losing weight ain't all it's cracked up to be

i can't even believe you fools didn't comment on my THOUSANDTH post (well, aside from my buddy nanette!). i am so not feeling the love. hmph. haha!

okay, on to more important things. i know i've mentioned my beloved aunt florida before. she and her two adorable girls visited us two houses ago, during their last trip home, and i've missed her in the years that she's been gone. she's my mom's youngest sibling (there are seven of them total!), only six years older than me. we basically grew up together, giggling and arguing and sharing everything. she was my hero, and i wanted to do everything she did. as the years went by and we got older, the roles were reversed somewhat. i found myself being the influence (often a bad one, heh), and it was a lot of fun. she and her now-husband found each other online at around the same time that the hub and i started dating, and i was the maid of honor at their wedding. i'm also honorary ninang to little flo, her firstborn. sadly, as time and distance took their toll, we've grown apart and haven't been in touch much recently.

through the family grapevine, AKA my mom, i found out that she's been having some health issues lately. it sounds like she's under a lot of stress - with two very active children, a household to run, a husband, and diabetes to boot - and she ended up in the hospital. apparently, she hasn't been eating much and has lost a whopping 30 pounds in the last two months. after some frantic phone calls from her husband, my mom and her sibs sprang into action, looking for solutions and booking plane tickets to take turns going out there to help out with the kids.

the latest news is not great - her kidneys are only at 20% right now, and a biopsy is scheduled for tomorrow to determine whether dialysis is needed or not. yikes. my cousin r, who works in public health, is doing some research on locating some help for them. with the husband a former military man, they're hoping to find some sort of program or aid that will help them on a long-term basis. after all, the sibs can't exactly keep taking turns going out there.

i was finally able to reach her on her cell this morning on my way to work, and it was a rather puzzling conversation. she sounded super duper chipper, and when i told her i was working in a cupcake shop, she said "oh, i need some of those!". i said "yeah dude, that's what i heard! what the hell is up with that?" and she said "i'm SKINNY now, girl, like 98 pounds!" she sounded almost excited, proud even. i couldn't tell if she was joking around or trying to sugarcoat her situation, but it just hit me wrong. i think i may be even more worried about her now than before i spoke to her. oy vey.

i personally think they would be better off if the husband started looking for a job closer to home. both of their families live here in southern california, and it sure sounds like they could use as much support from their loved ones as they can get. i know that's probably easier said than done, but it just seems like the most practical solution out there.

send some healthy vibes to my dear aunt florida, will ya please? we all need her to be well.