Progress Report

Well ... it's been awhile.  Can't say I've been too busy to blog. 'Cause I really haven't been.  Can't say I've fallen off the whole food plant based wagon. I have not. I made a couple detours during the holidays, but I'm in this for the long haul. What I will say, trite as it may be, is life happens. I've been rather discouraged the past few months and didn't think that my discouragement would make for a very entertaining blog. And yet, entertainment was not my focus in maintaining this blog ... this record of my journey to health. I have left out the pain, discouragement and fear that I have been dealing with the past few months on this road to recovery, but no more. I said from the beginning that I wanted to be transparent, and so I shall endeavor to live up to that.

I realized some years ago, and then again, just recently that I have lived a lot of my life in fear. That's why I've been kind of hiding out lately. After the "episode" of my last post I have continued to have concerning recurrences of irregular heart rhythm. I've been to the doctor ... a few times ... I've had an ekg and a holter monitor that showed nothing. The next step would be an event monitor, but my doctor can't get the OK from Kaiser cardiology ... and still the "episodes" continue.

One of my new year's resolutions was to stop living in fear. And while I am thoroughly resolved ... the putting into practice is a more difficult task. Another resolution for the new year was to read at least one new book each month. Currently I am reading "Anxious for Nothing" by Max Lucado ... hoping that will help with resolution #1. A third, and the most important, resolution I made was to spend time with God daily. I know that a life lived in the presence of God cannot be a life lived in fear ... there's no room.

So there's been fear ... there's also been illness --  a two week virus that knocked me for a loop. Then a broken toe Christmas Eve, and last, but definitely not least, the ever present, daily pain of arthritis and inflammation. I thought this way of eating was going to miraculously take away all that pain. It hasn't. It is less, though. I can hold on to that.

And there has been other progress. Since beginning this way of eating August 1, 2017,  I am down 46 pounds! I no longer need to take Glipizide for diabetes and I hope to be off Metformin soon. I have lowered my blood pressure medication from one pill twice a day to half a pill once a day. And my HBA1C is down from 9.8 to 7.3!

Colby Cheeze with olives
and Almond Cream Cheese spread.

I have learned that there is life (and food), and life (and food) abundant, without hamburgers and deep fried onion rings, chicken nuggets, fish tacos, cheesy quesadillas, sour cream topped baked potatoes, cheese and crackers, and bagels with cream cheese ... just some of my previous favorites.  I have also learned how to recreate or substitute those foods in a whole food, plant based, no oil (WFPBNO) way, when I get a hankering. I've learned that seeking pain relief in food is futile. And I've learned not to beat myself up ... to extend myself grace ... when I slip.  Yeah ... there's been some progress these past six months.

{Cue my theme song: "Day One" by Matthew West} Yes, it's day one of the rest of my life ... day one of the best of my life! ... again! ... always!