End of life

Terri Schiavo has been all over the news in the past weeks, and I find myself thinking back to when my grandmother died. She had cancer, and had a DNR order. It's what Grandma wanted. It was tough getting that phone call from the hospital early in the morning that summer-- my Mom and I camped out and sleeping in my Grandmother's huge antique bed. My Dad had just left to go back to Massachusetts to work since he couldn't take more time off. He wound up driving right back to Maine again. I remember wondering why she wanted a DNR, but then remembered how she'd looked near the end.
Grandma was a woman with much class and dignity. She was not accustomed to having a bed pan under her, or having to have people bathe her. She couldn't have lived that way for long-- it would have driven her mad. She didn't even like the chaplain coming in to pray over her-- she wasn't the type of person who wanted prayers-- she was the type of person who was of action. She gave a lot of money to the needy, and a lot of time teaching those who needed to be taught, and she never asked for anything in return. When I think of this poor family fighting over Terri's life it makes me hurt for them-- for her. Grandma wanted and DNR and even if we didn't agree with it at least we knew her wishes. With Terri we'll never really know.

Progress

Since last time I wrote I have lost a total of 10.4 lbs. I am making progress. I am feeling better about myself and I'm not hungry at all. Dave is being a great help-- he makes it easier for me by telling me I'm doing a good job. I'm going to be thinner for Reagan's wedding, and when our wedding finally rolls around I will be even thinner too! I think this is the first time in my life I have ever seen the numbers on the scale going down rather than up.
Things are going pretty well right now-- had a promising job interview the other night and it sounds like a great fit. I hope I get the job. It would be so nice to move back up north and to a beautiful area that Dave and I both love.
Ok, time to get ready for work... come back tomorrow to read about our adventure shopping for wedding bands.

Tough Business

Losing weight is tough. I know it's not a cake-walk, no pun intended, but man, this is hard. So far I've lost 7.8 lbs-- that's great. But what's tough is continuing to lose-- I have a long way to go until I get down to where I should be to be as healthy as I would like. Finding time for exercise is my biggest problem.

When I was in college on the crew team I had so much more going on in my life and I still managed to work out 2 hours a day. Now, without the gym next to my dorm and with no boathouse to run down the river 2 miles away to it's hard.

I live in an area of town that is not the safest to run in, and running around the apartment complex just doesn't do it for me. I have tapes and I do those but they're not as fun as rowing. I love rowing. I miss it. I feel so at piece lapping my oars into the water, moving as one body in a boat filled with 8 other people.

I want to see how the sun and moon look over the Charles again. Wherever I move to next I have to try and join a rowing club-- there isn't one around here I can join.... let alone afford to join.

Regardless, I should be happy about the weight I have already lost.... I just wish I had my teammates behind me in the boat helping me along.