06/29/18, TGIF

Well Cecily.... Your PE news certainly put the flapper valves issue into perspective ! Hard way to go for a fast ride by ambulance ! Speedy recovery energy flowing your way !!

The words perspective and breathe resonate with me today. We are all faced with old tapes, life situations, and simple moments in time that can unexpectedly knock the wind out of us. We often can't anticipate it and even when we can, we often get swept up in a turbulent wave. Look for an opening and breathe. Refocus, reset, re-establish firm footing, but breathe. We've all got this !!

Weight: 133.6
Macros: Cals - 1,601, Carbs - 173, Fats - 53, Protein - 95, Fiber - 36
Sleep hours: 9
Vegetable/Fruit Servings: 7
Exercise: Yoga class

Cecily! Huge kudos to your doctor! But good grief, girl, what a shocker that must have been! Liz is right -- your youth and vitality and your spidey-sense doctor are your best resources now. PLEASE let us hear from you today.

DianeO -- I adore these words from your post this morning: "The words perspective and breathe resonate with me today. We are all faced with old tapes, life situations, and simple moments in time that can unexpectedly knock the wind out of us. We often can't anticipate it and even when we can, we often get swept up in a turbulent wave. Look for an opening and breathe. Refocus, reset, re-establish firm footing, but breathe. We've all got this !!"

The heat here is sucking. Yesterday at 4:30 I climbed in my car, and the outside climate reading was 104 degrees! OK, it was really "only" 94 outside, but it was still brutal -- like living in Texas! High temps in Venice will be upper 70s, low 80s. I can NOT wait.

I'm skipping the pool this morning to finish laundry and packing, then will go to my final physical therapy session. I'm also cleaning house today so I can come back to a clean bed, etc.

Cecily, again, I'm so sorry you're going through this PE bit.

Today's incredibly relevant theme for us all: Keep breathing.

Your comment about cleaning before your trip reminded me of my grandma who would come in like a house brownie when our family took the occasional vacation and scrub and clean every literal square inch of house for my mom. It was like coming home to a new world. To this day, I cannot-NOT leave my house for a vacation without giving it the same squeaky cleaning. A delightful resurrection of a delightful childhood experience.

I am not sure when you are leaving.....but I am VERY MUCH looking forward to your trip!!!

I know what you mean about perspective! After I saw this, I went back to read Cecily's post from yesterday, then googled pulmonary embolism. I can't believe this is happening, but I'm so glad they realized it. Could anything else have gone wrong with this surgery?

On a brighter note it is so exciting that Ann leaves for Venice this weekend. I wish I could go in her suitcase (not really as I have claustrophobia but in the plane anyway).

Paula, it is so good that you have Joined the Bible group. I'm sure that it will provide some comfort and support for you. You are doing all the right things (no surprise).

Weight ? until tomorrow, calories 808 (protein 108, carbs 38, fat 26). I guess this means that this part of the week is "moderate" carb, though I started with super low carb. Ann commented that I was disciplined. I see this as a post-vacation reset which is limited in time and thankfully has kept me full. I feel like this is just a "tool" I am employing for a limited time period to avoid the dreaded "diet" which would be needed if my carb eating continued to be at the high level it was on vacation. I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but I feel like VSG was my first good "tool" (restriction). To that I added daily weighing, food planning, food tracking, high consumption of liquids (but not during a meal), and just general consciousness about whether I am truly hungry or not. Eating as I have since Sunday is added to that for special use when appropriate.

Praying for Cecily!!!

Liz, I agree with everything you said about these tools you've built. However, I haven't yet made myself go as low-calorie as you can go when you put your mind to it.

More broadly, I watch everything everybody here does and learn from all your lessons. Some are head lessons, some are eating lessons, some are relationship and coping-with-life lessons. Doesn't matter to me whether anyone's behaviors are "good" or "bad" or indifferent -- I learn from it all.

The greatest value here to me is that we are as honest with ourselves and each other as we can manage to be on any given day. Yes, there are some days when I don't want to talk about specific issues. But eventually, I come sidling back up and am able address them. And mercifully, nobody has tried to tell anyone how to live their lives -- at least, not in those all too familiar ways that truly don't help anyone.

Ann in light of my blood clot awareness week do you have compression socks for your long flight? If not get up and move and roll your feet and ankles around A LOT!!

Yes, I think this group functions the way a support group should with honesty, sharing, and suggestions. No shaming, no attacks as sometimes happens on the regular forums. I just don't get that.

Cecily!!! I wondered when the DDimer would come back and checked the board often yesterday for just that but only found it this morning.

I'm glad you are with us. Holy Complication.

But, getting diagnosed was the most important thing. Now that it has been, treatment begins and you will be fine.

(Still scary, and I don't mean to sound cavalier, and no I am not saying you are totally out of the woods. But you are SO MUCH BETTER than you were 48 hours ago.)

Gratitude.

(On the plus side, you are likely to meet people like me! How fun is that!!!!)

Amen, Shel!