This summer was quite a challenge.  There were a lot of obstacles and just when things would wind down from one, I would turn around and get hit with another.

To recap, my summer began with a cold that turned into congestive heart failure (apparently heart failure patients do not get colds like everyone else).  The congestion builds up into fluid that gets backed up since my heart doesn’t pump it out strong enough.  The entire month of June I was taking care of that, making sure it did not progress into anything scary.  I stayed in the house and I worked crazy hard to get myself and my heart into a stable condition.  Then there was a bout of colitis in July… twelve days of hell!  Pure hell.  Truly awful stuff so I won’t go into details here.  As you can imagine, when August rolled around I was so ready for summer! Give me the beach, sunshine, a frozen drink!  Yet, my obsession with getting better is in full effect and I’ve been working hard each day on the physical and mental aspects and getting to the next level of health and healing.  It’s a full-time job. Actually, it’s 24/7.  I am researching new doctors, new approaches, slowly moving my way to a vegan diet (very slowly).  I’ve been looking into stem cell research and great things happening in Thailand.  Everything I read I consider, think it over, and if it’s for me, I incorporate it slowly.  I’ve been working out. Nothing crazy, but it feels good to move and walk until I can’t walk anymore!  All of these things have taken me to a great place.  And while I feel I have plateaued a bit, it feels good to see progress, and I accept the challenge to see more major positive changes. I take each day as it comes and I remain grateful for each second I feel good and can be out and about.

The good news is that despite all of my challenges this summer, I can see how much stronger I am than say, two years back.  I was able to work my way back from all of my issues this summer.  For the first time in five years I feel courageous enough to see myself as more than a patient.  To consider the idea that all of these health troubles will in fact, be a thing of the past some day, the scary times and pain and suffering a distant memory.  I am hungry for more, willing to push it a little more and take chances.  I look forward to this part of the journey!

The other day I spread out my Happy Healthy Hearts all over the floor and recharged!  It’s all of that collective love and positive energy that I use to spark this light inside of me.  I do not know what tomorrow or the next day holds but I can say that today my heart is a rockstar.