Hey....

Jaz.....I am going to "try" to talk to someone at my Dr's office today. Not sure how successful I'll be. I'm hoping an ultrasound will be good enough for him to get an idea what is going on. I can't be the only person on earth who cannot have an MRI.

Still can't believe the magnet thing. The tech had me hold the magnet and feel the "pull" when it got near my jaw. So freakin' upset right now. I have never been a depressed person, but I fear I'm heading that way. All I do is sit and eat...although it's been LC, and then I sleep. I have to get out for a walk today, I just have to.

Sorry I've been such a downer lately. This is just all consuming to me. I need to let it go and just roll with whatever happens.

Oh Lori I hope things go well.
I am only hoping for the best this gets resolved.
I SO UNDERSTAND how med troubles and physical troubles means getting into a depressed mood. Good thing is I firmly believe you will be fixed, probably thru surgery and that is a good thing. What you do have is a fixable situation I hope and believe, so that to me will help you along but whenever we can't 'be us' as we need it gets into scary areas of how life can be long term if we can't get something handled! Not a fine mind to be in but you will alright!

let us know....hugs!!!

Hi all

Woke up feeling like an Oompa Loompa from the Book Club dinner last night, complete with a headache for my transgressions. Ouch! Back on track today.

Lori- Oh dear, my heart just goes out to you. Hon, I would feel depressed as all get out too. Chronic pain is a very real thing and it is truly depressing. I agree with Trig that there are answers and a different route will be used to find out what is going on and fix it. In the meantime, sending you the very best vibes I can.

Trig- I just looked and apparently we have a storm coming today too. News to me! I wonder if I can attribute my headache to that.. nah!

I'm glad you have a trip to look forward to. How are the temps there? We've had some really nice ones- upper 70s low 80s for highs. My fave!

Jaz- Yum bbq! Are you doing your own, buying it or a combo? Get out and get a walk in today or tomorrow!

Blue- Love ya!

••••••

Getting things moving along here for my 4 hour training day today. Yesterday I had to be there at 10 and I didn't eat beforehand bc I wasn't hungry.. at home I usually eat 10:30 or 11, when I start to feel hungry. Well, that was a mistake. I got home around 12:40 and fixed something and was eating by 1, but then didn't want to eat much bc I knew I had the book club meal tonight at 6:30. Long story short- it backfired.

I know I need to figure out how to do this better. Today I am on 10-2. I am NOT hungry right now at all (9:12) but I know I will be hungry during that time, and I can't eat then. Powering through does not work for me. I am just not sure what I need to do... I wonder if I could put some food in my purse and then cram some food in my mouth every time I go to the bathroom? LOL but only partly. Salami and cheese in the bathroom?

After my shift I'll run a couple of errands if I feel like it or I may just come home. House is being cleaned while I am gone. Pulled pork in the IP for dinner.

More later tonight; I'm short on time!

The saga continues.....

So, at 9AM I called the Dr's office and left a message for a nurse explaining my situation etc. Within an hour, a wonderful nurse called me back. I explained it all, she was sympathetic to my problem and said she would put a "task" in the system for the Dr. to respond to. I was hopeful.

So....this afternoon I get a call from a different nurse. She said that the Dr. wants to order a Bone Scan to make sure it is not a stress fracture and I should get the bloodwork. I was silent, and finally said, "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about!" Stress fracture?? Bloodwork?? I told her that I had a fracture that was healed, but now Dr thinks I may have rotator cuff issues and that's why he ordered the MRI, but I am unable to have it due to the metal in my jaw. I just need to know what he wants to do now. And.....he never ordered bloodwork....and for what????? Then it was her turn to be silent. She said she understood and would put another task in the system for the Dr. I have heard nothing since.

The Dr. obviously did not pay attention to what my issue was as I'm quite sure a bone scan is not a replacement for an MRI, amiright? He will soon just tell me to pound sand and I'll be on the hunt for another Dr.

My sister says she is going to kidnap me and get me to a Dr. down near Philadelphia and get me fixed up and then she'll let me come home. DH is not a fan of that idea.

Enough of that.

My Green Chef box came today. Tonight I made Cajun Cod Cakes with a kale, cucumber, red bell pepper salad with a lite viniagrette. It was quite good, but the cod cakes were a pain in the neck. If I make them again, I will add an egg to make them stick together better. The salad was quite good. You cut the cucumber in ribbons with a peeler, which was different. As usual, everything was fresh, organic and nice.
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Nic...hope your day at training went well and that you figured out your eating schedule. That is a problem when your training is 10-2.

Trig...hope you didn't have bad storms. We were lucky today, everything passed us by.

Jaz....hope your day was not too terrible. I suppose you were on the road all day again.

Blue....hope your week is going well. I can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already. Also hope Stella continues to do well.

My cat seems to be using her leg more each day. I guess we dodged a bullet there. Must have just been a sprain.

Ok....tummy is full and I'm having a lite beer. Just felt like I wanted one. Have a good evening.

Hi all,

(((((((Lori))))))))---Oh girl, how disappointing! And frustrating! And yes, depressing! I would have felt all those things, only I would have had a martini, wine wouldn't touch that kind of mood for me.

You are entitled to your feelings, just let 'em blow thru you. Still, hard as it is to believe, this too shall pass and I don't believe for one minute you will turn into a permanently depressed person. As you said it is simply not your nature. No, you WILL get your fight on and get this figured out with the help of your doctor. Is the doctor you are seeing a specialist? Do you have confidence in him?

But oh, what a long and difficult road for you.

Trig---I bet you are just counting the days till take off, although those pre trip days can be plenty aggravating w/all those details that need to be attended to. But before ya know it the ocean winds will be blowing thru your hair, dang that sounds good.

Nic---LOL, salami sticks and cheese in the bathroom stall. Who would have thunk it? But actually, I think this is a pretty good solution.

I so get your dilemma because I too can't eat when I get up, or really anytime close to that. Like you, I get hungry between 11 and noon and have run into the problem with late morning meetings.

Can't remember---do you do/like BPC? This works really well for me. Or even just coffee w/generous cream and my sweetener. Coats the tummy good till you can get to lunch.

Jaz---Is your week lightening up a bit? Hope so. You sure sounded like one tired puppy earlier in the week. Driving can be exhausting if you're in heavy traffic. Is that true of most of the places you have to go? I know you've said Atlanta is not a well planned city as far as traffic is concerned, and I've heard that from others too. Do you listen to books on tape or podcasts? That would probably be my saving grace.

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Day 4, 100% on plan, as was yesterday. Hoping to get down to the pool later for some water jogging and laps. Last night twas a dark and stormy night. I'm eager to build myself a little momentum w/the water exercise.

Boyo, I am loving myself some eggs right now. Been making them all sorts of ways and adding all kinds of different stuff. Tonight is bunless cheese burgers w/fried onions and baked beans made w/black soybeans. Think I'll come in between 15 and 20 NCs today. Feeling pretty twinkle toes about that.

I am short on time tonight.......

A long post coming tomorrow-

LORI- I am so upset over your treatment!!!!! Seriously!!!!! INSANE-
Can you Demand to speak to the doctor? What is the issue- any MORAN can see there is a issue that is NOT a bone problem..... dear god what a jerk!
DO I need to be your case manager for an intervention and demand a ultrasound?

Had some major cleaning up crap for work before I check out for a 4 day time off! - Got it done- but I am tired. I am turning OFF my phone tomorrow.

My friend will will be here tomorrow at 2- just enough time to run a dust rag and clean the bathrooms!

More tomorrow

I am really rocking this challenge! Down another pound!!!!!! and holding!!!!!!!!!!! -

Till tomorrow!

Personals and a juicy post!
Just want to keep you on your seats!!!!!!!

Just in from the pool. Had it all to myself again, so freaking great!

I warmed up w/some laps, but what I really love is the water jog. Went for almost 30 minutes.

Funny story on me. So I'm really in the zone on the jog and when I get going I swing each arm alternatively to and fro as you would if you were jogging on land. And it's this totally fab feeling of running in slo mo, and I started hearing the music from "Chariots of Fire" in my head and I was just really going for it and thinking, I can, I can, I can to that music...

...and all of a sudden I hear this big noise of flapping and sqawking and honking and the biggest freaking flock of geese flew real low and right over my head, blowing all the chariots out of my brain and I swear they were laughing at me. Lost my rhythm for a bit there.

Night all.

Nicco I SO get that screwed up timing on eating and then getting caught. I go thru that and it stinks. I would bring food but eat the food ON the way to the bathroom HAHA not in it LOL If I know I am in a weirdo time situation I have slim jims in my purse, I can suck down about 3-4, be happy and it holds me and I can 'eat them sneaky' if needed

Lori, gosh that is frustrating to no end!! Direct chat with Dr is needed, call and set that up and then you can gauge if ya need to dump him stinks but a new guy might be the way to go, first appt, tell the Dr everything and I bet the next go around will suit you fine and you can move forward easier...ugh...no easy way here tho!

Blue I do a lot of eggs also. So simple and easy, that is what I love best about them, and always in the fridge as a default when you got nothing defrosted LOL
SO HAPPY you are using that pool!!!! Enjoying it!!! That is what is best in life, you move and found a new summer love the pool.....so funny on the geese! As long as ya got no big old white drops along side ya in the pool you made out well HAHA
I got swallows that dive bomb the pool when I am floating and take a drink. Like my pool is a big old pond, love seeing them.

HI Jaz waiting for ya to post

HI Greg, waiting for you to check in also...hope all is good



hey all
before the big rain hits I have to load rv and fridge and more
so busy day doing the usual bs before a trip

nothing new
just waiting to go...omg can't wait to go...new batteries in my detector and hubby has his fishing gear ready and kid is bring Xbox....UGH....what does that tell ya about the young'ins nowadays HAHA

off, but back later to chat up

Good Morning!

Blue! I would love to join you in jogging around the pool! Maybe without the flock of geese? Too funny!

Jaz....congrats on another pound down! Woohoo!! You are rocking the challenge. Hope you have a nice few days with your friend. Has the weather moderated a bit?

Today starts a 4 day stretch of nice, dry weather. I am determined to get out for a walk(at least) each day. I am putting this Dr. business on the back burner until Monday. I have an appt. that day, which was supposed to be to get the MRI results. I will discuss with him the next steps. This phone thing with the nurse in the middle is just not working.

We had a beautiful sunrise this morning and I'm about ready to head out for a walk. The sunshine, fresh air and birds chirping will all boost my mood.

I also have an eating challenge today. NO CHEESE!!! Yesterday I ate WAY too much Swiss cheese. Right now I'm having cup of coffee #2 with heavy cream and a scoop of MCT oil powder. That is going to be it until after my walk. I will put off eating as long as I can today. When I decide to eat, it will be eggs. I think tonight will be a grilled chicken salad Green Chef meal. I will just serve DH the chicken breast with a baked potato and side salad.

Nic & Trig.....what's happening today??

Feeling better today....accepting of my situation and determined to make the best of it. I need to tighten up the eating and exercise. I have several new pieces of clothing for the cruise and I want to look nice in them. I'll be sure to take some pictures of Sis and me.....I won't have WiFi on the ship this time, but I'll take the pics and share them when I'm home. I just got the cutest black & white skort and I have the perfect black top to wear with it.

I'm coming out of the "funk". Thanks for being there to listen to my whining and boosting me up. Priceless.

Wow! You guys have lotsa news to digest! Great job everyone. My only breakdown this week was an apple for lunch yesterday. That’s because I did not prepare my lunch the night before. “Success favors the most prepared”. My wife and I went to dinner and we split a shrimp and chicken dish over pasta made from zuchini. Was great! No clue what the sauce contained! Going to bed early has some good effects for me. I totally avoid TV and the munchies that accompany TV. I am up at 5 to get ready for my exercise class. Liquid breakfast and some coffee. Waiting for my running group to get started again! What I am learning from you all is not to let perfection get in the way of improvement 188 pounds today!

Popping back in to say CONGRATULATIONS GREG!! You have a perfect plan in place. Good eating and consistent exercise! You cannot fail!

I went out and walked just about 2.5 miles at 7:30 this morning. It felt great. I did break into a little run for a few blocks just to test out the shoulder. It was achy when I started and achy now....no worse or better, so just have to soldier on.

After my walk I went to the grocery store for a few items and bought myself a treat at Starbucks. Venti iced coffee with heavy cream and sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup. It was delish!

Here it is Noon and I haven't eaten anything so far today. Just heavy cream and one scoop of MCT oil powder. Feeling good.

Later!

Great to hear you’re out and walking/running! Perfect. You are testing yourself! Easy does it but do it. Steadyed

Green Chef meal report:

Grilled Chicken Salad

I actually did the chicken on stove top and then oven since we don't have a gas grill. It may have been the most tender chicken breast I have ever eaten! The chicken comes perfectly trimmed, no extra fat or anything that needs to be removed. I marinated it for a bit in olive oil and the paprika/ginger spice packet they sent. Then 3 minutes on each side on the stove and 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.....perfect!

The salad base was collard greens. That was a first for me. Really good. It had radishes, scallions, toasted pecans, feta cheese with a mustard viniagrette. Everything was so tasty.

I really am enjoying my Green Chef experience so far. I'm having fun preparing the recipes and using ingredients that I wouldn't have tried otherwise. Another nice thing with the salad greens and veggies....there is just enough for 2 servings and no waste. If I would buy a bunch of greens at the market, I would end up throwing most of it away after it turned to mush in my fridge. This way I have just what I need.

Challenge was on point for me today

LC -
Activity -

I got started on this early AM and then had to leave it- so I'm going to do an update for my day today and get back to you all tomorrow w/ personals.

On plan. Exercise done. Got a good streak going there!

So today was.. a day. Is it a full moon? People were driving like they had never heard of traffic laws. I saw a couple of near misses and a bunch of people just doing inane things.

I very nearly forgot to go to my CASA visit this morning. It just slipped my mind b/tw thinking about the training job and DS17's exams. I literally realized about ten minutes before I needed to leave. I dashed upstairs, threw my hair in a ponytail, brushed my teeth, grabbed some water and heated three pieces of bacon and ran out the door. I got there about five minutes later than I wanted to but I call that a huge win.

So.. these two kids are in a pretty crappy daycare. I know daycares well- I was a birth-preschool teacher myself and I've also consulted in many daycares. Well, this one sucks.. a good bit more than the OTHER one sucked on my previous case. I was so upset and disheartened that I got in my car after my visit, drove a bit away, then sat in my car and cried. Called my DH, vented about it and cried some more. Then I texted the foster mom about it, more restrained because I don't want to burn any bridges in terms of being able to return and see the kids in the daycare environment, but just letting her know that I wasn't very pleased with what I saw there today. Some of it is an economic issue and some of it is perhaps cultural in nature, but still.

So after all that, I went to Costco and got that errand done. Came home, chilled out a bit and had an LC yogurt with LC granola for lunch. Went to the gym and worked out, came home and had dinner around 6ish.

Overall not a bad day but emotional. I have such strong feelings about young children and their developmental needs- educational, mental, emotional- and it kills me to see kids spending 8-12 hours a day in a place where they are not being met.

On another note, DS17's last day of his junior year is TOMORROW!! Yep, the school year is coming to a close! I'm excited!! I was populating the calendar with next year's school dates and it was fun to realize that some of it no longer will apply to us because we will NOT be re-registering or scheduling classes!

Lori, glad your mood is lifting for you. Time required to get fixed now....just roll with it and baby your arm/shoulder area best you can. You don't want to worsen it til you can find out what has to be handled. You should be paid for your endorsement of Green Chef So glad you are enjoying this way of cooking, sounds like it suits ya great!

Greg even tho an apple is not a great lc choice it truly was a great choice for you, cause when we get caught without food, we can easily come up with a gazillion reasons to eat really bad...like junky processed crap....so your apple was a good choice in the situation! LOVE IT! Good choices every meal is what makes us learn, change, evolve and move forward with this lifestyle!! Happy your life rhythms are coming back! The more crappy we are physically the more 'off natural life rhythms' we are and with you now exercising early AM and moving thru your day, your natural sleep comes earlier...that is a good life rhythm, as it was meant to be! Good results from your changes, happy to hear things are going well for you!!

Perfection can't happen, for anyone, every single day, every single thing we do in life....we have to keep it 'shades of grey' that work for us, not against us when we have to make choices.....so you are doing fine!!!

Nicco….yea with DS17! You are now off the hook and things are-a-changing and you guys can move forward into a new chapter. I get how nice it is to be off the old school calender, lol, I sure can't wait til my kid is nearing college and freedom from the system

Yea crappy daycare. pffft..ugh. don't get me started. Can you help get the daycare changed? Offer up a better place? or do you just have to grin and bare it mostly? Can you step in and effect big changes?

HI JAZ and BLUE



for me is finishing off rv
all good, got tons of meats packed in fridge in rv
got kid's crap handled, doing my clothes today

rain is coming today but hopefully holds off

all good, hubby got his mom's and our land mowed down.
so far everything is moving good to leaving on Sunday. weather is iffy it seems at the beach but I don't care, I can easily metal detect in a rainstorm, rain won't stop me, as long as big lightening ain't happening LOL

At our smokehouse store down the road, omg they get the best shrimp, no clue from where (but I gotta ask) cause they score a hit on it and put out a sign...big NC fresh shrimp available while supplies last and WE JUMP on them...omg so good. Just cook up so meaty tasting, so fresh and not fishy in any way. They, for some reason are so damn good.....we got a lot and grilled them outside with steaks. SO YUM! steak and great shrimp, ya can't go wrong so I had a smidge of cocktail sauce from the jar and this meal hit me so good, just so outside air grill, fresh and yum and just floated my boat. I CAN eat like this everyday and be fine LOL

so on plan and good here. Scale gave me 1/2 lb down so will take it....and gearing up for my trip to come back ANY lbs lower than when I left here I plan on making that happen for me. I got a goal and am gonna win it, lighter on the scale when I return from vacay vs. a vacay gain!


great day all