What Would You Do?

I had my last bone density screening done a year ago. The report says Osteopenia, but I do have one vertebra that is in the Osteoporosis range. My gynecologist gave me a prescription to go have a follow up one done now.

Here is my dilemma. I am just starting a program to increase my bone density. Up until now I have done nothing to correct the situation. If it were you, would you skip having it done now, wait a year and then have it done to see what it is....or would you go have another one now before you started the program?

Up until this week, I had decided that I would NOT have another one done at this time. My reasoning was that since I haven't done anything to make it better, it is going to be worse. If it's a lot worse, it might actually frighten me and I'm feeling pretty good and pretty peaceful about the whole situation right now. So, do I just wait until next year and see where I'm at after a year on the program or......

do I go have a new screening done so I know exactly what my numbers are right now before I start the full program? If I don't get it done now, next year when I do, I really won't know how much my numbers have improved on the new program because I won't know my starting point. Am I making sense?

I called my insurance company and they will pay for it so I'm thinking I need to go have it done. I want to know next year if my program is working and if it is....how well is it working. If I don't go.....I won't know.

Would you go or would you rather not know? I'm going.

What's In That Water?

I LOVE water! I LOVE lakes and streams and oceans and ponds and rivers. I could sit on the shore of any body of water and just watch the water for hours. I am actually writing this during my lunch on Monday. I drove into one of the neighborhoods near work that has a pond, and I am sitting in my car with the windows open, looking out at the water. It's so pretty. It's so peaceful.

Yes, I LOVE water....just don't ask me to go in it! Oh, I love pools and I'm a pretty fair swimmer, but I can't swim in any natural body of water. I can wade in clear water where I can see the bottom, but I would never swim in it. I don't like wading in river or lake water where I can't see what might be lurking. Swim in a lake or river......oh my heavens NO!!

I am fine in a boat on the river where I can see the shore, but not so cool in a boat on a lake, and I doubt I will ever go on a cruise. Yep....really!

No, I didn't have a near drowning experience. I was in lakes and rivers all of the time when I was a kid and I loved it. I'm not sure what happened. Now just the thought of that makes me hyperventilate!

The ocean is awesome, and I could watch it and listen to it all day long....but the thought of sharing that water with sharks and other "things" with big teeth...terrifies me.

My dream is to live on a body of water one day, because I love to look at it. I just don't want to be IN it.

The only thing that would get me in a boat on a big body of water is if I ever had an opportunity to go on a whale watching boat. Then I would have to find a way to put my fear aside, because that is something I absolutely have to do. I am just in awe of those animals.

Is there anything you fear? Oh come on....is there? How do you feel about water? Spiders? Snakes? Flying? Heights? Anything give you that creepy little feeling in your gut?

Beating Osteoporosis.....Day 1

Today is the first day of my new diet and supplement plan. I am so ready. I spent so much time this weekend figuring out things I can eat and what supplements I take when and when I want to drink this shake thing and so on and so on....

I spent a lot of time in the Osteoporosis forums chatting with people that have been doing this for years. I have learned a lot. One of the things I've learned is that just like with every other "hot" topic......you will get lots of different advice from people with lots of differing opinions.

I read many times....no yoga forward bends and no yoga twisting. Then my new doctor said....it's fine. Then some very knowledgeable people in the forums said....don't do it. Then someone else in the forums said.....I've been doing them for nine years. What it boils down to is that I have to do what is right for me. That yoga DVD has made me stronger, more flexible and improved my posture. I think I will keep doing it. The moves in yoga are slow and thought out. I don't think about it when I bend over to pick up something off the floor or twist to back my car out of the drive way. If my back is going to fracture....it's going to fracture.

I am going to see if I can make an appointment with a Physical Therapist that is trained in osteoporosis. I would like some professional help with my exercise program. I really need someone to tell me exactly what I should be doing each day. If I'm going to spend 30-60 minutes every day working out, I want to be sure that what I am doing is going to help. I'm not qualified to do that.

The hardest part of the new diet is the no sugar, no dairy and no gluten. That's a whole lot of no-no's. The no sugar means no Starbucks Chai Lattes. The no dairy means no pizza. The no gluten means no bread. I've done this before, I can do it again.

I just have to think about how awesome I am going to feel when I am not putting things into my body that it doesn't need or want....and when I am putting good things into my body that are going to help it function the way it should. It's all a matter of mind over matter and a good positive attitude.

Make it a great day and be sure to do something really nice for yourself today!

Happy Bunny Day

Happy Easter to everyone that celebrates. We are meeting Michael and Bernadette for breakfast this morning. They will have dinner with Bernadette's family and we will be having dinner with Tresa and Chris at his parent's house. It should be a wonderful day.

I was thinking about what Easter morning was like when our kids were little. Lanyard Lady had posted an Easter picture of her kids when they were little. It was so cute. I was telling her that my favorite Easter memory is when my boys would hurry up and find Tresa's Easter Basket before she got up, and then hide it again in a place where we would never ever hide one of their baskets. Then they would find theirs, sit back and watch Tresa look all over the place for hers. Oh my gosh the fun they had!

My least favorite Easter memory came when I was probably about 8 years old. I was riding my little sister Kay on my bike. We were going down a hill and I was swerving from side to side. Well we hit some loose stones on the road and down we went. No broken bones....but talk about skinned knees and elbows and .......faces. We looked just lovely a few days later all dressed up for Easter with scabs all over the place!

Have a wonderful day today....and make some special memories!

My Holistic Experience

I saw the new Holistic MD on Thursday and let me just say that it was BY FAR the best doctor appointment I have ever had in my entire life! I had a 5:00 appointment, and I didn't get in to see him until 5:45, but you know what....I didn't even care. It was almost 7:00 when I finally left there!

Dr. R and I sat and talked about my past health and my current health. I told him how I felt about prescription drugs and why, and you know what.....he actually listened to me. He looked at me when I was talking. He genuinely cared what I had to say. I was able to tell him what I didn't like about my experiences with other doctors.

I told him I needed guidance. I wanted a good solid program of diet, supplements and exercise for my osteopenia and I want to get off the blood pressure meds because I honestly don't think I need them.

When we were done talking, he left the office for a few minutes and came back with a chart. On it were circled all of the health issues I have had and ones I have now. He explained how everything is connected and how one thing can affect another. I worked in a natural health office for five years...I understand a lot about how the body works, and I think he appreciated that. It made his job easier, because he didn't have to do much for me to understand. I already get it.

He looked at the supplements I am already taking and suggested some changes. Every suggestion he made was followed by an explanation of what it will do and why it would be good for me. He doesn't even sell the supplements in his office. you order them directly from the company.

People's bones don't just start weakening on their own....in fact, no health condition just appears for no reason. There is always something going on in your body long before you get a symptom. In order for me to improve my bone health, I need to be sure my body is getting everything it needs to function at 100%. I will do that through diet and supplements.

I also talked to him about my weighted workout shirt and it seems I put the weights right where they need to be. I asked him about the yoga I do because the workout has a lot of forward bending and some twisting and some things I've read say you shouldn't do that with bone loss. He said it was fine for me to keep doing them, and I was so happy.

He gave me food lists....things I should eat and things I should avoid and why. I love when someone tells me why I need to do something...it makes it so much easier.

I told him that my Internist said that no amount of exercise, diet or supplements would ever make my bones stronger....she guaranteed it....about 10 times in fact. He told me that maybe in a few years, I'll be able to go back to her with my bone scan and show her that it is possible to improve your bone health without drugs.

So here I am at the beginning of another journey. This time in addition to my family and friend's support, I have a wonderful doctor ready to travel with me. It's going to be a great trip!

A Day on the Mountain

Remember when I mentioned a while ago that Matt was hoping to snowboard down this really nasty looking mountain? I've learned that this is called the San Joaquin Couloir and the mountain is the San Joaquin Peak which at the top is 13,460 feet.

The guys got snowed out the first time they tried to go, but did manage to go this week. To snowboard this mountain, you can take the lift only so far. Then you get off and spend the next two hours hiking up the mountain to get to the top. Matt said some of the hike up was actually scarier than the snowboarding down. Something about some crazy cliff they had to walk along.

This is Chase, Matt's friend on the hike up the mountain. I thought it was interesting too that a teacher at Matt's school was the first person to ski down the San Joaquin Couloir, back in the late 80's.

Don't ask me how or why people would want to do something like that, because first of all, I am not a skier and second, I am not very adventurous. Here is Chase again....a little closer.

I am assuming that this photo was taken from the top, looking down. I am not a big fan of heights, but you have to be in awe of the mountains when you see them up close and personal.


See the little itsy bitsy speck a little bit below that great big rock? Yep, that is one of them!

Now see the little itsy bitsy spot almost at the bottom of the great big mountain?

I think their tracks look really neat.

Matt on the left and his good friend Chase enjoying a day on the mountain.

Making a Weighted "Vest"

I decided to take today off. Our office is closed tomorrow, but the weather is going to be beyond awesome today, so I thought I would get some yard work done. We'll see how it goes. I also have my appointment with the Holistic MD today at 5:00. They told me to call before I leave to see if he is on time. His sister already told Irv that I should expect to wait.

I am so anxious to hear what he has to say, and then I have some questions of my own. I'll let you know how it goes.

Well, I didn't make a weighted vest, but I did make a weighted top to wear when I walk. I really wanted one and they wanted $75 online for one and I wasn't paying that plus shipping. I had some old stretchy work out tops that I don't wear much anymore, so I picked the one that seemed the sturdiest....that was this black one.

Then I took one that I never wear and I cut the bottom half of it off.

Next, I folded that piece in half to make it stronger and I pinned it to the bottom of the black top.

I had to play with it a bit since both of the fabrics were stretchy and they weren't exactly the same size. I didn't want to make a major project out of it so I just made it work.

I sewed them together across the bottom and than sewed seams to form the little pockets. There are four across the front and four across the back. They are stretchy enough that if I want to add more weight, I can slide a second little one in each pocket. Each little weight is 1/2 pound, so I will be starting with four pounds of weight.

Here is the finished product! Not too bad for FREE!!

The only thing I notice when wearing it is that because the black top was really old, the straps are a bit stretched out. The weights do pull the top down a bit, but not to where it is uncomfortable or the weights are hanging too low. If it gets worse over time. I might have to reinforce the straps a bit with some other fabric or just replace them with something else.

It actually feels good to walk with the extra weight. I'm really lovin' it so far!