carolejo's daily Check in

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:05 pm

Wow CJ!
I think this exercise thing is really positively impacting your psyche!!!
w00t w0000t to you!!!!
Had to say hi!
Will check in sometime by the weekend!
Love and Hugs!
8) Deb
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Post by 10ch » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:56 pm

Hi carolejo -- I don't know if you've got a strategy for your training yet, but hearing that you're just beginning, I wanted to share what worked for me.

I had a goal of running. Period. It wasn't a particular distance, like yours, but more a general goal. I want to be able to run. When I started, I couldn't run for more than about a minute. So I started off with a plan that went something like this (each walk/run lasted for 20 minutes):

I started by running 30 seconds, walking until I could run again, then running for another 30 seconds.

Then I upped to running 1 minute, walking 2...

Then running 1, walking 1...
Then running 2, walking 1...
Then running 3, walking 1...
Then running 4, walking 1...
Then running 6, walking 1...
Then running 9, walking 1...
Then running 12, walking 1, running 7...
Then running 15, walking 1, running 4...
Then run 20!

I took a week at each interval before upgrading. Sometimes two.

Another (less number involved) approach could be to run to the next tree that you see off in the distance a bit. And then walk until you see another one and run til you reach that one. Intervals really help build endurance w/o overwhelming or overexerting yourself.

Also, if you're running with someone, you could race to the tree, which makes it even more fun.

Good luck!

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Post by carolejo » Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:39 am

Hi Beck,

Thanks for that. I took a look at your blog - I'm AWESTRUCK. You've really come a very long way, mentally as well as physically. There were some really neat observations in there.

I'm sort of doing something like interval training at the moment. I can manage half a kilometer at a stretch, then a second half kilometer if I walk for 3 minutes inbetween. I jog really slowly though, but my aim is to keep moving. Next week I shall try jogging for a bit longer for 2 stretches, but leave the gap inbetween the same. The first 'goal' (which I think will take until the end of April, probably) is to be able to jog out of my front door, up to the dyke at the end of the street, up onto it, along the canal for half a km, round the top and back down to my house again, without stopping at all. That will be about 2km all told. I initially wanted to jog around different places all the time so there were interesting things to see, but I think it's important to be able to see the progress as those first few weeks go by, to motivate me. Once I can do this stretch and run at some speed rather than my "so slow I might as well be going backwards" pace, I'll start working out some different places to run.

I know what you mean about just wanting to run. It's something I used to be able to do when I was a small kid (albeit still not as fast or as far as a lot of other kids, but at least I could MOVE) and I resent the fact that I can't do it as an adult. It's definately time to reclaim that!

NoS - good behaviour yesterday all day, despite the temptation to eat chocolate. Did my SG set of 14 minutes too AND another short training run.

C.
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Post by 10ch » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:28 pm

Morning carolejo -

Thanks for the comments, it has been (and continues to be) quite an experience. I'm very happy that I was where I was and that I am where I am.

I think it's a great idea to stick to a similar route initially. I think progress and internal competitiveness can be great motivators. You'll have plenty of opportunity to discover new trails!

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Post by carolejo » Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:18 am

mmmm. Nice weekend. Don't think I went too crazy, either, although that was definately NOT a "glass ceiling" level of red wine on Saturday night!! :lol: Needless to say, yesterday was a very lazy Sunday.

Well, it's Monday, so back on it.
C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:10 pm

Have a great week CJ love! Got very little comp time here, but wanted to say hello! Lay off the booze you party animal!!! :)
Hugs!
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:23 am

Well, yesterday was a SUCCESS. I helped to set the trail for the hash yesterday, so I actually walked the entire course TWICE. By my reckoning, that was about 12km in total. Phew!

The biggest thing was, I DIDN'T EAT any of the FREE snacks at the end of the run. I held off till afterwards and came home and cooked a thai green curry for me and about 5 other hashers instead. Yummy. There's even leftovers for me to eat for breakfast.

Yay!
Tonight is aerobics. I never ever imagined that I'd come to look forward to such a thing, but I realised just now that it's true. Wow.

...Need to go away now and 'ruminate' on this discovery! :)

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:20 pm

Yay Carolejo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
Congrats on your marathon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is soooo awesome!!!! :D

And not eating the snacks after???
You are our hero!!!!!!!
I'm so happy you are enjoying exercise!!
It's a good thing to get addicted to!

Woo wooo!!!!

I'll see you later this evening..
Going to my new job now..
Hugs and Love,
8) Debny!
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Post by carolejo » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:14 am

Well, I sinned slightly yesterday. I had a fruit flavoured candystick and a block of chocolate about an inch square in the evening, when I got back from aerobics. Tja.

Onwards with today!
I can feel those crunchies from yesterday a little too much for my liking though. Oh well.

C.
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Post by flsunshine » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:25 pm

Congrats on all your good efforts. Quite an inspiration! I'm walking a bunch these days, but can't imagine getting to a "running" stage. A long time ago, by the way, my husband used to be quite the hasher and I went on several of those excursions. Crazy! In this town I see them every once in a while on bikes...

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Post by carolejo » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:39 pm

Cheers Sunshine!

at the moment I mostly walk the hashes, rather than run them. Our trails are set with plenty of false trails and checkpoints to keep the 'front running bastards' occupied until well after us walkers arrive. :twisted: On a bike - we call that 'bashing' and it would earn me an extra 'down-down'.

Until very recently, I really couldn't imagine ever being able to run anywhere either. I still wake up at 3am and wonder if this is really a good idea, and whether I'll make it for a whole 10km, but then sanity usually re-asserts itself in the morning. :) Afterall, it's not as if it will affect anyone but me, I've got nothing to lose by trying to get fitter and I think a goal of FINISHING a 10km trail which will take place in 6 months time is a reasonable one. I don't even care if I come last, as long as I finish. Afterall, people can do amazing things if they just believe in themselves, so I'm trying to believe in ME.

Today, I have been good so far for NoS. I did my SG too, although deliberately only 10 minutes as I'm a little tired from aerobics last night and I'm going to cycle to my Dutch course this evening instead of taking the tram. That would take about 45 minutes to walk, so it will be about 20 minutes bike ride - approx. 3km each way then. Once I get up onto the dyke it's mostly flat though - apart from a few small bridges on the way. Just as well as my Dutch 'sit up and beg' bicycle doesn't have any fancy gears or anything like that!

Have a good day, everyone!
C.

ps: if you're unsure of what I mean by a 'down down', 'front running bastard' or any of the other stuff, check out http://www.harrier.nl Look in the 'what is hashing?' section and it should become crystal clear just what kind of a nutter I really am!
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:21 pm

Now I'm confused!
I thought you ran your race this last weekend from your previous posts...
Well good luck on your future goal too!!!
I agree with you that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!!!
(Except weight!)

Ten K is like 6 or 7 miles...
I walked a 10k route once and I think I did come in last...
But I didn't care!!!!!
Geez, that was 20 years ago!!! LOL...
We love our nutter cutie Carolejo!

Have a great day Hash Queen!
Peace and Love,
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:27 am

Oooh no! The 10K run is 15th OCTOBER. I've got about 6 months to get properly in shape for that.

...speaking of which, I really do need to sit down and work out a training schedule. Makes me tired even to think of it! :lol: *yawn*

Yesterday was a lot of business travel again, but I was good and followed the NoS rules completely anyway. Yay!

C.
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Post by carolejo » Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:31 pm

Cheated today and had a small portion of dark chocolate with my lunch.

Other than that, I've been pretty well behaved. Done some kind of exercise every single day too. Walked my butt off on Friday and Sunday, and did the hash run yesterday as well. My hamstrings actually felt a bit tight from all that walking! Really need to get to running instead of walking though. I keep promising myself I'll get around to sorting out a training schedule...

Tonight it's aerobics class again. Tomorrow I have a test for my Dutch class, to see if I can skip another level and go straight into the intermediate class for the spring term. We'll see, but I'm quietly confident! 8) I bought the intermediate textbook already and had a flick through - it will stretch me I think but not uncomfortably or impossibly so. I'm not cramming for the test because it's supposed to show what level I'm currently at, so I don't want to manipulate it artificially. Either I know the material and can use it in everday life, or I don't - in which case there's not much point in forcing it.

Found a great bar at the weekend too - 5 mins walk from my house and they sell 15 different belgian beers, all on draft! Whooo. Best stay away from there during the week then! :lol:

C.
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Post by carolejo » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:31 am

Well, my Dutch test went OK I think - I'll find out next Wednesday how I did as the tutor took the script home to mark. Nothing too taxing though.

Behaved well for NoS yesterday, did my SG workout and cycled to town and back (25 minutes each way). Haven't done any running since Monday though :? as everything has been a little crazy. I really do need to make the time for it. I really want it to work, but wanting it isn't enough to make it happen, unfortunately! :lol:

Right. Back to it.
C.
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Post by carolejo » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:51 am

It's good friday, which feels like it should be an S day - but I'm working a normal day today (it's NOT a holiday in the Netherlands!!) so it feels like it shouldn't be.

...I'm gonna stick with this as an N day, but relax the rules this evening when the Boy gets home.

I think that's a reasonable compromise.

Happy Easter / Passover / General Ordinary Day (delete as appropriate) to you all!

C.
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Post by Blondie » Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:20 pm

That's funny, because I think of Good Friday and Passover as the opposite of S days--the real deprivation days...

Anyway, have a great weekend!

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:45 pm

Passover isn't a deprivation day Blondie.. :)
Just no leavened bread, so cakes should be flat!! LOL..
Or, the popular, chocolate covered Matzos.. :wink:
Maybe you are referring to Yom Kippur when you fast all day..

Hi CJ!
Big squishy hugs out to Amsterdam!
Hope you and Steve have a lovely Easter!
Love,
8) Deb
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Post by Blondie » Fri Apr 14, 2006 5:59 pm

I thought of that (about Passover) after I posted. I knew I was wrong...I guess I always think of Passover as referring to that scary, hiding time...forgetting all FEASTING!

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Post by carolejo » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:31 pm

Hi All.

Easter was OK, but none of us were in a very holiday mood as my little sister had some trouble on the Saturday night and went to hospital.

She was 10 and a half weeks pregnant, only they couldn't find a foetal heartbeat on the scan. She's undergoing a miscarriage.

It was very early on, of course, but both her and her husband were overjoyed that they were having a baby, so there were some tears shed all round. Not great, but at least the whole family was together and there for her (we're usually all scattered to the 4 corners of the globe). I'm pretty sure it will be OK in the longer term though. They've plenty of time to try again.

I'm now back over in Amsterdam again. Life goes on, I suppose.
C.
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Post by reinhard » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:46 pm

I'm so sorry to hear about your sister, Carolejo.

My wife had a very rough pregnancy, so I can imagine what you are going through.

Best wishes for you all,

Reinhard

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Post by Simon » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:56 pm

Very sorry to hear about the loss, Carolejo. My wife and I had a big scare with our second boy that thankfully didn't coalesce. I can relate, at least marginally, to the emotions.

At the very least, there were lots of family around for support.
Simon
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:58 pm

Hi CJ!
I am so sorry about the baby...
Big hugs and much love to you and your Sister...
One of my best friends had a similar thing happen and she was so upset, but she tried again, and now has two lovely daughters...
I've lost two pregnancies myself, and it's so tough...
But she will heal and that little soul will go where it is supposed to go..
Perhaps to a better place :)

Hugs again!!!
Miss you very much since I don't have my comp at home...
Call me sometime if you feel like it!!! Best time would be on Sunday in the afternoon :)
Love,
8) Debny!
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Post by carolejo » Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:29 am

Well, one piece of good news at least this week - I got my Dutch test results back last night and I get to skip a level and go up to the intermediate classes. Yay! Go me!! :lol:

Generally behaving well with NoS this week too. No SG though so far since easter and no proper 'marathon training' :? , although I've taken to biking into town instead of taking the tram, walking is still the basic default (having no car is about the best decision we ever made when we moved over here, financially and physically) and I went to my aerobics class on Tuesday, so I've not been totally static.

Onwards.
C.
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Post by carolejo » Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:37 pm

It's not been too bad a week all things considered. I've not been a textbook nosser, and my SG schedule is a bit wobbly, but hey. Still in there. Also been doing LOTS of Urban bike-Rangering (is it possible to fall in love with a mode of transport...?)

Today I went with my downstairs neighbour and got some little plants and some seeds to put in the street garden outside our house. I hope they grow OK. We planted them out this morning - it was very sweet cos lots of the neighbourhood kids came to see what we were doing. I got to speak lots of Dutch with them too, which was nice.

This afternoon I'm going to visit a friend of mine in Haarlem, and this evening we're going out to a special celebration dinner for Shakespeare's birthday. There will be a 4 course Elizabethan meal. I'm excited, cos I've no idea what the Elizabethan's ate, so it will be a big surprise. People will be acting out small sections from some of his plays, and reading some of the sonnets too, whilst we eat. I'm really looking forward to it.

Right. Best go and get ready.
See you later. Have a nice weekend everyone!
C.
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Post by carolejo » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:59 am

well, I'm back now. My laptop got hit by a nasty computer virus and I was offline for pretty much a whole week!!! Sorry if you wrote to me and I didn't reply yet. I will try to catch up at some point very soon.

NoS - Well, I've been BAD. But still not terrible.
Redo, refocus and keep on going though. Today has been good so far.

love to all!
C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:25 pm

Hugs CJ!!!
Have a great weekend!
Love,
8) Deb
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Post by Hunter Gatherer » Sat Apr 29, 2006 3:34 am

Make sure your laptop drinks plenty of fluids to stay hydrated! :P
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Post by carolejo » Wed May 03, 2006 9:32 am

well, I'm still here! But seem to have tapered off on the posting recently. Probably cos everything is very crazy at the moment with tons of travel and so on. I did a quick count up and in the past week I've only spent 2 nights sleeping in my own bed! And I've only spent a total of 15 hours in my own house, including the time that I was asleep!! This coming from someone who normally works from home most of the time. :x

I've not been very good with NoS either in that time. But I'm going to get back on it. Tomorrow I'm back at home again (I'm currently back in our UK offices for today) so I'll be able to regain some kind of control over my life instead of bouncing all over the place.

See ya'll later,
C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed May 03, 2006 4:01 pm

Hi Carolejo!

I'm still posting from the library and things have been topsy turvey around here too...
Good luck getting back on the wagon!
You can do it girl!!!!

Peace and Love,
8) Debny!
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Post by carolejo » Thu May 04, 2006 3:06 pm

eeee! It's nice to be home again. :D

Its very very warm though. 26 degrees (thats 79 degrees F for you heathens on the other side of the pond who haven't worked out how to deal in metric like the rest of the world has) INSIDE my appartment with all the doors and windows open! Funny kind of 'Northern European' (familiar to me from living in the UK) weather too - very bright and sunny enough to cast shadows everywhere but the sky is totally white as there's a complete covering of light cloud. You can't see the sun at all only a brighter white patch. Doesn't look like it will rain anytime soon though, so that's fine.

Gotta go shopping. There are NO fresh fruits or veggies in my whole house. Shocking!!

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu May 04, 2006 3:26 pm

26 degrees (thats 79 degrees F for you heathens on the other side of the pond who haven't worked out how to deal in metric like the rest of the world has)
Gee CJ... Being overheated sure has an effect on you!
Smartass!!! :twisted:

Enjoy being home in your overheated apartment!

Love ya girly!
Hugs!!!

8) "Heathen" Deb
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Post by carolejo » Mon May 08, 2006 7:28 am

Well, that was a nice weekend... About time I knuckled back down though.

At least I've started back up on my "marathon" training. Managed to jog a whole 1km without stopping on Saturday for the first time ever. I think that might actually be the longest distance I've ever run in one go in my whole life, amd I'm not kidding!!

C.
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Post by misplacedpeg » Mon May 08, 2006 8:59 am

yey!!!!!
WAY TO GO FOR THE 1KM!!keep up tre good work!!!! :)

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon May 08, 2006 1:57 pm

Yay Carolejo!!!!!!!
I am proud of you!!!
That is awesome!!!

::cue Chariots of Fire music::

Hugs!!!
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Tue May 09, 2006 10:36 am

Thanks guys! I'm proud of me too! :)

S day yesterday because it was our 2nd wedding anniversary. Yay!

Today I'm trying to get back into NoS by making sure that my meals are extra yummy. Cue Sushi rolls for lunch then. I've gotten quite good at making these now, so it doesn't take hours and hours anymore. The main trick is to remember to boil the rice at breakfast time so it's cold by the time you want to make the sushi. :wink:

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue May 09, 2006 1:40 pm

Happy Anniversary CJ!!!! :wink:
Hugs and kisses!
8) Deb
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Post by reinhard » Tue May 09, 2006 2:24 pm

Hi carolejo,

Sorry it's been forever since I've popped in here... and that you've had a "BAD" bout (glad to hear "ot terrible", though). Extra yummy meals sounds like a great plan, in best no-s spirit.

Good luck on the "marathon." Be very careful not to injure yourself! I've been doing a bit of bike rangering myself. All that stair climbing I've been doing since our office moved up is great training for hills -- I don't think I've shifted gears once since I dug out the bike a couple weeks ago.

Happy anniversary to you and the viscount!

Reinhard

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Post by carolejo » Wed May 10, 2006 6:38 am

Hi Reinhard!

My dutch 'sit up and beg' style bicycle doesn't have any newfangled additions like gears. Mind you, there are no hills here, so it's unnecessary really. :) I've also been bike rangering - as we don't have a car over here, the bike is my primary mode for collecting groceries / going into town / getting to my Dutch class.

Yesterday evening we were bad. S and I ate a WHOLE packet of jaffacakes between us. Oh well. At least they tasted good.

Ran a km and a half yesterday - slightly further than I managed last time. We did the same route only I kept running past where I stopped on Saturday. Am well pleased with that.

C.
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Post by carolejo » Fri May 12, 2006 12:31 pm

Oh dear!

I have broken the rules at least once on EVERY SINGLE DAY THIS WEEK. And most days the week before as well.

I could take a little consolation in the fact that my 'sins' are much lesser things than pre-noS, so I haven't sacked it in completely. Not good though. Not good at all! :shock: I'm also doing quite a lot of exercise, so it's not dire either.

Right. Here comes a nice S weekend. then on Monday I need to climb back up and put myself back on track.

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri May 12, 2006 1:53 pm

Hey CJ!!! Good luck today!!!!
One good day can make a great impact on your outlook!
I am struggling a lot these days as well...
Let's both get back on board!!!
Love,
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Mon May 15, 2006 10:54 am

OK. My plan is to get back on track for real. Several weeks of half-essed behaviour - whilst not resulting in any drastic radical weight gain - have not really been doing the job for me. I now need to focus. If I have to do this '1 step at a time, 6 steps in a day' for a while, then so be it.

So far -
Nothing between dinner last night and breakfast this morning - check.
Breakfast on 1 plate - check.
Nothing between Breakfast & lunch - check.
Lunch on 1 plate - check.
So, I'm safely past halfway today. :D

I had a reasonable amount of strawberry jam on my croissants for breakfast, but that's not against the rules. I've also consumed far too much tea! Also not against the rules though. :)

Tonight my next Dutch course starts up. It's a 6 week intensive thing with 2 3-hour lessons each week. I think it's going to be fairly tough going, but think it will stretch me in a good way. I'll need to virtually plate a piece of fruit though with my dinner as my main evening meal will be early - 6pm - and I won't get home again until after 10:30pm. Again, this shouldn't be a problem cos I've done it sucessfully before now. The fact is, I've done this perfectly before now for several weeks in a row, so I *KNOW* I can do it again.

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon May 15, 2006 1:49 pm

Have a moogie dag!!! :wink:
Hugs and Love CJ!!!
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Tue May 16, 2006 5:52 am

Dank je wel, Deb! Het was een mooie dag. :wink:

Well, it was a SUCCESS. So day 1 to me again. AND I was insanely happy yesterday afternoon and nearly sang and danced around the Albert Heijn (Supermarket) cos PEACHES ARE BACK!!! Oooh, I've missed peaches. I've been wanting to eat peaches for months now. So, I had 2 peaches as part of my evening meal. 2 boiled eggs and 2 peaches, to be precise, so yes, it did all fit on a plate.

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue May 16, 2006 3:09 pm

Peaches this early?? Cool!
Ha! I knew I wrote something wrong in Deb Dutch! LOL..
Have a great day CJ!
Love,
8) Deb
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Post by carolejo » Wed May 17, 2006 6:35 am

French peaches. Yummy, flavoursome, juicy, sweet.

Was quite good yesterday although not perfect. Did eat a couple of slices of bread before my meal in the restaurant, but didn't have any other extras. All in all, not a bad quantity of food.

C.
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Post by carolejo » Fri May 19, 2006 6:43 am

I've been quite good this week, for a change!
Overall, I give myself an 8 out of 10 for NoS. 80% success.
I give myself a 6 out of 10 for exercising - could do better!

Have a nice weekend everyone,
C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri May 19, 2006 1:41 pm

Tally Ho!!!! :wink:

Good for you CJ!!!
Enjoy the weekend!
Hugs!
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Post by carolejo » Mon May 22, 2006 12:10 pm

My weight has gone UP.

Don't know why this should surprise me. I've hardly been the NoS poster child in the last month :roll:

Still.

So what did I do to start correcting this trend...? Eat 3 cookies after my lunch, thats what. Just cos there were there!!! :evil:

Oddly, I don't even feel very annoyed at myself. Which is possibly the most worrying thing.

Right. The rest of today will be a good day. And tomorrow I'm gonna do better again too.

so there.
:P
C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon May 22, 2006 10:23 pm

Hugs CJ!!!!
You will lose the weight again!
I know you will!!!!
So there!!!

Peace and Love,
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Post by carolejo » Tue May 23, 2006 8:41 am

we-ell... The rest of the day was WORSE. 3 cookies became 5 and then I ate a snickers bar whilst I was out at Dutch class.

Don't feel very well, actually. I've got a sore throat and itchy ears that I've had since Sunday morning. I thought it was just because I watched the Eurovision Song Contest Party on Saturday night and did too much yelling at the TV and consumed too much Ouzo, but evidently not. :(

Nevermind! It will get better. I know it will.
C.
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Post by carolejo » Thu Aug 10, 2006 4:02 pm

Hi All!

well, a very very long time away for me! I have been peaking at stuff on the board every now and then, but my work life has exploded into total craziness (travelling all over the place, 2 or 3 nights a week in hotels, every day a different meeting, 55 to 60 hours a week - yeauch! :lol: ) so I just haven't had any time at all to be posting.

So, am I still sticking to NoS - Ye-es... and no. I'm currently only about 60% good. I need to try a little harder but am not too freaked out about it. The net effect is that I haven't lost any more weight, but I haven't been gaining it all back again either so at least that's something.

Anyhow, just wanted to say Hi. Take care and hopefully I'll be back online properly again soon.

love C. xxx
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:10 pm

Hi CJ Babe!!!
Too bad your travel doesn't include NY! :wink:
Love ya girl!
Good for you for not gaining back...
In the time you were away, it could be very easy to do damage.. So status quo is just fine!
Hugs and seeyalater...

8) Debs
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Post by reinhard » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:58 am

Thanks for popping in again, Carolejo. Sorry to hear things are so crazy, but glad to hear that 60% no-s is holding up the dikes. Best wishes and looking forward to that proper online time,

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Post by carolejo » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:03 pm

Hey Reinhard! Thanks for your comment. I listened to your podcast the other day. Now I know what you sound like as well. AND one of your cats chimed in near the end, that was cute too! 8)

Well Deb, waddayaknow? The Boy & I decided to do something slightly crazy - burn some of these free hotel nights I've accumulated from being away so much and go to NYC for a week during November :shock: travel 5 timezones to spend 7 nights accross the pond. Hmmm. Probably by the time my body has dealt with the jet-lag it will be time to return but what the hell! Why not live a little? :lol:
We'll only be there for a week and we won't have any transport. I don't know how far away from the city you are either but maybe we could meet up somewhere all the same? Drop me an email offline & we'll see if we can come up with a practical suggestion. 8)

On NoS lines, I finally confronted the return of my 'sugar junkie' ways and have gone cold turkey for a whole week now. In my efforts to break the sugar link properly, I'm going to avoid heavy sugar stuff this weekend too (and all through next week as it's not S days of course).
I'm still allowing myself some treats though, but they'll only be savory ones or fruit-based. "Borderline" S for Sugar might be permitted once or twice only on the weekend. After next week I'll go back to rewarding myself on weekends for my good behaviour - I hope! :twisted:

Weighed myself again last week and am back exactly where I was this time last year. Was an interesting thought cos on one hand I *know* that to not have gained anything overall during 12 months is an achievement of sorts, but as I had lost & regained a couple of kilos that wasn't ideal. Yo-yoing about is probably worse for you than just remaining exactly the same the whole time.

I'm taking the 'same as this time last year' result as another motivation to behave myself and go back to being a good 'Nosser' instead of my recent (like the last 4 months! - does that really count as "recent"? :? ) spate of being 'half Essed' about it all. The little kid inside has been whining a lot - "But it's so HARD when you've got to go away so much and spend up to 4 nights a week sleeping in an hotel! It's lonely & boring and what else is there to do apart from eat & work?!". However, I DO have a choice and can be strong enough not to order dessert. I don't NEED to eat cookies & crisps with my sandwich at lunchtime. Nobody stood over me and forced me to do that.

So. Onwards & Upwards... but hopefully not in a fattening kind of way :lol:

C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:02 pm

Carolejo!!!
That's fantastic!!! :mrgreen:
I just saw this so I am sorry I didn't reply till today!

Yes, email me when you know when you'll be in NY!

Love,
8) Deb

xo!!!
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Nov 26, 2006 9:09 pm

Carolejo!
How are you plant lady? LOL! :lol:
Thanks for such an enjoyable night out!
You and the Boy are top geezers!
Richie and I really enjoyed hanging out with you!
Have a good week and good luck with all the crazy busyness girl :wink:
Hugs from Richie and me!
Love,
8) Debs
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So....

Post by carolejo » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:29 pm

Well, I really went off the rails for a long time, but I'm back on track again, with a whole WEEK of sucesses on my new Habit Calendar :D

Life in general is still crazy-busy, still conducting one-woman-world-tours of western Europe on a weekly basis and so on.

I've never really given up. This is definately a life-long thing for me, although I often mess it all up for weeks / months on end. Still, let's have another go.
CaroleJo

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Oct 08, 2007 9:43 pm

Hi Carolejo!!!!!!
I've been thinking of you this week!!!!!
Haha.. Can't believe it :))
Hugs and Love to you girl!!!
I have some new pix of me and Richie on my page on myspace.
Come checkem out :)
Sorry it's been a continuation of craziness..
Let's keep tabs on each other eh??
Congrats on your good new start!!! :wink:
8) Debs xoxo

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Post by reinhard » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:48 pm

Welcome back! So good to see you again here.

Reinhard

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Post by carolejo » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:16 am

Thanks Reinhard!

It's nice to be back in the driving seat again. 8)

So, yesterday was a failure, but it was small and controlled (one mini KitKat bar with my lunch - given to me by a new colleague from Greece). Not great, but at least I didn't use it as an excuse to go 'all out'.

C.

PS: Hi Deb, I checked your stuff out. Looking good, girl! And that Sax of Richie's is sounding FAN-TAS-TIC!!! Say hi to him from us.
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Post by carolejo » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:00 am

2 good days. That's dispite living in a hotel and dining out on the company expense account.

Go me!
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:31 am

Yay you!!! :wink:
Nice one!
Love,
8) Debs x
ps.. I have got to develop the pics I took of us last year.
My God it's been a whole year since then.
Say hi to Steve btw and thanks about the myspace!
I'll tell Richie :D
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Post by carolejo » Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:08 am

NoS stuff-up - can of coke with my lunch yesterday.

Tja. Failure so marked as such on HabitCal, but it's really minor stuff. :)
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Post by carolejo » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:28 am

officially sick!

I have shingles. :x

Ouchy-pain, but otherwise no major problems. I guess it's a warning-shot and my body is trying to tell me to slow down a little :lol:

Oh well. there's not a lot I can do about it all. Doc says I would be justified in taking 2 weeks off work, but I really don't fancy sitting around getting bored, with nothing to think about other than how much pain I'm in. As it's the nerves themselves which are causing the pain, swallowing industrial quantities of painkillers will have a negligible effect, so I've just got to grin & bear it.
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Post by carolejo » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:36 pm

I know it's probably a cop-out, but I decided that today is an S for "sick" day.

But no, I'm not stuffing myself, all the same.
CaroleJo

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:34 pm

No no no...Not a cop out Carolejo..
Besides you being sick, you have shingles, so even your illness starts with S!! It's a definite S day! :P
I'm sorry I've been away so long, and didn't see you were sick till now.
Hopefully you are feeling better now!
Richie and I have been sick for about a week now, and he has a staph infection, and I am waiting for test results to come back to see what I have. I think I might have a virus too but I don't think it's staph.
But this seems to be a time to get these bugs!! :evil:
I'm even too beat to post on my checkin thread so I'll use yours now.
Been very off NoS.. I blame the fact that I tried to cut out meat for about six weeks now (I think) and as much as I wanted it to work this time (fourth try!! Arrgghh) it just made me feel very out of balance. I ended up eating lots of things I wouldnt' because I felt very unsatified all the time. So back to the drawing board and I'll be habit cal'ing again on Monday.. Hoping for a successful week and month ahead now :wink:
Let's all get better and have a good weekend~
Love to you matey! :D
8) Debs x
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another long gap...

Post by carolejo » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:42 pm

Hi guys,

just to let you know that I'm still out here, still being about 70% "good" about nossing. :)

It would take too long & too much space to give any real detail about what I've been up to, but the short version is that I'm still in NL, still rushing round like a lunatic, but sadly had 2 miscarriages this year. :cry:

...we will pick ourselves up & try again, of course.

Greetings to all!
love, C.
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:49 pm

Hi Sista!
I'm so happy to see you here again.
I was thinking of you a few days ago (still haven't developed our pix from your NY visit! I'm awful!!)

I'm very sorry you have had such a rough year Carolejo!
Sending loving thoughts your way.
Big hugs!!
Debs xoxoxoxoxo
ps... regards to Steve too :)
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Post by carolejo » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:24 am

Hi Folks,

Been a long time again, hasn't it?
Well, after my 2 miscarriages, I decided to do everything possible to get as fit & healthy as I could, so really stuck to it all properly & sensibly, and managed to lose 5 kgs in 3 months.

I'm happy to report that I'm getting fatter again now, but it's for a good cause as I'm 9 and a half weeks pregnant again. :D We had a scan last week & saw baby in right place, heart beating and right size, so no problems so far... although of course it's still early & I'm still worried.

Since I've been pregnant, I've not been able to Noss properly, cos I just feel so queasy if I don't eat about every 2 hours :lol: But I have been sticking to the spirit of things, and sticking with healthy eating - just been eating about 8 very small meals each day instead.

Bizarrely, my sweet tooth has completely vanished. I just don't want any of the sugary gunk that I used to be so fond of.

Anyhow, hope you guys are all well - haven't had a chance to read up much but will try to check in on a few of you in the next couple of days.

Love C. xxx
CaroleJo

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Post by Thalia » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:17 pm

Congratulations! I can't think of a nicer way to get sidetracked. :wink: Wishing you the best for an easy pregnancy and a healthy new arrival!

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:39 am

Girl I'm so glad to hear that you are pregnant and that it seems like all is right!!
Yes and Bless!!!!
Great to hear from you and thanks for your kind words hun.
I said hi to Richie for ya!!
He's gonna be thirteen this month!!!!
Best to you and Steve!!!
ps.. Hahah that's funny about your sweet tooth changing!! So no more raiding the treacle and that stuff you used to like to eat made of beet sugar????
LOL
Hugs and Love :D
8) Debs xx
ps.. you won't believe this but I still have the undeveloped film from our night out waiting to take to a photo place.. I have to do that!! :wink:
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Post by carolejo » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:37 am

Hi Thalia,
Thanks! Now all I have to do is try & chill out & enjoy it, instead of stressing about whether or not this one is really "sticky". It's something genuinely out of my control, in any case. :)

Deb - I can well believe you still have the roll of film - I'm sooo terrible at remembering to get those developed as well. I've got a digital camera now, but I still never manage to do anything with the photos I take. I think in some ways it's even worse cos now there's really no need to ever actually print the pictures out and handing them round was always one of the nicest parts about sharing them.

Yeah, no sweet tooth. I just don't want it. Theres a roll of polo mints on my desk and I've been working my way down it over the course of 2 months. I might want 1 mint every now & then to take away the yucky taste in my mouth, but it never becomes 2 mints, or even 2 rolls of mints as it would have been before. These days I seem to be living off semi-skimmed milk & blueberries! If I eat many more of them, I might just turn into one, like Violet Booeregaard in Willy Wonka! :lol:

Oddly, I've also gone completely off all things caffeine containing, so no more coffee, tea, cola or chocolate for me at the moment. It's not a "I run screaming from the room at the thought" kind of thing - I just feel absolutely no compulsion to consume them. I'm probably genuinely "drug" free (including the socially acceptable drugs like alcohol, nicotine & caffeine - I've never had any issues with anything serious, fortunately) for the first time ever in my life and it seems a bit strange to think of it like that.

Greetings to all, old & new folks alike.
C. xxx
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Update - Some very bad news.

Post by carolejo » Sun Jun 07, 2009 1:40 pm

Hi guys,

Just to let you know, I had my 21 week scan last week on Wednesday and we got some very bad news.

Our unborn little girl, Caitlin Elizabeth, has a very serious heart defect called "Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome" or HLHS for short. This is about as bad as it gets - this condition is 100% fatal within a few days of birth unless she undergoes multiple open heart surgeries.

We now have an appointment for next wednesday with a pediatric cardiologist to look at options & where we go from here. One thing we know already for certain is that we will not consider a termination. After 2 miscarriages, we're acutely aware of just how precious life is, and that these things are seldom as simple as you think. That said, I can also understand why some people might consider this a valid option, and that it may be the bravest & most compassionate choice they can make for themselves & their families.

We do face the very real possibility that our daughter might have additional complications that would make for a poor surgical outcome, and in that case, we may have to be strong enough to allow her to die peacefully shortly after birth, rather than inflict upon her a prolonged & painful existence. Steve & I are both adamant that she shouldn't suffer needlessly just because we were too selfish to let her go.

There is hope, however. There are people aged 20 and older, still running around today who were born with this condition and who have undergone the surgery, and things have changed a lot in 20 years. The field of pediatic cardiac surgery is rapidly advancing, so who can tell what options there might be, just a few years from now.

Ultimately, there is little we can do until the birth, as it will only then become apparent just what Caitlin's chances & options really are. In the meantime, the boy & I just need to try & keep going as normally as possible - nobody will benefit if we just crawl under the duvet & stay there crying for the next 4 months.

So, yes, we will certainly have days where we fall apart, quietly or otherwise, and days when we feel we cannot face the world - but life must go on. It is now even more important that I look after my own heath and that of Caitlin, so that she will be born as strong as possible and have the best chances we can give her.

Whatever you believe or don't believe in, please send us your thoughts, wishes & prayers - they can be secular or religious, we're not fussy.
love C. xxx
CaroleJo

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Thinking of you. . .

Post by la_loser » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:45 pm

CaroleJo,

Oh, my goodness, my heart is just breaking for you right now. I remember you from reading some of your posts after I joined the boards about a year ago. It's unimaginable what you are going through right now but you can be sure that you've summoned up a huge support group to send their prayers and good thoughts your way now that you've shared.

Your sensitive post and description of little Caitlin's troubles truly reveal how much she is loved already.

Be strong, take care of yourselves and know that the Everyday Systems Family are now keeping you in their thoughts and prayers.

Regards,
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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Post by guadopt1997 » Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:18 am

Sorry to hear about your baby girl. You have a difficult time ahead of you and I wish you luck.

Liz

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:14 pm

Carolejo I am *so* sorry to hear about her condition and you must be just losing your mind by now.. I am sending the most heartfelt prayers that all works out positively!!!!
Yes, never never give up hope!!!
I am a firm believer in miracles and I also understand your feelings of wanting to try no matter what.
Get as much rest and support as possible and take the best care for now my friend!!!!
God Bless and protect you!!!
8) Debs x
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Post by mimi » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:04 pm

Whatever you believe or don't believe in, please send us your thoughts, wishes & prayers - they can be secular or religious, we're not fussy.
Absolutely done. Prayers move mountains and bring about miracles.
God bless,

Mimi
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Post by Thalia » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:48 pm

Carolejo, I am so sorry to hear this. My very best wishes and hopes are with you, your family, and your daughter.

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Post by reinhard » Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:28 am

Dear Carolejo,

Our older daughter had "intrauterine growth retardation" but turned out to be fine (though small) so I have some inkling of the agony you must be going through, though this sounds far more serious.

You and your family have my prayers and deepest sympathies,

Reinhard

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Post by carolejo » Sat Jun 13, 2009 3:54 pm

Hi everyone,

thanks so much for your messages of support, and for your good wishes & prayers.

Tuesday I had my regular midwife appointment. These are now essentially redundant as my antenatal care will be handled by the AMC (Academisch medisch centrum - the teaching hospital in Amsterdam) instead. Still, it's nice sometimes just to be treated like a pregnant woman, rather than somebody whose baby will be very sick. The AMC will do everything they can for us, obviously, but a 45 minute consultation there will by necessity involve 43.5 minutes of peering at a grainy black & white image on a screen, with little flashes of blue & red to show the doppler blood flow through Caitlin's heart. This means there will only be about 90 seconds left over to look at & talk about the whole of the rest of us. Anyhow, the midwives are being fantastic about this all. They have basically said "come & see us as little or as often as you want to. Our door is always open for you". Yesterday we also got a sneaky extra ultrsound to peer at Katie, and were able to watch her waving at us.

On wednesday we met the pediatric cardiologist, Dr C. She's south african and native-english-speaking, which helps. Her and Dr B (our gynecologist with specialism in prenatal diagnostics, also female) make an amusing double-act - they are so obviously great friends as well as colleagues. I know it's deeply unscientific & totally irrelevant, but I actually found I really like both of them.

We had quite a wait. The clinic was running about 2 hours behind by the time they got to us. Once inside, there was an cardiac ultrasound which lasted about an hour, followed by half an hour's explanation of the findings.

Firstly, it's better news than we had thought. Although Caitlin definitely has only 1 "pump" in her heart instead of the usual 2, her aorta (the main blood vessel which supplies oxygenated blood to the brain & body) looks to be well developed, which means this isn't full HLHS afterall. This will make her first surgery in the days after birth much less challenging & risky. In fact, the whole of the body circulation looks good, although it looks like the return flow might be draining back to the heart via 2 vein inlets, rather than the usual 1.

The pulmonary (lung) circuit is a bit more of a challenge though. Her pulmonary arteries (the blood vessels that take blood to the lungs so that it can receive oxygen) are very narrow. These may need to be widened with stents to encourage them to grow, although they usually do get bigger as you get older. The pulmonary veins (returning from the lungs) are a bit more of a mystery. The dynamic duo can see that there is a flow of some kind, but they can't figure out where that goes to! To be fair, my placenta is thick & right at the front, so image quality is not great and the plumbing in Katie's heart is destinctly unusual, to say the least! I think it must be hard enough to see these tiny blood vessels when you know where to look, but finding them when the anatomy is completely twisted around on its head must be akin to mission impossible. Anyhow, they'll carry on the search at our next visit, which is in 4 weeks.

We've also been doing a lot of reading, especially blogs written by parents of children who have single ventricle hearts, to see what their quality of life is like. So far, it looks encouraging. Yes, there are big risks associated with open heat surgery, and time spent on a heat-lung bypass machine, but it isn't all as bleak as we feared.

In short, none of this could be described as in any way "good". But on the other hand, this isn't the end of the world either, and the sky hasn't really fallen in. It will be a very long, very hard road and there are still many unknowns, but we are at least starting to gather enough data to work with. She will still require urgent surgery within days of birth to stay alive, followed by at least 2 other major surgeries in the first few years, but that first procedure should be a little less complex, giving her a better chance.

For now, we're holding on very tightly to the fact that she is currently safe & well - as long as the placenta is firmly attached, everything is OK. We rejected an amniocentisis to rule out cromosomal defects (there is often a link) as we don't want to take the risk of miscarriage that this comes with and it wouldn't change our decision to carry her to term anyway. All her other organs look fine, so that means we have a good chance that she's an otherwise healthy little girl with half a heart.

Basically, we'll take what we can get. If that's just 2 hours, then it's 2 hours more than we would otherwise have had. Hopefully it will be 30 or 40 years (current estimated life expectancy for someone who has undergone the full set of operations), but we just don't know. We do know that if she doesn't make it, then we'd like her to be an organ donor to help other children. We feel that way we can salvage as much "life" from the situation as possible. Hopefully it won't come to that though.

C. xxx
CaroleJo

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la_loser
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Bless you!

Post by la_loser » Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:04 pm

Bless the three of you! And the dynamic duo as well. I think it's very important to have faith in your health care providers and it sounds as if you have some strong ones. And the old adage that "knowledge is power" seems to be true for you. . . the more you're learning, you have been able to find encouragement and hope.

I admire your attitude and your ability to see so many possibilities with your precious Katie. Medical science is so advanced now compared to what it was even a very few years ago and certainly light years ahead of when I was a kid.

Our support is still pouring your way -- keep us posted and take care of yourself.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Jun 13, 2009 4:09 pm

Awwwwww Carolejo!!!!!! Biggest hugs ever!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm glad that you are armed with some positive news and especially happy to hear you like your cardiologist and gynecologist.
It's really helpful when you have someone who gives you bond with, that gives you a good feeling that they are caring and validate your experience, but also, obviously well trained.

You just have to be positive, as you sound you are, and take it a day at a time.

You happen to be living in a time when modern surgery is capable of amazing things, so I am sure you will get the very best of help for your baby and you!!!
Send my regards to the Viscount eh? :)
Much love,
Debs xxxxx
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Post by StrawberryRoan » Sat Jun 13, 2009 6:52 pm

Prayers being sent your way. Miracles happen every day so keep the faith and stay strong.

Sue :wink:

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Post by Thalia » Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:38 pm

Carolejo, you sound astonishingly composed and strong and clear-headed. I wish you and your little girl the very best possible outcome, and a rich and happy life.

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Post by harpista » Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:49 pm

I am so sorry to hear of this situation. Although not a prayer-y sort, I will pray for you all three.
Nulla palma sine pulvere.
'No garland of victory without first the dust of the arena.'

Sometimesians, unite!

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Post by reinhard » Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:16 pm

Carolejo,

I'm so happy to hear that things look at least "better than you had thought."

I know you're not out of the woods by any stretch yet, but it sounds like these latest results provide a significant, and unanticipated, glimmer of hope. It's also great that you've found a community of people who have been through something similar, and doctors that you trust -- it may be "unscientific," but it's not at all irrelevant.

You have my best wishes and continued prayers,

Reinhard

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carolejo
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Very sad news.

Post by carolejo » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:05 pm

Our little girl, Caitlin Elizabeth Parkinson, died at 12:54am on 4th October, after just 30 hours with us.

There are no words to describe how we feel.

C. xxx
CaroleJo

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Post by NoelFigart » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:49 pm

I am so sorry.
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Post by Starla » Wed Oct 07, 2009 1:28 pm

carolejo, I just read through your thread. Every post of yours shows how much your Caitlyn was loved. My heart breaks for you.

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Post by reinhard » Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:41 pm

I am so sorry, Carolejo.

Reinhard

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Post by bizzybee » Wed Oct 07, 2009 5:21 pm

Peace to you and your family, I am so so sorry.

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Post by buttercreampillow » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:23 pm

I'm so sorry for your loss. You are in my prayers.
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Post by Kevin » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:18 pm

I wish you peace, Caroljo. You're in my thoughts.
Kevin
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:02 am

So very sorry Carolejo!!!
I was just in tears yesterday when I read about your loss!!!
Please take good care of yourself my Sister!!!!
Biggest Love to you and Steve and lots of comforting hugs!!!!!!!
Debs
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Post by mimi » Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:16 pm

I am so very sorry Carolejo. I'm sending you a silent embrace, for there really are no words that I can say to help or comfort.

Know that God is weeping with you.

Mimi
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
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Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
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Post by Girl Next Door » Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:50 am

I'm so sorry for your loss.

GND

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So sorry for your loss. . .

Post by la_loser » Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:27 am

CaroleJo,

I have been away from the boards and am just now learning of your loss. My heart is truly heavy for you in this sad time. Your little angel is surely keeping watch over you now.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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News...

Post by carolejo » Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:38 am

Hello again everyone.

I've not been around much, I'm sure you understand why. I just wanted to pop on here though & let you all know that I'm pregnant again - "MaybeBaby" is expected on 23rd October 2010. It's still very early days (6 weeks) but I'm determined to enjoy it, no matter how long it lasts. Hopefully this time I will finally be able to take my baby home with me for keeps.

Please keep us in your thoughts.
love C. xxx
CaroleJo

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mimi
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Post by mimi » Tue Mar 02, 2010 11:55 am

Dearest carolejo - how wonderful to hear from you again with such wonderful news. Know that I am sending prayers, positive vibes, and wishes for bountiful blessings your way. Keep us posted - we all care.
Love,
Mimi :D
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
Remember that good enough is... good enough.
Strive for progress, not perfection!

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