When you are ill

Today, I would like to share some of my more recent life story. For the past two years, I have been battling an unknown illness, while struggling to be treated by knowledgeable doctors. This is something we as military dependants or active duty military personnel deal with on a constant basis.

It took four different family practice doctors to finally figure out that something was definitely occurring in my body that should not be happening. I am treated at our local Naval Hospital. Because of the amount of families serviced there, even though you may have a primary care manager, you may not be able to get a timely appointment with him or her. This is the reason that my health issues were unidentified for so long.

I was finally sent to my first specialist, a gastroenterologist, who ran very limited testing toward the ongoing problem I have. In the end, he fell back on a diagnosis I had from my teenage years without doing further testing. I was so frustrated that I stopped going to this doctor because I am not one to waste my time listening to a doctor I believed was wrong.

A year went by and still I did not get better. In fact, I became worse. I went back to the Naval Hospital and saw a random doctor on the team I belong to who finally believed he had pieced the puzzle of my health problem together. I was sent to a different specialist in a different field, an allergy specialist, who after very thorough testing came up with a possible diagnosis: chron's disease or ulceritive colitis. If any of you know about these things, they are constituted as gastro issues.

And so, back to the Naval Hospital I went to request a new referral. At this point, I told the doctor that I refused to see anyone in our local area because of the laziness of the professionals. A new referral has been put in and now the waiting game begins once again.

You are probably asking what the point to this is. I'll tell you. You have the right to request new doctors and specialists as well as second opinions no matter what your insurance may be. If I had done that a year ago, my gastro issues may have been solved and I would not now find myself where I am today; in extreme pain on a daily basis.

Just because you may be limited by Tricare by who you can go to does not mean that you cannot find a provider some distance from you to get the best care possible. You know when something is wrong with your body better than someone who only sees you sporadically. They may be professionals, but remember this, it took four different doctors before one finally realized that I had a serious problem. Don't settle because you do have a choice, and when you receive bad care make sure you report it. By doing this, you are able to stop others from having the same problems with receiving care that you may have had.

I hope that my story helps any and all of you get the medical care you may need. You are welcome to share your own stories in the comment field so that others may share in our stories.

Taking a Moment

Snow dumped on us last night, and if any of you know where I live in North Carolina, that is just not normal for our area. We live only minutes from the beach, and snow is a rare commodity here. So this morning, my husband and I woke up, fed the kids.... and then... frolicked in the snow like a bunch of kids, enjoying our time as a family which is something we rarely do.

Too often life passes us by and we wake up one day and realize how much time has slipped through our fingers or how much we have missed by running through our days. So today, I am spending capering with my husband and children, capering through the snow while it is here and enjoying the beautiful bounty that we have.

Don't let life pass you by. You may wake up one day and realize you missed one of the most important days of your life and you can't get those days back. Enjoy each moment and don't waste a minute of your time. Remember there is more to life than work! I hope this Saturday (pre-Valentines day) finds you all taking a moment to enjoy your families and having some quality time doing something you all enjoy. For me... playing like a big kid in the snow is what's on my calendar!

Living an Unlikely Life

Most people who know me well know that I have not always been the most religious person in the past. I say this because recently, a friend of mine invited me to a church in town that she had just begun to attend and I went. The first time I attended was a truly momentous occasion. I felt for once that I was exactly where I was supposed to be! Two weeks later, my husband accompanied our children and I to service. If any of you knew my husband, you would know that he does not attend church. He and I both came from families where church was not something we did as a family. In fact, my own experiences of church came from my close friends. I share this with you all because attending service was a huge step for both my husband and I on the path that we follow through life.

This past Sunday, the pastor's sermon focused on living an unlikely life. What this meant was living a life that was not predictable or what I like to call boring. This message touched both my husband and I deeply.

Try looking at it this way. How likely was it that I would meet the man that became my husband eight years ago? The back story to that is that we met by pure chance! I lived five hours from him at the time and met him through a college classmate's boyfriend who worked with him! How crazy and unlikely is that?

The message also hit close to home for me as this past fall I took a chance and joined a group of women to begin developing my own business. I had tried a multi-level marketing business before with no success and so by trying again, I was living an unlikely life. For not only have I begun to build that business successfully, but my life has become more rounded and less stressful since I began to work with these wonderful women! My cup is no longer half full, but over flowing with well being, happiness, and security. These women have taught me how to have a more balanced life as well as helped me to become successful in my own business.

So my hope for all of you reading this is that you try to live an unlikely life! Don't be happy with the normal. Strive for the things in life that would be unlikely, for if you take those chances, your life will never be "boring" or unfulfilled! I will leave you with the greatest example of living an unlikely life: Stephen Hawking! How unlikely is it that not only is he the smartest man, but that he is able to use electronics to speak his thoughts through!

You Have Needs Too!

Hello to all of my mommies out there! I thought it would be an ideal topic this week to focus on yourself for once.

Too many days pass by that I find I do not think of myself or my needs. We are too often in the roles of Mommy, Wife, Caretaker, and often times Career Woman as well. These roles can be taxing and if you are like me, you want to have it all! The career, the home, the husband, and the kids are all goals that most women typically want to achieve.

Balancing these roles is often times difficult, overwhelming, and leaves us unsatisfied or feeling unprepared for the roles we thrust ourselves into. Believe me, I have done them all.

Prior to becoming a mother who does fulfill the more traditional roles for our gender, I worked full time outside of the home as a teacher. This was my career and I loved it dearly, however my personal needs were pushed to the wayside each school year because my life revolved around the work week. I found it difficult to balance my professional life with my home life and often did not want to interact with my own child (I only had Jade at the time) when my work day was complete. I was so mentally exhausted that all I wanted to do was get in bed and sleep! My house work went to the wayside and my family ate unhealthy foods because they were quick to prepare. I just did not have the drive to be the best mom and wife I could be.

It all came to a head when my husband and I were expecting our second child (Dennis). We learned that he was to deploy just weeks before my due date and a new school year would begin around the same time. I realized that something had to change! I was not fulfilled as a woman, mother, or wife. And, this may sound selfish, I had no time for ME!

To make a long story short, my husband and I discussed our finances, came up with a plan, and it is now almost three years later that I became a full time mom, wife, and Homemaker. I found that I am not only less stressed, but also, I am able to be a larger part of my children's lives. I also began an at home business that allows me the ability to have a less stressful, more rounded life. My life has become more rounded and balanced with the help of a great team of moms. Now, I realize that this may not be for everyone, so for those of you mothers out there that work a full time job as well as these other roles, You Go! Just remember that balance is the key.

Without balance, you feel as I felt. It took me a long time to learn that lesson, and today, I am more rounded and able to handle the stresses of mother, wife, and home life.

With all of these roles, we still often forget about our own needs, and so this week I wanted to focus on finding something you enjoy doing for yourself and schedule time each week to do it! For example, you could go get a pedicure, work on crafts, take a long walk, go to the gym. These are all things that you can do for yourself and is what I call ME TIME! In order to not go stir crazy as we go from day to day, we have to have this! I would love to hear what you do for yourself. I go the spa every four weeks, and that may sound extravagant, I would say that I earn it by taking care of my families needs and always putting them first. You deserve it too!

Seasonal depression

This is a great post about seasonal depression and suggestions to get through those winter blues!
http://www.5000moms.com/Soul/?p=363&cpage=1#comment-387

THRIFTY LIVING

I know... I know... you maybe shaking your head and saying 'what?', but I think it is imperative to discuss the topic of frugal or 'thrifty' living. Not only is thrifty living in today's economy important, but as the years have droned on, the power of the US dollar has fallen and inflation is occurring. This is why when you have gone shopping lately everything seems so much more expensive that it used to!

I went to the commissary for the first time today in I must say years and I was honestly shocked at how much money I saved! Now, I must admit that I didn't buy any meat as I have a fully stocked deep freezer already; however all of my fruits and vegetables were so much less than I was paying at Walmart and they were in much better condition! I spent about the same amount as I always do on my bi-weekly grocery excursion, but this time I purchased more! (FYI- Ladies! Do not allow your husbands to go with you! I guarantee you will spend at least $20 more than you intended to if they are there!).

This excursion got me to thinking about healthy foods and cheaper produce because let's face it, today it is honestly cheaper to eat highly processed boxed and canned foods that have caused the obesity problem in America that we face today. If you are able, in the late summer when the harvests are coming in from the summer growing season, go to the fruit/vegetable stands and purchase large quantities of products. They will cost a lot less than supermarkets and you will get more bang for your dollar. Invest in a "canning" system- there are two types out there- and can your own fruits in less sugary liquids. Believe me, you will save money and you will be eating a little healthier than the aluminum cans of fruit and veggies you purchase at the store.

If you have a yard, a small vegetable/fruit garden is a good way to go. Look at your region and growing season to find out what will grow well in your area. Also, before planting, make sure you check the soil and test it to make sure it is ready to grow healthy plants. You may also try an herb garden. These can be done is small pots in your kitchen if you live in an apartment and can't have a garden. When you are ready to harvest your herbs, wash and place in a dehydrator for cheaper seasoning than what you would spend in the store! Using fresh makes your food taste so much better as well!

Look for the sales! In anything, patience is a virtue. This goes for other items besides food stuffs. For example: I recently purchased my daughter's complete wardrobe for next winter (kindergarten) from Children's place, Penny's and Target for under $100. If you wait for end of season sales, you are going to get more for your buck!

Last but not least; put a budget together and stick to it! Try your best not to splurge and ask yourself each time you shop "Do I need this? or Do I want this?" If it is a need, then purchase. If it is only a want, but you don't absolutely need it, then you really shouldn't be spending your money on it.

Virtual Weight Loss Program

For the first time, I am happy to announce that some of my mentors are presenting a program on-line for healthy weight loss! This program is a 12-week program that includes weekly and daily emails as well as 6 webinars where you will learn about the four pillars of success as discussed in Dr. Ray Strand's Healthy for Life book. The four pillars include: low glycemic eating, exercise, cellular nutrition, and journaling. A special webinar will be provided by Licensed Professional Councelor, Aimee Francom, and will cover topics related to emotional eating. The online community will be the place to ask questions, share successes and recipes, and find all the tools you will need to successfully transition to a healthy lifestyle that has a natural side effect of permanent weight loss.
Registration is free for this program and has been clinically tested with success. Monday, January 25th, is the first webinar that will provide information and an overview of the program. So, if you are interested in dropping some pounds, becoming healthier, and feeling the best you have ever felt in your life, pop me an email.