Madeline is the newborn daughter of a friend (Cindy) I met through MOPS. Maddie has a heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). She was born on April 7th, a healthly little girl. Three days later, they discovered something was wrong. Her husband, David, has worked hard and created a site which tells that story and updates Maddies fight.
I am so impressed with the strenght that both David and Cindy have shown (and Maddie too!). I didn’t think of posting this until I received the following email from Cindy, and I’ll let her words conclude this entry:
“Ok, so the Lord is teaching us the utmost in flexibility! Madeline now has a NEW surgery date and it is tomorrow (and as always, that can change). But, for right now she is scheduled as the first one of the day (we need to be there by 6 am). And though I know she is in good hands, I\’m frightened.? Really not so much with the surgery, but because of the postop.? Because we know that it’s post surgery and thru the recovery process that a lot of these children die.? Also because we know that it’s post surgery when our “journey” really begins.? So yes, I’m frightened. The good news is that just 6 years ago they had a 40% mortality rate.? At other hospitals, it’s a 20-30% mortality rate - but here at Stanford it’s 5-10%.? Those are much better other, but still scary.
So, all you prayer warriors out there - get busy!?:)?? It’s the “great physician” that we’re really counting on.?
Love, Cindy”
I learned something new! I read in Cooking Light magazine (one of my very favorite magazines) that a pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories. I’ve wondered about it, but have never known or have been inquisitive enough to find out.
This is very helpful information to me. I have been journaling what I eat since January, with the exception of a few weeks. This info gives me a whole new perspective on eating and exercise. If I want to lose weight, I need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. Denying myself food is not the only way (which is not new news to me).
However, measuring weight-loss success according to the scale is not the best form of measurement for me. I addition to swimming, biking and running, I attend a strength training class 2 times a week and that has built muscle. I heard a long time ago that 1 pound of fat takes up 10 times as much “space” (if you will) as 1 pound of muscle. Part of my discouragement with the scale is because it doesn’t reflect which weight is fat and which is muscle.
I know I am doing fairly well because last year I was at this same weight (OK, even two pounds less), but was wearing a size larger. Hmmm.
I digress, back to 3,500 calories. This is good info. Now, as I track my calories I can see what nutritional dent I am making. I found a site that lists the calories that different activities burn. It is rather extensive. I can note my calories burned each day through exercise and keep track of how many calories I eat. I may not be able to track my accomplishment on the scale, but by keeping track on paper I can see my efforts — and I can continue to see it in my clothing too:)
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