How's your health?

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. ~World Health Organization, 1948

I recently attended an informational meeting at our local hospital.  The objective of the seminar was to find out if there was enough interest to support the creation of a Multiple Sclerosis support group in our community.  A good friend of mine, who was recently diagnosed with M.S., was the organizer of the event and since my mother suffered from the disease for many years before her death in February, I thought I should go and find out more about it. 

A local neurologist gave a detailed and very interesting presentation on Multiple Sclerosis.  His opinion was that most of the research done on this disease had focused on medicines to treat the disease, and to help alleviate the patient's pain and discomfort.  He said scant research has been done to determine what could actually keep people from getting it. And, although he confessed he had no problem with prescribing medication, he felt his passion and calling was to practice health care through the use of integrated and alternative health care choices.  He said he wanted to enlighten his patients and convince and motivate them to take more responsibility for their own health care. He actually began his presentation with a power point slide that reminded his audience, 'Our body needs nourishment to stay healthy: "Eating is not the same as nourishment". 

He stressed that the adoption of an integrated health care plan is not just important for his patients with M.S, or other diseases, but for all of us.    He showed specific statistics about improved health with good nutrition, plenty of rest, exercise, vitamins, and mental health care.  He said these positive results hold true for all of us, not just MS patients.  We don't have to be sick before we try and feel better.
 

We often think about health as if it were a true or false question, don't we. 

"Are you sick?"...."No". "Then you must be well, right?"                     

If we could visualize the state of our health, many of us would see it on a continuum that might look something like this.

 

                             Sick_______________________ Not sick

 

 

But, in 1975 another model of health was first published.  Rather than be a continuum for a paradigm of sickness, it is instead a paradigm of wellness. Here's what it looks like:

 

It's interesting to me that most of our physicians work on the left side of this continuum (treatment paradigm) with their goal being that we become 'not sick' anymore, or that they can get us to the neutral point.  The neurologist at our meeting expressed his concern about the lack of education and training for most medical staff concerning nutrition, and other alternative forms of health.  He gave us an example when he told us the name of a M.S. diet called the 'Swank Diet' that had been shown to dramatically improve the symptoms of M.S patients, as well as other antiimmune diseases.  "But no one in medical school told me about it" he chuckled, "It was after listening to one my patients tell me about the success she had had on the diet, that led me to do my own research on it."   He shook his head in disappointment, "Why didn't they tell us about that book back in medical school?"

As the meeting ended, I felt glad that I came to support my friend. I hugged her and said goodbye and felt a tug at my heart as I watched her  slowly ease along in her walker.  I could tell the event had taken a toll on her.  I left thinking to myself, 'There but for the grace of God go I'. I got in my car and said a prayer of thanksgiving that for today, I am 'absent of disease or infirmity' .....  No doubt there may be many awful health circumstances whose shadows  lurk around the corner and out of my control.... but then again...maybe they are not out of my control.

 

The Dr's words reminded me that the choices I make play a huge role in determining my level of health.

 

We can't get away from it, can we......  We are responsible.

 

My small step:  Make a list of what I can do to move towards a higher level of wellness.

Please post some of your 'aha' moments, examples, or observations on the blog, or email me, Karen, at: smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com

Life is in the living

"Life, we learn too late, is in the living, the tissue of every day and hour." Stephen Leacock.

I ran into Sam, a fellow college teacher this week.  I first met Sam about 20 years ago when he was taking a Public Speaking class from me.  He sat in the back corner of the class, barely able to fit his overflowing huge body into the desk. He was outgoing, a bit boisterous, and a genuinely, positive, uplifting guy. I loved having him in class because his enthusiasm was truly contagious. Several years later Sam appeared in another class I was teaching for a university. He had the same  impact on those students as well.  He was psyched about learning and he wanted all his fellow students to join in the party.

Sam  was soon hired  at our community college to teach and run the welding program which he has  been doing for a number of years.  He has received a myriad of awards for the extraordinary job he does working with our students and has brought international notoriety to our college's program. In recent years I was honored to have his charming, beautiful daughter in several of my classes.  It is easy to see that Sam is not only an outstanding peer to work with, but a great dad as well. 

Sam is about 6'3" and when I first met him he was probably well over 270 pounds.  As the years have gone by he has continued to gain weight.  Last year I remember feeling particularly concerned about him and I wanted to tell him how worried I was for his health (Duh? I thought, did he not already know that he was risking his health and his life by continuing to be so overweight?) 

As I said, I ran into him this week. He shared with me that he had recently lost 60 pounds.  I congratulated him and felt relieved that he was finally taking steps to become healthier. As we sat and talked about his motivation to go on a diet, he explained, "I was having trouble breathing and was rushed to the emergency room.  After a number of tests they found out that I have congenital heart disease.  My doctor gave me the cold, hard facts," Sam said sadly,  "And the outlook for this diagnosis isn't good.  1 out of 5 of us don't make it through the first year."

We sat in silence.  The tears were welling up in my eyes and my throat tightened up as I reached over to get my arms around his huge shoulders. He smiled, "Don't be sad, Karen." His boisterous deep voice returned as he spoke proudly,"I'm walking every morning with my wife, eating healthy, getting more rest.  I even told Mary (our school nurse) that I want to get others involved in my journey to wellness, even if it's too late, and I am willing to be the 'poster child' if it might inspire others to change their lifestyle to healthier living."  Sam.....always the motivator.

"You know how much I love my job, Karen," he shared, "but I've been considering retirement. I want to spend more time with my kids and grand kids."  His voice grew quiet as he looked down at the ground and almost whispered. "Frankly, ...It's time to weigh my options."

I wanted to shake him and scream,"It's time to weigh your options?  It was always time to weigh your options! Why did you wait until now, Sam,  to do what you should have always done? You could have done it by taking small steps twenty years ago. Perhaps then your heart would still be healthy!"  But of course I didn't yell at him, I told him I was really proud that he had lost the weight and to keep up the good work,  and that I would keep him and his family in my prayers.  As I walked away I felt worry  shoot through my veins.  I wonder if Sam's new found wisdom and good intentions are coming too late.

I started my blog, with a selfish intention of focusing on me and my year of being 60 and taking small steps to improve my life.  But I realized along the way that I don't just want to do it alone....  I want you to do it too.  Let's not wait until we are rushed to the emergency room before we decide it's time to weigh our options.  Let's begin living our life now, as if our  health habits were actually crucial to living longer and feeling better?  Let's not wait until we see the possibility of leaving our loved ones behind before we are determined to find balance in our lives with plenty of healthy eating, exercise, rest and family time.    None of us like the hard work of making big changes in our lives...but what about little changes...what about small steps...?

Life is in the living of every day and every hour.... Let's not learn that too late.

Please share some of your 'aha' moments or observations on the blog or email me at smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com