NAMIWalk 2011

NAMIWalk 2011!

Dear Friends and Family, 

I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am very proud to be participating in again this year.  As many of you may remember every year I organize a walk team to participate in NAMI’s charity walk.  NAMI (The National Alliance on Mentally Illness), is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office. 

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue providing free education programs, support groups, national information helpline, and advocating for those with mental illness.

Many of you may already know my personal story of why I’m involved with NAMI but for those who don’t I’ll tell you a little bit about myself and my struggles.  In 1999, at the age of 19 I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.  My family had some really tough years before I was diagnosed.  They knew there was something not right with me but didn’t knowing what it was, where to go, or what to do to help me.  I was spiraling downward fast and had no way of knowing that there was help or that life could be different, a life without all the chaos and cluttered thoughts.  I do this walk every year to support NAMI because they are the people to turn to.  They are there for people going through what I went through.  They are there for the families like mine who felt they had nowhere to turn, felt hopeless, and like they were alone in the struggle. 

I would like to ask you to help me support NAMI by donate to this great organization.  To do so you can visit my personal walker to donate.  It features a link to my team's page where you can join our team or just see who else will be walking with me.  Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.  

NAMI’s signature walkathon is being held in The Band Shell At Fair Park in Dallas , Texas on May 7, 2011 @ 8:30 am.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A+" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability. 

Thank you in advance for your support,

Jen

Weight Loss Wednesday Update

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Been working my booty off moving and re-arranging files at work today! I bet I burned a crazy amount of calories just from work. Josh and I are planning a healthy dinner, and going to walk this evening! Yay, us!!! Still holding my weight loss, but no new loss :( but I will I just need to start working harder!

In her honor

In Her Honor

My latest tattoo!  I got it in November for my Birthday in remembrance of my daughter Blu'.  Its the largest tattoo I have to date, and will probably always be my largest.  It covers most of my upper back.  It did hurt but I've got other tats so I knew what to expect.  It took between a half hour to an hour to do.  Loved the artist I had.  He's very talented, if and when I get another one I will be going back to him.  I love this tattoo for all reasons imaginable.  The only thing I don't like is I can't see it all the time.  When I lose some weight I'm going to have to get a halter top to show it off!

Your Loving Mommy,
Jen

My Essure

Ok, so ya'll are probably wondering what exactly Essure is.  Essure is a permanent form of birth control for women.  The way it works is the doctors place two little coils into a woman's fallopian tubes.  The coils then cause the body to build up scar tissue around them blocking the egg from dropping.  I know some may be judging me right about now or they may have stopped reading already, but that's ok because I made a hard decision, but the right decision. Want to know why?  Click here.

My experience was pleasant at first.  I found a doctor that would preformed the procedure and that I liked.  Dr. Pickel!  Yep you heard me right her real last name is Pickel!!  She's very nice, and I will definitely continue seeing her.  Josh and I went for the preliminary visit to meet her and discuss our decision to have the Essure done.  She was very thorough making sure we understood everything and that we knew what we wanted.  We then had to wait about a month to have the actual procedure.

The morning of our new beginning.  Exciting and a little scared.  We arrive at the office, a little early of course, to fill out paperwork.  The nurse takes us in the back to go over a few things, and to give me a pill to help me relax, and not feel so much pain.  It was supposed to make me woozy, but I suppose since I'm on so many Bi-polar med's my body doesn't react to woozy med's the same.  I probably needed a double dose to do the trick, so this made the procedure not so pleasant.


Having never had a baby my cervix is very small (tmi, I know) so it was extremely painful.  Then there were all the metal instruments.  I could feel all of it.  About ten seconds in I was about to scream for them to stop and jump off the table running from the room with my hospital gown flapping in the wind.  Thankfully Josh was there for me to rip off squeeze his hand.  After about ten seconds the worst was over.  Next came the water that they pumped into my uterus, this caused really bad cramping, but was nothing compared to the first ten seconds.  Then they put the coils in.  It was all over in about 15 minutes (thank heavens cause I might not have made it much longer).  After that it was a long day of cramping and laying on a heating pad.

I am very happy with our choice.  Now Josh and I can enjoy our married life without the worries of becoming pregnant.  A very real fear we both had.

Anyone else have a Essure story?  Or thinking about having Essure?