The Last Hurrah

Well, it's almost here. In just a little over a month, I will be undergoing reconstruction surgery, and again recovering. My follow-up MRI for my right side will happen just a week or so before. My next oncology check-up isn't until March. And, Lord willing, even after my reconstruction follow-up procedures, all of this will soon be far behind me.

It's time for my 'Last Hurrah'...my last effort, last sprint, to get fit and healthy before I start the recovery process again, and I want to give it my best shot. I've looked into a lot of weight-loss 'programs' that friends and family are using, and they have experienced great results. My sister has lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time and looks fantastic. Other friends have discussed with me what has worked for them.

But there are three glaring things with most of the programs that just won't work for me:

1. The cost - many of these programs cost hundreds of dollars a month. We have gone from a double-income family to a single income, and a self-employed income at that. I can't spend hundreds on a program, and still have to buy food for myself and my family.

2. The chemicals - many of these programs require you to consume their pre-packaged product and/or supplements. My body doesn't tend to like those things, as I have had adverse reactions to overly-chemical, or even natural-based supplements. 

3. The exercise - with some programs, I wouldn't be able to exercise because the amount of calories I need to consume is too low...they even tell you not to break a sweat. I NEED to do at least 3-5 hours of cardio a week to help keep cancer at bay. Other programs have exercises that are too intense for me, even as far as I have come.

So, what do I do? I need motivation (I am not a 'natural' healty-eater, exercise person), and while juicing has helped me greatly, I also need to build up my protein and iron levels before surgery, so that scary words like 'transfusion' aren't thrown around again.

Then I came across The 21 Day Fix...a portion controlled program where exercises are essential. The problem? It was costly and the exercises were too intense for now. So I have taken the principles and meal portion measurements, and infused my own exercises for the next 21 days. Clean eating, increased protein, and requred exercise...everything I need to get ready.

I've lost 20 pounds since my surgery last year, very slowly and painfully. I'd like to lose 10 more in the next three weeks. It's a very lofty goal, but I will keep you posted. So far, I've had to make my own salsa, coffee creamer, salad dressings, and spice mixtures for meat. It has cost some money up-front for containers and pantry items I didn't have, but now I have them. I believe that by doing this, I can incorporate many of the principles into not only my lifestyle, but my family's. If you're curious to where I get my ideas from, check out my board on Pinterest - 21 Day fix DIY:

https://www.pinterest.com/janelmarieclark/21-day-fix-diy/

All of this is happening during a nation-wide focus on 40 Days of prayer & fasting for revival, which started yesterday, and ends the day before my surgery...this isn't lost on me. The next three weeks will be a time for me to get even more fit and healthy, but also a time for me to focus on my relatiship with God and pray for revival in our city...an awakening to our need for Jesus. I'll be cutting out (fasting) my social media use in the evenings for prayer, but also to focus more on family, and doing a last big push to make as many signs for my business as I can.

It's going to be a wild ride :)

DIY Silver Cleaner and Glass Cleaner (Pinterest Pins I've Actually Done)

I've been really interested lately in making my own household cleaners...partially because of the cost, and partially because I'd like to use less chemicals in the house. Here are the latest I have tried:

DIY SILVER POLISH:

I found this solution on Pinterest here:http://creeklinehouse.com/2015/01/clean-really-tarnished-silver-naturally.html

  I had 'acquired' some of my parent's wedding silver when I found them at my sister's house getting ready for a yard sale years and years ago. (Meaning I took them lol) I can't blame her much for getting rid of them...I hadn't really used or displayed them until now, but I am a sucker for pieces of history in my family, and I couldn't part with them.

I finally found a perfect use for them and a beautiful way to display them - I needed trays for the top of two wire shelves in my bathroom so I could set things on them without falling over. The little feet on them helped to give them stability so I didn't need anything to attach them, but they were quite tarnished from years of neglect.

I followed the pin's instructions: lined my sink with aluminum foil, put the silver in, sprinkled 1 cup of baking soda on top and covered in boiling water (note: I did leave it in the sink for a 1/2 hour, as the tarnish was bad). After the 1/2 hour, I removed the pieces and rubbed with a soft cloth. What a difference! I will probably need to do it again to get all the tarnish off, but they came out beautifu...I even tried it on some other metal pieces I had in the bathroom which weren't silver but did have that green metal tarnish on them...they cleaned up nicely.

DIY GLASS CLEANER

I have just started using this, so I haven't seen it's full effects, but it seems to work great! I found the pin here: http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/homemade-glass-cleaner-glass-cleaner-recipe/

The ingredients are 1/4 cup of vinegar and rubbing alcohol, 2 cups of water, 1 tbsp of cornstarch and some essential oil for scent. I used peppermint because I love the scent, and it's the only essential oil I have. Peppermint makes everything smell fresh! The only problem I am finding is the 'lint' from the paper towel I am using to clean doesn't always come off. Anyone have a better alternative?

Ready For The Next Step

Well, the date has finally been set. On Friday, October 23rd at 8 am, I will be having reconstruction surgery on my left side. It is somewhat of a major surgery (6 hours), and will use some of the muscle and tissue from my back under the left shoulder, along with an implant, to rebuild that side. It will also take multiple procedures: one to move the tissue and muscle as well as put in an expander, another (or two, or three) to expand, and a final one to place the implant as well as reduce the size on my right.

I've been asked by some people if this is necessary surgery, or just something I'd like done. The answer is 'yes' to both...I can feel my left shoulder turning in some and my back twisting a bit when I am not wearing my prosthesis, and, quite frankly, I find that it's hard to keep up with my kids sometimes when I am worrying about prosthesis placement while running around with them and especially when we're swimming...and I want to be able to keep up with them. Do I really want more surgery? No. But I believe this surgery will help improve my quality of life and my overall health.

Recovery is about 3 weeks (I think) for the initial surgery, as long as everything goes well. Waiting until this date also gives time for me to have my follow-up MRI on my right side in October. Not to mention that I will be able to lose a little bit more weight between now and then :)

So, for now I will continue to eat healthy, exercise and build up my strength, while soaking in all the time I can with my little girls and husband. It's been almost a year since my last surgery...I'm ready for this!