So I am bad about blogging consistantly. What about it?

4 months have passed since my last blog. I am a busy lady what can I say.. oh and I kind of forgot about blogging :)   These past 4 months have been grand! I have been working as a psychiatric RN for the past 4 months, learning lots and loving every moment of it (well except towards the end of those 50+ work weeks but thank God those are over with for now). It has been a very humbling experience to say the least! Brandon and I experienced a type of loss that I never for seen in our lives, welcomed new lives into the world, met new people, built stronger friendships as well as new ones, and have been enjoying this summer time weather this winter! Time has just been flying by, cannot believe we have been living here in Charleston, SC for 8 months already- just 4 months shy of a year sesh that seems impossible! It feels like before we know it we will be packing up and getting ready for our next duty station!!

Brandon has been doing great with the Navy. He completed A school in the top percentage of his class and got a promotion! He is in T-Track right now waiting to start Power School. The T Track schedule has given him a nice slow down to the pace he was used to in school and has allowed him to be home more which of course makes Dudley and I very happy! He is supposed to class up to Power School in late March or early April. 

I have just been working a lot and trying to spend my free time with Bran and Dudley and the gym. Ive started to research schools to apply to so I can perhaps start my Masters Degree. I think I have narrowed it down to Sacred Heart University. The staff there has been great answering all of my questions and giving me a ton of reasons to pick them. We will see, I am still praying on it to see if this is what God truly has laid on my heart to do. I have also been calculating all the time I have left until each visitor arrives and when I get to go to Ohio for my sisters Bridal Shower and then Wedding! So excited for all of the guest that will be coming. We are lucky in the fact that we usually get a group of visitors every 4-6 weeks and will continue to do so! I love hosting company here! 

Unnamed Blog.

So I haven't blogged in a month in a half! And that month and a half has been nuts! Tuesday September 6 I was in orientation for a new RN job and out of the blue felt like I was going to pass out and had just a feeling of over all sickness. Pretty scary. I was hoping if I just tried to man up and make it through the week I would re-cooperate during the weekend and on Monday feel back to being healthy. Boy was I wrong. It has been exactly a month from then and I am still not back to 100%. I have had a ton of Dr appointments, 2 CT Scans, an Ultra Sound, Colonscopy, tons of blood tests and multiple prescription for possible diagnosis. I finally got referred to a EarNose&Throat Specialist and also a Gastroenterologist. It has been a whirlwind!

The ENT found 2 bilateral tumors of some sort on my Parotid Glands but isn't sure exactly what they are so instead of a repeat CT I am having a MRI on this coming Tuesday. I am surprisingly not nervous just ready to get it all figured out. 

Today I had my procedure at the Gastroenterologist and he ruled out Colitis, Crohns, IBS, etc. But he did confirm that I did in fact have Gilbert's Syndrome. Not a really big deal. Happy to have that answered. He also seemed to think that the 3 weeks of terrible nausea, loss of appetite, etc was probably due to a terrible virus possibly from something I ate. So needless to say my days of eating raw fish is OVER! I will still eat sushi (because I love it) but may just stick to the boring but delicious California Roll for now haha! 

This past month has been an emotional roller coaster. Being so sick and 700 miles from your family and friends is not easy. Brandon has been wonderful and I know it has been hard on him since he has a huge obligation and couldn't be here as much as he wanted to. I have learned a lot about myself and also my relationships this month, got a lot of things put into perspective. Its funny how you grow up and things that used to be important to you just aren't anymore... and you realize that they just aren't worth the effort and not nearly as important as other things in your adult life. This month has been full of prayer and questions more so than usual. Even though I have been sick I have full and total faith in the Ultimate Physician! I know that my life is in his hands and he will never steer me wrong.

In other news. I hadn't been to the gym in like 23 days (I have lost muscle and strength but have also lost weight due to the loss of appetite and nausea for 3 weeks), then I made it for 3 days last week and haven't been back this week with all the procedure prep I had to do and then the procedure. But I plan on getting back into the swing of things tomorrow! I have a great 12 week plan lined up and am so excited to get started on it! It seems very challenging but I am excited to push myself to the next level, I did it before and can do it again. I wanna gain the muscle strength back plus some!!! The 12 weeks will be finished up just in time for the Holidays and for when I will finally be back in OHIO! Which I am counting down for! Cannot wait to spend Christmas with my family!!!!

Phew! Thanks for the support..now let me support you!!

So I received a surprising amount of texts, emails and Face Book messages about yesterdays "Big Ole Rant" blog. They all were positive (that is were the phew comes in) and it made me smile knowing that my words caused some people to start thinking about how they are currently living and what they actually want for themselves. Then that gave me the idea that maybe I will start blogging more about health and wellness and the struggles, emotions and thoughts I have dealing with that topic. If you are interested in becoming a healthier and happier version of yourself then join this blogging site... follow me..and lets do it together! Just like my first tip on the last blog- Have a support system, trust me it makes all the difference. I do not claim to know it all or what will work best for YOU I just know the hurdles I over came and my experiences and hope to help others become a success.

 I had said many of times that I was going to get in shape, just like many of us have. Then it was always followed by a statement like "starting next week, starting next month, at the beginning of the year that will be my New Years Resolution".. well that never really worked out too well. Sure there were a couple of times that I stuck with it a few weeks and then would start to "cheat" (I hate that term and will get into that some other time) but it never turned into an actual Lifestyle Change- it never stuck. It was the day before my college graduation (May 2009) and I was feeling GREAT! Was about to graduate with a Bachelors in Science in Health Studies and Promotion and was feeling on top of the world. My then Fiance Brandon (now husband) had came up to Oxford to spend Graduation Weekend with me and he had brought along a bag with a ton of crap in it. Protein powder, grounded up oatmeal, and some other things in plastic bags and it was then he told me about his plans. The next day (the actual day of my Graduation May 10, 2009) he was changing his life around, going to start to be healthier because he was tired of feeling sick and tired and being uncomfortable with the way he looked, he just wasn't happy with himself. I of course took his big news with a grain of salt and thought "yeah whatever". He then tried to encourage me to start being healthier and I distinctly remember telling him that I was healthy and I thought I looked fine and if he wanted to diet that was his deal not mine. Welp, that embarrassing picture I revealed yesterday was in fact taken AT MY GRADUATION PARTY and at my Heaviest weight. EEK! And I actually thought I looked cute that day. Brandon kept his promise to himself and became healthier starting on May 10, 2009 and has been doing great ever since! That was his story now here is my very embarrassing story of how I got my start.

Like I said before I became a RN I had received a BS in Health Studies and Promotion from Miami University. I had heard Professors constantly stating that "we were health professionals once we graduated, and should act like one- practice what you are going to preach" those words usually went in one ear and out the other. I never considered myself that out of shape. I was perfectly capable of going and running a mile or 2 if I felt inclined to and thought because I could do that twice a month that I was in average, perfectly normal shape. So I was in DENIAL! The drive to change my life occurred in the most unusual spot. Cazadores. Those of you who are from Ohio or know me well that name rings a bell. It is a Mexican restaurant that my Step-Father is a co-owner at and I was a waitress there after I graduated and through Nursing school. So with being a waitress at a restaurant there is usually a nice discount on the food during your work day.. that being FREE. Very bad for someone who had no will power and loved yummy cheesy friend Mexican cuisine. There is almost always a cliche scene in tv shows and movies that involve the fat kid and food.. usually someone trips them, etc. WELL.. one night after I had gotten off early I decided I was going to just eat dinner there. I had ordered a chimichanga fried with ground beef inside and lots of queso on top. I was walking with my plate in my hand to a little side corner in the back when I tripped over my own feet, landing flat on my face with pieces of the broken plate and food everywhere. I was embarrassed naturally.... but had felt something I had never felt before. I felt like the "fat kid" in the cliche movie scene. I hurried to clean up the mess and immediately left. I was really disappointed in myself and realized I shouldn't of been eating that anyways. I was over weight, unhappy, and using food as a comfort. The anger set in and I finally reached the mentality that this was RIDICULOUS I am the ONLY one who can provoke and maintain the change I supposedly desired so bad so I was going to do it! The very next day I started my crazy journey to a better me. Almost 16 months ago!

I am excited to blog more stories and such and hope that you will follow me and that I can be an encouragement and a support system to whoever is in need . Today I leave you with AWESOME pictures of my biggest support and motivation. My husband Brandon!!!! He got such awesome results through HARD WORK & DETERMINATION.. NO fad diet or p90x. Just good ole work!

A BIG OLE RANT on some irritating issues.

CAUTION: DO NOT READ if you LOVE your Unhealthy Lifestyle and don't care to hear my (a health professional's and former individual who LOVED their Unhealthy Lifestyle) 2 cents. There is my fair warning :)

Okay so day to day I see and hear things that make me sick to my stomach. Just the way we as a population live our life is kind of sad. We think it is okay to be a little "chubby" when medically speaking the majority of people that consider their self chubby or a tad over weight are actually obese! No one likes to hear that or be labeled as such but ... its the TRUTH. And it is your right to do and act as you please I am not in the least bit trying to criticize people for that but what bothers me is watching people cram disgusting amounts of awful food down their throat, drink their selves into a coma, and smoke countless packs and packs of  cigarettes and then act honest to God surprised when they are told that they have cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, COPD, the list goes on and on.

So addiction. That is one word that is used a lot. People are addicted to food, cigarettes, alcohol and anything else that you can think of. Fine. Addiction is very real and I am not undermining that but I just don't get peoples mine set and reasoning. Why doesn't the fact that these poor choices are basically inviting a whole slue of nasty diseases and health problems to ravish their bodies have a big enough impact to turn your life around? And my ultimate BIGGEST pet peeve... "Exercise and Eating Healthy just doesn't work for me". Really? That is interesting. I am the last person to believe that bull. I exercised and eat healthy and guess what... some how lost close to 40 lbs. Either you aren't really putting the effort in that you are convincing yourself that you are or those two things with the result of my weight loss was just a really weird coincidence.

Throwing that amount of weight I loss out there is embarrassing for me.. not going to lie about that. I never viewed myself as being that unhealthy that by changing my lifestyle would have dropped that much weight. It was a STRUGGLE. Those first probably 2 months I was not a nice person to be around, I loathed going to the gym and used almost every excuse imaginable not to go, and had cravings for the old junk I indulged in all the time. Without Brandon I have no doubt that I wouldn't have made it to where I am now. He was patient but firm with me and was there to ALWAYS remind me that this is what I wanted for my life and not to give in because at the end of the day I would feel awful about giving up. Here are a few things that helped me.

1. Have a support system. Let those around you know that you are trying to improve your lifestyle and make healthier choices that way they won't throw the temptation out there and will be in the loop about why you are cranky :)

2. Be completely honest with yourself and look at yourself for who you are! Its okay to admit that you are not 100% happy with who you are because those reasons will help you to work hard to become who you WANT TO BE!

3. Take one day at a time. Don't worry if you are going to eat healthy next week. The answer is yes. You make that decision everyday and before you know it.. its not really a struggle to make the "right" decision .. its more like an automatic action.

4. Take lots of pictures. You can keep them personal and to yourself but by documenting your changes from week to week or month to month it will really boost your morale and keep you motivated!

5. Be ready to make the change... ready to give it 100%! Changing to healthier was so far one of the hardest things to do (in the beginning). If you are not ready to give it your all your chances of failing could be higher. But failing is OKAY! Try try try again!

6. One thing that is important to state is by saying you are changing your lifestyle you are not vowing nor do you have to feel like you are saying you are going to NEVER eat fast food again, or candy, pizza, donuts, etc. What you ARE saying IS it is okay to have something like that EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. But practicing moderation and not completely binging on these things.

Like I said before this was a rant about my personal opinions. If I ticked you off, well, there is probably a reason it hit ya in a soft spot and I will leave it at that. I am not criticizing anyone. And I am most certainly not telling you that if you don't eat healthy and exercise that you are WRONG. That is NOT what I am about. If you are happy with yourself than so be it, I wish you the best. This journey (which is still on going) was never centered around looks, being "skinny", or a certain clothing size. It was about HEALTH! I have seen countless patients who were in the bad shape they were in due to their unhealthy behavior and IT SCARED ME, scared me into wanting better for myself. I will end this blog with a very embarrassing "before" picture and a less embarrassing "after". Enjoy!

Before. :(

Neglect: The state or fact of being uncared for

So I have done just that... NEGLECTED my blog! It helped me get through the awful and ugly referred to as Boot Camp and then I moved on and kinda forgot about it haha!! BUT, I seen it today the bookmark saved on the top of my FireFox webpage and had an ah hah moment! I originally started this blog with the intentions of being able to update friends and family without having to remember and repeat the same stories of day to day life living in the far away land referred to as Charleston, South Carolina :) So here it is:

UPDATE: We have been living in our humble abode now since June 17, 2011.. exactly 2 months today! So far I love it here, the weather is great the area is beautiful and full of so much history! Dudley seems to enjoy the outside too! We never have a dull moment and there are plenty of things to do and see. We have had 2 sets of visitors thus far (The Yates'- Kathy & Butch and Grandma Sally) and (My Best Friend- Amanda Mahoney) and are looking forward to even more visitors! We have some very special guest getting in this Sunday and staying until the next Sunday and then September 3 our very dear friends The Singer's will be here! So much to look forward to! 

JOB UPDATE: I Have not found a RN position yet. Well, I did but after looking at the schedule that was prepared for me I decided I would look else where versus having a drive of 2 hours to the clinic and then a long 2 hours home from the clinic. I have sent in my application to be an Officially Licensed Registered Nurse in the state of South Carolina so I just won't be in Ohio. What is interesting is South Carolina is apart of the Nurse License Compact (NLC) along with 23 other states so if we happen to get stationed in Virgina it won't be such a hassle to obtain a Virgina license. The bad news is the possible other future duty stations ie. California or Washington are not under the NLC. I have started this past week to really find a RN position and am getting frustrated that I haven't found one yet but I keep trying to remind myself that God is just waiting to bring me to the one he wants me to have. I have stated many times that I NEVER had the desire to be a RN and never even considered it until I gave my life to the Lord and felt as though it was HIS WILL for me to be a Nurse. So as I sit here as a very bored house wife with a very clean house I at least have that comfort hahah!

BRANDON UPDATE: Brandon is excelling in his classes here at the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC) and his GPA is an A! I am so proud! He works very long hours and is sometimes gone from 5 am - 9 pm. But he is very humble about the situation, this is something WE chose as a married couple and even when times get stressful for him and we go days without spending time with one another he can rest assure that I am in this with him, he wasn't the only one who signed up for this I am right on board too! He is currently in what they call 'A School' then after his A School graduation he will advance to Power School and then Prototype! It is a long 2 year process but I feel like this is where we are meant to be and life is good!

As you can imagine we miss and love our families and friends back home so much! We think about you and pray for you everyday and cannot wait until we come home to visit! Which ideally should be in December around Christmas. After being here in this heat for 6 months we are gonna be freezing in Ohio in December.. brrrr!!!

TOMORRRRROW

Tomorrow around 7 I will be setting at the airport waiting for MY SAILOR!! He gets to come home and take leave for a few days & then this time when he leaves he will be taking me and Dudley doo (our baby dog) with him to our new home & life in South Carolina! So exciting and sad. On a very happy note... I PASSED BOARDS I am OFFICIALLY a RN. PHEW!! That cuts my stress factor down about 35% hahah! Now I am concentrating on a getting a job :) 

If any one would of told me my freshman year of college 7 years ago "when it is all said and done you will graduate with your bachelors only to go back for another undergrad degree and become a nurse and you will also transfer colleges your sophomore year, go to a party and run into Brandon Yates that you graduated with from high school ((out of all of the students at the University and 3 hours from home))... fall in love with him.. marry him.. and then become a Navy Wife after he graduates from college and decides to join the Navy" I would of probably died over laughing!! I guess God is truly mysterious and things happen when and where they should! SO glad I decided to open my heart up to him and decided to follow HIS will for my life! Everything happens for a reason after all I suppose!

You may not end up where you thought you'd be, but you always end up where your meant to be.

Questions of science Science and progress Do not speak as loud as my heart .

So today I got an expected phone call from my Husband.. hum hum excuse me... My Sailor! He called and said he had passed Battle Stations 21 and was finished with boot camp! I was a very proud wifey and very happy that we got to chit chat for a hour! And even more happy knowing that in one week I will get to see him, hug him, kiss him :) I just love him!!! These 2 months were brutal but survivable! No doubt that if it wasn't for my very supportive family and friends and it wouldn't have been as easy to swallow. 

Speaking of family and friends I am going to be missing a lot of people but notably my Mom, Sister, Grandparents, and my baby nephew Cameron. My Mom has been my rock my supporter, motivator, basically my all since forever! I am so thankful to have such a caring, giving Mother who has always done whatever it took to give me and my Sister everything! I hope I can be half as great as she was one day!

My sister Heather has been my partner in crime, my best friend, my confidant for 23 years! I am going to miss her like crazy even the bickering over stupid stuff haha. But she is also my Momma's daughter and know that she is strong and will be okay! She has grown into a wonderful woman and I am very proud!

As for my Grandparents.. they are AMAZING! They have also always been there for me with a supportive spirit! They always have my best interest in mind and have never steered me wrong! Great role models!!

And Cam- well like I said he is and will always be my little Baby Nephew :) Just a little nugget! That kid stole my heart!!

But on the bright side, I  put my life and marriage in God's hands and know that this (the Navy) is the right decision for us and it is all going to be OKAY! At least Charleston, SC is a nice place for them to visit haha!

Me and Mom 1987