Cholesterol Baby

by honeybee Posted on February 1, 2013

I was diagnosed with high cholesterol in late 2007. I’m sure it was high before then, but that was the first year I managed to get myself to a physician to get a physical. It was my first post-college physical, and the results were that I should bring it down from 200+.

I started training for the Great Aloha Run after hearing the news, and that led to marathon training. I’ve done three marathons since, and a bunch of smaller 10K, 20K, 25K, and 30K races since. In March, I’m set to do the Hapalua Half Marathon.

Despite all the running, my cholesterol was still high. In 2011, it was at 234, which was the highest it had been. I should point out it was my HDL cholesterol (the good one) that was maxed out, but my LDL was also higher than the doctor would have liked. He wasn’t too worried though, so I didn’t have to go on medication. Thank God.

I added weight training at the gym, and made some drastic changes in my diet, and finally, my cholesterol went below 200 after 5 years, in January 2012. I got another pass in July 1012, and yesterday, was another successful checkup with Dr. Inamasu. Because of this, he said he was going to stop screening me for cholesterol, and remarked that my lifestyle changes were really working for me.

I’m super happy about this. I have a fear of ending up like my father, grandma, aunty, and uncle… They had major heart problems leading to surgery, stroke, etc. I wish they could still be with us..

Just wanted to post since this is kinda a big deal, and was an ongoing theme in my life. Now, I have to keep it up! But, I don’t think it will be too hard.

Good News (31/365)
Dr. Inamasu’s office in in this building. Took this photo as I walked out of there, feeling like a million bucks!

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Preservation, or Shits and Giggles.. or What Have you.

by honeybee Posted on January 29, 2013

It’s coming up on the end of the first month of school, and also… it’s my birthday today. :)

I’m 38-years old, and happy about it. I was told the other day, that I wouldn’t be happy once I hit 40, by a man in his late forties. But, I’m optimistic that won’t be the case. Through the years, I’ve felt comfortable as I age. I guess you could say my twenties and early thirties were kinda bad in some ways. Stressful. Filled with a lot of fear and pain over the poor health of my father, and my mother. For the first time in my life, I’m on my own. I don’t have a husband, or a boyfriend.. and the two people I lived my entire life for, are gone.

I miss my parents. I’m pretty sure 2010 was a hazy blur for me, since the main thing I remember is mom dying, and then the pressure to find a new place to live. I’m alone a lot these days, but I don’t mind it so much. There’s something I kind of like about it, in a weird way. I do have my sister and my niece and brother-in-law. I also have some good friends… and none of these people are too demanding on me, which is nice. In the case of my parents, it was a feeling self-imposed. I wanted to please them, and do the things that would make them happy. I often failed at it, but there was a feeling that I wasn’t doing OK if they weren’t happy with me.

In the end, I think my mom was cool with how I turned out as a person. She said she wished she could see how I was gonna end up. She knew her time was short, and she wouldn’t get to meet my future (if any) husband.. or see if I would have any kids. It was bittersweet for me to know she wouldn’t be there, but that she was overall happy with me. Man. I miss her. Dad too.

After seeing my sister get married and have a baby, mom felt happy for my her. She’d kinda nudged me to get a man and settle down, but I’d told her I just hadn’t met the right one yet. She seemed to understand. My main beef while she was still alive, was how much I hated working in IT and she’d told me in the end… “You gotta be happy.”

In December I’ll re-assess my situation and determine whether or not to continue with my pursuit of a 2nd bachelor’s degree. No matter what, I don’t see this as lost time. I’ve been learning math and chemistry, and biology. I already feel like I see things around me a little differently, so it has been, and will be worth it, even if I give up.

That ball I got invited to, is happening soon… the guy who asked me is pretty cute, but young. It’s been cool seeing him around in class, and knowing he’s excited about going. I’m a little more apprehensive. I don’t know how to do my hair, makeup, etc. I have a family friend doing it for me for free.. and I feel self-conscious about the dress I bought and how I’ll look in it. I suck at all this being-a-lady stuff. But, I’m really trying to see only positives here. lol! I wasn’t a prom person when I was in high school, and this feels like some kind of grown-up prom. Hopefully, it’s cool though. It’d be pretty awesome if I saw some of the guys from my old guard unit there. And again, I was trying to do something nice, so let’s hope there are only rewards for such a thing.

Yes, I’m probably damaged goods, because I’m 38 years-old, and I have never been married, and have no kids. But for the first time, I can honestly say: I’m dysfunctional, but happy. :)

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Lost Fat and Muscle

by honeybee Posted on January 24, 2013

During the whole ordeal of going back to school and then having terrible thumb pain on my right hand, I wasn’t able to hit the gym as much. Today I got measured and calipered, and the results are in: I lost 6lbs, and 1/2 was muscle, the other 1/2 was fat. I haven’t been eating the same. Leeward Community College doesn’t have much food nearby. I never bother to drive anywhere else once I get there, so I only eat whatever I pack, and once in a while venture into the cafeteria for something. My main diet has consisted of apples, protein powder, protein bar, rye bread and ham, with occasional okinawan sweet potatoes thrown in there. I stopped with the oranges since I couldn’t peel them when my thumb was flaring up.

My right thumb is feeling significantly better after last Tuesday’s cortisone shot, but there is still a weirdness to it — the thumb is not 100%. Not sure if it ever will be.

Today was my first time back at the gym exercising anything other than my legs. Today was a shoulder / chest day. I could feel how weak my arms had gotten as I struggled with stuff that wasn’t so difficult in December. I’m hoping to gain the muscle back, but none of the fat, and keep my weight stable. I’m currently at 113.7 lbs.

I have been trying to get runs in at least 3 times a week, and my “long” run has been set to 8 miles. I plan to increase that to 10 this upcoming weekend, since I’m signed up for the Hapalua Half Marathon in March. I’m happy with my weight-loss so far. I hope I can bring it down to an even 110, without losing muscle… but imagine that will take months.

Sunrise (19/365)
A picture I took one morning during a run.

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My First Cortisone

by honeybee Posted on January 22, 2013

Handy (15/365)
While waiting for the Dr., I snapped a picture of the x-rays of my thumb

Last Tuesday, I had an appointment with Dr. Blum for the pain that started really flaring up on the first day of school in my right thumb and wrist. After a week of pain, I was desperate for some help and a proper diagnosis. They took some x-rays of my right thumb/wrist area, and Dr. Blum performed a physical inspection.

The good news, is that he said my bones were good from the x-rays. So, I could rule out carpal tunnel or any kind of chronic condition, but the bad news, was that my thumb is slightly misaligned. He asked if I could remember injuring it bad enough to knock it out of alignment at some point in time, and I thought hard about the time I fell hard while running and caught the brunt of the impact with my right palm. It was the only thing I could recall doing to my thumb, and it happened about a year or so ago.

Among the options offered to me, was surgery, where they’d cut the ligament which had healed in an improper position, and realign the bone. I’d have to wear a cast on my hand/thumb area for about a month, and then a splint for a month after that. He said this untreated injury made arthritis setting into that area a high risk.

I was also offered the option to try a cortisone shot. I decided to go with the shot, and see if it helps, and if that fails to try the surgery.

There was something kinda cool about watching the Dr. inject the cortisone right into the joint. It wasn’t too uncomfortable to get the shot, and in the moments immediately following, I was pretty happy since there was some kind of numbing agent in the injection that made my thumb feel normal again for the first time in a long time! But, by the time I got home, that numbness was starting to wear off, and then my thumb and hand/wrist were just as sore as the week before. The pain lasted for about two days, and then started to subside. By the 3rd – 5th day, there was significantly less pain, but it was not gone completely from the base of my thumb joint when I performed certain movements. I was getting worried the cortisone just wasn’t going to be able to take away the pain, and that I’d have to ask about surgery.

Then, something cool happened last night, and I realized the pain was gone. My thumb felt normal on the 6th night after getting a cortisone injection. How long will this last? I have no idea… but plan to keep wearing the splints I’ve been wearing to help protect it (especially when sleeping).

He had said it might only last a month or a few months, and to let him know if/when the pain comes back. He said in some cases, the patient never experienced the pain again, so no surgery was necessary. My brother in law said I should ask about physical therapy if the pain comes back, and surgery should be a really last-resort option. I kinda agree with that thinking. The thought of surgery and wearing a cast on my hand sounds really disruptive to everyday life.

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Pain

by honeybee Posted on January 10, 2013

I’ve been taking a lot of photos of campus lately since I’m doing a photo-a-day exercise, and find myself there every day…
take me with you. (9/365)

I’ve had on-again-off-again pain that seemed related to my right thumb over the past couple of years. I’ve tried bringing it to my primary care physician’s attention more than once, and his advice is always to just stop doing anything that hurts it. He never administers any tests.. except he tried to see if it was carpal tunnel by banging on my wrist with a little reflex hammer.

This is my first week back at school, and from Monday, the pain in my thumb has been getting worse, and morphing into something new. It’s scaring me, honestly. Before, the pain stayed in the thumb area, and never affected the wrist. I never had to do much writing though, until the semester started, and now I write a lot. I also am carrying a heavy bag with books in it. (I’ve since started putting ebooks on my ipad to relieve my hand strain.

As of today, Advil and icing the area does nothing. I wear the thumb splint that used to provide a lot of support and relief, and it isn’t helping as much. I feel a lot more pain and discomfort. It’s kinda making me cranky… like the lion with the thorn in its paw. But, more than that– it’s making me scared.

I’m so afraid that this will impair my first semester back to school. In Bio lab, I couldn’t properly take measurements with the micropipette because of my inability to press down and release the trigger with a steady/constant pressure. This caused air to get in, and my samples were not well-measured. The instructor seemed irritated but kinda got over it when I told him I made an appointment to see a doctor for next week.

The earliest appointment I could get with Dr. Blum (new orthopedic physician for me), was next week Tuesday. So, I’ve got to live with this pain. I sure hope it subsides. It really sucks so far. Even typing too long is tough, so I’ll cut this short.

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Day 1 Down

by honeybee Posted on January 8, 2013

My first day back to school was pretty great for a few reasons. For one, I made the right decision with the chemistry professor. He is in charge of STEM, and a great resource– very helpful so far, and an excellent lecturer.

My bio professor likes Laulima… which I can’t say the same for. But, he also seems like a nice person. I’m hoping to do well in his class. (Fingers crossed).

My online sociology class seems kinda tougher to navigate, but hopefully I develop a rhythm and everything will be fine.

I have yet to encounter math. I took a class lower than the one I tested into mainly out of uncertainty in my own abilities. The professor is known for making lame jokes, according to his RateMyProfessor.com profile, and I am READY for the lame jokes. I love lame jokes– especially when said by professors.

LCC is a great place to be so far. I believe in it as a stepping stone to UH Manoa. The professors and students are really nice there. I can’t say the same at Manoa… but I guess that’s the difference between Community College and a 4-year institution.

On a random note, I got asked to a ball by a classmate during Chemistry lab. He’s a lot younger than I am, and I mentioned to him when I was enlisted in the Guard, so he’s aware I’m in my late thirties (I think). I guess we were talking because he’s in the Army Reserves, and I’m prior service in the Army Guard, and he felt comfortable enough to ask me to go. He told me he had a deadline to submit a form if he wanted to attend the ball (Army ball, apparently), and said the female friends he asked couldn’t make it, so I thought about it, and was like: “Sure. Sounds fun.” I purely see this as a classmates kinda thing, and NOT A HOOKUP. I repeat: NOT A HOOKUP! I think it should be an interesting experience and I can only hope I look OK in the dress that I have yet to purchase for this event. I also sincerely hope my professor doesn’t think I am cougar-ing his younger students. I really felt a little odd about accepting, but thought: Nah. This kid seems legit, and nice, and how many times in my life am I going to be invited to go to a ball? It felt like good Karma to help him out. Sounded like he really wanted to go to this ball…

I did my homework for BIO, but now I have to work on the rest. I’ll also have to get a part time job soonish. But, so far, so good.

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2013: Hooray! It’s the Obligatory New Year Post!!!

by honeybee Posted on January 1, 2013

It’s January! My birth month, and the beginning of what will hopefully be a wonderful new year. At the very least, it will be another year of discovery as time unfolds and questions become extended questions, new questions, or new goals. I’m a huge optimist, if you didn’t know. Sometimes I feel helpless or hopeless, but that feeling passes, and then I just keep moving. It’s served me well so far. *knock on wood. Even when crap gets thrown at me, I do my best to get out of the way, adjust, and keep going. So, win-win?! Maybe. Or, I’m delusional. Whatever. Either way, I’m still moving!

New Year run along the Ala Wai Canal
Started off 2013 with a morning run.

I celebrated New Year’s Eve at my aunty’s house in Kapolei along with a bunch of my relatives. My Aunty and Uncle make ono Hawaiian food (homemade) and this was their last year doing it after decades. I have to thank them for all their years of opening up their home to us, and all the work they’ve done. It’s been a great family tradition, but they’re getting older, and I understand. I’m thankful to them. This is the end of an era for our family, which will surely be felt on the last day of 2013. I’m confident I’ll still enjoy the end of the year since New Year’s is my favorite holiday and I’ll be thankful if I have my basic physical, mental, and emotional capacities intact. (I’ve lived with a disabled person, so I know the value of being able to walk, and just function on an “everyday” level, and am always thankful for it).

2013 is a landmark year: I quit my career in IT, and registered for school with an end-goal of a 2nd Bachelor’s degree. I’m pretty excited, nervous, anxious… but mostly nervous about going back to sit in classrooms focusing on math and science (which were sidestepped the first time with my B.B.A. degree). Community college is 1/3 the cost of tuition at UH Manoa, and I’m more than happy to start out my trek at Leeward Community College. I believe in this goal enough to take the financial risk of quitting IT. I’ll have a much clearer picture of whether or not this goal feels doable by the end of 2013.

Crash
A picture of the ocean, and the color blue, which calms me. All the hues of blue in nature are lovely.

In March, I’m registered for the Hapalua — Hawaii’s Half Marathon. This will be my first year participating as long as I don’t get injured before then. *knock on wood

The Honolulu Marathon was only $26.20 for late registration (you have until Jan. 4th for this discount rate)! I’m not sure it’ll fit in among studying, working part-time, etc. But will play it by ear.

In preparation for school (which starts NEXT WEEK)!!! I’ve bought a lunch bag, notebooks, pens and pencils, protein bars, a backpack, a new belt, new shoes, a monthly planner, and $600 worth of textbooks. (Good God)! Still excited though!

Destination: Pacific Ocean
Where do we go from here?

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Mele Kalikimaka!

by honeybee Posted on December 25, 2012

Decided to go on a morning jog past Honolulu Hale so I could see the Christmas lights on Christmas morning, without the crowds. It was a peaceful run through the streets of Honolulu. I also decided to check out Ala Moana Beach Park on the way back. Here are some pics I took during this morning’s run.

Merry Christmas!

Mele Kalikimaka!
This is a real tree. Each year, they use a real tree from somewhere on Oahu to be placed in front of Honolulu Hale.

Mele Kalikimaka Morning!
As the sun was rising… a wall of clouds have kept things overcast all morning.

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Aloha, Senator Inouye

by honeybee Posted on December 24, 2012

On Saturday, December 22nd, 2012, I had the opportunity to pay my respects to Senator Daniel Inouye as he lay in state at the Hawaii State Capitol rotunda. I didn’t go to the ceremony held at the beginning, but did walk past his casket, which was guarded by what appeared to be one HPD officer, one Sheriff, one Army serviceman, and one Air Force serviceman. The American flag was draped over his casket, and the four servicemen stood at each corner of the casket, facing inwards.

Senator Daniel Inouye Lying in State at the Hawaii State Capitol

Many showed up to honor Senator Inouye’s memory, and the lines of people moved silently through the tent where his casket was on display. I signed one of the condolence / guest books, received a program from the service held earlier, and made a donation to the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Memorial Fund, care of the Hawaii Community Foundation. It was the Inouye family that established the fund, to “…help organizations and causes that the Senator supported over the years,” according to the website.

There was a service held at Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific the following morning. I heard the jets fly overhead from my apartment, and watched the live broadcast on TV. Daniel Inouye was a one-of-a-kind person. I will miss seeing him in the news, and reading his tweets about what he’s ordering at Zippy’s, (which I thought was so awesome and down to earth). His presence was a reassuring one in politics, which was definitely felt by many residents here in Hawaii.

Mahalo to Senator Inouye for his life of service to America as a war hero, a public servant, and for standing up for civil rights issues, and doing what he felt was right, even when it wasn’t popular. His life and career are an example of what it means to live a life of service; and he served the people of Hawaii and America with dignity and grace, until his death. Mahalo and Aloha, Senator!

Mahalo, Senator Inouye

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Early Resgistration for the 2013 Honolulu Marathon has Begun!

by honeybee Posted on December 23, 2012

wailupe beach park
A pic at Wailupe Beach Park taken during one of my early morning training runs this year

If you’re a Hawaii resident, and planning on doing the marathon in 2013, there’s an early registration special in effect: $1 a mile, (just like last year)! It’s $26.20 for Kamaaina and military until January 4th 2013. I saw the announcement on the Honolulu Marathon’s Facebook page and just registered myself.

Early Registration Link: http://www.eventsonline.ca/events/honolulu/index_hawaii.php The price rises from $26.2 to $55 until January 14th, 2013 if you miss the deadline of January 4th.

Not sure I’ll be able to handle training, school, studying and work, but signed up anyway gosh darn it. ;P

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