Going "semi"-unplugged

Well, it's been a little over 2 weeks since my D&C and my last blog.  Some days are better than others and the last 3 or 4 days have probably been the worst so far.  Physically I am fine.  I went to the doctor on Friday and she gave me the A-OK to go back to normal activities.  She said the labs came back on the tissue and all was normal (it wasn't a molar pregnancy or any other kind of genetic issue) which is a huge relief.  Mentally and emotionally however...that's another story...

It started out last week.  Cowboy was spending all of his time and focusing all of his attention on a friend of his who was hospitalized (for what exactly I'm not sure but I think it was a mild heart attack).  That started Monday night and by Friday I was really needing some attention.  I tried really really hard to be understanding and for the most part I was but at 10pm on Friday night when he still wasn't home and I had been waiting for him all afternoon and evening I became irate.  When he finally came home we got into a huge fight and I think that's when the flood gates opened.

I wasn't just mad at him I was mad at the whole world. I was mad at me for being mad...it was a perpetual downward spiral.  I spent the next two days (yes, my whole weekend) in bed. I got up to shower, get something to drink and the occasional something to eat ( I didn't have much of an appetite).  All of Saturday and most of Sunday we MAYBE said 20 words to each other.

So after watching enough TV to last me for the rest of the year - I was spending the rest of the time on facebook, on my phone.  I am a facebook junkie - I will be the first to admit it.  But the more I was on facebook the more depressed and upset I got.  I started to feel like I was stuck in a house, looking out the window at everyone else's happy lives while mine continues to be shitty. Here are the ways I feel that my life is shitty:

• I can't find a good-full-time pay-by-the-hour job.  
• The job I DO have has severely slowed down so my patient load is a fraction of what it once was - so instead of making almost $300 a week (which is pathetic considering I am a RN and COULD be making upwards of $1000 a week) I am now lucky to net $185 a week. This is not enough to survive on
• Cowboy got called back to work for his previous employer and they kept saying that they wanted him back permanently but that was just to get him to come work for them while their other guy was at "training". 
• Because of all of this - our bills are always behind, namely rent. Luckily we have a great landlord who understands and is willing to work with us
• And lastly - The one dream I have always had, to be a mommy, was ripped right from my heart. 

I'm sure there are other reasons but these are at the forefront of my mind.

So with all of these feelings and emotions surging through my heart and head, seeing all the wonderful things everyone else is having happen in their lives is making my problems seem so much more worse than they probably are.  I caught myself more than once yesterday getting ready to post some negative nasty status update on facebook.  After about the third or fourth time of typing out a status update and then deleting it before I hit submit I realized that maybe it's time to unplug.  So that's just what I did.  I deactivated my facebook account. 

Don't get me wrong I am happy for those around me who are having these great things happen to them but I just can't stand to watch it all unfold in front of my face right now.  It's causing me too much more emotional distress than I can handle and it's starting to affect my relationship with the one person who cares about me the most.  So, for the foreseeable future I will not be on facebook.  It wasn't enough for me to just not log on, or to delete the app from my phone.  I know myself too well and I would just re-download the app.  I just need to have enough willpower to not allow myself to sign on when I'm on this computer.  So "semi" unplugged is what I am.  I still have my cell phone and house phone, and computer - I'm just going to steer clear of social networking for a while. At least until I feel that I can handle it again. 

After I deactivated my facebook account, I decided to watch The Secret.  I borrowed it from my friend Kim a long time ago and just never got around to watching it.  Anyway I half think its a crock of shit, but the other half of me thinks it might work.  So I'm gonna give it a try. Tomorrow I am going to make some "Think Boards" and hang them in my office or in my living room or somewhere I will see them often. I don't want to be depressed and sad and mad and upset all the time. It's not healthy.  Since I no longer am on Facebook - I will record my feelings here on my blog.  I really do need to start writing in this thing more often..it's so therapeutic to me.  

Thanks for listening :) Until next time! 

  

Everything Happens For a Reason...Right??

Everything happens for a reason.  Everyone always says that, hell, I always say that.  It's true though, right? Even if we don't know right then what that reason is. I've been trying to convince myself of this theory for the past few days.  Some moments I believe it and others I think its a crock of...well you know...

About 6 weeks ago Cowboy and I found out that we were expecting our first little bundle of joy.  We were shocked and scared and excited and happy and freaked out.  It wasn't planned, but it was a very welcome surprise.  Over the next few weeks we talked about what needed to be done. For starters, we both need to find full time good jobs with steady pay and some sort of insurance.  Because of course, getting pregnant couldn't have come at a more inopportune time - he's unemployed and I a working less than full time for a home health agency, averaging $250 or less a week. But it was OK because "everything would work out, it always does".  We also started talking about where we would like to move because our home now is just not big enough to bring a baby into, we're already cramped as it is.  It seemed that all these things were working against us but we were still OK because "everything will work out".

On March 23rd we had our first OB appointment.  We were so excited! We were gonna get to see our little peanut on the screen.  At this time I was 7 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  When the doctor performed the ultrasound, she said she was having trouble seeing the embryo but she said not to worry because it could be that A) I was earlier than we originally though (maybe only 5 wks), B) that my uterus was at a strange angle and she couldn't quite the a full picture, or C) that it could be a "blighted ovum".  I was upset and sad and scared, but trying to stay positive. All my blood work showed great numbers with high HCG levels that were increasing so that's a good thing.

We scheduled a follow up ultrasound for 10 days later because by then we should be able to see something.  I mean my levels were increasing, not decreasing so that's good right?  Well On Monday, April 2nd we went in for the Ultrasound and again were told there was nothing there.  It was confirmed.  I was pregnant with that thing called a "blighted ovum". What the heck is a blighted ovum?? Basically what it means is that a fertilized egg implanted in my uterus and started developing just like any regular pregnancy.  I created a gestational sac and I created a placenta, but for some reason, an embryo never developed - or stopped developing at a very early stage.

 I felt like someone punched me in the gut and just kept punching away. I couldn't catch my breath. I felt like the walls were closing in on me.  The rest of that day is sort of a blur.  I felt like my dreams had just been ripped right out of my heart.  I have never, in my life, ever felt so hopeless and heartbroken. Here i was, feeling every bit of pregnant with morning sickness (luckily it wasn't too bad), sore breasts, and emotions out of control.  But really, I wasn't pregnant. The doctor came in and explained to me that I had two options.  I could wait it out and my body would eventually miscarry and that it could take days or weeks for that to happen.  Considering I wasn't bleeding or cramping at all I imagine it would take weeks.  My second option was to go in for a D&C.  I chose the latter of the two.  So yesterday, Friday, I went in and surgically miscarried (in a sense). I decided this route because I would not have been able to emotionally handle the anticipation of a natural miscarriage.  Knowing that a miscarriage was imminent, I made the decision to just get it over with.

Yesterday I was "pregnant" and today I'm not.  A week ago, I was thinking about what my baby's name would be. Today I'm laying in bed with cramps and trying to make sense of why did this happen? What was the reason for me being pregnant even though I wasn't really pregnant.  Why did Cowboy and I have to go through this?

I am not sure I will ever know the reason for this.  But what I do know is that Cowboy and I have had our ups and downs throughout our relationship and we have always come out a stronger couple because of them.  I have no doubt that we are already a stronger couple because of this.  We have bonded in a way I never thought possible.  I have seen him in a new light over the past few days and while I have always known him to be a man with a rough exterior and a soft interior, I have seen just how soft he really can be.  Not everyone will ever see this side of him but all that matters is that I have seen it and I know, now more than ever, that he loves me and he wants the best for me.  He has done everything possible to make sure I'm feeling OK and have what I need.  Even though he is in intense pain from a broken leg, his priority is me.

Positive! Positive! Positive!

Do you ever have those days, weeks, or months where you feel like no matter which way you turn there is SOME sort of bad news coming your way? It could be something so little like your favorite pen ran out of ink. Or it could be something big like you didn't get the job you were really hoping and praying for. 

Well for about the last week or so, for me, that's how it's been.  NO I haven't been turned down for a job, necesarrily...but I feel like everything I plan for and everything I want to happen is just NOT happening.

About 3 weeks ago I had an AWESOME interview with a unit manager for one of the hospitals here in town and when I talked to him about a week later, he said he really wants to hire me but he won't be able to for at least a month...ok some good and some bad at the same time...I can be patient, right? Right!

Well, I filed my tax retrun on February 4th and was anticipating the deposit to be in my bank account on the 15th - that didn't happen....so when it wasnt' there on the 16th, I called the IRS and they said "yeah yeah, we have it and are processing it, if you don't get it by the 25th, call us back" so...OK I can deal with that.  I planned a super fun theme park vacation for me and Cowboy - our FIRST ever vacation together (and we've been together for almost 7 years). This said vacation was originally supposed to happen from 2/28/12-3/4/12.  Well when I checked "where's my refund" on the IRS website it said I shouldn't expect my refund until MARCH 6TH!!!! So...OK...just a minor blip in the radar, no big deal, we'll just push our vacation back a week.  It's a good thing(for the sake fo this vacation) at this time that  he's not currently working and I can make my own schedule so postponing for one week is no big deal....well tonight I found out that he has a race to go to on the 10th which falls right smack dab in the middle of our so-called vacation.  So BAM just like that - vacation plans officially squashed!

There's more to all of this "negativity" but those are the BIG main parts that have been getting me down. 

The title of this post is "Positive! Positive! Positive!" though, isn't it?  So a long lost friend from Elementary school private messaged me on Facebook tonight after I posted this  status update:
"SERIOUSLY!!!!! Can I just get ONE fricken' piece of good news PLEASE?!?!?!?! JUST ONE that's all I'm asking for!!!!!"

She said that sometimes when she's feeling the way Ive been feeling that she will either write down 5 positive things that are happening in her life, or things she is thankful for, and it helps. So that got me thinking....She's absolutely right! I want to not feel this negativity anymore! I want to not "Sweat the small stuff" so in honor of her advice here are my "5 positive things"

1. I am thankful to have a job - because so many right now don't.  So i need to quit complaining about it.
2. I am thankful for my Parents, Brothers and Chloe - with out them I don't know if I would be the person that I am today.
3. I am thankful for Cowboy. Even though he may get under my skin - I know that he loves me with all that he has, and how many people can say that about their other half?
4. I am thankful for each and every one of my friends - even the ones I only connect with on Facebook.  They are always there to lend a shoulder when I need one and to make me smile when I have a frown.
5. Last but not least...I am thankful for my four legged babies.  They love me unconditionally and bring smiles to my face on a daily basis. Especially my Duster...hes definitely a mama's boy ;)

So there you have it - My 5 positives for the day.  I think maybe I'll try this every day.  Thanks for reading my rant.  Have a great week! :)

The gym...oh the gym...

So about half way through 2011, I fell off the "get healthy" bandwagon.  At that time I was down  about 25+ pounds and feeling great. I am not sure exactly when it happened, but I think it was sometime around June or July.  Right about the same time that Nursing school was ending for me and my new "life" was just around the corner.  I got busy with school work and stressing about how I was going to pay for my licensing exam ($200 - which is ALOT to an unemployed student) and trying to keep my day to day activities in check.  I stopped working out because I always had some stupid excuse or another. Then slowly I started eating really crappy again.  On August 1st I was admitted to the hospital because I had been experiencing heart palpitations for a couple days and it was starting to get really bothersome and almost painful.  It came back that I arrhythmia of unknown origin.  So basically, I have NO idea why I have these palpitations.  Nevertheless I am on a beta blocker to help with my slightly high blood pressure and the arrhythmia's.

Ok so through all that rambling, my point is, that I have gained back ALL the weight I lost last year (plus 2 lbs) and I am not happy with myself.  Granted, I graduated nursing school, I took and passed my NCLEX, I got a job as a RN, and I quit smoking....but I'm still FAT!! I'm over it!!! I've been eating pretty healthy for the last two days and have been drinking a ton of water, which is good, but I haven't found the physical motivation to WORK OUT yet.  I think part of this is because Cowboy isn't working again and he's pretty lazy so it makes me lazy.  I know that's a stupid excuse but I would NORMALLY work out in front of the TV to my Jillian Michaels DVD, and since he's home and goes from the bed straight to the couch and parks his arse there all day...it makes it kind of hard to do what I want to do.  In my opinion walking through the neighborhood is not only boring, but, if you've seen the neighborhood I live in, it's not that safe....so that leaves me with only one other choice....get a gym membership.

So that's exactly what I did.  I joined the gym today.  Sight unseen.  It's a new gym in my neighborhood called Planet Fitness.  The monthly dues fit perfectly into my budget and there are no contracts to sign..DONE! This location won't open for a couple more weeks but I was assured I could use another location until they open.  So tomorrow, I am bound and determined to start working out again.  My goal is to be up and out of bed by 730 am (for those of you who know me..this is an awesome fete considering i LOVE to stay up late and sleep in) and to the gym by 830. I am determined to lose this weight for real this time! I'm really hoping my friend Kim gets a membership too, that way I will have a gym buddy and have someone to keep me accountable and vise versa for her!

Here goes!! I will check back in with you all next Monday when I do my weekly weigh in :) WOO HOO For weight loss!!! :)

Weight loss Journey..Take 2 :/

Wow...it's amazing how FAST you gain weight and how SLOW you lose it.  I wish it was the other way around.  Last January I set some goals to meet by my 30th birthday and I met all of them....except the weight one.  Lets see...I graduated Nursing school....I passed the NCLEX (the board exam)...I am now a working RN WOO HOO!!! I also quit smoking.  I hit 365 days on 1-1-12.  I lost somewhere between 25 and 30 pounds between January and May of 2011...but as of today...thats all back :( SO it's time I get back on it and lose ALL THE WEIGHT once and for all!! So here's to 2012 and getting fit and healthy!!

Today I weighed in at 229.5.  My first goal is 10 lbs. Here we go!

Starting over...

Somehow I've fallen off the diet/exercise wagon.  I haven't gained any weight back, which is good, but I also haven't lost any more.  I am only about 3-4 lbs away from being in the 100's again.  It shouldn't be that hard if I just stick to my regimen.  Summer is only a few weeks away, and I am no where near bathing suit ready yet.

I've been on a diet/exercise hiatus for about a month o_O that is not good! I weighed in yesterday at 204.4.  I still need to lose 39.4 lbs to get to my goal weight.  That shouldn't be that hard to do, if I just stick to eating right and exercising regularly. 

On another note, I am only a little more than 2 months away from being done with Nursing School.  This has been a very long, bumpy road, but I can FINALLY see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! August 13th and 14th is my graduation  weekend...i can't wait for that!!

Spring is in the air...

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged.  It's been pretty busy, in the life of Tricia.  Where do I start?  Well I'll start with where I left off.  Last time I blogged, I was getting ready to go to Girls Weekend.  That was a fun weekend :) I might have indulged a little more than planned, and I gained about 3 lbs.  Whoever said calories and fat grams don't count on Vacation, LIED!! :) But I didn't let it get me down.  I came back, finished out my 2nd to last Semester and had a nice relaxing week long break.

On March 28th my friend Courey and I started Boot Camp Las Vegas.  It's been tough, and I've thought about quitting more than once but I only have one more week to go and then I can stop getting up at 345 am! (I have had a one week hiatus from BCLV because I had some stupid stomach flu).  In addition to going to Boot Camp, I joined up at a local weight watchers.  I'm hoping that the new program will boost my weight loss a little more.  I am currently at 204.4 lbs which means I have lost a total of 22.2 lbs since January :) WOO HOO I finally made it over that 20 lbs mark! If I keep it up I should have NO problem getting to my goal by my 30th birthday (which by the way, is in 30 weeks...but who's counting right? LOL)

Two weeks ago, I started my 6th and FINAL semester of Nursing School.  I am so excited! I only have 14 more weeks to go before I can go out in the real world and HOPEFULLY find a job.  Today, I had the privilege of helping out at the Spring 2011 pinning ceremony and it was awesome.  I found a new sense of motivation to finish!

Last time I blogged, I had just finished my first 5K and was stoked about my time.  Well a week from today, I will do my 2nd 5K and I am very excited for it.  I am hoping to get done in less time than the first one.  I'll be doing this one alone, so it will be more of a personal accomplishment for me.  I'm a little nervous about going alone, but I think it will be good for me.  I just need to get some good music and get into a groove.  I still can't run far distances, but I am positive, I could run further than I did at my first 5K.

I also want to make note, that it has been 4 and a half months since I have smoked a cigarette.  The cravings are getting less and less as the days go on.  It has DEFINITELY helped when trying to work out...I know that if I still smoked, that I wouldn't have as much stamina as I do.  Thanks to everyone who has been encouraging and inspiring to me :) Much love to all!!