AuntieJan's Journal, 10 May 2011

So it's been just over a week since my last session with Erin, and I am scheduled with the incoming clinician next Wednesday. Sometimes my mind wanders off into thought about how much we accomplished in such a short timespan. Erin would of course remind me that I am the one that did all the hard work, and she is right. It was work, sometimes really hard, emotional work, other times it was lighter, more conversational in nature. All of it added up to a whole lot healthier and happier me.

One thing I haven't journaled about is the pyschological testing I performed for the center, it was offered to me at no cost fairly soon after I started going there. It is part of the training the pysch students go through at the university, and they are coached through each step by their supervising professors. I accepted immediately when Erin asked me if I would participate. The whole process took 5 or 6 weeks to complete, I was scheduled an extra day other than my session day so I was there a lot.

There were a lot of different types of tests, such as the MMPI-2, which is an objective personality test, and the Weschler IQ test, as well as the more well-known Rorschach inkblot test. They were mostly self-administered but several of them were given by the clinician, which of course was Erin.

I can tell you they weren't all fun and games, and I am a bad test taker on certain subjects and this came out in the testing; however, I did pretty good overall and did way above average on verbal and written skills (which means I can BS the ears off a mule and write a novel about it too... LOL).

I'll spare the rest of the boring details and minutiae of the results, but there was one particular moment that I will never forget and that was during one of the memory recall tests. It asked all kinds of questions such as who was Ghandi and some other people, mathematic questions, and science questions. One of the science questions was: "What is the circumference of the Earth at the Equator?" Do you know what it is? Quick, and no cheating!

The answer is 24,901.55 miles. I had learned this in science class but couldn't recall it. It frustrated me. So of course when I got home and I looked it up and wrote it down. The next session out of the blue I blurted out "Oh and the circumference of the earth is 24,901.55." Erin laughed and said "you won't ever forget that will you?"And I didn't.

As the months progressed, I got the bright idea to spring that answer on her when she least expected it. It became a running joke between us, and it helped me get through some tough sessions. I was always careful not to mention it at inappropriate times.

I dropped it in the last 5 weeks or so before our final session. But, I wasn't going to let it die. When Erin and I exchanged our little parting gifts on the last day, this was what I made for her:





It took her a few moments to get the humor, she was concentrating on the art and the quote and then I saw her face change as she put all the pieces together. It was priceless.

After all, I couldn't let her forget, right?

Nope, not me! :O)

Onward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

248.0 lb Lost so far: 30.0 lb.    Still to go: 98.0 lb.    Diet followed 100%.

---

1466 kcal

Fat: 36.49g | Prot: 67.61g | Carb: 229.11g.   Breakfast: seedless grapes, Chobani Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt, half and half, Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Granola Bar, coffee. Lunch: Grapes (Red or Green, European Type Varieties Such As Thompson Seedless). Dinner: Valley Fresh Steamers Healthy Colors, pork tenderloin, Uncle Ben's Brown Rice, reduced sodium black beans. Snacks/Other: Kit Kat Snack Size, skinny cow fudge bar, v8 diet splash, Publix Caramel Rice Snacks, oatmeal cookies great value, Nutella, Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars - Pecan Crunch . more...

3492 kcal

Activities & Exercise: Walking (exercise) - 3.5/mph - 30 minutes, Resting - 13 hours and 40 minutes, Stretching (yoga) - 15 minutes, Housework - 1 hour, Sleeping - 8 hours, Weight Training (moderate) - 30 minutes, Running (jogging) - 5/mph - 5 minutes. more...