December 17th, 2016 The Opposite

December 17th, 2016 The Opposite

I sincerely appreciate the incredible outpouring of prayers in support of mom's recovery. Every single blog comment, Facebook comment--every single one is appreciated very much. Thank you.

The update I received tonight was a very good report. She's doing very well. Her body is responding to the treatment and she's out of danger. She suffered a pretty bad panic attack early this morning-on top of everything else, but she's much more calm tonight. It broke my heart to hear the details of her panic attack. She was scared for her life. She's truly stable now. Things got pretty bad very quickly. I'm so thankful she got the medical treatment she needed. Like I've reassured mom--if you weren't stable they would put you in ICU. She's stable and improving in a regular room.

With mom fairly stable, I opted to continue my original plan of spending today preparing for a private stand-up gig I was hired to do tonight for a big bank. I did this same gig last year--giving them over an hour of stand-up--and that made this year more challenging, because I didn't want to do the same material! The show was divided up a little more than last year--so my actual stand-up comedy time was considerably shorter. It was a variety show! I invited my friends from the On The Spot Improv troupe to help round out the show. They were amazing! And I'm glad they were part of the entertainment lineup tonight.

I must say-- I LOVE doing stand-up. Every single time I do it, I ask myself, why are you not doing more of this immense source of joy?

I must start a comedy night at the Ground Round Grill and Bar located literally two blocks from my apartment--I'm doing it, very soon. The owner has already given this idea the green light. The ball is in my court on this one.

I really enjoy taking extra special care in preparing a meal. I didn't always enjoy the process of preparing and cooking. At my heaviest, I'd choose speed and convenience every single time. This morning's breakfast was fantastic. It feels great to honor my plan by exhibiting this level of extraordinary care. I'm worth it, by golly!!!

Weighing and measuring everything is an important part of my plan each day. It gives me a measure of certainty.

A party goer pulled me aside tonight specifically to mention and compliment me on my weight-loss maintenance. It's nice to receive that kind of positive feedback. I remembered the MyFitnessPal progress chart contains all of my weigh-ins, so I checked--this time last year I weighed 6 pounds heavier than I do today. I'm proud of that in a big way. And having experienced a monumental 164 pound relapse/regain, I don't take this maintenance mode for granted. I protect it each day by maintaining the integrity of my plan.

What's interesting to me is how I once thought of this level of extraordinary care as something that would make life harder--absolutely miserable--but that wasn't true. It's the opposite. Honoring my plan each day by doing what I do brings me tremendous joy--and continued weight maintenance.

I'm traveling to spend time with mom tomorrow. She'll be in the hospital for at least another couple days. When she's released, the doctors and nurses at the hospital have recommended a skilled nursing facility. I'll be moving mom up here where I live and work. She'll get the level of care she needs and she'll get to see much more of me, Noah, Amber and Courtney--and everyone else up this way. Mom actually requested this course of action before the hospital officially recommended it. I have a feeling she'll continue to rapidly gain strength and wellness in that kind of exceptional care environment. I'm looking forward to having her close.

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget. I remained abstinent from refined sugar. I exceeded my daily water goal. And I stayed well connected with great support. It was one more day of extraordinary care. I'll aim for another like it, tomorrow!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean