The Beginning of My Journey to a Healthy Life!

I wanted to kick off this blog with the story of my journey

I am 43 years old and have not had the greatest health my entire life.  I struggled with weight problems ever since I was a teen.  I was put on high blood pressure medications when I was in my 20's.  Addicted to Mountain Dew, fast food and ate some of the worst foods for my body that I could.   This lead to a diagnosis of Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome.  I was put on Metformin, then cholesterol medication in my 30's.    After I got married my husband and I tried to conceive many times only to have multiple miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy.



I have been on just about every "diet" that you can imagine.  Counting calories and/or counting carbs.  Yes, they worked sometimes, but I just ended up gaining the weight back and sometimes even more.  I didn't have energy, I was miserable in my mind and in my body.  I am normally a happy person on the outside but on the inside, I felt like I was dying an early death in my mind and in my body.

My husband was following the same path that I was.  He didn't eat veggies unless it was potatoes or corn.  Bread and pasta was one of our biggest downfalls.  He was on that fun little prescription train also.  Being diagnosed with full blown diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety....and the list goes on.  One of my biggest fears was loosing my husband/best friend at an early age as my Mom did my Dad.   But I knew that I couldn't make him change his habits, he had to make that decision for himself and guess what, he did!  He joined the journey of health with me.

Two years ago, I had a hysterectomy.  So many problems with cysts and the pain was unbearable.  It was time to do something.  Two weeks after my hysterectomy, hubby had to have gall bladder surgery and a liver biopsy.   More hospitals, more doctors appointments...I felt like things were spiraling out of control.  Last year, he had to have back surgery and two weeks later I was standing on a plastic tub and fell through it and separated my patellar tendon from my knee cap. Back to surgery for me too.

As we both lied around "recovering" from our surgeries on major pain killers, we decided it was time that this had to stop.   We took a vow, when we got married, in sickness and in health.  It was time to try the "health" part of that vow.  In January, I decided that I was done.  My weight was at 209.  I had no energy to do anything but sit around on the couch.  It was time to get healthy.  I lost my Dad when he was 54 and I did not want to follow that path.  I needed to do something.

I was going to to physical therapy for my knee 2 times a week.  My therapist, Keith Christianssen, PT, ATC, MTC at Impact Sports Medicine not only helped me get back on my feet, but also recommended a great book to me that opened my eyes.  "Ultra Metabolism" by Dr. Mark Hyman.  I learned why my "diets" in the previous years did not work.  While reading the book, I had a lot of moments of  "well, that makes sense".   So what were my next steps?

Does any of this sound familiar to you? 

Find out what happens next in my next blog post!