Haiti

This year I traveled overseas for the first time when I embarked on a mission trip to Grand Goave, Haiti. It was truly a life-changing event. It's one thing to see images on a TV screen, but it's quite another to see it all up close and personal. I have decided to go back in 2015 with a church group from Ohio that I met and served alongside side with in Haiti. Below is my Go Fund Me page for those of you who would like to make a donation to my trip. I'm trusting God to open hearts and wallets to this mission. It's so disheartening when you hear stories of people raising $50,000 toward a stupid potato salad recipe (Potato Salad) but you can barely get anyone to donate to a much more worthwhile cause. I can't help but wonder what goes on in the mind of someone as they donate their own money to a potato salad recipe.

But if you feel called to give to a cause that will reach out and help those in need, I hope you will consider my upcoming trip:


2015 Mission Trip to Haiti

Overcomer

Today is Day 1 of feeling completely normal. Haven't had one episode of vertigo...yet. :)

Yesterday was pretty awesome as well. Although I woke up with some light headedness, it quickly went away and I proceeded to get myself out to the trail and run/walk 3.1 miles. It was a virtual 5k race in honor of 9/11. I've never done a virtual race before but it was just what I needed to push myself. My tush hurt and my legs wanted to give out, but I finished it....and got my first leg cramp afterward. Now that I seem to be getting back to normal, I really need to start eating healthy again. I can't believe I haven't gained any weight these last 2 months considering all the crap I've consumed.

When you're so used to being active, it's hard to spend so much time sidelined and unfortunately it's also hard to get back on track. My pace yesterday stunk and I felt like a slug. But I kept going. I don't expect to do anything spectacular this weekend at the Gladiator Run, but I still plan on kicking some booty. I'm also hoping to be back to MMA and Insanity after that.

I get knocked down but I get up again

Going on a month and half now and I am still experiencing some light headedness, although I do believe it's improving. On Sunday I went to the trail and knocked out a mile. When I got back to my car I actually felt like I could do more. Had one of the best night sleeps in a while that evening. Today I feel like there is a lot less light headedness and hopefully this means it's on the way out. I had an MRI today of my head and ears and it came back NORMAL, praise God! I just wish I knew what was causing this and that it would all just go away. I'm not so sure it is vertigo anymore and if it is, it sure likes to linger! I saw a physical therapist last week who did a funky head maneuver that is supposed to help. He did tell me, "This may feel like it's going to last forever, but it's not." Let's hope so!

This has been a long month

It's been almost a month since I've had any sort of intense workout. I think I've "run" only 3x. I've missed 3 weeks of MMA and won't be attending next week, but I am going to try to start back the week after next. I've missed 3 group training runs, haven't gone to the gym at all this month, no PiYo...I'm really wondering how I'm going to get back into the groove. I have two events in late September, but don't want to push myself too hard and wind up injured or anything, so I'll be starting out slowly. I'm thinking of maybe just doing a few exercises when watching TV or a movie....push ups, some martial arts, sit ups, etc and working my way up.

In the meantime, since my workouts have been lacking, I've found myself glued to Mystery Science Theater 3000. I began watching them on Netflix and now I am ordering the episodes from the library. I don't know why I never watched these before. I have always loved B movies. Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Killer Shrews, Empire of the Ants...so many good ones. But until I started watching MST3K I had no idea just HOW MANY bad movies there actually are. Wow. So far my favorite MST3K episodes include The Pod People, The Screaming Skull, Teenagers from Outer Space, The Horrors of Spider Island, and The Violent Years. As much as I miss working out (never thought I would be able to say that and mean it!), I can't of any better way to spend my time than watching horribly bad but entertaining films. :)

However, I must say that I am so glad this month is coming to an end. It's been such a blur. I've spent the entire month struggling with my health, taking meds, visiting doctors...I'm over it. Hopefully September will turn out to be a much better month.

It's Official!

Left for lunch yesterday and when I came home, this was waiting for me on my porch:

And on the inside...

So, although I may be struggling with my health, there was definitely a bright spot in my day!

I also manged some wimpy push ups without getting light headed so I do feel like I'm on the mend. I was supposed to attend a yoga class tomorrow specifically for martial artists, but I'm not so sure I'll make it. It's a 2 hour class and I'm not sure if I am ready to jump into anything like that just yet. I still feel a little light headed at times and don't want to push myself too much especially since I am hoping to attend the Renaissance Festival on Labor Day.

Very excited about Chicken Soup for the Soul though! :)

The Waiting Game

Saw the ear specialist on Saturday morning. I was told that everything seems to be fine with my ears. He did the Epley Maneuver which is used on people with vertigo. Not sure if it did anything or not. I now need to get an MRI done to check my head and ears. Not going to lie...I gad a complete meltdown in the parking lot afterward...and on the drive home...and after I finally made it home. Every bad condition I could think of entered my mind. It's scary when you know you have a problem but nobody seems to be able to tell you what it is. You start feeling like you're going crazy. I just want answers and all I'm getting is "you look fine." I haven't had any medical problems my whole life so needless to say I was unaware of how much of a waiting game the healthcare field is. You feel like you're just getting passed of from one person to the next, and now I have to wait for insurance to agree to cover the MRI before I get that done.

However, there is a bright side!

I've never been a good student...

...mainly because I stink at taking tests. And I think that I've been getting tested lately...not sure for what or why, but I have definitely had more downs than ups lately.

It began about two weeks ago when I started having dizzy spells. I expected them to go away, thinking it was jut an inner ear problem. One day I went for a run and felt great. Then I came home and tried to pick up something off the floor and was hit hard with a pretty bad dizzy spell. After a couple of days I took myself to MedExpress where they gave me an EKG and ruled out a heart issue. So, they gave my meds for vertigo. Right before this all started I had made an appointment with a PCP because I hadn't been to one in nearly 20 years (that is what happen when you are uninsured), but that appointment was still a week and a half away. The drugs they gave me seriously wiped me out so I only took them at night. I could still work and drive. I actually drove into the office last week for our summer party and took part in a water balloon toss and playing corn hole, all with no problem. I just can't bend over or make sudden, fast movements with my head, so that has meant no MMA, no PiYo, no gym workouts. I can run but the drug they gave me made me so loopy I have barely had any energy for that.