Daily Archives: July 6, 2012
July 6th Free Write Friday Exercise
12
She had done it! She had completed her goal. It had taken her two years to complete and it wasn’t easy at all!
Casey, had been in poor health. She had eaten herself into a total weight of over four hundred pounds.
Glued to her bed, that her family had moved into their living room, this is where Casey spent most of her waking and sleeping moments. Unless she had a doctor’s appointment, she watched TV, and her only movement was raising the remote control to change channels, or lifting the eating utensils to her mouth.
It started years before that. It was a love that became an obsession, that became a danger to her life. She loved food. She used food for every occasion. Whether it be sadness, depression, anger, or happiness, food was her reward.
This is the way her mother and their family used food also, a celebration to eat, but Casey took it one step further. She didn’t use the occasion, she used the food. Her husband worked day shift for a local industry, and her two kids were in school. When they all arrived home, they sat down to an early supper. By the time the kids were in bed, she was hungry again, and snacked, but the snacks turned into another supper, and soon she was being awake during the night, to grab a piece of cake, or a candy bar, whatever was easily available. This in turn started to attach fat cells on her body, which in a few months, became obvious to others eyes.
Soon her clothes no longer fit, and she started buying lounging dresses, that fit loose and were comfortable. The dresses also did not alert her to any weight gains. Looking through a jar of glass marbles, resembled looking at her thighs. People would talk, but no one made the effort to speak to her ears, and with time Casey also neglected to care about herself.
One day, the doctor’s visit was not a usual one of reminding her that she needed to take off her weight. The reminders of blood work checking her cholesterol were off, triglycerides were off-balance. Every visits warnings, were entered in one ear and left through the other, but this visit was different.
Casey had special tests, that dug deeper, checking into the heart and kidneys. This visit produced bad news for her. There was no more warning, there were hard rocks being thrown at her. No more nice words, but daggers, meant to enter her heart and mind, and change her views on her life. Her heart was suffering. It could no longer handle the heavy load it was carrying, and proteins were backing up in her kidneys, causing them to not work properly anymore. The doctor announced that she was going to be dead within two years, if she didn’t change RIGHT NOW!
Casey teared up and could feel her internal furnace heating up. She sat as straight up as she could, and for the first time was listening and asking questions. The questions lead to appointments with a dietician, and a call to the local YMCA.
Following up on these leads was tough. It meant family being there more, to drive her to and from, and thought put into clothing for the public viewing, but Casey was scared, and she didn’t want to die. She wanted to see her kids graduate and to feel what it was like to be a grandma.
Three times a week, she worked out at the YMCA, very easy exercises with a special trainer that had been assigned to her, and gradually more difficult exercises added each month. She followed the diet she had been given by the hospital dietician, each week writing out her menu, and her husband would go to the grocery store and fill up his cart from her list.
Two years later, today, she had made it. She had just come from the doctor’s office for her monthly visit. Her weight was normal, in fact, the doctor said she could afford to gain a pound or two. Casey had never heard that before, and was beaming. All her blood work came back excellent. She stood up and gave the doctor a huge hug, and thanked him for caring enough to say it straight. She walked out of the office, with a thumbs up. She had done it, she had completed her goal! She had saved her own life!
I want to thank Kellie for allowing me to write for her with this writing exercise. You can also find her at this link:
http://kellieelmore.com/2012/07/06/fwf-free-write-friday-freedom-write/
Thank You, Kellie!
Link
God, Are You Really Talking To Al?
“Praying Hands” (study for an Apostle figure of the “Heller” altar) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I woke up from a restless night, because i made the mistake of taking a nap yesterday, and so I paid the price last night.
This morning, I woke up, fairly calm. I got Al’s medicines ready and started my coffee. I brushed my teeth and washed my face and got dressed. I have a doctor’s appointment in an hour for a check-up from blood work. I hate it each time, as I am reminded that I don’t live a doctorly life. I am too heavy according to the book, I don’t eat as many veggies and fruits that I should. It goes on and on, and I am always mentally ready to place my hand on the door and run out of the doctor’s room.
Although, I am calm, I felt too calm. Does that make sense? It was a calm, like I am being prepared for a heavy scene. The caregiver came and gave Al his shower, and while he was showering, I was praying.
I am the type of person who speaks more to God throughout the day than the person that takes a half-hour out each day to concentrate on prayer. I am sitting at my computer, and out of the blue, I just wrapped my hands around each other, and knelt my head to the hands, and I prayed. I prayed for Al, and I prayed for strength to do what is right for Al and me. I asked God to hear my prayers and to hear my cries. I prayed to him about my fears also, if Al was to leave me. I prayed for answers. Maybe this was a selfish prayer, I don’t know, but I need answers and help, so this is how I prayed.
I sat back up still feeling some calmness, and Al walks out of the shower, and as he and the caregiver are making their way to the living room, I see big tears falling from Al’s eyes.
I instantly sighed, and said what is wrong this time bud? He just looks at me and says that God knocked on the kitchen table while he was eating his breakfast. I asked why did he knock? He tells me God wanted to get his attention. I said oh, and what did he say to you today, and he tells me God says it is time now.
Who I am 