Pi Girl

I’m back …. maybe!

I keep putting off updating this blog because I haven’t really decided what to do with just yet. I know I should just leave it with, sorry, I’m closed, here are some old entries, find me on Facebook and be done with it. But every once in a great while, I miss the blogging. There are some fun stories out there that are way too long for 140 characters.

And I know I have family members who haven’t entered the fun world of social networking so this was how they caught up with my life. Before I would have chastised them to get with the times. But I have since learned that not everyone can handle how to communicate via social media and maybe they should just stay away. Far, far away. So if they don’t join, that is really very ok with me.

Anyway, I’ve attempted a few “Closing up shop” blog posts and every time, I find myself missing the blogging and change my mind. Then I realize I should post a “Hi, I’m back” post and then actually post on a regular basis. Apparently, that was too much of a commitment for me to make. So, here we are.

There are a lot of reasons I stopped blogging. Mostly, my life got a little too hard and filled with things I was not comfortable posting here and it was difficult to discuss anything without referencing those events.

In an effort to out-whine Job, my family and I have been through everything in a 14-month period: a fire, moving (twice), separation, unemployment, surgery, death, cancer, more surgery, more death and chemo. But in my ever-so-optimistic way, we’ve also seen growth (as in learning, not a tumor), reunions, recovery, healing, better job opportunities, and determination to keep fighting no matter what. I can also say my family is a lot stronger and closer now than it was before and for that, I am extremely grateful.

I’m not 100% sure how regular I’ll be back here but here’s what you need to know about me that I may or may not be discussing:

- I had weight loss surgery last summer, the RNY gastric bypass to be exact. I’ve lost over 100 lb. and I have a long way to go but I’m very proud of what I have accomplished. I won’t discuss my entire journey here but I will discuss it and am more comfortable telling people I’ve had it. In other words, if you want advice, email me.

- I have a fantastic, new job that I started last year. I will probably plug our new projects here from time to time because I believe in what we’re doing. I like having a job with a cause. Go tourism. Oh, and take your next vacation in Corning and the Finger Lakes.

- My mom is fighting breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemo and is a total trooper in this fight. Her new online moniker is Dr. Evil Frankenbarbie. Her name changes often depending on which symptoms are hitting her when so good luck keeping up with that.

Let’s see where this thing takes us …

You may have noticed I’m changing the look around again. I think I like this look for now, but it needs a little something so I’m playing around until I get things just right. So, don’t mind me. And if something doesn’t look quite right, and you refresh your browser and it still doesn’t look right, let me know about it.

In the meantime, since I’m trying on new things, I decided to try a Water Aerobics class. Since I got that heel spur back in January, I haven’t been walking as much as I should be. Physical therapy helped alot with that, but now I’m having back issues due to not walking. Since I need exercise, I did some research and found that water aerobics does wonders for people with back pain. That’s nice, I thought, but there’s no way I’ll find a class like that in my neck of the woods. After all, I’m still looking for my oxygen bar.

Well, it turns out, they have water aerobics classes at the YWCA, which is right around the corner from where I work. And, they have a class at 5:15, right after I get out of work (on my good days, anyway). So, last night I tried out my first class. And I got my ass kicked. Thoroughly.

The class was actually a lot of fun. We played with noodles and foam weights. There was a lot of jumping around. I love playing in the water but the exercises took a lot of coordination that I just don’t have. But, at least since we’re all in the water up to our necks, noone can see me being uncoordinated. And the instructor told me that if I can’t do something, to just keep moving. Which I did.

And now I’m paying for it. I am sore all over. But, my back was totally fine through the whole workout. And the Pisces in me would play in the water all day long if I could. So, I think I’ll keep this up for a while.

You know the drill. Something happens that I blog about for days on here, then when it comes time for me to write my GenX column, I rehash it there too.

I did go a little bit of a different route than I did here on the blog, though, in writing about my grandfather. Mostly to give my column a point, I went for the anti-smoking campaign approach. And I realize I’m being extremely hypocritical since I’m not exactly the picture of perfect health. But, since my diabetes dr and I are seeing eye to eye these days and I’m actually in really good control right now, I felt I had a little bit of a right to say it.

Anyway, I got an interesting (aka, borderline stalker if I didn’t know better) email from a reader about my column. She had read the part about my grandfather living in Watertown and because her hometown is nearby, she looked up his obituary in the Watertown paper. In reading that, she surmised that I was originally from Baldwinsville and did I know so-and-so? (I don’t.)

Now before someone tells me to get a restraining order, let me explain. No, I don’t really know this reader but she had called me yesterday to ask a question about where something was on the site. Since she talked to me one day then read my column the next, she felt like she really knew me and wanted to throw out a connection if there was one.

That’s one of the things I find most interesting in writing my column for the paper. When people call to talk to me about what I really do for the paper (manage the website), then they read my column, they feel a connection to me. For example, there is a chatter who loves to defend me from people who don’t like my columns because I helped her understand on the whole chatting thing works.

At first, I thought it was just a weird Elmira thing because everyone around here already knows everyone else. But then I thought about I feel that connection to people I like to read, especially when following their blogs and twitters. I eagerly await their next communication, wanting to know more of the story. So maybe that connection to person who answered the phone who also writes a column isn’t so weird after all. Either that or I might have to officially call myself an Elmiran.

This weekend was the first weekend in over a month I didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything. I had already planned to rest up and catch up on much-needed sleep.

I didn’t plan on this being the weekend I got sick. I know I should be so thankful that this is the weekend I got sick and not any of the other weekends when I needed to be on my game. But, really, I was already planning on the rest, I didn’t need that extra kick towards the couch.

So, now I’m all drugged up to stay awake and breathing without coughing up a lung. I feel like I’ve been at work for 3 hours but it’s only been 45 minutes. Oh, today is going to be just fantastic.

Apparently, my body has decided that since the last 2 Januarys were spent in pain (stupid f’ing skin infections), this year should be no different. I really need to work on convincing myself that this is one tradition we really don’t need to follow every year.

Anyway, I have been unable to walk since Friday because my heel is not a happy camper. I can’t put any weight on it and I’m limping around like an idiot. If you were to look at the foot, you would think I’m crazy because it looks just fine. But because it’s my foot and the whole diabetes thing, I figured I’d better get to the dr pronto. So, this morning she took one look at me and sent me to x-ray.

And, congratulations, I have a heel spur!

And because I’m sick like that, I thought I’d share with you the x-ray of my foot. Here’s the foot:

The spur is a little hard to see in the cellphone shot so I moved the phone closer and got this lovely shot:

As I told my physician upon seeing that image, “that is EXACTLY what it feels like.” So, yea, I have to see an orthopedic surgeon in March. In the meantime, I’ve got a heel insert in my shoe; thank God for Dr. Scholl.

Since it’s a new year and all, I’m going to try this thing called taking care of myself. I’m pretty sure I say this every year, but I’m inspired by the New Year resolution thing and for some reason, I seem to think I might be able to keep this up. I also had a positive doctor’s appointment last week that indicates that my diabetes is doing slightly better since I ditched the pump and that had me feeling psyched enough that maybe I ought to take that extra step to actually get in control.

So, Amy B pointed me towards a site called Tu Diabetes. It’s a MySpace type of site, only you identify yourself as a diabetic or a loved one of a diabetic. And hey, look at all the new friends you can make who know exactly what you’re going through. I’m not really one to be a dLife blogger, but I have told my secret weight loss blog buddies that I will be focusing more on the diabetes and hoping the other health issues fade away in the awesomeness that is good blood sugar control.

In the meantime, I added this fun badge to my sidebar so random visitors who find me by googling diabetes can check it out and find the resources they were probably really looking for:

View my page on Tu Diabetes - A Community for People Touched by Diabetes

Oh, those crazy Crystal Chords. Someone thought it would be a good idea to put me on the Fun Committee. Then they told me Jenn was going to help me come up with an idea to get the Chords motivated for Contest this weekend.

And well, we went a little nuts. As demonstrated by this poster. We split the chorus into teams and had team leaders help out their members work on their sexy dance moves. Then we had a hussy showdown, where the winning team got their choice of fabulous wigs. I think my team did well, but you can’t beat a butt-spanking Rennie or Bev. So Jenn and I have branded the Chords as certifiable hussies and they are ready to scare entice the judges on Saturday.

In the meantime, I’ve had my own issues to deal with. They’re not huge but while you’re talking to the Big Guy, I’d appreciate a few kind words my way.

First, my insulin pump broke. So, I had to call the dr to put me back on needle therapy for the next week while the company sends me a new one. So, yea, I have to deal with acclimating to a new insulin routine. Right before contest weekend where there is no routine.

Then, I woke up this morning with a sore throat. I’ve been through the Airborne, the Throat Coat, soup and hot chocolate. It goes away then comes back. My voice is ok, but I’d prefer it not get any worse and really just go away.

Affinity sings around 7:45ish Friday night. But I probably won’t be able to blog the results until late. So, look here around midnight, or get a good’s night rest and check here Saturday morning to see how we do.

How ironic. I write last week that I’ve been infection-free all year and then I get hit again. *sigh* I have another infection. But this one was not caused my insulin pump and appears to be a freak of nature thing. Anyway, I got in to the dr and on antibiotics so I would be in good form for this event.

Yesterday, Michelle, her mom, Helen, and I participated in Bowl for the Cure. It was very well organized and attended. The registration people said that they more than doubled the participation from last year. I don’t know how much money they raised as people were making donations all day.

It was really fun. We paid $12 for 3 games plus shoes plus t-shirts that they ran out of so our’s will be mailed to us. They also had raffles going. I won a pink ribbon magnet.

My bowling game wasn’t so good. If I had to raise pledges per pin, I’m afraid we’d never find a cure for breast cancer.

Before the games began, there was a cermonious gift given to a woman fighting cancer now. She’s in 4th stage and just completed her first round of chemo. She was sporting a very sparkly pink wrap and her family got very pink bowling balls to throw down the lanes. She’s 29 years old! She was in the lane next to us so she stood as a reminder that cancer affects all ages and it’s good to have events like Bowl for the Cure.

Happy New Year! I’m hoping you had a safe and fun celebration. I was happy to celebrate that I got through all the holidays infection-free. Yeah, I’m still bitter about that, and it was a whole year ago. So, on to the review and outlook!

Review 2006

- No infections! Yea! I had a small scare in the spring, but we called the dr immediately and got on antibiotics and I did not have to visit the emergency room.

- No big purchases or life events. I’m taking that as a good thing. I’m stressed enough as it is.

- I got through my first contest and my first international contest singing in a quartet. And it was awesome! Of course, it’s so easy to love singing when I have my Affinity girls.

- I realized I’m getting older. Even if Mumsy disagrees (’cause my getting older is only half as bad as hers). So I started a new project. I’m not quite on track with where I should be, but I’m getting there. Speaking of which, I need ideas; send them my way.

Year to come: 2007

- It’s coming. I’m turning 30. So are many of my friends. But I’m one of the first. When I was little, I liked having my birthday in the first half of the year; I’m starting to think it’s not working to my advantage now.

- I see a lot of weddings this year. I’m going to do my darnedest to get to all of them but that one in Turkey may be a little difficult to get to (sorry Jan).

- When Jason and I got married, Jason asked when we could start discussing the spawning of tiny people. I picked 2007 because I thought it was so far off in the future. And now, it’s 2007. That does not mean there will be any reproduction this year, but we will have the discussion … sometime this year. If there’s news, I’ll keep you posted.

- Affinity has more contests in our future. And now that I know the ropes, I’m going to be the seasoned vet on stage that’s freaking out with nerves, rather than the newbie that’s freaking out with nerves. Anyone want to come to Buffalo in May?

So, I’ve been having problems with my wrist this week. It’s not carpal tunnel because instead of having no feeling in my hand, I feel lots of pain. Since I have a job to do, I went to the dr.

It appears to be tendonitis. And all I can do for it is NOTHING!!!!!!! Literally, nothing. I have to rest my hand and keep it away from the computer. Much easier said than done. It completely sucks because it’s my right hand and my dominant hand.

I’m trying to avoid the computer but it’s not easy. Especially with the World Cup dominating the tv these days. On the other hand, I’m getting quite caught up on sleep.

And before any of you start yelling at me, I wrote this whole entry on my left hand.