The Journey Begins

Lu - We each have our own struggles and all strive to get by them the best that we can. It is all about choices. I came into this business immediately after getting out of a month and a half long stay in 2 hospitals with damaged lungs leaving me requiring Oxygen and recovering from 2nd and 3rd degree burns on both my legs and large wounds from where they took the skin grafts. With no insurance, I am beyond broke! My pharmacy bills are almost $1000 a month and I can not even fill the prescriptions without getting help from the church! How did this happen? On 1/1/2012 I stepped on the scales and we both groaned! 318 pounds! The next day I went to see my doctor and was weighed by the nurse at 325! I asked what my ideal was ... 137! I had 181 pounds to get off - that is a whole person. On 1/1/2013 I weighed in at 266 pounds and was very depressed that I could not seem to lose. On 2/14/2013 after juicing I weighed in at 248! On 2/24/2013 I went in the hospital for a severe lung infection that made it so I have to be on Oxygen. When I got out of the hospital I was very depressed to find out that I weighed 266 again!I started juicing again and got down to 246. Then I burned my legs with second and third degree burns on both my legs. Then in April when I got out of the hospital, I was disheartened to find out that I weighed 269 pounds! I started this journey with an A1C of 9.1 taking 35 units of insulin and 8 other medications for Fibromyalgia, RA, Gout and antibiotics, besides my prescription pain pills and my oxygen. 

Dennis - I have had multiple heart attacks and strokes. I now have 10 stints in my heart. I am an insulin dependent diabetic and have very high blood pressure. I am facing being on kidney dialysis. I have memory problems from 2 injured areas in my brain which were caused by conditions that were worsened by my being over weight. They were caused by hypoglycemia (blood sugar of 16!) and multiple strokes. Losing weight is not just a good idea for me ... it is essential for my life. I have been medically retired since 2005. Others may have the luxury of ups and downs of losing weight - I don't. I am on 75 units of insulin and on 36 medications and my last A1C was terrible at 12.4!

July 3rd so excited to get started on this journey!

July 17th: Setting up new goals today.   Have a big reunion coming up on Labor Day Weekend in 2014 and I want to be down to 137 so I will be able to go without straining my lungs. So now I am working on strengthening my lungs and learning how to breathe properly. Dennis wants to get down to 152 which is what he weighed when he got out of the Marines!

September 15th A1C results just came in the mail! I am at 7.1 and Dennis is at 9.1

October update - I am off insulin all together I was bottoming out to much! My A1C is below normal at 5.4! I am so happy to hear that our diabetic son Theo is also going to start on his weight loss journey today! I have been so worried about Theo because his A1C is 10.7

Nov. 12th: Weighing in today! Lu weighs in with a total of 70 pounds lost 111 pounds to go to reach goal achievement by Labor Day 2014! Dennis weighs in with a total of 60 pounds lost and 40 pounds yet to go by Labor Day 2014! We are shrinking!

November 21st: Wow what a difference! So many changes in the last 5 months! 72 pounds lost for me and 60 pound loss for Dennis.

Dec 9th: Okay just a quick update on Dennis. He is doing awesome! He wanted to lose weight to be able to stop taking his medications. He was on 36 medications! He has been able to cut down and stop medications as his weight has dropped he is currently at 188 pounds and has lost 64 pounds. His A1C is at 7.1 :-) He is now off all of his blood pressure meds, except his nitro patch and down to taking just 10 medications! He has 36 pounds to go to reach his goal. He is feeling very good and building his strength! Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!

Dec 16th: Update on Theo (our son), perhaps one that other diabetics would like to hear :-) I got a call from him today as soon as he left the doctors office, he called me to tell me that his A1C (3 month blood sugar test) was at 5.4 (normal is 6 and his had previously been 10.7!) He was very excited and we were excited to know we are making a difference. When you have loved ones who, you know their health is being affected by weight and their quality of life and even their very lives are in danger it is hard to feel like you can do nothing! Well we don't have to feel that way any more! .

Jan 12th Update: I know it is not weigh in day - but have to share   My fun activity today is going to be updating my dream board and my goal sheet! I have achieved all my goals! I made it out to lose 80 pounds for the first goal and when I did it - 80 pounds seemed like an impossible task! Now I have lost 81 pounds! I have not updated my measurements yet - We do that on the first of the month. However I have come a LONG way! Going from 318 pounds down to 237! I have 100 pounds left to lose! Hoot Hoot! I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you very dear friends who have encouraged me along the way!

Update on Jan 15th: Hoot Hoot! Just got the news from the Doctor - Dennis A1C is 6.6! (well I opened the mail with the test results). When Dennis started this journey then his last A1C (the diabetic 3 month test) was at 12.4 then his next test was 9.1 and then the last one it was 7.1 now it is 6.6 ---> normal is considered 6 and below. When I started I was at 9.1 and then down to 7.1. I managed to get my next one was 5.4 at which point they took me off insulin and all diabetic meds. last fall. Now, Dennis may be next!

Update on Feb 3rd: I am so proud of my Emeralds: Mildred, my Mom, and Dennis they have both come such a long way in bettering their health! Both of their doctors are very pleased with their results. Both have lost significant weight. Both of their doctors are lowing their insulin doses and their blood pressure meds! I am also proud of my son Theo and his wife Rebecca and my son Johnathan and his wife Jannene for their continual process to health. There is nothing like the feeling of gratitude that you have when you know that so many of your families lives and quality of life have been increased due to a path you started them on. Thank you so much Johnathan for showing us this path to better health!!

Update on Feb 4th, 2014 So busy the last few days, I am not sure if I shared this before. We got Dennis Swart lab reports back the other day. The doctor is thrilled! For the first time since 1990 Dennis A1C is normal! Also for the first time since 2006 Dennis is off of the Kidney watch! They took him off all of his blood pressure pills except his nitro patch! This is after being on this journey for 6 months! We have been able to drop his insulin from 75 down to 28! Hoot Hoot I am so excited! I can not believe the difference! 

Feb 7th I was asked to tell about my health journey. I stepped on the scale at 235 total loss 83 pounds weight to lose 98 pounds left to get off! I am now totally off my insulin and all diabetic medications with an A1C of 5.4 and I am also off all my Fibromyaglgia and RA meds and my gout pills and I have not taken any pain meds for those conditions in over 4 months! My Pharmacy bill of over $950 has been reduced down to my Oxygen bill of $150.00 a month. My doctor says my blood work looks better than it has in years!

Dennis:  Now with being on this journey I have been able to cut my insulin down from 75 units to 28 units and my blood pressure medication had to be severely decreased as well (from 5 medications down to 2 and on 1/2 dosages of those 2. (those 2 are not actually blood pressure meds - but the doctor says they affect the blood pressure and they had to decrease them) I urge any diabetic or other individuals with health issues to consult with their doctors and give this weight loss journey a try. It has made such a difference in my life :-)

I hope our stories will help others to know that they do not have to accept their ill health as their destiny. We all have things we can do to improve our health.