Sheryll - US Citizen

I had an incredible day today. My sister-in-law, Sheryll, took the "Oath of Allegiance to the United States" and became an American Citizen. I was fortunate enough to attend the ceremony at the Rose Wagner Theater. There were tears, applause, and extremely happy faces. It was very emotional for the approx. 170 people who took the Oath.

Sheryll has worked very hard for this accomplishment. Today it struck me how courageous she was to leave the Philippines 5 years ago - the only home she had ever known. She arrived here alone and now has a multitude of friends and family that love her. She works a full-time job while raising three small children with her husband Ryan. Congratulations Sheryll!

Oath of Allegiance to the United States:


"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."







Prior to the Oath. This man sang patriotic songs for the crowd.










Pretty Sheryll!














Ryan, Sheryll, Kian, Jerrin & Aerin (4 month-old twins)

Make a note on your calendar

Darren's farewell has been set for February 24. Would love to have you join us!

Aren't the Russians going to love him??!!

Guest Blogger

Hey, good news! My brother Brian, aka Bean, is going to submit a post on this blog! He's going to discuss something really profound such as why Alan Thicke is the center of his spiritual universe. Or possibly he will share his favorite episodes from the beloved sitcom "Joanie Loves Chachi". Or he may argue about why he believes that Peewee Herman is the greatest comedic talent of the 20th century. Might he possibly prove in graphs and/or charts that Springville is the drug capital of the world? Could it be said that Turkey Jim is just a figment of our father's imagination? Does Brian really think it was necessary for our father to "GET A BOX" to capture Tard? Could the incident with the christmas tree and the BYU football game have been prevented? Finally, what is the story behind Jerry Garcia and his blood stream? So many topics and so little time. Stay tuned! *The above statements are not condoned or endorsed by the owner of this blog. And may it be known that the above statements are actual conversations that have occurred in the presence of - or have been started by - Bean.

Three Temptations and an Ode

After Thursday's blunder with the cookies, I thought it would be wise to eliminate the temptations from within my grasp. I have the self-discipline of a sloth and cannot be trusted. Nay, can never be trusted.

First temptation: Food
My food obsession knows no limits.

I started in the pantry. GONE are the potato chips. GONE are items that have a longer shelf life than say 40 years - I figure those items can't be healthy if they would still be edible when I'm in a rest home.

Then, I went to the store and passed the "Crap and other Stuff" aisle and hung out in the produce section. Usually I dash through this area at warp speed knocking over little old ladies in my haste. I actually purchased things like asparagus and spinach. Me. I bought asparagus. Some things defy comprehension. Now I need to figure out how to cook it. I suppose dumping a vat of butter on the asparagus is bad, right?

No, seriously. Right?

Second temptation: Finding excuses NOT to go to the gym
I have a gym membership that is gathering dust. I haven't actually made it to the gym yet this year....but I'm thinking about it!! That is a step in the right direction. I also packed a gym bag. It's ready to go whenever a real surge of ambition rears it's ugly head. Who knows, it may happen next week. We'll see. Actually, I think I have to wash my hair next week...

Third temptation: Not using Darren's illegal copy of Photoshop
I revealed in longing and wistful tones that I would love to have Photoshop. He casually mentioned that he has an illegal copy in his room. My mind started scheming.... He is often not home. I am often home all alone in this house. No one would ever know if the copy just 'happened' to end up on our computer. Well, except for both of you readers who now know my secret. So, I guess in a way I have eliminated this temptation. Because if I suddenly have a really cute and clever blog picture and heading with an especially fancy font - you will know I used the illegal copy. I suppose I will be good. DANG IT!

So there you have it.

Here is a short poem I wrote to myself. I will use it for motivation.

Ode to Jode
You say you want to be fit.
Then stop eating junk food.
Just stop it!

Deep and moving, I know.

Oh, hey Bean... I didn't mention my cats once in this blog. Oh, oops. Well, since I just mentioned them - here is a new pic.









And that is all she wrote. OUT.

To RAI or not to RAI

I have a few really important things on my mind - it happens occasionally.

First - I have cookie dough in my fridge that is calling me names (pansy, wimp, &*#$, etc). I really want to show it a thing or two! I can just imagine forming the scrumptious dough into little tasty clusters and placing them ever-so-perfectly onto an ungreased cookie sheet and... Sorry. I'm just saying.

Second - I am the YW basketball coach in my ward and we had practice the other night. The girls didn't know anything about playing positions (guard, forward), the 3-second rule in the key, etc etc. I mean - what are schools teaching kids these days? Reading? Math? Pfft!

Third - Why does my beloved cat, Creature, seem so depressed all the time lately? We play. I feed him. I give him lots of luv loves. I have strategically placed baskets throughout my house because they are the only places he will sleep. I brush his beautiful black fur lovingly. Can cats get depressed? Is it the snow? Hmmm, worth researching. I'll let you know.

Here is my beautiful ebony-furred boy:





















Lastly, and certainly the least important thought on my mind - should I or should I not have the RAI treatment for my thyroid cancer. Mind if we go there for a minute?

The typical protocol a patient follows when diagnosed with thyroid cancer resembles the following outline:

1) Surgery to remove the pesky thyroid (done that - check!)
2) Start an interim thyroid medication such as Cytomel (Check!)
3) About a month or so after surgery - meet with Endocrinologist (Scheduled for next Tuesday)
4) Stop all thyroid medication until after RAI - (This is where I have my hangup - see rant below)
5) Begin Low Iodine Diet, aka LID - (I can do this if i have to - though I may kick, scream, and throw snowballs at people eating Crazy Bread and/or other delicious iodine-riddled treats)
6) RAI treatment (radio-active iodine) - all of the above steps lead up to this treatment.
7) Remain in isolation for a few days and then limited contact with others for 2 weeks.
7) Begin long-term medication such as Synthroid
8) Have yearly checkups and labs - possibly more RAI down the road

Refer back to #4.

The simple phrase 'stop all thyroid medication' can have huge ramifications on a person. The optimal plan is to send yourself into a 'hypothyroid state' and starve the body of iodine preceeding the radioactive iodine treatment. Then, a person takes a radioactive iodine pill and remains isolated until the radioactive traces have been eliminated. Because the body has been starved of iodine, the thyroid remnants absorb the RAI like a sponge, thus, any remaining thyroid tissue is killed - which is a good thing since that is where the cancer cells were found. By killing the thyroid tissue that the surgeon was unable to get to - the chance of cancer recurring or spreading is greatly reduced.

I have no problem being isolated after the RAI - actually it sounds kind of nice. After all, I do have teenagers. It's the hypothyroid state that leaves me troubled.

Here are some of the symptoms according to eMedicinehealth.net:
Fatigue, weakness, intolerance to cold, depression, WEIGHT GAIN, muscle aches and cramps

Also, according to my ThyCa group, one should not drive while in a hypothyroid state. Most people I've talked to tell me being hypo and then RAI are the hardest phases of beating thyroid cancer.

Okay, I'm being whiney. After all, I just viewed a website from someone who has gone through colorectal cancer. I would not want to go through that. I am grateful my cancer was contained in the thyroid. It didn't spread to lymph nodes or anywhere else. The cancer was also very small.

Which is why I'm having difficulty with the RAI and hypothyroid state. Apparently, and I'll know more on Tuesday when I meet with the endocrinologist, my cancer is small enough and was caught early enough that I don't technically need to have the RAI treatment, thus avoiding being hypothyroid.

Decisions. Decisions.

I'm really looking forward to my appt on Tuesday. So many questions will be answered.

So, back to the cookie dough. I self-destructed and ate one. Well, two. Okay, I ate 4! I'm so unworthy!! This can never happen again. Have I mentioned that I'm an emotional eater?!

Here's to a better tomorrow.

Progress

Here's an update of my progress so far.

• I have signed up for the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon and reserved the hotel room
• I have been logging my weight and activities into fitnessjournal.org
• I have seriously increased my fruit and vegetable intake
• I have cut down on portion sizes and have been drinking more water.

Drumroll please...

I have lost 7 pounds since December! It's very exciting for me. Please hold your applause. Really. No, really - it's not that big of a deal. STOP CLAPPING.

Ahem.

I'm struggling with energy still and am having a very hard time with exercise. I think some of that might be because of my thyroid shenanigans - but I suppose it could also be sheer laziness.

What are you doing to be healthy and get into or stay in shape? What activities are you planning for this year or even this next week? What are your weaknesses or shortcomings when it comes to diet and exercise?

I know this will be a great year and we can all achieve our personal goals. I only have awesome friends and family and we can sooo do this!

Fun with Fotos

And this is Larissa:



And this is Connor: