Zelma, Your brother and family are definitely in my thoughts and prayers. We're all hoping for the best for him.

Hi ladies. I am still in lurk mode. I went back to work and started physical therapy and it just wipes me out. I hurt quite a bit, but it seems to be helping the flexibility and strength so I am hanging tough.

I haven't lost anything for a while, but I think part of that is because I am still healing. I may need to increase my calories now that I am up and around more, too.

Anyhow, I am going to go attempt to sleep. It's nearly 2am here! Take care everyone, and I will try to stop by again soon.

Hope things start to look up for everyone having a rough time

I havent been here for ages! Ive had a really bad year and Ive let those things stand in the way of doing things for myself.

In the space of one morning I found out a family friend had died, a friends baby who was only born last December want going to live much longer and my dad had been diagnosed with leukemia. Sadly the baby is now a little angel, but my dad is doing quite well. And just as I started to pull myself back together I ended up with a bad concussion. Seriously, Im ready for 2010 already!

Ive been keeping up with the gym but the eating went right out of the window. So I decided that enough was enough and started doing things the right way from Tuesday! I know I need to correct my ticker as I did gain back a few pounds, but I think Ill wait until my next weigh in so it doesnt look as bad!

Now I so hope thats all my bad things for the year!

Zelma - Hope your brother and your family will be okay. Thinking of ya'll... *HUGS*

****

Up early today. Got a family thing later, don't really want to go to it, but hey what can ya do. I'm just not in the mood right now to go do a family thing. I would rather sit at home, in my bed, watching a horror movie or two, and just vegging out. Like that would be my new emotional eating...horror movie marathon. I could snack on carrots and what not. I think you know, that is what I'll do this weekend.

Emotional eating is again taking over and I've broken my promise I made to myself and my boyfriend. Since I've let it take over I've gained around 8 pounds. My bootcamp has been delayed and I think I shall start that today. It is one of those things where I continually put it off and think to myself "why am I doing that?"

I think sometimes it is easier for me to feel sorry for myself and wallow in my own self pity rather than being strong and taking action. So, I need to SNAP OUT OF IT and just do what I've always done, you know walk through the hot burning coals of life and just get to the other side so I can walk through yet another batch of it!

Hope everyone is well. I'm freezing this morning! So cold for spring! *shivers*

Greetings my Peeps!

Zel, I'm sending healing thoughts to you family and bro. The stress on the family (read: you) is immense. Hugs to you!!

Suomi, welcome back home! My, you've had a horrid year. I know how hard it is to post when things are piling on you one by one. For me, it's a type of self preservation to pull back and regroup. I'm glad you are back.

Jacq, the weight comes on so fast, doesn't it? Emo eating is what blows me away every time. I'm still not 100% back from my last bout of it. Baby steps, I suppose.

As for me.... TOM showed up 7 days late (again), dang him. The good news is that I had switched my work at home day to yesterday so I didn't have to bury any bodies from work :P (always a good thing, right?). I'm still crampy, but not homicidal today hehe.

The great thing that happened to me is that my newest guitar has arrived! She's beeeeautiful. I played until I couldn't see straight and my fingers were numb. It's limited edition .. only 5 were ever made and I have #3. I'm in guitar heaven right now. You can see a picture of one of her sisters at http://www.imagineguitars.com/archiv...wood/index.htm.

Well, time to get to work!

Hugs to all,
Ratkity

Good Morning everyone,

Cyn: What part of Idaho are your friends moving to? Southern Idaho is wayyyy different than up here where I live.

Zelma: I will be praying for your sweet brother Daryl and your entire family. Hugs and hang in there.

Becca: So glad to see you sweetie. Take care of yourself and come back to us when you can.

Sara: So sorry that your year so far has been a bad one. Hugs to you.

Jacquie: Okay now, I am not going to stand by and let you feel sorry for yourself and eat more! You can do this sweetie. As women everything is connected to our emotions. We are like a bowl of spegetti. Noodles intertwining and winding around each other and touching each other. So, you grab a pogo stick and hop over that part of your spegetti bowl. You are soooo young and beautiful and you need to get to your goal. Remeber size 22 jeans! Having other health problems will not get any better by gaining weight or not exercisnig or eating right. As a matter of fact, they just may get better with the proper nutrition and exercise. I'm not trying to nag you hon. I just want you to do well. Get back up on this wagon. Take a little time to feel sorry for yourself and then get back up and pull your boots back on!

Rat: Your guitar is beautiful!!! I wish I could play and as soon as I see lessons offered again, I'm gonna take them. I did ride my bike last night finally. We rode to the store and then to church for our Wednesday class and then home again. It was fun, fun, fun.

Today is my "Big" meeting with my surgeon. It isn't until later in the day, 3 p.m my time. I am hoping to be myself, not be nervous and let God be in charge. If he says no I am praying I won't be too upset, that I will know that God has other plans for me. If that is the case, whew, the search of my heart will be on to find a direction for myself.

Well all, I hope you are having a wonderful day and wherever you are it is sunny just like it is here.

Blessings,
Annie

Annie,

Good Luck on your 3pm meeting!!

Just FYI, Bike Chick may put on a brave front when confronting psychotic squirrels, but the weather is a different story. You had SNOW!? eeeep! Biker Chick just goes back under the covers and mumbles something about hibernation and warmer weather.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Hi all

Annie: i am not sute I know they bought like 20 acres that was already conditioned fora house? i will find out though.


Zelma:I am so sorry about your brother. Please know he is in my prayers.

As for me: I went into work today and the "bug bite" on my stomach was huge. It was tender and I was running temp again. My supervisr tells me I need to go to ER. So i go and tehy said i have a STAPH infection/MRSA. I sat there and cried. I know a few older people that have had it and I know how dangerous it can be. So after a 30 min IV drip of antibiotics, they sent me home with a perscription. They said that if my temp goes back up or the red inflamation gets bigger I have to go straight to the ER. I am so scared. I have never had this. She said it can come from anywhere. UGH! She said I am fine to go back to work tomorrow if i feel up to it. I will see how the night goes.

All this "sick" stuff is really scaring the crap out of me.

I am going to go lay down for a bit. I am sleepy. Oh and going to take my temp. I will try to keep yall posted.

awwww *hugs* Cyn,

The only way they can say it's MRSA (that's just the acronym for methacillin resistant staph aureus) is to do a test for it and that runs overnight. Easy to diagnose staph in a skin infection visually, however. I have a tendency to get them when I'm exposed to poison ivy. It's a bit of a chain reaction for me. BTW, I can get poison ivy off the dogs I'm so sensitive to the oils.

Follow ER's instructions and go back if the redness gets bigger.

I hope your fever is gone now and you're feeling a bit better.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Hello everyone, just a quick one again.

Well, Daryl was diagnosed with Leukemia yesterday. I simply can't write/say that without crying. I sat with him while he had his bone marrow test, as his wife was caught in traffic. It was so hard to see him in pain.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. We will certainly be needing them over the next little while. He is starting chemo as soon as possible and it is possible he may be in hospital for a few months, depending on how treatment goes.

Please keep thinking of us.

Take care,

Zelma

Oh, sorry, but I forgot to say that I have read of others' problems they are going through at the moment, and I truly am thinking of you, but I don't have time to tell you personally. I hope that you all see improvements in your lives soon, medically and emotionally.

Zel,

I'm glad you were there for your bro. I know that meant a lot to him.

Hugs to you as you and family are going through this trying time. Many leukemias are very treatable and he has your support right now... all very positive things!

Hang in there,
Ratkitten

Zelma-I'm so sorry about your brother. I will definitely be praying for him, and I'll have my prayer chain to the same.

Rat-Love the guitar. I'm a Martin person, but that was very pretty.

I'm going to a conference tomorrow for two days, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, it's for me and not for him. He's staying home. Nothing but Catholic women. I'm drooling at the idea of how much gossip there will be to have at.

Wow, a lot of illness / drama going on right now.

Zelma - I will keep your family in my thoughts. I am sure your brother's illness was a shock to everyone.

Cyn - Continue to aggressively keep up on your health. It stinks when you are trying to make weight progress and everything else hits. Prioritize....your general health is number one, and when you feel better, get yourself back to focusing on weight loss.

Annie - I hope you got the job you wanted. It is a horrible time in the economy (my DH is in the process of laying off over half his staff...disheartening). Find something you like. BUT if you don't get what you want, try to find something you can tolerate. I will say this...I don't love my job. It's a job...that's why they pay me. I know many people believe they will be "called" into the correct job. Since I have lived through about six sets of lay-offs myself, watched me DH not always survive them, watching him laying-off people, my philosophy is different. Work to survive, and enjoy the rest of your life. If you can love your job...GREAT. I just think it's a rare event. (Wow, that sounded like a lecture, and really wasn't meant to. It was just stating my opinion. Sorry.)


Jacquie - I am with Annie. No more pity party, time to get your bootie back to slenderizing.

That's it from me tonight.

Later taters,
Angie

Zelma SO SORRY about your brother, as others have said it isn't the death sentene it once was, people get through it & live a full life AFTERWARDS>xxxxI don't know what else to say excep I'm thinking of you & your family, HUGSXXXXXX
Becky, great to see you back again, I remember physio, but i will help & the sooner you get more mobile the sooner you'll feel better & more happy. (It sucks relying on others for help, doesn't it?) It's great you're back at work too, getting back to 'normal' & being with people all day (as long as they're nice, lol!!!) instead of being at home. I hope you are getting there ok, that there aren't too many stairs!xxxxxxx
Well things are c**ppy here, given eldest son 4 weeks to leave...he's been such a swine(drugs, fighting...etc) it feels terrible & awful atmosphere too.
Cyn, SO SORRY about your health, hope the meds work. I think a visit to a Dr is in order to se why you are getting these things all in one go.xxxxxxx
xxxsharon