Musicals, music, and general health update

[annathepiper]

solarbird, spazzkat, and I went and saw Avenue Q playing here in Seattle yesterday--and it was hilarious. Very happy to have gotten to see that. Three words: Bad Idea Bears! <3

And today, Dara and I went down to the Lake Forest Park Farmer's Market to busk! We made another $28 to go into the Buy Dara and Anna iPhones Fund, which was quite satisfying. I was also particularly charmed by a couple of little girls who happily bounced around while we were playing. The older one actually sort of danced, but the younger, who couldn't have been more than two, didn't know how to dance any other way than running around in circles. So the bigger one had to hold her hands and go around in circles with her. Then they both came over and dropped a dollar apiece into my guitar case.

As of this past Thursday, I'm back at work. It's a bit of a switch after three weeks off, and I must admit, I'm going to miss being able to be at home with Dara. But ah well, unless I get really lucky with the queries, I'll be at this a while longer yet.

I've had a couple more followup appointments, and have been told that I'm healing up well from the surgery. My energy's back to normal, more or less, though it was a bit of a bitch carrying the guitar up the hill from the market this afternoon. I'm off the Tamoxifen, too, though this has also meant that I'm going to have to take other risk reduction measures to try to keep my remaining breast clear.

Which means, mainly, an overhaul of my diet--because obesity is a risk factor for cancer, and I'm carrying way too much extra poundage.

For starters, I'm going to have to ditch the soda--and get hardcore about rationing the snacks. Dara's generally good about our dinners, but I need to pay harder attention to breakfast and lunch. Tuesday, I'm going to speak with a nutritionist as well to see if there are other modifications I'll need to make to my diet. I was given a big handout with a bunch of foods that are deemed helpful for cancer risk reduction, complete with stats and recipes and the like. Some of this stuff is stuff I eat already, but it'll be helpful to have somebody with a clue go over the other stuff with me.

Also on Tuesday, I have to go in to be fitted with what has now been officially named the Stunt Boob. Surprisingly, this means I go to Nordstrom's. It'll be very strange walking into a department store with a prescription, but apparently this is how the folks at Evergreen handle this. I'm to get the prosthesis as well as a couple of special bras for it. I dislike the idea of having to change bra types, but this is fortunately only a temporary measure, to tide me over until we can deal with reconstruction surgery.

In the meantime, we'll see how much poundage I can drop. Soda elimination and snack reduction efforts, plus the resumption of my usual workday walking, have already started altering my appetite. And I've already dropped a few pounds.

Wish me luck, folks. I'm aiming for 125-130. It'll take me a while; I've got over 50 pounds to go to get there.

Comments

[mari-mac1109.livejournal.com]

You can do it, Anna! *cheers you on* I'm in a pretty similar spot goal wise, so if you ever need a shoulder or a friendly push, lemme know. :D

[annathepiper]

Thanks very much, I appreciate that. :)

I may have to start some regular update posts about this effort. If I talk about it, it'll help keep me honest!

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Soda's terrible for you anyway. :)

I'm confident you can do it! I need to lose 25 pounds again. Maybe we should do a Weight Loss For BFFNs, or something. :)

[annathepiper]

It IS. And Mountain Dew is particularly toxic!

I intellectually know I can do this; the tough part will be the willpower, and the reminding myself that it won't necessarily be fast either! But I'd be totally up for a mutual effort.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

130? Yeowch. *concern* This coming from LaCava or somebody else? LaCava tends to be more reasonable about such things...

'sides, I know the way you walk. Which is to say, a lot, and reasonably fast. (One look at those legs of your... ;) Methinks if you simply eat well (and yeah, ixnay on the oda-say is a biggie) you'll get where *you* need to be, and without making yourself miserable.

[annathepiper]

Eh, I've been at 130 before. That was my college-era weight. See previous on-MUSH conversation re: I used to be built a lot more like Dewshine. ;)

LaCava is what or who? The ballpark figure came from my oncologist, who was roughly ballparking. I didn't think to ask where she got it from, though it's kind of in line with figures I've seen trying to calculate my BMI. And, just going by my memory of how I felt physically when I was that size, it would be a definite improvement. I may look okay now, but I assure you I can feel the difference when I'm out walking, especially going up the hill to our house and up the stairs. I get uncomfortably winded. And I get back pain. It's deeply annoying, and that's way more of a motivator for me than any external appearances, which will simply be bonus.

I don't expect to be miserable, really. Like I've said, I already eat fairly decently. This will be all about just giving up the soda, and not getting nuts with the snacks, and seeing what other tweaks I need to make after I speak with the nutritionist.

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

Also on Tuesday, I have to go in to be fitted with what has now been officially named the Stunt Boob.

Best name ever. :)

Also, thanks for the GBS heads-up!

[annathepiper]

*bows* Thank you! And, you're welcome! Looking forward to the show. <3

[chamois-shimi.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine who's been rather hardcore exercising (weight training, step aerobics classes, jogging) to lose weight because eating like a bird wasn't doing jack for her has learned some very interesting (surprising!) things by seeing a nutritionist. A) she wasn't eating enough protein B) she wasn't eating enough fat C) she wasn't drinking enough water. She adjusted accordingly, and it's made a huge difference. She's had to replace her wardrobe twice, now. So I vote yay, nutitionist! Keep a food log before you go, I forget how long they'll want it for, but it might simplify matters when you see one.

[annathepiper]

Yes, a food log was in the instructions I was given in the form they wanted me to fill out. It's for yesterday and today. I'm already a step ahead on what I'm sure she'll tell me, what with the recent vow to ditch the soda and ration the snacks. :)

I intellectually know this will work. I've done it before. The hard part will be reminding myself that it won't necessarily be fast!

[kintryth.livejournal.com]

*giggles madly!* Stunt boob! I luv it! You go, girl! *hugs*

[annathepiper]

Hee! Thanks. :) *hugs!*

[janne.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[annathepiper]

Thank you! :)

[drglam]

I've started drinking DIY soda (1/4 to 1/3 glass of juice, fill with flavored seltzer). I'm finding it really satisfying for the "I could really go for a sweet fizzy beverage right now" urge.

[annathepiper]

Dara's done that to a lesser degree by mixing diet Mountain Dew and OJ, yeah. I'd start doing that, only I really want to cut out the caffeine, too, which will be good for me in the long run.

The seltzer + juice option sounds promising, though, cool. Thanks!

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the diet side of things. Getting back to the exercise will certainly make that a lot easier. People place too much emphasis on eating less and not enough on exercising more when they're trying to lose weight, and it just doesn't work, not in the long term.

Glad you're starting to feel more like yourself again after the treatment.

[chamois-shimi.livejournal.com]

Ditto that, because then when they reach their goal (if they do, eating less and less can actually have the opposite effect of what people are looking for) if they go back to eating like they were before and still no increase in exercise they put all the weight back on, what a shocker!

[annathepiper]

I'm well aware of this, sure. And I have been walking upwards of 15 miles a week, so it ain't like I ain't been exercising already. ;) But thanks!

[annathepiper]

Believe me, I'm very aware of the need for proper exercise as well as proper diet. And very grateful that my natural commute patterns get me 15 or more miles walked every week. Should I get more motivated than that, I do own a treadmill, free weights, and a bike. :)

And thanks!

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

Woot for the nutritionist. A good one will really help you figure out the best way to eat for you.

Nordstrom's is a good place to get fitted, they really know their stuff.

As for exercise, I use Curves, which has worked out well for me. I offer that for whatever it turns out to be worth.

And GBS - WOO-HOO!!

[annathepiper]

I'm actually not hurting for exercise--just walking to and from the appropriate bus stops during my work week gets me 15 or more miles. When I get more motivated than that, I deal either with my treadmill, my free weights, or my bike. That I have done all of these things is, I believe, the reason I'm not heavier than I am. ;) Thanks though!

And indeed, I am very heartened by forthcoming Vertical Movement, even if I have to wait till October for it to get here.

[smeehrrr.livejournal.com]

The good thing about buying your tit at Nordstrom is their absolutely fantastic return policy. So if you decide you don't like it, you can always take it back and ask "Do you have anything that's a little more nipply?"

[annathepiper]

*sporfle!* Thank you, that is sage advice indeed. ;)

[backrubbear.livejournal.com]

If you can't bear to live without soda, I'll make another plug for sodaclubusa.com. Fizzy water FTW.

[annathepiper]

Let me get more specific: it's giving up the diet Mountain Dew that's tough. And to a lesser degree, diet Pepsi and diet Coke. All other soda I can do without nicely.

But really, it's probably more giving up the caffeine than soda. And after several days off caffeine, I start not missing it so much. Especially with tea around. And, happily, Whole Foods stocks some nice fruit-flavored spritzer things that aren't too many calories, and I can drink those with lunch.

Thanks though!

[bloody-keri.livejournal.com]

Sending you ALL my good luck vibes! You'll get there, especially by modifying diet and working with those free weights. Strength training in particular is going to have a powerful and immediate effect on your health, I guarantee it.

In regards to food, I have a pet theory that along with red meat, full-fat dairy is a direct contributor to all gynecological cancers and I won't chew your ear off with why, but at least there is a non-fat version of just about every dairy product out there and they all taste pretty good. I'm a big fan of Philly's fat-free cream cheese, particularly! :)

[annathepiper]

I've done free weights before, so yeah, I'm looking forward to doing it again. :)

I never have done all that much dairy, really; I've cut my milk intake down to pretty much nothing, but even before that, I was doing 1 percent milk. And about the only other dairy besides that that I've done has been ice cream and cheese.

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

Nordstrom's for a stunt boob--hy-larious!

Cathy

[annathepiper]

Thanks! It's working fairly well so far, especiall since I discovered that with a few judiciously used scraps of cloth, the Stunt Boob works okay in my regular bras. :)