Um, yeah. Up 1.8 pounds this week. Ok, that’s fine. I’ll deal.
I missed my regular meeting and weigh in on Labor Day Monday because it was closed, so I haven’t weighed in for two weeks. Considering everything that’s going on in my life, I’m happy that’s all I gained. I’ve had a lot of stress for a while now. Although I tried hard to watch my food, get in activity any way I could, I didn’t drink enough water, and it’s a well known fact that stress will cause you to gain weight.
Pictures from Maui, Hawaii, November 2006 trip with my mom. A beautiful time.
First, there was the stress around my daughter’s pregnancy. Everything’s fine there now for now, baby is a girl with no known birth defects, and my daughter’s pregnancy seems to be progressing just fine.
Then, my mom, who is 89-1/2, had back surgery. Although the surgery itself was nothing too drastic and she had the best neurosurgeon in the area, she has an artificial aortic valve, so there were risks of blood clots to manage. She came through the surgery with flying colors but I realized after the surgery that I really was worried and stressed about it, without ever admitting that to myself.
Next, on the same day that my mom was admitted to the hospital, there was some extreme abusive drama from someone in our lives (not a family member) that was directed at me. Major stress. And a lot of other emotions.
After mom’s surgery, I had to tour some nursing homes for my mom to go to for recovery from her surgery. Oh. My. God. Some of those places – I just can’t believe people can let their loved ones just stay there. I cried to my mom that I could never leave her somewhere like that and I didn’t understand how other people could either. She said, “Maybe some parents want to be there. Have you ever considered that?” No, I never did. I guess I was in denial that the day would ever come that I’d have to do this. She has a condo set up so that she can accommodate a live-in nurse, but that’s not in the cards just yet for a variety of reasons. She needs the rehab and 24-hour nursing care – and, besides, she doesn’t want to go home yet.
Finally, there’s just all the emotions swirling around dealing with an elderly parent. I don’t even think I’m capable yet of expressing all the emotions that come with seeing my vibrant and charismatic mother having to use a walker and wheelchair for her mobility.
Anyway, this too shall pass. I’m confident my mother will be better than ever. Her goals are to walk a 5k again (at 74 she walked 3 miles a day, 2-3 times a week), to do some swimming, and to get a bicycle and ride it with me. (Her words.)
And my 1.8 pound gain will certainly pass, too. There’s always next week, and the week after. My focus this week is to drink more water, get more sleep as well as more exercise, and pray hard for my mom. I know what to do to eliminate the stress – now it’s time to just do it.
{ 4 comments }
Sorry about all the stressors lately, but it seems when one things happens, several things happen. Ugh. Glad to hear that your Mom has done well after her surgery. Yes, dealing with elderly parent/s is an emotional roller coaster at times. Seeing my once spunky and energetic mother go downhill is a killer, so I most definitely understand how all these emotions swirling is sometimes unexplainable to those who haven’t reached that point in their lives. Sometimes I just want to scream: I want my Mommy back!
Bev – you’re so right – it is hard and if someone hasn’t experienced it, it’s hard to imagine. Today was a good day with my mom. We hung out and had some pleasant conversations and laughed at some silly memories. I treasure these moments with her. I kinda felt for a brief time like I did have my mommy back. She once told me that when your parents are gone, you’ve lost the only people in the world who truly love you unconditionally. And that’s been my experience so far (unconditional love).
You’re a true example of the sandwich generation; being in the middle of taking care of (or worrying about) parents and kids. You’ve had a lot going on in the last few months, it’s a wonder you’ve only gained a tiny bit of weight! Don’t let too many worries overwhelm you, there’s only so much you can really control. It’s nice to hear that your mother seems to be doing well though.
All these things certainly are stressful, and 1.8 lbs should be fairly easy (for you) to lose, you’re so active and in touch with what you’re eating. I think cortisol, that stress hormone, slows down your metabolism but I’m not sure.
I know you wrote this post more than a week ago, so I’m hoping you’re back on track and feeling better.
Comments on this entry are closed.