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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2016)
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... What does it take to change? By Katy yoder Correspondent Cancer is a powerful moti- vator for change. Sometimes it takes the realization that death is closer than we think to finally wake up and live. There are parts of my life that I chose to ignore. When I look back, I see myself walk- ing around like a zombie, eyes dull and my body mov- ing without much direction. Sometimes I would wake up and realize I wasn’t living my life to its fullest. I’d make a meager attempt at change but soon lapsed back into sleep- walking through my days. Why are our addictions stronger than our will to live? Why did I choose what I knew was unhealthy for me? I “treated” myself to high- quality, but nonetheless sug- ary rewards. After a long day at work, I often chose to curl up on the couch to watch TV and have some kind of snack. I’d look outside my window and know I should be outside walking, riding my bike, gar- dening … anything that got me outside and moving. But I didn’t have the gumption to get up and do it. Often dinner was a last- minute decision based on fa- tigue and how famished I was that day. The same happened at lunchtime. I would get caught up in my day and by 2 p.m. was desperately hun- gry. I knew if I didn’t eat im- mediately I’d get a migraine or get dizzy and feel like I might pass out. Even worse my plummeting blood sugar could turn me into a vola- tile woman with a flashpoint unknown until it erupted. That funny term, “hangry” (hungry+angry) described me perfectly. So I began the never-ending battle of making sure I didn’t get to that point. I was a slave to my blood sugar. I lived like that for years, with periodic rushes to the surface for a breath of fresh air. Coming to the surface meant I’d try a new diet, South Beach, Adkins, meal replacement … you name it I’ve done it. At first, it would work and I’d begin to lose weight. But soon, I’d begin to have debilitating migraines, skin rashes and — in some cases — serious medical ram- ifications for my change in diet. I’d go off the diet in dis- gust and frustration and give up out of self-preservation. I didn’t understand what was happening to me physically, let alone what was going on in my head that got me into this mess in the first place. Why did I become a com- pulsive eater? Oh, boy, that’s a touchy one! Working on my journaling and writing a memoir has begun to shed some light on that. I grew up in a very strict household where I was seldom allowed to voice an opinion. I did what I was told … period! Food was one of my sneaky ways to get back at the adults who ruled my life. If I wasn’t supposed to eat sugary cere- als, I’d steal some from my cousin’s house. I can’t for the life of me remember why, but I can see myself hoisting my- self up on the counter in our kitchen grabbing the Kraft parmesan cheese and pouring it into my mouth. It was my little way to get even. Later, when I could drive myself around, I went to fast- food places like Wendy’s and Jack-in-the-Box. I’d pull in and order something that I knew was against our eat- ing rules and feel victorious. I wasn’t overweight in high school, but I was setting up the dynamics for health prob- lems in the future. Then I 70175 Mustang, Squaw Creek Canyon Estates 2.5-ACRE MANICURED PARCEL Approved for a standard septic system. Water and power at street. Level, all usable. Paved road. New price at $149,000 ! MLS#201502120 Linda Brunanchon Broker, ABR, GRI 541-728-6989 • 541-549-7136 linda@reedbros.com REED BROS. REALTY | 291 W. Cascade Ave. | www.reedbros.com added beer into the mix. Col- lege was tough for me. It was hard academically, but also provided all kinds of learn- ing opportunities through a friend’s suicide, my own de- pression, a serious accident where I could have died, and eventually academic proba- tion. I rallied and got my de- gree, but college opened the floodgates for weight prob- lems that I’d struggle with for the rest of my life. I’ve had years to truly un- derstand what it’s like to be fat. Children have asked in- nocent but hurtful questions about why I’m fat. I have seen the disgust in people’s eyes as they look me up and down. I know the embar- rassment of not being able to keep up with my friends. I’ve felt the shame of worrying if I’d fit in a chair or seat at the movies. But that wasn’t moti- vating enough for me. I needed cancer to truly get well. Either that or it was my time to check out. I don’t want to leave yet. I want to meet my future grandchildren and watch our daughter’s life un- fold. I want to see more of the world and do it without extra pounds slowing me down. There’s no time like now to live. It’s all I’ve got, it’s all any of us have. It’s never easy to look inside and face what shapes us as adults. For me, opening that door has brought light into the dark corners and a chance to heal what has been hidden. It’s scary, excit- ing and freeing. I recommend it highly. SCHEDuLE: Enrollment got a small bump in June Continued from page 3 classes we were trying to provide for our students.” The need to align sched- ules was part of the impetus to make the change. “Having the same sched- ule at the middle and high school is a priority as we share several staff mem- bers in these buildings. Additionally, class continu- ity, more options for all stu- dents during the school day, potentially lower class sizes contribute to us moving to a seven-period semester schedule next year,” Scholl wrote. The district saw a small bump in enrollment to close the year. Overall enrollment stands at 1,118.5, up from 1,099 at the end of 2014-15. The high school showed a 27-student bump from May 29 to June of this year, but most of that is accounted for by the district being allowed to count enrollment from the Heart of Oregon Corps program. The statistics do not show an overall year-to- year increase in enrollment; the elementary school is down 10.5 students from the end of 2014-15 and the middle school is down 3.5. However, each school saw a couple of more students in June than they had in May. As Superintendent Scholl noted at last Wednesday’s school board meeting, “We do have new students in every building.” Enrollment is critical to the fiscal health of the dis- trict, because state funding is allocated on a per-student basis. Have a Rockin’ Good Rodeo Weekend Stop by and visit with Shelley Marsh and Tiana Van Landuyt at 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 or call 541-548-9180. 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