Purling Sprite

A MEME because I am sick

yeah, there was supposed to a grand run tomorrow, a 15K, I was planning on it and I was very much looking forward to running the downhill course. Instead, I am nursing a cold. My throat glands are swollen, so much that when I turn it makes my neck hurt. My eyes are watery and I am sneezing non-stop. Last night's sleep was non-existent as I had to get up and use a kleenex every 5 minutes. I feel like I just ran a marathon yet I haven't done more than gone up the steps to fix my kiddos lunch. The worst is yet to come though, I can feel a stupid cough coming...which means there will be no running, cycling, or swimming for a few days. Did I mention the kiddos are sick too...yeah, fun times at the PurlingSprite's residence. 

But to entertain you from my boring, sick, non-active lifestyle, here is a fun MEME that I found through Karen's blog.

1. Where was I 10 years go.
I was a Junior at Baruch College in NYC.

2. 5 things on today’s to-do list
Clean my nose

Go and get some Nyquil

Drink the Nyquil

Put a movie on

Sleep

3.Snacks I enjoy.

I am not much of a snacker. I usually just have full meals but if I have to eat something is the following: chips and salsa (homemade if possible). Rice pudding.


4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.

Buy my Mom a house near me and put enough money aside for her not to work anymore. Pay off our house and cars so hubby can just play. Buy a new bike (Pinarello Prince here I come). Donate  a hefty amount to the Lance Armstrong foundation.

5. Places I have lived.

Mexico, NY, Utah.

Although I used to say that NY was the best town to live in, I am starting to believe that Cache Valley Utah is the best place on earth.


6. Jobs I have had.

Receptionist, Marketing intern, Executive Secretary, WebDesigner, Mom, Wife


7. Who would I like to know more about.

If you are having a dull day and need something to blog about, feel free to snag the questions.

What's your personality?

As seen over at the cool kid blog...had to take the test and see what the "experts" think about me. I dunno...Sorka, what do you think? Dlandra....do you think it is accurate? I guess my kids think I am bossy and some of my so-called friends think I am bossy and say the wrong things.  As far as careers go, Hubby said that he could see me as a psychologist...a little nutty and a little weird. But the whole thing of being a "Giver" I dunno.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

Ooops, is our anniversary!

Hubby and I almost missed our anniversary! We didn't forget, we just had the days wrong. We thought our anniversary was on Tuesday (today) but in reality it was yesterday. We realized our mistake Sunday night so we were both a little bit unprepared. For our anniversary, I got to go to work with my hubby--I love being at the shop with him, seeing him work "he is in the zone" when he is there. I work on the computer and he comes every now and then and gives me a little kiss.

7 years together...they have been really grand! Last night we dropped the kiddos off with our neighbor while we went to grab something to eat. We are so laid back and comfortable to go wherever that we ended up going to a gyro joint--frequented mainly by college students (we are a college town). We are there and I just had to laugh, most couples go to a fancy place, dress up all cute and there we are in our grubby jeans having gyros and yet as happy as ever.

We talked a bit about the past 7 years and how they have been so good to us and how we look forward to the years to come. Chatted about how the children have enriched our lives and made it so much better...worthwhile. I love being their Mom and I love the fact that I have a supportive husband who wants to be an active part of their lives. As a child, my hubby was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His constant answer was simple: a Dad. He is a wonderful Dad and I am here to say a darn great husband.

Happy Anniversary sweetheart. Thanks for making the past seven years sizzle!

Picture: it is a few years old, little Benny hadn't been born yet...there is little Wonderboy, he is soooo cute!

Round, round, baby round, round

Vertigo...really bad. I have a project to finish and ship out and the stinking vertigo can't let me even type. Yeah, this is taking me about 15 minutes to type. Wooo...there I go...stop me if you can.

Biopsy Results are In

Negative.

My dear friends...if you heard a great sigh of relief all the way where you are, it was me. Playing the different scenarios in my over active head was killing me little by little.

Lou, my dear friend and doctor called me the minute the test results hit her desk...about 10 minutes ago.

Although my results are negative, the type of tissue I have there (I will have to ask Louise for the correct term) increases the risk of me having breast cancer in the future. Although I am only in my 30s, Lou recommended yearly mammograms (and probably ultrasounds) to keep track of the lump. Of course, the best way is for me to keep track of it by doing monthly self exams and recording any changes.

Friends, your support, prayers, emails, and words of comfort have kept me afloat these past few days. Thank you...thank you.

Biopsy Done

Thank you all for your great and wonderful wishes. The biopsy went well this morning. It definitely wasn't what I expected and I am grateful Sam was able to come with me.

The aide first talks you through what is going to happen, which involves cleaning the breast in question, numbing it by inserting the anesthetic stuff with a needle, then guided with the ultrasound machine the doctor inserts a bigger "needle" to extract a sample. It sounds pretty easy and not much of a problem....doesn't it?

The washing went well. The local anesthetic wasn't so bad...a little prick, then a burning sensation. I counted all the way to 25 while he was inserting the anesthetic all the while imagining me swimming and doing flip turns. Think happy thoughts...go to your special place. Then the unexpected...the biopsy needle...hunking big needle! An opening needs to be made with a little knife so it can go in. (Think happy thoughts. Crap, I have gone through child birth I can handle this.) I feel the trickling of either the cleaning stuff or blood and I start shaking...hot and cold all through my body. Then the huge a$$ needle comes in. I felt like a freaking turkey being stuffed with the gravy baster. Sample one...get the gravy baster in, move it around and around and around...click, sample one taken...hurts. Doctor hits a blood vessel and blood just bursts out. Applies pressure...lots of pressure to stop the bleeding. So I am already sore from the poking and then add some pressure to my poor b00b and I am almost in tears.

Sample two...insert the biopsy needle again, move it around and around and around, count to three there it comes...click...hurts. Do you really need another one? The first one is not so good so a third sample would be good. Insert the "baster" this time at a different angle, this angle though didn't get much anesthetic so pain shoots through. Aaack! I tell the Doc so he decides that two samples are more than enough.

They show them to me and they look like little worms...white little worms.

Dressing was almost an impossible task for me. I can't handle blood at all. As the aide sent me to the bathroom to dress, I opened the door and there is a mirror, I look in the mirror and there I am with the front of my gown soaked with blood....my blood. I feel getting hot and cold from head to toe. I look around and everything just starts spinning. I feel weaker than I did the day I biked 78 miles. My legs start giving way and I flop down on the little bench in the bathroom. I breathe in and out...count to 10....imagine being back at home with the kids and I gain enough energy to get up open the door and call for Sam. Poor guy dresses me while I shake and babble about how I feel. I am such a wooz!!! Wooz!

Results will come next week sometime...in the mean time, I can sit down and hold my b00b and try to make it feel better. It feels like a truck tire went over it.

Again, thank you my dear friends for being there with me and for me. I appreciate your love and thoughts. Just a little while longer and we will know the results...the waiting is the worst part of it all.

Mammogram, now biopsy

Well....there are good news and bad news.

Good news: mammograms do not hurt...at all...and I am a busty lady and the squishing didn't hurt one little bit. The staff is caring and thoughtful.

The bad news: they found something, as I suspected. The ultrasound revealed a 1 inch diameter nodule and the radiologist scheduled me for a biopsy.

I am going in an hour for the biopsy.

It is a scary thought. My most sensitive area will be poked. At this point, I don't care much about the poking...I just hope that whatever they find will be nothing.

In other news...I started a blog to document my workouts. Come on over to Chubbette to read all about it :). (Yes....I am trying to keep my mind away from my b00bs and its troubles).

La La La Wednesday

I am taking a page from the Dervish grrl and following suit with La La La Wednesday.

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.

Self Pity by D.H. Lawrence

It has been a tough few days and I am feeling a bit blue, more like down right sad. I keep saying to myself: chin up and remember the poem.

A few weeks ago, I did a little self-exam and I found something that I didn't have before. It is small, almost unnoticeable. I have been doing these exams for many years and I know how they feel and what they have and what they do not. This new lumpy as I have come to call it is new. I went to my doctor, who happens to be one of my closest friends, she did an exam and she gave me great hope. However, to be 100% sure, I am scheduled for my first diagnostic mammogram in a week. I have always been a worry-wart and I just can't stop thinking of the "big ifs". One thing at least, if it is what I fear, we have caught it early. Maybe it is just muscle that is "reshaping" due to my exercising. I have in one word: fear. If I think about it too much I end up crying and squeezing my kids and hubby. Chin up kiddo! It may be nothing...

The chubby fight

Before I begin, I would like to add that today's post is not meant to get anyone's sympathy or anyting of the like, I am doing it for me as a way to encourage me in the days to come and hopefully to encourage others that are in the chub fight.

As many of you know, I have been diligently working on getting the fat level in my body down. Although, I have been tempted by all the commercials that promise a "quick" fix (New Year's seems to quadruple the number of this type of commercials). I have stuck to my guns and instead of choosing the easy way out, I have taken the "road less traveled". I started running last summer and tried to go out at least 3 times a week and hit the pavement. However, when Fall arrived and Winter the next day (it appears to be like that here in Utah), my plans for getting in shape got a bit thwarted by mother nature. I had a membership to the local gym but due to my inability to drive myself around, I couldn't attend regularly. Once I passed my driving test in October, my way was opened. A door to "freedom" to get to wherever I needed whenever I needed.

It has been about five months since I got my driving license and during those five months, I have gone out very little. I don't venture to too many places, but three times a week, my little zoomer goes out at 5am and we head to the gym. First, I started taking a spinning class and then I decided to start running too so I run about 3-4 miles each time, then a month ago I decided that lifting weights will make my arms look a little more than just spaghetti noodles so I started lifting. Five months later and I feel like a new woman. I am not a size 2 (probably will never be again) but I feel strong. I can run 5 miles and survive. Heck, I can run 4 miles, spin for 1hr, and then lift for 30 minutes and then swim and not die. I feel strong. Capable. Secure.

Despite my diligence in working out, my "weight" hasn't gone down. I weigh the same as I did before I started exercising and sometimes this makes me feel depressed (and downright ornery) but I have to keep reminding me that it wasn't weight that I went in to lose--it was fat! But how do you really measure the change if the scale is not showing it? The scale can be deceiving...and at times it can be our very own worst enemy. I have opted for another method to track my changes...since the scale is not helping me. I have decided to measure certain areas and keep track of those.

I am exposing my most personal and sensitive area of my life but I hope that this will encourage me and those of you who are fighting the chub. 

Measurements Record

Measurements in Summer 2007

• Natural waist (mine is about 1-1/2 inches above belly button): 33 inches
• Waist by belly button: 37
• Hip: 39 inches
• Lovehandle area: 38.5 inches
• Leg (I measure about 7 inches from my knee): 19-1/2 inches
• Calf: 14 inches

Measurements in November 2007 (after exercising for little over a month at the gym).

• Natural waist: 32 inches
• Waist by belly button: 36
• Hip: 38-1/2 inches
• Lovehandle area: 37-1/2 inches
• Leg: 19-1/2 inches
• Calf: 13-3/4 inches
• Upper Rib cage: 34 inches

Measurements in February 2008

• Natural waist: 30-1/2 inches
• Waist by belly button: 33
• Hip: 37-3/4 inches
• Lovehandle area: 37
• Leg: 20-3/4 inches
• Calf: 13-1/4
• Upper Rib cage: 31-1/2

Now the biggest change that I saw was going from a 34DD down to a 34C (and these are getting big so I may have to go down to my pre-baby 34B!). Clothes wise: I have gone down 2 sizes in pants and 1 size down in shirts.

My body type has a lot to do with the way I lose weight: I am one of those people who have very skinny legs (no shape to them at all), skinny, wimpy arms, no butt (none at all) and a big fat torso. When I gain weight, it goes first to my face (big chubby cheeks and second chin), then my b00bs, then my pansa (belly). You know there is pear shaped bodies, well, I am an apple with little sticks sticking out the bottom and the sides for legs and arms respectively.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the changes in my body. Some areas have gotten smaller,biggest changes in my waist and b00bs, and some have gotten a little bigger, my legs-expected from the running and biking. Some areas are a little more muscular, my calves, legs and arms. The change is slow and I have worked very hard to get them but with each step (when I run) with each turn of the wheel (when I spin), I think to myself that I am making my body stronger. 

I will keep going with my chub fight, I will report again in the months to come. In the meantime, keep on sweating the chub away!

Silent Poetry Reading

Many times I have looked at this poem and found a different way in which my life reflects it. It is a commonly known poem, the first time I read it, I was riding the NY subway and I burned it in my memory from that day. Life was hard then and I wanted a way out....this poem was the beginning of my opening my wings.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I...
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

By: Robert Frost

This entry is for the Third (silent) Poetry Reading