Donna!
Glad to have you with us, and so sorry to hear about the loss of your sister.
Taking care of your own health is a wonderful way to honor her memory. I think planning ahead is key. There's a great thread stickied in the forum about how to get started with P1 successfully:
Prepare Yourself to Start South Beach . You'll also find help and support in the Phase 1 thread. Hope to see you in the daily thread, too!