In The Beginning

Well, this is me...a 38, almost 39 year old at 170lbs who now has to make a HUGE life style change. It's now Jan 7th and my journey to "Healthy" starts now.

So I had many unhealthy habits. Hey, I LOVE a good hamburger. Wanna go out to dinner? Great, I order what I want when I want it. Never thought to tone it down, have a salad here and there. I met my husband, and as happy relationships go, you tend to pack on a few pounds.

In 2007, I was happy and eating to my way through my first pregnancy. So excited we were having a bouncing baby boy, I thought hey, I was eating for 2. Then at around 28 weeks, I seriously plumped up. Didn't realize I had packed on 20lbs in one month. Turns out it was water weight due to Pre-Eclampsia. At 28 weeks when the symptoms started, my doctor put me on bed rest, requiring me to no longer work. At 33 weeks, I wound up in the hospital because my blood pressure would not calm down. With protein in my urine and a blood pressure that wouldn't subside, my doctor finally induced my labor. My beautiful baby boy had a little problems breathing, but after 5 days in the NICU, was released from the hospital before I was. My blood pressure after delivery reached somewhere around 200/100. I didn't realize how serious of a problem I had - with the possibility to have a stroke at any minute. But within a month or two, my blood pressure was back to normal.

Fast forward to my second pregnancy. Again, excited I was having a baby girl this time, my new doctor monitored me closely. He kept telling me that it wasn't a high risk pregnancy, even though I was being cautious because of my first. It wasn't until I delivered my beautiful baby girl that my blood pressure began to rise. Again, a few months of maintenance and I was off medication, etc.

Now, 2 and a half years later, by a fluke, I took my pressure again. 175/114 it read. Oh great!!! Since I was sick at the time, I already had a doctors appointment scheduled. The results...cold medicine and now I'm on what they call "The Water Pill".

So now, I've reached the so called "fork" in the road. Either continue my bad habits have end up on serious medication/shorter life span or change my lifestyle.

With this journal, I hope to be able to look back through my journey, see the progress I made, one step at a time. And in the end, I hope and pray I reach the "Healthy" I'm striving for.