The Inaugural Ball I Attended (some OT some On)
My mom had quadruple bypass open heart surgery. A couple of days before Christmas my sister called to tell me that she could no longer stay with my mom and take care of her. I begged my sister to stay at least until after Christmas so that I could try to work things out. My mom lives about 2 hours outside of Houston. I had to leave my cool diamond and bling place of employment, but that is okay. I am here helping my mom and working with the company I worked for before so things are working out. I juggle a lot of traveling (Mom goes with me). I also juggle things at home in Nashville too.
You know since having WLS over two years ago, a lot of different challenges presented themselves in my life that I didn’t see coming. A couple of examples are 1) How hard the empty nest syndrome hit me, 2) Taking care of an aging parent, 3) The economy taking a nose dive. That is just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on and on here, but my point is that we talk a lot about psychological testing and getting clearance from those test to have WLS. I feel I was in a much better place emotionally three years ago. I guess what I am trying to get at here is we have to constantly learn how to “REACT" to things that are totally out of our control. We can no longer medicate with food and we must constantly watch for signs of other things we may subconsciously choose to medicate with.
So as some of you already know I discovered a new passion a while back. Photo Journaling. Oh yea Scott, remind me later that I got some good pictures of my feet at Christmas to share with ya…..LOL… I was fortunate and honored to be able to attend an Inaugural Ball last week at a "Long Term Care Facility" in Ft. Worth. Here are some of the photos. I hope you enjoy them.
on 1/26/09 9:21 pm
Love the pictures, they are beautiful! I must admit the Obama Head-On-A-Stick caught me off guard and was a tad creepy! Hee hee!
I think everyone ought to have a shrink! I spent about 5 years in therapy after my brother died. I learned a lot of cognitive therapy techniques and got out of my perfectionist habit and chronic anxiety from worrying, which has helped immensely.
You're right--the only thing we can control is how we react to things and if you can't react to stress by turning to food, what do you do? Eeew, deal with the issue? That blows! For me, I just try to put a realistic spin on things. The economy is very scary and it irks me how the media takes great pride in emphasizing job cuts. Yes those are very real. But I can't sit around and worry, "will it happen to me?" Doing that, for me, breeds anxiety, which makes me worry, which makes me want to eat. Eat crap. Now I just focus on don't cross that bridge until you get to it (if you ever even do!) and stop the stressful thoughts before they spiral out of control.
It takes a lot of effort, but it's doable.
Okay, gotta wash my coffee pot so I can get my fix. Great post and know that I'm thinking of you and Mom and hope all is well! Thanks for sharing the pictures!!
HUGS!!!
Denise
Hey Ms Denise..
Humm… temporarily moved to Houston… now there is a thought however, I view it as a long distance commute and racking up frequent flyer miles… LOL
Or here is another perspective.. My son is a freshman at Texas A & M Galveston in the Marine Biology program… I had an extremely hard time letting him go ( I did not show it externally of course) so he may view this as a stalking mother…. But I swear, I have not been anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Ike…. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…
My mom is doing much better, thank you. Except for the little episode we had last Thursday. I took her and the car around the corner for fuel, while I am pumping the gas she decides that she needs to go inside and purchase a lottery ticket. I had no idea she had gotten out of the car so I am standing there at the fuel pump in my own little world. I keep thinking to myself that someone is calling my name… but I say to myself “self" no one knows you here let alone be hollering your name from a distance. I can’t shake the “Trina, help me.." Trina.., help me.." so I turn around and low and behold my mom is laying on the ground at the door entrance of the local Exxon. Her foot got caught in the door as she is entering and she has fallen… So I am thinking to myself OMG… Not only is my mom an open heart surgery patient but we can know add broken hip to the mix….
By this time there was a truck load of people around her trying to pick her up but she would not let anyone touch her but me… So I did my thing and got her off the ground…..
Okay, so yes, there is a happy ending to this story… Nothing was hurt or bruised but her pride… Thank God… I told her, for Pete’s sake,, stay in the car… If you need a $1 lottery ticket, I will go in and get it for you…. Don’t ever scare me like that again…. Okay, so you got the condensed version but I think you get my drift….
Okay, so I absolutely love the Obama Head-On-A-Stick….. Leave it to you to point that one out…. I agree with Bob L. there is something not quite right with you… LOL
on 1/27/09 10:41 pm
I wanted to be a Marine Biologist when I was younger. I still love the ocean and the stuff in it. Sigh. That's the only thing I dislike about TN: we're landlocked. Lakes just aren't the same, Stalker Mom Trina. I can just imagine your son having to watch his back--he gets a weird-feel-like-I'm-being-watched sensation, turns around and there's nothing there . . . but a tuft of hair sticking up from behind a bush. Trina, you gotta duck lower when you stalk. It's like the first rule!
As my friend Puddin' says, "Old People." I can't imagine her falling--the pain in her chest! My dad's biggest complaint during recovery was the pain in his sternum where they wired it back together. So I can't imagine a fall would be good. My dad has dizzy spells on occasion and back pain that's causing weakness in his leg. He's too stubborn for his own good and won't use the walker he has when he's not feeling well. Because of that, when he's not feeling good, my mother will follow him around with a chair.
Yeah, now you know the reason I'm Not Righ! ; )
Crap. I really don't want to go in to work. The snow is tapering off here, but the roads are a little slushy. And the guys on Channel 2 keep talking about the water under the snow freezing and becoming ice, and that the temperature is going to drop to 28.
Trina, will you write me a note so I can stay home with the dogs?
Oh, stupid question: did your mom win anything with that lottery ticket???
And as for the Obama Head-On-A-Stick . . . if it were more cartoony it wouldn't be as horrifying. It's because it's so realistic looking that it's scary. Imagine trying to fan yourself with that . . . he keeps staring at me! YIKES!
Crap. I guess I should go in to work, but I am SO leaving early before all the nuts get on the road and stuff freezes up after dark.
Now go keep an eye on your mom before she gets into more shenanigans!
HUGS!!!
Denise
You know how I feel about you sunshine... It won't be long now... I have been telling you that for a long time... And as I sit here and turn around to view the complimentary Pizza Hut 2009 calendar that hangs on this office wall my eyes go almost instinctivly if you will to count the days down to Feburary 2nd....
I am trying so hard to get back in to town by then but if I can't.. I want you to know that everything is going to be fine... As a matter of fact it is going to be great... I did not say it will be easy... I said it will be great...
You know who loves you baby
I'm not dealing well with the empty nest, either. My daughter and grandson lived with me and had my grandson 24/7 until he started nursery school a year or so ago. Then in April, she married a wonderful man and moved to Mt. Juliet. Which isn't the other side of the world, but it sure is a big change!
Good luck and God bless you with all your changes and work! I love your photojournal pictures - they really tell a story.
Dennie
"It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it. ~Julia Child"
