Motivation, I have none! Must keep looking...

Although Spring is here and there seems to be more positive energy in the air, I am having a very hard time getting motivated to walk. Taking the time off to get back to health seems to have set me back and I sure that Aunt Flow's visit is not helping any. As much as I like to see her come, I like to see her go even more, LOL!  I will find my mojo again. I have no other option then to get back to where I was and move forward.

Saturday and Sunday - Yard and house work took priority over walking. Pup was sad but I still got a good work out. Our yard is on a hill so walking up and down it a ton of times, lifting, bending and moving was enough to make me feel it...it's all good!

This is a picture of my "Woodsy Garden" in 2011

Monday - I honestly do not remember what we did this day, but I know we did not walk. Hmmmm...why can't I remember? Getting older is not for the weak ;)

Tuesday - This day we finally got back out in the elements and walked the NID ditch by our house. The ditch was full of water, which my daughter and Pup loved. Daughter likes to throw stick in the ditch and watch Pup go for them. Both love the water. There were just a few wild flowers along the ditch road, a couple blooming trees and a whole lot of sunshine. It felt nice to get back out.

Nice day for a walk!

Blossoming Landscape

Love this place!

The sun is shining and it is Spring Break, must definitely wear the bikini ;)

My dog is a maniac...the bigger the stick the happier she is :)

Wednesday - I already know that today probably won't have a walk in the plans. We have a lot to do between cleaning the carpets, cleaning the house, cleaning the car and getting ready for our trip to Tiburon. We leave Friday for an overnighter, so excited!

I know that I will not walk tomorrow either because I am going to work with my husband. He has a big yard maintenance job to start and he needs my help so my exercise will come in the form of yard work.

I love having my daughter home with me and am looking forward to our Summer schedule. I am also looking forward to her returning to school so that I can get back on track with walking and some other work related tasks that need to be done. It is amazing/concerning/irritating about how easy it is for me to get off track with getting fit. I have never been one who enjoyed P.E. or any thing that required a lot of movement. Perhaps that is why I did so well in Volleyball ;)

Love and light my friends!

Spring is in the air! *cough, cough*

While others across the United States are really mad at the Groundhog for lying about a early Spring, us Californians are happy to welcome Spring (but not so much the allergies). But mind you, we all know that if Winter does not actually come this year we are in for a long, hot, DRY Summer...let's all do a rain dance ;)

Here are some images that I want to share with you, some you may have seen but maybe some not...

Blossoms

Gnome

Manzanita Blossoms

Vinca

Daffodils

More Blossoms

I'm baaaack...and I could not be happier about that!

Checked in with the doctor yesterday. All is well! He explained PVC's and talked to me about how to deal with them. Basically, just keep in mind that they are not going to hurt me or cause any other issues. Boy, are they scary though! And guess what?! I lost another 5 pounds, making that an 8 pound total loss! Yes, it is over the course of 3 months but ya know those eight pounds will stay off because I am making real changes to my lifestyle that I plan to keep for ever more :)

I am back to walking, too. I have missed it so much! So has Pup, she has been chasing her tail and wanting to play catch at bedtime ;)

Monday- No walk this day, I did get back in to my daughter's class to volunteer and that I love!

Tuesday- Took a walk with my Aunt and Cousin, it felt so good to sweat and talk and sweat and talk. Love those ladies! I wish that I took my camera this day as once you get the back of the subdivision that we were trekking through you there is an amazing view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I love how the mountains look blue as they get farther away.

Wednesday- Well if we had a raincoat and booties for Pup we would would have been out in the pouring rain getting our sweat on! But the weather did prevent us from going out today :(

Thursday- Love my mountain and walking on it. Felt good to get back on the familiar trail and get the blood pumping.

Nice day to be out and about in the wilderness!

Hearts...everywhere I go there are hearts! I think I am just more apt to see them as anyone can see them if they just look.

Friday (today) -Early walk on the Empire Trails...it was freezing and full of wildlife. Pup is now soaking up the sun on the deck!

Brrr! I was chilly this morning but once we got walking it was not a problem!

Yep, another heart...this time in bird poo, LOL!

Love and light my friends!

Why do I share so much about myself with you?

Many of you may be wondering why I share so much about myself. The answer to that is actually pretty simple. This started out as a way for me to be accountable for getting healthy. Social Media is good for that. When you broadcast your intentions they become real, as now the world knows about them. That is a great motivator for me.

As time went by I realized that I also hoped to motivate other people. Since I have started this journey to health I realized that people were reading and listening to my story. Not just by the stats that Blogger provides but by private messages that came filled with gratitude and support. As I meandered through town and was approached by people about this blog it became very apparent that I was on the right track. "Thank you for all that you share about your world" one friend said (honestly, from one who I did not think was reading). You never know whose life you could touch with your words.

I hope to inform. When I was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt the first time, it was not the doctors who helped me learn about it, it was the information that I found on the internet that helped me. Reading other people's experiences and tips was of huge service to me and I want to give back. Now, I know my doctor will not agree with me, the internet has made a lot of doctors irritated with what their patients find or think is going on. An article in Consumer Reports states, "The patients we surveyed were enthusiastic online researchers; 61 percent reported that they had read about their condition on the Internet. Doctors are not convinced that online research is helpful, to put it mildly. Almost half of physicians we surveyed said online research helps very little or not at all, and just 8 percent thought it was very helpful." I agree with the 8% of doctors, it has helped me greatly. I do have to keep my head in check and not get worked up on the information that I find as most sites like the MayoClinic and WebMD all report on what seems to be the worst case scenario. Food for thought.

Lastly, I do this for attention. Yep, some of the people close to me who seem weary of what I am doing were waiting for this ;) I want to bring attention to being healthy and well balanced. I want to bring attention to how it is not easy for everyone to make changes. I want to bring attention to the struggles of changing. We all only human and the more people see that others are human, well, then maybe they will start making changes themselves. If you have compassion for yourself, it is easier to have compassion for others. This is what I hope to see change in the world. We need less hate and more compassion. Recent research suggests that giving yourself a break and that coming to terms with your imperfections is the first step to better health. I do agree. Once I came to terms with that fact that I was fat, I got angry with my self and that fueled change. Also, part of me wants to bring attention to myself and my accomplishments, businesses and life.I am a people person and I enjoy sharing!

So there you have it, this is why I share so much about myself with the world wide web!

My Arbonne up-line wants to contribute to my giveaway and so I have to delay it for another week or two. Sorry for this, but it means more goodies for you!

Love and light!

What the heck!? A heart monitor? ER? PVC's?

I was put on an Event heart monitor for two weeks. Why? Well, I have been having heart palpitations (again) since I began walking. I think that my doctor made this decision as a precautionary move; heart issues run in the family, I have had Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (which he, and most of the medical field have not idea about) and because there are so many factors that could be causing this. Those factors are: Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (one of the symptoms of an outbreak is heart palpitations, or at least it was for me), me being overweight, my diet, exercise and stress levels. I guess we will see.

Day one: This wont be so bad, I hardly knew it was there.
Day two: OK, now I am aware that this monitor is there. I got all these cords in my cleavage!
Day three: Those electrodes are causing a rash on my skin and each time I change them it feels like it is taking my skin off! What the hell?
Day four: I think I will let my skin get some air. This is painful.
Day five: I am taking this daum thing off and calling the doc to see what I can do with this rash.
Day six: Went back in to get some electrodes for sensitive skin. Turns out the nurse did not properly tell me how to use the electrodes and I was basically ripping my skin off. Note to self, you do not have to change the electrodes when you shower NOR do you have to put them in the same spot each time you switch them out.
Day seven to Day fourteen: Life is much different now that I have the electrode issue down. I was able to record 6 events. Cords and cleavage is not a good combo. Always question medical personnel.

Diagnosis: It took the cardio dept FOREVER to get the results in to my doctor or it took my doctor forever to see them, I am not sure. I was actually diagnosed in the ER with PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions).

Why was I in the ER? Earlier in the week I went in to see my primary care doctor for the Ramsay Hunt, I was having another Ramsay Hunt outbreak. He confirmed it but was not 100 % because there really is no way to tell with out the sores and facial drooping showing up. He said that based upon my symptoms a few days back, it was most likely the case and that my body recognized the virus and took care of it this time. Yahoo, body! I am 100% sure of what I was feeling and decided to take a few days off and rest.

During that time, the heart palpitations were becoming stronger and scarier. It starts as a pound in the chest that sends energy/warmth through out the entire body. The pounding continues, my limbs get tingly and numb, my head goes light, nausea sets in and then of course there is anxiety too. The first day it happened my husband was able to walk me through it. The second day it happened I was in the pick up line at my daughters school and had no where to go! So, I pulled myself together, instructed her that if I had to pull over she would have to go into a business to find a phone (my cell was not in my purse) and drove home.My daughter is very brave and I am so proud of her!

I called the doctor and his nurse said go to the ER. So, we went to the ER. When we got there the nurse called my house and said not to go to the ER. WHAT THE HECK!? My mother told her that I was already there. While I was there, they took blood, an EKG and hooked me up to some liquids.

It was not long until the ER doc came in and said that he had talked to my Primary. The tests that the ER did and the results from the Event Monitor were in conjunction with PVC's.

This is when the bottom half of the heart puts out extra beats, causing all the symptoms I explained above. They can be caused by caffeine, stimulant drugs or herbs, an underlining heart disease as well as many other lifestyle activities. I am almost certain that this has to do with lifestyle, but I am not going to rule out heart disease just yet (it runs in the family).

I am so glad to have a name for what is going on so that now we can move forward and start the process of elimination to get these under control. I have not walked in over a week and I am anxious to get back at it...so is Pup!

Thank you everyone for your support! I know some of you are wondering why I share so much about my health. There will be a special post answering that question soon. 

And a Giveaway, I have gathered all I need to!

Love and light!

Meet my little friend, Ramsay...it has been a strange week.

So much for posting every other day, at this point in time a weekly post may be all you get ;) This week was challenging. Allergies started, which has my family hacking and blowing and irritable. More so it has triggered some Ramsay Hunt symptoms for myself.

August 2010 I was diagnosed with the rare syndrome, Ramsay Hunt. The easy explanation is that it is shingles in the cranium and effects the facial nerves causing symptoms that are similar to Bell's Palsy. Once the sores erupt they are accompanied by a very high fever, severe pain to the effected side of the head and vertigo. If not treated then nerve damage sets in causing facial drooping among other weird symptoms.

Not much is known about this syndrome, other than it exists, how to treat it and how to deal with it, as it really never goes away and can fester at any time. If you have ever had the chicken pox then you can get it. Some say that the new chicken pox vaccine can prevent it but given how the syndrome operates that does not make sense to me. Usually times of stress or when your immune system is down is when you get an outbreak. Not all symptoms are the same for everyone.

I belong to www.ramsayhunt.org, a place for those effected to gather and chat. We are of all ages, all backgrounds and all deal with a different set of things. Some have recovered and deal with it mildly every so often, some never recovered and deal with the pain and nerve damage daily. We are hard working, life stressing people. Through this organization I have learned that stress is a major contributor and that taking good care of yourself is key.

My story is that of a miracle as I did not have a primary care doctor at the time and was diagnosed in the hospital ER (after first receiving the wrong diagnosis, which is common). This made it very hard to get a referring doctor to refer me to a specialist. Luckily, I know a person who pulled some strings and got me into the specialist. Which I am forever grateful for! God was by my side during this time, no doubt...absolutely, NO DOUBT!

So, for me, this time the vertigo is back, blurred vision to the right side, ringing/muffled sound in the ear, sensitivity to light, confusion/disoriented, heart palpitations and lethargy. This has made it hard for me to get motivated to walk or do anything for that matter; however, I did manage to get out there four of the seven days this week. So, moral of this story is that I am a fighter so please don't pity me...most of us have some health issue we are dealing with; mine is just rare and weird. Kinda like me!

I forgot my camera on one of the walks, can you believe it? I felt naked but it was nice to just be!

Saturday- The in-laws came up and we walked to the pond. Good times, good times!

Spring is on the way!

Blossoms

 Sunday - Pup and I went by ourselves at around sunset.

I love this part of the trail, it glows when the sun hits it just right. This picture does no justice to the intensity of this experience.

Sunday Sunset

Monday - No walk, too busy!

Tuesday - Today was the day to drop off the heart monitor I had been wearing for two weeks. We are waiting the results and I will post about the experience once we have the results. I have a feeling that the heart palpitations are associated with the other symptoms I am having as I had them with Ramsay before. Pup and I walked and enjoyed the calm before the storm.

Yep, them are clouds!

 Wednesday - No walk, I did not have the gumption to do it.

Alyssa did find a heart shaped potato chip though. Pretty cool!

 Thursday - Forgot the camera! Oops! Walked the usual trail and took the BIG hill! Love the BIG hill!

Friday - No walk, no gumption, lots of work.

So today, I feel a little better. Still sensitive to light, muffled hearing and a little disoriented/scattered. Hopefully, I can get back in to the swing of things this week.

Love and Light my friends!

Walk a little here, walk a little there...must reassess and keep going!

I think this blog and my goal of walking needs to be reassessed. While walking daily is still ideal, it is not realistic some weeks with all that needs to be done. Monday's, forget it! I tried to fit in a walk with Pup while my daughter was at dance lessons this last Monday but Pup is not comfortable around cars, streets, etc. and it was not enjoyable. Neither of us got any good exercise. So, I am just going to forget Monday's and try to walk at least 6 times during the week.

Also, the same is true for finding time to blog about this adventure. I will try to continue to post daily, or ever other day but some weeks it just might not happen; like this week. Do know that I be walking, though!

Sunday- Yep, I am about a week behind ALWAYS! I am finding that Sunday walks are among my favorite because my husband usually comes with us and we are all together. These walks are not as stressed as the walks with just us girls. Pup and daughter listen better, we find lots of treasures and have a lot of fun. We took the girls over to my Mom's house and walked on the Litton trails. I did not know that they linked up with the trails at the High School and could lead to Ridge Road but I do now!

Before we even started the walk, my daughter found this heart! It is on a plum tree where a leaf or branch used to be.

Litton Trail ends up behind NU, who knew! Not me and I have been living here for 24 years and was very familiar with the trails when I was in school.

My daughter found a hide out!

NU has a course along the trails with a giant set of Monkey Bars...could not keep my Monkey off of them!

Tuesday - My daughter asked for us to wait until after school to walk so we did. Took the usual route by our house.

Grass Valley Landscape, my new sunset spot that does not have poison oak ;)

Wednesday- We did not take a walk but Pup needed some exercise so I played a long game of "chase me and if you get the bone we can play catch". Pup likes to keep her toys from us, according to the family that had her before us, Pup has always played that game.

Thursday- Walks alone is probably my most-est favorite me time. While I do enjoy company on walks, it is the walks that I take alone that really help me stay focused and grounded. I feel so good after an alone walk. On this particular day we went to the trails at the end of Gold Hill Drive. These are such nice trails, full of wild life and respectful people. For most of the walk I listened to an Owl hooting away and came across a very talkative Crow. We will be back to this trail :)

Beautiful day for me time!

It is so hard to get a picture of my Pup when she is not moving, I will take the puppy love though :)

Friday - Took the usual trail by our house, Nana was with us.

I love where I live!

So today is Saturday, filled with the unknown. I do know there will be a walk at some point, a little house chores and a whole lotta love!

Peace, love and light my friends!