Apr 02 "50 Goals" Progress Report 3 Months In

Well, I have had 3 months so far to work on my 50 goals….Here’s an honest assessment of how I am doing so far…

1.  Go back to work. Not yet 🙁

2.  Floss everyday.  I was doing so well and then not so much.  Gotta get back on track.

3.  Eat more vegetables.  Especially green ones.  Doing much better.  Lots of salads and my kale smoothie.

4.  Help more people with EDS and POTS awareness; especially people who have either disorder.  I have helped a couple people so far with what helps ME, but what is awesome is a couple people with EDS and POTS have also been helping me too.

5.  Be able to stand up for most of the U2 concert when we go in June.  Gotta wait until June. 

6.  Find a way to exercise regularly.  Walking?  Swimming?  Pilates?  Therapy and home rehab right now are my main sources of exercise with the recumbent bike, small amounts of Elliptical and treadmill work, and a lot of strengthening exercises.

7.  Choreograph a dance.  Not yet.  My body has to behave better first.

8.  Convince my Dad to paint us a picture for our home.  Working on it with “daughterly” pressure!

9.  Finish the kitchen.  Will be calling about a new counter in the next month.  Will be shopping for a new microwave and dishwasher in the next couple of months.

10.  New closet doors.  It’s on Brad’s “Honey-Do” List for spring break.  We’ll see!

11.  Landscape!  Nothing done yet.

12.  Decide about prolotherapy.  I will have my 4th treatment April 18th.

13.  Meet Lisa Gigliotti.  I’m going to her book signing May 3rd at Schulers.  You should too!  She’s amazing!

14.  Continue date nights every Thursday night.  Rockin this one!

15.  See someone new in concert (besides U2)…Great Big Sea? Ray Lamontagne? Lady Gaga?  Not yet.

16. Continue posting regularly on my blog, and learn how to give my blog a makeover. (Anyone know how?)  I’ve been posting regularly but obviously no makeover yet.  I have plans though.

17.  Figure out a plan for starting a family.  Having many conversations with Brad at this point.

18.  Read more books for pleasure. Not so much.  I’m still reading mostly medical stuff…

19. Go to the Ehlers-Danlos National Conference in Baltimore in July.  I am going back and forth about this one.  I just found out my friend Ila is going which makes it REALLY tempting, but we will be in Minnesota for a wedding a few days before and Jimmy Buffett is coming July 19th…I’m still undecided.

20.  Spend less money on eating out.  We have done better, but we still have a lot of room for improvement. 

21.  Learn how to cook more meals.  Not so much.  9 months left.

22.  Get out of my cervical collar for good!  I am wearing it less at this point thanks to prolotherapy and PT, but I am definitely not out of it for good.

23.  Finish contacting all gymnastics clubs in the country about special needs classes for Gymnastics Doctor Autism Foundation.  I was trying with not much luck so this has been put on hold for now until another method can be put into action.

24.  Go to Silver Bells.  Gotta wait until December (or November?)  I can’t remember.

25.  See Dr. Grubb.  I’m seeing Bev, his NP, April 20th!

26.  Find a new PCP I love.  After a lot of research, I did find one.  He’s awesome and so willing to learn.

27.  Decorate our walls throughout our house.  Not yet.  I need Martha Stewart!

28.  Visit Kristen, Jake, and Cecilia in Philly.  I’m leaving in 3 days!

29.  Spend a lot of time at the beach this summer.  Gotta wait and see.

30.  Eat more anti-inflammatory foods.  I go in spurts with this one.  But my daily smoothie is very anti-inflammatory.  I have found that if I eat too much bread-like foods, I have more stomach problems.

31.  Take my supplements regularly.  Must get better at this one.  I have no excuses.

32.  Use more coupons.  I could always get better, but compared to a few months ago, I am doing so much better!

33.  Get life insurance.  Not yet but researching.

34.  Start a will.  Not yet.

35.  Have a big send off for Andy when he departs for basic training and OCS without having too severe of a mental breakdown.  This was a SUCCESS!  I only had a minor meltdown.

36.  Buy Skechers Shape Up Boots. The word on the street is they are GREAT for people who have both EDS and POTS.  I got the shape up shoes.  I actually have had a hard time getting used to them.  They make me feel like my ankles are rolling.  I haven’t worn them in a while. 

37.  Officially join St. John’s Student Parish.  I filled out the paperwork.  It just needs to be turned in on Sunday!

38.  Have a garage sale.  Hopefully this summer.

39.  Celebrate my 30th in a healthy, happy way!  Still 7 months away!

40.  Say “I Love You” more and give more hugs to all of my loved ones.  I’m doing great with this one.  This is a fun one!

41.  Make friends with our neighbors.  Not yet.  Hopefully as the weather warms up, people will be out and about more in the neighborhood.

42.  Go away somewhere special with Brad for a few days, just us.  Not yet.  But I’m still dreaming of this.  Maybe when school gets out. 

43. Take more pictures.  I’m doing so much better!

44.  Learn how to make my Dad’s spaghetti sauce.  Not yet.  I plan to videotape this on our Flipcam.

45.  Learn something creative like sewing, jewelry making, or card making.  Not yet. 

46. Organize the basement.  Ha! I’ve avoided this one like a plague.  Gotta get to it sometime.

47. Dama-Herner Summer Vacation.  It’s planned!  First week of August.  Woohoo!

48. Walk up to receive communion at church regularly.  I’m on a roll (knock on wood) It’s been 7 consecutive weeks!

49. Get better at recycling everything that can be recycled.  Brad still gets after me on this one so I obviously still need work.

50. Pay the kindness forward that has been shown to me.  I’m trying!  This will NEVER be a goal I will be able to check off.  This will be a work in progress for the rest of my life.