Back in the day, when we all lived in Moab, I never warmed up to Co much...just didn't have that much in common other than our guys being cousins and good friends. Catching up in the kitchen while the guys were outside, I heard of her long struggle with a very rare illness called Cushings. Cushings disease occurs when the body is subjected to an excess of the hormone cortisol--the stress hormone--for long periods, either because of an abnormality of the pituitary gland or because of medical diagnosis of the hormone to treat other illnesses. Co's was the result of a tumor on the pituitary gland, but the symptoms were so many and varied that for years her insistence that something was wrong was dismissed as hypochondria. Among the affected areas were thyroid, pancreas and devastating loss of muscle function. The miracle was that she finally researched her symptoms enough to diagnose the illness herself, have it confirmed by tests and an MRI that discovered the tumor, which was removed. I was reminded of how our family always teases my daughter about her hypochondria--which she admits--only to learn that she does indeed have thyroid problems that cause many of her symptoms. Like they say, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't trying to kill you.
Not much else going on right now. I'm going to have to either keep the car more often so I can get out of this room or learn to love the sun in the park. My goal to walk in the cool of the morning makes the scheduling for keeping the car difficult...if I take the time to drive Budd to work, the sun is already high by the time I get back. I may try getting up before he does and getting that walk in before time to take him. But first, a new pair of walking shoes. And a bandaid for the blister from the current ones.
My weight loss and fitness program is going well--at least the calorie and fitness part. I'm going to have to go in search of a scale for a weigh-in because I can't hook up the Wii here--no inputs on the TV. I can't have lost much as one of my newer shirts is still too tight. But it's early days yet. This is a year-long project, both due to the amount I need to lose and my past experience with diets and yo-yo weight fluctuations. Diets make you fat, only lifestyle changes work. So I HAVE to get a long-term exercise program going, stay aware of what portions constitute a reasonable calorie consumption, and reduce my sodium intake. The calculators say that it will take just over a year to lose to my ideal weight, by which time all these new habits should be old ones.
Still no solid news on the job front, but we do know that Canyon de Chelly wants him back for at least two weeks, so we're good for a while. I look forward to being there in early September, with the hope that I'll finally get into the canyon. By then I may even have the stamina for the White House trail, 2.5 miles round trip with quite a climb on the back side. If I can do that, maybe I'll be able to make it up to Timpanogos cave when we get back there. That one is 3 miles round trip, with an 1100 ft. climb going. But pictures I've seen of the cave make me think it's worth the trip!
We finally got rain in our location on Friday, after a week of afternoon thunderstorms all around us teasing me. As we enjoyed a delicious Mexican dinner (yes, I abstained from the chips and salsa and took half the portion home to remain under my calorie limit) it began to sprinkle and then pour in earnest. Walking in it back to the car wasn't as fun as I had imagined, but it still made me inordinately happy to see rain. My apologies to everyone on the NW side of Denver who have been getting more than they wanted, and especially to my cousin in Kentucky. Ajo may have permanently damaged my psyche, but I've always enjoyed rainy days.
Only hardship here so far is that Budd and I are sharing a computer, and we really don't do well at that. We both want it all the time. I'm lucky I get it all day while he's at work. But for now, he requires it for a job application, so I must sign off. Hasta la vista.
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