Heidi - Hope you are right and the worse is over. When you get a chance will you share your experience with us? When and what symptoms presented, was DS vaccinated?

Joy, thank you for the warm thoughts. I feel a little anxious mostly because I have not talked to Mack about it; not something to discuss over Skype.

Marie - I envy your ability to walk all four dogs at once. I can do two at a time but there is no way I would attempt all four at once.

Well DMV was a NIGHTMARE!!! After spending 2.5 hours to get my sticker I had no desire to shop so I came home in a foul mood. Did another hour on the treadmill, had a smoothie, and now I'm going to take a nice hot bubble bath.

Is is Friday yet???

everyone for all of your warm wishes. I really appreciate your concern and support. Scheduled my surgery for Nov. 5th. It is Mohs surgery like Newleaf mentioned. I have a coworker who had the same procedure so I have gotten alot of questions answered.

Cruise, sorry you had such a horrible time at the DMV. I think they train their employees to be rude and incompetent. Here's your hug for your upcoming biopsy. Waiting and worrying is not easy.

Gardener, luckily our basement is finished so I can do the Wii Fit down there. Last winter DD whose 10 told me she would be my trainer! I wouldn't let her downstairs while I was exercising, didn't want to scare her!

Newleaf, Is your school requiring you to keep your other son home as well? Hope you are doing well being stuck at home! Hope DS is felling better.

Marie, great idea about the olive oil spray. I'll have to try that. Sounds like Sasha is settling in nicely. Sorry to hear your DH won't be home for 3 more weeks. That would have to be hard.

Presmaggie, hope you are feeling better. It must be hard to crave something that wrecks havoc on your system. Great job getting to the gym before work. That can't be easy with little guys in the house, Glad the job is going well.

ICU, I like your no nonsense approach! Now, go get that Ipod!

Patch, After removal I am done, just will have to be observant for other spots that may be suspicious.

Thanks again for all of your kindness and concern. Hope everyone has a good evening. Cold and damp here again today, I have on my flannel pajama pants and a fleece top!

GivTLC Welcome! I'm in PA, too (Pittsburgh area) and I can't believe how cold it's been each morning! Although I just dug up a picture of our jack-o-lanterns from last year, and found a picture of them sitting in snow on 10/29. Hopefully we don't have the same weather again this year!

CruiseCAT The vaccines haven't made it to our part of the state yet, so no, he wasn't vaccinated. The good news is that now he won't need to be. Basically, he was sick for a week at the beginning of the month (stomach ache and fever) and even though his fever went away, he didn't truly seem 100% better for a whole 'nother week. Was that the H1N1? Who knows... He seemed well for 2 days, and then he looked terrible this last Sunday -- bleary eyed, pale, fever, terrible hacking cough. This is when I started to worry. Then, that night he came bursting into our room at 3:30am saying he couldn't breathe. He sounded awful, his breathing was really shallow, and his heart was racing, even after he had calmed down and had been just laying there for awhile. Now I was *really* worried. I made a dr's appt for him that morning (Monday) and was surprised to find that our thermometer was wrong and he was sporting a 104F fever. Very lethargic. Still the horrible cough. They did the test for the virus, which came back positive today. Yesterday (Tuesday) he seemed much better. And today (Wednesday) his fever was gone completely although I wouldn't say he is 100% better. The doctor wants him to stay home for the rest of the week.

Denise Austin's Hit the Spot Pilates: Core, Abs and Waist, & Power Abs. Ouch, I can tell I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

I came home from today's luncheon to find Hubby home on the couch. He's wrenched his back again. I made him do some yoga this evening which seemed ot help. Should I open business as the world's only penguin Personal Trainer??

Everything is ready for tomorrow's luncheon, and evening at Renee's.

Champion sent me the most recent try to get the last order right. This one had one right and one wrong also. I'm giving up! Of the two I like I'll order some of those before the sale ends. I am thinking of sending them a letter detailing this fiasco. I expect a well-known company like Champion to get an order right on the third try!

Did any of you see the Thread about Height, Weight, and clothing size? That was very interesting.

TLC, Welcome

OMW, Glad the surgery will be comprehensive and that no other treatment will be needed.

Joy, Hubby and I had a difference of opinion tonight and I got upset, but I remembered that 'thin people don't turn to food!" and didn't eat anything. I'm glad you liked Whip It. I tend to see all of Drew's movies. I loved Never Been Kissed, and Ever After.

Marie, I"m trying again {and I mean it THIS time!, LOL} I'm seeing progress already. Now if I can just keep in that direction. Good job on the best walk ever!

NewLeaf, how scary for your family! Thankfully, it sounds like your son will make a full recovery. Everyone in my family has had the h1n1 but me. DS14 has mild asthma so I was really concerned about him. He spiked a 103 fever with sore throat, body aches, runny nose, coughing, nausea and vomiting. DD22 had fever of 102 with sore throat, body aches, runny nose, coughing, nausea and diarrhea. DH51 had a low grade temp with sore throat, body aches and runny nose.

No, we didn't get tested because the clinics/hospitals don't want you there. But I was watching DS very closely. He has a Dr appointment next week and I will mention it to the Dr. We have all had our regular seasonal flu shots. But need to ask the Dr about the h1n1 shots. Does my family now have some sort of immunity because they had it? Can they get it again if h1n1 mutates and comes around again as they are predicting? It's weird that I never got it. Most people are joking that I must be the carrier!

LoserMom I'm glad everyone is doing better. DH hasn't been feeling well, although he thinks it is his sinuses. I'm worried about him because he has asthma; he's been away since Monday, should be home this morning sometime. I'm hearing stories about the elementary school being decimated in certain classes, with >50% of the kids absent. Overall, the absentee rate isn't that high, but its definitely >10%. My older DS10 and I both aren't sick. Weird.

welcome givetlc! just a drive by, off to get my regular flu shot...not sure I want to do the nasal spray for h1n1 so I think I'll wait for the shot at the end of the month. hope everyone is doing well this week!

Heidi - Thank you for sharing your experience with H1N1. I'm trying to make an informed decision but seems the more information I get the more confused I am.

LM - Good to see you here again..... we've missed you. Was the fever and illness a reaction to the vaccination or were they sick before? I will be traveling next month; including a cruise and a trip to Disney so will be around way more people than I like this time of year. In the past I have gotten very sick from just a regular flu shot so I stopped doing them; with H1N1 I'm torn.

Welcome GivTLC!!!

Patch - Three strikes and they are out of there in my book. Missed the thread what sub category was it under?

CruiseCAT: love your response to a stressful DMV trip! Exercise, a smoothie, and a bubble bath. That's the way to go with it. I'm sorry you haven't been able to discuss this with Mack yet -- that would just about double my anxiety, I think.
I understand that if H1N1 had surfaced earlier, it would have been in the regular seasonal flu shot. My understanding is that's it made exactly the same way -- which makes me feel more confident about taking it. But in your case, that seems like a really good reason not to take it. Are you allergic to eggs?

Onmyway: so glad you have a friend who has had a similar experience. I've been a cancer survivor since I was 23 and it was incredibly helpful to rely on the experiences of a cousin and an aunt.
That's a good idea about Wii Fit in the basement. We've talked about putting a TV down there with the treadmill, maybe I could work a Wii Fit into that process.

GivTLC: welcome! This is a great group for support of healthy lifestyles.

newleaf123: wow that was quite the experience with DS's illness. I'm glad things have taken the turn toward healing. Continuing to send healing thoughts his way -- and strong immune system energies for you and the rest of your family.

patchworkpenguin: yay for thinking like a thin person!

losermom: glad your family weathered the H1N1 storm. Good questions for your doctor.

weightlosswanted: good job on getting your flu shot. There are some temporary shortages in our area, so we're waiting a couple of weeks to get this on our to do list.

I've been gradually letting myself get farther and farther away from eating what's on the food plan that I make the night before. So, today, I planned a bunch of food I really like and I want to stick to it like glue! That should get me back in the habit that's really working for me.

Newleaf, the cool thing about your son already having H1N1 is that he won’t need the vaccine and you know that he’s recovering. And the rest of the week off from school is every child’s (and mine) idea of utopia.

Joy, congrats on the 10 pounds lost and the reward. I liked your analogy with alcoholics and stress. Very true!

Cruise, I could never have done all 4 without Liz’s guidance. An animal behaviorist that does the work in your home/neighborhood is priceless. Good job on taking your DMV frustrations out on the treadmill. When my GDS’s biological mother makes me really mad, I take it out on the elliptical (OK I admit occasionally I pretend she’s under the foot pedals). Gives me a great workout!


OMW, I’m so glad that you have a friend that has gone through the process. That helps alleviate some of the unknown. And that DD is your trainer is priceless. Take her up on it. My kids and I (they were about 19-20 at the time) got me doing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) with them and they told me I was the coolest mom in the world that I’d play the hip video game with them. It’s truly a bonding opportunity so grab it. BTW, I told DD to bring DDR with her at Thanksgiving because I want to play. She was excited that I wanted to play again and has gathered all the parts at her apt already.

GivTLC, welcome to the group. I love the avatar picture but I’m just guessing that you’re already a flower. How couldn’t you be when you love the support and encouragement? So glad you joined us!

Newleaf (again), wow, I read your DS’s timeline and it sounds vaguely familiar. I started my illness 3.5 weeks ago with a stomach flu and was miserable. I felt better for 1.5 days then, bam I was very sick with a cold, fever and cough. My asthma went into a tailspin and my lung capacity had gone down 30%. I still have a lingering cough but that’s it. The lung capacity is at about 90% so I’m nearly done. Hmm, makes me wonder since it’s so similar timeline to your son’s. Thanks so much for the info.

Penguin, customer service is nearly a lost art in our country. I bought a refurbished Hoover vacuum through Woot. 6 month warranty. Out of the box the brush doesn’t spin. Yesterday I call Hoover and the dingbat says that refurbished only means that they wipe it down. The belts are loose and those they don’t replace. I’m like, hello, wipe it down??? Not turn it on??? My call was elevated to someone with a brain and they are sending two new belts and apologized. So if Hoover can’t get much right, I guess Champion wouldn’t either. BTW, apparently posting company complains on the internet (youtube, facefook) is getting manufactures attention more than letters.

Losermom, welcome back!!!!! I’ve missed you!!! I don’t think I ever responded (I did but lost the post) that I went to college in your neck of the woods. I went to Gustavus and one of my favorite boyfriends was from Mankato State. I love where you live.

WLW, I don’t want the nasal one either so I’m waiting for the shot. I figure my nasal passages have been angry for over 3 weeks, no need to make them angrier.

Well off to the appliance store to get a part for my Amana fridge/freezer. It’s a piece of yucky, never buy it. It’s always falling apart. I liked my old fridge better that was ½ the price from Sears. But alas, this is what I own, so I just keep buying parts for it.

maggie, I'm happy your cold is gone! I have just a little nose drip left - just enough to make me cough every now and then. Don't you just hate that the foods that make you feel the worst are the ones with the powerful pull? Sorry you had an awful night. Maybe you could write down the whole experience, and then pull it out and read it before you indulge again? How are you liking the new job?

Cindy, thanks for the info on the armbands - I've already been scoping the waterproof ones that can go in the pool. It's fun to try on those clothes from the back of the closet - I wore a pair of pants to work yesterday that I actually had to DUST before I put them on DMV = Aggravation. It's universal. I'm grateful that MI has updated the technology so that I can do the vast majority of stuff online. I hate that place too!

marie, I'm right in the same boat with you - I had to make peace with the idea that some small piece of attention will always need to be devoted to what my hand is moving toward my mouth. It is what it is, because like you, I'm not going back! Congrats on the all-around happy dog walk! Oh, I did take some inspiration from your photo of the 149 ... I took one too and plan to print it and hang it on the refrigerator. I definitely know it's mine because I can see my toasted toenail from the hiking experience - still growing out!

Heidi - glad to hear DS is on the mend and y'all are doing well with the H1N1. I'm almost a bit jealous, because that immunity has to be better than the shot. I'm sure the disruption in your routine is a bit aggravating!

gardener - way to go with the 10 lb loss!

GivTLC - welcome! I'm with ya on the not-ready-for-the-cold!

patch - sorry to hear about DH's back - hope he's not one of the, um, "challenging" types when not feeling par. At least he took you up on the yoga suggestion! I support you completely on detailing the Champion fiasco, and if you get anything less than a personal phone call from an executive, or at the very least, a personal letter, I wouldn't do business with them again. They should be grateful as heck that you took that cr*p 3 times and STILL gave them money.

losermom - I think there's just some of us that are impervious to flu bugs - I never catch it either!

wlw - nice to see you! Hope the flu shot goes well!

I've pondered hard on the H1N1 shots. I've never gotten one, and our family is uniquely healthy for the most part. I don't plan to get one for myself, but I do wonder about DS10. With this bug being particularly hard on the young, I struggle with the dilemma of the safety and efficacy of the shot (I'm deeply suspicious of vaccinations) versus the worst-case scenario. I'd like to see a lot of hard-core, objective data on who's seeing the worst reactions, and I haven't found it.

Today's luncheon went very well. We have a good group this year. Its misting and overcast with a brief shot of sunshine.

We have a 'vendors' section to my exercise forum I was going to post a thread detailing my issues with them. A lot of people order during the bra sales.

Cruise, http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...hing-size.html This is a link to the thread.

Marie, LOL, on the customer service story.

Wow, so much going on with everyone! I had a not-so-good week when it came to staying on plan as well as frequent headaches. When I don't feel well worrying about food and exercise goes out the window! Ate fairly well yesterday and today. Got on the scale and did a great workout at the gym utilizing all my pt exercises plus plenty of cardio. I'm still doing the shimmy between 166-168 and showed 167 mid-day after a good breakfast so I didn't really gain. Time for another 2lb whoosh! They were doing the yearly benefits fair at work so I got my free flu shot, worked out then got a free chair massage. Made an appointment with the chiropracter doing the massages to see what I can do about the headaches and stiff neck still hanging on after my car accident. Also found out that one of the colleges in our area is offering a full scholarship for breast cancer patients/survivors and I might qualify. So it was definitely worth spending a few hours at work on my day off! A friend took me out for dinner tonight and I was sooo good - he got the chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert and I only had 1 bite : )