Weight loss isn't just about looking good!

30^th August 2012

When making big change in our life, it can be easier to break it up into a few small changes to avoid overwhelm.

Firstly thank you all for your concern for my mom, it’s very much appreciated to know you care. Xx

Apparently I get my stubborn streak from my mom - according to my mate.  If that’s true god help whoever has to take care of me in my old age because my moms can be a nightmare.  Regardless of what the experts say with their machines and tests, she’s all “how do they know, how do the know I had a mini stroke, I reckon it was just a migraine”, what can you say to that, she’ll try anything to get out of going back to the hospital today ;-) I however am glad we’ve got an appointment this afternoon so I can find out more about what actually is going on and what needs to be done going forward.  Of course being me and an internet freak, I’ve googled it, no doubt you’ve seen the adverts about strokes but just in case you haven’t or as a reminder here are the clues;

The main stroke symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST: Face-Arms-Speech-Time.

• Face: the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth or eye may have drooped
• Arms: the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift one or both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness
• Speech: their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake
• Time: it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms

Symptoms in the FAST test identify about nine out of 10 strokes.

Other signs and symptoms may include:

• numbness or weakness resulting in complete paralysis of one side of the body
• sudden loss of vision
• dizziness
• communication problems, difficulty talking and understanding what others are saying
• problems with balance and coordination
• difficulty swallowing
• sudden and severe headache, unlike any the person has had before, especially if associated with neck stiffness
• blacking out (in severe cases)

Unfortunately I wasn’t here when it happened and mom didn’t call me, it was 2 hours before I got home and she didn’t call me!  Mom had a mini stroke which is also called a TIA;

The symptoms of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) are the same as for a stroke but only last from between a few minutes to a few hours, then completely disappear. However, never ignore a TIA as it is a serious warning sign that there is a problem with the blood supply to your brain.

There is about a one in 10 chance that those who have a TIA will experience a full stroke during the four weeks following the TIA. If you have had a TIA, you should contact your GP, local hospital or out-of-hours service, as soon as possible.

Scary stuff ay!  So today I’m playing doctor advisor ;-) and am going to give you a few suggestions on how to avoid it happening to you.  And surprise, surprise on of the main ways of preventing strokes is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, avoid smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.  I have the first three nailed, I’m working on the fourth!

Weight Watchers isn’t just about getting slim it’s about getting healthy and now I’ve had this reality check with mom, because lets be honest until it happens to us or to someone we love whether it’s a stroke or whatever, we ignore what ‘could’ happen because we walk round and treat our bodies like they are indestructible – well guess what they’re not!

A poor diet is a major risk factor for a stroke (and other medical problems as we know but ignore) High fat foods can lead to the build-up of fatty plaques in your arteries and being overweight can lead to high blood pressure. A low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (five portions a day) and whole grains. You should limit the amount of salt that you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day because too much salt will increase your blood pressure. Six grams of salt is about one teaspoonful.  However, a balanced diet should include a small amount of unsaturated fat, which will help reduce your cholesterol levels.  I’m delighted that my Weight Watchers ProPoints plan covers all this in its healthy eating guides, so if you’re following the plan you’re eating in an healthy way, if you’re spending your ProPoints wisely of course.

Oh dear this is me before my trip to the hospital with mom, can you imagine how I’m going to be after!  Get ready to be educated on health issues over the next week I reckon ;-)

On the bright side mom seems in good spirits if not a little scared, yesterday with the help of one of my besties she fleeced me out of £40 because apparently now she doesn’t come to the meeting and sell tea and coffee she’s going to need pocket money!  This conversation went on when I was out of the room, when I returned I was told Katie had suggested a fiver a week, mom thought a fiver a day would be more like it.   To shut them both up I gave her £40 for the month ;-)  Mini stroke, more like mini mafia I’d say.

My friends have been fabulously supportive, Lynne visited mom every day for a couple of hours at a time whilst I was away to keep her company, and Katie sat with her last night when I went to work.  It’s got to be a bit scary for her being left on her own after what’s happened especially as she was on her own when it did happen, hopefully she’ll feel better after todays appointment.

Right I’m off, I’ve gone on for long enough!

Take care of your body, it’s the only one you’ll get. xx