BAND OF ANGELS

We did it, doing slightly more than the official distance of 25.8k (25.9) in a total time of 20:03 (20 hours, three minutes).
I could feel Robin and Dianne in my mind for inspiration, and in the pool with their great strength as they work hard to be healthy. You two took every stroke that I did, and I couldn't have done it without you. Bless you both.
Andy came to the pool today and took some stills and also some video, which appears above.
It was crowded again and I swallowed about two cups of water. Yesterday, I found it hard to eat without vomiting late in the day and evening.
So, I've learned my lesson. No more food on all-out days, just liquids.
Even my protein shake yesterday seemed a bit off.
Thank you so much to all of you who have allowed me to go past my personal goal through your generous donations.
However, there's no reason to stop now!
Pledges will be accepted until midnight Aug. 2 to allow late donors and those on holidays to make their contributions.
I also gratefully acknowledge Kennedy Ford and Slimband for their corporate donations.
And thanks to all my angels for paving the way for me to be in the pool this year, let alone swim for hours in it. You've been with me every step of the way in my losing 124 pounds since March 27, 2009, and you are still with me as I keep going on my weight-loss journey.
I cannot even express my gratitude for all you have done and continue to do, and for the shoulders you have provided for me to cry on and your patience in listening to me. There are very few people in my life with whom I can be honest, and not be judged.
For those who would like to follow my posts, the site is called Band of Angels and it can be found at http://www.maplegroveunitedchurch.org/blogs/
A big thanks goes to Andy for putting up posters at the Iroquois Ridge rec centre and Maple Grove United Church, in a grocery store, on area mailboxes and at a local outdoor pool.
Keep those pledges coming by urging others to join the fun, and God bless you all!!!
xo

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Sat, Jul 24, 2010 @ 4:24 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.

Today was by far the worst day in the pool, but I was able to get 2.1k done in 1:42. That leaves just 2.15k for tomorrow, the day of the swim in the Severn, where a few people are also aiming to do the 25.8k distance.
The others will be doing the regular 12.8k route.
The reason for today's troubles can be attributed to a pool that seemed to hold half the population of Oakville. Well, I exaggerate. Maybe 25 per cent of the town.
That meant great water turbulence and having to try to get past other swimmers, while staying in my correct lane, which alters as you go up the pool and then return.
Some people figure anywhere between the markers is okay.
But the slow, medium and fast sections have four lanes each. You're supposed to swim up the pool beside one of the section dividers and come down a body width away from the divider.
If two people are each swimming up one of the two slow-swimmer lanes, one along the left marker and the other along the right, they are supposed to return side by side back down, thus leaving room for other swimmers to proceed up along the markers.
With all the people in the pool, though, and with all the turbulence from heavy splashers and just from every stroke, I swallowed water about a third of the time that I came up to breathe.
I think I drank three to four cups of the pool. It was bad enough thinking about what was in that water, but with a banded stomach that can hold only eight ounces until food/liquid passes through the barrier, I was always burping up water, which I had to reswallow because you just can't vomit it back into the pool.
This resulted in loss of breath, a feeling of tightness in my band area and lots of burps and hiccups.
Meanwhile, I use my nose (not my mouth) to breathe out underwater, which is the recommended way, and the inside of my nose was affected, resulting in bouts of sneezing. It was similar to the sneezing of a person with an allergy.
While the sneeze is pending, you are also trying to breathe, and that pushes the sneeze back a bit but makes it stronger. It's better to sneeze underwater because you are not attempting to take in air at the same time.
I'm hoping tomorrow to get permission for someone to come into the pool area and take a few pictures of me when I finish the swim, which will be about 10 to 15 minutes before lengths time ends.
After that, if there's still time, I'll keep swimming for the exercise. I intend to keep up the steady pace and work on my crawl after the distance event ends.
But that doesn't mean you don't need to pass on the address of this page to anyone who would be glad to pledge.
The page is staying open for another week to allow the swimmers to wind up their campaign for funds.
Every other swimmer who has a pledge page is doing the same thing.
Those who collected cash or cheques as part of their fund-raising efforts will be turning those in tomorrow to Cancer Society representatives who will be on site to issue paper receipts.
Because I won't be there, I am able to collect pledges only online.
For those of you who want to read my daily posts, and who may be interested in my weight-loss journey, please click on http://blogs.maplegroveunitedchurch.org/ -- you do not have to log in to read it.
Thanks to all who have supported this cause, and for spreading the word.
Bless you all.
One last thing: Oakvillians, stay away from the Ridge pool for a while tomorrrow. It would be greatly appreciated by this old body.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 2:02 PM. To pledge,
please click on my personal page.

This is going to be short because I have a counselling appointment at 3, and I expect to be feeling pretty angry and sad when it's done at all the things I've allowed to get at me in my life.
I did 2.2k in 1:45, leaving me with 4.25k to swim with two days left.
I will keep swimming at a hard pace even as I pass the 25.8k distance because the exercising helps to burn fat.
Now, if I could only burn the extra weight of the garbage in my life!
Thanks so much to all who have donated, and to those yet to pledge.
Bless you all.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 1:29 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.

We've knocked off another 2.2 in the swim, leaving 6.45 to do during the next three days. Total time so far is 15:51 hours for 19.35k.
There weren't too many people at the pool today, which lessens the frustration at having to tread water while waiting for others in the lane.
I'll definitely finish Saturday, and will keep swimming past the event's larger distance of 25.8k just for the exercise.
I'll still swim seven days a week till the end of August, and then revert to five days a week, but adding double swims on Monday when the Ridge reopens in late September. That's the only day you can't swim for 3.5 hours in a row.
While the pool is been given its annual cleaning and maintenance work, I'll move to White Oaks for noontime swims five days a week.
It should keep me on track with weight loss and getting my body into good shape.
My mind, now, that's a different story. I have a fill scheduled for the first Saturday in August, but unfortunately Slimband is moving to its own facility in Mississauga, at Renforth and Dixie. I liked it better at the complex on South Sheridan Way, which was less than 10 minutes away.
Now I'll be heading to near the 401 just west of the airport. Ugh.
I no longer have any idea how many ccs are in the band because they don't tell you any more and I lost count ages ago. The reason for not telling bandsters is to keep people from comparing their weight loss with that of others, and making more appointments for unnecessary fills if they feel that more restriction will speed the loss. Actually, it won't. Everyone's body is different; everyone's metabolism is different; and you need to figure out what works best for you. It's trial and error, but you begin to know your body and know how it reacts to certain foods.
It's a process, not a quick fix.
Meanwhile, it's good to see more donations coming in. Please pass along the address to this page to all who can pledge, even very small amounts.
I will be leaving this pledge page up till the end of August to allow those on holiday to make a contribution.
Many thanks to those who have already pledged, and thank you in advance for those who have yet to do so.
Bless you all.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 5:06 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page

I have about 8.5k left before my epic swim is finished, meaning I have done more than two-thirds in decent time. I should wind up the event in good time on Saturday, the day of the actual river swim.
Today I had a fabulous result because I was fuelled by anger and even grief a few times. I discourage the latter, because tears inside the goggles are not good.
These emotions and their effects will be in the new blog sometime next week.
Meanwhile, after I got home today, I sent messages to three corporate entities with which I have dealings, and have asked for some pledges there.
I never would have considered this (just dumb, I guess), but another member of the team got a large donation from a credit union, and I thought it was worth a try.
I have posters up at the Globe, but no one from there has responded. Posters are up at the Iroquois Ridge and Falgarwood pools, but no pledges have arrived yet despite some tabs being torn off for pledge-site info. There are two posters and tabs up at the Metro grocery store on Upper Middle Road, and several have been taped to those giant mail boxes in the pool area.
The lack of response from some of these has made me very downheartened.
And yet there is good news, as usual, from my female friends (and spouses) who campaigned for me to get the operation that has saved my life. It cost $16,500 for laprascopic band surgery on my stomach in March, 2009, and these women raised the funds with a rapid and mighty campaign. So far, I have lost 124 pounds.
They and their spouses are my church sponsors to date for the swim.
These women are always there for me, through thick and thin, with unconditional acceptance and no judgment. That is rare in my life and so I appreciate it for what it truly is -- a lifesaver and a Godsend.
Thanks to all who have donated so far, and please keep getting the word out.
I am going to leave this page up until the end of the month to catch those who have been on holiday.
And you all can help in this quest by passing along the link to this page so we can push well past my personal target of $3,000 and the team's aim of raising at least $20,000.
Bless you all.
by Debbie Shallhorn King on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 @ 3:50 PM. Please pledge by clicking on my personal page.

If anyone doubts the existence of a Higher Power, I have proof that one exists, and that this HP has a John Cleeseian sense of humour, with me playing the part of Basil Fawlty.
I had intended to swim twice a day on Mondays and Wednesdays, doing the 6-8 a.m. lengths swims that White Oaks offers on those days.
So, despite getting to bed at 2:30 a.m. (it seems that being postmenopausal means God doesn't think women need to sleep much), I dutifully set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. When it made its dreadful noise -- much too soon -- I was still able to get up, don my bathing suit and a T-shirt, and head in the sultry dampness of the early morning to the White Oaks pool.
Lights were on, though no other cars were in the parking lot. "Great," I thought, "I may have the pool to myself for a while."
So, grabbing my swim bag from the trunk and attaching it to my walker, I lurched up the uneven pavement to the door, on which many signs were taped.
It took me several seconds to notice a small one on the right side that read, "White Oaks pool closed Monday, July 19 to Friday, July 23 because of hydro problems."
Curses, Red Baron!!! I read the notice twice, hoping the second time it would say something different.
But no, I had it right the first time, so home I slithered to be greeted by the dogs, who thought it was great that I was up and back so early. And wouldn't it be nice to get Dad up, too, and then snarf some kibble, drink some water, go to the back yard to catch the latest smells and perfom other functions, and then come back inside to the AC and sleep like logs in the living room? Oooh, dog heaven!
However, I decided to go back to bed and catch, or try to catch, a few more hours of sleep.
Purdy, our 11.5-year-old golden, was quite happy to return to lying on the vent to absorb the AC when it clicked on.
Zeke, 2.5 years old and an exuberant black Lab/greyhound mix, was not amused by my choice, nor was he willing to let Dad sleep any more. However, after eating breakfast, he finally gave in, though not before requiring several minutes of patting and stroking on the bed before he would settle and allow us some more sleep.
I finally drifted off but had weird dreams, and I didn't feel rested much when I got up for my regular swim.
By this time, the stirring of people on our court had Zeke growling as he wagged his tail vigorously against the bay window and kept his eyes peeled for any signs of invasion. This got Andy up earlier than I, but he'd gone to bed at a reasonably sensible time.
Too many hours of working late in the sports and news departments at the Globe mean I become more awake as the evening wears on. I'm ready for bed about 8 p.m., but if I do head up, I'm awake just after midnight and that's that -- no more sleep, just lying there restlessly and thinking and worrying about everything in the world.
I sometimes wonder about God's sense of humour, but I guess creating situations to produce maniacal moments of giggling are needed when dealing with humans 24/7. I know I wouldn't want the job.
Bless you all, and thank you for helping to make pink ribbons obsolete by donating to the swim for the cure.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 3:28 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.

Sundays are quiet, it seems, for lengths time at the pool. It was very nice for a change.
My knees felt stiff today after earlier switching to the breast stroke almost full-time, but icing them and taking a couple of ibuprofen after the swim seems to be keeping them going.
Today, I did another 2.3k in 1:58, leaving 13k to go. I could do at least four more lengths if my knees were slightly better, but they have worsened and I'm babying them through this event.
When the 2010 Swim for the Cure is over, I'll be going back to the crawl, and working on my technique. I'm going to check into private lessons, too, to see where I need to fix things before they become muscle memory that I have to erase.
Mondays and Wednesdays, I'll be doing double swimming for the summer and during September at White Oaks, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. When the Ridge opens again at the end of September after its annual cleaning, I'll be able to do 3.5 hours a day Tuesday through Friday, so I'll probably keep just the Monday early swim in my schedule to keep up the extra exercise for weight loss and muscle strength.
There isn't any two-hour lengths time on the weekends until the next summer, so I'll have those two days off. I can always do my ace fitness adviser's weights and band exercises on those days, should I be inspired.
I thought you might be interested in my total time and distance to date. I have completed 12.8k in 10.75 hours.
That's almost exactly the time it took me to do the shorter version of the swim in 2003, when I had no knee problems. Since then, I have not been able to enter the event because of my severe physical limitations, but I thought that this year I could get back in the water and try it a different way, after dropping 124 pounds (with 80 or 90 left to do) since March '09.
Thank you again to my pledgers, and please get the message out to your family and friends.
We CAN make this disease obsolete. If we combine our resources, it will happen that much sooner.
For this fundraising event, we have limited time to open our hearts and our wallets.
We don't want to let down our families, our friends or anyone else who gets this disease.
Who knows: The money you pledge today might save your own life tomorrow.
Thank you for your donation.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Sun, Jul 18, 2010 @ 2:34 PM. To pledge, please visit my personal page.

I discovered that I had miscalculated my distance yesterday so, after fixing it, I actually had 17.6k left to go.
Today, in 1:58, I did mainly the breaststroke and got in 2.3k more, leaving me with 15.3k to swim.
The pool was not as full as during the week, but there were some big splashers today. Once time, coming up to breathe, I got a huge wave, in pool terms, right in the open mouth and up my nose.
I instinctively swallowed the water and went under for my next kick and pull, coughing for a couple of strokes before I could get much air in my lungs.
I was intending to eat when I got home, and after icing my poor battered knees I took some ibuprofen to help with any muscle swelling there. However, 4 oz. of soft food must have been too much, or the pills were still above the band, because I started to slime after a burp. That's a definite sign to stop adding anything more.
So, soft food again tonight for both dinner and a snack to make sure everything's okay.
I think the problem is linked to the swimming because I take in huge gulps of air and can hear my stomach -- both upper and lower parts, I think -- making noises as if I had swallowed a chorus of bullfrogs. It also can sound like the plucking of elastic bands on a kid's homemade music box.
I often wonder if the swimmers in other lanes can hear all the burbles when I come up for air or when I'm gurgling away underwater.
I've told the women in the changeroom not to be alarmed if they hear strange noises coming from my direction, but I haven't had the opportunity to visit the men's changeroom and warn its occupants, too.
And, alas, there's no one there to offer me enough incentive to make a foray into male territory.
Well, as Scarlett would say, Tomorrow IS another day!!!
See you then, and keep trying to persuade others to make a pledge on behalf of the 2010 Swim for the Cure.
Thanks so much.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Sat, Jul 17, 2010 @ 3:02 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.

A great day in the pool. I did the first 20 lengths (0.5k) using the crawl, but then realized I was still slower with the new stroke than with the breaststroke.
So, I amended my kick from a frog manoeuvre to a straight up and down kick, thus protecting the knees much more.
In 1:43, I did 2.1k, bringing the remaining distance to 17.6k. I have the full two hours tomorrow and Sunday, and then I think I'm going to double up my swimming, both for this event and for exercise, to twice a day on Mondays and Wednesdays.
I'm adding lengths swims on those days at White Oaks pool, where I'll swim from 6 to 8 a.m., and then go to the Ridge for the regular 11:45 to 1:30 p.m. slot.
I'd like to be less than 200 pounds by fall.
See you tomorrow. And ask everyone you know if they've pledged yet. Donations have really slowed, and I have high hopes of making my goal.
Thanks to those of you who have already become part of the team.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 2:13 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.

Today, I took one of my "rain" days and used it as a rest day. This will not affect the timing of the end date.
I will be able to make up the distance on the weekends.
When the alarm went off today, my whole body, and my brain, said, "We need more sleep." The next thing I knew, it was after 12, and I vaguely heard Andy come in the door.
I didn't even open my eyes until it was after 3 p.m.
So, tomorrow I should be reconstituted by adding water.
Blessings to you all.

by Debbie Shallhorn King on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 4:57 PM. To pledge, please click on my personal page.