It feels like such a long time since I actually sat down and wrote something. How am I? Well, things have happened since the last time I wrote in year was a little over a year ago. I moved. Different state. Family changes. In a relationship. Found a job. Lost my job. Started my own company. Struggled. Life changes. Met a ton of people. Made changes. Learned things. This is pretty much the basics of what has happened in the last year.
Now, onto my health. Not so hot! Wish I could say I am good but I am not. There are days that I just want to give up and sit in my chair and do nothing, watch TV all day and wallow in self-pity. Oh wait! I do that sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. Things get so hard, I just sit and lose myself in TV shows that have story lines with other people’s lives are much worse than mine. Sad huh?
The days that I don’t wallow in self-pity, I work on my business called Deaf Positive Attitude Health (D-PAH!). This was established on January 7, 2011. Soon it will be one year and what a year. Many changes, business changes, learned about 501(c)3 status, partnering, collaborations, fundraising, people not committed even though they wanted to, lost money on some fundraisers, wrote a grant, after 6 months of hearing nothing was awarded money through another agency, working with clients now, developing new things. This business works with Deaf and Hard of Hearing people with their health problems, brings awareness and education to those that need it. This grant I was awarded money with helps people with their Diabetes and other health issues, making changes to their food plans, exercising, wellness aspect of it all. After all, we know that being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis you never know what to expect from one day to the next. One day we are fine, and then the next day, bam! something happens and we have to re-assess things because our body does not cooperate with us.
This year, starting over the spring, my right leg began acting up. I decided to start walking again and made the attempt to walk a few blocks from where I live. My right leg gave up on me, starting dragging after walking for about 10 minutes. I made it to the end of the block, but had to turn around and go home because I did not think I was going to make it back home without falling down. I thought it was because I haven’t really exercised in so long my legs are losing their mobility to stand up to things. I believe that is what happened. I have not really taken care of myself in the last 2 years. I have really neglected my body. I admit it. I am paying a huge price for this now. I am not able to stand for more than 2 hours without having huge pain in my right leg and then I limp, and finally the leg just gives out and I am wobbly and unbalanced. Yep! There ya have it peeps! My body is not cooperating with me right now. I am frustrated beyond god knows what. Also, another thing I noticed, when I am tired I tend to push myself more and more to get things done, I realize that I cannot do that anymore. My body does this weird thing that I get really agitated inside, and it shuts down I have to go to sleep. I need to take a nap in the afternoon for 45 minutes to an hour to re-energize myself because I cannot do anything if I do not take care of what I am feeling. I have to listen to my body more. I have to take care of myself. I am not well. I have to accept this. People, things, places, family, just have to wait. I come first. I cannot help you, be with you, enjoy things, cook, clean, write, if I am not well. I may look fine on the outside, but inside I am not.
I have hope. I do. I am reading this book by a doctor. His name is Dr. John McDougall. He has written several books on how our bodies are affected by the foods we eat. He works with patients who have Diabetes, Heart Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Some of the patient’s testimonials have hit home with me. Especially one, by a woman who has MS. She has a story that is very similar to mine. Her weight gain from medicines and what she has gone through. She followed his food plan and she no longer has any problems with her MS. The book basically talks about changing the way you eat. It is called “The Starch Solution”". The woman now walks 5 miles every day. She lost all the weight. She no longer takes medicine for her MS. Her last MRI results in shrinkage of the lesions on the nerve cells caused by the MS. I am sold. The book actually makes a lot of sense. It is basically eating things that do not come from animal. I will be documenting my journey to better health on my website http://www.dpah.org I want people to see what I am doing to making healthier changes to my life. I will also be documenting my progress about my MS on this blog too because I know that people need to connect, learn, re-evaluate, share about our MS issues. We have to know especially in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community that we are not alone. There is a way.
My new motto! Stay Strong!
Until then, enjoy life!
