Blessing After Blessing

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Pam

I have come to Ohio. It is January. And it is snowing! Ron has gone out of town a for a week+. I was supposed to go with him but he forgot to get me a ticket till the last minute when it would cost too much. So I decided I would just come to Ohio. Of course since I’m coming it decided it was time to snow and get cold because I love it SOOOOOOO much!!! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

As soon as I got here Faith jumped up with dad and they took a nap. She loves it here. She loves me and everything but she loves papaw’s lap for napping and she loves following mamaw around wherever she goes. She does still sleep with me at night. When it comes time to leave she knows it’s time to leave but till then she knows where the treats come from, I have to admit that.

Monday was my weigh in/measure day (Day 11) of my 24 Day Challenge. I couldn’t wait to get here to use Mom’s scale. I mistakenly stepped on my scale one day last week and the dumb thing said 200 pounds. I was convinced it was broken because I had already stepped on the scale at my doctor last Monday and knew I had passed the 200 mark. So I told Ron and he stood right up, got the scale, took it in the garage and threw it away. I was thrilled!!! Of course now that meant that I didn’t have a scale. But who wants a broken one anyway. He said I could use the one at the doctor once a month when I go to the doctor once a month anyway – which is a good idea actually. Now I don’t feel the draw of the dumb thing when I walk past the bathroom anymore. So this one time I needed it on a day when I happened to be at Mom’s house. I grabbed her tape measure – took my measurements and stepped on those scales. So my day 11 results show that I was down 7 pounds and 13 inches. I was so proud!!

So now I’m on days 11-24. Those days are easier compared to the first 10 days. I brought my food with me up here. I haven’t exercised yet. I was using the 24 Day Challenge Exercise DVD at home. But I knew I couldn’t use that here. Mom/Dad don’t have a DVD player here. Well, they do but it’s not in a place where I could exercise as well. I started doing some floor exercises that I did before when I was working on losing weight in 2009.

So things are going well actually. Ron and I went to Chattanooga over the weekend to see Lauren and her friends. We haven’t been there to see her any this year. We’ve been wanting to go for so long. I’ve been wanting to go there for so long. She has made so many amazing personal changes. I wish I could share them all here. I’m not even sure I could get them all together to list. She has matured emotionally, personally, physically…she is no longer the innocent little girl in the teenage girl’s body. I have spent the entire school year praying and worrying and praying and worrying some more. I haven’t been the perfect Christian mother – because of the worrying – but I have begged God 100 different ways to help me let her go. I’ve begged Him to help her see His light in her life. Moving from high school to college is never easy. Months ago I told her that the feelings she was having in high school would be totally different to how she would feel for the rest of her life. It’s hard to get a teenage girl to understand that the four years of high school are a simple drop in the bucket of the rest of her life. She is changing now. She’s starting to see that all those feeling she had in high school are long gone. She’s struggling with understanding where they went. It’s just so hard for her. I keep praying. But I do understand how it all plays into her makeup. She is moving forward – thankfully. I can see it’s a hard lesson to learn. She can see that she is moving on and that all of her high school friends are back here in the same situation. But God is good and He has her moving ahead from where she was. It’s beautiful to see. She has a lot more changes to make but she is making them and she is making progress. And is such an incredible blessing to me every day.

The Weight Is Falling Away

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Pam

I am currently 3 pounds away from losing 40 pounds. Huh? Did you not catch that? I’ll say it just a little bit louder for you.

I AM CURRENTLY 3 POUNDS AWAY FROM LOSING 40 POUNDS!!!!!!

Did you catch it that time? I thought you might. I have never in my life ever lost this much weight. I’m really kind of afraid to say it out loud – know what I mean? I’m gonna be perfectly honest with you here because it all plays into my goals. When I originally started losing weight in June I really didn’t have a specific goal in mind. I just knew I didn’t want to weigh what I was anymore. My scale said I weighed 232. And I knew that was too much.

Yep – that was me at 232 pounds. Interestingly enough I never really thought I looked that big. But whatever – that’s what the scale said. So after the kids’ graduation in May I decided it was time to get busy. I work with Advocare and we have a trim line so I decided I would order everything in our trim line, change the way I eat and start exercising. So that’s what I did. The weight started dropping off. I started dropping about 5 pounds a month. I also asked my doctor to change any medications I was on that caused weight gain. She was all for it.

By the time August rolled around and we took the kids to college I had lost down to 209. Not done yet but still pleased and very motivated to keep on going.

I’m getting there! I’ve continued what I’ve been doing. But for the last 6 months I’ve been pretty much stuck within spittin’ distance of 200 pounds. My first goal was to get below the 200 mark on the scale. I haven’t been below 200 since before I was pregnant with Michael in 1993. When I got pregnant with him I was 170 pounds. So that first goal was to get 199 just to get below 200. Advocare came out with an exercise DVD to accompany the 24 Day Challenge (the full weight loss challenge program). The Advocare 24 Day Challenge started the first half of the year on sale. So I decided this was the chance to overcome my plateau and reach my next goal.

I am currently on day 4 of the 24 Day Challenge. It’s all going smoothly. Smooth as silk. You aren’t supposed to step on the scale till Day 11 for your first weigh in – which is hard because I’m used to stepping on every day – but I’ve done very well. However, I went to the doctor this morning. I noticed when I put my clothes on this morning that my pants fit much nicer. I knew that was a good sign. I decided I would look when she asked me step on the scale. Boy am I glad I did. Not only had I moved off the plateau of the last couple of months but I had also gone BELOW the 200 mark!! I hit 195. I kept saying “that’s a 1…that’s a 1…that’s a 1…” So I hit a goal! I made it below the 200. And that 195 puts me 3 pounds away from 40 pounds. I’ve never lost this much weight! NEVER!!!

My next goal is to drop below the weight I was when I got pregnant with Michael – 170. So my next goal is 169! Anything after that is gravy! I might even taste the gravy – with a biscuit!

This picture was 7 whole pounds ago but you get the idea!

Redeemed

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Pam

While out driving around this week I heard this song on the radio. It struck me as a new song even though I see now that it’s been out for about six months or so. When I heard it I instantly got goosebumps – which generally means that the Holy Spirit washes over me. So I decided to look it up and share it with you. The song is called Redeemed and is sung by Big Daddy Weave. Enjoy!

What’s In There Anyway?

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Pam

One day last week I found a blog post somewhere that I wanted to do here. I took my pictures. I loaded the pictures here. I was just waiting for the right day to sit down and put it together. However, I forgot to mark the blog to tag. Finding one particular blog on that millions and millions and millions of blogs online is quite nearly impossible. So I’ll be posting mine today UNtagged to anyone else’s blog. Sorry strange lady on the strange blog somewhere in cyberland. I liked the idea. So, thanks for the idea. For your reading pleasure – don’t pretend you aren’t gonna love this – here is my purse in all it’s loveliness!

There is my Michael Kors purse from Christmas 2012. Thank you, Ron. And of course the open pantry. So lovely! Smack! I’ve discussed my love for a new designer bag each Christmas already. So I won’t go through that again. But at any rate, this bag is from this year’s Christmas.

This is the inside. As you can tell, it’s a big bag (which I love) but I keep every thing in Vera Bradley bags. So everything is organized and easy to find.

The green Vera Bradley bag holds my lip sticks and powder. Who knew I need so much lip stick?

This is my wallet. Well, till last night it was my wallet. I stopped at Vera Bradley last night and bought a new one. But I didn’t want to take a new picture. On the top of this one is a zipper pouch for the money. It was pretty simple to grab it and take off with my phone and keys.

This was my wallet originally. It was also easiest to grab and run. It now holds notecards, store cards, discount cards – that kind of thing. It holds all those things you don’t want to clutter up your wallet with.

This is my Vera Bradley bag that holds all that stuff that gets lost on the bottom of your purse that you might need once in a lifetime. This is medicine, hand cleaner, nail file, advil, eye drops…this is where I go look if someone says “does someone have a band aid?”

And these things fit in the little pockets inside pockets on the inside! And those are the products on the inside of my purse! See – wasn’t that fun? If only I could remember who that woman was so I could tag her and thank her for the tons of fun we all just had exploring the inside of my purse!

Where Is My Mind Gonna Be In 45 More Years?

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Pam

I large number of my friends from high school also have Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition that is very common to me. I’ve fought it for nearly 20 years. The illness brings so many symptoms with it that I just honestly get overwhelmed by it at times. If it’s not pain, it’s fatigue, or fibrofog. Or it could be one of a million other things that fit into any of those illnesses.

One of my friends posted an article that really clicked with me this week. It really spoke to me. It seems to speak directly to matters that I’m dealing with right now.

As stated in an earlier article, a large percentage of individuals among the at least 10 million individuals in the United States with Fibromyalgia Syndrome experience problems with cognition which have collectively come to have the nickname of “fibrofog”. According to Jennifer Glass, Ph.D., cognitive function involves the ability to conduct intellectual processes, such as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning words. Other areas suffering in fibrofog include attention, concentration, orientation, and speaking clearly.

We now have some more specific information regarding these difficulties and even how those with fibromyalgia compare with others with rheumatoid diseases. According to Dr. Robert Katz, people with fibromyalgia also have cognitive issues. One of the cognitive issues amounts to what looks like learning disability.

The study referred to compared four distinct groups: one group of controls without rheumatic disease; one group of those with fibromyalgia (FMS); one group of those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and one group of those with lupus (SLE). The four groups took questionnaires about difficulties in reading, writing, body awareness/spatial relationships and oral expressive language.

The results indicated that those with fibromyalgia scored worse reading and oral expressive language scores compared with the controls and worse scores in all areas compared with the SLE and RA groups. These results are probably not a surprise to those of us with fibro.

The results showed that those with fibromyalgia were significantly more likely to have the following difficulties:

- Making mistakes when reading, such as skipping words or lines (FMS 43%;
controls 0%; SLE 5%; RA 3%).
- Remembering what was read (FMS 59%; controls 0%; RA 11%; SLE 24%).
- Reading the same line twice (FMS 57%; controls 14%; RA 15%; SLE 19%).
- Comprehending a main idea or important details from a story (FMS 27%;
controls 0%; RA 5%; SLE 14%).
- Grammar or punctuation (FMS 28%; controls 14%; RA 8%; SLE 0%).
- Clumsiness or uncoordination (FMS 41%; controls 7%; RA 10%; SLE 10%).
- Hand-eye coordination (FMS 27%; controls 7%; RA 5%; SLE 5%).
- Self-expression in words (FMS 42%; controls 7%; RA 8%; SLE 5%).
- Finding proper words to say when conversing (FMS 57%; controls 8%;
RA 11%; SLE 24%).
- Getting to the point when speaking (FMS 43%; controls 7%;
RA 5%; SLE 5%).

Dr. Katz noted that many of the patients were very challenged in academic situations or have difficulties on the job due to these manifestations of a learning disability. It is important to remember that nobody is asserting that those with Fibromyalgia have learning disabilities. As Katz said, We rheumatologists aren’t ready to diagnose them with that. But we can screen them for that and send them to the appropriate experts.

It is my hope that armed with this knowledge, some of the treatments and techniques used with those with learning disabilities may be applied to fibromites to determine whether any benefits lie therein.

Respectfully Simone Ravicz.

So while I have considered going back to school or finding a minimal job I realize it’s just not something I can do. My body has been telling me all of the above for years. While I would love to be able to hold my own against anyone I’m just not able to intellectually. I’m not too proud to admit that either. The reason we stopped homeschooling years ago was because I could feel them getting ahead of me. I admitted that when I realized it. So everything above is true. In my head it’s been happening for a long time. Sometimes I can feel it happening quicker than others. But it’s definitely happening. It’s kind of sad. I’m only 45 years old. I still have at least that much longer to live. What in the world is my life gonna be like in 45 more years? Oh my!!

Know What I Mean?

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Pam

Hello all!

In case you are wondering where I have been I am right here. My fibromyalgia has been acting up something awful the last week or so. I made a promise to all of you a while ago that when my physical or emotions are acting up that I wouldn’t bring it here and share it with you. So that’s what’s happening in my head and in my body these days. I could use some prayers if you have any laying around if you have some to spare.

I hope to be back to normal very soon because mostly I’m just over the whole thing. Know what I mean!

The Athletic Trainer and The Mechanical Engineer

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Pam

Our children have just finished their first semesters of their freshmen year in college. They have gone really well. Each one are at different schools and are studying different programs. Lauren is attending Lee University in Cleveland Tennessee. Lee is a Church of God University. She began in August studying Psychology. She set her first semester up quite nicely with easy classes and ended up with straight A’s and a 4.0. I’m very proud of her. But even she will tell you that she had super easy classes and knows that the real work will begin this coming week when her tougher classes begin. But that first semester looks pretty HOT right now!!! HAHA At any rate the classes that she had to take were classes that had to be taken so she took them now. She is considering changing her Major to Athletic Trainer with a Minor in Psychology. Ron and I believe that is much more up her alley and would much more fit her personality since she is very athletic. There will always be a need for an Athletic Trainer – especially one with psychology training on the side. That’s also something you can set up on the side as a personal business as well. She’s spent this last week in Pennsylvania with her best friend (from college). She’s having a great time. They are heading back here on Sunday night for the night. Monday they head back to school. And then we start all over. I’m exciting for her all over again.

Michael has come home from his first semester at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville Tennessee. TTU is a state college. She began studying Mechanical Engineering. He had a very tough semester. He went in knowing it was going to be hard and with lots of dread. To begin with he had to take 2 calculus classes and a chemistry classes plus whatever other classes he had to take this semester. Needless to say he didn’t not come out with a 4.0. The problem is that he doesn’t talk to us about his classes. But he does constantly studied when he is home. If he’s not out with Hannah or doing laundry he is sitting at the table doing homework. He ended up failing one of his calculus classes. We expressed to him how important it was that he talked to us because we could have had him drop that class before the drop rate to keep him from failing it. We assured him this is not like high school – in college you can drop a class you are failing to keep an F off of your final record. At any rate he’s got it all now. He is keeping all of this straight up now. He said he didn’t want to tell us because Ron is working so hard and he didn’t want to let him down. He said he would like to consider changing his major because the math is too hard. But we assured him that once he gets through the math it will be smooth sailing. He loves Engineering. He really even wants to go to NASA to be an Engineer. So we have a huge battle getting through this with him. But we will do it. We need an engineer engineering something mechanical in the world somewhere – whatever in the world that means!