2012 in Review! Getting a Jump on the New Year and new me!

For me 2012 was frighfullly fast yet full of wonderful good news. In July I learned that my oldest daughter was pregnant with my first grandchild, a girl and we are (not very)patiently awaiting her arrival in about 4-5 weeks! Also, my youngest daughter will be getting married on May 7 in Jamaica--and that's less than 6 months away! So now I have even more incentive to get myself in shape (body, mond & spirit). Here's my commitment to myself:
* Joined Weight Watchers about 3 weeks ago to offset the holiday weight gain especially since I gained 3 lbs since Halloween already. Hopefully after next weigh-in those 3 lbs. are gone. Goal at least 10 lbs.
* More diligent about my workouts--really trying to cross train, use heavier weights & build endurance. BUT my right(natural) hip is hurting as the osteoarthritis advances so I'm cautious and of course must be careful with my replaced left hip- which is doing fabulously!
* Once the holidays are over I vow to drink less wine! (this will be the hardest).

In my professional life, I really want to get Good Sam @ Work out there. It's such a great program and I am so passionate about wellness and helping people realize that so much of they're help is in their own hands. Lastly, once I become a certified senior fitness specialist, I am finally going to get that exercise DVD done! I promise!

Not A Good Time for Arthritis Pain!

It's too busy for arthritis pain...and you may not be too keen on exercising while you hurt, or need to get your holiday shopping done, BUT that's exactly what you need to do! Just 15-20 minutes a day will manage your pain and here's the bonus--it will energize you to get what you need to get done. This has been the recommendation of arthritis doctors for years but most people don't even get 10 minutes of exercise a day and are very sedentary. Here's why moving everyday is so important to your joints; 1- as the cartilage breaks down during the ensuing arthritis, adequate blood supply doesn't nourish the joint BUT massaging the joint through exercise promotes blood flow and feeds the cartilage; 2-muscle which surround the joint, support & protect the joint, thus exercise builds the muscles and the joint is better protected. As the muscle strengthens, it takes up the weight & pressures from exercise instead of the joint taking up the weight and pressure; 3-regular exercise is a great weight manager which helps excess weight gain that reduces the pressure, pain and wear/tear on the arthritic joint.
So see your doctor, therapist, nurse (me) about starting an exercise program today; or attend an arthritis seminar to gets lots of helpful, manageable information.
Besides healthier joints, your entire body, mind & spirit will benefit immensely from regular exercise. Exercise for LIFE! Merry Christmas!

Fall Shape Up for Strong Bones

October 20th was World Osteoporosis Day and I hooked into an excellant webinar to learn ways to keep your bones fit and strong without doing exhausted exercise. Turns out that certain gentle pilates moves (back extension but never flexion), yoga and the best of them all, tai chi are excellant ways to load the bones and get them stronger. As a Tai Chi instructor and having osteopenia I can tell you first hand how beneficial tai chi is in maintaining bone strength, leg strength and improving one's balance. Please feel free to stop by any Tuesday, evening (except Nov 15) thru Thanksgiving week at 5:30 in the Parker 4 Conference Room just to the left of the main lobby at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Please also mark your calendars for Thursday, November 10 at 10:30. This will be our last Osteoporosis support Group Meeting for 2011 and we have an excellant guest speaker, Howard Bessner, our pharmachist who will speak on the "Role of Vitamin D and Your Bones & Body". This event is free but you need to call and register @443-444-4100. Lets build strong bones together!

Book Club Resumes & New Bone Support Group

I've been very busy planning for the fall and am particularly excited about these 2 events:

1-Better-Health-by-the-Book resumes on Tuesday, September 13 @ 7pm at Greetings & Readings in Hunt Valley. Our summer read, which we'll be chomping to discuss, is the reknowned bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lackes. A story of an African American woman(from Baltimore), and her family that touches on issues, i.e. recism, poverty, medical science, faith & bioethics, just to name a few. Come join us--call 443-444-4100to register.

2- On October 13 at 10:30am I'll be kickoff the *NEW* Osteoporosis Support Group at GSH!!! With over 44 millions Americans walking around with brittle bones, we can now get stronger together. We will meet in the Good Health Center at 10:30-12noon which is on the 2nd floor of the O'Neill Bldg. which houses the Emergency Department. Come join us. Register at 443-444-4100.

Great new link

Well I just discovered a great link to our Good Samaritan website that tells you everything you want to know about arthritis and joint replacement. Its www.goodsam-md.org/jointex. Wow--it explains about all the surgeries, recovery, how to stay active, when you might need surgery for your arthritic joint and all about our wonderful doctors. I know I'm partial to the Joint Experience at GSH...I can't help it. I was treated so wonderfuly when I had my hip replaced in May, 2009 and I really did well, and of course I work at GSH. But you don't have to trust my (un)biased opinion, there are lots of non-GSH employees that are on the website with their testimonials of their joint replacement experience. Check it out!

Exciting New Program....I Get to Do!

I'm about to leave for a 3- day July 4th weekend and realize I haven't blogged in awhile. As I thought about what to post I thought of my new program called "Good Sam @ Work" (GS@W). Most people know I love to promote health and wellness and am extremelly passionate about people taking charge of their life & health. That's why my blogs are all about ways to meet this end. Out of this passion came GS@W which is a program developed for me to visit local business's and provide FREE health talks & screenings to their employees, usually in a lunch'nlearn format or during regular meeting times. Topics for this program include; stress mgmt., lifelong fitness, Managing Back/Arthritis Pain, Ergonomics, etc., Healthy Numbers to Know, to name a few BUT can tailor a program to meet your company's needs. What's the benefit to your company from GS@W? Well, how does less absentiism, more energy & productivity from your employees sound? To request a GS@W brochure or to learn about bringing the program to your company visit goodsam-md.org/goodsamatwork.
I'm so excited about this. As Community Outreach Nurse I always in senior centers, churches and community events, but this gives me another window of opportunity to help business people get healthy and stay healthy. Hope to see you where you work!

Activate Yourself! Be a Fit (and Safe) Baby Boomer

What a glorious day! Besides being Friday and having a four day weekend ahead of me at the beach, today's weather is magnificent! Low humidity, light breeze and full bright sunshine! It's the kind of day that's begging you to spend outdoors doing something good for yourself; i.e. soaking up all the Vitamin D and getting some exercise. In my mind I'm on the golf course instead of at my computer blogging, but while I'm here hopefully I can encourage some folks to "activate yourself". Take a walk, a jog (not with bad joints please), swim, play golf, tennis, or a circuit fitness walk through the park (stop every 5 min. or so to do lunges, squats, tricep dips on a park bench, etc. inbetween fitness walk). Whatever...just get moving. Even sitting on a park bench and meditating for 10-15 min. is great for your health. Just pick something, focus on it and do it. I just learn through PubMed that a Harvard Study of late revealed after testing over 9,ooo people that creativity and productivity are increased when we focus on just one thing, instead of the over-hyped "multitasking". It's too bad in our hyper society today, that we are considered "slow" or "depressed" if we're not doing 4 things at once.
Anyway, back to getting activated. If you're of boomer age and its been awhile since you've moved that body for fitness' sake it may be a good idea to start low and go slow. Moreover, to get medical clearance from your physician as well. There are two great community talks pertaining exactly to this subject called "How to Be a Fit (and Safe) Baby Boomer" featuring Drs. Pichard & Zikira, orthopedic sports specialists from Good Samaritan Hospital. These talks are FREE and will be presented on Tuesday, June 21st at Lynne Bricks at Belvedere Square; and on Tuesday, June 28th at Merritt Athletic Club on Mylander Rd. in Towson. The time for both events is 6:30pm. Call 443-444-4100 to register and for more information.

Spring into Good Health with Community Programs

Most people know that I am very passionate about good health and helping people feel better. BUT, those who know me also know that I'm not about taking a pill, but about TAKING CHARGE of your life and being empowered: Here are some of my community programs to take charge, get well and change the way you feel:

1- Good Sam @ Work -lectures that I give at local business's in a lunch 'n lean format, to improve their employees wellness, morale, productivity and decrease absentiesm on topics such as: stress, fitness, nutrition, ergonomics, back pain, sleep health, arthritis/osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Grab a meeting room, bring your lunch and come learn --these program are FREE! Contact me for info. 443-444-4698

2- VintAGE educational spring lecture series - last one is next Saturday, May 14 at 10am at Good Sam Hospital and will feature Dr. Rosemarie Maraj speaking on Diabetes Prevention: How Sweet It Is. Free but must register at 443-444-4100

3- Bring Balance Back to Your Life - this 90-minute comprehensive exercise program includes aerobics, strength training, balance exercise and meditation for all fitness levels. Held at Good Sam Hospital these Saturdays, at 10am--May 7, Jun 4, Jul 9, Sept 24 and Oct st. Co-sponsored by Balto, County Dept. of Aging (BCDA)and must register at 410-887-2594 and its FREE!

4-Living Well Take Charge of Your Diabetes - a free 6-week session co-sponsored by BCDA, held at Good Sam Hospital on the following Wednesdays, from 12:30-3pm; Jul 6, 13, 20, 27, Aug 3rd and Aug 10. Become empowered to positively self-manage your chronic condition. Free but must register at 443-444-4100.

So, here's a great line-up to spring into Wellness--go ahead you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain with these community outreach programs.!

Tai chi & Arthritis & Wellness

Every once and awhile I have to express how wonderful practicing tai chi has been to my body, my spirit and my mind. I cannot believe how it relieves my total body pain, just by breathing deeply and the slow rhythmic movements. I'm teaching two tai chi sessions ( one regular and one for arthritis), in addition to about 2-3 hours of practice/training time and reaping what you sow is so true here. I am hardly taking any pain medication and my balance is better than ever. I can't believe how freely I move about my day and how sure-footed I step. My balance stabilizers kick-in yesterday when I tripped over the curb and I did not fall! And the deep abdominal continuous breathing really clears my head, relaxes my mind and nourished my body! Oxygen really fuels everything--muscles, bones, joints & head. My lung capacity has really expanded--too bad I can't sing because I can really hold a note! This is excellant is combating the normal age-related changes of decreased lung capacity, loss of muscle mass and decreased balance. I feel so good after class/practice --chi is flowing all over my body and brain. I would recommend this to anyone at any fitness level. Its so easy, slow and wonderful!!!

My New Hip is 2 - Happy Birthday!

Big day--2nd anniversay of my left total hip replacement! Hard to believe 2 years has gone by since my surgery. Hard to believe I have a replaced hip because I forget it's there. I 'm only reminded when the weather is real cold, or when I've overdone it....like on too much exercise or long work days. But I'm learning what's best not to trigger any discomfort. I think about all the people I come in contact with on a daily basis in my travels who are so trepid about getting joint replacement surgery, yet live with lots of compromise & pain...giving up the things they love like, travel, golf, gardening etc. Defaulting to becoming deconditioned and rapidly aging because its hurts too much to do anything but sit in a chair. But sitting in a chair is very, very bad for your health! I wish I could get through to those folks and let them know that life can be active and fun again! Yes--its major surgery but very successful surgery, esp done at Good Sam.
Anyway, I'll keep trying and in the meantime I'll enjoy this day that two years ago really changed my life!

Success in India--Hip, hip, Horray!

I've been back from India for over a week now and am beginning to feel myself again. Meaning not so sleeping as I was. That 10.5 hrs. time difference really gets you. What a great trip--did 58 joint replacement on 47 patients--many were young, in early 40's or late 30's mostly due to their hard life. Such a different life and environment in India---unimagineable living conditions, dirt, poverty all juxtaposed among palaces, colleges and universitites...Oh and the sacred cows! I know its hackneyed to say but I am so very blessed to live in America! The Indian food however, was delicious, lots of vegetables, sauces, curry, tumeric, etc.---hot, hot, hot!
I'm quite proud of my endurance during the trip. I napped alot less on the bus trips (endless, bus trips) than other missionaries half my age. Also endured the long work days with just one flare up with my hip, mostly from walking on the hard marble floors. A little ice and rest was all I needed. One evening the host physicians held a reception/dinner in Punjabi tradition for all of us and my hip did just find dancing to both Punjabi and American music. It was great fun and it felt wonderful getting some exercise (not much time for the gym on these missions). Since my return I'm back to my daily workouts. You know my mantra--if you want your body to be good to you...you must be good to your body!
Gearing up for a busy spring, health fairs, book club, VintAGE and my usual community outreach stops. Looking forward to networking with my alumnae from Mercy High School at Jerry D's this wednesday evening--can't wait to tell them about Good Sam @ Work and hope to get some leads.

Hello to my Biggest Adventure- India, Jan 2011!

Its been a month since my last post. Getting busy preparing for my 3rd medical mission with Operation Walk Maryland- this time to Ludhiana, India from 1/26-2/6. Past 2 years we visited Lima, Peru (2009), and Quito, Ecuador (2010). These trips are exhausting, so I've been doing regular workouts, added pushups and weight training to build my endurance and strength...and that's just for the trip out there...4 hour bus ride to JFK, 18-hr,. direct flight to Delhi, then hop on a bus for 8 more hrs. to the remote Ludhiana (heard its very, very bumpy w/crappy buses, too.). My dear friend Mary, nor colleague Margaret are making this trip, but Theresa, PT will again ,as will for the first time, my sister-in-law, Marla. This year we are chronicling our journey on Facebook and Twitter! Just go to Operation Walk Maryland on Facebook to keep in touch! Anyone out there been to Ludhiana, India?
My replaced hip is doing great with no recent episodes of the bursitis flaring up---mixing up my workouts is key--making sure I don't do repetitive movement for more than 6-8 minutes works great. My tibial stress fx. is completely healed as well. Working hard to lose those 5 lbs. from Christmas--you know the ones I blogged about and was determined not to gain!
Its getting hard to stay in shape during the cold winter months--totally relying on DVD's. Really am starting to miss the outdoors and swinging a golf club. I'm grateful that I have so many DVD's to choose from. And am really looking forward to shooting my own workout video this year as well.
Workwise, I'm getting things in order and am really excited about the BookClub, Good Sam @ Work, Vintage,Arthritis-on-the-Go and new Tai Chi sessions! Check our pub- Good Health for information on these programs.
Signing off now--can't wait to tell you all about India...Namaste!