I know I haven't been on here like I wanted to be on here, but 2011 was one crazy year. I haven't been very motivated and I've been feeling pretty frustrated and, well, not happy with myself. 2011 was an emotional roller coaster for me and I was ready to come on here and talk about how horrible 2011 was and how it was the worst year ever. But, then I realized something...
I could sit and talk about how hard life was last year. I could talk about my three surgeries. I could talk about how my two surgeries to repair torn tendons in each foot messed up my exercising and caused me to get back out of shape. I could talk about how I miss kung fu because of this and even miss the ability to run. I could talk about how being immobile messed up my eating habits. I could talk about how I never felt well for the last half of the year. I could talk about how miserable it was to get walking pneumonia and bronchitis two times last year. I could talk about being diagnosed with asthma and all the problems that come with it. I could talk about having my gallbladder removed a week before Christmas and the pain that the unexpected attack caused. I could talk about my allergies and how it felt to discover that I'm allergic to everything in my environment and milk. I could talk about how miserable the holidays are when you can't eat anything because it all has dairy in it. I could go on, but I won't.
One of the things I've tried to change about myself lately is the negativity. It's so easy to be negative. I'm one of those 'the glass is half empty' type of people. It's so hard to see the positive in hard situations. Just look around. Almost everyone I know concentrates on the negatives of a situation. Why is that? Why is it easier to focus on the negative instead of the positive? It's pretty sad, really. It's kind of like how people frown all the time because it's easier. But, smiling is such a powerful thing. It uplifts you and makes you feel good. Isn't that the way life should be? So, I thought about the negatives in my life last year and decided those weren't important. The positives outweigh the negatives, don't they? I know they do for me. And then it was clear...isn't this blog about my journey to become a healthy me? I'm pretty sure that includes more than my losing weight. In fact, I know my life involves more than just that. So, instead of the negative, I'll talk about all of the positive things that happened to me last year.
I started out 2011 finishing up my meeting with my dietitian. I learned a lot about food and what to eat. I learned how to eat healthy. What a different world when you eat fresh. Avoiding boxed and canned food (aka prepackaged food) became a way of life and I loved it. During this time I was training for my black belt in martial arts. I walked daily, ate right, and trained hard. On Saturday, May 7, 2011, I spent three grueling hours testing for my black belt. By the end of the class, I could barely walk. You see, at this point, I knew my right foot was in severe pain and that I was probably looking at surgery to repair something. But, that didn't matter. It was my day and I fought for it. Earning my black belt after three years of training and fighting felt great. It was one of the best days of my life.
Shortly after that, I had surgery to repair a tendon in my right foot. On a side note, the doctor found out that I had an extra tendon when he operated and had to trim it back as well...weird! While recovering, my sister introduced me to a new hobby: geocaching. So, it became my obsession. As soon as I was back into a walking boot, I hit the trails. Searching for a little 'treasure' in the woods, in the city, and everywhere else was so fun. It kept me busy and somewhat active. It helped me get through a summer and it helped me remember my passion for photography and for the outdoors. What a great summer!
By August, I knew my other foot was having the same problems and I went back to my doctor. Before my second surgery, I got really sick again. I've spent most of my life sick. My doctor came to a surprising conclusion in the cause of my sickness. I was officially diagnosed with asthma. How great to have an answer to the big question...why am I always sick? I felt like a weight had been lifted. This is something I can handle. So, I dove in head first, started medication, kept a breathing log, and learned some of my triggers. It's nice to breathe again!
Thanksgiving was spent at my sister's house with her family. There's nothing better than spending the holiday with the ones you love. And, as a bonus, I was finally out of "the boot". I spent a total of eight months in some sort of boot/cast. What a relief! I felt like a different person. Unfortunately, I'd been sick again with bronchitis and still wasn't 100%. But, we had a great time making apple pies and hanging out. As December started, I was feeling optimistic. I graduated physical therapy and was looking forward to starting kung fu
Even better, though, my family had a great year. Even through my downs, I got to enjoy my family's ups. That's one of my revelations. How can I possibly fail when I have been so blessed with beautiful children and a wonderful husband? My family is an important part of helping me be healthy. I love them and am so proud of them. Their successes are my successes and there were plentiful successes last year for us.
My daughter, Montana, had a bumpy beginning to the year. She turned sixteen and showed that she was definitely a teenager. She's always been the 'good' child and we've come to expect perfection from her as she expects it from herself. She got into a little bit of trouble and spend the middle of the year grounded a lot. I know this doesn't sound positive and doesn't sound like a success, but it's about perspective. Yes, she made mistakes...doesn't everyone? It's how she handled herself that matters. I had to watch my daughter fall. It was one of the hardest things of my life. But, as a result, I got to watch her get back up again. And, it was amazing!! I watched her rise like the phoenix I know she is. I watched as she took responsibility for her mistakes. I watched as she changed her life starting with getting rid of the bad influences in her life. She stood tall and proud and apologized for her wrongs. She started out the year as a child and ended it as a young adult. I'm so proud of her and who she is becoming. Sometimes you fall, it's how you get back up that matters and she did it with class, style, and integrity. It was worth the bad moments to watch her grow and I feel fortunate to have witnessed it all. And, I feel confident that when she leaves the nest next year, that she has learned the skills to be a wonderful adult. I can't wait to watch the next stage of her life.
Logan, my oldest twin, grew a lot this year as well. He had a great soccer season this year. I always love watching him play and this year I watched it from the sidelines as a mom instead of a coach for the first time. I watched as he gained more confidence and independence each week. I watched him go from a child who needed mom as a coach (crutch) to a boy who didn't need mom all the time. Of course, it makes me sad, but what a great feeling it was the first time he said he didn't need me on a field trip. Independence, that was his big gain of the year. He's always been the one who needs Momma by his side, so this was exciting to watch. He also graduated from Speech class. That was an exciting moment. He has worked so hard at overcoming his speech problems and his goal last year was to get out of Speech class. And, he did just that during the first week of school this year. I'm so proud of him. He also decided to try out for the Math Team at his school. This was the first time he tried to go out for something that he wasn't guaranteed to get. It was the first thing he tried to do that didn't involve me. And, guess what? He did it! He was picked as one of the few to represent his school. He made the team. I'm so proud of his hard work and I enjoyed watching him become a more independent, confident preteen.
The biggest accomplishments probably came from my youngest, Tristen. As an Asperger's child, he is quite the character. He's always been a loner and has always had trouble fitting in, staying calm, and being a part of any group. At the beginning of the summer, he started having conversations with kids. This was such a big step. He actually tried and wanted to make friends. He calmed down more and learned to control his feelings. Tristen started hugging us more and sitting with us. If you don't know about children with Asperger's, you might not understand why these things are big deals, but they are big deals. We've been in counseling for over a year working on these steps and to watch him take them has been such a thrill. Within a month of starting the new school year, he actually had friends. He never has friends, only bullies. He's always had to be protected from others. For once, he started coming home happy and engaging in conversations about his day. And, at our regular school meeting to talk about Tristen, another breakthrough happened. I was asked about what I thought about Tristen being on the Tech Team. What? My son? Wow! What a great feeling. My son, Tristen, was asked to represent the school. He's building a robot and is even going to a competition this spring. This is a dream come true. What a difference a year has made for him. I'm so excited to continue this journey with him and can't wait to see what he accomplishes next!
And, I can't leave out my husband. David's had quite the year as well. It's smaller than the kids, but just as important. He's become a little more social and involved with the outside world again. He had a head injury a few years ago that changed him. We're happy just to have him, so the personality changes have always been fine with us. It's been hard watching him become an introvert when he's always been an extrovert, but we love him for who he was, who he is, and who he will become in the future. With that being said, nothing makes me happier than how active he's become. He started out the year by playing flag football with some people from work. Usually, he's content to be alone, so it was nice to watch him participate in something involving others. He was so happy during the season. After that, I watched him really dive into our kung fu. He went from just being there to being the one who stands out. I watched him become a leader and an example for the others in the class. The natural, easygoing David finally reappeared. He helped others, talked with classmates, even joked around. More importantly, he started to smile again. It's been a beautiful thing to watch. I really love that man and I'm so very proud of him.
One of the other things I've been working on is perspective. It's a word I've kept close to me lately. It's a word I think about every time I think I've got it bad. Perspective. I know there are others out there that have it worse. I have a good life. I had a great year. I wouldn't change anything. With every down moment this year, a good thing was born from it. Perspective. Life happens! It really is what you take from it. After so many positives this year, why would I focus on the negatives? Perspective. It really is about perspective.
So, was year one of Operation: Get Steenie Healthy successful? Most definitely!
