I found out that my blood pressure is really high for someone my age. It's currently almost 155/92 which is apparently really bad according to my doctor. He recommended exercising (which I already do) and losing weight (which I have been trying to do). If I can lose 20 lbs. I should be just fine. I have already tried all of those frozen food diets, Weight Watchers, etc. A friend of mine lost weight over the summer last year using Slim Fast. I'm going to try it out for a week and if I'm not totally dying of exhaustion due to lack of nutrients, then I'll continue with it. I remember some family members who also lost weight from this diet back when I was only about 9 years old. If anyone has tried this diet or knows someone who tried it out, please leave me some feedback on how it went. When you're on all this medication it is extremely hard to lose weight. I barely eat to begin with and I walk everyday with weights (or my dog) and I do pilates a lot in the mornings. This obviously isn't enough for me, so I'm trying a new way of eating.
Slim Fast basically works by replacing one to two meals a day with one of their drinks and a snack bar. You can drink up to two drinks and have up to three snacks a day... which isn't too bad sounding if you think about it. I've drank Slim Fast before for fun and it really does a great job of getting rid of those hunger pangs. The drinks aren't even high in fat content like most diet drinks are, and they're full of protein...Wish me luck!
I was talking to a friend (who I wont name online) that asked me if I ever swallowed my tongue during a seizure. I began to laugh pretty hard because I've been asked this so many times. Swallowing one's tongue during a seizure is physically impossible. The only thing hazardous about your tongue is that it can block your airway and cause suffocation... which leads us to some of the myths about Epilepsy!
Epilepsy Myths:
*** First and Favorite!***
- Myth: You should put an object, such as a spoon, in the mouth of a person having a seizure to keep them from swallowing their tongue. (Hahaha)
Fact: Nothing should be placed in the person’s mouth. While it is not physically possible to swallow one’s tongue, if the tongue is relaxed, it could block the breathing passage. Therefore, the person should be turned on his side so the tongue falls away and to the side.
- Myth: Epilepsy is rare.
Fact: More than 2.5 million Americans have epilepsy.
- Myth: Epilepsy is contagious.
Fact: Epilepsy is not contagious.
- Myth: Epilepsy is a psychological condition.
Fact: Epilepsy is a medical condition. Seizures are the result of an excessive and disorderly discharge of electrical energy in the brain.
- Myth: You have to be born with epilepsy.
Fact: Epilepsy often first appears in children and young adults, although anyone can develop epilepsy at any time.
- Myth: You can’t prevent epilepsy.
Fact: While no specific cause can be pinpointed in a majority of epilepsy cases, some causes, such as severe head injuries experienced in falling from a bicycle or sustained in an automobile accident, have been identified. This is why helmet safety is so important for children as a preventive measure.
- Myth: Epilepsy can be cured.
Fact: There is no known cure for epilepsy. However, modern treatment methods can achieve full control of seizures in a majority of cases.
- Myth: Epilepsy is a lifelong disorder.
Fact: Epilepsy is not necessarily a lifelong disorder. Many persons with epilepsy will not have seizures or require medication all of their lives.
- Myth: Persons with epilepsy are "epileptics."
Fact: Persons with epilepsy are individuals who experience chronic, recurrent seizures and prefer being described as "persons with epilepsy."
- Myth: Persons with epilepsy have "fits."
Fact: Persons with epilepsy have recurrent seizures, caused by a sudden and unusual discharge of electrical energy in the brain. The word "fits" is an outdated term for seizures.
- Myth: Epilepsy is a sign of low intelligence.
Fact: Epilepsy is a physical condition, not a mental illness or handicap.
- Myth: A person having a seizure should be held down.
Fact: Don’t try to restrain the person; this might cause injury. Instead, move anything hard or sharp out of the way, and place something soft under the person’s head.
- Myth: Always call an ambulance when a person has a seizure.
Fact: Unless the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, or is followed by a series of seizures, it is seldom necessary to call an ambulance.
- Myth: You can make a person "snap out" of a seizure.
Fact: There is really nothing you can do to end a seizure. The best thing is to be supportive and reassuring once the person regains consciousness.
Those are only few of many myths about Epilepsy, to find more just Bing "Myths About Epilepsy". When I get some spare time I will add some Epilepsy Myth websites to this blog post. Today will be my first day back at work, so I'm gonna go take my mid-day medicine, get dressed, and pretty myself up as much as possible. I hope you all have a blessed day today!
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
— 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)
Until next time,
Mandy Krzywonski
P.S.- I must add that my 2 thought to be "disgusting" scars from my surgery are healing up very nicely. They even got about two centimeters smaller on the edges. Hopefully they eventually go away completely with the help of some vitamin E and some ZENMED Skin Eraser Scar Remover! They still feel a bit tight and I seriously thought that I'd ripped the scar near my arm open the other day when I reached to get my phone off the dresser. When I extended my arm I heard a loud rip noise from my arm but I checked and it all looked fine... hope nothing's wrong!
Mandy, your blog is interesting education of your sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in New York I remember a team of doctors saying about weight lose during a discussion, that many diets fail in the long run and people who lose weight quickly also gain it back quickly.
They suggested reducing calories of only 500 calories a day or excising to burn 500 calories a day or split 250 diet/250 excising. The hard part of this plan is counting calories in order to reduce weight.
The burning part is pretty easy by reading or research calorie burning facts, such as how long do you need to walk to burn 250 calories,you can learn what excise you enjoy burns how many calories for how long and they say do something you like, even gardening burns calories. Brisk walks through the mall, different parks, etc. They say most people who did it this way reduced weight and kept it off.
To trim 250 calories a day was to give up one Snickers candy bar a day which is 280 calories and then excerise to burn off the other 250.
It's slower going off this way, they say, but you keep it off.
It's a pretty painless, long-term weight lose plan that works without much stress.
Ask Jesus to help you. Good luck and God bless you.
Cliff