Fighting Back with Both Fists

January 2012 will be the month filled with doctor visits for me. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I hate going to the doctor, but I definitely don't like it. It makes me edgy and feel like something scary is lurking somewhere within my body that is about to be discovered and ruin my life. Dramatic much? Typically, I take the "I don't go to the doctor unless I'm sick" approach. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to my regular doctor. Thank the Lord for the Walgreens Take Care Clinic if you just need a quick round of antibiotics for a sinus infection or sore throat.

This month will be different for me. I am taking a more pro-active approach with my health. 2011 was a year of weight loss for me and I want to 2012 to be an overall healthy year. Including losing that stubborn ass last 10 lbs. Okay well maybe those pounds aren't as stubborn as I am lazy. Hey - a girl needs a break sometimes! Plus, kudos to me for not gaining a single pound since I quite my diet and extreme workout regimen last August. Okay enough patting myself on the back...

With the sudden and scary heart problems my Daddy suffered this year, I have learned a lot about our family's health history. My Daddy about gave me a heart attack when he suffered his own back in November. He's only 48 years old, and in pretty good health for someone his age. He actually ended up having quadruple by-pass surgery in December. He's doing great nowadays. He feels a little better and a little stronger every day. His little health scare naturally got us all thinking about our own health. My dad has strongly encouraged both my brother and I to go get a full physical workup every year to stay on top of any health problems that could be laying dormant in our genes. My brother's job requires an annual physical for their health insurance plan, but mine does not. So I have to take matters into my own hands.

My family history is viciously working against me where my health is concerned. My dad's mom's (my paternal grandmother's) entire family has an ugly history of heart disease. Two of her brothers (my dad's uncles) died before they turned 50 of heart attacks. And she suffered a massive stroke about 3 years ago, that didn't kill her but left her unable to take care of herself. She is now 69 and lives in a nursing home. And now my dad with his heart attack at 48 years old.He has never suffered any other health problems in his life - no surgeries and no broken bones or so much as a stitch ever. My paternal great-grandmother (dad's dad's mom) died of lung cancer about 10 years ago - hers was self induced I believe though because she smoked like a freight train. My paternal grandfather (dad's dad) is still alive and quite healthy - he's 70 years old. To my knowledge, there is not any other cancer related illnesses on dad's side.

Now let's layout my mom's side of the family....it's a doozy! Let's start with my mother herself - breast cancer when she was in her early 30's - treated and luckily, now in remission. My mother has struggled her whole life with addiction problems - drugs, alcohol, weird fads - you name it, she's been hooked on it probably. They say this can be passed down through the genes - not real sure if I buy into that, but I wanted to mention it because I'm sure it's working against me somehow. Aunt (mom's sister) developed Hodgkin's disease - cancer of the lymph nodes - first when she was 17, and has battled it twice since then - now in remission. Maternal grandmother - I actually just found out that she had by-pass surgery at one point. She had a slew of health problems - breast cancer, chronic back pain, (I believe) addiction to pain pills, respiratory problems due to a lifetime of smoking, debilitating arthritis...the list goes on. She died at the age of 63 from COPD. My mom's dad died maybe 13 years ago after a battle with liver disease - also brought on by his actions from a lifetime of binge drinking and drug problems.

Sorry for the all the confusing relation explanations - that's a little hard to read. It's necessary to explain though because those statics speak for themselves as a scare tactic.

Due to all these contributing factors, I am taking a pro-active approach to my health. Lesson #1 here - don't EVER start doing drugs; thus you cannot become addicted to drugs. I'm thinking that addictive gene that seemingly runs so heavily in my family skipped my brother and I - Thank the Lord - because we haven't had any problems.
Lesson #2 stay on top of any potential danger areas. I had my annual OB-GYN appointment yesterday, and everything seemed fine. Of course I won't get the official pap smear results back for about a week, but I've never had one come back irregular. Doctor Appointment #1 - CHECK! I also go a referral from her yesterday to set up an appointment for my first mammogram. Since my mom had breast cancer in her early 30's, they suggest that I start getting closer check-ups around 5 years prior to the age my mom developed her problems. Hello age 27 - congratulations you get to have your boob squeezed this year (sorry, not in a fun way!). Once I get that scheduled, it will be CHECK on Doctor Appointment #2! I definitely believe I will feel some relief after getting that one out of the way and knowing things are fine in that department. At my dad's urging I called my regular doctor today to set up an appointment in 2 weeks for a full physical work up. Not 100% exactly what that entails yet because I don't think I've ever had one. I can't eat or drink after midnight the night before though so I know they will be drawing blood. I'm guessing we will go over blood pressure, cholesterol - good and bad, thyroid - among other areas.
Lesson # 3 - The more you know about your family history - and your spouses - the more you can eduacte yourself on potential danger zones. I say your spouses because I think it's important to know what together, you can pass down to your children. I know this is an area concern for me - and my future kids.

That makes me want to break out in hives just reading back over all that. I must admit that I'm a little anxious about all these doctor appointments. My blood pressure was a little high yesterday - 130/88 - but I'm thinking that because sitting in your OB-GYN's office isn't the most comfortable of places. Maybe I need to go to one of those cuff stations at Wal-Mart and check it again just to get a more normal reading.

2012 is about fighting your family history with BOTH fists! (And thanks to my gym time in 2011, I think I can kick it's ass!!) Wish me luck!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! I had such a fabulous time last night - Hope you all did too! And considering I can't even remember what we did last year to celebrate I'm going to go out on a limb and say this new year's eve was better than the last. So far on my first day of 2012 I've been lazy - which you know is one of my favorite pastimes. I watched a movie while Skye napped and we layed around. We finally got up to go eat dinner at a Japanese restaurant with friends and I just finished taking down my Christmas decor. It's totally been my kind of day and we still have tomorrow to have fun!

Here are my goals - or resolutions if you will - for 2012. I've put a lot of thought into these this year to make sure they are measurable and attainable so I can ensure my success in 2012. I just have a lil' feeling that it's going to be a fantastic year!

These are in no particular order --

1. Lose this last 10 lbs and keep it off
After being in mega fitness and diet mode from March to August of 2011, I needed a little break. I've still been working out since last August, but not as much or as hard as I need to be. I'm fairly happy with my weight right now but losing this last 10 lbs. would put me at the ideal weight for my height. I know how to do it, just have to make myself.

2. Wear heels and accessorize more, buy clothes that actually fit - Get my style back
I was pretty slack with my style in 2011. I still haven't been able to catch my wardrobe up to my weight loss so I'm rocking the same pants often because I don't have many that fit. BUT in 2012 I vow to get my style back! In cleaning out my closets recently I found so many cute shoes that I didn't even wear at all last year. My current job doesn't exactly require me to dress up as much as my previous job did, so I've taken advantage of that and developed a lax wardrobe. I'm looking forward to being cute again!

3. Read 30 books
I love to read so this shouldn't be too much of a problem. This is the first time I've set an actual number of books to read goal to work towards. I have my wish list currently with 25 books that I'm interested in reading, but I've left some flexibility to add some in case I hear a great recommendation. Let me know if you have any!

4. Pray more
Pretty self explanatory - I need to strengthen my relationship with God. Not sure if I'm ready to make the move to joining a church, but I  feel that I can adequately work on my relationship through prayer and devotion. This one isn't really measurable.

5. Begin a graduate program
I graduated undergrad in 2009. I've constantly thought about grad school or law school since then. 2012 is going to be the year that I make a move. I love going to school - as nerdy as that sounds!

6. Start and finish our master bathroom remodel
We have lived in our house for almost 4 years. Ever since the first day we moved in I've wanted to re-do the master bathroom. I HATE the flooring that is currently in there, and the walls are still a boring white. We have measured the floors and pretty much picked out what color we want to paint, now I just have to execute the plan. I think this will make me much happier with our home. I will be sure to post pics! :)

7. Make family a priority
With my dad suffering a heart attack and undergoing by pass surgery in 2011, it has given me a new perspective on family time. 2012 will bring me the difficulty of a new work schedule for Skye, so when he's working and I'm not, I want to use some of that time to spend with family. Again, not quite measurable.

8. Cook more and try cooking new foods
I must say that my domestic side is very intrigued by this one! I received a very expensive new set of pots and pans for Christmas so this will help me put them to good use. Skye and I will still be able to have dinner together 75% of the time so I want to cook for those nights. I can get my breaks from cooking while he's working evening shifts! Plus, this will allow me to eat healthier when I can control the ingredients.

9. Travel somewhere breathtaking
We did not get to take a real vacation in 2011 due to work schedules. I am overly looking forward to going on an extended vacation in 2012! No idea where to yet, but it will be somewhere tropical and exotic that we've never been. In order to measure this one, I will be sure to keep you updated on any places in considering and you will definitely be hearing about when I book it!

10. Run a 5k and do another bootcamp
I enjoy running, unlike most people -but I'm just not that great at it. But I've never properly trained for running either. Winter is hard because I dislike running on a treadmill. I would much prefer to run outside. I've never ran a 5k - not sure that I've even ran 3.1 miles consecutively. When I do cardio it's usually just a mile or 1.5 miles at a time. I don't think it will be that strenuous, but in order to run a 5k and have a great "time" I will need to do some training. Which also helps me check goal #1 off my list.

That's my list! Some are easy - others will be works in progress. I'm looking forward to this year and I hope it holds big things for all of us. Here's to a classy and sassy new year!

Happy 2012 from me and mine!

5 Question Friday!

Thanks, as always to sweet Mama M over at My Little Life for the Link Up to #5QF! Last one of 2011 - YEAH! Check hers out this week too, she did a vlog for her answers.

 

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!

Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN!

Questions for Friday, December 9th: (Special thanks to @KatieB38, @amy_mcmommy, @gasfamily, @trooppetrie and @ByGollyMsHolly for their question suggestions! I would love to link you in a future 5QF, so come on over to my community or watch for my Thursday afternoon shout out for questions on Twitter and offer up your best question suggestions! Remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF if you go the Twitter route!)

1. What's the oldest piece of clothing in your closet?

a jean skirt from Abercrombie Kids that I used to wear when I was about 18. I don't know why I keep it -I guess to remind me how small I used to be? (Even though it's a kid's size, it wasn't inappropriate looking on me at that age - I hope not at least.)

2. How many random blog readers have you met?

None, but I would LOVE to meet up with some!

3. Do you let your kids stay up till midnight on New Years Eve? (Or, if you don't have kiddos yet, did you get to stay up until midnight as a child?)

No kiddos yet - but my parents always let me stay up for NYE. I think I would probably let my kids do the same. I remember always having a sleepover of some sort.

4. What are the gas prices where you live?

I have to run premium in my car and when I got gas yesterday morning it was $3.10/gal in Knoxville, TN.

5. What is one resolution that you know you should do but are too afraid to try?

I very seriously considered putting one of my 2012 goals as running a half marathon. Then I thought about that and realized I don't think I've ever ran 13 miles. Of course, this would include lots of training, etc. but I decided that might not be obtainable for me - or maybe I'm just a wussy. I would really love to do it one day but 2012 might not be the right time.

 

Happy New Year ya'll!

ATTN Harry Potter Fans

This is pretty funny, if you are familiar with the lingo and characters of the Harry Potter world. I giggled...a lot.