Update: My Health

Last night I posted a status on my Facebook that read: "Finally!  I was able to run 4 miles without getting vertigo, blurred vision, lightheadedness or near blacking out.  Brittany = 1.  Brittany's brain, central nervous system & dead right vestibular system = 0.  I WILL conquer this!"  I realized shortly after that some people may have NO clue what that status was about.  What better way to update folks than a blog post?

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you know my story.  You know what happened to me.  You know some of the struggles I have faced over the last 9 months with this mysterious health issue that didn't seem to give me relief for a good amount of time and that I still struggle with sometimes.  You also know I haven't been given a diagnosis (which I believe is the toughest part of this whole deal). 

About 6 weeks ago I started to feel crummy again and thought to myself, "Is this ever going to end?"  I reached out and found another general practitioner to see.  I wanted a fresh slate or a second opinion if you will.  I felt like maybe a new pair of eyes looking into my medical history and story would be able to pick out something that hadn't been thought of yet. 

I went to Stillwater and went through another long visit, blood work and discussed options.  I felt hopeful.  I got a call immediately the following morning.  My new doctor wanted me to have brain mapping done to help pin-point where my "short circuit" was happening in my head and to help understand why.  I scheduled the appointment with United Hospital.  My appointment day came and my sister, Shannon drove me to the cities.  I wasn't going to be able to drive after the test so I took my most trusted person with me.  After nearly 2 hours the tests were done and I was feeling a little out of sorts from it but overall I had a feeling a hope.  I wanted this to be the test that would help me find answers. 

I got my results within a couple of days.  Drum role... I have low tone, pitch & frequency deafness in my right ear with little functional hearing at high tones.  I already knew my hearing was pretty much gone on that side so that wasn't shocking to me.  I was most interested in my brain mapping results instead of my audiology test.  The ENT said the results of my test showed that my left vestibular system is functioning normal; however, my right vestibular system (inner ear) is completely dead and non-responsive.  It just doesn't work anymore. 

So...to help you understand what that means in layman's terms:  the brain, central nervous system, eyes and vestibular systems all work together to keep you upright and balanced.  Since my right side is dead, my brain, central nervous system and eyes are all sending messages to it but it isn't talking back anymore.  This gets my brain all confused and makes me feel those sensations of vertigo, lightheadedness, loss of balance & control, near blacking out and blurred vision.  Silly brain!  Ha.  Isn't great I can laugh about this now?  It is pretty amazing how a small little part of you can play such a vital role in your everyday functioning.  I encourage you to read more about the vestibular system and how it contributes to your balance & sense of spatial orientation. 

You may be asking yourself, "Well, why is dead?"  "What happened to make it that way."  GOOD QUESTION!  We don't really know.  Isn't that a bummer?  Ugh.  My doctor has three reasons for why my vestibular system died on me.  1: it completely degenerated on it's own for an unknown reason. (I don't like this one...I'm a "need answers" kind of person)  2: I could have had a virus get into my right vestibular system that destroyed all the nerves. 3: There is a possibility I have multiple sclerosis(MS) but that is a very hard and tricky thing to diagnosis.  I have accepted all three reasons and that has been important for me.  I struggled a lot with questioning why it was happening and what was causing it.  Since I have accepted those, I feel more like my old self.  I know some days are going to be hard and I'm going to feel like crap but that's life.  I know that my time on earth is short and I'm not going to let this one thing bring me down and overtake my thinking or way of life. 

My doctor talked with me about vestibular rehabilitation therapy and the things I need to do to help my brain & central nervous system recalibrate itself to solely use my left vestibular system.  I am working out and continually challenging myself.  Running, rollerblading, biking & kayaking are working on my balance and helps me get stronger.  There are lots of other things that I am doing that are helping me recover from the loss.  As I continue to do those things, my symptoms should get better and there is hope that I will be completely symptom free someday.  I will go in for check ups and hope it will get better.  If new symptoms arrise (like they have... i.e. left quad muscle twitching & spasms) AND things get worse, I will go in for further evaluation and tests to explore other possible causes.  I'm not going to think about that until I have to.

I will never give up.  I will never back down.  I stand strong.

peace & love

bj



A Week of Workouts

Instead of posting every single day this week, I decided that I would do one big collection of the week's workouts. 

" I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat." – Michael Jordan

"Just because you’re not sick doesn’t mean you’re healthy." – Author Unknown

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." – John F. Kennedy

peace & love
bj

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY 

THURSDAY 

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Rest & Recovery: Do a light jog or walk.  Do not let your heart rate go above 60 beats per minute.

SUNDAY

Rest & Recovery: Play with your kids (dogs), get on your bike or rollerblades.  Enjoy the day.  Get ready to get back at it tomorrow!

Rest & Recovery

I know I have been sharing alot of workouts this week and giving you plenty of options to choose from.  Having diversity is nice in a workout routine.  Something that is just as equally as important as your workouts is having 1-2 days a week of rest & recovery.

Just because you take a rest & recovery day doesn't mean you have to be off completely either.  Doing 20 to 30 minutes below 60% of your max heart rate would be OK.  Simple things like playing with your children, taking the dog for a walk, rollerblading or playing a game of bowling on the Wii could count as that 20 -30 minutes of light exercise.

Here are some reasons why taking a rest day is good:

• Your muscles grow when you rest which helps in building mass
• Overtraining can cause a weight-loss plateau
• Overtraining often leads to physical burnout
• Gives you some free time to spend with family or friends
• Allows adaptations to conditioning exercises (cardio) & strength training (lifting)
• Restocks glycogen stores
• Reduces fatigue
• Helps prevent overuse injuries
• Prevents mental burnout
• Can lower stress
• Boosts brain function

One Type of Rest That is Very Important: Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and provides time for the body to adapt to the physical and mental demands of training.

• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep (8 hours per night is a good guideline)

• Ensure your sleep is good quality, make sure the room is dark, quiet and peaceful.

Passive resting such as reading and listening to music are great ways for the body to relax, both physically and mentally.

 

Enjoy your rest & recovery day so you can get back at your training with a fresh body and mind!

 

peace & love

bj

 

 

Not Your Typical Day At The Park

Being a busy mom can take a toll on your workout regiment.  It can also cause feelings of guilt when you want to take time for yourself to get a workout in.  Sometimes it just isn't an option to have 30 minutes or an hour to dedicate to a workout.  So, what do you do?  Do you just skip the workout?  Nope, that is the last thing you want to do.  Being able to juggle activities and manage time is tricky but that's OK.  We can come up with all sorts of workouts to do when you have your little ankle bitter with you.

I have a 4 year old that is full of spunk and loves to play at the park.  Those are moments that I want to share with him and would rather choose the park over the gym but I can still work in some stuff during "playtime" at the park too!  There often times are multiple pieces of playground equipment that you can utilize during a body weight workout.  Perfect, huh?  You bet.  And if your little guy or gal is anything like mine, they will want to jump in and do it with you.  What a bonus...you get to workout and play with your mini-me.  It is also a great way to tucker them out so they just might go to bed early and without a fight.

Here is my Not Your Typical Day At The Park workout.

peace & love
bj

6 Pack {No, Not of Beer...}

This post title is pretty self explanatory for the type of workout I will be sharing.  I yearn to have my flat washboard stomach back that I had pre-baby.  Hell, I don't even have a baby anymore!  He is four years old and no longer a valid excuse for why I'm a little soft in the mid-section. 

Most women out there that have had a child will understand when I say our mid-section suffered a severe beating from pregnancy.  It gets stretched, soft, and squishy.  Our abdomen is probably one of the top trouble spots and it can be rather discouraging.

Let's face the facts: Training abs kind of sucks.  You won't be setting any personal records in a max out weight.  It seems to take forever to see results like other parts of the body that can "pop" in 2 weeks.  Never the less, abs are important for both form and function.  Having that 6 pack pulls together a strong and sexy physique, while having a strong core aids to safeguard against physical ailments.

This 6 pack abs workout is sure to work your core and help you on your way to getting that core strengthened up and looking good.

peace & love
bj

Summer Short Shorts Ready Workout

I refuse to wear Bermuda shorts just because I'm a mom and I'm getting older.  I still want to wear a pair of shorts that is mid/upper-thigh and looks flattering without being too short.  I'm not 18 anymore so booty shorts are out but that doesn't mean I have to resort to Bermuda shorts or even capri pants. 

Having a great butt and legs makes all the difference in the ability to wear fashionable summer styles.  We don't want to be showing off cellulite backsides, so let's fix it! 

You will hear me continually pretch about nutrition.  Body transformation of any sort starts with nutrition.  Eating right and healthy is the key element.  Without that, you won't see the progress you would hope for.  Committing to a lifestyle change is your best bet.  Your stomach shouldn't be a waste basket.  You should focus on eating whole/natural foods without preservatives or fillers.  Those added "ingredients" are harder for the body to digest and prevent your body from working optimally.

Here is a leg & butt workout to help you on your journey of getting summer short shorts ready.

peace & love
bj

Triple A Pyramids: Arms, Abs, Ass

If this triple dose of pyramid power doesn't leave you sweaty and feeling good about yourself, I don't know what will!  This is my triple A pyramid workout that targets your arms, abs and ass.  It is a hybrid of circuit and pyramid training.  You will get the benefits of both styles, which will leave you feeling pretty darn good. 

High intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are excellent for so many reasons.  Many of the popular workout videos and classes utilize this technique.  Why?  Because it works!

Here are a few examples of the benefits of HIIT:

• Efficiency (not wasting 90 mins in the gym)
• Burns more fat
• Healthier heart (anaerobic zone)
• Lose weight/fat, not muscle
• Increases your metabolism
• Challenging (less rest time for chatting/recovery)
• Working harder the whole time
• Conditions both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems

*Important note to remember: key element that makes HIIT different from other interval training is the maximum effort given, not simply a higher heart rate.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING:

Warm up.  Work through each pyramid giving your maximum effort for each exercise listed.  Once you have completed the first pyramid (arms), rest for 3 minutes.  Continue to the next pyramid (abs) giving maximum effort for each exercise listed.  Rest for 3 minutes.  Work through the last pyramid (ass) with maximum effort. Rest for 3 minutes.  Repeat pyramids once more.  Cool down.  Best of luck!

peace & love

bj