An Eye Opener

Last week I had an appointment with the Dermatologist to have a few spots to looked at and removed. I was very nervous about one mole in particular on my right leg. It grew about 5 years or so ago and had gotten darker. The more I looked at it the more I got disturbed by it.

All I could think about was one thing: I don't want my daughter to grow up without me.

A little dramatic, probably, but I was a big time sun worshiper in my youth. Big time. I was never smart about sunscreen. Of course I knew I should have worn it, but I have dark skin and rarely burned so I just didn't think twice about it. Dumb.

All things change when you have a child. You start to realize you were an idiot growing up and hopefully it's not too late.

I also had another spot on my stomach that I've had since I can remember. Over the years I noticed it had changed, gotten a little bigger and not quite symmetrical. Of course it did grow with my stomach so for a while I chalked it up to that.

So I was really nervous about my appointment, thinking the worst (because that's what I do).

The appointment went very well. I got a full body check and the doctor immediately told me the "mole" on my leg was not a mole but a small hemangioma. Basically small blood vessels that have grown out of the skin. Gross, yes but very relieved to hear!! Apparently I have them all over, these tiny red dots. They are hereditary. After talking to my mom, she has them too. Just to be safe the doctor removed it and sent it away for biopsy.

She also removed the spot on my stomach, just to be on the safe side, as well as another small but darker than normal spot on my left leg - a spot that I had seen before but really didn't think too much of it.

Just a tiny procedure where she numbed the three areas and then scraped away the skin. Just a band-aid and some instructions on wound care and how to prevent scarring and I was on my way. Results would be in 2 weeks from now.

Fast forward to yesterday (or I guess I should say rewind?) I got a call from the doctor's office about my results. Immediate heart flutter.

They confirmed that the "mole" on my leg was indeed not a mole but the hemangioma and it was completely fine.

The other two spots however came back as atypical nevus (another term for mole). Good news is that the skin that was taken for biopsy "cleared the margins" so I do not need to go back for more skin removal. I am fine.

They did caution me to check my skin every month and come in immediately if I see any of my spots (and boy I have a lot of them) change (following the ABCD's of skin cancer detection. Also said I need to make sure I am wearing SPF 30 or higher when I'm in the sun. I should get yearly checks but I will probably go back in a couple months and get checked again just to be on the safe side.

I say this because I am now analyzing every little spot on my skin and am wondering if maybe something was missed and I need to go back? I've spoken to my sister as well as a co-worker and both have talked me down from the ledge and assured my that if I wait a couple of months it will be OK.

I'm just paranoid because they told me I am at risk for more atypical moles that could potentially develop into skin cancer. POTENTIALLY - doesn't mean they will, which is why I need to take extra precautions.

This has been a real eye opener for me and a tad scary that the thing I was was most concerned about was not a mole and a spot that I probably wouldn't have thought twice about ended up being atypical.

Very important to get your skin checked!! And to wear sunscreen!!

I will say while I was never good at it myself, I am a sunscreen nazi with my daughter. She gets re-applied and sprayed every 45 minutes. She's fair skinned like my husband so I am extra diligent with her. And now will be with myself.

My days of sun worshiping are over. And I'm completely fine with sitting in the shade with a big hat on.

And I would like to add that when I went on my long run on Saturday I wore sunscreen!

Running in a Sauna

The gym was open this morning, thank goodness. I mean who am I to complain about it not being open if I'm not going to go right?

Really I had some assistance waking up this morning. A thunderstorm rolled in about 3:15 this morning and a little doggie of mine was all snuggled up next to me because she gets scared of thunder and lightning. 

So I listened to that for about 30 min until I finally fell back asleep, only to wake up 30 min later when my alarm went off.

My run went well, I'm 99.8% over my cold but still coughing up nastiness here and there. 

To say it's warm in my gym is an understatement. I started sweating like a pig within 2 minutes of my run. I was right under the air conditioning vent too. They really need to fix and soon because it's only getting warmer here in the South. 

Except for Friday. Both my husband and I have the day off and were planning on taking Sophie to the beach. Yeah, it's going to be 60 degrees, barely, on Friday. The only day of the week that it's going to be that cool.

I'm sort of bummed because we were going to meet friends there and hang out. 

I mean I guess we could still go and walk and pick up shells and stuff, bundled up in a sweatshirt but that really takes the fun out of a beach day. In my opinion. 

I was shooting for 7 miles but was running low on time and wanted to get a quick weight work out in. So I managed about 6.25 miles and then did quick legs, chest and back. You would have thought I took a shower in my clothes. I was dripping. It was gross.

Tomorrow I'm thinking about "sleeping in" and doing a quick workout at home. Only because I've gotten up the last two mornings and am pretty tired. Friday I'll run since I have the day off and the Saturday I'll attempt 10 - 11 miles before my half marathon next weekend.

If Friday beach day doesn't happen I'm going to attempt to work more on Sophie's big girl room. The room that's not even half done because I don't have time to do it. So maybe this cool weather day is a blessing in disguise.

Workout Woes

I'm alive! I survived what I think was one of the longest running cold's in my history. I swear I wasn't sure when I would feel better but I can finally breathe and have stopped hacking up my lungs.

Saturday I ran 6 miles but stopped every mile to either cough or drink water. It has been super hot in the gym lately, not sure why they can't crank up the air, I mean we live in the South. It was almost 90 yesterday.

Sunday I threw a baby shower for my friend Pam and didn't have a chance to run. I was up at the wee hours prepping food for the shower and by the time it was over and I was home I was pooped. I think I even fell asleep on the couch at like 8:00.

Monday I woke up and was thinking about going to the gym but as I was thinking about it I fell back asleep. Damn.

Which brings me to today's events.

I didn't want to wake up, but I did. I literally dragged myself out of bed this morning, got ready and drove to the gym, feeling pretty proud that I'm going to get there at 4:30. As I pulled up to the parking lot I noticed that there were only like 3 cars in the parking lot. There are typically more. That's cool,   I don't mind being the only person there.

I walk up to the door and gave it a little pull and.......locked! What? The lights are on, music is playing, what is going on?

Then I see the morning guy standing on the other side on the building. So I go over and state the obvious, the doors are locked. He tells me that they changed the locks and they didn't give him the new key. So he's called someone to bring the new key but isn't sure when they will get here. Huh.

So I wait in my car.

And I wait.

And wait.

At about 5:00 people really start showing up, most who do the cycle class at 5:30. All are dumbfounded as to why the doors are locked. Join the club, I've been waiting 30 minutes.

I tell myself I can wait till 5:30 and then by that time I have to head home and get ready for work, still optimistic that someone will show up and let us all in.

5:15. Nothing. But I did have a nice chat with someone named Cedric who shared the same frustrations. Getting out of bed, this being the only time you can workout, wasting the gas to drive over here and it not being open, why can't they turn on the air, why are the lights and music on, we pay for the gym to be open and there's really no excuse for it not being open. You know, those types of things.

Of course I could always just go run on the road but I just don't feel comfortable doing that in the dark. Call me paranoid but I read way too many news stories and I'm just not that hard core.

Cedric leaves and I wait another 10 minutes, watching two guys try to jimmy the locks and "break" in. It didn't work but I personally appreciate their effort. By this time there are about 15 people waiting and looking rather peeved, especially the cycle instructor who's class was suppose to start 10 minutes ago.

5:40 realization has set in that it's just not going to happen. Bummed.

When I got home I do a quick workout, and I do mean quick. 15 minutes but still managed a small sweat. If you want to good oblique workout try this:

Just to note I use a 5 pound dumbbell for the russian twists and 25 lb. for the side bends.

I also did some quick squats, lunges, lower abs and push ups.

Not what I wanted to accomplish but something is better than nothing right? I'm going to try to run this evening but to be honest I'm super tired when I get home from work and sitting in traffic but who knows, wierder things have happened.

As I was driving to work I was still sort of fuming about this morning so I decided to call and complain. I never complain so this was something new for me.

Reason I don't like to complain is because I've been in customer service before and have been on the receiving end of those complaints. There are some angry people in this world.

When I got to work I called and spoke to a nice lady who tried her best to explain what happened but it sort of was getting me riled up so she told me the manager was busy and would call me back (yeah right).

In the meantime I called another gym that just opened up in my town, they are smaller but open 24 hours. You scan your key card and it unlocks the doors. Additional pro's it's new, clean, and equipment is new. Con, it's small and have barely any group fitness classes. Their rates are actually about what we currently pay so the only thing we would come out of pocket for is the enrollment fee. It's a 2 year contract but you go month to month after that (which is what we have now, we are month to month and can cancel at will).

So I think we're going to check this gym out. Ricky is a big weights guy so we have to factor in that for him. I'm all about the 24 hours.

And actually the manager did call me back! I was surprised. He explained that they had the locks changed late yesterday due to some turn over and the morning guy never got the new key. This I understand but as I explained to the manager, the morning guy was there with the wrong key and was trying to call someone to come open. Why would it take someone almost 2 hours to answer their phone and get over there? He only offered that they person's phone was on vibrate and he didn't hear it ring. Whether that's true or not, Mr. Manager assured me that this won't be happening again and they are making some changes that will benefit the members. Time will tell on that.

I did bring up the air conditioning issue and he said that they are aware and working on getting it serviced before it gets really hot. I hate to remind him that we skipped Winter and have gone straight to Summer.

I'm not sure if we'll stay or go to the new gym but I do know that now I have to get up again tomorrow morning and I've been 3 days without running and have a half marathon next weekend. That will be interesting.

Sick

For the past week I have been battling the cold from hell. Thursday morning I woke up with a scratchy throat, did my 8 mile run, and proceeded to get a bit of a stuffy nose. Friday was about the same but I could tell I was starting to get more and more congested.

Saturday I woke up and did a 4 mile run but could tell my balance was off because my head was so stuffy. We had a wedding to go to that evening and by that time I was in full fledged hell. My head felt like it was going to explode, I couldn't breathe, my nose was running like crazy. Fun.

Sunday I was supposed to do 10 miles for my up and coming half marathon. Didn't happen and I was bummed. I almost ventured out anyway until my husband knocked some sense into me convinced me to rest, this is my body's way of telling me I've been going a mile a minute the last 6 months and to give it a break. So I listened. I did venture out to see The Hunger Games with some friends Sunday afternoon (which it ROCKED!!) I read the books long time ago so have been very excited to see the movie. Of course I felt like crap the entire time, having to blow my nose and cough and my head being so stuffy. Just a reason to see it again.

Monday I called in sick to work and laid in bed. All. Day. Lost my voice too. However through out all these days I've been sick I have not been sleeping well. How are you suppose to get better if you're not sleeping? I can't breath and my head has been so stuffy it's been really difficult to sleep.

Tuesday I went to work still feeling like crap but I had stuff that had to get done. Woke up about 12:30 this morning coughing my brains out, blowing my nose, and having the worst sinus headache I think I have EVER had. So I didn't sleep much last night either.

Oh not to mention my eyes were all crusted shut and am on the verge of viral pink eye AGAIN!!! Luckily after my shower and cleaning them out they don't look as red and they did when I first peeled my eyes open.

So I'm at work again today and hoping that someone puts me out of my misery, oh I mean I hope I start to feel better because I really want to run tomorrow and I have to do my long run Saturday which at this rate could be long and painful. I'm throwing a baby shower Sunday so I really need to be feeling better.

Why don't I take any medicine? Well I'm really weird about med's and won't take any unless I absolutely have to. Sleeping pills? NO WAY!! So I suffer. But if it's just a virus it still has to run it's course. If in another week I'm still this bad off then I'll go to the doctor and bed them for an antibiotic but in the meantime I can kick this myself. I think it makes your immune system stronger, which is why I warded off colds the last year. This was just my time and boy was it out to get me.

I hope to be up and running tomorrow. Literally.

In other news Sophie is officially paci free!!! Last week was a little rough but I had her convinced that the paci would make her teeth nasty and that she gave it to her baby cousin. It seemed to work because she asked for it only a few times but when I told her it was gone she seemed fine with it. And the really good news is she's still sleeping pretty well!! So happy to be done with that phase of her life.

Operation Paci Take Away

It's been a long time coming. I've put this off for way longer than I ever said I would.

Operation paci take away has commenced and it has not been pretty.

Yes, I realize that my child is almost 3 and still sleeps with a paci. The dentist has lectured me and family members have lectured me but what can I say? I've needed my sleep.

I'm sure at some point in the blog I've mentioned how horrible of a sleeper my daughter was and really within the last 8 months has she started sleeping through the night consistently. Who could blame me for not wanting to take the one thing that would aide in her sleeping well? Call me selfish I don't care. I personally would just call me tired.

I always figured it wasn't killing her. She is a happy and healthy girl so who cares that she sleeps with a paci? Yes, I realize that it could mess up her mouth and the odds of her needing braces increase tremendously but both me and my husband had braces so she's doomed anyway. 

Over the last few months I've tried to with hold the beloved paci but I couldn't take the tantrums that went along with it.

Last Friday she went to bed without it (surprisingly) and slept all the way until 5:00 but woke up asking for it. I caved. What can I say I was tired. Horrible excuse I know but who really can deal with a screaming child at 5 am?

So Saturday she's just pissed from the get go and cried for over an hour when I wouldn't give it to her. The real kicker? "Can you get it for me please mommy?" I am mush and I caved yet again. Confusing this child? Yes! I have no will power.

So fast forward to last night I try a different tactic. I say "Sophie, paci's are nasty. They are yucky and you don't want that nasty thing in your mouth." "Paci's are for babies and you'r a big girl."

She seems to contemplate this for a few moments and finally tells me "Mommy, I give paci to a baby because I'm a big girl." What?? OK roll with it. So I tell her to give it to baby Lawson (her cousin who is 10 months).

She gives it to me and then a few minutes later she asks for it back, well cries for it really. So I give it to her but continue my negative talk of the paci. My new plan is to make the paci sound like it's the grossest thing ever in hopes that it'll ultimately be her decision to give it up. Sophie just isn't a cold turkey kind of kid.

We fall asleep in my bed and all hell breaks lose when my husband tried to move her back to her bed. She wakes up crying because she wants to sleep with mommy and daddy (we've been letting her fall asleep in our bed but move her when she's asleep - just another one of those phases that'll work itself out in time).

So I go in and tell her she can sleep with mommy and daddy if she takes her paci out. If she wants paci she has to sleep in her own bed. Once she gets in bed she tells me "Paci's are for babies, I give it to a baby." and she hands it over.

And she sleeps all night with out it. I, however, did not sleep. She's a kicker. 

Let's see what tonight brings. Either way I call it a step in the right direction.

The Long Run that Wasn't

I'm running my 6th half marathon in just under a month and "training" did not start off very well this past weekend.

All I can say is sangria is evil. It goes down way too easily and before I knew it most of the bottle was gone! I blame the 80 degrees and friends over for a cookout.

Me, Jill and Rachael - mom's of girls = sangria and lots of it :)

Kinsey, Kendall and my girl Sophie - best friends!

We grilled out for St. Patty's Day and invited our good friends over for an afternoon of letting the girls run around together. As I mentioned I had about 1 - 4 glasses too many of sangria and I felt like going to bed at 8:00.

Then I woke up in the middle of the night dehydrated and didn't sleep well so when it was time to wake up and get my run on, I laid on the couch for several hours instead, drinking water and hoping my motivation would come.

It didn't really and by that time it was sunny and 70 out so I knew it would be miserable. My mother in law wanted to take Sophie for a few hours so Ricky and I do what any normal married couple would do when their kid is gone for a few hours. We went to the gym together - something we haven't gotten to do in a long time.

By the time we got to the gym it was warm (I mean it's the South, crank that air UP!) and smelly so after 3 miles I was done. Sweating profusely and still not quite right, I did weights instead. Then we went home hoping to plant a bunch of shrubs we bought at Home Depot but the thunderstorms rolled in and nixed those plans.

Lesson learned: easy on the booze because I'm a light weight and nothing good ever comes from it.

So Saturday I will have to knock out 8 - 10 miles before the wedding we have to go to. Race is still about a month away so I'm not concerned. I'm just kind of running it and hoping for the best, no real goal for this one. Mainly because I'll be traveling to Charlotte just me and Sophie and I might be a little stressed and tired but I want to get one more race in before I (hopefully) get pregnant - I say that a lot lately.

The weather has been beautiful here lately, minus the afternoon storms that pop up, but we're used to that all summer long.

I hear the beach calling my name soon, just need to get through a wedding this week, baby shower next week, a birthday party the week after that, Easter, race, and THEN beach! Free time? What's that?

Stole this picture from the Summerville Journal Scene:

Obviously I'm not the dude in the yellow shirt, coming up from behind in the teal shorts and black shirt. I don't get too many "decent" pictures of myself running but I'm digging my leg muscle. You can barely see the cellulite.

I love the time change, so happy that it stays light later now but my body is not adapting well to the loss of an hour. It's been very difficult waking up in the morning, maybe because even though my clock says 4:05 it's really 3:05. Big difference. I did make it up yesterday but not this morning.

Speaking of yesterday, it started out as any other Monday morning. We're ready, loaded in the car, make it all the way to daycare when Sophie throws up all over the place. In my car, on the car seat, on herself. Yuck. Poor kid, she was very upset about it too, not that I blame her.

So I clean her up and we head back home after calling daycare and work to tell them we won't be there today. I mean I can't possibly send her to school after she's thrown up and my car is covered. What's worse is my drive is 45 minutes so I roll the windows down and off we go.

So my morning was spent cleaning my daughter, cleaning the car and doing laundry. Poor girl, she slept for 3 hours and then seemed fine after that. When she woke up she ate and kept everything down and was a whole new girl, ready to play and run around. Maybe it was just an upset tummy? Who knows with kids. Too many little viruses going around to tell for sure.

We survived and she's at school today so hopefully there are no more puking incidents but I'm glad she's feeling better. I hate it when she's sick, I want to make it all better immediately.