My Motivation? My Mom

prettysenshi

I just wanted to share this and hopefully it can help other people too. In 2008, my mom who wasn't even 50 yet, had a stroke, which was linked to smoking, diabetes and a genetic disorder that runs in our family. Anyways, it was tough; she lost weight while she was in the hospital for awhile because of the diet she was on. She was probably around 230 at this time, and she had been fairly active before that, we hardly ate out, etc.

During the years, the numerous doctors couldn't get her diabetes under control, among other conditions (along with the smoking), and she was trying to get weight loss surgery, but the doctors failed to monitor her blood sugar closely, and she was unable to get it. She fell into a depression and in March of this year, she had another stroke, and was at her top weight of about 360 at this time. She lost about 40 pounds while she was in the hospital, and still continued to smoke when she was at the rehab facility. The rehab center let her go because her insurance had run out and she fell a week later (May 25th). May 28th, 2014, at 54, she passed away at 12:31pm due to lung failure.

Basically, my mom had all these conditions: diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, Hyperlipidemia, and Copd. Most of them could have been avoided and her overall health could have been greatly improved, if she had lost the weight.

In the end, it was 3 broken ribs, and a punctured lung that ended up killing my mom, but it gave me motivation: I can't and won't end up like that. Ever. My mom ended up on a ventilator for a short time to assist her breathing and allow her punctured lung to heal, but we didn't know, that once the ventilator took over, my mom's lungs pretty much started shutting down because of the COPD and her other conditions. Her body started to compensate and started shutting down non-vital organs to keep her heart and lungs going. During this entire time, she was aware of everything going on, and had a hand in any medical decisions that my dad made. It ended with my mom choosing to be taken off the ventilator, even though she knew she would die.

Having a family where diabetes and high blood pressure run in our family, it hit me. I'm overweight, and it's affecting more than I realized. It affects everything I can and can't do, it affects my heart, my lungs, my joints, my brain. It gives me an understanding how much more important it is to be healthy and not just diet, but make a positive permanent lifestyle change.

It makes me realize, that having hypothyroidism, that I'm at an increased risk gaining that extra weight, if I don't stop everything I've been doing and change.

I lost my mom that day, but less than a month later, her death made me realize how much I want to live for the future, for my family, for my niece. How I want to say that I'm healthy, how I want to BE healthy. How I WILL be healthy. At 26 years old, and having that long with my mom, she gave me something she probably never thought: A will to live, to be healthy and to be happy.

You never know how much time you have left on this earth. Don't spend it struggling to get up and down stairs, getting into cars, walking, shopping or anything else. Spend it getting healthy to be there longer for your loved ones, and mostly importantly, you.

healthygreek

I'm so sorry for the loss of your mom at such a young age.
Good for you for getting healthy and being able to live a long, active and healthy life. Your mom would have certainly wanted that for you.

Edited for grammar

kimothy38

Thanks so much for sharing such a touching story.

prettysenshi

Thanks, everyone Even if it helps one person, the story has accomplished what it was meant too.

laurie04427

Sorry for the loss of your mom.

I'm motivated for similar reasons watching my Dad's health decline. Diabetes, Heart attack, gall bladder issues, now stomach cancer. He has always been very overweight until fairly recently with the cancer.

I'm aiming to be in more control of my health.