In just a year

It was just about one year ago that I was so sick, I thought I was going to die.  I could not breathe and had zero energy.  The day I made a doctor's appointment with a new doctor because I had only been going to Kaiser in Martinez and now I was going to go to the Napa clinic, the mere act of taking a shower to go to the appointment exhausted me to the point that I was light headed.  In sweats with a hat to cover the hair I was too exhausted to dry and style, with no makeup, I had Rod drive me to Kaiser, then go get a wheelchair because I didn't think I could make it from the parking lot to the office.

At the doctor, I found out I had pneumonia and met the doctor who was about to change my life -- Dr. Ines George, a tiny little thing in a white coat.  After 3 days of medication, I felt so good that I cleaned out the refrigerator.  But. Dr. George was not done with me yet.  She set me up for all kinds of tests inluding a chest xray, heart sonogram, blood and urine tests galore.  I found out that my blood pressure was slightly high, I was vitamin D deficient, and then there were the lung function tests.  Dr. George never shook her finger in my face and said "if you don't quit smoking, you will die".  Instead, she said, "When you are ready to quit, I have tools that will help you. "    The lung function tests showed asthma and early emphysema, so a hefty case of COPD and inhalers I will have to use for the rest of my life.  The test technician said that my lung function could be slightly improved by the inhalers, but would never be fully restored.  If I continue to smoke, she said, my lungs would continue to deteriorate.  At that poiont, I was so grateful that my chest xrays looked ok and my hear seemed sound, that I knew I still had a chance.

The day I retired was the last day I smoked.  Since then, I have lost 25 pounds (oh, why won't that other 25 come off?), work out (Curves or Yoga/Pilates) five days a week, and just three days ago started my walking training for the Susan G Komen 60 mile 3 Day walk.  I have not felt healthier in such a long time, and I am so grateful that I found Dr. George.

In just one year, I have turned my life around, I think!