Veggie Tales

Coughing, gagging, choking, crying, begging, lying, eye rolling-sounds like a horror movie, right? Well, actually that's just dinner time here. Vegetables are the enemy it seems. You know, trying to destroy me by way of my family. The last few meals here have been pretty miserable. I've even started trying to get dinner on the table before The Knight gets home so that some of the weeping and wailing has subsided before he walks in from a hard day at work. It's so great to slave over a meal-plan the menu, do the shopping, cook the food. Then when you proudly set it on the table, everyone bursts into tears. Sad. Real sad. Something's gotta give.

Dr. Edinfield, my oncologist, presented my case at what is called "the tumor board" last Thursday to get input from other doctors on what THEY thought was the best treatments for me. They all concurred that the hysterectomy and mastectomy was indeed all that was needed in my situation. So I am praising the Lord for that good news. I had an idea in the back of my head that maybe one mean doctor might come back and say that chemo would be good for someone my age and just to sock it to me just to be on the safe side. Don't get me wrong, if they said chemo was the way to go I would have done it willingly, but I sure am happy that didn't happen. So the only thing left to do is to, as the good doctor himself put it, be the poster child for healthy living. *SIGH* So this is where the torture by vegetables comes in. I haven't been so great at teaching my children, or my husband for that matter, to eat healthy and because I am the chief cook and bottle washer here, that responsibility is on my shoulders. So for the next 10 weeks, in conjunction with this Moving On oncology rehabilitation program, I will be trying to get into the habit of exercising and of course I will also try to eat healthier.
I went on a strange diet last spring to lose weight for my brother-in-law's wedding but then I promptly put most of it back on. The primary reason for this is my lack of control and love of food. I have lost and gained weight time and time again over the years only to fall back into my old habits. It's a mindset really and my mind has not been set right in the matter. So-my plan is to lose weight, get into shape and then go for reconstruction. Maybe that will be a motivator for me. But more than that, I owe it to my family. For two reasons- One, I need to be all that I can be for them, so I can be a healthy mom who lives to be 105. Two, I should want to help them learn healthy habits too so that they can live long and be healthy and enjoy their children. I understand that and I want to do this, but it's going to be so hard. (Why does the bad food have to taste so good?. Why can't I crave Brussels sprouts at 9:45 every night instead of movie theater butter popcorn? AGH!)
So I am making a pledge to myself.
I AM going to get fit- do some sort of exercise 5 times a week, get rid of fat stomach, be energetic.
I AM going to lose weight- I will never be skinny, nope not me. Just dropping twenty-five pounds would be good.
I AM going to try my best to provide healthy meals and snacks for my family-at least 5 days a week. (Sounds like I'm planning to lie on the couch and eat ice cream for two days each week, but really I'm just trying to be realistic, okay?)

This is going to be it. My dad would say "Shug, I know you can do it. When you meet your goal, I'll do something nice for ya." I AM going to do this. Once and for all.

Go me!