Am I My Own Weakest Link?

I've been thinking a lot lately about life, the big decisions, the big picture, and it occurs to me that I appear to be basing my overall wellbeing on my poor choices. We're all familiar with the saying "you're only as strong as your weakest link" well I'm feeling only as productive as my least-productive days, only as smart as my poorest decisions. While I can see the logic in the weakest-link analogy, I need a more positive perspective. I need to be strong despite my weakest link, strong enough to fix my weak links. (Seems I can't blog properly from behind this Navy firewall, I'll edit later to add the image I wanted to put here.)

The Incredible Shrinking Stephanie

Once upon a time, while JR was at boot camp, I succeeded in losing a rather significant amount of weight. I remember a colleage referring to me as "the incredible shrinking Stephanie" and I think I'm due another round of that! Just look at this recent picture:

I'm short, and fat! I am hoping this photo, combined with the uncomfortable fit of most of the clothes in my closet, will help motivate and propel me into some sort of fitness/weight-loss regimine. There's this nice 2½-mile lake trail - right in my neighborhood! I really need to get out there. Me and Sydney. 5am. I remember how good it feels to start my day with exercise.

Time to Walk the Talk

Ok, I'm stepping up to my sister's challenge, let the MBA begin! :)

Considering a Master's Degree

My dear sister has finished her first degree and is going straight into her master's program. It's inspiring. She's actually got me considering an advanced degree for myself too. Going to school might actually be easier than keeping up w/my student loan! Plus, I never intended to go this long without continuing my education. Hm...

Plantar Fascitis, Lumbar Spondylothesis, & Arthritis w/a Bone Spur

I must be getting old.



Once upon a time I was strictly a heels 'n hose girl, I wouldn't even wear shoes that made that awful flip flap sound, much less a pair of actual flip flops. Then I went to the shipyard and gave up on hose, but still avoided shoes that went flip flap - except one favorite pair of heels that was dressy enough to overlook that most unprofessional sound. Then I returned to DC and somehow lost my last shred of femenine professionalism, and spent this ENTIRE SUMMER - work included - in a pair of black gemmed flip flop thongs. Which has resulted in an uncomfortable case of plantar fascitis (self-diagnosed).



The Spondylothesis was medically diagnosed, over a year ago, with some arthritis and a bone spur to go with it, but I don't do the exercises I'm supposed to do to strengthen my core, so it's not improving.



Nothing like back pain to make a girl feel old! And the plantar fascitis makes me hobble around in the morning, feeling weak and unstable. My caffeine and nicotine breakfast habit doesn't help much either. I really need to invest in myself - the time, energy, and smart decision-making to make me FEEL better.

L4-5 Spondylolisthesis

So, I've been experienceing low back pain since Christopher was about six months old. I always figured it was just the extra thirty pounds I carry, plus the extra 25 or 45 I also routinely heft about. My chiro called it "lumbar disfunction" but his treatments didn't help much, so I quit going. On bad days I would take Tylenol or Motrin, but mostly I just lived with it, blaming myself, and hoping I wasn't being a nag about my back.



Well, JR setup an orthopaedic eval for me, so we went in together when he went in for his post-op check-up. JR is healing nicely, no longer needs the neck brace or any pain meds, got his stiches out, and is reporting total and complete relief. I, however, have a bone spur in my L4-5, probably arthritic. So now I get to take arthritis meds, and they're going to do some physical therapy to stop any spur-induced slippage toward what might have become a real slipped disc.



I'm glad I went in. I'm glad it's not just that I'm fat and lazy. I'm glad the pain in my low back will diminish with once/daily pills and six weeks of specific exercise.