Weigh-In Wednesday

Following the blog link up from Erin and Alex!

Last Weigh In: March 20, 2013 – 174 pounds.

Today’s Weight:175.5, Not going to beat myself up, TOM and Bloated like a beached whale on a hot, sunny day.  Seriously, my pants feel like I am going to bust the button across the room.

Starting Weight: September 19th, 2011 - 205 pounds. Down overall 29.5 pounds.

Operation Baby Making Status (OBM): Not preggers yet. (Not trying until April)

I don’t really know what to say except being a woman sucks huge, hairy balls once a month.  My skin that I was so excited about finally clearing up, looks like a pepperoni pizza pie.  (I never call it a pie but it just came out as my fingers typed, meh, I will go with it.)  And I am BLOATED.

I bought Jillian’s Killer Buns and Thighs as I am crazy obsessed with her.  Like every Jillian DVD she really gives you a full body workout, it’s just geared a bit more to legs and bum.  Let me tell you, the sides of my thighs/arse are freaking sore.  I took an unscheduled rest day today as my HOCKEY TEAM PLAYS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON SATURDAY FOR THE GOLD MEDAL!!!! I need to make sure my arse doesn’t hurt for the game.  Tomorrow, if my arse is all right, I will be doing the 30-Day Shred.  Friday will be a rest day again. 

Some fun things I am looking forward to for this weekend and April:

FOUR DAY WEEKEND this weekend!!! WOOT WOOT!!!  - Four glorious days off with my hubby, we haven’t had more then one day off together since Christmas!

My team playing in the championship game on Saturday!!!  -  They do it up huge where they call our names and we skate out on the ice and then they play the national anthem.  (I know I will cry, I always do when the anthem is played, but it’s even more exciting as it’s being played for US!)  All of the teams encourage all their family and friends to come out and cheer us on.  Usually the stands have three or four spectators a game but championship games its closer to a hundred.  (I am a little nervous about that!)  They also arrange a ceremonial puck drop and some how in the last two years they got real hockey players to drop the puck.  Two years ago , there was a retired Toronto Maple Leaf.  I don’t remember his name but he was in his 70’s at least and even had a Stanley Cup Ring that he won with the Toronto Maple Leafs (If you follow hockey at all you would know that my beloved Leafs have not won a Stanley cup since 1967, so this gentleman was quite old.)  To see Lord Stanley’s ring was really cool.  Last year a woman from Canada’s Olympic Gold Medal Hockey team dropped the puck.  She wore her gold medal, which was really cool as I had never seen an Olympic medal in real life.  As we play in a co-ed league, seeing a Olympic Gold medalist who was a woman was really cool.  This is sadly the last game of the season, but I signed up for summer hockey which starts in May!  I can’t wait!

Easter Sunday -  My Mom puts on a HUGE feast.  Yum!

Thursdays in April I am enrolled in a cake decorating course!!!  I love to bake, but I have never been good at the decorating part and I have wanted to do the course for the last three years, so I finally got my arse in gear and enrolled!!!

Next Saturday we are going out for dinner with two of our good friends.

Two Fridays from now our hockey franchise is having a huge potluck which I am supper excited for.

That Sunday I have a baby “sprinkle” to go to for our good friends.  EEE!!!!  So excited for baby stuffs!!!  And it’s ice cream themed as my friend LOVES ice cream. 

Three Fridays from now is our hockey league’s gala.  They give out awards and there is dancing and everyone gets dressed up like it’s prom.  I didn’t get nominated for anything this year, but meh.  Last year I was nominated for the Referee’s Sportsmanship Award!  I didn’t win “but it was an honour just to be nominated”! haha  I didn’t even realize the refs were watching us for things like that. 

Busy month.  Once hockey is done on Saturday I plan on trying to do a Jillian workout EVERY day for April.  I felt I couldn’t do that during hockey season as I didn’t want to be burnt out for my games.  (I say this as if I am hot stuff and like it matters how well I play.  Just to be clear, I play for a beginners league.  While I feel like I am flying on the ice like Gretzky, in reality, we are crawling at a turtle's pace.  But it’s the most fun I have ever had.) 

Jake and Holly's Finish the sentence link up

1. If calories didn't count, I would eat... Potato chips, cake, and chocolate ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, FOR EVERY DAMNED MEAL.  And Big Macs.  Due to my soya bean oil allergy, I haven’t had McDonald’s in over seven years.  Bah.  I still crave them.

2. On my Prom night....  I went single with a bunch of friends.  I rented a cheap motel room with some girls I had known since Junior Kindergarten.  It was a lot of fun.  A random guy from school ended up sleeping/keeping me up all night long (not in a dirty way, get your minds outta the gutters) by snoring like a train all night.  I “woke up” with makeup smeared ALL over my face and had not brought any makeup remover or face soap as I hadn’t initially planned spending the night.  I wore sunglasses in the morning as the cheap ass, disgusting motel we were in HAD NO SOAP.  And my makeup was caked on, water did nothing to help.  But it was a lot of fun. 

3. When I go to the store, I always buy... Milk.  My husband and I got through three full 4L bags of Skim Milk in a week and a half.  (I just found out recently you can’t get milk in bags in the USA.  So to my American friends, think three 1 Gallons jugs of milk!)  We LOVE milk. 

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twostoutmonks/4757587250/

Photo Credit: http://sinsblog.com/2010/08/25/milk-bags-a-truly-canadian-idea-lands-in-the-uk/

(You get a large bag that holds, three of the bags that you slide into a "jug".  The weight of the bag and the condensation, holds the bag in the jug as you pour.) 

4. Family functions typically... before my Uncle G passed they were the greatest times I ever spent.  We all laughed until our stomachs ached.  (The stomachaches might also have had to do with all of the yummy foods we gorged on.)

5. I think my blog readers... are AWESOME!!!  Especially the ones who comment, I am terrible at commenting, but please rest assured, I read all your blogs too!!  And I love them all!

6. I'd much rather be..... at home and in bed watching my Laguna Beach DVDs and eating Ruffles Sour Cream and Onion Chips.  (No chips until Easter!  I have gone 42 days without any potato chips!)

7. I have an obsession with.... Pepperidge Farm Savoury Multi Grain Cracker Chips.  So freaking good.  And Jillian Michaels, I love her and hate her.

8. My work friends.... a few.  After being burnt a few times with either rats or people who leave and drop off the face of the earth, I try to just go about my business, less drama that way.  Also, if you snap gum in the office, you deserve a high five to the face, with a stapler. 

9. When I created my Facebook account.... I assumed it was going to be like MySpace and I would be bored with in the month.  That was 6 years ago and I am still addicted.

10. My least favorite word is... “Relax” Don’t tell me to relax or I will punch you in the fucking face.  Condescending asshole.  (I have issues, don’t piss me off.)

11. I really don't remember....  anything lately.  I am always wandering around aimlessly trying to remember what I got up for.  I retrace my steps all the time in a weak effort to get my brain moving.

12. Justin Bieber.... I couldn’t care less.  Actually, that’s not true, I find him so annoying I race to grab the remote to change the channel anytime I see him on TV.

On to other news, my hockey team made the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!  We are playing for the GOLD baby!!!  I am so excited!!!  And thanks to my IBS, every damn time I think off the game this Saturday, I have to poop.  EVERYTIME.  Not so fun.

Oh and as I must be sadistic, I bought Jillian Michaels' Killer Buns and Thighs DVD.  I love/hate that sadistic bitch.

Fat to Fit Friday!

ARGHHH  I left my cell phone at home this morning.  I feel naked it with out it, and not naked in a good-lets-have-dirty-sex kinda naked, the vulnerable, I just left my best friend naked kinda way.  I am sad, I know.

I am doing a link up with Jenna, Lori and Marcy.  FAT TO FIT FRIDAY!!!  (I tried to paste in the button but it didn’t work for me!  So click on their names yo!  They are inspiring!!!) 

It’s taken me a year and a half to lose 30 pounds.  Slowest weight loss EVER.  I have lost considerable inches.  I proudly tell people, I have lost 11 inches off of my lower abdomen, ELEVEN!  I am immensely proud of that.  I would have listed my measurements here just to make this entry a bit more interesting, but I keep that shit in my phone.  Bah. 

Clearly, you may not want to take my advice for a “fast” weight loss.  I have tried a few fad diets, and I always get angry at myself as I know they are not a long term fix.  The long term is retraining myself how to eat.  MODERATION.  LESS JUNK.  (I am not giving up on ALL my treats; I just have to learn MODERATION.  I am 5’3”.  I can’t consume 3000 calories in a day and not workout.  I LOVE to eat. 

Lately (beside a minor fad diet attempt earlier this week) I have been trying to eat a NET of 1400 calories.  I do a Jillian DVD (I love that bitch) 4 to 5 times a week and I play hockey once a week.  So I get 5 to 6 workouts in a week.  In the last two months it has been more like 5. 

The biggest thing I have learned, I have read it repeatedly from the most inspiring of bloggers, “You can’t out work a bad diet” and “Weight loss is 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym.”  It’s true.

A few things I find that help me stay on track the most:

1. PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN

Last year my husband and I joined our local YMCA.  Our first visit entailed a visit with a personal trainer.  (He was this stunningly ripped young jock, that I TOTALLY thought I would be intimidated in talking too, but he WAS SUPER nice and was not judgmental AT ALL.)  When I talked to him, I complained how I was ALWAYS starving.  He pointed out that I was only getting one serving of protein a day.  UP YOUR protein.  Count out your nuts, eat your lean meats, budget some calories for a bit of cheese. 

2. Consult with Professionals around you

My very first time talking with someone about my weight was my family doctor.  He brought it up out of concern.  I remember hearing my Aunt tell awful stories of how her doctor made her feel like crap about her weight.  I imagine it must be hard for a doctor to sit down and tell someone to lose weight.  The doctor doesn’t say it to be mean, they say it out of concern.  I often wonder if my Aunt was more embarrassed then anything and viewed her doctor as attacking her, when maybe if she looked at it as he was trying to help her it would have been more beneficial. 

My doctor gave me the world’s greatest pep talk.  (He is a sweet little ol' British man, so you picture him talking)  When the switch finally flipped for me and I was ready to make my lifestyle change, I took all of what he said to heart:  start small, find an exercise you LOVE, cut out the junk, keep track of your calories.  When I saw my doctor a few months ago he made me feel like a million bucks, he was so happy for me.  As I felt I have stalled again, and falling back into my old ways, I called my doctor up and asked him to send me to a dietician.  Doctors are/have resources!  Use them! 

Talking to the trainer also helped.  It was intimidating, but my trainer was really nice.  I was embarrassed to talk to a super hot guy about how my legs jiggle and I have been a fatty all of my life, but he was a professional and he was very supportive.  My husband also really liked talking with the trainer.  I think both my husband and I wrongly judged the trainer, thinking he wouldn’t understand, but he did and he was a great resource that we were both happy we tried.

3. Keep a Food Diary

I had to be made accountable for EVERYTHING that I ate.  It also helped me to realize, even though I was hitting my calorie quota, I could have been doing better to eat healthier calories.  1400 calories of potato chips may be the same as 1400 calories of veggies calorie wise, but the fat and sodium is drastically worse in the potato chips versus the veggie.  Plus 1400 calories of veggies is a HUGE amount of food, 1400 calories of potato chips is like a few handfuls.  Not filling at all.

4. Keeping a blog/following bloggers

Every morning I read my list of favourite bloggers.  I love them.  I don’t comment as much as I should, but I faithfully read every morning.  I find them inspiring: their success, their struggle.  To see real people succeed, to see real people try (like me!)  I also find writing helps keep me on track.  A lot of the times I write an entry and then I never post it.  Like yesterday for instance, I blogged about how I wanted KFC REALLY, REALLY bad.  I got it out of my system; I went home and ate salad, heart smart pasta, tomato sauce and garlic bread (hey a girl needs a bit of a treat to take the edge off every now and then.)  I save these entries in Draft form and never post them.

5. Take Your Measurements and Take Progress Photos.

On days when the scale shows a number that makes me want to say FUCK IT, I take my measurements and compare.  I keep them all in a book and I can see how far I have come.  (I take pictures of the pages and put them in my cell phone so I can look at them) I lost 7 inches off my waist and I have lost 11 inches off my lower abdomen, I have lost 6 inches off of my upper thigh!  I need to focus on the positive as I have the terrible habit of, if the scale shows I am up a pound, I self sabotage and grab Wendy’s at lunch.  (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a planned treat once in a while, but blatantly saying FUCK IT and stuffing my face with anything edible, preferably high in fat/calories in a fit of rage is not right.) 

I don’t like posting pics of my face on here, but I should brave it one day.  When I was at my absolute heaviest I took BEFORE photos of me in my underwear and sports bra.  I look at these pictures regularly.  The transformation thus far is impressive to me; it’s amazing what thirty pounds can do.  The thing I stare at the most is my face.  In my before photos, I look sad.  Like emotionally sad.  My skin was a mess, my eyes are sad; there is no hint of a smile.  I was unhappy.  Now when I take progress photos, it’s amazing how even when I try not to smile in the photos, my eyes are shining.   The girl in the BEFORE photo, is hands down my biggest motivation.  Anytime I plateau or get frustrated, I pull out those pictures. 

My skin is a shocker to me.  I have rosacea; I have papulstalar which looks like acne.  In my before photo my face was at it’s worse.  Currently I am off the birth control pill (which is suppose to help the rosacea) and my dermatologist warned me that my skin will probably get even worse going off of the pill: the thing is, he was wrong.  My skin, while still not perfect, is the best it has been in years.  I chalk it up to the healthy eating, exercise and loss of weight.  The stress my body was under was also probably making my skin worse as stress triggers rosacea flare-ups.

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I know, I know, you have heard all that stuff before, about a billion times, but for me, they really do help!  (Disclaimer: I also have the world’s slowest weight loss happening.  Meh)  And every now and then I have to stop and make a conscious effort to follow them.

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And as I have no recent photos to jazz up this entry I leave you with a picture of my wedding shoes, because, who doesn't want to look at shoes?!?!  Steve Madden.  I LOVE anything retro pinup look. The funny thing is I spent a fortune on them and only wore them for photos where I was sitting.  I wore running shoes the rest of the day!  haha!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Following the blog link up from Erin and Alex!

Last Weigh In: March 13, 2013 – 174 pounds.

Today’s Weight:174, No change.

Starting Weight: September 19th, 2011 - 205 pounds. Down overall 31 pounds.(35 here I come!)

Operation Baby Making Status (OBM): Not preggers yet. (Not trying until April)

So I am not going to lie, I tried a fad diet two days this week. I tried it once before just before I got married and lost 8 pounds in one week. Seriously. I say fad diet as it obviously wont be a way I would live the rest of my life. It’s a veggie soup for the whole week and Day 1 eat as much fruit and soup as you like. Day 2 all the veggies and soup you can eat. Day 3 all the fruit, veggies and soup you can eat. Etc… So you aren’t to ever “feel” hungry as you are stuffing you face with produce. I thought about giving myself a kick in the pants with it, but lets be frank, I was doing pretty good with my clean eating as it was.

BUT I should add, the first time I tried this diet, I was at my least healthiest, I was not eating healthy nor exercising AT ALL. So my body was probably like “Whoa! Nelly! Where’s the food you usually stuff me with?” This time the results weren’t working as well and my thought is that I have been eating so well lately that my body was like, “Meh, this isn’t much different then you normally eat, but where’s the beef?” (Sorry I had to, but all joking aside my body was like, dude, I need something a bit more substantial, I need protein.)

So I lost .5 pound in 2 days and really this was .5 pounds I had disappear last week. (I am back up that .5 now, bah.) I was ravenous and I wanted real food. I gave up. I am not embarrassed that I gave up on it; I am more embarrassed that I attempted a fad diet to begin with. I am going to continue eating healthy and working out as I was, but not as strict as the soup diet. Cutting out the junk food seems to have helped huge. I have stuck to the no candy, chips, baked goods or deep fried crap every day since Ash Wednesday. Now I just have a week and a half until Easter.

Meh.

Sunday I started the 30-Day Shred for the second time. When I first started the “Shred” it was last April. I did not watch the Biggest Loser but I had stumbled across a weight loss community that was showing off their Shred results. I was sold. I ordered my DVD that day. I started the Shred and I was hooked. Thus starting my love affair with Jillian (This past season of the biggest loser was my first season watching ever, I LOVED every minute of it, Monday night's finale had me in tears, I was so happy for Danni!) NSV: The first time I did the Shred, I lost more inches doing a month of the Shred then I did with three months of going to Curves. NSV:  The first time I did the Shred I had to stop after each little exercise and try to breathe for 5 seconds (sometimes longer), this time around I stopped once for the whole thirty minutes on Sunday and Monday I stopped twice. I am impressed as I can see that means I have increased my endurance, meaning I must be getting stronger and am in better shape. I truly think I am in the best shape I have ever been in. I am not nearly at my goal weight or in the world’s greatest shape by any means, but for me, in the whole history of me, I am in the best shape I have ever been in.

Without sounding cocky, that’s pretty awesome!

NSV:  These jeans I bought back in January, I could do them up but they didn't fit per see.  NOW THEY DO!!!!  Pardon my saggy ladies, I didn't realize until this photo how  low they are hanging now, jeezz, they will be to my knees soon.

Baked apple, with cinnamon, oats and fat free vanilla yogurt

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Weigh-In Wednesday

As last Wednesday, I was at the visitation for my Uncle G’s passing (You can read about that here.) I didn’t have time to participate with Weigh-In Wednesday. 

Following the blog link up from Erin and Alex!

Last Weigh In: February 28, 2013 – 175.5 pounds.

Today’s Weight:174, Down 1.5 pounds in two weeks!  (Yesterday I was 173.5, bah.)

Starting Weight: September 19^th, 2011 - 205 pounds.  Down overall 31 pounds.(35 here I come!)

Operation Baby Making Status (OBM): Not preggers yet. (Not trying until April)

So let’s recap this past week.

Wednesday was my Uncle’s visitation.  To take the edge off my nerves, I did my Shred It in the morning.  Yes.  Me.  Of all people.  I used exercised to blow off some steam.  I never thought there would come a day.  Wednesday I ate all right, I hit my net 1450 calories.  I was at the funeral home in the afternoon and the evening so I really didn’t have food around me to snack mindlessly on.

Thursday, was my Uncle’s funeral.  Again, to help with my nerves, I did my Shred It in the morning.  It felt weird to do so, but I am glad I did it.  For a half an hour, I thought of nothing but the weight in my hand and Jillian’s voice.  Eating was all right.  I hit my 1450 net calories.  (This was my 30^th Shred It workout.  I am now planning on starting the 30 Day Shred again.)  I went home emotionally and physically exhausted.

Friday, was my rest day, but I walked for a half hour on my lunch break.  I hit my 1450 net calories again.

Saturday, I had hockey, it was an intense game.  Before the game, I hit my 1450 net, but I was starving afterwards so I had some eggs and toast.  So while I went over, it was a healthy-ish food and I decided to listen to my body.

Sunday, was also a rest day.  I started to have a really bad sore throat earlier this week and by Sunday afternoon I was out on the couch with a fever and the chills.  No fun.  I think I ate around 2000 calories, which isn’t great but it was still in my maintain range.

Monday, I was suppose to workout, but my bad cold had kicked my ass.  I was passed out in my bed for most of the day.  Calorie wise, I think I ate 1450.  No work out.  Unless you count my coughing and nose blowing. 

Tuesday, I was going to workout but I am exhausted and I am still feeling this cold.  I ate 1450 calories with no workout.  When I am sick, I like to listen to my body.  For dinner last night, I threw some cabbage on a fajita with some chicken, salsa and fat free sour cream.  Yum!  I love cabbage!  (I really do!)

I am “hoping” to start the “30-Day Shred” again this week.  I used “The Shred” (As I call it) twice last year, it was the first of Jillian’s workouts that I purchased.  This was the DVD that I fell in love with her.  My husband will participate with me.  I love having him as a workout buddy.  I am excited for him to try the 30 Day Shred and see what he thinks.  I pretty much threw him into Shred It with Weights the Level 2 workout (I had already completed Level 1 when he decided to try the DVD).  I am excited for him to try a DVD as Jillian meant it, starting with Level 1.   

If all goes according to plan, we shall be doing “The Shred” five times a week, hockey one day a week and one rest day.  Perhaps this is a bit ambitious as the last two months I have been utilizing two rest days a week, but I will give it a whirl and I will listen to my body if it requests an extra rest day.

So far I think my giving up junk food for Lent has been very beneficial.  Too often, I would sit down with a small bag of chips or chocolate and gorge, thinking “oh, it’s just a small treat.”  The thing is, I was doing this on a pretty regular basis, like I am talking daily here people.   While I would come in with my calorie goals, part of my calories were wasted on crap.  I think I am seeing the movement due to the junk food being eliminated.  I needed some structure as I was vastly turning my eating habits into a free for all.  My husband and I were talking that after Lent, we will enjoy some treats on Easter Sunday, but then we will go to a treat maybe once every two weeks, or maybe once a month.  To keep help keep us on track.

If you recall, Ash Wednesday I had a melt down as I weighed in at 180 pounds, having gained back five of my pounds I worked so hard to lose.  Since giving up the junk for Lent, I am down 6 pounds since Ash Wednesday, that was only four weeks ago!  Not bad for plateauing and then gaining since November!  

Mini goals: I like to work in 5 pound mini goals, it makes the overall task less daunting.  I can't wait to hit the 35 pounds lost mark!  I have been dancing around the 30 mark for ever.  I can't wait to hit the 160's, more specifically the 168 mark.  I have not been 168 pounds since grade six.  I remember I gained a lot over the summer from grade 5 to grade 6 and being super embarrassed to be 12 years old and weighing 168 pounds, I wish I was there now!  Plus it's sort of sad but kind of exciting that I will be at my 12 year old weight!  Sad no?  But exciting yes!

NSV: This sweater is a size small!   I know it's a wee bit snug but I had pyjama bottoms on with the shirt so it didn't suck my rolls in as well as a pair of dress pants do.  I swear it looks good with dress pants!   I am 174 pounds and I don't recall wearing a women's size small, EVER.  (Except for a cardigan I bought back in January!)  I am also in a size 10 pants, which I have no recollection wearing a size ten, EVER.  I remember being in grade six and my Mom buying me a pair of size 13 shorts and my older sister making a snide remark that she won't be able to borrow them as she is a size 6.  

My Dear Uncle

I have been away for a bit dealing, my Uncle G passed away Friday, March 1^st.  To recap, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma back in November; the doctors had the cancer under control.  But in the midst of everything, he went in to the hospital just after Christmas as he was severely dehydrated.  While in the hospital, he developed phenomena, then a blood infection and finally he contracted C-Diff.  The C-Diff destroyed his colon and he underwent emergency surgery to have his colon removed.  He never regained consciousness .  He was relying 100% on life support and the doctors informed my Aunt and my cousins there was nothing left that they could try.  My Uncle’s wishes were that he did not want to remain on life support, so Friday in the morning, my Aunt and cousins were by his side as he passed. 

This has been a terrible time for our family.  I am fortunate in a way that I in my 31 years; I have not lost any of my family until now.  (My Dad’s parents had both passed before I was born.)  My Uncle was the first person to go from my Mom’s side, even before his parents.  My Grandparents have been very strong but it’s devastating for them, to watch them truly breaks my heart.  My Aunt and my Uncle were married for 36 years; my heart also breaks for her.  For not just the big stuff, but even the little things: to not have him to wake up beside, or to hold his hand, or to cook dinner together; I just can’t even imagine.   My cousins I cry for have lost their beloved father.  I can’t imagine losing one of my parents.  My Mom and her siblings, my heart also breaks for, they were all very close and where there were five, now four remain.  In some ways I feel guilty missing my Uncle as I know my other family members have had the opportunity to be even closer to him (parent, spouse, son, brother) and obviously they will miss him more.  Nevertheless, my Uncle was awesome, and I am not looking back with rose coloured glasses; he would do anything for anyone, he was a great family man and he could make a dog laugh. 

My Aunt and cousins arranged a beautiful funeral last Thursday.  My Uncle had requested a celebration of his life and I think his family did a beautiful job of achieving that.  His family and friends stood up to talk about him, some of the stories were touching, some of the stories made us laugh (He would have loved that!) and some stories made us very proud of how he helped others.  It was the saddest, hardest, most beautiful day I have ever experienced, it’s so weird to say it was beautiful, but it truly was.

I could not bring myself to say good-bye; I told him I will see ya later.  Which I will.  In the mean time, we will be sad he is not with us physically, but as my Aunt said, he will always be with us.

I want to say thank you so much for those who sent positive thoughts and prayers his way.