Almost home

Happy New Year to all of you!

After spending over 3 weeks away from home, either with my guy or at my folks', I am ready to go home.  I love them, but I am so accustomed to having my own space, my own place, my own routine, my own bed, that I am so ready to be there.  My guy and I drove in from my folks' to his place today.  I'll spend the night here and head back to HOME tomorrow.

I have so much to do...

But mostly, I want to visit with my pupsicles and I want to start going to the Wellness Connection Center.  I really am looking forward to that.  My father took some pix of me, from the front, each side, and the back.  These will serve as my before pix.

I missed my psych appt today (cuz I thought the appt was for the beginning of Feb).  So I called and rescheduled for next Wendesday.  We talked in November about changing me off one drug and using another.  The one drug contributes to my weight gain and retention.  Also, in November we boosted up my level of levoxyl (which is like Synthroid, because I had most of my thyroid removed).

Ten years ago, when I first moved to the South from PA, I gained weight.  About 30 pounds in about 2 years.  Mostly I gained because my eating habits changed (there are more types of foods and most things are deep fried, or with fat added, or both) and my activity level changed.  I walked everywhere in PA and when I moved South, no mo walking for me...too damn hot and humid!!

Then, a few years later, in 2000, my hyperthyroid was not responding to the treatment so surgery was performed.  Most of my thyroid came out.  I went from having a very very high metabolism to dragging butt overnight.  However, my eating habits did not change.  So I gained another 30 pounds.  Prednisone contributed to the problem as well.

But I certainly did not take steps to counter act all that.  I did eventually modify my eating habits, but they could still use help.  But my activity level pretty much remained rather minimal.  After all, as a grad student, I did lots of work on the computer and time would slip by, and I would not remember to get to the track, or use the university's gym.  It also became painful for me to even walk, my lower back would bind tighter and tighter.

Then in the summer of 2003, I began to take several medications.  One is known to cause weight gain and retention.  I gained 40 pounds over the next two years.  I think that I am now over 230 pounds!!

So, hopefully, the combination of activity level being increased (the wellness connection center membership) and changing medication, as well as improving my eating habits, will all work toward helping to tone me up, slim me down, and all that good stuff.  So I plan to post updates here.  And in a few months, if I can get some pix taken at that time, then I'll post before and current (after having been focused on improving my health and image).

So, come join me on the trip!!