Warning - Dates are approximates.
I was diagnosed with Endometriosis after my son, Marcus stopped nursing. He was born in August of 1996. Five and a half weeks premature, spent 13 days in the NICU, (his right lung collapsed while there - Miracle people those doctors and nurses) [one day I plan on being a kangaroo for them, just a warm body that goes and sits and rocks and loves those darling little angels, too many of them there without family] I nursed/pumped until October; when I went back to work my supervisors told me they wouldn't allow extra breaks in my schedule for me to pump. Approximately one month later, the pain began. Period type pain. Every.single.day. Making it hard for me to concentrate and hard for me to handle additional stress. I went to the a doctor. Pretty sure that since I didn't know what type of pain it was I started going to a Family Physician rather than a OB. Well, that and I blamed my OB for my son being premature.
A year later and after researching on my own, I offered the endometriosis diagnosis to my doctor. He decided I was right and scheduled an exploratory laporoscopy. Which turned into an operative laporoscopy while I was under. After the laporoscopy I still had pain and then the doctor offered Lupron. I'm not sure how long I was on Lupron at that point but he'd said "you can only have two doses of this in your lifetime."
Skip ahead to 2003, I moved got a skilled doctor, divorced Marcus's dad and married my darling Wayne. All the while the pain is still going on and I'd been put on birth control to "control the pain".
In 2004 Wayne and I decide to have a baby, I go off the birth control.. we wait 3 months before we "try" to get pregnant. We tried ONCE and were pregnant with Olivia. Olivia was born in June 2005. I nursed until Olivia was 10 months old. She began to bite me and refused to nurse. One month later, approximately, the pain was back and was more serious. The pain extended at time into my back and down into my legs.
So, back on the birth control I go to "control the pain." It worked for sometime then I asked if I could try a different kind of birth control. In my thinking if birth control was working why do I have to stick to remembering a pill. I asked to try an IUD. It was administered in December of 2008. By February of 2009 I'd been in so much pain daily, including a migraine that last for 18 months that I was begging for a hysterectomy. My doctor agreed and scheduled the surgery. During the appointment one week before surgery I asked for the IUD to be removed... my thoughts were "if my 'junk' is coming out, why do I need the IUD in". So, he removed it. And with it removed all the pain I'd been in for the last 2 months. I cancelled the surgery on Wednesday. Decided to give my body a rest from birth control for a month or so...
In June 2009, Olivia made a birthday wish for a baby sister. Amelia was born in April of 2010. (Birthday wishes have been over-ruled in my home!) I had gestational diabetes with Amelia, and other than a different diet we had a wonderful pregnancy. I gained only 18# which was completely different because with the other two it'd been 50# or 60#. I nursed Amelia for 9 months, she started refusing my milk and started getting tummy aches.
I joined Lose Big (my gym's version of Biggest Loser) the last week of September 2010. I worked out with my team and our trainer twice a week, religiously. I followed a better diet. I lost 20# the first month. I began to enjoy and even crave the workout. I felt lost if I missed a workout. I felt great! The sessions were 16 week sessions, two workouts a week with a team of 4 to 6 people. It was wonderful! In between sessions there was a week or two sometimes four that we didn't have any workouts... so we'd buy extra sessions. I did a total of 5 back to back sessions. I never stopped going... until... May 2012 my Wayne had noticed his weight creeping up. Wayne's father died in January 2012 and "normal" changed. So, I suggested that he start the next session of Lose Big in June. I was sure that with the half marathon training that I was about to begin and my teammates keeping each other accountable that I would be able to maintain my 46# weight loss.
Little did I know that June brought my Endometriosis pain back full on. My left side was blazing in pain! I went to the doctor the following week. We know you have Endo, but you're also experiencing "pelvic floor spasms". He prescribed a PT, said that she would likely give me exercises to do and I could do them on my own at home after the first visit. I thought that "pelvic floor spasms" sounded like a crap diagnosis and decided to hold off on the PT.
The pain continued until July when my right side began to blaze. That side hurt so badly that I was scared I might be pregnant in my tubes. I called my OB. I left a message reporting the pain to the nurse. She called me back and referred me to my Family Physician saying that it sounded like my appendix. CT scan revealed nothing.
August, brought left side pain. Same location as June. I went back to the OB. He referred me to the PT and I began seeing her.
September brought right side pain... so painful that I couldn't walk. I felt like a head was hanging out of me.
She referred me back to my OB saying that she couldn't help me until I get the pain managed. My OB wants to put me on Lupron.
Lupron will medically induce menopause. And could give us an idea of whether or not a hysterectomy is in my future.
That was two weeks ago. I've come to a conclusion since then. It seems coincidental that my pain began every time I stopped nursing... until I was exercising vigorously.
So, I've decided to rejoin Lose Big and see if I can "medicate" myself with exercise.
I hope this blog will be the story of how an active life is the best way to fight this disease. I hope to give others with this disease hope!!
Showing posts with label Lose Big. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lose Big. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Amelia has a cold and I didn't want to take a chance on there being something underlying there so we went home instead of the gym. Needless to say my miles didn't get done.
Lose Big is normally Mondays and Wednesdays. Yesterday Chelsea, my trainer, called. She'd been to the doctor and was told she's contagious. She asked to move last night's session to tonight. I assumed she texted all 7 of the team members. (Seven is big for a team) I had 3 miles scheduled for yesterday. And since I didn't go to bed at a decent hour I didn't get up at 5AM and run. I really need to get that under control. But then I feel that I need to get alot of things under control...
Tonight I am scheduled to do 4 miles. But I'm also scheduled to do the Lose Big class from last night. I may not go to the class tonight and instead knock out my mileage. I don't want to do back to back Lose Big classes and knock myself out of my November half marathon.
Today there's been very little pain. Mostly on the left side and in my back. I was having chest pains earlier, (as if crossing my heart but with my left hand instead) but not now.
The Prescription place called yesterday. Just as the nurse said they wanted permission to order the script for Lupron that my doc wanted. They also wanted a credit card number for the $45 copay. Since I'm not completely convinced that I want to go on Lupron... I didn't give them the number. Hope my doc doesn't get pissy. I really want to give my alternative med a shot first.
Lose Big is normally Mondays and Wednesdays. Yesterday Chelsea, my trainer, called. She'd been to the doctor and was told she's contagious. She asked to move last night's session to tonight. I assumed she texted all 7 of the team members. (Seven is big for a team) I had 3 miles scheduled for yesterday. And since I didn't go to bed at a decent hour I didn't get up at 5AM and run. I really need to get that under control. But then I feel that I need to get alot of things under control...
Tonight I am scheduled to do 4 miles. But I'm also scheduled to do the Lose Big class from last night. I may not go to the class tonight and instead knock out my mileage. I don't want to do back to back Lose Big classes and knock myself out of my November half marathon.
Today there's been very little pain. Mostly on the left side and in my back. I was having chest pains earlier, (as if crossing my heart but with my left hand instead) but not now.
The Prescription place called yesterday. Just as the nurse said they wanted permission to order the script for Lupron that my doc wanted. They also wanted a credit card number for the $45 copay. Since I'm not completely convinced that I want to go on Lupron... I didn't give them the number. Hope my doc doesn't get pissy. I really want to give my alternative med a shot first.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lose Big 5.3.2
Last night was weigh in night... (every Wednesday). Our trainer was out sick. She'd sent an email to the teams to let them know that she would be out.. but because the email goes to my home email address I didn't get it til late last night. So, after work I went to the gym, put my kids in "Kidzone", and went upstairs to workout.
Tom met me as I was entering the track. He explained that Sara was out but that he'd been there since 3pm (it was almost 6pm). He asked if I was going to stay or go and come again when Sara rescheduled our workout. I decided I would stay if other members of our team showed up. Turned out both Bliss and Stacey came.
The four of us made up our own workout for the night. We started with two weighted laps around the track. The ladies used an 8# medicine ball (Tom used 12#) we walked the track at a quick pace while holding the ball up over our heads and extending it behind our heads (Tricep Extensions). Then we hit the small stairwell (two flights) for intervals. Since there were four of us - we could do four exercises. So we did "wall taps", mountain climbers, wall squats and one person ran to the bottom floor and back up to the ones doing the other exercises then we rotated. Then I got the idea... Let's all pick something we hate and do intervals of those... So we used a 10# weight and did lunges across the middle of the track, "Spiderman Pushups", "Ski Abs" and "Burpees." After all that... we'd only used 20 minutes of our hour workout!!
We decided to use some of the machines... so we chose the row machine, the arm cycle, the ARC trainer and the stair climber doing each for 10 minutes. We ran out of time before I could get the last machine completed. Then we stretched and weighed. They call me "Bendie"... I'm a little flexible.
At the scale... I'd lost a little over 1#!
So all in all a good day at the gym!
Tom met me as I was entering the track. He explained that Sara was out but that he'd been there since 3pm (it was almost 6pm). He asked if I was going to stay or go and come again when Sara rescheduled our workout. I decided I would stay if other members of our team showed up. Turned out both Bliss and Stacey came.
The four of us made up our own workout for the night. We started with two weighted laps around the track. The ladies used an 8# medicine ball (Tom used 12#) we walked the track at a quick pace while holding the ball up over our heads and extending it behind our heads (Tricep Extensions). Then we hit the small stairwell (two flights) for intervals. Since there were four of us - we could do four exercises. So we did "wall taps", mountain climbers, wall squats and one person ran to the bottom floor and back up to the ones doing the other exercises then we rotated. Then I got the idea... Let's all pick something we hate and do intervals of those... So we used a 10# weight and did lunges across the middle of the track, "Spiderman Pushups", "Ski Abs" and "Burpees." After all that... we'd only used 20 minutes of our hour workout!!
We decided to use some of the machines... so we chose the row machine, the arm cycle, the ARC trainer and the stair climber doing each for 10 minutes. We ran out of time before I could get the last machine completed. Then we stretched and weighed. They call me "Bendie"... I'm a little flexible.
At the scale... I'd lost a little over 1#!
So all in all a good day at the gym!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Lose Big 5.2
Wednesday night's Lose Big was a good workout. I had two miles scheduled for that night and usually count the mile or so that we run during the workout if there is any running. Just so happened that there wasn't any running scheduled for that night.
We started out with "Suicides in the Stairwells." Now before you go getting pictures in your head let me explain what this was. We are on the second floor of the gym during our workout. Consider this, We enter the stairwell, go down one flight to the "bottom floor." For each exercise we run to that flight of stairs, do the exercise and come back to bottom. For example... to begin the suicides we ran up one flight and do an excercise (jump-squats) then ran back to the bottom. Then we ran to the second flight and do an exercise (Burpees) then back to the bottom .. and so on.
After suicides we went back to our normal area for interval stations using "toys". Our "toys" consisted of a stretchy band (tension is awesome), a stability ball, a heavy bag, a kettle bell, BOSU ball, an aerobic step (on FOUR risers). We had an additional station using no "toy" just our own body for things like "Spiderman pushups" or "Dancing Crab" (spiderman pushups are "boy pushups" but when you lower your upperbody to the floor you also raise one knee toward the same elbow each time alternating legs... looks like Spidey climbing a wall)
Needless to say after an hour my tail was kicked. My shins were tight and achy.. so I asked my coach about my two miles. (My thing is... if she says I can do it... I CAN do it and I will do it. It might take all day, but it'll get done.) She told me to do what I could, not to push myself, and if I needed to walk - walk. Don't go for time - Go for Distance.
I don't know about anyone else... but those tiny little people that sit on your shoulders and give you "advice".... Well one of mine has become a jock... Always screaming "GO!!!" "You need to be FASTER!!!"
She starts sounding like a drill sargent after a while.
We started out with "Suicides in the Stairwells." Now before you go getting pictures in your head let me explain what this was. We are on the second floor of the gym during our workout. Consider this, We enter the stairwell, go down one flight to the "bottom floor." For each exercise we run to that flight of stairs, do the exercise and come back to bottom. For example... to begin the suicides we ran up one flight and do an excercise (jump-squats) then ran back to the bottom. Then we ran to the second flight and do an exercise (Burpees) then back to the bottom .. and so on.
After suicides we went back to our normal area for interval stations using "toys". Our "toys" consisted of a stretchy band (tension is awesome), a stability ball, a heavy bag, a kettle bell, BOSU ball, an aerobic step (on FOUR risers). We had an additional station using no "toy" just our own body for things like "Spiderman pushups" or "Dancing Crab" (spiderman pushups are "boy pushups" but when you lower your upperbody to the floor you also raise one knee toward the same elbow each time alternating legs... looks like Spidey climbing a wall)
Needless to say after an hour my tail was kicked. My shins were tight and achy.. so I asked my coach about my two miles. (My thing is... if she says I can do it... I CAN do it and I will do it. It might take all day, but it'll get done.) She told me to do what I could, not to push myself, and if I needed to walk - walk. Don't go for time - Go for Distance.
I don't know about anyone else... but those tiny little people that sit on your shoulders and give you "advice".... Well one of mine has become a jock... Always screaming "GO!!!" "You need to be FASTER!!!"
She starts sounding like a drill sargent after a while.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Lose Big 5.2.1
My workout last night wasn't as "killer" as last Wednesday. (Read - by the end of it I wasn't trying not to puke)
We did a "buddy workout". Our buddy... was a 10# medicine ball (12# for the guys). Warm up was one set of 3 laps. First lap, we held the medicine ball in front of us and jogged. Second lap, we tossed the medicine ball in the air as we jogged a lap. Third lap, we held the medicine ball over our heads as we "sprinted." Then we repeated the set.
After we warmed up we did intervals with the ball. I don't remember alot of them... The first was windmills... hold the ball extended from your body while making giant slow circles (right, floor, left, above) 20 circles, then 20 squats with the ball extended in front of you, then 20 squats while you raise the ball above your head on the up and touch the ball to the floor each time you squat..
I had three miles to run and counted the 11 laps we did during the workout as part of them. Mostly because I only have 2 hours worth of childcare at the gym and my class always takes at least an hour and 15 minutes (somehow, but it's an hour class - not complaining, I love it!) So I ran 11 more laps - then it was time to get the kids from childcare. I took them straight home, fixed them supper and while they were eating I busted out one last mile on Mille (the treadmill I bought me two months before my stress fracture).
All in all it was a great workout and an excellent sweat...
Weigh in is every Wednesday - I'd like to see a pound loss at least but will be happy with no gains!
****NO WHAMMYS!!!*** NO WHAMMYS!!!***
We did a "buddy workout". Our buddy... was a 10# medicine ball (12# for the guys). Warm up was one set of 3 laps. First lap, we held the medicine ball in front of us and jogged. Second lap, we tossed the medicine ball in the air as we jogged a lap. Third lap, we held the medicine ball over our heads as we "sprinted." Then we repeated the set.
After we warmed up we did intervals with the ball. I don't remember alot of them... The first was windmills... hold the ball extended from your body while making giant slow circles (right, floor, left, above) 20 circles, then 20 squats with the ball extended in front of you, then 20 squats while you raise the ball above your head on the up and touch the ball to the floor each time you squat..
I had three miles to run and counted the 11 laps we did during the workout as part of them. Mostly because I only have 2 hours worth of childcare at the gym and my class always takes at least an hour and 15 minutes (somehow, but it's an hour class - not complaining, I love it!) So I ran 11 more laps - then it was time to get the kids from childcare. I took them straight home, fixed them supper and while they were eating I busted out one last mile on Mille (the treadmill I bought me two months before my stress fracture).
All in all it was a great workout and an excellent sweat...
Weigh in is every Wednesday - I'd like to see a pound loss at least but will be happy with no gains!
****NO WHAMMYS!!!*** NO WHAMMYS!!!***
Friday, February 10, 2012
Forgetful when Sweatful
Wednesday was the Lose Big workout. This time there wasn't anything done for a record. We usually do the fitness evaluations 3 times (beginning, middle, and end) a season.
I discussed with Tom, a member of my group, that I would like to make an online calendar to share my training schedule. If he'd like to do the same I could set him up then... if we happen to be training on the same day.. we could bust out a few miles together. I'll just go ahead and say his miles will be faster than mine - the man is.a.giant. so when he stretches out and gets on a solid pace... he's just flat gone!
He agreed so I set him up! (I just pulled up the calendar, he's already entered stuff into it! That's pretty cool!)
We started our workout with 4 laps. Then intervals.. up until the last few seasons I've been able to remember what we did long enough to get home and log it on dailymile. But the last few seasons I haven't, she's kicked it up and I have been able to remember some things but not all.
Our intervals (what I can remember) were with 8# hand weights. First 20 Squat Presses, 20 push-ups, 10 Burpees from Hell, and 20 of something I don't remember. Then run a lap when we got back to where we started there is a stairwell, we run down the stairwell and back up (two flights) then start the interval again.
After the second time on the same set of intervals including the lap and stairs - we did another set of intervals. Four completely different intervals, 20 squat lunges (with the weights 1 squat plus a backward lunge on each leg - do this 20 times, 20 skiers (legs like skier, weights in hands going back like your shooshing down the slope, squat as you shoosh) 20 of something I can't remember, then 20 woodchops each side (hold both weights together in your hands like holding an ax, then from your right side stand tall with legs spread shoulder width and chop toward your left ankle bending as you chop) plus the lap and the stairs and then do the same set including the lap and the stairs.
Then it was time to do Abs... for this month Sara has us doing Fab-AB-February. But since we're on the "Advanced Team" we are to do double of what each day says. So instead of doing it at home on our own, on the days we're at the gym we do F.A.F with our team mates.
Then time to stretch... I probably haven't mentioned it... but I LOVE to STRETCH... feels great after a workout or run or even after getting out of bed.
If I ever post a workout but don't describe what it was and you want to know - feel free to ask for a description.. if I can remember it.. I'll be glad to tell you what it was =)
I discussed with Tom, a member of my group, that I would like to make an online calendar to share my training schedule. If he'd like to do the same I could set him up then... if we happen to be training on the same day.. we could bust out a few miles together. I'll just go ahead and say his miles will be faster than mine - the man is.a.giant. so when he stretches out and gets on a solid pace... he's just flat gone!
He agreed so I set him up! (I just pulled up the calendar, he's already entered stuff into it! That's pretty cool!)
We started our workout with 4 laps. Then intervals.. up until the last few seasons I've been able to remember what we did long enough to get home and log it on dailymile. But the last few seasons I haven't, she's kicked it up and I have been able to remember some things but not all.
Our intervals (what I can remember) were with 8# hand weights. First 20 Squat Presses, 20 push-ups, 10 Burpees from Hell, and 20 of something I don't remember. Then run a lap when we got back to where we started there is a stairwell, we run down the stairwell and back up (two flights) then start the interval again.
After the second time on the same set of intervals including the lap and stairs - we did another set of intervals. Four completely different intervals, 20 squat lunges (with the weights 1 squat plus a backward lunge on each leg - do this 20 times, 20 skiers (legs like skier, weights in hands going back like your shooshing down the slope, squat as you shoosh) 20 of something I can't remember, then 20 woodchops each side (hold both weights together in your hands like holding an ax, then from your right side stand tall with legs spread shoulder width and chop toward your left ankle bending as you chop) plus the lap and the stairs and then do the same set including the lap and the stairs.
Then it was time to do Abs... for this month Sara has us doing Fab-AB-February. But since we're on the "Advanced Team" we are to do double of what each day says. So instead of doing it at home on our own, on the days we're at the gym we do F.A.F with our team mates.
Then time to stretch... I probably haven't mentioned it... but I LOVE to STRETCH... feels great after a workout or run or even after getting out of bed.
If I ever post a workout but don't describe what it was and you want to know - feel free to ask for a description.. if I can remember it.. I'll be glad to tell you what it was =)
This week has been KAH-RAY-ZY!!! I'm probably gonna post several times today to fill you in on the craziness.
Monday , I started Lose Big again (5th time). Hello! (stands up) My name is Tessa. I'm addicted to my coach Sara. She says hop, I hop. She says run, I run. She says "Now for a warm up, we're going to do intervals in the stairwell. Grab your 8# weights and follow me." I quiver with delight because I know that I will be dripping wet with sweat by the time I'm half way finished with the warm up!! Don't bother trying to "fix" me or "cure" my addicition. It's fine. I would much rather be addicted to this than half a dozen other things (foods, mainly) that I've been "addicted" to in the past.
So, We were told that we would keep our measurements and times from two weeks prior and just start working out on Monday. Well, that isn't how it went. We did all the "tests" over again. Pushups, Crunches, Plank, and the timed mile.. "The lady" is on my team again... but my friend Bliss Runner is back too. I'd told her about The Lady cutting her mile one lap short last time and I was waiting to see if she would try it again or if she could meet her 9:11 mile time. I, of course, wanted to meet or beat my 10:02 time. Now I don't claim to be fast, but I do my best and that's all that I can ask of myself.
When we started the mile this time, like always, I started in the back of the pack. I run at my own pace and I try to stay at that pace. I may occasionally stretch my legs out a bit and "run longer". By the 3rd lap, I passed "the lady" and kept going. I didn't look back.. okay, I'll admit that in the windows that surround half the track, I would look for her reflection. "She's right behind me, I know it" "She's gonna pass me any second" Um, no neither of those was happening... I actually couldn't see her in the windows.. and by the 8th lap I found out why... she'd walked and I'd nearly lapped her. I saw her ahead of me as I was taking the 3rd turn in my final lap. She was walking. "I'm gonna pass her, Kick it up a bit!" I told myself. It would give me a tiny thrill to pass her twice in a mile! But she turned and saw me coming, just as I lengthened my stride and started to sprint... she broke into a run. She wasn't gonna have any of it.
As I crossed the line, Sara called out my time 9:45. WHAT?! 9:45!!! I beat my own time!! HELL YEA!!
I hugged Sara!! High Five'd my girls!! I can't breathe right now but HELL YEA!
Closer and closer to the 8 min mile I want so badly!!
Monday , I started Lose Big again (5th time). Hello! (stands up) My name is Tessa. I'm addicted to my coach Sara. She says hop, I hop. She says run, I run. She says "Now for a warm up, we're going to do intervals in the stairwell. Grab your 8# weights and follow me." I quiver with delight because I know that I will be dripping wet with sweat by the time I'm half way finished with the warm up!! Don't bother trying to "fix" me or "cure" my addicition. It's fine. I would much rather be addicted to this than half a dozen other things (foods, mainly) that I've been "addicted" to in the past.
So, We were told that we would keep our measurements and times from two weeks prior and just start working out on Monday. Well, that isn't how it went. We did all the "tests" over again. Pushups, Crunches, Plank, and the timed mile.. "The lady" is on my team again... but my friend Bliss Runner is back too. I'd told her about The Lady cutting her mile one lap short last time and I was waiting to see if she would try it again or if she could meet her 9:11 mile time. I, of course, wanted to meet or beat my 10:02 time. Now I don't claim to be fast, but I do my best and that's all that I can ask of myself.
When we started the mile this time, like always, I started in the back of the pack. I run at my own pace and I try to stay at that pace. I may occasionally stretch my legs out a bit and "run longer". By the 3rd lap, I passed "the lady" and kept going. I didn't look back.. okay, I'll admit that in the windows that surround half the track, I would look for her reflection. "She's right behind me, I know it" "She's gonna pass me any second" Um, no neither of those was happening... I actually couldn't see her in the windows.. and by the 8th lap I found out why... she'd walked and I'd nearly lapped her. I saw her ahead of me as I was taking the 3rd turn in my final lap. She was walking. "I'm gonna pass her, Kick it up a bit!" I told myself. It would give me a tiny thrill to pass her twice in a mile! But she turned and saw me coming, just as I lengthened my stride and started to sprint... she broke into a run. She wasn't gonna have any of it.
As I crossed the line, Sara called out my time 9:45. WHAT?! 9:45!!! I beat my own time!! HELL YEA!!
I hugged Sara!! High Five'd my girls!! I can't breathe right now but HELL YEA!
Closer and closer to the 8 min mile I want so badly!!
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