To All of You

This is to all of the people who are working hard to take care of their bodies!

I saw all of you in the wellness center today and I admire all of you.  There's so many different types.  There are elderly there that are just trying to keep at it by moving.  I also notice that you are the most innovative.  You come up with your own routines and don't use the equipment the way it was intended, but that great that you're creative.  Also the overweight ones, I notice you too!  I'm proud of you for making a change!  You could be ignoring the fact that you need to exercise and lose weight, but your not.  You are in there sweating like everyone else.  The young boy that had a trainer and was learning how to life weights the proper way - amazing.

I like how I was riding bike and happened to finish the same time that they guy next to me did.  He was an older, black man with nothing in common other than exercise, yet we locked eyes as a props to your workout and enjoy your happy day.

I love how I have friends that have set accomplishments and are achieving them!  I never really thought of exercising as an achievement, but it is!  Props to Bridgette and Erin for losing all of that weight,  Laura for taking up running and taking on a 5K, Linsey for running after knee surgery and not giving up, and Brandy for teaching Zumba.  I know there's a lot more friends that have made goals and accomplished them and I don't mean to leave you out - I'm proud of you all!

To my amazing husband that looks so different in just a month!  WOW!  I can't believe how much better you feel and how much healthier you look.  It's crazy how you can get that muscular.

I've always had bigger thighs than what fits my body - from gymnastics as a kid.  It was the one thing that I didn't want to get bigger, and of course it did.  But it's just more muscle, so how can it be that bad.  I had to buy new jeans because my body is changing!

I know some of you are probably thinking that I'm skinny and how does this matter.  I have become better as a whole - mind, body, and spirit.  We believe in the Holy Trinity - and we also need to focus on our body trinity!  Working out is giving me more energy and a much better spirit.  I was on medication for years due to being bipolar.  I haven't taken it in 3 months.  Moving to Phoenixville, going off birth control, and exercising has made my head clear and realize that I'm not bipolar.  I just needed to be where I belonged.  My friend, Ellen, recently wrote on Facebook that if she knew that exercising was therapy, she would have started a long time ago.  I agree with that to some degree.  I tried exercising 2 years ago and it didn't work.  I wasn't in the right mind set or the right place.  So I wish I could have done it right a long time ago.  I was always worried that it was taking up too much time since I'm always needed, being a parent of a special needs and medically needed child.  But now, I'm empowered!

I beat 2 goals today!  I ran a mile in less than 9 minutes straight through and a cardio challenge that the Y posts for the month.  My goal is to outrun zombies for a 5K in Nov - and I can do this!

Thanks to the Y for having child care for my kid that can be hard to take care of - but you take on that challenge so I can improve myself!

Good luck to all of those that are taking that initiative to making a health change!  It's our health and lives - seize it!  I'm proud of you all!

Another Horrible Vaca

I don't know why I always insist on "getting away" when I know it doesn't work for our family unless we have a nurse and Olivia can stay in another room.

It started off great.  She behaved so well when we met up with friends and sat on the beach.  She was great the whole day.  The the evil bastards decided to come around as she falls asleep.  Between running her feed for the night and the multiple seizures, this momma is exhausted.

We decided to take our 2 night beach trip down to one.  I immediately contacted the nurse this morning to see if she could work.  Luckily she's still available.  I will get to sleep tonight.  It just sucks that I never get to have a vacation.  I know that God has a plan for us, but this really sucks!  I hate being face with a daily reminder that my daughter can die with any of these seizures that she has.  I knew becoming a mother would mean giving up a lot of things in order to raise her, but I had no idea that I would have to give so much!  I need a break!  I need to be able to go away with my husband and connect with him!

Well for now, I'll take that sleep tonight!  And of course a Lucy hug when she gets home!

Make A Wish Trip

We have recently found out that Make A Wish is taking us to Disney World.  We are over the moon with being able to go.  They have brought me to tears twice and we didn't even do the planning yet.  Olivia has no idea what's going on either.  We have been talking about Mickey a lot and she probably has noticed that, but she has no idea what is going to happen.  Even when we are there, she won't know until she sees Mickey.  It is so wonderful to have companies that want to help sick children.  With all of this being said, it puts everything into perspective of how dangerous my daughter's condition actually is.  This is what it states when you want to refer a child:

"A child with a life-threatening medical condition who has reached the age of 2½ and is younger than 18 at the time of referral is potentially eligible for a wish."

I decided to sign her up and at the time, I didn't really think she would get approved for the trip.  I had no idea that my daughter's condition is life-threatening.  I've been increasingly scared that she will experience SUDEP (sudden unexplained death from epilepsy) due to having many tonic clonics throughout every week.  She has trouble breathing during them too.  And yet I never considered her seizures to be life-threatening.  After you refer the child, they send paperwork over to the pediatrician to fill out.  We never see this paperwork.  I have no idea what is said on it and I'm extremely curious.  Every doctor has told us that she can't die from seizures (even though we know that isn't true).  Even though we get to take this wonderful trip, we are now fully aware that our daughter has a possible terminal condition.  I hope my daughter can live a long, happy life.  

They are coming on Tuesday to plan the whole trip.  This will be a wonderful gift to give to my child.  She deserves it!