I am a work in progress.....

Everyone has their own way of dealing with life and the everyday struggles we all encounter. Some people take their frustrations out on a pillow, others scream out loud, for some it is yoga, or working out at the gym. But me, I write. I don't write to see how may "likes" or "comments" I get. I write because it is my way of releasing all of the emotion I have inside of me. I appreciate everyone who reads what I write, but if no one was reading what I wrote I would still write anyway! It is my therapy. You might say, well write in a journal, write it in a letter and tear it up, you don't have to share it with everyone, and that is your opinion. I choose to believe that God has placed me on this earth for a reason, a purpose and that by me sharing, I might help another, and they might help another, as the cycle goes. I am a real, honest, person. Yes, I have my good and bad days just like everyone else, but 99% of the time you are going to get the same Danielle, every time we meet. While I was born with a congenital heart defect that has followed me into my adult life and yes, I have been coined "disabled" and the disease at times is disabling, I will not for one second stop living! Every night when I go to bed I pray. I always pray that God will help me to be more like Jesus, to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone I meet! I want to show love, respect, mercy and try to give hope to those I see everyday whether or not I get it in return. Call me crazy, but I love helping other people. I don't do it to get something in return or to hear everyone say "wow, she is so nice". It is in my make-up! I am not ashamed of where I came from, my family, or anything that I have been through. I would live the same life over again if I could. All of this has made me who I am. Who am I, you might ask?? I am Me! God made Me and there is nothing more I could be more grateful for!

Finally an Answer

I spoke with Dr. Kanter at Duke this morning. As it turns out I am not a candidate for the bi-ventricular pacemaker. The amount of desynchronization in my ventricles is only mild so the benefit does not outweigh the risk. A positive is I won't have to have my chest cracked open. I will only need to have my pacemaker battery replaced and a defibrillator implanted. Dr. Kanter will speak to Dr. Greene (my local pediatric cardiologist) next Thursday when he is in town seeing patients at Dr. Greene's office and I should know more than, as far as a date for my pacemaker battery/defibrillator to be replaced. Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and love!


H = Have
O = Only
P = Positive
E = Expectations

Attitude is Everything

Just a quick little update. I am still waiting to hear from Duke regarding my surgery being scheduled. I called last week but my doctor was out of town at a conference so I have not heard back yet! Also, on Tuesday I noticed my weight was creeping up, I was having swelling and more shortness of breath than usual. So for the next couple of days I took an extra fluid pill. Well even with taking the extra fluid pill for a few days everything was getting worse and when I weighed on Thursday morning I was up 11 pounds from my normal weight. I called my pediatric cardiologist that morning and being that they are so FABULOUS, they worked me in to see the doctor. The doctor put me on a different fluid pill through the weekend and I can say that as of tonight I am down 10 pounds and feeling much better :-) 


Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times; they can only make you stronger!

Practicing Patience

After having my tests done at Duke on October 20th and waiting a couple of weeks for the results, Dr. Kanter called to let me know that one of the tests was not done correctly so I had to go back last Friday to have the test redone. So now we are just waiting for the results. They let me know at Duke there are only two physicians who can actually read and interpret the test so it could take a little while for the results. But I am hoping we will hear something soon so the surgery can be scheduled. Thank you all for the prayers, love and support. I really appreciate all of you! 


We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. ~ Helen Keller

Testing, Testing 1, 2....

I had my appointment with Dr. Kanter on Thursday and he agreed with Dr. Greene that it is definitely time for my pacemaker battery to be changed out. Kanter thinks I am going to be a great candidate for the Bi-ventricular pacemaker. http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/cardiac-resynchronization

I have to go to Duke next Thursday the 20th to have two tests done. I need to have a resting MUGA scan and an echocardiogram. A resting MUGA scan (gated blood pool imaging) uses an ECG machine while imaging my heart. The result of the scans is a movie of my beating heart, which will allow my physician to assess how well it is pumping blood.When I arrive for my appointment, I will receive an injection that will allow the radioactive tracer to "hook" into my blood. About 20 to 30 minutes after this injection, a small vial of blood is withdrawn and allowed to mix with a radioactive tracer. About ten minutes later, my blood, with the radioactive tracer, is injected back into my body. Then, four images of my heart will be taken. 

After the results of the tests are back, Dr. Kanter can schedule the surgery. The surgery will be done at Duke Medical Center. This will be an invasive procedure due to them having to cut my chest open. I will keep everyone updated as we go along! Thanks so much for reading and keeping myself and my family in your prayers!

Hope is necessary in every condition. ~ Samuel Johnson

The countdown begins!

Well, I saw Dr. Greene yesterday, my pediatric cardiologist in Charlotte. Overall, the visit went well. I have not had any changes in my overall heart funtion. My pacemaker was checked and I have about a quarter to half battery life left on my pacemaker. The doctor (Dr. Kanter) I see from Duke for my pacemaker will be in Charlotte next Thursday and I have an appointment with him. Dr. Greene thinks Dr. Kanter will discuss with me replacing my pacemaker and implanting a pacemaker/defibrillator or a biventricular pacemaker in the near future. I will definitely know much more next Thursday after my appointment. So I will keep everyone posted! Thanks for reading!

Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
(Corrie Ten Boom)

Busy as a Bee

I haven't updated in so long! I know I feel like such a slacker!
  Summer came and went in what seems like just a matter of weeks. Jesse and I did get away with some friends for a long weekend to Wilmington, NC. He got some diving in and I got some much needed relaxing under the sun. We went to a great Thai restaurant called Indochine! It was absolutely DELICIOUS!! I spent some time with my family at the pool too before it got too hot to even want to be outside for longer than 5 minutes!
  I have to say the best part of the summer (besides my nephew Evan Daniel Keith being born) was being able to take a couple of trips down to Port St. Lucie to spend time with Dad (my grandpa, my dad's dad) before he passed away in August and all of my family down there. He was such a great man, so proud of his military service, and loved all of his family no matter how near or far! He taught us all the importance of family. He also taught me how to use Skype! I will never forget hearing the sound of his voice coming from my computer! His stories will live with me forever in my heart!
  My favorite season is now upon us! I love fall! I am looking forward to the cooler weather, football, and the leaves changing. Also, so excited about Thanksgiving! It is my favorite holiday! I am not quite what the plans are for Thanksgiving this year since Amy and Jim have moved to Jacksonville, Florida but I am sure it will all work out!
  I have an appointment with my pediatric cardiologist on Tuesday the 27th, for a check-up and to have my pacemaker checked. Hopefully, that will all go well! I should be close to the end of battery on this pacemaker so they should have some news on about how much longer I have on this battery and when they can expect to  replace it and add the defibrillator. So I will definitely be sure to keep you all updated! I have been feeling pretty well all in all. I have been feeling a little more tired than usual but I keep myself pretty busy so I am sure it is just me needing to SLOW DOWN; but as usual, I have never really figured out how to do that, but I am SLOWLY learning :-) 
  I have been working on being the best ME that I can be! I am trying to focus on all the blessings that I have and spending time with positive people who fill me up rather than drain me! I hope you all are doing well and I thank each and everyone of you for taking time out of your busy day to keep up with me! Happy Fall <3
  When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
Helen Keller

I'm back!!!

Our trip to Bonaire was absolutely fabulous! I had such a great experience. I am so blessed I was able to travel there with such great company. I didn't get to work out while I was on vacation, but we did do a fair amount of walking so that was a positive. 
I went to the YMCA yesterday for a yoga class. I had a terrible migraine but still wanted to work out and I knew yoga would be a great way to relax but still get a workout. The instructor didn't show up so I just headed home to relax. At least I tried :-) 
It really is hard to get back into the groove of exercising once you stop for a couple of days, but this morning I went to cycling class. I cycled 24.5 miles in 50 minutes. Not too shabby for having a week off! Then this evening I went back to the YMCA to take two classes. I took Zumba first and then stayed for Pilates. Zumba was fun. I really love that class. Pilates was great too. We did a lot of work with the ball and it really helped to stretch out all of my sore muscles and even though I am working out my core, I find it relaxing. I know I will be feeling it tomorrow, but what is it they say; no pain no gain! I am proud to say since I started working out at the YMCA on Sunday, March 13th and watching what I eat, I have lost 9.4lbs. I am feeling great and I am really proud of my new lifestyle :-)


“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”

There's Only One You from Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado

From the place of His Dwelling , He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually.

Psalm 33:14-15

You are the only you God made. He made you and broke the mold. Every single baby is a brand-new idea from the mind of God. No one can duplicate your life. Scan history for your replica; you won't find it. God tailor-made you. He "personally formed and made each one" (Isa. 43:7 MSG) No box of "backup yous" sits in God's workshop. You aren't one of many bricks in the mason's pile or one of a dozen bolts in the mechanic's drawer. You are it! And if you aren't you, we don't get you. The world misses out. You are heaven's Halley's comet; we have one shot at seeing you shine. 

This was my devotion from yesterday and it really touched me because I know that some days I feel so unimportant and can feel a lack of purpose in my life; especially since I have been on disability and have stopped working. Reading this only reiterated what I have been working on the past couple of years; to know that God only made one of me, I am important and I have a purpose not only in my own little world, but outside of my bubble too. I know if I continue to have faith and focus on all of the things that I can do, I will become more confident in myself and what God is calling me to do/be on this earth.

Feeling grateful...

This morning I went to my third cycling class at the YMCA. I cycled 25 miles in 50 minutes and the instructor cycled 27 miles, so I wasn't too far off. That is the most I have cycled and the longest I was able to stand up on the bike and complete all of the sprints throughout the class! I was very excited!!
A couple of Tuesdays a month I take my niece Kate to her girl scout meetings because my sister has class at UNCC. So today, we thought my niece had a meeting but it turns out she didn't, so since I was already on my way I went over anyways! I am glad I did. I was able to spend time with my sister and Kate and we got to play a few board games. My nephew Connor was napping but once he woke up, my niece, nephew, and brother in law, Jim, all went out to dinner at Del Taco. It is similar to Taco Bell except they sell burgers, chicken tenders and fries. It was my first time and it was actually pretty good! 
After dinner, I headed home and relaxed for a little while and watched some t.v. Tonight, I worked out to the Zumba Target Zone DVD's; not just to work off all the calories I ate at Del Taco, but because I absolutely LOVE it!! 
I am so thankful for God, Jesse, and all of my family. It has been a rough couple of years but I have learned to accept and love the life God has blessed me with. I have never felt so full of love and gratitude. 


Since it is almost midnight, I am going to say 3 more days until we leave for Bonaire :-)


~ I have learned that some of the nicest people you'll ever meet are those who have suffered a traumatic event or loss. I admire them for their strength, but most especially for their life gratitude - a gift often taken for granted by the average person in society. 
Sasha Azevedo ~

Doing the best that I can!

Since I didn't get a chance to blog on Saturday I will do a little back tracking! I woke up early and went to a cycling class at the YMCA. I was able to do 23 miles in 50 minutes. I was able to increase my incline from the last class and I was able to stand up longer too. I was pretty pleased with myself! I also took the turbo kick class after cycling. I actually really like that class. The instructor is so high energy; I love it! Her husband actually took the class and he was the only guy in the class, so that was pretty cool! On Saturday night, Jesse and I went over to his mom's house for an XBOX Kinect party. It was so much fun :-) We played Kinect Adventures and Dance Revolution. It was a BLAST!! 

Sunday, was a day of rest. I helped Jesse finish up some yard work he had started and then we went over to my dad's house for dinner. My dad made brown rice, red beans and chicken curry! It was so delicious :-) Jesse and I really enjoyed it! My dad can really cook and I try to watch him whenever I get the chance so I can learn, because in our family there are no recipes written down. Generation to generation has learned from watching, so that is what I try to do. After dinner, Jesse, my dad, uncle Eddie and Mark Anthony went out on the patio and enjoyed some beers and a cigar while my aunt and I stayed inside and watched the CMA's. I am the only country music lover in the family but thankfully she sat through it with me :-) 

Today, I was feeling pretty tired and didn't have too much energy so I stayed home most of the day and enjoyed time with Jesse before he went to work tonight. I actually took a late afternoon nap and Jesse woke me up for dinner. We had mandarin orange chicken over basmati rice that I got from Trader Joe's. It was very good. Tonight, I got some energy so I put in my Zumba DVD since I didn't make it to the YMCA. I did the Target Zone DVD's . One was Arms and Abs, which was 26 minutes, Cardio and Glutes which was 22 minutes and then Arms and Obliques which was 23 minutes. The total was 71 minutes which flew by! I am so in love with Zumba. I was very scared to try it but I am so glad I did. It makes exercise feel nothing like exercise! I thank the YMCA for all of their classes because they make exercise so much fun but still definitely a work out! 

By the way, we leave on Saturday morning for our trip to Bonaire and we are SOOO EXCITED!!!  :-)

The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. Psalm 23:1

What fits your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day? Randy Glasbergen, Cartoonist

Friday morning I went to Zumba Gold and then I took a Gentle Toning class. Gentle Toning was working with resistance bands and free weights. It was really great. I could definitely feel it doing the different exercises with the bands and weights. At the end of the class, we cooled down with some yoga. It really helped me out because I have been feeling pretty sore in my shoulders and it helped to loosen up all those muscles. I am feeling a lot less sore! I was feeling pretty tired this morning and didn't even think I would make it through Zumba but I far surpassed my goal!

For dinner we had pan seared tilapia with lemon zest & lemon juice with some cheesy rice and broccoli. It was DELICIOUS!! 

~ The patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his/her own life.  Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.  ~Quentin Regestein

Weppa!

This evening I went to Zumba! I just can't get enough of it. I started out with the Zumba Gold class and I have moved up to the regular Zumba class. I actually love all the classes the YMCA has to offer and I find that everyday there are at least 2 classes that I want to go to, if not more! So when they are not offering Zumba or Zumba Gold, I have some other favorites. I really enjoy the cycling, kickboxing, pilates, yoga and turbo kick classes. I like having the choice to go to a class or workout in the gym. I have been working out for 18 days now and I have lost a total of 8.4lbs. It isn't just about the weight loss which of course is good but I am feeling so much better too. I have more energy and I am much happier! I actually look forward to exercising everyday; especially when the classes don't really feel much like exercise :-)
Tonight for dinner, I made 17 bean and barley soup. I had the great idea of adding some elbow macaroni and of course I added it way too early! It was still yummy, but the pasta really thickened up the soup too much and some of the beans didn't get as soft as I wanted. But I added some more water and that seemed to help! Well, I guess that's the fun of cooking! It is all trial and error. Lesson well learned :-) 


~ A cheerful heart is good medicine. - Proverbs 17:22 ~

Just Do It!!

I didn't make it to a morning class today like I wanted to but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise since I went to a kickboxing class tonight and WOAH!! It was by far the most difficult class I have taken so far. It was definitely a very high intensity class and the instructor was really into it :-) He was very high energy, moved around the room checking on everyone and encouraging all of us. It was great. I have to say I did struggle a bit, moved a little bit slower than others in the class, and I wasn't able to do some of the high jumping, but I didn't give up! I did what I could, and never stopped moving. There were a couple of times during the class, that I almost talked myself into stopping and leaving, but I pushed through and completed the entire class :-) 
Tonight, for dinner Jesse and I made chicken burgers from Trader Joe's that my uncle Eddie made for us last week. Instead of putting it on a bun, we made some quinoa with chopped veggies (which I also got from Trader Joe's) and put the chicken burger on top of the quinoa and we topped the chicken burgers with sautéed onions, mushrooms a little bit of bacon, and smoked cheese. I have to say it was delicious. It was a great healthy dinner! 


~ Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.
-Vince Lombardi 

Surprise!

I am trying to kick things up a notch. I want to get in the habit of taking one class in the morning and one class in the evening. Today, it didn't work out that way because Jesse was off last night and was supposed to have SWAT training this afternoon and evening so I decided to stay home this morning to spend some extra quality time with him. As it turns out his SWAT training was cancelled :-) YAY!! But, since I missed a morning class, I noticed there were two classes back to back that looked interesting to me so I decided to go with those this evening. The first class was called Cardio Circuit and the second class was Zumba. I have been going to the Zumba Gold class which is a lower intensity, but I really wanted to try the regular Zumba class to see how different it really was and if I would be able to keep up. To my surprise, the first class was not Cardio Circuit at all, it was Turbo Kick! For those of you who don't know what that class is like I didn't, it is a mix of kickboxing and dance moves. Apparently, this class is sweeping the nation and it allows you to burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour. It is a fat-blasting, ab-defining cardio workout! I was a little intimidated when we first got started but the instructor was really great and showed us how to make it work for whatever level we were at. I really enjoyed the class. I am glad I stuck it out. Next, was Zumba. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous since I am not so dance inclined. But the teacher was fabulous and walked us through the steps and I actually felt myself loosening up and getting into it. I enjoyed the music and just continued moving the whole time. I was able to master most of the steps and what I didn't today, I know after going a few more times I will get it! So all in all, I am pretty proud of myself. I did a great job in two new classes, which even though the first one was a surprise I am glad I went. I am so blessed I am able to be a member at the YMCA. I have realized over the past two years that even though I can no longer physically go to work a full time job, my full time job is keeping myself healthy and by working out, taking my medicines and watching my diet I can be successful at this new job :-) 


~ Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states.
-Carol Welch ~

I think I can, I think I can....Nah, I know I can!!

It was a busy last few days. Thursday, I went to a gentle yoga class. To be honest, their was nothing gentle about it! It was still a workout :-) Jesse and I got to go eat with my sister, the kids, and my dad for dinner and then visit with my aunt and uncle. On Friday, I went to Zumba class. By the end of the class I was really pushing myself to get through it. I guess all the working out I had done during the week was catching up with me but I did it. Friday night my niece Adrienne spent the night with me and we ate with Karie and some other friends for her birthday at Fox and Hounds. After dinner, I took Adrienne to Barnes and Noble to pick out a couple of books. She is 8 and she loves to read! I was the same way when I was her age. Then we rewarded ourselves with some TCBY Yogurt! Saturday, I dropped Adrienne off at her dance class. After my bro and sister in law picked her up, I went walking around the mall for a few hours. It was a good way to get some exercise in since it was so rainy and cold outside. The highlight of my day had to be going to shop at Trader Joe's. I absolutely love that store and we don't have one close to our house so it is always such a treat to shop there. I had dinner with my dad, aunts, cousin, and uncle. My uncle Eddie made homemade beef vegetable soup with noodles. It was delicious and so perfect for a cold, rainy night. 
I have to say I am feeling a little bit discouraged about eating healthy and exercising. I haven't lost any weight. To be exact, I have gained in the past couple of weeks. But I am going to push even harder this week. I am going to really watch everything I eat, keep track of it, and really push it at the gym. So here we go Monday I am ready for ya!!


~ Change requires the belief that change is possible for you. You are far more powerful than you believe yourself to be. You would not have made it this far if you were not capable of change. ~

Exercise in disguise!

Today, I went to Zumba class. I have to admit it was pretty tough after cycling class yesterday! About halfway through I wanted to stop, but I kept pushing through. I didn't realize how much I have been working out my arms as well. I went to do one of the moves today and realized not only how sore my legs are but my arms too. I have to say that the hour really does fly by and it feels like I am not working out at all. 


~ Commit to be fit. ~

Pedal, Pedal, Pedal....Faster, Faster, Faster!!

Today, I went to my first cycling class at the YMCA. The instructor had a goal of 28 miles in 50 minutes. I was able to complete 22 miles in 50 minutes, so I would say not too shabby for my first time :-) I was pretty impressed with myself. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the cycling class. I mean obviously I knew you would ride a bike at different speeds and intensity levels, but I had no idea we would do 700 to 800, what the instructor called "jumps" in 50 minutes. A jump is when you stand up, pedal completely 3 times and then sit back down. So basically you count 1, 2, 3, sit; 1, 2, 3 sit!. You do that for a whole song!! Boy, was it hard. I honestly can say I was not able to do it continuously for the whole song, but I was able to keep up pretty well. If I couldn't continuously do the jumps I would speed up my pedaling so at least I was still moving or I would stand for a while and pedal as fast as I could. I was fine standing up and pedaling, it was getting up enough strength once I sat back down to get up and stand again. I am sure that as I continue working out and going to the class, I will improve. I can definitely feel this workout and can't wait to go back to this class again!


~ Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.  -John Wooden ~

Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.

It was a busy weekend. Friday night we had a meeting for our trip to Bonaire in April, which we are so EXCITED about. We can't wait for April 9th. Then we went to a Bonfire after the meeting and we had a BLAST with our friends. It was a great time. Saturday morning we left for Ocala, Florida to bring Steven back after he got to spend his spring break here with all of us. We had a great week spending time with him! On Sunday morning we went to Church at Triple Cross in Micanopy, Florida. It is a cowboy church and Susie Mcentire was there with her husband. Yes, she is Reba's sister. She has a beautiful voice and it was such a blessing to have both her and her husband there. I am so glad I was able to be there. Then that afternoon I was blessed to enjoy a nap and some sunshine by the pool; one of my most favorite places to be. 
Today, it was time to come back to reality. I was able to work out this evening at the YMCA. I rode the stationary bicycle for 30 minutes, used some free weights, and then went to my first Yoga class. It was a good class. I was a little frustrated with myself because I don't know the names of the poses and I am not very flexible. I know it will take some time and the more I do it the more comfortable and more flexible I will become. So I am definitely going to stick with it and continue to practice! I am feeling more energized everyday with the exercise I am getting. I so look forward to going to the YMCA everyday. It is not something I dread doing but I look forward to going back every day.


~ Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they're meant to be. -- Anon ~

anon

To feel 'fit as a fiddle' you must tone down your middle!!

Pilates was the exercise class of choice for me today! It was AWESOME!! I really enjoyed it and the hour just flew by. We did exercises with free weights, the ball, and lots of crunches/stretches. It was a great class. I know I have only been working out for a few days and I hate to admit it, but I can't believe how much better I feel and how much more energy I have. I can't wait to go back tomorrow :-) 


~ Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. -Carol Welch ~

Cha Cha Cha

Today, I went to a Zumba class! I absolutely loved it!! The YMCA offers two different Zumba classes. One is called Zumba Gold; which is the one I went to. It is for beginners and a lower intensity then the regular Zumba class, which one day I will hopefully build up to. I was surprised how fast I caught on to some of the moves and some are going to take some time, but I kept on moving the whole time! It was an hour long class and it totally rocked my socks off! I can't wait for Friday when I can go again :-)


~ Even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger! Sara Evans ~

Good kind of sore

Day two of working out was a success! I even remembered to stretch today :-) I walked on the treadmill and rode the stationary bike. I also used the mat to do some abdominal crunches, and used the free weights. I am sore but it is the good kind of sore! I am really proud of myself and I am going to keep on pushing on!


~ We are only limited in life by the limitations we set upon ourselves. ~

Change and Growth

Today, I started working out at the YMCA! I haven't exercised since finishing the cardiac rehab program. I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes, elliptical for 10 minutes, stationary bike for 10 minutes and worked my arms, abs, and used the rowing machine. (which I actually grew to love during cardiac rehab) There were many times throughout my hour and half of exercising that I wanted to stop but I didn't. Even if I slowed my speed down or decreased my incline for a couple of minutes I kept going. I am such a perfectionist and sometimes get caught up with doing things just as good, or better than everyone else. Today, I told myself that no matter how much I wanted to stop and just go home I would not give in to the negative voices in my head. It didn't matter if someone next to me was running on the treadmill while I was walking, or the guy next to me was staying on the  bike longer than me. All that mattered was that I was doing the very best that I could! I left the YMCA today with a feeling of accomplishment and I actually can't wait to go back tomorrow; which I can say I have never, ever felt that way about exercising! I am going to try and update my blog everyday to keep myself accountable. If anyone has any words of encouragement, diabetic friendly recipes or even wants to come and meet to exercise I would love it!!


~ Needs to do what needs to be done. Change is hard. You fight to hold on and you fight to let go. In the end, we all know change is needed for growth. ~

Strong

I have this illness
that I've suffered from for so long 
and I don't know how
but I've got to find a way to stay strong.
I wish I could get over it really quick because
it just causes so much pain. 
I just wish I could stay strong.
It really bothers me 
I'm telling myself not to cry 
but it's so hard to try.
There's got to be a way for me to stay strong.

A Beautiful Day!!

As I sat in pain-staking misery, shielding my eyes from the light of the TV, like you would do as if  the sun were shining on a bright Carolina blue sky day I said self?? Yes, self! Why do I keep on getting these awful, miserable migraines?? Hhmm. So, I sat and thought and sat and thought. While sitting and thinking, I was enjoying a cold, fresh glass of Crystal Light Peach Tea, as I do day after day trying to be a good girl; get my water in, keep my sugar down and it is has become a favorite drink. When all of a sudden, "AHA", I said. You see, I was feeling pretty darn sassy that I had finally figured this all out! I am sure you can see me standing there all surprised with the little bubble off to the side and a huge light bulb lit up :-)
It finally hit me. See, I was pretty sick the whole week after Christmas with the flu. I couldn't eat, drink, or really do much of anything for about a week. So my normal routine was thrown out the window. All I was really consuming during that week was Pedialyte, Glucerna, and flu medicines! So my normal eating habits and favorite drink of choice were not working out so well for me. After more than a week of not having any Crystal Light Peach Tea, and the fact that I was back to feeling 100%; plus I was craving my favorite drink so I decided it was time. So with dinner last night I had my Crystal Light Peach Tea. It was GOOD! After partaking in several glasses, I realized a few hours later that I had a migraine! AARRGGHH!! Man, it had been a couple of weeks since I had one so I was pretty put off by it. But I thought no biggie, it is just starting, I will go take 2 Excedrin Migraines and be done with it! Well it lasted for a few hours and on a pain scale of 1 to 10 it was pushing a 12!
That is when the light bulb went off for me! See, since I went in to congestive heart failure (CHF) last year, I have been trying really hard to take care of myself and do what is best for me, follow the doctor's orders, and take care of myself, like I should. Part of taking care of myself and my heart is keeping my diabetes in check. Since I am a diabetic, I do watch my sugar intake and try to use substitutes whenever I can, hence where the Crystal Light addiction came into play. I thought hey, I can kill 2 birds with one stone here. I can stop drinking soda, drink the right amount of water everyday, and keep my sugar in control. So for the past year if not more, I have pretty much gone to an all Crystal Light drinking party! During this time I have also had some of the most debilitating migraines I have ever had and they have progressively gotten worse as time has gone on.
For those of you who already knew this I am sorry. No, I haven't been living under a rock either. I was just really focused on getting better so I thought I was doing the right thing by stopping the sugary drinks and starting the "healthy" drinks, like Crystal Light and diet drinks.
I looked up the correlation between aspartame, which is used in Crystal Light, and migraines and I was pretty surprised to see what I read. " The highly-regarded New England Journal of Medicine conducted studies on the subject and found a link between heavy use of aspartame, especially in diet drinks, and people with migraine headaches. These studies, and one in particular, showed a strong correlation between those who get the attacks and aspartame. Specifically, it found that those studied who did not consume aspartame experienced a migraine on 24% of the study dates; those who consumed aspartame experienced a headache on 33% of those days. Another study suggests that an astounding 90% of all migraines are precipitated by allergic reactions to additives in food or the food itself. His study further suggested that aspartame is the most common migraine-causing additive. One other study found that 10% of migraine attacks are linked with aspartame consumption. Perhaps most significant is a University of Florida study which showed that aspartame increases migraine frequency in 50% of patients. "
Now, this is not to say that everyone will experience the same effect with aspartame as I have. Every one's body chemistry is different, and you can do your own trial and error with foods and beverages. So don't think just because I have figured this out for myself, it will be the same for you!
So my dear friends, I realized one of probably the many triggers of my migraines. I have wondered many, many times about what causes my migraines and I am happy to have figured this out. I am eager to continue along this journey to a healthier me and I hope I will continue to listen to my mind, soul and body. I welcome comments, suggestions and recipes to help keep myself healthy!