Susan's Quest for Good Health After a Celiac Diagnosis (comments greatly appreciated)
- Thread starter larry's girl
- Start date
deekaypee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
Has it been this long since I checked in with your journal? Sheesh! I don't have any excuses, other than it's summertime, with all its distractions. And some family and IL drama, par for the course around here.
Anyway:
Reading: Like you, I find reading on a TM (and especially an elliptical) helps pass the time. And for me it's like I'm doing two good things for me at the same time--my mind and body. So I'm really impressed that you pushed through after finishing your book. I don't always do that. Loved the library story, too. What can I say? I empathize with my fellow readers.
Exercise: And 40 minutes sounds like a good time to aim for achieving consistently. (I do the calories burned thing, too!) It fits well with your WO and work schedule, which must be a hassle to figure out. I hope you've been able to get out and do some walking on a regular basis, as it sounds like your household got sick.
The Family: Tara sounds like a gem of a daughter. How old is she, may I ask? She sounds older than I think she is--very mature. Of course her employers know how lucky they are. Like mother, like father, like daughter.
And I assume she and Boo have bounded (and you and Boo, too, don't give me this "I'm not an animal person" line--the lady doth protest too much! Oh, I believe you're not AS MUCH of an animal person as other members, but I can hear the love. )
How was the beach trip? Any fun and/or embarrassing stories to tell? Larry's second-job hunting? And your freelance work? I think of these aspects of your life as the stuff that helps you plan for your Florida relocation and pass the time until that happens!
Gluten-Free Living and Celiac: Again, thanks for providing me with good information on gluten-free and celiac. I just learned that Eat'n Park, a chain restaurant around here, supposedly has a gluten-free options on their menu. I find it hard to believe that they don't have cross-contamination issues--or that most restaurants don't. Maybe I'm just too suspicious about the offerings at a family, budget-conscious restaurant? (And I've never worked in a restaurant, so I must really be a suspicious person!)
It makes sense to me, in a weird kind of way, that you would be sensitive to MSG, as well. I don't know why, except that maybe I think your body is telling you that it doesn't like lots of artificial additives? MSG gave me migraines in the past, so I consider it a nasty, nasty thing. I find it fascinating that our bodies try to tell us how to take care of them and that putting more good things into our bodies make them crave more. Very complex and awe-inspiring machinery, bodies are.
Re: all the habits you have to put into place!
I realize that other people may have different reactions/differing degrees of reactions to gluten. You and Tara seem pretty sensitive?? But I'd be offended if someone thought I was making too much of things, being overly careful, etc. I mean, celiac changes your whole life! Who would choose to have two toasters? Or to have to monitor personal hygiene products in order to enjoy physical contact with loved ones? You're vigilant because you have to be--and anyone who doubts that is a moron. I'm sorry, but that's what they are. (Grr....how dare they imply others. Gets my shackles up.)
Anyway, I hope you're doing well with all that's going on in your life, that you're feeling well (as are Tara and Larry), and that the Florida fund is growing more flush by the moment!
Anyway:
Reading: Like you, I find reading on a TM (and especially an elliptical) helps pass the time. And for me it's like I'm doing two good things for me at the same time--my mind and body. So I'm really impressed that you pushed through after finishing your book. I don't always do that. Loved the library story, too. What can I say? I empathize with my fellow readers.
Exercise: And 40 minutes sounds like a good time to aim for achieving consistently. (I do the calories burned thing, too!) It fits well with your WO and work schedule, which must be a hassle to figure out. I hope you've been able to get out and do some walking on a regular basis, as it sounds like your household got sick.
The Family: Tara sounds like a gem of a daughter. How old is she, may I ask? She sounds older than I think she is--very mature. Of course her employers know how lucky they are. Like mother, like father, like daughter.
And I assume she and Boo have bounded (and you and Boo, too, don't give me this "I'm not an animal person" line--the lady doth protest too much! Oh, I believe you're not AS MUCH of an animal person as other members, but I can hear the love. )How was the beach trip? Any fun and/or embarrassing stories to tell? Larry's second-job hunting? And your freelance work? I think of these aspects of your life as the stuff that helps you plan for your Florida relocation and pass the time until that happens!
Gluten-Free Living and Celiac: Again, thanks for providing me with good information on gluten-free and celiac. I just learned that Eat'n Park, a chain restaurant around here, supposedly has a gluten-free options on their menu. I find it hard to believe that they don't have cross-contamination issues--or that most restaurants don't. Maybe I'm just too suspicious about the offerings at a family, budget-conscious restaurant? (And I've never worked in a restaurant, so I must really be a suspicious person!)
It makes sense to me, in a weird kind of way, that you would be sensitive to MSG, as well. I don't know why, except that maybe I think your body is telling you that it doesn't like lots of artificial additives? MSG gave me migraines in the past, so I consider it a nasty, nasty thing. I find it fascinating that our bodies try to tell us how to take care of them and that putting more good things into our bodies make them crave more. Very complex and awe-inspiring machinery, bodies are.
Re: all the habits you have to put into place!
I realize that other people may have different reactions/differing degrees of reactions to gluten. You and Tara seem pretty sensitive?? But I'd be offended if someone thought I was making too much of things, being overly careful, etc. I mean, celiac changes your whole life! Who would choose to have two toasters? Or to have to monitor personal hygiene products in order to enjoy physical contact with loved ones? You're vigilant because you have to be--and anyone who doubts that is a moron. I'm sorry, but that's what they are. (Grr....how dare they imply others. Gets my shackles up.)Anyway, I hope you're doing well with all that's going on in your life, that you're feeling well (as are Tara and Larry), and that the Florida fund is growing more flush by the moment!
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Hello, everyone. Just popping on quickly to say hello. A couple of the folks I support here at work are pretty busy, so I don't have lots of time. Quick highlights:
Yes, I got the stomach bug - and it won't let me go. The symptoms are better, but I am still achy all over and totally exhausted. I have heard through the grapevine that this is one that doesn't let you go for a while, so I guess in my case it's very true. I am struggling just to get in to work every day and keep up with my freelance stuff. No walks happening since I last posted. My stuff is all here at work, waiting for me to feel a little less crappy so I can get back to it. It will come, it just takes time.
We've had to postpone getting Larry's general health checked out by my doctor and his search for a second job, because he has severely injured his back. He doesn't know how he did it, but he woke up a few days ago in horrendous pain. He went to urgent care, where he got pain medication and muscle relaxants that didn't really help. Went to my chiropractor the next day, who took x-rays and then refused to touch him because he said he has to be seen by an orthopedist to make sure chiropractic manipulation will not make the problem worse!!! It doesn't sound good to me, but I've tried not to say that to him. So he has an appointment on Monday (that was the closest one I could get for him). Keep your fingers crossed they can do some physical therapy or something to help him, because he is seriously suffering.
I will try to get to journals later in the week - not happening today. Hope everyone is doing well!!
Susan
P.S. Hi, Debra! I hope things are going well for you. I feel like I know so little about you, and you are so supportive on my journal - it feels really one-sided to me! Without a journal, how do I keep up with what is going on with you? I like to know what's happening with my internet buds, you know!
To answer your questions - Tara is 20. Yes, she and Boo are already pretty tight. I do have affection for the animals, that's true - after all, they live with me. But I don't clean up their messes, I don't feed, walk or otherwise care for them in any way - it's not my thing. If I was living on my own, I wouldn't have animals because I don't want the work of caring for them. But they are sweet and my folks couldn't live without them, so there you go!
Haven't done the beach trip yet - that is in September. Can't wait! Mentioned having to postpone Larry's second job hunt above. Freelance work is going okay. I am averaging about $200 a week, so I think that's pretty good considering I don't have to get dressed, get in my car and drive anywhere. Biggest issue I'm having right now is that my computer is old, and therefore slow. I think I could make more $ if I had a new one, but there is no money available for that right now, so I'm trying to slog along with the one I have until I can see my way clear to buy a new one. At least I can take the purchase price off my taxes!
Cross-contamination in restaurants - one of the chefs at Saratoga Springs explained to me that when they get an order with food allergy restrictions, he follows it himself from beginning to end. So he makes sure any food preparation or cooking surface is thoroughly cleaned, and he personally brings out the food when it is done to avoid having any server mix-ups. I don't know how closely other restaurants follow that pattern, but the ones where we have eaten safe meals here at home seem to do something similar. The manager will usually follow the preparation of our meals and bring them out to us to make sure they are right. The ones that don't do that correctly make us sick, and we never go back!
As for differing reactions to gluten in different people: From what I have read, most people with full-blown celiac disease react rather strongly to almost any amount of gluten. However, some people are gluten intolerant - gluten does not work well in their bodies, but they do not have the same degree of reaction and damage as someone who has celiac (at least, that's my understanding). I tend to be fairly tolerant of people who don't understand my hyper-vigilance on the contamination issue. I used to think that removing peanuts from airline flights because peanut dust could be circulated and would affect people who were highly allergic was insane. How could someone be affected by dust??? They weren't eating it, so what was the big deal? I was really ignorant about the whole issue until I had to live it, so I tend to be pretty forgiving of others (most of the time - sometimes it does get under my skin a little bit when people make me feel like I'm being paranoid when I know I'm not, but that's only happened a couple of times). Still, it is what it is, and we just rock along with is as best we can.
Thanks again for checking in on me - later!
P.P.S. Forgot to mention that I added another quote to my signature from Dr. Randy Pausch (he died last week from pancreatic cancer after giving his "Last Lecture," where this quote comes from). I think it is a very true sentiment and expresses a vital truth about life.
Okay, that's really it!
Yes, I got the stomach bug - and it won't let me go. The symptoms are better, but I am still achy all over and totally exhausted. I have heard through the grapevine that this is one that doesn't let you go for a while, so I guess in my case it's very true. I am struggling just to get in to work every day and keep up with my freelance stuff. No walks happening since I last posted. My stuff is all here at work, waiting for me to feel a little less crappy so I can get back to it. It will come, it just takes time.
We've had to postpone getting Larry's general health checked out by my doctor and his search for a second job, because he has severely injured his back. He doesn't know how he did it, but he woke up a few days ago in horrendous pain. He went to urgent care, where he got pain medication and muscle relaxants that didn't really help. Went to my chiropractor the next day, who took x-rays and then refused to touch him because he said he has to be seen by an orthopedist to make sure chiropractic manipulation will not make the problem worse!!! It doesn't sound good to me, but I've tried not to say that to him. So he has an appointment on Monday (that was the closest one I could get for him). Keep your fingers crossed they can do some physical therapy or something to help him, because he is seriously suffering.
I will try to get to journals later in the week - not happening today. Hope everyone is doing well!!
Susan
P.S. Hi, Debra! I hope things are going well for you. I feel like I know so little about you, and you are so supportive on my journal - it feels really one-sided to me! Without a journal, how do I keep up with what is going on with you? I like to know what's happening with my internet buds, you know!
To answer your questions - Tara is 20. Yes, she and Boo are already pretty tight. I do have affection for the animals, that's true - after all, they live with me. But I don't clean up their messes, I don't feed, walk or otherwise care for them in any way - it's not my thing. If I was living on my own, I wouldn't have animals because I don't want the work of caring for them. But they are sweet and my folks couldn't live without them, so there you go!
Haven't done the beach trip yet - that is in September. Can't wait! Mentioned having to postpone Larry's second job hunt above. Freelance work is going okay. I am averaging about $200 a week, so I think that's pretty good considering I don't have to get dressed, get in my car and drive anywhere. Biggest issue I'm having right now is that my computer is old, and therefore slow. I think I could make more $ if I had a new one, but there is no money available for that right now, so I'm trying to slog along with the one I have until I can see my way clear to buy a new one. At least I can take the purchase price off my taxes!
Cross-contamination in restaurants - one of the chefs at Saratoga Springs explained to me that when they get an order with food allergy restrictions, he follows it himself from beginning to end. So he makes sure any food preparation or cooking surface is thoroughly cleaned, and he personally brings out the food when it is done to avoid having any server mix-ups. I don't know how closely other restaurants follow that pattern, but the ones where we have eaten safe meals here at home seem to do something similar. The manager will usually follow the preparation of our meals and bring them out to us to make sure they are right. The ones that don't do that correctly make us sick, and we never go back!
As for differing reactions to gluten in different people: From what I have read, most people with full-blown celiac disease react rather strongly to almost any amount of gluten. However, some people are gluten intolerant - gluten does not work well in their bodies, but they do not have the same degree of reaction and damage as someone who has celiac (at least, that's my understanding). I tend to be fairly tolerant of people who don't understand my hyper-vigilance on the contamination issue. I used to think that removing peanuts from airline flights because peanut dust could be circulated and would affect people who were highly allergic was insane. How could someone be affected by dust??? They weren't eating it, so what was the big deal? I was really ignorant about the whole issue until I had to live it, so I tend to be pretty forgiving of others (most of the time - sometimes it does get under my skin a little bit when people make me feel like I'm being paranoid when I know I'm not, but that's only happened a couple of times). Still, it is what it is, and we just rock along with is as best we can.
Thanks again for checking in on me - later!
P.P.S. Forgot to mention that I added another quote to my signature from Dr. Randy Pausch (he died last week from pancreatic cancer after giving his "Last Lecture," where this quote comes from). I think it is a very true sentiment and expresses a vital truth about life.
Okay, that's really it!
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Susan,I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well.
I hope you're feeling better soon! Sending lots of prayers and
for Larry. I'm so sorry to hear that his back is in such pain. I hope your week gets better, sweetie!
Take good care of you!
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Good morning, everyone! Howzit??
Here's what's going on with me:
Finally feeling better from the stomach virus junk. Took long enough, but I started back with my lunchtime walk yesterday. Could tell I hadn't walked for two weeks, though - only made 30 minutes before I stopped because I was exhausted and my back and knees were killing me. Still, that's 30 minutes of exercise time that I didn't have when I got up yesterday morning! So I am going again today and see how I feel. If I am up to it, I may try for 35. If not, I'll stay at 30 and work up gradually as I feel able. Won't be able to walk tomorrow because we have a mandatory staff meeting/luncheon to attend. I won't eat (too dangerous), but I still have to go for the meeting part and then gulp down the lunch I bring with me afterwards. So I will plan to get back on the treadmill on Thursday.
Larry's orthopedic appointment got postponed by a week due to a change in the doctor's schedule, so he's still in lots of pain. I feel so bad for him, but there is nothing I can do but try to be as supportive as possible until he sees the doc. I'll keep you posted!
So the big thing that happened last weekend (it seems there's always something new going on, for good or bad, at my house) - I sat down to transcribe and my computer BLEW UP (picture a mushroom cloud here - that's what happened to my computer). I cried, because I knew I was going to have to go out and buy a new one before I really could afford to. I knew I was going to have to buy a new computer at some point, but I was hoping to limp along with this one until the end of the year. Alas, it was not to be. Fortunately, it was tax-free weekend here, so we managed to get a good package (I was having issues with my printer and my monitor was really small, so I decided to get a package with all three components included) for a decent price. It's just that I hadn't planned to make that expenditure right now, so I have to get creative in my budgeting to make the Vero trip happen and accomplish everything else financially that needs to get done between now and then. But we'll work it out - we always do. If I can, I'll probably try to pick up a few extra transcription hours in the next couple or three weeks to make up the difference - we'll see how it works out.
Anyway, it took the better part of the weekend to get the new system set up, get the Internet connection to work (the clip on the DSL cable broke off so we had to replace it and reconfigure the connection) and get all the system defaults set up for my transcription to commence. I lost several hours of potential work time, but at least now it's all set up and working well so I don't have to deal with it again. In fact, the transcription itself is more productive because the system is faster at downloading the audio and uploading the finished product, so that's a big plus. All in all, it ended up okay, but it was a frustrating (and expensive!!!) weekend. Oh, well, such is life.
That's about all that's happening in my world for now. I'll check in again later on - hope everybody has a great week!
Susan
Here's what's going on with me:
Finally feeling better from the stomach virus junk. Took long enough, but I started back with my lunchtime walk yesterday. Could tell I hadn't walked for two weeks, though - only made 30 minutes before I stopped because I was exhausted and my back and knees were killing me. Still, that's 30 minutes of exercise time that I didn't have when I got up yesterday morning! So I am going again today and see how I feel. If I am up to it, I may try for 35. If not, I'll stay at 30 and work up gradually as I feel able. Won't be able to walk tomorrow because we have a mandatory staff meeting/luncheon to attend. I won't eat (too dangerous), but I still have to go for the meeting part and then gulp down the lunch I bring with me afterwards. So I will plan to get back on the treadmill on Thursday.
Larry's orthopedic appointment got postponed by a week due to a change in the doctor's schedule, so he's still in lots of pain. I feel so bad for him, but there is nothing I can do but try to be as supportive as possible until he sees the doc. I'll keep you posted!
So the big thing that happened last weekend (it seems there's always something new going on, for good or bad, at my house) - I sat down to transcribe and my computer BLEW UP (picture a mushroom cloud here - that's what happened to my computer). I cried, because I knew I was going to have to go out and buy a new one before I really could afford to. I knew I was going to have to buy a new computer at some point, but I was hoping to limp along with this one until the end of the year. Alas, it was not to be. Fortunately, it was tax-free weekend here, so we managed to get a good package (I was having issues with my printer and my monitor was really small, so I decided to get a package with all three components included) for a decent price. It's just that I hadn't planned to make that expenditure right now, so I have to get creative in my budgeting to make the Vero trip happen and accomplish everything else financially that needs to get done between now and then. But we'll work it out - we always do. If I can, I'll probably try to pick up a few extra transcription hours in the next couple or three weeks to make up the difference - we'll see how it works out.
Anyway, it took the better part of the weekend to get the new system set up, get the Internet connection to work (the clip on the DSL cable broke off so we had to replace it and reconfigure the connection) and get all the system defaults set up for my transcription to commence. I lost several hours of potential work time, but at least now it's all set up and working well so I don't have to deal with it again. In fact, the transcription itself is more productive because the system is faster at downloading the audio and uploading the finished product, so that's a big plus. All in all, it ended up okay, but it was a frustrating (and expensive!!!) weekend. Oh, well, such is life.
That's about all that's happening in my world for now. I'll check in again later on - hope everybody has a great week!
Susan
postesf
Keep Pushing
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2007
Hey there! Glad you are feeling better and getting back to your walking. Too bad you had to fork out some $$ for the new computer, but I think you will be so glad you did. I don't know how much you paid, but those package deals can be at a pretty price sometimes. Tax-free helps too!
for Larry. I hope his back gets better!!!
Take care!
Stacie
for Larry. I hope his back gets better!!!Take care!
Stacie
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Hi Susan,
I'm glad that you're feeling better! I'm sorry to hear that Larry is still in so much pain. I hope he can get some pain relief when he goes to the doctor. Sending some prayers and his way.
I'm sorry to hear about your computer. I'm glad the new one seems to be working well and making your freelance work easier.
I hope you have a great week ahead! Take good care of you!
I'm glad that you're feeling better!
I'm sorry to hear that Larry is still in so much pain. I hope he can get some pain relief when he goes to the doctor. Sending some prayers and his way.I'm sorry to hear about your computer.
I'm glad the new one seems to be working well and making your freelance work easier. I hope you have a great week ahead! Take good care of you!
windwalker
I need an Adventure
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
Susan you just amaze me, you have more stuff going on than anyone I know and you stay so up beat, your an inspiration and a tough princess.
Hope Larry's back pain turns out to be easily fixed.
Visiting Panda
Hope Larry's back pain turns out to be easily fixed.
Visiting Panda
momof2minnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2004
Hi Susan,
Set backs are the pits but I know you will be back to where you were in no time.It doesn't take long unfortunately to feel the aches and pains from not moving.
I hope Larry feels better soon I know he is a big help to you.
So how is the new computer working? Is the new transcription job everything you wanted it to be?
The Applefest is in Hollis NH.Not much to see but time away alone is good.
Have a great one and keep inspiring us,
Linda
Set backs are the pits but I know you will be back to where you were in no time.It doesn't take long unfortunately to feel the aches and pains from not moving.
I hope Larry feels better soon I know he is a big help to you.
So how is the new computer working? Is the new transcription job everything you wanted it to be?
The Applefest is in Hollis NH.Not much to see but time away alone is good.
Have a great one and keep inspiring us,
Linda
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Good morning, everybody. Thanks so much to all of you for stopping by. We all lead such busy lives, and I greatly appreciate everyone taking the time out of your schedules to support me here. It really helps me to keep moving when it would be easier to stop!
Dave - Thanks for the compliment. I have been called tough before, so I guess it's true! The alternative is laying down and giving up, which ain't happenin', so I just keep trucking. Stacie and I come from hardy stock, you know!
Although I will readily admit that I do have my down days, like everybody else. Back in the winter when I was attempting to train for the 5K that I walked in May at Disney, there were a couple of times that I almost gave up. Between the severe back injury that I sustained in October and all the illnesses I contended with due to immune system compromise from celiac damage, I had a tough time just continuing to move at all for most of those months. I remember coming on here and venting, basically stating that maybe I'm just not meant to be an active, vibrant person like I wanted to be and that maybe I should just give up and be sick and fat for the rest of my life - after all, that is the easier route. But a few core people here jumped in and basically lifted me up, reminding me of what I HAD accomplished during that time and encouraging me not to let temporary setbacks become permanent barriers to better health. So I'm still here, walking my few minutes on the treadmill (and darn proud of myself for it, too!!) and continuing to share my journey in the hopes that someone else may derive some benefit from my experiences.
Linda - Thanks for asking about my transcription work. It seems to be going very well. The new computer helps with the speed - I just wish I could TYPE faster so I could make more $$$ (you'd think 105 words a minute would be enough, but I guess I'm too impatient for my own good when it comes to moving on to the next part of my life - I want to go NOW). Anyway, I am pleased with the situation so far and hope the income continues to grow!
Yesterday I went for my lunch time walk and noticed that I wasn't quite as achy after the 30-minute time period, so I think the key here is consistency. If I can manage to keep getting the walks in on a regular basis, the pain and stiffness will probably be greatly reduced and that would help me not to hit the ibuprofen quite so hard! Today I am really tired - Boo decided it was time to play at 3:00 this morning and kept Tara and I awake for some time (I swear, it's like having a baby in the house!!) - anyway, my natural inclination is to put off the exercise because I "don't feel like it," but I won't. It becomes too easy to talk myself out of it if I go there, so I'm just going to go walk anyway. I noticed something else that was interesting when I went to the gym yesterday. When I was changing clothes, I saw that my ankles were swollen. I had been glued to my desk all morning (really busy), so I'm sure that's why. Still, that's not something you really want to see happening, so I was a little concerned about it. I went ahead and did the walk, only to discover when I was getting ready for the shower that the swelling had disappeared! So the exercise does lots of things unrelated to weight loss (which I knew anyway, but it was cool to see it demonstrated so concretely) - and that's why I have to keep doing it, even when I'm tired!
Hope everybody has a great weekend! Thanks again for your comments - you guys ROCK!!
Susan
Dave - Thanks for the compliment. I have been called tough before, so I guess it's true!
The alternative is laying down and giving up, which ain't happenin', so I just keep trucking. Stacie and I come from hardy stock, you know! Although I will readily admit that I do have my down days, like everybody else. Back in the winter when I was attempting to train for the 5K that I walked in May at Disney, there were a couple of times that I almost gave up. Between the severe back injury that I sustained in October and all the illnesses I contended with due to immune system compromise from celiac damage, I had a tough time just continuing to move at all for most of those months. I remember coming on here and venting, basically stating that maybe I'm just not meant to be an active, vibrant person like I wanted to be and that maybe I should just give up and be sick and fat for the rest of my life - after all, that is the easier route. But a few core people here jumped in and basically lifted me up, reminding me of what I HAD accomplished during that time and encouraging me not to let temporary setbacks become permanent barriers to better health. So I'm still here, walking my few minutes on the treadmill (and darn proud of myself for it, too!!) and continuing to share my journey in the hopes that someone else may derive some benefit from my experiences.Linda - Thanks for asking about my transcription work. It seems to be going very well. The new computer helps with the speed - I just wish I could TYPE faster so I could make more $$$ (you'd think 105 words a minute would be enough, but I guess I'm too impatient for my own good when it comes to moving on to the next part of my life - I want to go NOW). Anyway, I am pleased with the situation so far and hope the income continues to grow!
Yesterday I went for my lunch time walk and noticed that I wasn't quite as achy after the 30-minute time period, so I think the key here is consistency. If I can manage to keep getting the walks in on a regular basis, the pain and stiffness will probably be greatly reduced and that would help me not to hit the ibuprofen quite so hard! Today I am really tired - Boo decided it was time to play at 3:00 this morning and kept Tara and I awake for some time (I swear, it's like having a baby in the house!!) - anyway, my natural inclination is to put off the exercise because I "don't feel like it," but I won't. It becomes too easy to talk myself out of it if I go there, so I'm just going to go walk anyway. I noticed something else that was interesting when I went to the gym yesterday. When I was changing clothes, I saw that my ankles were swollen. I had been glued to my desk all morning (really busy), so I'm sure that's why. Still, that's not something you really want to see happening, so I was a little concerned about it. I went ahead and did the walk, only to discover when I was getting ready for the shower that the swelling had disappeared! So the exercise does lots of things unrelated to weight loss (which I knew anyway, but it was cool to see it demonstrated so concretely) - and that's why I have to keep doing it, even when I'm tired!
Hope everybody has a great weekend! Thanks again for your comments - you guys ROCK!!
Susan
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Keep on keeping on, Susan!!!
You are doing a great job getting your walks in!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
You are doing a great job getting your walks in!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
postesf
Keep Pushing
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2007
Hey chick! Just checking in. I'm so proud of you for continuing to get your walks in!!! I plan doing some laps at Vero so maybe you can play in the pool too! 
Any news on Larry and how his back is? I hope it's nothing serious!!! for him!
Hope you've had a good week!
Check in when you have a chance!!!
Stacie
Any news on Larry and how his back is? I hope it's nothing serious!!!
for him!Hope you've had a good week!
Check in when you have a chance!!!
Stacie
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Hi, everyone. First of all, I apologize for going MIA for so long. Lots of stuff happening - nothing major, just really busy and not making time for journaling and keeping up with everyone. I am going to try my best to do better!
If you saw Stacie's last journal entry, then you know we went to Vero Beach for vacation last week. We had a great time, and I will do a mini-trip report at the end of this entry for those of you who are interested in that. But first I want to say that I had lots of time to reflect on the last year (tomorrow is one year since I started this journal) and what it has taught me. I also had time to consider where I am and where I want to go with my health and life in general. So I'm going to start with those thoughts, since I think typing them out will help me solidify my thought processes and goals.
Here are some things I have learned about myself in the last year, both positive and negative:
1. I don't give up easily - even after injury and ongoing illness, I am still here - and I completed a 5K race (who'd a thunk it)!
2. However, I make excuses for skipping exercise way too much and I am not good at exercising portion control in my diet - hence the reason that I have not lost any significant weight in this last year.
3. I am worth the effort and time it takes to figure out what my stumbling blocks are so I can fight against them instead of considering myself a lost cause.
4. I am under a high amount of stress every minute of every day (unless I'm on vacation), and it is impacting my health and my ability to concentrate on my diet/exercise goals. I therefore have to determine how to better deal with it and ultimately decrease it to be a healthier, happier person.
So here are my thought processes based on the above conclusions I have made about myself. I have been attributing my frequent stomach upset and general feeling of being unwell to lingering celiac damage and ongoing repair in my system. Interestingly enough, however, while at the beach last week, I did not have any stomach ailments or exhaustion issues at all. I had several days when I did not feel well, but that was due to female issues which won't change until I go through menopause, so I just have to deal with them. THE DAY WE CAME HOME, my stomach problems started up again and I was completely worn out before we ever crossed the Florida line to come back to Georgia. I was in tears for over two hours after we left at the thought of having to come back here. This tells me that my problems are caused by the stress of living day-to-day in a situation I don't want to be in anymore. And since I can't change that this minute, I have to figure out how to deal with it until I can change it. So I have decided that I can't let stress keep me from pursuing my goals - either for my health specifically or for my life in general. As Matt pointed out to me while we were at the beach, stress is everywhere - everyone has it. And I realized that he's right, and if I wait for my stress to go away to move forward with my goals, I won't ever accomplish anything. So I started back with my walking at lunch again yesterday, even though my stomach wasn't feeling great. And it felt really good to get moving again, even though I was hurting and exhausted when I was done. From now on, I'm not letting stomach issues keep me from walking. Maybe the exercise will help negate the effects of stress and I will eventually feel better from that - who knows? In any event, I have to stay active to ever have a healthier existence, so there it is - no more excuses.
As for the portion control issue, I have been putting off contacting the nutritionist my doctor recommended. I kept saying it was because I didn't have the money, but the truth is, I find the money for what I feel is a priority (thus the Vero trip last week). That's not the underlying issue - the issue is I haven't really wanted to face up to what I am fairly sure she will tell me. I have no doubt she will say I have to eat less than I do now - and since eating is how I have always dealt with stress, and I am majorly stressed now, I have been doing a lot of emotional eating. I also have a big appetite - always have - and every time I try to diet, I walk around hungry (or at least feeling empty) all the time. But after ruminating on this at some length last week, I decided that I have to face the music here. If I don't figure out some way to make some dietary changes and have them stick, I am just going to continue to get bigger and bigger until I am eventually bedridden or dead. So I made out my budget for the next couple of months and put the expense for the nutritionist in for the paycheck I receive in mid-October. One month from today, I will have that appointment and follow through on whatever she recommends. I am thinking she may also tell me to cut out starches, which will be really difficult for me since rice, potatoes and rice pasta give me variety in my diet and are also comfort foods for me. But again, if that is what I have to do, then that is what I have to do. I am hoping she can give me suggestions for ways to vary my meals without using starchy foods if her recommendations include cutting them out. We'll see - I'll keep you posted.
As to my general life goals, I thought about those at length, too. I find that most days I am terribly frustrated with the fact that it will take a significant amount of time to work out my situation here in Georgia before I can make the move to Florida. Part of me thinks how nice it would be to just walk away from everything here and start over at WDW (especially after my DVC guide told me he could easily get me a job driving the DVC van - how cool would that be!!!). But I know in my heart that isn't the right way to do this, and I would never be happy if I chose to be that irresponsible. I have to do this cleanly - close this chapter of my life the right way to move on to a new chapter unencumbered by guilt, fear or regret. So having reached that conclusion, I am working hard to put a positive spin on this. I am doing EVERYTHING I can to make this happen - bringing in extra $, economizing in other areas, researching real estate trends to determine the best time to try to sell the house and how much work to put into it before we put it on the market - and that's all I can do. Doing my best HAS to be enough, and I have to be satisfied with that for now. The frustration factor is wearing on me, and I have to use it for motivation to keep working towards my goal without letting it tear me down - a tough balance to strike. But I am doing my best to be positive - remembering how fortunate I am to have a way to pursue my dreams, since many people never have that opportunity. They stay stuck in a place they don't want to be without ever having the chance to break out and try something new. I am blessed that I am not one of those people, and I am going to work REALLY HARD to try to remember that - MY DAY WILL COME!!!
Okay, so now that I've sounded off about all that, my short-term goals are clear:
1. Walk at least 30 minutes every weekday at lunch - no excuses.
2. Make the appointment with the nutritionist in one month and follow her recommendations - again, no excuses.
3. Continue to bring in as much extra $ as possible and apply to paying down debt/home repair until debt is gone and home is ready to be put on market.
4. Stay as positive as I possibly can while doing 1-3 above and SMILE!!
So that's it for me and my personal stuff. To update you guys on Larry's back, he did go for the orthopedic appointment. The M.D. said he has (some long name I can't remember), but basically it means that there are two discs in his low back where the bone is gone and only scar tissue is there. The spine has slipped out of place, and she said it was stable enough for him to have physical therapy. He preferred chiropractic treatments, so that's what he's doing. He seems to be feeling better and I am grateful that he has improved to the degree that he has. According to the chiro PT wouldn't hurt him, but he knows he won't do the exercises they would prescribe (he would put it off and never get around to it), so he is just going with adjustments for now. As long as he isn't hurting so much, I keep my mouth shut (even though I wish he would do everything possible to get better). Thanks to all of you for thinking of and asking about him - I greatly appreciate the concern!
Now, on to the trip report!
Larry, Tara and I actually went to WDW for an overnight stay on Friday before our week-long Vero Beach trip. While we were there, Tara bought DVC points at AKV!! She had been thinking about doing that for some time, and the incentives during this promotion were the best we've ever seen, so she decided to go for it. She is super excited and can't wait to stay there! I guess I have created a family of Disney freaks, but what can I say?? It's lots of fun to go when we all love it there so much!
The beach cottage at Vero was very nice - lots of room and beautiful ocean view. However, we had some issues with it. The smoke detector in the kitchen was so sensitive that you couldn't cook breakfast without it going off - very annoying. The air conditioning went out on the first floor and we were all uncomfortably warm that night, but a castmember showed up shortly after we reported it the next morning and added freon to the unit which fixed the problem. The maid didn't leave any toilet paper when she did the T&T visit mid-week, so we called for more and also requested a large frying pan to cook with since we couldn't find one in the kitchen, both of which were delivered quickly. The BIG issue for me, though, was the ants. The first night we were there, we saw ants in the kitchen and reported it. When we came back from dinner, there was a card saying that our cottage had been serviced and I thought the problem was over. Unfortunately, this wasn't so. The ants showed up again in Stacie and Matt's bathroom - we called again and someone came with spray. Then, after the ants finished laughing at the thought of ant spray making any difference to them being there, they invited their friends and had a party in the kitchen AND bathroom for the rest of the week. It got so bad we were sitting at the table to eat and killing ants to keep them from crawling into our food - it was disgusting! I decided not to make any further calls, since the two we had already made didn't yield any noticeable results. When we checked out, I informed the CM at the front desk about the smoke detector issue, but more importantly I informed her that there was an infestation of ants in the cottage and it needed to be fumigated - at which point, my pest control technician husband stood me down that it was NOT an infestation and that since we were in Florida, ants were to be expected. Um, excuse me, I know we're in Florida and I know ants are always around, but I don't think it is acceptable to be fighting off ants while you're trying to eat! Apparently, he is one of those die-hard Disney fans that doesn't want to hear ANY criticism of his beloved Disney resorts! Mind you, I am as big a Disney fan as anybody, but this experience was not up to the usual high standards of quality I have come to expect from Disney, and I don't think I was being unreasonable to say that. Anyway, while I'm venting, this cottage was not the cleanest Disney accommodation I have ever stayed in, either. I am not a neat freak, and it wasn't filthy, but there was some evidence that it wasn't as carefully cleaned as it should have been. When we pulled out the sofa bed for Tara the first night, there was a Cheerio (yes, one Cheerio) laying in the middle of the bed. The sheets were clean and the bed was well made, so I can't figure out how one Cheerio escaped the notice of the maid when she put the linens on the bed, but I figured it wasn't a big deal and didn't complain about it. Then when I went into our bedroom, I noticed that there was paper laying on the floor by the toilet and huge dust webs in the patio doors leading to the balcony from our room. Again, not huge issues for me (I'm not planning to eat off the floors), but I have never seen that lack of attention to detail in Disney housekeeping before. In any event, I plan to go back to Vero and would be happy to stay in a one-bedroom or studio (which I have done in the past with no problems), but I have no desire to stay in a beach cottage again any time soon based on this experience.
The weather wasn't bad, considering we had an impending hurricane off the coast of South Florida. We had lots of wind, but very little rain. It meant that we had to postpone the fishing trip and the airboat ride until late in the week, but we still got to do them so we were happy. The best part of the trip was getting to spend extended time with my folks and sibs, since I don't get to see them as much as I would like.
We had dinner at Shutters the first night we were there. I had called ahead and made an ADR, informing them of our dietary restrictions. The chef came out and we were given adequate meals, but he didn't have the gluten-free ingredients and modification abilities that we have come to expect from Disney. There was nothing WRONG with our meals, they just weren't as imaginative as we have come to expect from Disney. Unfortunately, the same held true for the other two meals we ate out through the week. I called the manager at Squid Lips the day before our dinner, and she assured me that we could have gluten and dairy free meals at the restaurant. And we did, but again, there was very little modification available - there was nothing wrong with the food, it just wasn't amazing. Then we ate at Wolfgang Puck Cafe after the Cirque show at Downtown Disney (which we had seen before, but still really enjoyed) and I didn't call ahead because we have eaten at Wolfgang Puck Express many times and had good experiences there so I didn't think it would be necessary. WRONG!! They didn't have the ingredients necessary for modification to dishes, either, and the chef said we should have called ahead for that. Tara was particularly disappointed that she could not have sushi, because the rice was made with rice wine vinegar which has gluten in it. The chef said it would take too long to make separate rice for her, so we both ended up with Cobb salads. This would have been fine except that they brought them to us with blue cheese instead of the goat cheese the chef said he would substitute for us - meaning he didn't follow the dishes (which makes me very uncomfortable as to how safe the food is). We sent them back and they were remade, which meant everyone else was almost done with their meals by the time we received ours. We just were underwhelmed all week with our restaurant meals, and made much better meals ourselves in the cottage. I will know for next time that I need to call ahead and make specific requests for anywhere that we want to eat out in Vero.
We did a couple of activities at the resort - we watched the movie at the pool one night, which was very cool, and Larry, Daddy and I went out to the back porch to listen to Unca Banjo one afternoon. Since we like live music in pretty much any form, we enjoyed that very much. There were lots of other things going on, but that's all we chose to do from the list this trip.
And I saved the best for last - Tara decided that she wanted to surprise Larry and myself with gifts for our 25th anniversary. This was a big surprise, since our anniversary isn't until April!! She said she didn't want us to expect her gifts, and we were definitely not expecting them, so she pulled the surprise off with a bang! She gave us a $50 Disney giftcard on the Friday that we were at WDW with a very sweet card. Larry and I split it, and I got a WDW tote bag with my half that I had been wanting for some time but just never bought. Then at dinner on Saturday night (which she paid for), she had the manager bring out a nice DVC shirt that she purchased for Larry (that he has been wanting for some time, but again had never bought) and a dozen lavender roses for me! The back story to that is this: I love lavender roses, and they are what I carried when we got married. I never receive them as gifts, because they are very expensive and they die so quickly they are not really a practical gift. I had told her in a conversation a long time ago that I would love to receive some as a gift for our 25th anniversary, since they are sentimental to me because of being in my wedding bouquet, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't happen because they are so impractical. I also named a couple of other things that I would love to have as anniversary gifts, but was pretty sure they wouldn't be in the budget. I was just talking - I had no idea she would decide to buy flowers for me, or I probably would never have told her that! Anyway, the card with the roses read "Happy Early Anniversary. At least you got your flowers! Love, Tara." Is she the sweetest kid ever or what? Of course, I immediately burst into tears and gave her a big hug for being so generous. She was very pleased that I loved them so much, and they still look great after over a week - I have them sitting in my little office area at home where I can see them when I am on the computer.
So, I guess that about wraps up the trip report. In short, we had a good time and I enjoyed seeing my family very much. I hated to come home, but I knew I would before I ever got there, so that wasn't much of a surprise. I hope we get to vacation there again some time soon (just not in a beach cottage!!).
Well, that was another book from me. Thanks to everyone for reading. I will try to catch up with all of you as soon as I can. Later!
Susan
If you saw Stacie's last journal entry, then you know we went to Vero Beach for vacation last week. We had a great time, and I will do a mini-trip report at the end of this entry for those of you who are interested in that. But first I want to say that I had lots of time to reflect on the last year (tomorrow is one year since I started this journal) and what it has taught me. I also had time to consider where I am and where I want to go with my health and life in general. So I'm going to start with those thoughts, since I think typing them out will help me solidify my thought processes and goals.
Here are some things I have learned about myself in the last year, both positive and negative:
1. I don't give up easily - even after injury and ongoing illness, I am still here - and I completed a 5K race (who'd a thunk it)!
2. However, I make excuses for skipping exercise way too much and I am not good at exercising portion control in my diet - hence the reason that I have not lost any significant weight in this last year.
3. I am worth the effort and time it takes to figure out what my stumbling blocks are so I can fight against them instead of considering myself a lost cause.
4. I am under a high amount of stress every minute of every day (unless I'm on vacation), and it is impacting my health and my ability to concentrate on my diet/exercise goals. I therefore have to determine how to better deal with it and ultimately decrease it to be a healthier, happier person.
So here are my thought processes based on the above conclusions I have made about myself. I have been attributing my frequent stomach upset and general feeling of being unwell to lingering celiac damage and ongoing repair in my system. Interestingly enough, however, while at the beach last week, I did not have any stomach ailments or exhaustion issues at all. I had several days when I did not feel well, but that was due to female issues which won't change until I go through menopause, so I just have to deal with them. THE DAY WE CAME HOME, my stomach problems started up again and I was completely worn out before we ever crossed the Florida line to come back to Georgia. I was in tears for over two hours after we left at the thought of having to come back here. This tells me that my problems are caused by the stress of living day-to-day in a situation I don't want to be in anymore. And since I can't change that this minute, I have to figure out how to deal with it until I can change it. So I have decided that I can't let stress keep me from pursuing my goals - either for my health specifically or for my life in general. As Matt pointed out to me while we were at the beach, stress is everywhere - everyone has it. And I realized that he's right, and if I wait for my stress to go away to move forward with my goals, I won't ever accomplish anything. So I started back with my walking at lunch again yesterday, even though my stomach wasn't feeling great. And it felt really good to get moving again, even though I was hurting and exhausted when I was done. From now on, I'm not letting stomach issues keep me from walking. Maybe the exercise will help negate the effects of stress and I will eventually feel better from that - who knows? In any event, I have to stay active to ever have a healthier existence, so there it is - no more excuses.
As for the portion control issue, I have been putting off contacting the nutritionist my doctor recommended. I kept saying it was because I didn't have the money, but the truth is, I find the money for what I feel is a priority (thus the Vero trip last week). That's not the underlying issue - the issue is I haven't really wanted to face up to what I am fairly sure she will tell me. I have no doubt she will say I have to eat less than I do now - and since eating is how I have always dealt with stress, and I am majorly stressed now, I have been doing a lot of emotional eating. I also have a big appetite - always have - and every time I try to diet, I walk around hungry (or at least feeling empty) all the time. But after ruminating on this at some length last week, I decided that I have to face the music here. If I don't figure out some way to make some dietary changes and have them stick, I am just going to continue to get bigger and bigger until I am eventually bedridden or dead. So I made out my budget for the next couple of months and put the expense for the nutritionist in for the paycheck I receive in mid-October. One month from today, I will have that appointment and follow through on whatever she recommends. I am thinking she may also tell me to cut out starches, which will be really difficult for me since rice, potatoes and rice pasta give me variety in my diet and are also comfort foods for me. But again, if that is what I have to do, then that is what I have to do. I am hoping she can give me suggestions for ways to vary my meals without using starchy foods if her recommendations include cutting them out. We'll see - I'll keep you posted.
As to my general life goals, I thought about those at length, too. I find that most days I am terribly frustrated with the fact that it will take a significant amount of time to work out my situation here in Georgia before I can make the move to Florida. Part of me thinks how nice it would be to just walk away from everything here and start over at WDW (especially after my DVC guide told me he could easily get me a job driving the DVC van - how cool would that be!!!). But I know in my heart that isn't the right way to do this, and I would never be happy if I chose to be that irresponsible. I have to do this cleanly - close this chapter of my life the right way to move on to a new chapter unencumbered by guilt, fear or regret. So having reached that conclusion, I am working hard to put a positive spin on this. I am doing EVERYTHING I can to make this happen - bringing in extra $, economizing in other areas, researching real estate trends to determine the best time to try to sell the house and how much work to put into it before we put it on the market - and that's all I can do. Doing my best HAS to be enough, and I have to be satisfied with that for now. The frustration factor is wearing on me, and I have to use it for motivation to keep working towards my goal without letting it tear me down - a tough balance to strike. But I am doing my best to be positive - remembering how fortunate I am to have a way to pursue my dreams, since many people never have that opportunity. They stay stuck in a place they don't want to be without ever having the chance to break out and try something new. I am blessed that I am not one of those people, and I am going to work REALLY HARD to try to remember that - MY DAY WILL COME!!!
Okay, so now that I've sounded off about all that, my short-term goals are clear:
1. Walk at least 30 minutes every weekday at lunch - no excuses.
2. Make the appointment with the nutritionist in one month and follow her recommendations - again, no excuses.
3. Continue to bring in as much extra $ as possible and apply to paying down debt/home repair until debt is gone and home is ready to be put on market.
4. Stay as positive as I possibly can while doing 1-3 above and SMILE!!
So that's it for me and my personal stuff. To update you guys on Larry's back, he did go for the orthopedic appointment. The M.D. said he has (some long name I can't remember), but basically it means that there are two discs in his low back where the bone is gone and only scar tissue is there. The spine has slipped out of place, and she said it was stable enough for him to have physical therapy. He preferred chiropractic treatments, so that's what he's doing. He seems to be feeling better and I am grateful that he has improved to the degree that he has. According to the chiro PT wouldn't hurt him, but he knows he won't do the exercises they would prescribe (he would put it off and never get around to it), so he is just going with adjustments for now. As long as he isn't hurting so much, I keep my mouth shut (even though I wish he would do everything possible to get better). Thanks to all of you for thinking of and asking about him - I greatly appreciate the concern!
Now, on to the trip report!
Larry, Tara and I actually went to WDW for an overnight stay on Friday before our week-long Vero Beach trip. While we were there, Tara bought DVC points at AKV!! She had been thinking about doing that for some time, and the incentives during this promotion were the best we've ever seen, so she decided to go for it. She is super excited and can't wait to stay there! I guess I have created a family of Disney freaks, but what can I say?? It's lots of fun to go when we all love it there so much!
The beach cottage at Vero was very nice - lots of room and beautiful ocean view. However, we had some issues with it. The smoke detector in the kitchen was so sensitive that you couldn't cook breakfast without it going off - very annoying. The air conditioning went out on the first floor and we were all uncomfortably warm that night, but a castmember showed up shortly after we reported it the next morning and added freon to the unit which fixed the problem. The maid didn't leave any toilet paper when she did the T&T visit mid-week, so we called for more and also requested a large frying pan to cook with since we couldn't find one in the kitchen, both of which were delivered quickly. The BIG issue for me, though, was the ants. The first night we were there, we saw ants in the kitchen and reported it. When we came back from dinner, there was a card saying that our cottage had been serviced and I thought the problem was over. Unfortunately, this wasn't so. The ants showed up again in Stacie and Matt's bathroom - we called again and someone came with spray. Then, after the ants finished laughing at the thought of ant spray making any difference to them being there, they invited their friends and had a party in the kitchen AND bathroom for the rest of the week. It got so bad we were sitting at the table to eat and killing ants to keep them from crawling into our food - it was disgusting! I decided not to make any further calls, since the two we had already made didn't yield any noticeable results. When we checked out, I informed the CM at the front desk about the smoke detector issue, but more importantly I informed her that there was an infestation of ants in the cottage and it needed to be fumigated - at which point, my pest control technician husband stood me down that it was NOT an infestation and that since we were in Florida, ants were to be expected. Um, excuse me, I know we're in Florida and I know ants are always around, but I don't think it is acceptable to be fighting off ants while you're trying to eat! Apparently, he is one of those die-hard Disney fans that doesn't want to hear ANY criticism of his beloved Disney resorts! Mind you, I am as big a Disney fan as anybody, but this experience was not up to the usual high standards of quality I have come to expect from Disney, and I don't think I was being unreasonable to say that. Anyway, while I'm venting, this cottage was not the cleanest Disney accommodation I have ever stayed in, either. I am not a neat freak, and it wasn't filthy, but there was some evidence that it wasn't as carefully cleaned as it should have been. When we pulled out the sofa bed for Tara the first night, there was a Cheerio (yes, one Cheerio) laying in the middle of the bed. The sheets were clean and the bed was well made, so I can't figure out how one Cheerio escaped the notice of the maid when she put the linens on the bed, but I figured it wasn't a big deal and didn't complain about it. Then when I went into our bedroom, I noticed that there was paper laying on the floor by the toilet and huge dust webs in the patio doors leading to the balcony from our room. Again, not huge issues for me (I'm not planning to eat off the floors), but I have never seen that lack of attention to detail in Disney housekeeping before. In any event, I plan to go back to Vero and would be happy to stay in a one-bedroom or studio (which I have done in the past with no problems), but I have no desire to stay in a beach cottage again any time soon based on this experience.
The weather wasn't bad, considering we had an impending hurricane off the coast of South Florida. We had lots of wind, but very little rain. It meant that we had to postpone the fishing trip and the airboat ride until late in the week, but we still got to do them so we were happy. The best part of the trip was getting to spend extended time with my folks and sibs, since I don't get to see them as much as I would like.
We had dinner at Shutters the first night we were there. I had called ahead and made an ADR, informing them of our dietary restrictions. The chef came out and we were given adequate meals, but he didn't have the gluten-free ingredients and modification abilities that we have come to expect from Disney. There was nothing WRONG with our meals, they just weren't as imaginative as we have come to expect from Disney. Unfortunately, the same held true for the other two meals we ate out through the week. I called the manager at Squid Lips the day before our dinner, and she assured me that we could have gluten and dairy free meals at the restaurant. And we did, but again, there was very little modification available - there was nothing wrong with the food, it just wasn't amazing. Then we ate at Wolfgang Puck Cafe after the Cirque show at Downtown Disney (which we had seen before, but still really enjoyed) and I didn't call ahead because we have eaten at Wolfgang Puck Express many times and had good experiences there so I didn't think it would be necessary. WRONG!! They didn't have the ingredients necessary for modification to dishes, either, and the chef said we should have called ahead for that. Tara was particularly disappointed that she could not have sushi, because the rice was made with rice wine vinegar which has gluten in it. The chef said it would take too long to make separate rice for her, so we both ended up with Cobb salads. This would have been fine except that they brought them to us with blue cheese instead of the goat cheese the chef said he would substitute for us - meaning he didn't follow the dishes (which makes me very uncomfortable as to how safe the food is). We sent them back and they were remade, which meant everyone else was almost done with their meals by the time we received ours. We just were underwhelmed all week with our restaurant meals, and made much better meals ourselves in the cottage. I will know for next time that I need to call ahead and make specific requests for anywhere that we want to eat out in Vero.
We did a couple of activities at the resort - we watched the movie at the pool one night, which was very cool, and Larry, Daddy and I went out to the back porch to listen to Unca Banjo one afternoon. Since we like live music in pretty much any form, we enjoyed that very much. There were lots of other things going on, but that's all we chose to do from the list this trip.
And I saved the best for last - Tara decided that she wanted to surprise Larry and myself with gifts for our 25th anniversary. This was a big surprise, since our anniversary isn't until April!! She said she didn't want us to expect her gifts, and we were definitely not expecting them, so she pulled the surprise off with a bang! She gave us a $50 Disney giftcard on the Friday that we were at WDW with a very sweet card. Larry and I split it, and I got a WDW tote bag with my half that I had been wanting for some time but just never bought. Then at dinner on Saturday night (which she paid for), she had the manager bring out a nice DVC shirt that she purchased for Larry (that he has been wanting for some time, but again had never bought) and a dozen lavender roses for me! The back story to that is this: I love lavender roses, and they are what I carried when we got married. I never receive them as gifts, because they are very expensive and they die so quickly they are not really a practical gift. I had told her in a conversation a long time ago that I would love to receive some as a gift for our 25th anniversary, since they are sentimental to me because of being in my wedding bouquet, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't happen because they are so impractical. I also named a couple of other things that I would love to have as anniversary gifts, but was pretty sure they wouldn't be in the budget. I was just talking - I had no idea she would decide to buy flowers for me, or I probably would never have told her that! Anyway, the card with the roses read "Happy Early Anniversary. At least you got your flowers! Love, Tara." Is she the sweetest kid ever or what? Of course, I immediately burst into tears and gave her a big hug for being so generous. She was very pleased that I loved them so much, and they still look great after over a week - I have them sitting in my little office area at home where I can see them when I am on the computer.
So, I guess that about wraps up the trip report. In short, we had a good time and I enjoyed seeing my family very much. I hated to come home, but I knew I would before I ever got there, so that wasn't much of a surprise. I hope we get to vacation there again some time soon (just not in a beach cottage!!).
Well, that was another book from me. Thanks to everyone for reading. I will try to catch up with all of you as soon as I can. Later!
Susan
momof2minnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2004
Hi Susan
Glad to see you are back.Keep focused you can do it.I am glad to hear you may have put a finger on those stomach problems.Stress and anxiety are huge.Exercise does combat both but unfortunately first we have to convince ourselves to get out there.Of course when we do we are happy we did.
I saw they great pictures of you guys. Gator too close for me
Too bad about the disappointment in the resort-sounds like alot of people saying that these days.No matter what customer service you are talking about these days it is lousy because they try to have 1 person doing the job of 4 to save money and it shows.
Keep your chin up!
Linda
Glad to see you are back.Keep focused you can do it.I am glad to hear you may have put a finger on those stomach problems.Stress and anxiety are huge.Exercise does combat both but unfortunately first we have to convince ourselves to get out there.Of course when we do we are happy we did.
I saw they great pictures of you guys. Gator too close for me
Too bad about the disappointment in the resort-sounds like alot of people saying that these days.No matter what customer service you are talking about these days it is lousy because they try to have 1 person doing the job of 4 to save money and it shows.
Keep your chin up!
Linda
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Good morning. Thanks for the kind words, Linda - I appreciate the support!
So I walked at lunch every day that I worked last week (Monday through Thursday) - yay for me! I am proud of myself for keeping that going even though I didn't feel like doing it most days. The upset stomach, eczema and fatigue are still with me (that's the stress coming out, I know), but it feels like a victory to overcome feeling lousy and walk anyway.
Took Friday off for medical appointments. Had to have a repeat mammogram to check an area of concern from back in the spring, but thankfully it was unchanged which means it is benign - big sigh of relief from me! Now I have no leave time left for the rest of the year - big bummer - but I do have a couple of things to look forward to. We will be going back to NC over Thanksgiving to see Larry's dad and sister, my uncle and the rest of my fam who just vacationed in Vero with us. That's not really restful, since the drive there and back is tiresome and then we spend the whole holiday on the go, but I do enjoy the visit and spending time in my hometown. Then we will be going to WDW over the Christmas holidays - took almost every last point we could borrow from our 2009 use year, but we managed it - and I can't wait to be back there again! We don't plan to do many attractions, probably just a couple of things, and then we'll hang out at Saratoga Springs and ride out into the Central Florida area to do some more preliminary scouting around - I can't wait!! Then the new year will be upon us and before you know it, we'll be getting ready for our cruise in April for our 25th anniversary! I am super excited about that, too - we've never been on a cruise and it seems to me that starting with a Disney cruise is the perfect inaugural cruising experience for us! I have to get started on getting our passports, though - Larry and I have to get our certified birth certificates (I already have Tara's) and then we have to get the passports themselves, so I don't want to wait until the last minute!
Well, that's about it for me today - nothing exciting going on right now, but big doin's coming up in the next few weeks! Hope everyone has a great week - I'll try to check in again before the weekend. Later!
Susan
So I walked at lunch every day that I worked last week (Monday through Thursday) - yay for me! I am proud of myself for keeping that going even though I didn't feel like doing it most days. The upset stomach, eczema and fatigue are still with me (that's the stress coming out, I know), but it feels like a victory to overcome feeling lousy and walk anyway.
Took Friday off for medical appointments. Had to have a repeat mammogram to check an area of concern from back in the spring, but thankfully it was unchanged which means it is benign - big sigh of relief from me! Now I have no leave time left for the rest of the year - big bummer - but I do have a couple of things to look forward to. We will be going back to NC over Thanksgiving to see Larry's dad and sister, my uncle and the rest of my fam who just vacationed in Vero with us. That's not really restful, since the drive there and back is tiresome and then we spend the whole holiday on the go, but I do enjoy the visit and spending time in my hometown. Then we will be going to WDW over the Christmas holidays - took almost every last point we could borrow from our 2009 use year, but we managed it - and I can't wait to be back there again! We don't plan to do many attractions, probably just a couple of things, and then we'll hang out at Saratoga Springs and ride out into the Central Florida area to do some more preliminary scouting around - I can't wait!! Then the new year will be upon us and before you know it, we'll be getting ready for our cruise in April for our 25th anniversary! I am super excited about that, too - we've never been on a cruise and it seems to me that starting with a Disney cruise is the perfect inaugural cruising experience for us! I have to get started on getting our passports, though - Larry and I have to get our certified birth certificates (I already have Tara's) and then we have to get the passports themselves, so I don't want to wait until the last minute!
Well, that's about it for me today - nothing exciting going on right now, but big doin's coming up in the next few weeks! Hope everyone has a great week - I'll try to check in again before the weekend. Later!
Susan
toystoryduo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
Hi Susan,
It is such a pleasure to read your posts here. You are so honest about everything and I love your positive, I CAN DO IT spirit! Your insights into your healthy living journey have helped me in my healthy living journey many, many times. Thank you for sharing with us, WISH sis!
I'm glad you had a good time at Vero Beach. I'm sorry to hear about the ants and the dining options there though. Good for you for taking it all in stride and enjoying the time with your family.
That was so sweet of Tara to give you guys the gift card, the t-shirt, and the flowers for your anniversary!
And that is so awesome that she bought DVC points at AKV!!!
I hope you have a wonderful day today, Susan. I know that you CAN and you WILL accomplish each and every one of your goals. You CAN do it!
It is such a pleasure to read your posts here.
You are so honest about everything and I love your positive, I CAN DO IT spirit! Your insights into your healthy living journey have helped me in my healthy living journey many, many times. Thank you for sharing with us, WISH sis! I'm glad you had a good time at Vero Beach.
I'm sorry to hear about the ants and the dining options there though. Good for you for taking it all in stride and enjoying the time with your family. That was so sweet of Tara to give you guys the gift card, the t-shirt, and the flowers for your anniversary!
And that is so awesome that she bought DVC points at AKV!!! I hope you have a wonderful day today, Susan.
I know that you CAN and you WILL accomplish each and every one of your goals. You CAN do it!momof2minnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2004
Susan,
You will love the cruise.Are you taking a 7 day? Sounds great right now-would love to be on Castaway Cay right now-I guess someone will be there today.Lucky people!
Linda
You will love the cruise.Are you taking a 7 day? Sounds great right now-would love to be on Castaway Cay right now-I guess someone will be there today.Lucky people!
Linda
larry's girl
Dead last finish is better than did not finish, wh
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2003
Good morning! Thanks for the encouragement, Tracy. I need all I can get!
Linda - Yes, we are planning on a 7-day cruise right now. Which one we take will depend on which one our DVC guide will be working on around the time of our anniversary, but I don't really care. It's not so much the destination that's important to me, but the cruise itself! I'm greatly looking forward to it!
So - last week I walked three out of five days. My primary attorneys got really busy, and of course all that stuff about working around my exercise time went out the window. Still, they don't have to let me have the time at all, so I try not to complain. This week is not as crazy as last week (at least not so far), so yesterday I got my walk in and plan to continue to do so every day this week unless work interferes. I am still not feeling great, but it seems I did manage to fight off the impending cold I had last week, so I'm pretty happy about that. My stomach is still bothering me, but not as severely as it did when I first came home from Florida, so I'm glad for the lessening in the severity of the problem even if it's still with me to some degree.
Had to go on a treasure hunt for gas this morning. We are having issues with our Grand Am again (the car is old, it can't help it) and so we are driving our minivan for a while because it needs to be driven and we don't really have the money to pay for repairs on the Grand Am right now. We will eventually, but it's the same problem that keeps cropping up, so it's getting frustrating to keep fixing it only to have it mess up again a few weeks later. Anyway, since I do vanpool to work now, that really saves on the gas, but I still have to have gas to get to the park and ride to pick up the vanpool! So this morning my minivan is flat empty and NONE of the gas stations in my neighborhood have gas. Okay, so I'm thinking what am I going to do? I know my walking for exercise has become more consistent lately, but I can't WALK all the way to the park and ride! Fortunately, I did find some gas, just had to drive a little ways to do so. Prayed I wouldn't run out of gas before I got there - pulled into the line and managed to get to the tank before running out, thank goodness! This stuff is really nerve wracking, but at least I was able to fill up (to the tune of $66.00 - I have never paid that much at one time at the gas pump before in my life!!!!) and get back to the park and ride to pick up the van. It's crazy how short gas is around here - hopefully it will get back to normal in the next week or two. Larry is dealing with it much more frequently than I am, since he has to drive a small pick-up truck for work. More and more he has been having to leave home early to search for gas so he can work - very stressful.
We are planning to go to the gluten free vendor fair this weekend. This is sponsored by the Atlanta Metro Celiacs Association every year, and last year Larry and I went but Tara didn't because she wasn't doing gluten free then. But since she is now, she wants to go this year, so I think all three of us will check it out. They are having 80 vendors this year, which is quite a bit more than last year, so I think it will be well worth our time to attend! Then I am hoping to hit Beall's Outlet Store (I bought some clothes from the one at the Vero Beach outlet mall and loved them - came home and discovered there's one close to my house, can you believe it?) and (if I have any money left) maybe treat ourselves to a matinee of the new chihuahua movie coming out this weekend (since Larry loves chihuahuas so much). We might even EAT OUT!!! (It will probably just be something like Chipotle, but since we don't eat out hardly EVER anymore, I'll take it!) I am greatly looking forward to having a day of fun with my folks - we don't get to do that very much anymore, so it will be a treat!
Well, hope everybody has a great week. I'll check in again next Monday - later!
Susan
Linda - Yes, we are planning on a 7-day cruise right now. Which one we take will depend on which one our DVC guide will be working on around the time of our anniversary, but I don't really care. It's not so much the destination that's important to me, but the cruise itself! I'm greatly looking forward to it!
So - last week I walked three out of five days. My primary attorneys got really busy, and of course all that stuff about working around my exercise time went out the window. Still, they don't have to let me have the time at all, so I try not to complain. This week is not as crazy as last week (at least not so far), so yesterday I got my walk in and plan to continue to do so every day this week unless work interferes. I am still not feeling great, but it seems I did manage to fight off the impending cold I had last week, so I'm pretty happy about that. My stomach is still bothering me, but not as severely as it did when I first came home from Florida, so I'm glad for the lessening in the severity of the problem even if it's still with me to some degree.
Had to go on a treasure hunt for gas this morning. We are having issues with our Grand Am again (the car is old, it can't help it) and so we are driving our minivan for a while because it needs to be driven and we don't really have the money to pay for repairs on the Grand Am right now. We will eventually, but it's the same problem that keeps cropping up, so it's getting frustrating to keep fixing it only to have it mess up again a few weeks later. Anyway, since I do vanpool to work now, that really saves on the gas, but I still have to have gas to get to the park and ride to pick up the vanpool! So this morning my minivan is flat empty and NONE of the gas stations in my neighborhood have gas. Okay, so I'm thinking what am I going to do? I know my walking for exercise has become more consistent lately, but I can't WALK all the way to the park and ride! Fortunately, I did find some gas, just had to drive a little ways to do so. Prayed I wouldn't run out of gas before I got there - pulled into the line and managed to get to the tank before running out, thank goodness! This stuff is really nerve wracking, but at least I was able to fill up (to the tune of $66.00 - I have never paid that much at one time at the gas pump before in my life!!!!) and get back to the park and ride to pick up the van. It's crazy how short gas is around here - hopefully it will get back to normal in the next week or two. Larry is dealing with it much more frequently than I am, since he has to drive a small pick-up truck for work. More and more he has been having to leave home early to search for gas so he can work - very stressful.
We are planning to go to the gluten free vendor fair this weekend. This is sponsored by the Atlanta Metro Celiacs Association every year, and last year Larry and I went but Tara didn't because she wasn't doing gluten free then. But since she is now, she wants to go this year, so I think all three of us will check it out. They are having 80 vendors this year, which is quite a bit more than last year, so I think it will be well worth our time to attend! Then I am hoping to hit Beall's Outlet Store (I bought some clothes from the one at the Vero Beach outlet mall and loved them - came home and discovered there's one close to my house, can you believe it?) and (if I have any money left) maybe treat ourselves to a matinee of the new chihuahua movie coming out this weekend (since Larry loves chihuahuas so much). We might even EAT OUT!!! (It will probably just be something like Chipotle, but since we don't eat out hardly EVER anymore, I'll take it!) I am greatly looking forward to having a day of fun with my folks - we don't get to do that very much anymore, so it will be a treat!
Well, hope everybody has a great week. I'll check in again next Monday - later!
Susan
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