I haven’t been able to log on a computer until tonight & I just have to say,

“WAY TO GO CONNIE!!“

I ‘ve always said I felt I’d ‘won’ the day Channel 10 chose me to participate in this Challenge, & it’s still true–I could never have made the changes in my health, & life, without participating in this & receiving the excellent health care from my team at Renew Integrative Health Center & Isis Physical Therapy (at Renew).

But Connie accomplished her goal–losing 30 pounds!–by the power of her own resolve & plain ol’ gumption!

Go check out Connie’s blog–check her out in her princess dress on New Year’s Eve–& don’t miss my comment to her on her post today: Thank You!!.   I mean every word of it too, Connie!  You’re a champ in my book!!   ;-D

Well folks, it’s been an incredible, life-changing six months!  I just returned from Isis Physical Therapy at Renew and boy, I really had it brought home to me just how much my pain level, energy level, flexibility, and overall health have improved! Dr. Kevin gave me a great PT session this morning  & continued to loosen the muscles in my pelvis, hips, & glutes.  Then Adam totally kicked my be-hind one more time–for 1-1/2 hours!!!

What a difference from the first time I was there & I couldn’t gently pedal the stationary bike for one minute without stopping to put my head down to prevent myself from blacking out! I’m sure glad Dr. Hedayat was able to discover the root causes of  my ‘mystery fatigue’ & help me with this & my fibromyalgia.

I didn’t realize at first how much these health issues were preventing me from exercising–which is a crucial part of pain management for me (with fibromyalgia, three broken lumbar vertebrae, & scoliosis).  It also felt great to see my slimmer, more athletic shape in all those mirrors today!  Feeling great is the best reward but it’s nice to have the little ego-boos along the way too!

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Actually, I think my post from Thanksgiving says it all: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/for-this-i-am-truly-thankful/

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I had no idea when I began this journey how my life would be forever changed by this experience. As I’ve said before, I hope that you take away some tidbits that are helpful to you in your life–hopefully from all of us who were part of this Challenge.

I do hope you’ve found my journey especially inspirational, so I’ll leave you with some early posts when I was struggling with motivation & trying to establish new habits.

May you and your loved ones have a peaceful, prosperous, happy and healthy New Year!

~~Dawn

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My poor health had a major impact on my ability to interact with my family: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/reality-bites/

Beginning my coordinated health plan at Renew: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/yay-progress-d/

My 51st Birthday, and my test results which have profoundly effected my outlook: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/life-the-universe-everything-or-i-want-another-50-years-please/

Setting tough priorities for health & time management: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/workin-it/ http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/yikes-where-does-the-time-go/

Learning to adjust my thinking for healthy living & stress management: http://10newsblogs.com/halfyeardawn/2009/finding-the-one-who-is-not-busy/

Well, now I truly have zero excuses for keeping fit–the extended families got together and gave our family a Wii with Wii Fit, Wii Sports, & Wii Sports Resort (plus all the paraphernalia)!!! Hubby & I have been trying to figure out how to get one since I’ve been using many of the exercises as one component of my physical therapy–plus hubby wants to play too–but we didn’t think we’d be able to afford one for at least another 3-6 months.  We’re so stoked!  I’ve already challenged our son to killer hula-hoops & told him I was going to spank his be-hind!  He’s predictable sceptical.  Ha Ha, just wait!  <* insert evil chuckle here *>  We’ve been playing Sports Resort all morning & will be taking everything down to my MIL’s (mother-in-law) this afternoon so I’ll certainly get in an awesome workout while we’re having fun with the extended family.

I also want to report that yesterday we were meeting family for brunch in Encinitas & we arrived way earlier than everyone else so we took a walk around the neighborhood & along the bluffs by the beach.  I felt so good!! I was easily walking up steep hills & running & playing with our son–what a fantastic change from 6 months ago, and a tremendous relief to my family. We had a wonderful morning & I was more than ready to sit down to a delicious 6-veggie omelet with feta cheese, fruit, & decaf.  Afterward I was primed & ready to get all those pesky last-minute Christmas details finished, plus have an informal BBQ with my mom & one of our friends last night.  Boy it feels good to be back in the land of the living!

Finally, I had a very informative physical therapy session with Dr. Kevin on Wednesday which really helped my with understanding & preventing my low back pain.  Since I have 3 broken vertebrae in my lower back, I have too much mobility in that area which causes me a lot of pain at times. We realized that when the muscles spasm in my hips, glutes, & interior muscles inside the back and sides of my pelvis (where many of the back muscles attach to the bone) my lower back must be extra-mobile to compensate-OUCH!! This is something I never realized before.  I’ve been working on strengthening & loosening these muscles but they always seem to seize up every day or so.  Well, Adam showed me some killer (literally!) pelvic/hip mobility exercises & just that 30 minute workout made me feel better than I had in a couple of weeks! Yesterday morning I was a little stiff but I did the mobility moves again & felt 90% better!  This morning I’m still a bit stiff but again, do the moves & life is good once more.  So now I’ve definitely added another fantastic tool to my ‘health toolbox’ to whip out whenever I feel tight in the hips & lower back–if I catch it sooner rather than later I can prevent a world of hurt!

Well, I’m off now to get ready to go down to the familial gathering so I’m wishing all of you a happy, healthy holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas or other special holiday.  My hope is that you’ve gotten some inspiration &/or information from my blog that has been helpful for you, & your health journey!  (And the new year is coming soon . . . what will your resolution be?)

I can’t believe Christmas is just a few days away ’cause we’re definitely not ready at our house!  Last week we were still resting as much as we could after the flu & now I’ve been so busy finishing up school stuff, heading down to Renew, & trying to get ready to decorate that I’ve been seriously short-changing my exercise for 2 weeks now & not taking the time for the aerobic work and the strength/mobility work.  What a big mistake!!

I’m not having too much pain, & my sciatica is better, but Friday I really noticed it took much longer for me to warm up my back & I didn’t have quite as much physical stamina as I had 2 or 3 weeks ago–Yikes! Yes, I could still ride the stationary bike for 5 minutes at level 4 (while over 80 rpms the whole time) & I did all my exercises, but I just felt I didn’t have a lot of gas in my tank, so to speak.  I had also had several mornings where my back was stiff & I needed to move around for 10-15 minutes before I felt comfortable. I’ve been walking with my Exerstrider poles several times a week so now I’ve added stretching & strength-training at the top of my to-do list yesterday & today–I need all the energy & stamina I can get!!

Fortunately it all seems to be coming back pretty quickly but I have to make sure to really watch myself & not let myself get complacent again. In the past I’ve been able to gain & maintain strength & endurance fairly quickly so I must be very conscious of the fact my body is working much differently now. I’ve been so happy with my improved physical health that I was shocked to realize I began to slide backward after about 10 days of slacking–definitely not my usual 4-6 weeks of grace!

So I’ll add this to my long list of lessons learned: I honestly cannot skip more than 1, or 2 days at the very most–especially during times of maximum stress & business–without having real physical consequences. I’ve come so far now in regaining my health that I’m definitely not going back, not even a little!  I really like feeling like my old self again & exercise is a vital part of my total health prescription so I’ll just have to keep myself on the same positive track regarding exercise as I’m trying to do with my food choices, sleep schedule, & stress reduction (yoga, recreation, & meditation).  In fact I’d been having a little trouble sleeping again & now that I’ve stepped up the exercise once more I’m sleeping very easily once again!

I guess I’m still taking Juggling Lessons and I need to practice every single day!!

I also need to report that I’m seeing more relatives & other folks who haven’t seen me for a few months & I’m still getting 100% rave reviews! Everyone is seeing such a change in my shape, skin, energy, & ‘sparkle’ (as it’s been put several times–whatever that means) that I have been feeling pretty darn good!  (The new haircut definitely helps too!)  Thanks again for all the support!  ;-D

(And please be sure to vote if you haven’t already!)

No, I didn’t run away or hide under the covers for the past 4 or 5 days–I haven’t stopped running from appointments, to teaching class, to the school field trip (Sea World), to cleaning & beginning to decorate, to birthday parties, to taping my ‘After” video at Channel, to the myriad of ‘mom’ stuff we all do each day!!   (Well, actually I was a bum today & went back to bed for a nice leisurely nap this afternoon just because I was still kind of worn out).  But I’m very jazzed that with just a little R & R I feel great & ready to go again!  What a change from the woman I was at the beginning of this journey who hardly had the energy to function, or stay awake, on a daily basis.  Thanks again to Dr. Hedayat & Endobiogenic evaluation for unraveling the combination of thyroid, adrenal, liver, & other health factors that were causing me such trouble!  My fibromyalgia is much better too–I hardly have any muscle or joint pain now.

And, to celebrate the re-birth of my healthy life I finally got a new ‘do! My friend Sally Moreno gave me a gorgeous new hairstyle (the CH 10 video doesn’t do it justice!) & I’ve been enjoying the positive comments from friends (and the second looks from the younger guys–such an ego boo!)  I think my hubby & son are finally adjusting too.   ;-D   What with my new hairstyle & being more energetic & slim I’m really feeling like myself again! (And hopefully it will be plain when I’m out with my 8-3/4 yr son that I’m his mother, not his creaky old grandma watching him for a few hours. Yes, I really did feel like that sometimes.)

I have so much to blog about from last week but it’s almost 1:00am on Monday (I’ll post this for Sunday evening since I’m still up!) so I’ll just tell you the best thing:  During our field trip to Sea World I was playing around all day–even racing the kids up flights of stairs (one flight at a time)!!  I was just a little winded & kept just a few steps behind them–my son was shocked!  He can’t remember clearly a time when I was that energetic.  And when I told hubby his jaw fell to the floor.  He had to remind me how much trouble I was having even 5-6 months ago walking up the stairs here at home–holding onto the railing & moving slowly up, sometimes resting on each step, and having to be very cautious of my balance coming down because I was so tired.

It really has been the integrated combination of health testing & diagnosis, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, acupuncture, & my own hard work with lifestyle change (sticking to my cleansing diet & prescribed supplement regimen, experimenting with stress-reduction techniques to find what works for me, & doing my physical therapy exercises & conditioning) that has all worked together to bring about these fabulous changes!  Thanks again to my team at Renew Integrative Health Center!

I also want to note that the poll is back up so you can Officially Vote now! There is an added step for verification of each vote, but it just takes a sec.  Thank you to all of you who vote (hopefully for me!) as my main goal for this blog has been to inspire and inform others of my personal challenges, solutions, & progress and to hopefully inspire others to create healthy changes in their own lives.  I love to get feedback from my readers so leave a comment, or if what you want to say is more private, many friends & family email me privately rather than post (or you can post comments using a ‘pen name’).

Oh, and the tree that came down in our yard during the wind storm thankfully didn’t do any damage–the way it fell it was supported by our neighbor’s waterfall & so didn’t even damage our fence! (Hubby just whipped out the chainsaw & took care of it this weekend–what a guy!)

We contestants have been told there was a glitch in the voting Friday through today, so they have taken the polls down until Monday the 14th, when the official voting will begin. (Also, our ‘After’ videos should be up on the site then, as well as new TV advertisements on CH 10.)

That means that all our votes will be re-set to ZERO and you will only be able to vote once, so please come back and vote again on Monday!  (And tell your friends too!)   ;-D

I really appreciate all the support from everyone–all the emails and phone calls–it’s  just been amazing!   No matter what you can bet I’ll be continuing on this path and a year from now I’ll be even healthier and fitter than today.  Now that I’ve seen what ‘healthy’ feels like there’s no going back!  So I guess I’ll just have to kiss conventional sweets and caffeine good bye, but now I honestly don’t really mind.  (Unless, of course, I’m starving and the chocolate cake is right where I can smell it!  Then I have to hold on to my goal of health so I won’t cheat and feel sickish later.)

EEEK!  I just saw a tree go down from my neighbor’s yard into mine, so I’m headed outside to see what damage, if any, has been done!

Whew!  It feels so good to have everyone, including me, well again. (Curse you darn flu!)  The house is almost back in shape, we’ve tidied up the yards in preparation for the rains, and I went for a two-hour hike with my family today!!! It’s been so long since I’ve been able to do that and it felt really good. (Hubby’s birthday is tomorrow so we wanted to make sure we had family time today since he’ll be working 10+ hours tomorrow, as usual.)  Our son found two long poles he was using to vault himself forward, so when we came across a vacant field that had been plowed sometime ago, I used his poles like my Exerstrider walking poles to utilize my body’s core muscles more efficiently across the terrain.  That worked fabulously! Usually going over deep, uneaven ground really exhausts me–and kills my back–but this time I had no problem!  And I even felt better afterward–I had more energy, less low-back pain, & just felt generally refreshed!  Whooda thunk?!

Now we’ve got a fire burning and we’re having hot cocoa & tea while working on making some of our Christmas presents.  (I can’t say what ’cause those folks read my blog too!)  ;-D  It sure feels good to be able to go for a long hike then come home and just feel the good sort of tired!  I remember when I first started this six-month journey how I couldn’t do more than slowly ride the stationary bike or struggle up the stairs before I’d almost black out, and now look at me!  I know I’ll sleep well tonight but it feels great to feel like myself again!!

I guess I should stop congratulating myself for being so healthy while everyone around me is sick–now I’ve got it too.  Our son got sick on Thanksgiving evening with all the classic (swine?) flu symptoms: High fever (101+), muscle/joint pain, headache, & exhaustion followed the next day by lower temp, stuffy nose & coughing. He’s recovering & feeling better every day but now I have the headache, sore joints, & fatigue.  (Hubby just got sick from eating some irresistible foods he shouldn’t–he’s lactose intolerant.)  At first I was thinking my joint pain was my fibromyalgia flaring up so I’m hoping it’s part of my flu symptoms & so will fade quickly.

So today has basically been Rory working on schoolwork–his computer reading-writing-typing program, working on spelling, reading, & other quiet stuff.  I felt a little better this afternoon & made him some of my super-healthy banana bread packed with extra protein, lots of healthy fats & grains, & very low-sugar.  So he’s been happy scarfing that down with some fresh apples while I’ve been lying in the recliner by the fire, eating fresh persimmons & nuts with yummy tea, reading some good pulp fiction (Susan Issacs’ Magic Hour).

The house is, of course, pretty scary right now but I’m getting much better at not stressing out about things that are out of my control at the moment.  I choose to rest & get better quickly, then to clean, do laundry, etc.  In the past I would have worked until I dropped, become worse from over-working, & stressed out the whole time I was sick by beating myself up for not performing the way I thought I should.  Whew!  At least I’m over that self-imposed drama, & I feel much better for it!

I did have a *great* day yesterday at Renew; it almost goes without saying.  I always feel better after some laser work on my back & a great PT session & chiropractic adjustment!  But I could tell by the early afternoon that I was rapidly losing my energy & by the end of the day I was absolutely wiped out–not my usual state now (yay!).  So I guess I’ll just do the R & R thing until we’re back to normal again, which should be in a day or so.  (The house will always be there–I mean the faeries aren’t going to come & clean it for me!  Rats!!)

Well, I must report that I was wondering how my well-laid plans for Thanksgiving would actually turn out (see Thanksgiving Warmup, Nov for more).  Would I stick to my plan?  How easy would it be?  How would I really feel about changing my holiday favorites? It turns out everything was much easier than I’d dared hope for!

At the last minute a friend of my mother in law decided she would bring apple & pumpkin pies, so all I had to do was make one blackberry-cherry pie & a slightly-modified  pumpkin pie for own enjoyment, as well as fresh cranberry sauces; one with Splenda for half our group & one with low-glycemic agave nectar for me (and anyone else). I was pretty tired yesterday morning and as the day went on I really didn’t feel like doing much cooking, even though I really love to bake.  I guess we’d done too many field trips, driving, & what-not because we were all pooped.  So I decided that I’d rather enjoy a stress-free Thanksgiving than make pies (I can hear gasps from those of you who know me!) so I rested & then made the cranberry sauces. I highly recommend the agave nectar version (I hate artificial sweeteners):

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup blackberries (I used frozen)

1/2 cup hot water + 1 heaping tblsp orange juice concentrate (or fresh orange juice + some zest)

1/2 cup agave nectar

Pomona’s Pectin (follow the directions for using honey or other sweetners, it’s super-easy!)

I had a delicious dinner of turkey (my brother-in-law cooked a killer one on the BBQ) with gravy, a large tablespoon of stuffing, lots of my yummy cranberry sauce, unsweetened yams with butter (yum!), roasted brussel sprouts (just toss in olive oil, sea salt & pepper, then roast in oven at 425° until fork-tender–you’ll be a convert!), lots of iced water with lemon, & fresh-brewed decaf coffee with cinnamon.  I was very well satisfied as everything was very good & really hit the spot!

What really surprised me though, was my behavior. Usually I have at least seconds, then prowl the dessert trays all night–I mean, Thanksgiving comes only once a year so I see no reason to be stingy, since I don’t eat like that every day. But now, I didn’t feel that way at all!  I had one solid plate of dinner, then sat back and just enjoyed myself while everyone else ate 2nds & 3rds.  I did look at the dessert trays several times–pumpkin pie, apple pie, lemon bars, pumpkin cake with frosting, chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies, ice cream–all things I really like. But I honestly didn’t feel a pull to eat. I did taste a teensy bite of pumpkin pie, just to see what I was missing, but it honestly didn’t taste the way I expected it too–it was too sweet!  I guess my tastes really are changing, for my own good!

I did feel a little strange without dessert though, as if I was interrupting some cosmic flow.   I didn’t want any of the desserts on the table (except for the cokkies, just a little bit) but I still wanted something.  So I drank my cinnamon-laced decaf, & when I got home I had half a Cashew Cookie Lara Bar with a favorite decaf tea–aaaaaaah.  I think next time I go to a meal function I’ll make sure to have a sweet treat with me thaat I like, & then everything will be just right.

Now this is the kind of progress I can live with!!!    ;-D

As I get up this Thanksgiving morning I do as I’ve done every morning since I began ABC10′s Half-Year Resolution Challenge:  I stop to say a prayer of thanks for being part of this fantastic, life-changing event. Clichéd?  Yes, but I honestly mean it from the bottom of my heart.

This opportunity has meant everything to me, and to my family! Being chosen, and partnered with Renew Integrative Health Center, was exactly what I needed, and what I had been praying for. Renew’s  fabulous team of doctors and health practitioners  have given me the tools to:

Overcome my fibromyalgia. Dietary changes coupled with chiropractic, acupuncture, and the correct supplements and exercises, including yoga, have virtually eliminated my symptoms.  It certainly didn’t happen overnight, and I still have mild twinges in my elbows and wrists at times, but for all intents and purposes I consider myself cured.  Super-Yay for me!!

Regain a significant portion of my stamina and strength, and I’m still building! I’m not almost blacking out anymore when trying to exercise and I’m getting stronger and can do more each week.  Last week I went to Julian (in the mountains) and was able to easily walk up and down small hills with no problems!  And the elevation is 4000 feet!! My body is stronger and I carry myself with correct posture again because I have the energy to do so, and my spine is aligned properly.  My pain is 80% less!

Have energy again, with a clear and calm mind. After undergoing the Biology of Function, including in-depth blood tests, exam, & history, the dietary changes and correct supplements prescribed by Dr. Hedayat combined with the pain relief from Dr. Buchel‘s chiropractic adjustments and Dr. Jackson & Dr. Pansky’s physical therapy  have virtually eliminated my symptoms! Discovering my issues with thyroid and adrenal function, my over-worked liver from too many prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and my unhealthy coping mechanisms (sugar + caffeine) have been crucial.  Changing this dynamic has been the key! (In fact, my 8 year-old son just woke up and came in to see what I’m doing.  When he saw my blog he said, “I”m thankful for you getting better!  You’re a much better mommy now because you have more energy to play with me and do all sorts of things!”)  Not much I can add to that except that I’m doing it all caffeine-free and with healthy sweeteners!  Whooda thunk?   ;-D

Discover and address my current risk for cancer. Pre-cancerous levels of abnormal cells were also found as part of my blood tests for the Biology of Function. (I wrote about this and my previous removals of pre-cancerous lesions in my October post, Test Results, or I Want Another 50 Years.) The diet and supplements prescribed by Dr. Hedayat address this issue as well. Hopefully I’ll be here for many years to come to see my family grow and change.  (Maybe I’ll even see grandchildren!)

Have the bonus benefits of dropping excess weight and improving my skin and hair. I’ve dropped 24 pounds, most of it before I was able to exercise very much, and I get daily complements on how healthy my skin looks–no more black circles under my eyes either!  My hair continues to grow back and a significant portion of it is coming back brown, not grey as it did at first.  (Weird, but true!)  Less weight has also helped increase my energy level–I’m not toting it around all day (and my joints thank me too).

Help my family and friends make their own healthy changes. My husband and several of my friends have seen the progress I’ve made and have been inspired to improve their health, beginning with healthier diet and exercise.  My husband is now willing to change his eating habits in ways he wasn’t before (poor cholesterol tests continue to haunt him) so I feel our son will also benefit from a healthier dad!  Yay!  My goal for this next year is to improve my family’s dietary patterns and for us to spend more time outdoors together like we love, but have been unable to do with mom in such poor health.

So, for all these reasons I’m thankful to be chosen as part of ABC10′s Half-Year Resolution Challenge and for my Challenge partners, my team at Renew Integrative Health Center.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime gift I’ve received and I decided on Day One I wasn’t going to waste this God-given opportunity.  I feel I’ve pretty much achieved all my goals (except for the swimming the mile part-brrrrr!!) and  I’m well on my way to going on all-day hikes in the mountains.  I’ll have some maintenance and fine-tuning visits with my team at Renew to continue to stabilize my health and I will continue to cement my permanent life-style changes at home.

I’ve gained all I dreamed I possibly could and for all these things my family and I are truly grateful.  Thank you all for giving me my life back!