How ru feeding ur self?

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, & LOTS OF TRIAL & ERROR! SEVERAL OLD POSTS COME 2 MIND, LIKE DUMPING WATER ALL OVER MYSELF AT CHURCH!) BUT “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild those plans and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” Author Unknown)

YEARS OF BABY STEPS & LOTS OF PATIENCE. I STARTED SMALL & I HAD AN ARM BRACE AT 1ST. I EVENTUALLY GOT A “TREAT MACHINE” (IT LOOKS LIKE A GERBIL FEEDER, & I TWIST A DIAL, SO SNACKS FALL IN A BOWL). THERE’S A PICTURE OF BOTH ON MY BLOG, ON A SCRAPBOOK PAGE CALLED“JENNY’S WAY”–http://www.jenannlynn.org/?page_id=648 . ANYWAY, I KEPT FEEDING MYSELF, & MY ARM GOT STRONGER. MEANWHILE, MY MUSIC THERAPIST HAD ME LIFTING 1 LB. WEIGHTS 2 MUSIC, WORKING ON MY GRIP, & WORKING ON MY AIM. I WAS A MESS AT 1ST, & 4 A WHILE, I STOPPED, CUZ IT BOTHERED ME THAT THERE WAS MORE FOOD AROUND ME, THAN IN ME! BUT WHEN I WAS LOSING WEIGHT, I DIDN’T CARE ANYMORE, & WATCHING A BABY GROW INTO A TODDLER HAS ITS BENEFITS! ? STILL, EVERYTIME I EAT, I HAVE 2 PRACTICE THE ANGLE 2 HOLD FOOD ON A UTENSIL—SO THE 1ST FEW BITES ARE MESSIER. HENCE, I PREFER MY HAND! LOL

WHAT’S IMPORTANT 2 REMEMBER IS 2 ENJOY & APPLAUD URSELF 4 EACH SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENT ALONG THE WAY, & 2 ENJOY WHAT U HAVE, CUZ IT MAY BE AS GOOD AS IT GETS, BUT DON’T LET THAT MAKE U GET COMPLACENT!
“Aim at the sun and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if you had aimed at an object on a level with yourself.” Author Unknown

THEN WHEN IT GETS BETTER, U CAN BE SURPRISED & THRILLED!

“Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. You are not destined to be a scrub. You are a child of God, of infinite capacity.”
Gordon B. Hinckley

“PERSISTANCE RESULTS IN SUCCESS”

I WENT UPSTAIRS 2 GET LUNCH FRIDAY. ONLY MK WAS HOME, BUT IT APPEARED LIKE HE WAS RESTING, & I DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART 2 WAKE HIM UP, SO I OPTED 2 SEE IF I COULD GET MYSELF LUNCH…IT WASN’T TOO LOFTY OF A GOAL, BECUZ I HAD DONE THE STEPS B4:
1. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HAD USED MY GRABBER, & GOTTEN A CUP OUT OF A CABINET, FILLED IT W/WATER, & PUT ON THE LID
2. SOPHIE HAS BEEN WORKING W/ME 2 GET A PAPER TOWEL BIB MYSELF, & I TRY 2 PUT THEM BACK ON ALL THE TIME, IF THEY FALL
3. I HAVE GONE IN OUR PANTRY, GOTTEN A GRANOLA BAR OUT, & OPENED IT UP
4. I HAVE GONE IN OUR BREAD DRAWER, TAKEN OUT MY FAVORITE WHEAT BREAD, UNTIED THE BAG, GOTTEN A PIECE OUT, & RE-TIED THE BAG

SO, I GOT MYSELF WATER, THEN A BIB, BREAD, & A BANANA (THEY WERE GETTING OLD, SO IT EASILY PULLED OFF, LEAVING AN OPENING AT THE TOP, SO I COULD PEEL THE BANANA. A STEP-STOOL BLOCKED OUR BASKET OF GRANOLA BARS, BUT I GOT SOME MORE BREAD INSTEAD! LOL WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING OF SUCCESS!

L8R, ON BYU’S SATELLITE RADIO STATION, THEY WERE DISCUSSING SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT (I THINK THE BOOK WAS CALLED, “WHY DOESN’T MY CHILD LLIKE SCHOOL?”), BUT THE THINGS THAT WERE BEING SAID TOTALLY APPLIED 2 MY SITUATION, CUZ THEY WERE DISCUSSING HOW IT IS NOT BAD 2 FAIL…U HAVE 2 TRY 2 FAIL, SO FAILLING IS NOT TRYING, & “PERSISTANCE RESULTS IN SUCCESS.”

COURSE, THE SUCCESS DOESN’T MEAN I’M FEEDING MYSELF NOW, UNLESS I WANT THE SAME FOOD FOR EVERY MEAL, & I WANT 2 SPEND 40 MIN. DOING IT EACH TIME, BUTIT’S NICE KNOWING THAT I CAN DO THAT MUCH INDEPENDENTLY!

CHANGE

EVERY JOB (OR WE SAY “CALLING”) IN MY CHURCH IS ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS, & LASTS AS LONG AS GOD WANTS U THERE. 4 AWHILE NOW, I HAVE TAUGHT THE TEENAGE GIRLS, BUT I WAS RECENTLY “RELEASED” FROM THAT CALLING—I WAS SOOO UPSET! I LOVED TEACHING THE GIRLS, CUZ I FELT CONFORTABLE & ACCEPTED THERE, & IT ALLOWED ME 2 GROW SPIRITUALLY & MENTALLY. (BESIDES, IT DIDN’T SEEM POSSIBLE THAT “SOME1 LIKE ME”: WHO CAN’T TALK & BARELY MOVES, COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! LOL)

SOMETIMES IT IS SO HARD 2 GO, BUT THE LORD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST 4 US, SO WE NEED 2 HAVE FAITH IN HIS PLAN 4 US, & WE’LL GROW IN WAYS WE DIDN’T KNOW WAS POSSIBLE! (I FIND THAT TRUE WITH ANY CHANGE IN MY LIFE, & U’D THINK BY NOW– AFTER SUFFERING A STROKE THAT TURNED OUR WORLD UPSIDE-DOWN, I TOLERATED CHANGE BETTER, BUT I DON’T!)

I RECEIVED A NEW “CALLING” AS COMPASSIONATE SERVICE LEADER, WHERE I HELP COORDINATE THE OTHER WOMAN AS THEY TRY TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER (HELPING WITH MEALS, DRIVING PEOPLE PLACES, VISITING PEOPLE, BABYSITTING AS A FRIEND MOVES, ETC.) SO, I HAVEN’T REALLY POSTED SINCE GETTING THIS NEW CALLING, BECUZ I’VE BEEN SUPER BUSY SENDING LOTS OF EMAILS, & ORGANIZING A LOT RIGHT NOW.

THIS WEEKEND IS OUR GENERAL CONFERENCE. (TWICE A YEAR, ON THE 1ST APRIL & THE 1ST OCT. WEEKENDS, THE PROPHET & APOSTLES SPEAK TO US) THERE ARE 4 SESSIONS–10-12 MDT & 2-4 MDT SAT. & SUN., EACH FILLED W 10-15 MIN. TALKS. (IF U WANT 2 CHECk IT OUT, U CAN SEE IT ONLINE:HTTP://WWW.LDS.ORG, ON DISH NETWORK #9403, DIRECTV #374, SIRIUSXM RADIO #143, & TIME WARNER CABLE #889.)

IT’S MY STROKE-AVERSARY ON SATURDAY!

PHOTO BY AIMAGE, INC: LISA SHEPARD

9 YEARS AGO (ON THE 16TH), I HAD A MASSIVE BRAINSTEM STROKE – BIGGER THAN MY DOCTOR HAD EVER SEEN! A FELLOW STROKE SURVIVOR DESCRIBED A STROKE SO WELL W/THIS ANALOGY:
“… my world was 1 of those snow globes you get the airport and you shake it all up and the pieces go flying all around and eventually fall back into place they’re just not in the places they were before. “

I AM NOW 39 YRS. OLD, CONFINED 2 A W/C, BARELY MOVE, AM FINALLY LEARNING 2 SPEAK, MY LEFT SIDE IS PARALYZED, I HAVE DOUBLE VISION…NEED I GO ON? I NEVER DID DRUGS, SMOKED, DRANK ALCOHOL, ETC., & I EXERCISED: AEROBICS, BALLET & OTHER FORMS OF DANCE. BUT I NEVER FOUND OUT WHY I HAD A STROKE. THE BEST GUESSES ARE CUZ THE DOCTORS COULD TELL FROM BRAIN SCANS THAT THE ARTERIES IN MY BRAIN ARE SOMEWHAT SMALLER THAN AVERAGE (WHICH MAKES THE POSSIBILITY OF A STROKE MORE LIKELY), OR CUZ I HAD TRIED A NEW BIRTH CONTROL WEEKS EARLIER, OR CUZ I HIT MY HEAD A FEW DAYS EARLIER.

LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A VERY THIN ARTERY THAT MAY HAVE GOTTTEN BLOCKED, AND IF I’D EATEN MORE GREENS (I WASN’T A TERRIBLE EATER BEFORE MY STROKE, BUT I HAD MY FAIR SHARE OF EMPTY CALORIE FOODS, CANDY, & SODA, & REFUSED ANY BEANS & ALL FISH– IN FACT, ANYTHING GREEN & HEALTHY WAS NASTY! ), IT MAY HAVE HELPED THIN MY BLOOD. BUT I BELIEVE THAT BECUZ I EXERCISED & TOOK CARE OF MYSELF, IT MAY HAVE MADE THE STROKE OCCUR LATER IN MY LIFE (CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 6 YEARS OLD HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SUFFER A STROKE)! THE DOCTORS THOUGHT I WOULD ONLY BLINK THE REST OF MY LIFE, BUT I BELIEVE I’VE RECOVERED SO MUCH, CUZ I WAS HEALTHY!

BUT I COULD NO LONGER RAISE MY 3 KIDS, BE A PARENT GROUP COORDINATOR, BE A ROOM MOM OR TEAM MOM, OR TEACH MY 2ND GRADE CLASS, OR TEACH MY SCRAPBOOK CLASSES, OR TEACH THE CHURCH PRIMARY MUSIC TO THE KIDS THAT WERE 18 MONTHS-12 YEARS OLD. I HAD EVERY RIGHT 2 FEEL LIKE MY YOUTH & DREAMS WERE STOLEN FROM ME! BUT INSTEAD, I FEEL LIKE I WAS ABLE TO LIVE A VERY FULL LIFE AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE BIRTH TO 3 BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN BEFORE I COULD NO LONGER HAVE THAT CONTINUED BLESSING BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH. THIS MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD TRIGGERED A STROKE AT A YOUNG AGE, OR HAD BEEN A SMOKER. MY COLLEGE DEGREE, WHICH I MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED IF I HAD HAD MY STROKE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, HAS ALSO ASSISTED ME IN WAYS I DIDN’T ANTICIPATE, EVEN NOW!

A CONVERSATION FROM THE MOVIE, THE GOODBYE GIRL GOES AS FOLLOWS:
Paula McFadden asks,” What is that slop you are putting into my dishes?”
Elliot Garfield answers “Granola, wheat germ, soya, lecithin, natural honey. My body is a temple, Miss McFadden, and I am worshiping it. It’s what gives me my energy, my vitality and my natural disposition.…May I fix you a bowl? “

IF YOU CHOOSE THE PROPER FOODS, I BELIEVE YOU WILL HAVE BETTER HEALTH THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU ATE FOODS THAT ARE NOT NUTRITIOUS. I NOW LOVE MY VEGETABLES & SOME FISH & ENJOY SOME BEANS! I AM NOW ON A BIG HEALTH KICK, & IF I DO EVER WALK, I THINK IT WILL BE CUZ OF MY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE NOW, & CUZ OF MY LOW WEIGHT.

YOUR LIFE IS DEFINATELY SHAKEN UP DIFFERENTLY WITH A STROKE & IS NOT HOW U SAW IT, BUT LIKE THE SNOWGLOBE, THINGS FALL BACK IN PLACE, & CAN STILL BE BEAUTIFUL! I SHARED MY NEW FAVORITE SONG, WHERE IT SHARES HOW OUR “TRIALS OF THIS LIFE, THE RAINS, THE STORM’S OF THIS LIFE,ARE YOUR (GOD’S) MERCIES IN DISGUISE.” I CAN SEE HOW THAT IS TRUE FOR ME, & IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME, I WOULDN’T STOP MY STROKE FROM HAPPENING! I AM GRATEFUL 2 GOD 4 SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE, & ALLOWING ME 2 SUFFER, SO I COULD GROW FROM THIS EXPIERIENCE! AS A PARENT, I KNOW IT’S NOT EASY 2 LET A CHILD SUFFER, EVEN IF WE KNOW THE GOOD THAT WILL COME FROM THAT SUFFERING!

What “weird” little things have you noticed post stroke?

• I AM FREEZING ONCE IT HITS 70 DEGREES–I WILL HAVE LONG SLEEVES, WHEN PEOPLE ARE DRESSING 4 SUMMER HERE. PEOPLE LEAVE THIS STATE THE MONTH OF JULY, CUZ ITS TOO HOT–LIKE 112 DEGREES. I LIKE IT!
• MY TEMPER FLARES REAL EASY, & WHILE I WAS ANXIOUS BEFORE, NOW IT’S AWFUL & I ALSO DON’T HAVE THE SAME HANDLE ON STRESS (THX GOODNESS MY HUSBAND IS A THERAPIST!)
• I LAUGH REALLY BAD AT A BURP OR A FART–PRE-STROKE, I WAS DISGUSTED BY THEM!
• I FEEL FANTOM BUGS OCCASIONALLY CRAWLING ON MY PARALYZED LIMBS–SOMETIMES THERE REALLY ARE BUGS, BUT USUALLY NOT!
• MY ATTENTION SPAN SEEMS TO WANDER ALSO….SO I TAKE RITALIN, & I UNDERTAND MORE & DO BETTER AT THERAPY.
• I CAN’T COUGH ON COMMAND… MY BODY JUST AUTOMATICALLY DOES IT.
• I’LL ALSO GET A WHOLE BODY SHIVER THAT MAKES ME TWITCH,
• I TAKE THESE OCCASIONAL BIG BREATHS THAT SEEM LIKE A SIGH