MY SHOCKING AND PAINFUL COLONOSCOPY

It has taken me awhile to write about this subject and I also have a family medical crisis that I am dealing with, so blogging time has been difficult to fit into my schedule. I shared with the world on my Stay Healthy Fitness Facebook and Instagram that I was gearing up for my 50 club first experience at having a colonoscopy.  I took my husband a few years ago and all went fairly well, and I have also been re-assured by many that the prep is the worst part and the rest would be a breeze.  Sadly, this was not my experience.

Let me share that I have a very high pain threshold, had both of my children without drugs or epidurals, and in general it takes a great deal of discomfort for me to complain.  The prep for the colonoscopy was horrible, and I nearly vomited up the Moviprep solution each time I had to drink it.  I expected that so I was prepared that this was not going to be fun, and within an hour of drinking the solution, my frequent bathroom visits began.  It felt like self-induced stomach flu of the worst kind and I retreated under several blankets after each run to the commode. I had to drink more solution at 3:30am and continue the toilet runs up to the time of leaving for the hospital at 7:30am.  Needless to say by the time I was done, my poo looked like pee, and I lost 5lbs literally overnight, not the recommended or safe way to lose weight, but understand it needs to happen prior to this type of procedure.

I went into the procedure thinking that after the toilet trauma was complete, the rest would be smooth sailing, so I was ready for my short nap and passing with flying colors colon report.  The doctor was great and explained everything thoroughly and the nurses took really good care of me. I was covered with warm blankets, IV in place and ready to move to the procedure room.  Once the IV anesthesia was administered, I fell asleep quickly but what happened next was like an excerpt from a horror movie.  All of a sudden, extreme pain in my stomach started happening and I felt myself screaming that “it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, and to stop, stop, stop”   and I felt trapped in my mind and my body was enduring pain equivalent to child birth.  In the distance, I did hear a loud voice say “do you want us to stop” and I do remember saying “wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute”, and I was thinking if they stop, I would have to do this again and there was no way that was going to happen.  I do not know what I sounded like or how I moved during this process of extreme pain under IV sedation and was hoping someone would help me.  It could be more pain relief was placed in my IV, but I do not know that.  What I do know is that the pain was unbearable and unbelievable.  My colonoscopy was far from a breeze and I felt traumatized by the event.  The doctor did explain in my haze state upon check out that my colon is very compact with many bends, which caused a rigid application of the scope and caused pain similar to childbirth during the procedure.  His recommendation was that I go under general anesthesia for my next colonoscopy. 

It took my body a couple of days to recover from the anesthesia and I did not feel good physically or emotionally about what happened to me.  I had to know if others experienced extreme pain during a colonoscopy and began my research online and discovered that yes, I was not alone.  What a relief that I could read forums of so many sharing my same story and I think this is what bothers me the most.  I believe that in the paperwork received prior to the procedure that it should be outlined that extreme pain with colonoscopy can be experienced, and that measures will be taken to make the patient comfortable in that event.  I went in to my colonoscopy with a positive attitude and came out with post-traumatic stress about the event. 

I am not writing this to say that I am now against having a colonoscopy and do believe in preventative medicine.  I am happy to report that my colon is clear for ten years, but will be investigating different avenues of colonoscopy approach the next time.  I am writing this to inform people that extreme pain can be experienced, and it is not always a breeze for everyone.  I am in the percentage of those who do not respond well to colonoscopy and for those who have undergone and share my experience, you are not alone.  I was shocked to discover this about myself and now as I have always been, remain a voice of information about health related subjects.  It is important to be informed and your own health care advocate and hopefully the documents pre-colonoscopy will be revised to include a thorough statement of colonoscopy procedure expectations.

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Stay Healthy!

Darla

DIRECT TV STEALING FROM CONSUMERS

I know my platform revolves around health and fitness and being our best self each day, but I also feel that it is important to share stories that will inform and protect others from illegal and criminal activity which in a way is taking care of ourselves through this journey of life.  My share is personal and is a consumer horror story that has happened to me and my husband.  My goal is always to reach out to help and support others going through the same scenario and at the very least provide awareness especially if you are considering becoming involved with this company.  I filed the following report today with an online dispute service:

Direct TV has committed fraud and unauthorized removal of funds from our bank account. We have been loyal customers since 2009, never late on a payment, and out of contract with them since 2011.  We have been dissatisfied with their services for quite some time and over the past year have spent many hours negotiating bill reductions as every three months they would increase the bill and reduce the service.  Our Direct TV box failed and was no longer operational, which forced us to contact them once again for assistance. They offered to bring a "replacement" box at no charge and apology for the disruption in service...blah blah blah. They installed the replacement box and all seemed back to the normal increase of fees, reduction of service, etc. We decided to cancel service tired of going through the same song and dance of disenchantment and hours of BS on the phone.  Upon cancellation, Direct TV informed us that there would be an early contract cancellation fee applied of $340.  We have not been in contract with them since 2011, however they stated that the box installed in our home was a requested upgrade and put us in a 2-year contract.  This is a blatant lie and we have been good about documenting all conversations, names, specifics, etc.  In addition, we signed no 2-year contract when the replacement box was installed. After hours of trying to explain that this was an error on their part, they stated that there was nothing that could be done even up to the supervising end and we were given an address to submit a dispute of billing.  Direct TV would not provide phone numbers to their Legal Department and they were to only be contacted via letter.  That in itself is absolutely ridiculous that the Legal Department of Direct TV is unreachable by phone to resolve a conflict.  The Direct TV supervising staff informed us that we were right and it could be resolved at this level.  We drafted a letter to the Legal Department, Office of the President, Direct TV, INC, P.O. Box 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550 which still has not been responded to.  The worst was to come when we opened our American Express statement and saw that Direct TV had made an unauthorized charge to our card in the amount of $340.  Direct TV is a company filled with liars, scammers, and thieves and we are more than upset about what has happened.  We have researched this subject via the Internet and have discovered that Direct TV is performing this scam nationwide and stealing from their consumers whenever a cancellation of service occurs.  We will be following the guidelines of many others and filing a Civil Lawsuit in Small Claims Court to recover our money and also will be charging them loss of wages and court filing fees.  The actions of Direct TV are criminal and we are hoping that our voice will be able to help others out there going through the same thing, and to inform people to not subscribe to Direct TV, and if you are leaning in that direction DO NOT PROVIDE ANY CREDIT CARD to hold on your account because they WILL steal from you. 

I am interested in hearing from anyone who has had this occur, are going through it, and those who are in need of a platform to voice their complaints.  With everything that I am reading online with the malpractices of Direct TV, this has been an ongoing issue along with many other criminal actions committed by Direct TV on their customers.  Several voices can create BIG WAVES and I am sure your comments will provide support and relief to many.  Let's put a stop to unfair business practices against innocent consumers.

Post your comment or complaint below and Stay Healthy!

FITNESS IS MORE THAN THE PHYSICAL

Fitness involves more than how much weight is lost or reps in a set that can be accomplished.  Being a fit person involves discipline for each day, creates awareness, and instills conscious living. Fitness is a lifestyle and goes way beyond the physical.   Having the desire to obtain a quality life and following through on that goal really defines being healthy and fit, and when the focus remains in that direction, we set ourselves up for feeling and looking our best for life. 

We put so much pressure on ourselves to squeeze into the tiniest jeans or boast the largest biceps, that we tend to forget how being fit is supposed to feel.  A fit and healthy body should be free or minimized of pain and many people do not realize just how good we are supposed to feel, and instead accept and accommodate pain on a daily basis.  A fit lifestyle includes physical exercise but not of the nature that will injure our bodies and create chronic setbacks, and eating healthy nutrient dense foods that provide our bodies with healing qualities.  Rest is also on the menu for a fit body and a very important part of the program.  Without proper rest and sleep, our bodies will not recover from the demands placed on it through workouts, stress, and the overall daily grind.  Balance of work and play is also a part of a healthy lifestyle and forgetting how to reach our inner child is sadly lost through the busyness of life.  Taking an active rest day enjoying the outdoors, or a shutdown day complete with pajamas and movies may be the trick to recharge the mental batteries. 

We all can enjoy our life and live a healthy lifestyle at the same time. This is the absolute truth and is accomplished by simply being consistent with our choices and follow-through.  Being fit does not take working out seven days a week for several hours a day and eating boiled fish and broccoli.  This is far from what living a healthy lifestyle looks like.  When our thoughts are on taking the best care of ourselves, the enjoyment of living this life flows naturally like breathing.  The desire to purchase fresh healthy foods and try new recipes is more of an exciting thing to look forward to and not a curl your lip up downer for a Friday night.   Also, when that is combined with finding an exercise program that is enjoyed and works for your body, nothing feels better and provides a positive mental outlook.  The balance of life through play and rest can’t be emphasized enough because life is about quality and feeling our best. 

When the focus is on health and improving the quality of our life, the “fit” part of that equation happens along the way.  Letting go of the stress of wanting to look a certain way tomorrow and concentrating on how good being healthy feels will eliminate the frustration and pressure that we too often place upon ourselves.  Living a healthy lifestyle encompasses everything that we do on the daily and the fact that we are physical beings does not mean that the emphasis on fitness is all about the physical.  Our awareness of the importance of being a healthy person, what we are consuming, how we move our bodies, how we think and act, and the balance we create for ourselves are all included within the definition of fitness.  What do you think about that and hopefully this has opened your eyes to a new attitude when it comes to being a fit person?

Me and My Hubby

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Happy Stay Healthy New Year!

Darla

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WHY WAIT FOR NEW YEAR’S?

I am all about celebrating, having fun, and ringing in the New Year with a smooch and cheers with my hubby, but the whole making New Year’s resolutions thing I just do not understand.  Mainly due to seeing so many people not follow through after a few weeks, or even days.  It sounds like all fireworks, and excitement in the beginning, but the flame usually dies down as old habits, lifestyles, and the “norm” way of treating ourselves and allowing ourselves to be treated nestles back into the day to day. Further, why wait for New Year’s to make a positive decision to change our life and become healthier people?  Today is New Years in my book and I like that saying “never put off to tomorrow what can be accomplished today”.  It is time to stop using the New Year’s holiday as a crutch to continue living unhealthy lives, to pack in as much unhealthy crap food as possible, and not go to the gym or start a home exercise program until that so called “magical perfect time”. 

The reality is that no perfect time exists and life does not wait for our decisions.  It goes on whether we join in the positive decision making process or not.  The straight up truth is that while the procrastination of taking care of self continues, the body will eventually let you know through illness, poor blood test results, obesity, heart issues, diabetes, hypertension, increased stress and the list goes on. Wouldn’t it be great to go into the New Year with choices to adopt a healthy lifestyle already in place, and to feel great about celebrating all the fabulous things being done to become our best healthy self?

I am not trying to be a “Darla Downer” when it comes to the upcoming New Year.  I am trying to get you to wrap your head around the reason for waiting to become a healthy person.  I say let’s celebrate and I would be the first to raise my glass and applaud all the efforts being made to adopt that healthy lifestyle, but that does not have to wait until January 1^st.  I also understand that Christmas and New Year bring food, family and fun, and much is not on the usual healthy meal plan that would maintain a healthy physique.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying a little of this and that and I will be doing the same, but also will be including my regular healthy foods and exercise.  Let’s not use this holiday as an excuse to not take care of ourselves and promote a “hall pass” to a month of junk because when the so-called fun is all said and done, what will be left is discouragement and frustration knowing it will be that much longer and harder to undo what has been done. 

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Stay Healthy!

Darla

WISHING, WANTING, AND DOING

All of us wish and want, but sadly not all of us follow through with the doing.  There seems to be something that stands in the way of completing what needs to be done to make the wish a reality.  It does not matter how much internet surfing, article reading, or people watching that takes place to check out fit bodies, if the inspiration isn’t motivating you to take action, it is nothing but wasted time.  In fact, all that time on the web could be time used to complete a workout or meal plan and prep.  I even have to catch myself and implement a certain amount of time for social media work so that I have the time to not only work with my physical clients, but also to do what it takes for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  That means shutting down my computer and making the choice to exercise and prepare my healthy meals for the week. 

It is fun to wish and want, and I will be the first to applaud and be motivated by a fit physique because I know the effort it takes, and the “doing” on a daily basis that occurs to get there.  Wishing and wanting turns ugly when the “doing” is not taking place, but somehow feelings of resentment, bitterness and disgust are happening toward self and others even when no action to fix anything is occurring.   We are adults and make choices every day on what will take place, what mood we allow to invade our mental space, our outward behaviors toward self and others, and ultimately taking care of our bodies.  If the choice is to not “do”, then all the wishing and wanting are merely thoughts.  I am a “doer” and that is how I am able to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I do not care if I only have twenty minutes to workout, if that is all I have then I will give it my all during that amount of time. I will never say “I only have twenty minutes and that is not enough time to workout” so I am going to skip today.  That would be the same as looking at the glass half empty instead of halfway full.  All steps taken to improve our health regardless of the time are positive progress. 

It is time to move past the wishing and wanting, and into the doing. It will be the action that makes the wants happen and feelings of accomplishment, increased confidence, and overall improved health are just some of the rewards from becoming a “doer”. Achieving the fit body we want and think about all the time takes responsibility, time, and effort on a consistent basis.  This is true for all things in life: our jobs, how far we go in education, our relationships, and spiritual life for example.  Sitting around thinking that things are just going to fall into our laps without effort is unrealistic, and sadly some people really do believe that life works this way, are unmotivated, and feel they are owed this and that. Life has never promised easy, and many times we make life much more difficult than it needs to be.  This is no reason however to fall into a wish and want pity party when the “doing” has not even been attempted. Time to “wake-up and smell the coffee” look in the mirror at the person not “doing” and ask … why?  The follow-through is what will bring success and the “doing” is what will create the fit body, and overall healthy lifestyle.

Enjoy a short video clip of my fun leg routine

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Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button at the right to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

Stay Healthy!

Darla

LIFTING WEIGHTS DOES NOT MAKE ME BULKY

For all the ladies who think you are going to lose your feminine looks by lifting weights, I am here to tell you that it is a myth.  We simply do not have enough testosterone naturally to produce extreme muscle mass.  We do benefit from a firm and tone look produced with weight resistance training and also taking into consideration genetics we were blessed with in combination with a healthy eating program. Our lean mass will provide more shape than anything else and does it show after years of commitment?  The answer is yes, however it will not be substantial enough for us to dash into a phone booth ready to jump out sporting our muscular superwoman outfit. What will be noticed about a committed weight training program are shapely arms, butt, legs and overall fit look and side benefits of feeling great about the compliments received for those attributes. 

I have been lifting weights close to thirty years and do sport a lean muscular physique but do not consider myself bulky.  What allows my muscle to show more is maintaining a lower body fat percentage year round, however I keep that within a healthy range to not screw around with my hormones.  As a woman entering menopause I understand the importance and health benefits of weight bearing exercise.  I enjoy the visual results, but more important, I am making sure my bones remain dense and strong during the decline of estrogen from menopause.  Weight training is prescribed to all women going through this phase and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and/or osteopenia.  I am genetically lean thanks to my Dad and that is just how I am built, but my body has also responded well to weight training.  Some may think I look bulky, but if you met me in person, you would have a whole different opinion.  Can I flex it up in images, well of course and I have got the back lash of “she is too muscular”, but bulky is not a word that can be used to describe my body.

The health benefits of weight training go beyond what is visible and includes improved bone and joint function, bone density, and increased muscle tendon and ligament strength.  The more lean mass we have, the more efficient our bodies become with burning energy stores and maintaining a healthy weight.  We become healthier overall, and our confidence is boosted when we feel our healthy best. 

The look obtained from weight training is one that exemplifies a healthy lifestyle, not some sort of “she-man” that seems to be running around in everyone’s mind. The media is in the market for distortion of the truth in all areas of fitness with photo shop, air brushing, and the verbal word of weight lifting for girls equals turning into a man.  This is so far from the truth and is laughable.  I believe in being our own health and fitness advocates, putting in the research about subjects such as weight training and doing what is best for our bodies to become a healthier person.  Our female hormones will allow for some increase and sculpting of beautiful muscle and the inward and outward benefits are not only beautiful but we as women should embrace weight training as a very important part of our health programs. 

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DON'T FEAR THE WEIGHTS

Stay Healthy,
Darla

  

DESTROY YOUR INNER REBEL

We all can have a rebel that lives inside of us taunting and tempting us to turn to the dark side of unhealthy living.  It can even come in the form of outright discouragement from not seeing results right away and out of frustration stuffing our faces with crap because we think what’s the point? We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to putting ourselves down and throwing that adult temper tantrum that leads to nothing but making poor decisions and a negative “mental game”.  In comes resentment and anger at life, the choices we are making that should be working but not, and straight up “biotch” attitudes.  You have just met the inner rebel that seeks to destroy our efforts and take us down to the mental breaking point. 

I say, kick your rebel in the face and refuse to give in to the thoughts that will only give way to a domino effect of good things gone wrong.  Instead of listening to inner voices of temptation to jump ship with taking care of your health, slam immediately on the mental brakes and start writing down what you have been doing in a positive and negative way to take care of yourself.  This will require complete honesty about the food being eaten, alcohol being consumed, and exercise being done or avoided.  This is where we need to get real with our rebel self and in order to destroy the actions that occur from this other person.   Our mental game is at risk here and overall happiness with life and self.  If we lose control and throw in the towel, what good does that do anyone?  The battle is always with ourselves and how we handle that is again our responsibility.

I understand that not seeing results and working your ass off can feel so unfair when results in the mirror or on the scale are not being seen, but if you are completely honest with you, I am sure you will find that the rebel is allowed out to play way too much.  Becoming our best healthy self is about acceptance of this moment and what we are doing right now to change who we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Being in denial about the rebel within will not allow for the best you to emerge and consistently be in control of your life choices.  Anger and bitterness over our circumstances resolves nothing, but being pro-active to get to the bottom of why the rebel is winning will provide the answers needed so that a change can be implemented.  

My Bare Faced Beauty Hope

November Challenge for the Ladies:  No Makeup November to support the true beauty of all women.  I am very proud to sponsor my daughter Hope on this campaign to reach out to women all round the world in an effort for them to realize their true beauty, enjoyment and acceptance of self.  Head on over to the No Makeup November page like I did, ditch the brushes and post your beautiful bare face! 

NO MAKEUP NOVEMBER PAGE

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Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button at the right to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

Stay Healthy!

Darla