Catching Up on my Fabulous Life!

NOTE: This was written December 13th and I never posted! Sorry!

I know I’ve been a bad blogger, and even worse, I haven’t been keeping my promise that I would update “soon” (but what does soon mean anyway??). I hate not keeping my promises... SORRY!

This year has been on full of ups and downs.  I applied to graduate schools last winter, and my plan starting in the fall was moving someplace fabulous and starting a Public Health Program.  Things didn’t work out as planned, and while I was disappointed, I don’t think it was necessarily a bad thing.  Things at work have gotten a little crazy lately, but I have really enjoyed getting unique opportunities and have really learn a lot lately, I don’t think I would have learned so much if I had started grad school this fall.  I still plan on getting a Masters in Public Health and plan on applying for 2013 (wow, how did I get so old!?!?).  Next time I will be even better prepared and will have much more valuable experience that I can contribute.

I have also recently started volunteering for two organizations at the University of Michigan Health System.  This week the brand spanking new UM Motts Children Hospital finally opened it’s doors after a massive 10 year effort evolving millions of dollars and thousands of people. Housed within this state-of-the-art building is a Ronald McDonald House, I will be volunteering here.  Tonight is my first shift! I’m incredibly excited to lend what ever help I  can to parents and families of kids who are very sick.  The intent of having a house within the hospital is that families with children in crisis can get some much needed rest without having to leave their child’s floor.  It is meant for short term stays and the main house will still be open down the street for more long term stays. I can’t wait to share my experience after tonight, it is such a great organization!

I am also VERY excited to start acting as a patient/family advisor for the Patient and Family Centered Care Program (PFCCP) at UM where they strive to be a Patient and Family Centered Care provider.  My experiences both as a patient and a family member will be valuable to make improvements in the healthcare provided.  PFCCP volunteers are placed in different committees within healthcare providers where they are asked for their opinion and can collaborate and help with policy making or important decisions.  I have not been placed yet, but last week they had their annual conference and it was inspiring.  More to come on that! But what better way to feel involved and in control of your healthcare than helping make the policies and decisions  that affect it!

Other fantastic things that have happened in the past year (more on some of these soon!):

• My sister married the man of her dreams (and the best brother-in-law ever)! The wedding was fantastic and I am so blessed I was a part of it...even though I sobbed through giving the WHOLE Maid of Honor speech (seriously, the WHOLE thing). 
• I moved!
• I met someone special who has stolen my heart and makes me completely happy.
• I decided to run a ½ marathon this summer...Dr.’s okay pending!

Inspiration Wednesday!

I (for real this time) have a new post I'm working on.  Will be up in the next day or two! But for now...

"Someday everything will make perfect sense. So, for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything Happens for a reason"
-anonymous  

 

Its inspiration Wednesday....

If nothing else, one day you can look someone straight in the eyes and say, 'But I lived through it. And it made me who I am today.'
-Unknown.

I'm in a funk today...but these words are just what I needed.

Happy Wednesday

Life may not be the party we hoped for... But while we are here we might as well dance!

Holy Cow!

Its been over six months since my last post.  Life got a little crazy for a while...but I am working on some new post.  Keep checking in! I will be writing a lot over the next few weeks. Recap of the last few months! Sorry I am such a bad blogger...

Super freak. Super freak. I'm super freaky.

I learned something about myself over the last couple of months.  I am a control freak.  I had never realized this before...and I don’t think I was like this pre-stroke.  But, turns out that when I’m not in control I turn into a super freak.  Silly things like not being in control of my own schedule, having a lot of my future depend on a test or not knowing where or what I’ll be doing in the next year. My latest episode started during my W.T.F weekend, I think, and then quickly spiraled. I went to worrying about the future to freaking out when I forgot to bring my coupons to the store (really??...)The root cause of all this started with my newest endeavor- applying to grad school!


I am in the process of applying to Masters programs in Public Health.  I decided this sometime after my stroke, but I’m not sure it was the cause of the decision.  I work for a Health System Risk Management Department. At work, I see everything that could possibly go wrong in medicine.  When I was getting my bachelor’s degree in Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Sciences, my end goal was going to Medical School. However, the longer I work in Risk Management the less I want to be a physician.  I think there are greater problems that need to be addressed at a policy and administrative level so that patients and their families receive the care they are entitled to.


I also think that health promotion and health behavior is extremely important to stop diseases progression and prevent illnesses. This insight I gathered post-stroke. If I could have done ANYTHING to prevent my stroke, I would have done it 300%.  After lots of test/theories/studies. my stroke was categorized as Spontaneous.  That means that there was nothing physically wrong with me that caused my stroke, it was a freak occurrence.  I’m pretty thankful that I don’t have any disease/condition that caused my stroke, but every once in a while I wish I did.


Let me explain, because I think this is why I am now a control freak.  If there was something wrong with me, then doctors could monitor it and I could actively treat it.  I would feel somewhat in control of my health beyond what I actively do to stay healthy.  But because it was spontaneous, though the chance is low, it could happen again randomly, and that I can’t control-- that is some scary shit. This is one of the many reasons I choose to be as active and healthy as I can be.  One thing that my doctors told me after my stroke is that I recovered so well because I was in such good shape. It’s scary for me to think that if it does happen again and I’m not in top physical shape the outcome could be different. 


My control issue became clear as attempted to select public health programs to apply to.  It is a tough decision to make for anyone, but for me it made me feel like I wasn’t in control of anything.  Applying to grad school is scary enough without all the worries I live with daily.  I know that uncertainty isn’t fun for anyone, but for me brings back the panic I felt laying on the side of the road in Canada not being able to get up.  Even though I know that I actually have control of my life and that it will be okay, sometimes I just can’t help feeling like that. I’m sure others have known how much of a super freak I am all along....but for me it was a surprise. So, I’ve been a super freak lately, over reacting about the smallest things ..I apologize if anyone felt the full brunt of my latest episode. But hey, now I know and I can try to manage it better. I’m a super freak…but, who isn’t?

I'm a bad, bad blogger

I have been totally MIA for two months.  I'm still alive and kicking, promise!  Life gets busy sometimes. But more blogs are coming! Including why I am a SUPER  freak, and my crazy graduate school applications. Turns out, I'm applying to school in California? (what??)  Brace yourselves, my blogging break is over!!!