Obey Gravity, Its the Law

My husband came across an old DVD the other day that his brother had given us.  On it was video from Christmas 2000 and 2004.  Now we are not one of those families who records every event for posterity.  We've never even owned a video camera so seeing ourselves on screen is rare.

I can't tell you what I weighed eleven years ago but it was definitely more than I weigh now.  I could tell though, from the way I was moving around, that my physical health and mobility had not yet deteriorated to the state I was in before my surgery.  My husband did not remember that I was so big back then.  I know I had decided at one point that I was not going to do any more dieting since every weight loss was followed by a gain of what I'd lost plus more.  Staying the same, however, is not what happened.  My body was stressed in many ways until I developed serious health problems.

All of us had changed since that footage was filmed.  My kids were still in their teens.  The adults were less wrinkled and had fewer gray hairs.  We tend to forget that we are constantly morphing even if the process is too slow for us to notice.  Check out this link my friend Dan Simpson made about gravitational pull.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnxyZubbBGA&feature=email

Gravity never quits (unless, of course, you are an astronaut) so that body parts do not always remain where they once were.  When my daughter was about six years old she told me "Grandma says if you wore a girdle you wouldn't look so fat".  (She still isn't very good at keeping secrets)  My mother vehemently denied that she uttered that statement.  Nevertheless, the thought was back in the 50's and 60's was to wear sturdy undergarments to avoid looking "sloppy"  My feeling for girdles was that it might hold you in but the fat had to go somewhere.  The term "muffin top" wouldn't be invented till the 21st century but believe me, they existed before.  Since so many of my generation burned their bras the girdle didn't stand a chance.  Spandex has come in and out of vogue.  Hemlines go up and down.  No matter what happens with styles there is just so much that you can conceal.  My philosophy is that you aren't fooling anybody.

Hair is another matter.  We want more hair where there is not enough yet we grow abundant unwanted hair in other places.  This is yet another example of how we always want what we can't have.  Americans seem more concerned with this problem than the rest of the world.  Are European women shaving their armpits these days?  Do men in other countries get their eyebrows waxed?  There are so many products to get hair to ignore it's own better judgement and act like someone else's.  I've had a few perms in my life but now my hair curls like a perm all by itself. When I was younger my mother sometimes would ask me if I forgot to comb my hair.  These days people spend lots of time and money to make themselves LOOK like they forgot.  I'm inclined to think it would be better to just stay in bed a little longer and do the bed-head look for real!

Whether or not you believe in an afterlife we are all one day closer today than we were yesterday.  Healthy choices can push the inevitable further into the future and make our time here more enjoyable.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

Tis the Season

Well, its that time of year again.  The annual salute to gluttony has arrived.  I'm not opposed to the American tradition of giving thanks for our blessings on a Thursday in November.  The thankful part has been overshadowed by overconsumption and corporate greed.  I went to a nearby mall last weekend ( I rarely need to go there anymore)  Thanksgiving was barely apparent as most of the and merchandise decorations  were Christmas themed.  My senses were assaulted by holiday goodies.  Oh the festive Godiva chocolate boxes, the cookies and cakes were on display everywhere.  I wanted them.  I could almost taste them.  I resisted.

At the hospital where I work it's still Thanksgiving season.  We have two robots that deliver supplies and they are dressed up as turkeys with pilgrim hats.  I'll be working on the holiday which gets me out of the kitchen!  Yay!  My hubby will be cooking our turkey but he was a cook when he was in the Navy so dinner for ten people is no big deal.  I'm brining the turkey today.  Soaking overnight in brine makes the bird more juicy and flavorful.  I'll be making the stuffing tonight so all he has to do is stuff it in.  (My family prefers the stuffing be in the bird).  My personal secret ingredient for my stuffing is fennel bulb chopped up like celery.  I also put in browned bulk sausage.  

After I get the turkey in the brine this morning I'm off to the gym.  Planet Fitness has abbreviated hours for the holiday weekend but I'll get there today and on Black Friday.  While everyone is busting down the doors to Walmart and Target I'll be sweating on the stationary bike.  Some stores are opening on Thursday night because they can't wait for Friday.  Now I understand that the economic climate has been grim.  I have to work on Thanksgiving because that's what nurses always do.  However, a deal on a flat-screen TV or an electronic game can wait for Friday.  Let workers have the time with their families to overeat and watch football.

I have much to be thankful for this year.  I'm so happy to be healthier than I have been in years. Thanks to all my doctors for getting me here.  I have wonderful children and grandchildren.  I have a loving husband and a place to live.  My mom has reached the age of 80 and is still a vital part of my life.  We often forget that there are so many millions in the world who have so much less than we do here in the USA.  Some have forgotten why this country was founded and have brought about changes that take away some of our hard-fought freedoms.  Some feel that our nation is no longer great.  In spite of that there are thousands who struggle to get to this country.  We would not have an illegal immigration problem if there was nothing worth coming here for.  I'm thankful I was lucky enough to be born here.

I hope my readers will enjoy the holiday with their families.

Love to all,

Marlena of Mohegan

Stretch my WHAT?

Today I went to my first yoga class.  I had to overcome the derisive laughs from certain family members who thought I'd never get up early on Saturday morning to go to a class at 8:00 a.m.  Granted that scenario is a bit of a stretch for me (pun intended).  As I mentioned previously I have been reading up on the subject in "Yoga For Dummies".  I had a lot of success with the chapter on relaxation as it put me soundly to sleep.  I figured I needed more supervision for the more physical aspects.  Fortunately a friend who teaches yoga graciously invited me as a guest to her class.  It was a great opportunity I didn't want to pass up.  

I needed to buy a yoga mat for the class.  Walmart had a skinny one for ten dollars and a cushier one for twenty.    I opted for cushy as I expected any kneeling would be painful otherwise.  No other equipment was needed so I was all set.  

 I had hoped to slip in discreetly in the rear of the room but found that only spots up front were available.  I had several personal concerns:

1. my general lack of coordination 

2. creaky joints

3. accidental flatulence.  

There were about eight other members of the class all but one were female.  None of the others were close to my size but I've been the biggest in a room many times and this did not concern me.  The class began with some breathing exercises.  Relaxation at 8:00 am is not too difficult however getting my brain to slow down is something else.  The first challenge was to find a comfortable position on the floor.  Mat or no mat I found that only sitting with my legs out straight was pain-free.  Everyone else was sitting more or less with legs crossed.  When I was a child this was called Indian position.  In these "politically correct" times I'm told that this is called the pretzel position.  

The breathing exercises were led with commands to lengthen body parts that I didn't realize I had any control over.  We slowly were instructed to move in certain poses.  Thinking I was interpreting everything accurately I would glance around and find that my body positions were nowhere near what my classmates were doing.  I did not hear anyone else grunting or creaking like I was.  Some of the standing positions found me very wobbly.  I later found that the thicker yoga mat is more apt to cause this than the skinny one.  

  I was surprised to find that one position was called "Mountain Warrior".  Yoga ways are supposed to be peaceful and serene.  The "Cobra" didn't produce serene images to my mind either (especially since I found it  completely impossible to do.)  I was more comfortable as a "Sphinx" however.  

At the end of the class we spent some time with relaxation exercises.  I survived the hour without embarrassing myself.  (A big relief that I didn't have any of #3 on my list of concerns).  I felt good about the whole experience but I want to find a class with beginners like me. 

Yoga is the complete opposite from my heavy metal-themed-frantic peddling on the stationary bike.  I don't yet understand how this slow stretching can produce fitness.  I guess I'll need a couple of more classes to figure that out.  

Love to all, 

Marlena of Mohegan

Hello from Times Square

Here I am in Times Square, New York City.  Notice that I am wearing jeans.  True they're baggy mom jeans but that's just fine with me.  Last week I went with my grandson Lorenzo and his parents to the Central Park Zoo and Times Square.  He went on his first train ride and also his first trip to Hooters!  (I didn't pick the restaurant by the way.) Actually Hooters had fish tacos that were very tasty and high in protein.   This photo shows me fulfilling two of my goals of my weight loss surgery.  I hadn't worn jeans for about ten years and wanted to be able to enjoy walking in NY City.  We had a great time.  One of my knees got a little sore but I had more steps in half a day in the city than I usually get in an hour on the exercise bike at Planet Fitness.  It was a perfect day.  Not too warm or too cold.   and the zoo was not crowded.  

The next two days I couldn't get to the gym because work and family events took up all the time that the gym was open.  They close at  10 pm on Friday and 7 pm on Saturday.  I was planning to go on Sunday which I rarely do but I didn't want to let too much time pass between visits.  I need to keep my metabolism cooking!  Well while I was getting ready to go I started having lower abdominal pain.  It became really intense and I thought I might have had appendicitis.  Well hours later after lab tests and a CAT scan I was told that it was probably a small kidney stone.  The scan didn't actually find it but the lab tests were consistent with a stone.  So it must have passed before I had the scan.  I felt really awful for a while there but I was very annoyed that I was not going to get to the gym AGAIN!  I told my daughter this and she asked "Do you hear yourself?"  I had to admit that she was right.  I was in no shape for exercise.  

Well I got to the gym today and I feel fine now.  The ER doctor gave me a note for two days off of work but I feel good enough to go back tomorrow.  I decided though that probably I should watch my fluid intake more carefully.  Most people don't drink enough fluid and I tend to drink less fluid at work because I don't want to make too many trips to the bathroom during the day.  Keeping my kidneys flushed  should help prevent another stone.  One was enough! 

Love to all, 

Marlena of Mohegan

Am I Getting Addicted to Endorphins?

Autumn in the NY metropolitan area is now nearly snow-free and glowing with beautiful foliage.  The freak snow-storm is just a memory.  Some people just got their power back yesterday so the recovery process is still underway.  Life in the ER is now back to the usual state.

On Monday I had a patient who became belligerent and threatening.  The situation could have escalated to violence and and I was unable to diffuse his anger on my own.  I felt pretty upset by all this even though I've certainly experienced this type of individual many times in my career.  During the most stressful moments I found myself thinking about going to the gym later that night and working out to my hard rock and heavy metal tunes.  Indeed that night I did feel better when I was peddling away on the stationary bike.  My psychiatrist told me when I was starting to enjoy the exercise that the endorphins can be addicting.  

 I've been downloading a lot of rock and roll from Itunes.  I have real hard-driving tunes from Boston, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Thorogood, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Grand Funk,  Van Halen, Rush , Twisted Sister and other classic rockers.  Also newer stuff from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Enrique Iglesias.  Then there are my classic girl rockers like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Blondie, Eurythmics, The Go-Go's , Kim Carnes and Laura Branigan.  The motivation is awesome and the distraction from my stressors is worth every drop of sweat (and there's a lot of that).  

So is it endorphins that keep me going to the gym?

  Who knows?

  Who cares?  

Love to all, 

Marlena of Mohegan

Global WARMING????

This past week was a real challenge on many levels.  On October 29th we had an unprecedented freak snowstorm.  About a foot of snow fell on us!  The NY tristate area has only had major snow in October three times since 1888!  Since our beautiful autumn foliage had not even fallen off the trees yet and the snow was wet and heavy the impact was enormous.  Downed trees blocked roads, tore down electric wires, crushed homes and vehicles.  A week later thousands are still without power.  Some schools have been closed all week due to electricity outages or inaccessibility.  Some school districts have nearly depleted their allowance of snow days before winter has even begun.

In the ER we have seen dozens of victims of carbon monoxide poisoning from improperly vented generators or people using barbecue grills indoors.  Several people in the area died from the carbon monoxide. Since many of the suburban areas rely on well water homes without electricity also do not have running water because the well pumps need the juice.

Our family was lucky enough not to lose power.  Our lights dimmed a few times during the storm but stayed on. We had a lot of branches down in the neighborhood but no significant damages. The night before the storm we had our technical rehearsal for the opera scheduled for the next night.  Our director assured us that the show would go on so we were warned to do whatever we had to do to make sure we were at the theater.

The snow warnings were so incredible we didn't really believe we would get twelve inches of snow in October.  So three hours before call I set out for the theater.  Since I'd had four brand new tires put on my car the week before I felt ready for anything.  The roads were a horror.  There were spun-out cars everywhere.  Traffic was stopped dead on the parkway here and there because of cars sliding out of control.  There were downed trees and electric wires across roadways.  My new tires kept me from skidding but driving was tricky because of other vehicles with difficulty navigating the hazards.  I reached the theater unscathed just as my cell phone rang and was told the show was cancelled.  Local law enforcement had declared that the roads were closed to non-emergency vehicles.  So I turned toward home to battle the roads again.  The ride home was slow but less cars were on the roads by then so the ride was easier.

Impact to the ER was huge all week due to the usual snow related injuries, doctors offices with no power and  people needing support services.  Halloween was cancelled by the governor of Connecticut because it was unsafe for the children to be out with all the downed wires.  A week later those still without power have long ago lost their patience.  Electrical workers from out of state have come to help.  Convoys of bucket trucks are out every day and night.

On a personal level, I did miss out on the gym for a couple of days.  I let myself get into "survival mode" and did a little too much snacking.  I finally got on the scale yesterday and found I'm up two pounds.  I am not panicking however.  I've been tying to increase my protein.  I've been having instant oatmeal for breakfast because of the cold weather.  I realized that I could add protein powder to the oatmeal!  I'm experimenting now with ingredients to find just the right flavor.

Halloween went on as scheduled in our neighborhood.  What used to be a major chocolate overload passed without so much as an M&M passing my lips.  Thanksgiving is the next feeding frenzy to face.  I'll be working that day so I won't be cooking which will save me the calories I might nibble to taste what I'm preparing.  Our opera is rescheduled for December 3rd.  Meanwhile we await the real winter to begin.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan