Carlton's Corner
Thoughts, insights and experiences of Carlton Christensen.
Friday, October 6, 2023
The Power of a Book - Changing the Course in One's Life
Thursday, January 5, 2023
One year later, my surgery was successful in giving me a new lease on life
It has been a year since I created a blog post, which talked about my decision to have Bariatric Surgery (Gastric Sleeve). That occurred one year ago today. It has made a significant change in my life and my overall health. It has not been without incident nor discomfort. I've eaten very little bread in the last year and many of the baked goods that I would eat have left my diet, along with other carbs, including pasta. One of the benefits to having been so public about it, is the opportunity to help others considering it and to be supportive of others who have had the surgery themselves. It is not an easy decision and the pathway is not always certain in how your body responds nor your ability to not return to prior habits. A stomach can grow over time and non healthy things can be reintroduced to your diet. I have even added a few things back in time that I enjoy, but I've tried to do it in much more moderation than before. I can't really do this again financially and emotionally it would be difficult as well. I will gain some weight, but I know if I am mindful, many of the habits will be long term.
My year was filled with trips, conferences, vacations and other experiences and I thought it might be good to just show the changes as I went through the year. I've had to purchase new clothes (did my best to utilize what I had as long as I could, but when the pants fall off or the polo shirt has to be buttoned all they way up to stay on you correctly, it is time to get new clothes. I went from a 6XL to a 4XLT and even 3XL fits in some cases. My pant sizes when down from 54/56 waist to a 48 waist and even my undergarments have had to be replaced. It sounds wonderful, but I've invested thousands of dollars to have suits remade to the custom sizes my height requires and to purchase replacement clothes. I'm not done yet, and it's fair to say, there is probably another couple more thousand dollars still to do.
Almost immediately, I went off most of my diabetic medications, blood pressure medications and corresponding vitals improved. I've since been put back on a light blood pressure medication, but it is preventive in nature and my A1C has remained stable and blood glucose levels in an acceptable range.
In April, my wife Cathy and I went on a 7 day Hawaiian Cruise that was a celebration of our thirtieth wedding anniversary that happened in 2020. We added a couple extra days to also visit the Polynesian Cultural Center as well as attend the Hawaii Temple. We spent a good part of the day in Hilo, visiting my former Mission President and his wife. In a circumstance where food is plentiful and you can eat all you want, I had to figure a way to balance it. You physically can't eat that much, and since most of your diet has to be protein, you find the best way to do it. I have and continue to eat a lot of eggs; Omelets are a goto item when I eat out out for breakfast and potatoes are few and far between.
It was a pretty amazing experience when I could pull out the tray table on an airplane and lay it down flat in front me. It had been decades since being able to do it and frankly when I looked down, I can now see my belt. It usually disappeared shortly after putting it on and while I could feel it, it was hidden for the remainder of the day!
Working on projects became easier. It has been easier to get up and down when I needed to get on the ground. Bending over to pick something up became much easier and my stamina improved. This last year, I've done a number of large projects, participated in youth camps and also enjoyed some fun. Clearly easier to do and I'm grateful to be able to do these kinds of things.
I don't know how long I will have the blessing of being here on this earth. I've already lost a brother and have two other siblings with poor health. My father died from Cancer at age 49 and at 57, have been gifted more years than he. My plan is to live to a good old age, I've been purchasing wood working tools for my workshop so I can putter long into my life, but if Heavenly Father took me tomorrow, I have few regrets. I have been blessed with an incredible wife and two lovely, sweet and faithful daughters. I will have spent 25 years in public service and later this year, it will have been 30 years since I was first called as a Bishop. The last nine years as Stake President have been an incredible experience filled with blessings from Church leaders that have helped me immensely. Interactions with the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russel M. Nelson has reminded me that we do in fact have a living Prophet of God upon this earth. The work left to do, far exceeds my daytime responsibilities at the Utah Transit Authority, but I am grateful for the privilege of being there and working with wonderful people who have been supportive and helped me get through this last year. I truly have been blessed this last year with a new lease on life.
Monday, January 17, 2022
Bariatric Surgery - a decision for my health
Employee Day at Front Runner Warm Springs Facility in 2019 |
With Pro-Golfer Tony Finau on a Thanksgiving Dinner giveaway for the Rose Park area |
I was invited to offer the opening prayer for the Utah State Senate a few years ago |
My family on our summer vacation in Sun Valley, ID |
While this was my visit to Medford, MA Harbor Freight I got one of my exercise efforts by spending portion of the morning in my local Harbor Freight store! |
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Miracles often come through the kind acts of others - blessing both!
Our living room acted as an assemblage area for our Sub for Santa project. |
2020 hasn't been the year I would have foreseen. While we all wish for changes in life's circumstances, there have been many miracles to go with these challenges. These miracles have come through blessings in my life that came from the kind act of others. While I certainly was able to render assistance to others, I just wanted to take a few minutes and share how different acts of others, were direct answers to my prayers. A testament to the fact that our Heavenly Father often blesses our lives by the acts of others, ultimately blessing both.
Replacing our driveway from rutted asphalt to concrete |
For many years, 90 feet of our back driveway, which was put in by my mother in the late 70's became rutted and challenged. I had tried some spot repairs with asphalt cold patch, which helped for a while, but eventually it was beyond repair. While I had tried to get bids to repair it, I actually couldn't get anyone to come look at it and it seemed like there was no great path. My brother-in-law Bill Nielsen offered to help us pour a new section with concrete. My neighbor Brandon, who also wanted to do a driveway extension as well, offered to rent a skidster and help remove the old asphalt. Brandon also helped us pour our concrete. It also just happened that the Federal Government decided to do stimulus checks, providing me the needed gap money to pay for the concrete. What seemed insurmountable, found a solution through the kind acts of others.
Rose Park & Riverside Stakes efforts to provide firewood for the Navajo Nation |
Last September, on the day after Labor Day, our community experienced hurricane force winds, causing many of our canopy trees to come down. As I looked at piles of trees on both sides of the streets in my community, it seemed like no easy solution would be available to us in the short term, however neighbor after neighbor helped each other remove trees that seemed formidable and with the help of crews from the Utah Department of Transportation, our community was cleaned up in a matter of a few weeks. Near the conclusion of this effort, word came to us to provide firewood for the Navajo Nation which had been hurt severely by the COVID pandemic. Each Stake in our area had been asked to provide a semi load of wood, but much of our wood had been picked up. However the call went out, we collected the equivalent of two semi loads together with the Rose Park and Riverside Stakes but when it came time to have the wood loaded, we had been unable to secure a front-end loader to load the wood. We had exhausted all our sources, when I knelt down and prayed, asking my Heavenly Father for help. When I arose, I decided to call a rancher down the street from our church recreation property and he graciously provided us a front end loader free of charge. We loaded both semi trucks in an evening.
Presents loaded in the car to take to our Sub for Santa family |
New bicycles strapped down on the trailer to deliver to each of the four children. Provided by the generosity of others and through the discount of a friend |
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Lois Greaves Nielsen - My Other Mom
"Mom" looking on after the Wedding Ceremony of Carlton & Cathy Christensen |
Mom was born to William Lloyd and Olive Hill Greaves. Born in the middle of her family, her father worked for much of his career at the printing presses of the Deseret News and her mother, later for Bennet Paint. They raised their family in a modest home located on West Temple in what is now known as South Salt Lake. They were faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in a variety of ways in the Church, helping family and helping neighbors.
Lois is on the far right, middle row |
Mom married Franklin Harvey Nielsen at the age of 19. Their married life started up near Dad's family farm located in Marion, Summit County, Utah. There were many challenging days as they raised their family. They moved often to find good employment and their entertainment of the family often came from within the family and their conversations. Even today, once the Nielsen Family gets going, unless it is a topic you want to engage with, you should have a project you can go and do. There is no stopping them! Their frequent relocation, often living in cities where they didn't own their home, certainly could have created instability, but they both did an amazing job in keeping their family together and making the best of what life provided.
Frank and Lois on their wedding day |
When Frank & Lois finally secured a home on Camelot Drive in Layton, it became in part, their castle where they did the best to provide for their family. Music was an integral part of raising their family and each child grew up singing together and sharing their talents. While spouses have joined their musical groups from time to time, my participation is still pending. Apparently singing on-key, is a requirement! Dad in his later years became disabled. A crippling disease that took its toll on his large frame, left him bent over and unable to get around without canes and a mobility cart. It left Mom as the primary provider as she returned back to work and ultimately left her as a widow at a much earlier age than I am sure she anticipated.
On a family vacation to Nauvoo, IL, mom agreed to go horseback riding with Carlton's family. |
Monday, April 6, 2020
Happy Birthday Clayton - My life was blessed the day you were born!
Saturday's mention of Clayton by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was also a reminder of how much Clayton loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and his most favorite work, sharing the gospel with others. It also demonstrates how his testimony continues to bless the Church in numerous ways.
While our parents had us at opposite ends of the family, I was always grateful how Clayton looked out for me and was desirous to have me succeed. Clayton's sacrifices on my behalf were many and I can honestly point to numerous times, when Clayton's example of love and kindness has helped me to succeed. Early on, I just wanted to follow Clayton's pathway, but it became apparent that it would be nearly impossible to follow. I was OK with modest outcomes but I was always touched when Clayton called me after a visit to Utah and indicated how someone had introduced him as Carlton's brother. While those were few and far between, it was always kind of him to call.
Clayton's marriage to Christine Quinn had a profound impact on our family. They were an amazing partnership of kindness and courtesy that were the consummate example for my wife and me to follow. There were never modest dinners in their home and Christine continues to be an important part of our family. This last January on the week after New Years, when my brother Spencer and I spent a week in Boston caring for my brother, I was reminded of how dedicated Christine was to his physical ability to function. Christine worked long and hard in hopes of Clayton living and skirting past death one more time. I can't imagine anything she could have done differently and in many ways, couldn't think of his living during this current pandemic with a compromised immune system.
Clayton's ease of comfort, weather it be with national or international leaders, or the person down the street, he always made them feel the same. Everyone felt valued by him and some of the most touching things following his death are the numerous times individuals have conveyed their interactions with him and how important he made them feel. Some might be expected, but most were not.
Clayton was always instrumental in the gathering of our family. Whether it was General Conference times where we gathered for Priesthood Meeting or family vacations, including a week on an Alaskan Cruise. It was Clayton and Christine's kindness that enabled those gatherings to happen and they continue to be wonderful memories for all of us.
My family was one of modest means. We learned much from both our parents and learned how to have fun through some very simple activities. That notion of getting hands dirty and just doing what it takes to get the job done, working with our children and not being afraid to try something new. That value or understanding that each experience is a privilege and not a right and we should never stop trying to understand how something might be done better.
Today, I may change my lock screen and wallpaper from pictures those with Clayton, but I don't think I will every delete his contact. My hope is that Clayton might still call one day, tell me what he is doing and which really cool people he met. Happy Birthday dearest brother, and thanks for being such a great example.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Big Red - the yellow wagon
Father's Day 2014 - Jessica and Sarah take Dad for a ride |