Good News

My dad had another scan last week in order to determine whether or not the spots in his lungs had any growth. I am happy to say that at his meeting with the doctor today he was told that there was no growth. We try to be prepared for the worst at these times, so it was nice to have a good report. He will have another scan in three months. The cancer that he has is slow growing until all-of-a-sudden it just goes crazy, so they are keeping close tabs on it.

In the past when I heard of others who had cancer, I never knew what to say or do for them. I didn't understand what they were dealing with, and just how horrible it is. Since they often have great difficulty eating during treatment, food may not be the best thing to help with (though I'm sure anything would be appreciated). I think that moral support and encouragement can help more than just about anything else in many cases. Let them know that you care. Help with housework and yardwork could be a great support at times too. ___________________________________________________________________

I am out of banana chips and chocolate, and I am sheepish to admit that this was my main motivation for making cookies today. I also knew that Everett would love it. He had a lot of fun. (Note the peanut butter goatee.) Don't ask me how many I ate. I'm still working on that self-control issue!

Goals

I'm feeling a bit out of control when it comes to my own health, so I'm making some serious goals at this point. I am at risk for becoming diabetic, among other things. My Grandad was, and my mother is hypoglycemic. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with the girls. It was not fun (along with a lot of other un-fun things)! I want to be healthy and I know that the health of my family starts with me. Right now I feel like a sloth. Yes, I take care of the children and keep the house clean and organized, but that's about it.

Since I haven't been doing that well with self-control at home, I've decided that my self control must start at the grocery store! Cary is at least somewhat supportive of this whole idea. (I won't even list what he eats sometimes, but I can tell you it's not food.) We brainstormed together last night about what we could use as healthier replacements for our unhealthy snacks and stress foods. This is the list we came up with:

• banana chips
• trail mix
• baby carrots
• celery - blech!!!
• baby spinach
• grapes
• cucumber
• cherry tomatoes

Though a couple of these are unpalatable to one or the other of us, most of them will probably work. We are referring to a few of the above-listed items as "veggie cud". If any of you have any other suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments! We've also been having fruit for dessert most nights instead of some other sugary treat.

Exercise is another matter. I have never enjoyed exercise. I enjoy work. To me, exercise is a little like sunbathing. It doesn't accomplish anything useful. It is bo-ring, especially when you are by yourself. (Yes, it makes you healthier, but I think I would have a much easier time with it if I had to work in the fields or dig holes or something.) With that said, I do need more exercise than dancing with the kids. I'm just not sure what to do yet. I guess the ideal would be to get up early and go out by myself, but it's hard to get motivated for that, alone and sleepy. Anyone want to be my 6:45 AM walking buddy?

I'm going to hold myself accountable on this blog so that I have someone to report to. Here's to a healthy me!