pedal__power
PW 215.8
CW 216

Busy week! I've not been as active, not sleeping super well and more hungry as a result. I still appreciate this opportunity to check in.

CasandraW
Saturday weigh in
PW 233.2
CW 232.4

Pupowl wrote: »

@jessicakrall8 Hello Jessica! First of all, I am glad you will be returning to the weigh in group. I am pretty sure we went on support around the same time, and now we are both restarting at the same time as well! It is hard to decide what to do. Keep weighing in and only having gains, or giving yourself a break. In my experience, the support break never ends well. I think the next time I struggle, I will just keep checking in even though it feels bad.
Don't worry about the sheet, I will keep it updated. Is it back pain or something else going on? Are you scared because of missing work? If you have a half decent boss, he will understand. Rest up, take some deep breaths, it will be alright.

Hey @Pupowl...no it's my left knee where the swelling occurs...the heaviness of the area above the knee weighs down on the knee and causes incredible pain. I'm getting better, but taking some time to work on my range of motion in bending that knee. Thanks for covering...can't sit at my desk for long...working from home this week and will need to lie down on breaks/lunch to elevate it.
Jessica

It’s great to see so many Shape Sifters entering the 100 day challenge and supporting one another. That’s a good amount of time to practice and sustain positive habits. Congratulations on your success @iradi8 and best wishes to all!

TL/DR version - Lot’s of recent family health complications are tiring but also remind me that I’m fortunate to care for loved ones, and celebrate each day with gratitude!

[Feel free to skip the next 5 paragraphs 🙃]

I’m in Boston checking in with my mother (80), great aunt (88), and father-in-law (92). I travel from northern Virginia about once a month to help for about a week or so, depending on the circumstances. There’s always so much to do on these visits, and they have increasing needs, so I’m planning a longer stay from late November 2024 through late January 2025.

During my September visit, I found my aunt on the floor, unable to get up, so I called an ambulance. She recovered after about a month, and got cleared by the physical therapist, but she’s in the hospital again. My brother and I were checking in regularly while my sister was on vacation, but our aunt wasn’t feeling well. She got progressively worse and I had to call an ambulance again because she was so weak. Her bedroom and bathroom are on the second floor so I’m not sure if she will be able to return home this time. We’ll learn more tomorrow.

We tried to help my father-in-law ‘age in place’ at home but his dementia became too severe. He lives in a senior care facility for people who need extra monitoring due to memory loss now. He is always happy to see me even though he doesn’t know who I am anymore. My mother has some difficulty with recall after some small TIAs (brief blockage of blood flow to the brain), and a stroke, but she recovered well and her memory problems are not too serious yet. She has a lot of trouble with mobility and balance though — She can’t move much because she doesn’t move so it’s a tough cycle. It will be good to spend some extended time with her and see if we can build her endurance a little at a time.

Yesterday, I hired a retired nurse to stay with my mother and aunt twice a week for about four hours each of the two days. I hope it will give my sister some relief from all the care she’s providing. We really need to improve our health and aging infrastructure here in the U.S. but I’m not counting on it during my lifetime. So, I’m working in practical ways to prepare for any care I might need — while also seizing each day!

It really is a privilege to care for family members but there doesn’t seem to be enough time in a day to keep up with everything. Today, I was able to spend a little time with my son while we did some errands together, and I stopped to smell some roses while walking with my mother to her hair appointment. I was surprised the flowers didn’t have much scent but the garden was pretty. It was also a victory to get my mother to walk! I hope everyone can find moments of wonder during busy or stressful days.

Carpe Diem, Shape Shifters!