Starting over.........again.............SERIOUSLY??
???

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Looking through my blogs over the last 2 years the majority are about refocusing. Well, now I am in major refocus mode. I had lost 20 lbs with SP and now have successfully gained back almost all of that. OMG!!! How did that happen????
Well, I know how it happened. We all know the basics of weight gain...... too many calories in, and not enough out!!!! My prior success involved Sparkpeople. First and foremost - logging my food. It is such an eye opener to see your calories rack up. I realize I am terrible about "empty calories" and idle eating ..... not paying attention to what I am putting in my mouth, just for the sake of putting something in my mouth. HELLO......... THOSE CALORIES ADD UP IN A HURRY!!!! So, why am I surprised I have packed on the pounds........again?

My SP friend, Pixie-licious, talks about her streaks and always has very inspirational quotes. I am going to start a streak of logging my food..........every bite. We have been extremely busy at work this past year and I haven't taken the additional time to log my food on SP. Now we are having some cutbacks so I can utilize my extra time with exercise and logging! There is a plus side to the down economy!

And then there's exercise. I actually like to exercise.....just need the time. My excuses have been my injuries.... bad knee laid me up for awhile, plantar fasciitis for awhile, kidney transplant recovery took awhile, and I am still nursing a torn muscle in my calf..... BUT, still moving - just slower. And we all know that "slow and steady wins the race"!!!

So........here's to streaking!!! Thanks to all my Spark Buddies!!!

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Post op recovery done..... now to get back on the "normal" track

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I'm BAAAAAAACK!!!!

The post op recovery was uneventful for both my niece and myself - we're both healing well, 5 1/2 weeks post op. I even had to go back to work last week...... the down side of being off work for so long is that you REALLY don't want to go back when the time is up!

Overall, I gained 1 pound since before the transplant. I didn't think that was too bad since we were still eating very well over the holidays and the only exercise we were getting was some walking that wasn't very exertional. I started back on the treadmill this past week. Still not up to speed but getting after it nonetheless. And I'm still working back up to my abdominal crunches --- which are VERY much needed now!!!

So, my goal is to log in to Spark people every day and log my food and exercise!

Have a GREAT week Spark Friends!!!! This is a picture of my niece and me 2 weeks post op kidney transplant.

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Kidney transplant was a SUCCESS!!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Many of you remember I have been trying to donate a kidney for my niece through a Paired Transplant program. Meaning, she and I don't match so they match us with another pair in the same situation. We've been trying to get this going for 3 years and finally got listed about 14 months ago. We matched another pair in Pennsylvania. So the date was finally set for December 19th, after much orchestrating of surgery times and flight times. They arrange 3 different flights just in case one breaks down, is late, etc.... Of course the only snowstorm we have had came in then. So after at 3:00 a.m. pow wow between the transplant center in Denver and the transplant center in Philadelphia, they decided to go ahead. My surgery started at 4:30 a.m. mountain time and the other donor in PA started about the same time. Then our kidneys made the flight and crossed paths somewhere in the Mid West I'm sure!! My niece, Emily's kidney arrived about 3:00 and she was peeing like a champ soon after!!! Hooray!! I hear my kidney was doing the same for it's recipient in Pennsylvania. Emily hasn't peed in years because of her renal disease, so we were very excited to see a urine bag FULL! So, all is well and God is good!! It was an amazing experience and we are both doing really well. I'm sore and slow and won't be running on the treadmill for awhile. I have a restriction of no heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks, so I won't be going back to work for at least a month. Heck of a way to take some time off!! But so worth it. A friend of mine told me that God gives us 2 kidneys so we can give one away! My niece is 34 with 2 daughters who have never known her to be healthy. I'm so excited for them!!

I did retain about 15 lbs of fluid immediately after surgery. But once the kidney kicked in to do the work of 2, it came off really quick. I'm now 1.5 lbs down from when I started. The real caveat to having one kidney is they stress over and over - maintain a healthy weight because diabetes is a kidney killer. They even recommend Spark People!!!

I have a check up in Denver tomorrow and then will stay down there with my niece until she's released to go home - probably 2-3 weeks. I won't have internet access while I'm there but will check in when I get back.

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes Spark Friends. Have a blessed New Year. And if you are ever thinking of donating a kidney for someone you love, or maybe an acquaintance, I can tell you- IT IS SO WORTH IT.

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Mayday...Mayday.... CHALLENGE WEEK!!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Hubby left to go hunting for a week............ Which means - no more picky eater to fix meals for and I can eat MY favorite foods!!! Which aren't necessarily the healthiest choices. Plus I don't have the food police looking over my shoulder, so I tend to overeat on top of it!!!

However, I am armed with determination and intend to use my extra time this week by logging on to Sparkpeople to log my food journal, and more exercise!!!

Here's to a great week Spark friends!!

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Check up for the transplant

Saturday, October 27, 2012

I posted a year ago that I had been approved to be a kidney donor for my niece. However, since we don't match, we have to do a "paired transplant" which means there is another pair or multiple pairs in the same situation and it's a kidney swap. We were really hoping we wouldn't have to go a year out, but here we are. We have had a few "hits" the last few months so that has been encouraging and the transplant team is very optimistic that something will happen soon. One of the last possible matches involved 12 pairs! This is going to be so incredible when we can finally get it done.

Now that it has been a year since we were on the list - I had to have a check up to make sure that I'm still a good candidate. Their concern was the 7 pounds I have gained over the past year. Of course my excuses of knee injury and plantar fasciitis that sidelined my exercise for the majority of the year seemed like lame excuses as I was saying them!!! My BMI is still below 30 so I am still a candidate but they REALLY cautioned not to gain anymore weight!! Especially after the transplant since it increases the risk for diabetes and diabetes is so hard on the kidneys!!

SO - now I have new resolve to get "moving my mass", watching portion control and STAYING OUT OF THE HALLOWEEN CANDY!!!!

We appreciate any extra prayers you might offer for a paired match to happen in the very near future - Thank you.

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