One Moment that Changes Everything

Health is a precarious thing. One minute you can feel as if you are immortal, invincible even, and in the very next breath it can all disappear. It is vital to take care of yourself and realize how precious good health really can be.

This morning at 1:15 am my 9 year-old daughter came stumbling into my bedroom gasping for breath. She had panic infused in her eyes and terror written all over her face as she struggled with out success to draw air into her lungs.

She couldn't even speak, with all the effort it took for her to fill her lungs with life-giving oxygen. She was in the midst of a full-blown asthma attack. We hadn't seen one this bad in over five years. We rushed to find her inhalers and prayed she could draw enough of it into her lungs to buy some us some time.

Time to get her to the emergency room. It only took us 7 minutes to get there, but every breath was a struggle. Thankfully, the albuterol began to slowly work and she could get more air moving in her restricted airways. Still, getting to the hospital was at a high urgency.
Once in the ER, the doctors flew to her giving her oral meds, setting up IVs, hooking her to monitors that took careful watch of her oxygen levels and her racing hear rate. A heart rate that sped along at 165 bpm while she was laying down on the bed as doctors put epinephrine in her body to get her to breathe and stop the attack on her ravaged lungs. Turning the O2 levels up as high as possible, the purple dragon oxygen mask delivered much the much needed pure oxygen that gave sweet relief.

And then they heard it.

The doctors and nurses stopped what they were doing and looked at each other puzzled.

A barky cough. But she was too old for that early-childhood illness of croup.

Frantically, they ran around the ER, realizing that all the meds they had just pumped into her body were not going to be effective and rushed to find and administer the ones that would ease her breathing and calm her racing heart. Then because of conflicting meds warring against each other inside of her body, we were in for a long wait as her body responded to all that was being done to help her return to the vivacious, carefree, playful 9 year-old she normally was.
It took 6 1/2 hours for her heart to slow to under 100 beats per minute. While in deep sleep, it still sped along, bouncing between 111 and 120 bpm (the heart rate of a moderate workout). Finally, her heart stayed below 100 bpm for a sustained period of time, and we knew we were home free.

Until she woke up and her hear jumped to 145 bpm with an irratic beat, for the next 45 minutes more tests were done, x-rays of her lungs taken, and evaluations on EKG stressors checked to see how she would respond with out the assist of extra oxygen and simple walking. Only then, even still a bit hesitant, the doctor let us take her home, under careful watch in case she should have a relapse, with the promise that we would take her to the doctor's in the morning to be re-evaluated, and have her progress checked.

In sharing this hair-raising event I wanted to send a simple reminder that health is a precious gift, that we far too often take for granted, or feel it is too inconvenient to bother with. But all too soon and faster than imagined it can be snatched away if you are not careful, and guard it with faithful diligence.

So make a promise to yourself that everyday you will find ways to be more healthy.Whether it is in increased exercise, watching what you eat, or stopping a life-threatening habit, commit to yourself not to take your health for granted.

Commit to yourself that you will take small measured steps to increase the level that you care for yourself. Then guard it carefully, because we only get one body to take us through our adventures in this life and we want to be sure that we can have our greatest adventures still to come. And if we take care of ourselves, we will find it less likely that our health will be fleeting in our next steps into life.

Bill Phillips once said," If you wait until things are "perfect" before you begin something healthy, challenging, and new, you'll be waiting forever. Set a deadline for when to begin."

So take a moment, breathe in deep and fill your lungs to capacity with oxygen infused air and let it out. Realize how wonderful it truly is to feel them move freely as they fill your blood stream and then your body with energy enriched oxygen and be grateful for good health and the ability to build strong bodies.


Here is a yummy fall treat to try out to help you along the way to good health!

Crank Up Your Crockpots!This applesauce recipe is a serious time saver"One of my favorite fall treats is fresh applesauce," says Cheryl Forberg, RD, The Biggest Loser nutritionist. "It can be a hassle to cook but store-bought varieties are usually loaded with added sugar. The recipe below, which employs a crockpot, is a real time-saver; you don't need to monitor the sauce as it simmers on the stovetop, or stir it to prevent sticking. Plus, this recipe has no added sugar."Chunky Crock Pot Applesauce This makes a great topping for hot cereal or the perfect addition to stir into yogurt.Yield: About three cups (six 1/2-cup servings)
8 unpeeled medium-size apples (about 3 1/2 pounds of Gala, Delicious or Fuji), cored and cut into one-inch pieces
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place all ingredients in crockpot. Toss to coat apples. Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Cool slightly. Serve warm or cold.Note: Granny Smith or other tart apples may be used, though sweetener may be needed.
Recipe from The Biggest Loser Nutrition Facts per 1/2-Cup Serving:Calories 145Calories from Fat 0Sodium 0mgDietary Fiber 7gSugar 28g


Make this week awesome, ask yourself how you can change your life so that good health is not something to be taken for granted. Write out how you are going to make each breath you take worth living!

See you in the water!

Debbie Davis
http://www.debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/
24 hour fitness group exercise instructor

Classes:

Mon Aqua 10:00 am Centennial Super Sport
Tues Aqua 9:30 am North Aurora Chambers * now an hour
Thur Aqua 5:30 pm North Aurora Chambers * now an hour
Sat Aqua 9:00 am Lowry

Book Review: Intrinsical By Lani Woodland

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland is a new young adult paranormal romance that gives a new slant to what paranormal is all about. It is her debut novel and it is filled with everything that makes paranormal so exciting as she creates a new way of showing us how out of the ordinary life can really be. It is the perfect way to have a taste of Halloween anytime of the year. It delves into ghosts, curses, dark sinister mists, hauntings, and let's not forget a little romance along the way.

I loved this story from start to finish and it grabbed me and had me hanging on for dear life wondering what was going to happen next. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough as I devoured all the many unexpected twists that forced surprise from my mouth numerous times.

In addition to the amazing story-weaving talents Lani possess,where she easily casts the reader under the spell of her well-written, engaging characters; she also has an incredible eye for photography. She took the fabulous underwater picture that graces her cover.

In Intrinsical, Yara was looking forward to attending Pendrell boarding school with her best friend, Cherie. It was a chance to escape all the jokes about her crazy ghost-talking grandmother. She wanted to be normal and with relief thought that the dormant Waker gene that let her grandmother see and talk with ghosts might just have missed claiming her. But when she sees a dark mist trying to attack Brent, a gorgeous, popular athlete, and tries to kill him, she impulsively jumps in to save his life. But this causes her to draw the attention of the dark mist as it begins to stalk her as she learns about the curse that has haunted her new school with dark spirits, as it seeks to threaten her life. At the same time Brent turns his focus to Yara as he wants to know more about the girl who saved his life.

Then Yara's best-friend Cherie, excited to investigate all the stories of hauntings around the school, hopes to make contact with the ghosts of the curse. She drags her new boyfriend Steve along with Yara and Brent into the heart of the curse, but she doesn't have the ability to make contact, even though she studied with Yara's grandmother,the ways of the Wakers, strange things begin to happen around them.

Meanwhile, Yara learns that maybe the Waker gene didn't skip a generation after all. Fighting her heredity and her growing powers as a Waker she finds herself pulled further and further into the realm of ghosts and dark spirits as she and her friends delve deeper into finding out about the long standing curse and the mystery behind it the danger that lurks in the shadows as they learn that the deaths that occurred at the school and the sinister nature of them is may be more than what anyone ever realized.

Intrinsical held me spell-bound until the last amazing twist-filed page. I loved the characters and how they grew with each new discovery they made. The ties of friendship and loyalty are portrayed in a depth that shows the importance of courage, trust and always being there for each other. They changed as they learned that they could be more important in each other's lives than they ever imagined.

I loved how well each new surprise sprang out at me unexpectedly as incredible events where there was no turning back left you wondering how the characters could possibly overcome them and how unpredictable it all was in the end. It was refreshing to find this clean paranormal romance free of sex and swearing.

Lani's writing transported me to Pendrell where I felt the brush of the icy wind on my face and could smell the chlorine that permeated the air and hear the slopping wet foot prints as they appeared sinisterly as they drew closer and closer. I could even feel the chill go up my spine when a mysterious message appeared in a fogged up mirror. This is a book where you want to curl up in a under the covers with a flash light so you can chase away the shadows edging closer and closer.

You can learn more about the fascinating world of Intrinsical at http://www.intrinsicalthebook.com/ and you can purchase your own chilling ghost-filled copy of Intrinsical by clicking here or here.

Disclaimer: While I did receive a copy of the book from the author, my opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

you can check out my review at barnes and noble here, and my review at amazon here.

Setting Goals that Transform You Inside and Out

As you enjoy the cool whisper of the autumn air and we edge ever closer to Halloween, it is a time of pumpkins and fun magical possibilities!
With those possibilities are the dreams that we make as we take a night to become something different, and take on the identity of a mythological creature or scary monster, it is about re-creating ourselves,even for just a spellbound night. But what if you could take that change and make it more permanent?

Not so much as turning ourselves into ghost and fairies for the rest of our lives, but more along the lines of changing who we want to become in a world not made up of fantastical creatures, but ordinary human beings. Make that extraordinary human beings!

We are all capable of changing and becoming more than we ever imagined. All it take is a little disciple and a smidgen of determination, guised in the form of a written goal. With a little encouragement and a chance to see progress, we can do amazing things.

There was a time in my life that I never thought I could run more than three miles. That distance seemed daunting! Then I was set with the challenge of running 26.2 miles. That seemed unbelievable, almost impossible. I couldn't see myself accomplishing that huge number. But then I decided that it was doable. That it could be done, and so I set a goal. With the help of good friends and a little disciple, I created mini goals to help me along the way.

I did not do 26.2 miles the next day, not even close. That number was still intimidating to me, but I did smaller ones. I ran 2 miles, then 5, then 8 and on and on, until I was up to 21 before the big event. Finally, the day of my first full marathon arrived. I started it at 5:30 am on a beautiful cool day up in the mountains of Steamboat Colorado. I was with a hand full of people doing an early start. I knew I needed all of the extra time I would be allotted to accomplish my biggest and still uncompleted goal of 26.2 miles. The day was calm when I started, I thought it would be easy, my adrenaline was racing through my veins as I ran along the black ribboned high way. I was so excited! It was going to be so much fun! It was the day I would finally meet that goal that I had trained 5 months for, working up to the big event little increments at a time. I was laughing, taking pictures of the breath taking scenery and was on an all time high.

But as the day progressed, things became more challenging. IT rained, the temperatures dipped low, and it snowed. The wind picked up with a fury to blow me off the road. Disgruntled Sunday drivers ran me off the road and at times almost hit me. I saw runner after runner pass me by, each encouraging me to keep going and not give up, counting them as they went wondering if I would be the last one to finish as I continued to push one foot in front of the other toward that golden shining moment when I would cross that finish line. I had Friends cheer me on the way with green wigs and horns, shouts of encouragement and treats. My family found me 5 miles out, and in the pouring rain which soon became mixed with pounding hail, 3 of my children rushed to meet me on the trial. The hugged my weary body and told me I could finish, not to give up I was so close. Then 2 of my sons decided to finish the journey with me. They braved the rain and hail that stung our skin when the wind kicked up, they ran by my side keeping my mind off my aching feet, and worn-out legs. The rest of my family found me again half a mile from the finish and they all ran out on the road to join me as I made my last few steps toward that elusive goal, the finish line. A little over seven hours after I started, I pulled my exhausted body into a last run to cross the line to the cheering cries of my family and friends. They rushed to hug me and tell me I was awesome. I had finally accomplished what I had once thought almost impossible.

I did not come close to finishing first, and to be honest... I ended up being dead last! The slowest time of the race. But that is not what mattered. What was important was that I did not stop, I never gave up, I kept trying until I finally made my goal. It was not always easy, but there were those who where there along the way, strangers, friends and family who helped me to reach my goal. Me, a mom of 7 children and running my first marathon at the age of 40, and not in the best shape of my life, I did it!

It is the same with everything else in our lives. IF we allow others to be there for us, If we let them know our goals and what we want to do, they will be there along the journey, encouraging us, helping us to not give in, and lifting us back up when we falter. I want you think about who in your life you could turn to, look around you at those who would encourage you. Maybe it is a co-worker, a spouse, a friend, a child. It could even be a stranger, who smiles encouragingly to you as you work hard to accomplish your goals. Just know that you can do what ever you set a mind to do. It may seem an impossible, daunting task, but by taking it a step at a time, with help along the way, you can accomplish the unbelievable! IT IS WITHIN YOU! You can become that new creature for more than just one fun filled night of dressing up, you can transform yourself into something wonderful. And as you do, the changes will become apparent to you on the inside as well as what everyone else will notice and see.

So take the challenge, as we head into the season of fun and celebrations. Write your fitness goals down. Decide what you are going to do. Break them up so they can be manageable, and tell some one what you plan to do, so they can help you make that goal a finish line that you can cross with determination and excitement. Send them to me and I will cheer you on as well! It can be anything, you don't have to run a marathon to be amazing, just planning your exercise schedule, eating right, and putting in your best efforts goes a long way to creating positive, permanent change. Aqua classes can help you in your calorie burn of 350-500 plus calories burned depending on how hard you work. Augmenting it with other cross trianing will help you see drastic improvements. Together we can all be more than we ever imagined. We can accomplish the incredible!

I look forward to hearing about the goals and challenge you set for yourself! Let me in on them, I will promise to cheer you on, no matter what. I will be there along the way and especially during that last half mile as you sprint to the finish line!

Have a rocking great week! See you all in the water!

love ya
Debbie Davis
24hour fitness group exercise instructor
http://www.debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/

Classes:

Thur 5:30 pm Aqua North Aurora Chambers * now an hour long!
Sat 9:00 am Aqua Lowry
Mon 10:00 am Aqua Centennial Super Sport
Tues 9:30 am Aqua North Aurora Chambers * now an hour long

Making Friends Monday

I want you to meet one of the neatest people I have had the chance to get to know~ Tristi Pinkston. She is an amazing friend. I feel it is a privilege to know her and I want to share her with you. I love her blog and like one of the really neat features she has on it called Making Friends Monday. I am so excited that I get to be featured on her blog, and I wanted to share a little bit about Tristi with you and some of the things that make her so wonderful!

Tristi Pinkston has been blogging since 2006. On her main blog, http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/ she covers everything from writing tips and the life of a published author to kid funnies, spiritual thoughts, and embarrassing moments. She also has a weight loss blog, one for writing challenges, another for her fictional characters … and she lost count of how many others she has. You can find the links for them on her sidebar.

Tristi is the author of five published novels and a whole kit ‘n caboodle of unpublished novels. Right now she’s focusing on cozy mysteries, although she has written historical fiction in the past and plans to write more in that genre. She works as a freelance editor and a virtual book tour coordinator. She loves taking long naps, being charmingly annoying, and watching good movies. She’s a Mormon, a homeschooler, a Cubmaster, and most of the time, a headless chicken.

I read her book Agent in Old Lace and absolutely loved it! It was a hilarious face-paced read that kept me on the edge until the very last page and kept me up way past my bedtime. I know you will love reading it as much as me. I hope you had as much fun getting to know Tristi as I did, jump on over to her blog and say hi, I know she would love it!