The Universe...

...is really kind to me sometimes. :)

Been awake since 6am, on my day off, wallowing in self-pity, contemplating my life path, blah blah... trying to read a book because I can't seem to pull myself out of bed, when I get a phone call from a strange number — it's the Center for Reproductive Medicine, and a couple has chosen me for their egg donor! :D It literally put a smile on my face and kicked me out of bed. :)

Nothing is official yet, because we have to see if they can wait until I'm back from my Cancun vacation this January, but if they are okay with waiting, I'll pretty much start the day I get back.

Woots!

Get Healthy (Again) – Day 8

Well, things are pretty good... the first few days were rough, but I kept up my exercise. The fourth day I was too exhausted to do anything but yoga (and I barely managed that!).

Eating is the hardest part... I bought Eddy's no-added-sugar popsicles, 25 calories each, which help the post-dinner palate-cleanser craving. And last Friday was the first Friday in a LONG time that I haven't allowed myself an after-dinner treat... was pretty tough. But Saturday I cooked taco's — my favorite that I haven't made in a long time! Then I had a mini Skinny Cow ice cream treat, which compared to Ben & Jerry's, was blah, but at least it was something.

Last night I had a brownie for my sister's birthday dinner. I didn't even really taste it, or the Chinese dinner; I just shoveled... :| I read somewhere that your body craves the amount of sugar you regularly have, so if you eat a ton of junk the day(s) before, your body will crave sugar (junk food, in my case) to level it out, which is what makes starting a diet so difficult. Oh, and I totally forgot how much I LOVE fruit!!! Yummm!!!

So onward I go! I don't see any differences yet, but I feel a bit better... slightly more energy and I feel like the cravings are dwindling. Mentally it has been a ride! I'm confident one hour, then the next I think, 'fuck it, why bother'? Bah!


Workout—

elliptical: 40 minutes, 325 calories, 2.5 miles [not a drastic difference than last week, but I pushed harder this time, earlier]

muscle building:
- RED Fitness
- 4M* Push-Ups (9 first rep [didn't do them fully correct last week... and I haven't been doing this as often as I should!])
- Calve-Ups (25 first rep [not so keen on doing these anymore, as they perk up your butt, and I really don't need any more of that :P And my calves aren't the issue...])

Get Healthy (Again) - Day 1

I never log this shit, but maybe I should... might keep me on track.

Girly-girl and I are going to Playa Mujeres in January! 10.5 weeks, to be exact. So I think I'll do a weekly update to see my progress... and there WILL be progress!!! Arrarrraggg!

So aside from exercise, I'm also not eating any junk-food... meaning cookies, cake, etc. Seriously! Of course I'll indulge a bit on the two holiday's I have to survive, food-wise, but no taking junk home and eating it the next day.

Workout—
elliptical: 40 minutes, 315 calories, 2.5 miles
muscle building: RED Fitness; 4M* Push-Ups (13 first rep); Calve-Ups (25 first rep)


*4M Push-Ups = this new push-up style my Chiro taught me, that works 4 muscle groups at once!!! Tri's, Bi's, Abs, and Pecs... I'm feelin' it already. :|

Sunrise

It's great facing East sometimes. :)

Sunset

Super-cool window reflection during most of the sunsets this summer! I love facing East. :)



Makes the building look like it's on fire!!!

The Itchies

So apparently I'm allergic to something... :|





Woke up last night around 4am with, what I thought was, terribly dry skin. I set up my humidifier and fell back asleep an uncomfortable hour later.

I noticed a few red spots on my thigh before bed last night, but when I woke, my legs were covered in these strange red bumps! The rest of my body was sprinkled with them, but not nearly has nasty as my legs had gotten. So I researched a bit online and hoped they weren't bed bugs, as I'm really not in the mood to buy all new sheets, or an entirely new bed...

So I got dressed and went to my nearby Target Clinic (since I had to shop anyway). The doctor basically looked at me two seconds and said 'go to an Urgent Care!' Ugh... so I shop, drop off my things at home, then drive down to the newly-built HCMC facility on 28th and Nicollet. I pull into the lot and before I barely get out of my car, a nurse comes out and says everyone has gone home — for you see, they close at noon, and it's 12:07 according to my phone. Arg... should have gone there first!!! Target Clinic FAIL. :P

I hop back in my car (with the top down, at least, enjoying the beautiful weather!) and drive past my house, contemplating whether or not I want to just eff the whole thing and use the 'wait and see' approach that everyone in this country is so accustomed to. ;) But alas, The Itchies won, and I navigate downtown's cluster-pile of one-way streets, to finally find a parking lot for the main HCMC facility.

After paying my $1 parking fee, I find the information desk near the ER department. He instructs me to go to Triage in order to use their version of Urgent Care. The triage nurse takes my information and I sit down in their horrible chairs in the waiting area (while memories of my visit last summer to this place, via a 2am panic attack, flood through my head). Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for the nurse to call me back, take some vitals, then send me to the Admit desks. There I talk to another woman about my insurance, and she instructs me to go to the door with a big 'E' on it (can't remember what it stands for... something equivalent to Urgent Care).

I go through the door to a much more comfortable waiting area, with only one other person around, and have a seat. A few minutes later I'm called back by another nurse, and she takes my history. I change into one of those elegant 'about to get poked and prodded' gowns, and the nurse practitioner comes in. She takes one look at my leg and says 'oh, hang on... I need to go get the doctor'. Oh, great! Awesome... I'll wait here. :S

The doctor enters and all three of us discuss The Itchies and she decides that it's either some form of psoriasis (unlikely) or an allergic reaction to something (hence my red, swollen ears). In a blink, she calls in two prescriptions for me, and I leave.

So, yet again, it's back to the downtown Target, not 2 hours later, to pick up my prescriptions. I barely make it in before the pharmacy team was going on their break, and I pick up my super-cheap Prednisone and Hydrocortisone. Because the latter has a side effect of drowsiness, I've been watching shitty movies, half conscious, for 4 hours on this gorgeous Saturday... /big sigh. I'd rather stand a few Itchies than waste another weekend day lying on the couch!!!

But, I'm happy to report that 6 hours since taking the steroid, The Itchies have disappeared by 80%! My ear swelling is also minimal and the cortisone is wearing off, so I'm finally able to sit up without fatigue. What a day... :|

Now to track down what caused the reaction... it was either something in my dinner last night or that Up&Up community lotion in the bathroom I used yesterday afternoon for the first time ever... I think... psh.

Good times...

Classics! Watched all but a couple of these shows...



[thanks for the image find, benito!]