Sunday March 5

COLD!!!! 10 degrees this morning in a winter that has been very mild is tough to take. The high yesterday was 20 with strong winds. No long walks for the dogs yesterday (even they were happy just to do their business and come in). First exercise was cleaning the house thoroughly (it needed it). It always feels good to sit in a clean house afterwards (though it reminds me of clothes washing or dish washing - the work is already building up before you are done)!

117, 1182 calories. Up another pound with low calories. What's up with that? The weight is fine, but the dynamics right now are confusing me... is my metabolism re-setting (I will be at one year at the end of the month)? Going to Zumba this morning and hoping I don't fall over my feet.

Paula, hopefully the next submission for the PET will be successful. I hope everything is okay with your ear. My company has engaged this urgent care line one can call for first line questions including some remote treatment I believe. Technology is great when it works.

Ann, Diane has the best advice! Either you will really enjoy it or reinforce that you prefer retirement. And reap some travel as a reward either way. It sounds like a win/win! One of the retired SVPs in my company came back to consult on a project last year and he really enjoyed it.

Have a good end to the weekend!

Weight today: 134.2

Macronutrients yesterday: Cals - 1,700, Carbs - 202, Fat - 64, Protein - 65, Sugar - 89, Fiber - 35

Veggies/fruits yesterday: 6 (goal is 7)

Exercise yesterday: None

Plans for today: Visiting with company

* * *

Liz, I love the clean-house feeling, too. Also love getting rid of clutter. Yesterday morning before company arrived, hubby and I finally finished filing all the 2016 tax records and stored them in the attic. So nice not seeing those stacks of paper anymore.

Thanks to everyone who offered comments and encouragement re my new work gig opportunity. Am feeling pretty sure I'll take it on.

We are having a great time with our weekend company. In their early 50s, they are looking for a more peaceful way to live and are thinking out loud through their options. Good for them! We are also sitting around retelling old family stories. Today we will go for a long walk. Good times. :)

Last night we had Mexican food, and I had one of my fave maintenance dishes -- chicken fajitas.

Good morning everyone

Walked for two hours and kept the food count low.

went to garage sales and got an amazing food processor for $1.00. The purchase receipt for $69 was still in the instruction book. Very pleased.

Have to love that bargain!

Liz, don't sweat the weight flux. You are a year out now and your body is adjusting. Just keep tracking your food, if that works for you and let your body do what it gonna do. I also found that my body shape kept & keeps adjusting. Stuff moves from one area to another. I can totally understand why it is recommended to wait 2 years after you have finished before doing plastics - if that is your thing.

Relax, don't know about you but obsessing about my weight can get me into more trouble than I care to have.

Very cold but sunny here as well, but it is all good 'cause spring is around the corner when you do the math.

136.2 - about the same.

Ear is not doing well. Lots of pain, redness and swelling still. Pain started going down my neck into my lymph glands last night and is still there today. Took my 3rd dose of antibiotics this morning, hoping it will kick in soon. Am needing hydrocodone for the pain every 4 hours.....in fact it is wearing off in about 3 hours but I wait until it is time to take another one. That level of pain is very unlike me....I rarely need to take pain killers more than 1 day after surgery, of course I don't usually have an infection either. If it is not feeling somewhat better by this afternoon, I will call the dermatologist back. Perhaps a course of IV antibiotics is in order.

Paula

I think I am pretty pain resistant. But once I had a radiation leision the size of a pencil eraser that brought me to my knees for weeks. It wasn't infected but the MD said that it went "all the way thru." I'm not exactly sure what HE meant but MY interpretation was there was a hole in my soul that exposed to me to the fires of hell.

Pain finally decreased during trip to Yellowstone and I have ever since related recovery to buffalos.

Whew! Back to you.

If I have a point, it is that it might be understandable that your type of wound might be super painful just by its very nature. I'm thinking about how adults/dog owners sometimes squeeze the ears of children/dogs to discipline. Plus, there is a graft that surely goes all the way thru.

But I, too, am worried about the combo of red and swelling that is going along with the pain. Call earlier than later.

Your writing is so picturesque. Radiation burns hurt more than normal. Don't know much about ear pain.

Liz, what Roxy said!

In all things "body" there are natural daily fluctuations, many of them are not explainable by a spreadsheet. (I'm thinking of my engineer/IT patients that have their blood pressure numbers on a spread sheet. They are full of WHY-angst.)

Sit back and observe. If you are hanging higher than you want after a few/several days, then dial back calories a bit. No worries.

Wt 222 OTD. Calories 1149

50's here with gentle rain. Things are turning green. Steps are working on the shop in the woods.

Vyvanse update: last psych visit with dose increase. It is not working like it did the first day or so. However it is good for my mood and activity level. I was taking a nap every day, sometimes 2, but haven't had one since starting Vyvanse. I have missed a N&Y a few times and it didn't drive me nuts. ( pun intended). So it is helping with the obsessions. So thankful to DW for pushing for this Med.

The dogs are sleeping in the shop because they are so anxious in the airstream when DW is there. They just want to follow her every step. Just not room for that. When she is gone and I let them in both dogs will get in the kennel area and snooze. Marble, the boxer, is still adjusting to sleeping in a different building than DW. Kinda like putting a kid to bed. We will both be in the shop, the DW will leave, then they will eventually go get on their bed and then I will leave.

More later, David