Is summer really almost over???

I cannot believe August is almost over.
This summer flew by.
Just a quick update of the latest in our crazy world;

Bald kid is back in school for a week and I get notes home that totally bust his freeloading skinny hiney about how many steps he’s taking there. Yeah, we’ll be setting some goals for that step taking at home real soon Ethan Charles.
He’s got several of his annual appointments coming up soon-Cardiology (with our other favorite bald guy)Rehab (with a new doc!)
Ortho (love Dr Schwend) and a PT eval to re-start some pool therapy and a nutrition check for his weight loss over the last year (12 pounds lost unintentionally). I’ll share hopefully all good news from those!

Parker and Hailey are both in our basement just like the good ole days. You know-one nagging the other over the dirty bathroom and trash emptying and laundry while the other rolls his eyes at her and does most of it to annoy her I’m sure. I have to be honest though, in the midst of the sibling discord, I am happy they are both under my roof. And even though they may act like they can’t stand one another, they have been going to the gym together and my house has never been vacuumed this much since we moved in!

We celebrated my Dad’s 75th Birthday and had some awesome family pics taken. I really like the one of Dad and Teresa and my siblings and spouses! Hailey was in Chi-Town at Lollapalooza so we’ll have to photoshop her in later I guess. I’m lucky to still have my Dad around and kickin’, Lord knows I gave him plenty of gray hair and high blood pressure in those 75 years...

Since my cough sounds like that of a 3 pack a day, oxygen wearing, 80 year old with emphysema, I earned myself a bronch. Among other tests in the weeks to come.
A bronchoscopy is a procedure where a pulmonologist will pass a scope down into my lungs to take a look around, along with washings and a biopsy if warranted. The good part about this? The drugs. Oh, and maybe an answer to my 8 week coughing fit.
I’ve also scored an echo of my heart, a sleep study AND a methacholine challenge (test for asthma).
Had the bronch done yesterday and it was not my test of choice. Though Dr Ladesic only had the scope down for 6 whole minutes and that part wasn’t bad at all thanks to the versed and fentanyl, the prep for it was terrible! First you do a breathing treatment with lidocaine to numb your mouth and throat. And numb it becomes. I felt like I couldn’t swallow or cough. Then they shoot some lidocaine jelly up your nose-both nostrils-to numb that where the scope will go. Yes, down your nose. My eyes watered, my nose burned, my mouth and throat were numb and then I was asleep and it was all over. I was not really totally asleep-but I definitely don’t recall any of the scope placement at all. He took some washings and scrapings and we should have results by end of this week.

I’ll just be thrilled to hopefully have some answers and maybe some relief soon. It’s getting exhausting. Though I can say I’ve broken into my stash of “the good pills” I had while on chemo and had some decent sleep the last few nights.

I’ve also come to realize that I am simply not going to ever get rid of my glasses. After trying some multi-focal contacts the last two weeks, and actually having both contacts in the same eye at one point, I am admittedly going shopping for some new spectacles on my days off.
Don’t. Even. Ask.
It wasn’t pretty and I’m shocked I was able to figure out what I did wrong and not jack the contacts up. Or my eye.
Touching your eyeball is not all that-I’ll stick with glasses for now. Probably forever.

Our friends from Oregon passed through KC on their multi-state camping journey and we were so happy to spend some time with them and meet their little girl! Wish it could have been longer-we promise we will make it to Portland soon Wackfords!

Brian and I are getting ready to take a kidless vacay to Gulf Shores and we are so excited! We’ve got an offshore fishing trip planned and a jaunt over to NOLA to visit his Uncle Mike and Aunt Margaret and cousin Little Mike and Sydney-someplace neither one of us have been! Send me your must-sees, must-dos, must-eats and drinks....

And since Labor Day is right around the corner, you know what that means in KC right?? Irish Fest!!! We are for sure heading down Saturday-depending on the rain-so if anyone wants to join us-Slainte!

Will keep you updated on my tests and results. Please send the good juju-and the health fairies my way-I don’t want to be sick on our upcoming trip!

-K

Hello, my name is Kari. And I’m a Quitter.

I’m a quitter.
If there was a Quitter’s Anonymous I’d be the leader of the meetings.
But eventually I would quit those too, because historically, I’m a quitter.

I’m a great starter.
I love to start new programs, new challenges, new work-outs, new groups, new anything and I’m in!
All in, 100% gung-ho, balls to the wall, sign me up, I’ll buy that, ALL IN.
But....then I quit.

My intentions are always good.
Each new thing I start is ‘the one’.
The one I’m going to stick to, the one I’m going to work hard at.
The one I’m going to FINISH.

And....then I quit.

So last year when Sally messaged me after I posted on her page about a product/program
(Insert my husband’s groan “again???” here)
I told her my goal was to firm up my nutrition before I started chemo.
I wanted to have something good, nutritious, easy to make and carry, easy to get and keep down when absolutely nothing appealed to my chemo wrecked taste buds.
And I bought a bag of Shakeology every month or so. And I even did a work-out or two here or there.
After chemo I had surgery and a bad arm.
Then radiation and a worse arm.
And Sally never went away.
She wasn’t in my face about my nutrition or my work outs or my purchases.
She sent little messages.
“Thinking about you today. Hope you’re feeling well”
“You’re such an inspiration!”
“You got this”
“Sorry you feel so bad”
And really, she should have quit on me.
I was a sideline watcher.
A creeper.
A Facebook stalker.
I watched all her pages and posts and Lives.
And I just watched. Never really participated.
And Sally never went away.

A couple weeks ago she messaged me about a new program our team was starting.
Really, when I’ve quit everything else to date she thought what the heck-and gave me the opportunity to start it.
And I’m so glad I did.
I made a commitment to this new program
Morning Meltdown 100 by Beachbody.
100 days of workouts with nutrition plans and recipes included.
Sure! Sign me up!
I mean, I am a FABULOUS STARTER.
just a seasoned quitter too
So I started the MM100 last Monday.
And I loved it from day 1!
20-30 min workouts in my own home!
For my bad knees, uncoordinated self, having the 2 modifiers has been a lifesaver. And when it’s a move I simply am not able to do yet, I just keep moving the best way I can.
Because someday, I WILL be able to do those damn firecracker kicks-I promise you!

I got through the first full week. My nutrition definitely needed a little work (ok a lot!)
But I did 8 work-outs in a row. Or if I missed one, I doubled up the next day. And then the crappy upper respiratory stuff I’ve been battling for 6 weeks got the best of me.
Long nights of coughing and no sleep did not bode well for workouts. So I got 4 behind.
Poor nutrition didn’t help at all either.
So I got another round of steroids, pushed the water and good dense nutrition and perked up.
My goal was to start the 3 Day Refresh program today as a jumpstarter to the next week of workouts.
Remember what a quitter I am??
Well, I did day one with no problems!
They laughed at me at work when I walked in today with my Nutribullet to mix my shakes in.
And I had all the foods on the plan today AND did workout #14/100 when I got home from work!
As I get ready for bed and feel amazing all I can say is that I’m so glad Sally didn’t quit on me.
And that she invited me into her group of amazing, motivated, positive, REAL, everyday women just supporting one another in this crazy journey called life.

A group I don’t want to quit.

So, be somebody’s Sally.

Because you never know, there might just be a quitter like me waiting for you.
Who needs you like I needed Sally.

So I can leave my quitting days behind.