn't really have much to say. But if I really look back, I have been steadily making subtle changes that will be necessary for me to prove to Dr. N that I am worthy of his granting me the surgery..... In no particular order:1) I am now drinking most of the recommended 60 oz of water/day,
2) I am ridding my cupboards of all the crap food, and replacing it with only good (real) food.
3) I am actually cooking a way more often than I did before I started with Dr. N., and it is actually starting to get to be the norm in my house that we actually eat most all meals at home. In the past we used to frequent McDonalds, Wendy's and Tim Hortons on a very regular basis, some busy days eating at least 2 meals away from home..... No wonder I got to be the size I am. The food is relatively cheap in these fast food places, but I am living proof that the fast food is not healthy for me.
4) I have been lable reading on the food that I purchase. If it isn't healthy, I don't buy it. I paid my half of the fee to renew our Costco card, I have a feeling that we will be frequenting it alot more in the future. It is not cheap to eat healthy by any means.
5) Exercise. Although Amber and I have been going to the pool 2-3 times a week for several weeks now, the other day was the first time I took my borrowd walker (borrowed from the Red Cross, I have it for 3 months time) out of the trunk of my car, and used it to walk around in Shoppers Drug mart. It had been the first time I had been inside a store (other than the corner grocery store a couple of times) in probably 4 years. So just getting past the embarrassment of using the walker was a huge step for me. I was asked to do a favor for someone and in my need to people please, I got the courage to use it in order to not let the person down in not granting the favour that was asked of me. It is so wierd how I seem to be able to find the courage or ambition to do things for others even when it feels physically impossible, and I find it so totally impossible and unimportant when it comes to makeing the same effort for me.
6) So, today I went for my first "Exercise" walk. I used the borrowed walker just in case I needed a place to rest. The sun was brilliant and warm, there were beautiful big puffy clouds in the sky, the wind was blowing, it was the perfect day for my first walk. Earlier I was told that the path at the Garratt wellness centre is a few hundered meters long? (I have absolutely no idea how long that is, but going by the pain in my knees it at times felt like the distance was a hundred miles long.) Along with me was my daughter Amber and Aleah, a wonderful new friend that we made at our nutrition class) They were very patient in waiting for me when I had to take my 3 or 4 short little rests, and coached me along enthusiastically. When I was done the walk, although my knees were killing me and I was so tired and out of breath, and had a terrible case of dry mouth, and both my eyes and my nose were running like a tap, I felt absolutely wonderful. Very proud of me for breaking my barrier and just going for it.
You see, I have been avoiding walking for years. It is just too down right painful. So I have been avoiding it like the plague by getting my daughter Amber and if and when I could my son to help me with what ever needed to be done. Especially if it involved any amount of walking. But I have finally came to the conclusion that there is just no easy way to do this, I put on the weight, I have to make the effort to take it back off, no one in the world can do this for me. I have been procrastinating way too long, and today I took the first step. Now I have to keep going, and take it one day at a time. We are expected to have about 4 or 5 excellent days weather wise. So tomorrow in the morning I do have an appointment with a Respirologist tech, I will be fitted for a C-Pap machine and have to start a 6 month trial. SO, in the afternoon it is my plan to go for another walk, we have a walking path pretty close to where we live, so I am going to do it. That is the plan, and I am so determined to do it this time. NO MORE PROCRASTINATING!!!!
I will update in a couple of days with the results.
