Happy 10th Anniversary!

Today, at 11:00 a.m. EST, I will have been married for ten years.  Ten years!  It's as fun as the day we began dating in 1997.  July 24th, 1997 to be exact.  Surprisingly I don't remember what I wore on our first date...I usually remember events by my outfit, if you can believe it.  What I do remember is that I was ending the workday with my dad and when we got to the parking lot, one of the tires on our car was flat.  And, there was no time to spare because how was I going to be on time for my first date with a guy I really, really liked with a 45 minute commute home in Washington, DC traffic?  Not to mention, I needed time to change and more time to get myself to the restaurant to meet him!  While my dad started fumbling around in the trunk to get the spare tire prepared, I think I literally pushed him aside so I could takeover.  My dad was as handy as they come, and he taught me well.  Add to that a little adrenaline and suddenly I had that tire changed within 10 minutes.  "That's my girl!" is what I imagine my dad would have said had his jaw not dropped to the pavement.  I remember we exchanged glances.  Mine was more, yep, that's right, I'm awesome.  And his was more, did I just witness my daughter change that tire like a ninja?  Dad and I hopped in the car, and off we went.  The rest of the evening is a blur until I reached the restaurant to meet Russ.  I was still late, but once I was there, it was forgotten about and now, 14 years later we are happily married with a beautiful daughter.  It's no wonder I can't remember what I wore that night! 

Time is a funny thing.  Ten years seems like ages ago, and at the same time also seems like yesterday.  We still laugh and have fun as if our life together has been timeless.  My MS diagnosis was 3 years ago and just 6 weeks ago I decided to begin yet another new journey of wellness.  Since Tori was born I have kept an ongoing journal chronicling her development and "things" I want her to know, almost like a letter to Self.  Yet it is not a letter of regret in anyway, I would not change anything about my life.  I have been blessed with a good life, and an amazing family and group of friends.  However, what I would like to remind myself more of is to live every day to the fullest, remember the small things that make a person feel special and continue to try something new as often as I have the opportunity.

My dad's favorite quote was by Winston Churchill, "Never, never, never give up."  I want to dedicate this blog entry to him and Russ.  They have had their hands full with me over the years.  Full.  Sometimes I am too stubborn and independent to enjoy a moment for what it is.  The joke is always that I have ants in my pants and I am forever on my feet, putzing around the house until I just drop onto my pillow at night, regardless of how bad my leg is dragging.  When I was confronted with the reality of a possible wheel chair in my future I woke up.  I never intended on giving up or letting my guard down to MS.  I just kept myself busy enough to ignore it - but the MS didn't ignore me.  My leg isn't going to get stronger unless I consciously do something about it.  Mind over matter, right?  Not really, at least not in my case.  This is going to take a valiant effort!  My dad always kept me in line, and 10 years ago today he passed that torch onto Russ.  Poor Russ he would say. 

With great support comes some eye-rolling though.  I'm pretty confident about myself yet I think all of us can attest to the nagging associated with certain questions.  In no particular order, "Is that on your diet?"  "When are you going to the gym, it's been like two weeks."  "That's what you're wearing?"  "Are you sure you should be eating that?"  Usually my eye-rolling is accompanied with an exaggerated sigh.  But, I know that I am loved and these questions come with care and support.  I know I should be going to the gym.  Yes, this food is on my diet.  And no, I probably shouldn't be eating this but c'mon, I need a treat every once in awhile! 

And then I ask, "did you take the trash out?"  Wink, wink.  I love you!

Being a vegan isn't for everyone

Good morning.  The more I sit here and think about my blog entries, and my adventure in becoming a vegan, I have begun to realize maybe I ought to post a caveat to the purpose of my blog.  I don't want to come across as someone who thinks that being a vegan is the only way to eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Currently, it is the right way to eat, for me.  Trust me, I can't pass up the smell of a nice juicy burger without every part of me craving it.  And two nights ago, I ate chicken at dinner.  I don't plan to make that a regular habit because I want to achieve the full benefit of the plan that I am following, but for others, meat is perfectly fine and I say, go for it!

Plus, as a vegan, you really, really have to enjoy fruits and vegetables.  And nuts and twigs.  Haha.

The reason that I turned to a vegan diet is because there is scientific evidence that shows that this type of diet, in addition to regular exercise, meditation, and certain vitamin supplements can slow or stop the progression of MS.  In some cases it has proven to result in recovery.  I am going for the recovery part.  A girl can dream, can't she?  Ah, the power of positive thinking!  With that, there are environmental factors, stress is a biggie, that can minimize and maybe even negate any positive changes you are trying to make.  The vegan aspect of this plan is the most significant change for me, and where I need the most support.  It really is a commitment that needs to be permanent.  Losing weight as an example, can happen immediately for some, the instant gratification that we all pine for.  For others, it takes awhile and many of us plateau for what seems like forever before we reach our next goal.  Similarly, I won't see a major change in my symptoms for 3 - 5 years!  I have however already noticed an improvement in my energy levels and I plan to celebrate the small achievements along the way.

What is important to remember is that as individuals, we each have different needs, as different as our own thumb prints.  In taking care of yourself you should be extremely mindful of what works for you and what doesn't.  And sometimes, what doesn't work the first time, might work if you keep trying.  And with each win or defeat, all you can do is smile along the way and know that you're doing the best you can.

For those of you interested in the plan that I am following you can visit the website below for more information or to learn more about MS.

http://www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org/

The New Vegan

My name is Jodi and I am a new vegan.  I began my journey just over a month ago.  Many of you probably know several people who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and you accept it for what it is:  you know that your friend or family member doesn’t eat meat, tries to avoid dairy or is gluten free, likely from a food allergy, or they have a love for animals and just can’t stand the thought of consuming animal products.  I didn’t realize when I started this how challenging it could be, with big rewards in many ways.  Sifting through the research there are thousands of stories related to curing serious illnesses, prevention of many types of cancers, keeping the mind & body youthful, skin clear & beautiful and the maintenance of an abundance of energy, all by people who changed their eating habits.  Sounds good to me!  This diet takes getting used to as it requires time to educate yourself, relearn food, and practice.  Honestly, I am still transforming into this new nutrition plan as I rotate my pantry and fridge at home.  While I donated some of my pantry foods to the local food bank, I decided it would be best to incorporate the diet slowly and not shock my previous meat-eating, egg and cheese loving body.

You’re probably wondering about my motivation to do this.  I have friends and family that chose this lifestyle over the past few years for various reasons, mostly to improve health or the aforementioned love for animals.  For me, it became a medical necessity.  I have MS and reached a point earlier this year where I felt the illness was beginning to take over and despite the drug therapy and medical treatment I was receiving, I had to take control myself.  After doing research I found a large community of MS sufferers were following a wellness and recovery plan that includes a plant-based diet supplemented with seafood (for protein), regular exercise and meditation, and the continuance of a prescribed drug therapy.  I will share much more about this program through this blog, and for the first time since my diagnosis in early 2008 I gained hope.  Hope to stabilize and improve my symptoms and hope of recovery.  Recovery!  That feeling was powerful and everything I needed to change my attitude.

For those of you that don’t know me, I am 35, married, and have a 19 month old daughter.  My husband agreed to take this journey along with me in support of reaching my goal and sharing the desire of me one day running around the yard playing kick ball or hide and seek with our daughter.  Not too long ago I was a long distance runner and enjoyed running in local races from 5K’s to 10-milers.  MS is a mysterious illness and has progressively weakened the left side of my body such that I can no longer even think about running.  This really, really bothers me.  How many of you actually love to run?  I love it; it was my passion, my moment, my solace.  Through this new journey I hope to regain my strength and eventually run a 5K.  That would be…awesome.  I am not a great vegan yet, by any stretch of my imagination as my blog url implies, however I am taking the path of transformation one step at a time with the hopes that "great" means "strong" at the end of my road. 

I started this blog to keep my family and friends updated who are cheering me on and supporting me, and also to post recipes, cool tips, new & exciting discoveries and my bumps along this road to share with others who are making the same adjustment in their lives as well.  It’s not easy, and it is by sharing with each other that we can improve ourselves.