A Grand Adventure

Yesterday evening I met my cousin Cara and her husband Matt for a drink to celebrate (it was their wedding I went to back in October). They just moved here, which is pretty cool because we're the same age and Cara and I have always been really close friends. I was the very first grand-baby on both sides of my family, and she was born only 6 months after me. Our dads are identical twins, so we've pretty much grown up together, and we used to say we were technically half-sisters since we share the same DNA from our dads - that was before we learned about biology :) . But we DO look freakishly similar (as do my sister and I - we are mistaken for twins all the time). At the wedding, several people mistook me for the bride!! I guess we don't look that similar in this picture, but here's the three of us at the wedding. I just noticed that I totally have visible sports-bra tan lines and it looks like my dress is about to fall off in this picture!! Oh well, Katie and Cara look great.

I called it an early night and came home about 8:00. Adam is working the night shift this week, so he wasn't around... I rang in the New Year solo! But I was in bed by 10 and it was really no big deal to me. I got completely absorbed in this Discovery channel program about climbers ascending Mt. Everest, including the first man with no legs to make it to the summit, Mark Inglis. He lost his legs in a climbing accident and has two prosthetic limbs from the knees down. It was so amazing. I love stuff like that - adventures and physical challenges. It made me want to have an adventure of my own. I haven't done anything really adventurous in a long time - I've been so focused on my education and work the last few years (which I suppose is a big adventure in its own way!). I think it's time for a grand adventure! I've been feeling restless in that way since my cancer diagnosis. Not sure what yet, but I know there is a lot to look forward to in 2007! It's going to be a *great* year! I'm sure of it.

As for how I'm feeling on Day 3 off my meds... I am hesitant to even talk about it cause I don't want to jinx it, but I feel pretty darn good. Not great, but not bad either. I had a difficult time falling asleep last night - who knows why - but my mind kept churning and mulling and wouldn't quiet down. I kept thinking, I'm still not falling asleep... is this hypo-insomnia?? what if I can't sleep for two weeks?? what if I wake up feeling awful tomorrow?? etc... I did eventually fall asleep. So far my only symptom is mild lightheadedness, especially when I stand up, the world goes black momentarily. I had a couple of really spacey moments yesterday, but for the most part, I feel the same as I did on Friday. Oh, I hope it stays like this!!

I lifted chest, back and tris yesterday. It was a short, easy workout, but it was the same routine I did for those muscles last week. I felt a little shaky and lightheaded - almost like I was hypoglycemic - but the weights seemed to go up just fine. Today I went in for 30 minutes on the step machine and that went off just fine too. I didn't feel hugely energetic or like I wanted to do much more, but it wasn't much trouble to complete. Obviously I am not going to push myself at all, but I think it helps to stay active. Here's me pulling a dorky flex a few days ago (yeah, you like the sweat stain on my sports bra, right?! My biceps are definitely smaller... :) You can't even see the bandage over my scar - it is the same color as my skin. It's a Neosporin Scar Strip, recommended by my surgeon.


As for the diet, that's going fine too. I cooked some of that million-dollar chicken yesterday with some fresh basil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, non-iodized salt, and olive oil. I also had some fresh pork with herbs de provence, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and non-iodized salt. So basically I had to go out of my way a little, but I would have eaten similar things anyway. I also had a bunch of egg whites - I've eaten over a dozen in 3 days - fresh fruit (apple, peaches and blueberries), baby carrots, a huge salad with balsamic vinegar and oil, and several servings of unsalted walnuts. I generally try to eat like this most of the time anyway... I should note that treats are allowed and there are LOTS of dessert recipes in the Thyca LID cookbook - even for chocolate chip cookies and homemade breads. If I had a family I would probably try some of them out, but it's just me so it's easier to keep it simple. I stopped taking the astragalus herbs and acidophilus since I can't tell what's in them, but I'm still taking vitamin C and flax oil.

I went and picked up my real thyroid meds yesterday, even though I can't take them until after the RAI. It makes me feel better somehow knowing they are there and I could (theoretically) take them any time I wanted to.

Happy New Years everyone!!