A Christmas Miracle.....

The past two weeks have been the most difficult of my life. Not because of my surgery but because my mom got very ill and it was touch and go for a bit. She resides in a nursing home and about two weeks ago I got a call from the home saying they were rushing her to the hospital because she wasn't feeling well. She was sent to Beverly and that worked out well because I live in Beverly. I beat the ambulance the hospital and nervously awaited her arrival. When she got to the hospital her oxygen level was 74. It should've been in the low to mid 90's. An x-ray revealed severe pneumonia in her left lung and she was quickly admitted.

She was put on a strong course of antibiotics and we thought she was going to get better. Well, a few days passed and she wasn't getting better so her doctor decided to send her for a CAT scan. The scan showed fluid around her heart and a mass in her lung. The doctor said that he wanted to run tests to rule out lung cancer! When I got this news my world fell apart around me. This was on a Friday and they weren't going to be able to do any other tests until Monday. I cried my heart out and then pulled myself together to call my family. It's amazing how strong we become when needed. Anyway, to make a long story short, they did a series of tests this week and I'm happy to announce that my mother is cancer free!!!! She was actually well enough to be sent back to the nursing home last night! I am so relieved and grateful that I was able to spend time with her during this whole ordeal. Most people get a phone call and by the time they get to the hospital it's already too late!

So, I am doing okay now. I haven't exercised much over the past two weeks since I've been spending 12 hours a day at the hospital with mom. I did take the stairs (she was on the 5th floor) instead of the elevator. This was actually a great stress release for me. I also brought my IPOD and when mom was sleeping I would go up and down the stairs a few times just to keep myself sane! I haven't weighed myself recently but tonight I overheard my father in-law telling my husband that I've lost a lot of weight and I'm getting thin! Ha, I'm far from thin but it made me feel pretty damn good!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got to spend it with the ones you love. Christmas is so not about the gifts, it's about having the chance to spend time with the people you love.

Good Night,
Jenn

getting back to normal....

Yesterday was my first day back at my teaching job and overall it went well. I missed the kids and parents very much and they were all so happy to see me. I decided to cut my days down to three days a week instead of five so I can focus on real estate as well. My day was pretty good. Everyone mentioned that I looked like I lost weight. Only one of my coworkers knows that I had this surgery so we just told everyone that we've been going to weight watchers. It's nice having a friend that knows my situation and that I can trust! So, I was exhausted when I got home and slept like a baby!

I recently advanced to the next stage of food and couldn't be happier about it. I saw Malinda at Heart and Wellness on Tuesday and she said I'm doing well. I told her I was dying for a salad and she gave me the go ahead to move on to solids! It's amazing at how little I eat before feeling full, I mean really, stuffed to the rim, full!!! I went grocery shopping and bought a bunch of healthy, nutritious food. I brought everything I needed to work yesterday and did my best to stay on a routine. One of my coworkers offered me a piece of fudge and I happily declined. It felt great and reminds me that I'm so capable of being successful!!

My next big step is to start regular exercise! This has always been a challenge for me. My co-worker/friend wants me to take a belly dancing class with her. It sounds like a lot of fun so I think I'm going to sign up this week.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you are all healthy and happy...

Warm regards,
Jenn