Great doctors visit, Body feeling great!

Well A lot of things, good things have happened since March, 3 months ago. It is just miraculous to me, how far I have come since then.

I also wanted to include in the post, some pics of my new apartment. I love this place, it's across the street from the park and a beach.

Yesterday I went to the library to return some books and then to Whole Foods to get some good "clean"healthy foods and on to aldi for cheap produce.
Here are some of the things I purchased.

I got some Wasa Crispbread, upon which I put hummus or guacamole, Sunflower seeds and dried cranbeerries and raisins. I don't want to eat meat anymore, because it's bad for my health and ethical reasons, so I got "Beyond chicken" and quinoa burgers and a few other goodies.
After we unloaded the goods at rhe apartment, I got dropped off at the mmovies to see "Inside out" a Disney film, since it was a birthday outing for an 11 year olds birthday. I was able to walk and sit easily inside the theatre and I was in no pain at all. After the movie, we went up on the roof of the parking garage to have the party but it was barricaded, so we had it one floor below the roof. It was too kool. I sat in the truck, because I can't stand that long. Then I had them drop me at a bus stop with  a shelter, where I could sit and wait on the bus.  I refused their offer to take me home, since they live about 15 miles from the bus stop and about 25 miles from me. They have twins in tow, who were sleepy and upset. I enjoyed my free bus ride and got home about 1 1/2 hours later. I am getting over my fear of being out by myself, since I have so much strength from the daily exercise. What a great day and I still had strength to spare. Another fear overcome. Oh yeah.....

Exercise

I exercise for 30-45 minutes a day, every day. I do cario every day and then resistence training. I have hand weight and leg weights. I started out with 3 pounds hand weights, but, now they are too light, so I use two 3 pound weight together when I do my upper body resistance exercises. I will have to get some 8 pounders soon, but these will have to do for now. I started out with  2 pounds in my leg weights but, I'm up to 8 pounds per leg now. I have gained so much strength on each leg, knee, and ankle now, that I'm amazed. I let go of the rollator at the end of March. I no longer needed it. I now only use my cane and then only outdoors.  yipee ki yey!! The exercise makes all of the idffrence in the world. They say  that I need two knee surgeries, but, after 58 days of 30 minute exercising and drinking smoothies daily, I have been healed of all arthritis pain. I have stiffness but, no pain, unless I stand up too long. I'm really trying to avoid thoose two surgeries, if at all possible. I don't like exercising but, it works wonders for my attitude and my health. I might start the day, not wanting to exercise, but, i do it anyway and halfway through , i start to feel wonderful and light. Those endorphins kick in and do their job of elevating my spirit. Since, I know that this happens every day, I RESOLVE, that I will exercise every day, no matter what. I know things happen and I sometimes i can only exercise for less than my daily allotted time or I have to exercise later in the day. But, I commit to exercise daily, because I matter, my health matters to me, I'm learning to take care of me, to love myself more.

Medications
 I visited my doctor for refills on my meds on June 19th. He was amazed. he gave me a high five. He took me off  the diabetes med-Metformin, which I was taking once daily. My A1C had dropped to 6.0 from a high of 7.0. He also reduced my blood pressure meds and my pain medication. I had already dropped them from 3 times a day to once in the morning before seeing him. It was a good visit.

Weight
I have dropped 22 pounds and lots of inches in the last 3 months. I'm so happy. I wore a shirt buttoned yesterday that I was not able to button 3 months ago. it was nice and loose on me.


Accountability Partner
 I now have an accountability partner. She doesn't play. She tells me like it is. When I'm rebelling with the food or doing something else stupid, she rebukes me. She sends me articles on clean eating, videos, encouragement and health tips. She went through the book "Made To Crave" with me and we completed all the questions at the end of every chapter. After reading that book, I realized that this is a lifestyle change, that will never end. There is no end and I go back to eating that crazy, disease causing stuff again. No way !!!! There are some foods that I might never have the freedom to enjoy again, but, if I want to enjoy a good quality of life, this is how it has to be.

Foods
I now have a smoothie, consisting of a green ( spinach, kale or collard) celery, carrots, berries, bananas, protein powder, cocao, agave nectar every morning after my exercising. I usually have 32 ounces. I also have 1-2 ounces of sunflower seeds. I am supposed to only have 1 ounce of them. I'm still working on that. Here's one picture of me juicing, which i do on odd days.

Later on in the day, I have crispbread with guacamole, feta and dried cranberries or carrots with hummus or some type of healthy snack.

For dinner, I have a great salad with about 6 different kinds of lettuce, feta, dried tomatoes, raspberry viniagrette,fresh garlic, onions with dried cranberries and raisins. on top of this I had something like Beyond Chicken or Beyond Beef or Quinoa burgers.  I decided last week that I just cannot do real meat, for  moral, ethical and many other reasons.

Evening snack- Smoothie, if needed

Note: I was having peanuts as an evening snack, but, I could never get a handle on eating the right amount, so I eliminated them for now from my lifesttyle.

Let me give you a picture of my day.

Alarm at 5:30am to wake me up out of the groggy state. I take my meds, which make me sleepier, which is why I take them at 5:30 am, so I can sleep the effects off for a couple of hours and then start my day.

 7:30 or there about I get up, journal, have bible study and prayer.

 10:30-I exercise for 30-45 minutes, after which I have my smoothie immediately.

I then get cleaned up and get dressed.

 2-3 pm-Snack time

6-7 pm-dinnertime

9-10 snack

12-1am- bedtime

God is blessing me with miracle after miracle. I expect more miracles in my life as I walk in this new journey to health. My thinking, is changing, my nervous system is changing, my ideas about my body and my life are changing.

Just think last year this time, I was just learning to walk again and was in a wheelchair most of the time, to me just using a cane now and going to festivals, parties, the beach across the street from where I live. I'm living again. Thank you God! What a miracle!

My next phase to renewed health

Since, I've been out of the rehab/nursing facility for almost 3 months now, it's time to move onto the next phase of renewing my health, which is strength training. I've used strength training to revitalize myself on two prior occasions. Both times, I was successful.

 Let me review all that has happened to me in the last twelve months. On Feb. 7, 2014, I was attacked with stenosis of the back and infection was found in my back. I was unable to walk until the end of May. By then, I was walking using a walker and then a rollator.  A class action lawsuit against the governor of our State, caused me to be included in a project, in which I was allowed to transition into my own apartment from the nursing home. After leaving I was provided with everything that I needed for the apartment, including all the furniture needed, household items, groceries for one month and my rent was paid for three months. Thereafter, my rent is 30% of my monthly check. 

Well, I was moved into this beautiful, wonderful one bedroom apartment on Dec.16, 2014. I was excited, afraid and curious all at the same time. After everyone left, I was alone. I got very afraid at that time since, we had CNA's everywhere at the care facility. I was afraid that I would fall and no one was there, since, I had not set up the security device yet.

My building  has an intercom system, that works with the tenants cell phone. My old cell phone was not compatible with this system. I also needed wifi in my apartment, since, I had so many things to do for myself. I had my friends take me to the local Cellular store and I had to purchase a new over-priced cell phone. I also made sure that it had a hotspot included.Thank God now, I now had the means to let people into the building or so I thought. Well, now it turns out that, I have to either have a Google Voice # or a Pinger #. I got a Google # and then found out, it has to be of a certain prefix and exchange, so my new Google #will not work. Okay, so I got a pinger number and after calling the management to inform them of my new pinger #, they added it to my apartment inercom box.Well, it doesn't seem to be working.ughhhhhh!

So now, I have to ride the elevator down to let the nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, care coordinator and whatever else comes to see me. I was aggravated to say the least. So, I was overjoyed about the apartment and it being my new home but, drained about the intercom and wifi situation.

OKay, So, I use my phone wifi to water a movie for two nights and it uses almost half the GB's allowed to me monthly. So, I knew that I had to get wifi  in my apartment.

So, I called the  cable company and got cable. They came out two days later and installed it.  Pinger started working on the intercom system about 5 days later.

The Home Health agency came out for the next two weeks. They made sure that I had a shower chair, went over my daily exercises with me, learned bath and home safety and taught me so many other things that I needed to know, now that I was on my own. 

Homemaker

I wanted a specific homemaker. but, since she was not registered with any of the agencies, I could not request her services. I signed up with another agency and they send a young lady out unannounced. I mean I'm still half asleep. I had her clean my apartment. I also told her that I am not available until 10 am. I don't want to get up until after 9am. Out of 6 days, she came only two days to work, she made excuses every day. I had to call the agency and tell them that I didn't want to use their services anymore.

 Because of that incident, I was able to request whoever I wanted to be my homemaker. Well, you know what happens next.... I had to do all of the legwork myself. It took the care manager over 3 weeks to get the paperwork to me. I received it yesterday and had it faxed to her office today. I'm hoping that I will begin to receive services next week.

We'll see.

Strong Women, Strong Bones

I had been exercising for 30 minutes daily and I stopped. I got discouraged.

But, I continued to drink my smoothies every day. I drink 32 ounces of green smoothies daily. I feel so much stronger. I'm walking more with my cane.  Funny, the right hand side brake broke on my rollator yesterday, so I'm more determined to walk just with my cane or without any aids. Here's where this book comes into play. 

"Strong Women, Strong Bones".

I used this book twice before to rebuild my body. I felt the effects about 3-4 weeks after exercising  3 times daily. I had strengthened the muscles surrounding my knees, in my legs,calves and ankles with the ankle weights and also improved arm, wrist and shoulder tone using the hand weights. I started out using 3 pound arm weights and with the ankle weights, I started with one pound weights and improved so much, that I was using 16 pounds on each ankle. My balance improved 100% and I had no fear of falling. But, alas after going through what I went through this last week, I need all the help I can get right now. 

The Plan

I ordered ankle weights (10 pound each leg) from Wal Mart today and I will pick them up on Friday from the store. They cost $17.00 and I also ordered two 3 pounds hand weights for $4.00.

I will work upper body one day and the lower body the next day. I know that I'll see results with 3-4weeks. 

I'm so excited and happy.  I've been going out 2-3 times a week. I go to free art and craft classes, to all kind of events. I'm looking on Craigslist for even more free classes to attend. That's why i have to get well, get healed, lose weight.This is the miracle that I believing in for 2015,weight loss, restored health and a new commitment to myself to take care of myself.

This book is a blessing to anyone wanting to stop osteoarthritis in it's tracks. the exercises build muscles, tone, balance and more in bodies of any age.  The research by Tufts university proves that this technique will work of women of all ages.

Well, I'm going to be blogging about the improvements in my body, when I get started hopefully next week.

Last year, This year

Last year was a year of miracles. One miracle after another. This year, like last year, will be a year of miracles. I've spent the last 3 months getting acclimated to living by myself, doing what I needed to do to to know within myself that I could make it living alone. 

I don't think it will be boring, no not at all. You will see,my baby steps, my epic fails and my great successes. All i ask is that will pray for me as I journey through this year.

Bye Bye Care Centre... Hello my own new apartment

 

Well, it's goodbye time for me!!! I've been here for 10 months and it's time for me to move into my own apartment!! I'm so excited.

The pictures shown above were taken at the centre. It was a great place and the people who worked there were the best. 

I came to this centre not walking nor able to be touched without screaming. I learned later that they called me the screamer.

10 months later, I'm using a rollater ( a walker wth a seat) or my cane.

As I explained in a prior post, some nursing home residents sued the governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn and they won the lawsuit. They were advocating that more assistance be given to them to transition people out of nursing facilities. Since the lawsuit, 1,100 people have been transitioned out of nursing facilities. I am one of the persons, who have been blessed by this lawsuit. The lawsuit is named "The Colbert Decree Project". You can look up the info on line or under Access Living on YouTube. This is my story on my transition.

I viewed a one-bedroom apartment, that I loved immediately. It's on the 5th floor of an elevator building.  It's across the street from a park and  there is  a beach behind  the park. My moving date was December 16, 2014.  The weekend prior, the landlord came and had me sign the lease and gave me the keys to the apartment. 

The day before my moving day, I was taken to Wal Mart and was able to purchase all the household things that I needed. From comforter set, to mop, to glassware, dishes and flatware,laundry items, cleaning itemsto minutes gor my government cell phone. It was amazing. Unbelievable!!!

Then they moved my belongings from the care centre and took me to the apartment. 

I was a little concerned, since I had so many belongings to be moved. So I had a friend of mine go and pick up all of the other things, I had left in storage.

They also purchased me one months worth of groceries.

They paid my rent and security deposit and may continue to pay me rent for up to a year.  My rent is subsidized. My rent can be as low as $61 to as high as $150. I only pay my electric bill. I already received  my first electric bill for 14 days of service and it was only $5.51. yipee.

I had so many problems when I first moved here, because I had business to take care of and my phone was going crazy.

I had turned my smartphone off, while I was in the care centre. So, I had it turned on again and it was more outdated and I couldn't conduct any business. So some friends of mine took me to the _____ store. I explained to the man, that I had signed up on the phone for a plan, but the representative lied to me. He gave me a new plan, for $40.00 a month, but, I had to get a new phone. So, new monthly bill is $67.00 a month, vs $120.00, which I was paying prior to my getting sick. I also had to get basic cable and wifi to make sure i could conduct my business on my phone and tablet.

Crazy, crazy. Plus, my phone opens the two doors downstairs, to let people enter into the building and the exchange number had to be a certain number, so I had to be able to add Google Voice or Pinger to the phone. I was ready to scream. People were coming to my home every day and I had to let them in. Well, all I can say is that I got my exercise.  Finally the door intercom situation has been resolved.  Engough said about that for now.  

From Care Centre to My own  apartment!

My Apartment!!! I have my own place, without paying one dime for anything. It's a miracle of God. I'm so excited. Here are pictures of my place. I've a one bedroom apartment in a very safe neighborhood, across from the lake. I feel so blessed.

As you can see dominate color is red in each room.

I want to stress that I  believed from the beginning of this ordeal, that I would be getting out of the care center. The main reason, that I created this  blog was to encourage people, who were forced into dramatic, life-changing situations, that they could be well again, that they had to know their rights and fight for themselves. They also had to seek  for God and pray and see themselves getting well again.

I really hope that I accomplished that.

Well now I'm out and have been in my new home for almost one month.

This last month has been hectic to say the least.

Starting off,  you are assigned to have home care for 2-3 weeks, which is paid by Medicare. A nurse will come see, you discuss your medications with you, take your vitals and take care of a lot of thins regarding your health. You are also assigned a physical therapist, who teaches you an exercise schedule and an occupational therapist, who teaches you home safety, like getting in and out of the tub, bed and chair.

 My next post will  focus in on the  problems, which came up with the move.

It feels good to be back....you go girl!