Update on my Dad

So for all who care to see, here is a picture of my Dad.  Notice the cake in his hand, justifiable because he is celebrating his 50th birthday:

From talking to my Mom, she's let me know that he is doing okay.  He has been off work for the last week and will be meeting with his Cardiologist tomorrow at 2:30 pm.  He's currently on a couple of medicines to help his heart slow down and heal.  The side effect to the medicine is it makes him feel weak.  He has already lost 15 lbs!  GO DAD!  His starting weight was 228 lbs.

I'm really proud of him for choosing to listen to the doctor and do everything in his power to stay in good health.  I'm even more proud of him for being able to sit at home alone, knowing that he would much rather be out doing something.  From what I know, the doctors told him he won't be able to lift more than 15 lbs for the next 3-6 months.  As far as going back into work, I'm not sure how soon that will happen.  His job requires him to lift things much heavier than 15 lbs and climb (he does heating/AC/plumbing work for the county government).

2011 has proven to be a very challenging year and it's only May!  My boyfriend's mother had a stroke in early January and she is still recovering.  She spent almost 2 months in the ICU at Baltimore.  She is still regaining her short term memory and impresses me every time I see her.  My boyfriend and I have had a lot on our plate this year and I think it's important to remind everyone of the warning signs for stroke and heart attack.  Scott's Mom experienced stroke symptoms of sudden vision problems and a severe headache.  My Dad's heart attack symptoms were intense jaw pain and a minor pain in his left arm pit.  You can find a lot more information about the warning signs by visiting the American Heart Association .

Did you know May is Stroke and High Blood Pressure Awareness month?  Let me get thinking about something I can do, since both issues have hit close to home.

If you want to read more about Scott's Mom's story you can visit her Caring Bridge website.  I can't describe the emotional roller coaster we were on in January but, Scott does a good job detailing what happened.  When I received the call about my Dad's heart attack, I couldn't help but feel the same emotions.  I am so fortunate that both my Dad and Scott's Mom are alright. 

So what about me?

Let's see ... I found out today that there are 31 participants in the Wellness challenge.  I decided that this means there is no more playing around!  There are 72 days left til July 15, 2011.  That means 72 days of physical activity and 72 days of incorporating more heart healthy meals into my diet.

When I left work today, I went straight to Target and bought a new scale.  We already have one in the apartment, but Scott has complained that he doesn't think it weighs right.  So I've decided I want consistency and I want a scale that can help me measure body fat and all sorts of other functions.  I also bought two CDs of workout music.  This makes me so excited because I typically run on the treadmill listening to my Pandora radio station but sometimes I get stuck on sad songs that really don't motivate me.

Tonight's Workout:  30 minute run, 360 calories burned, 2.72 miles

I've really been taking things at a slow pace.  I ran the first 20 minutes at 5.3 mph.  For each minute more I bumped it up another 0.1 mph.  For the last 2 minutes I ran at 6.5 mph.

I also had the opportunity to map out some races I want to do this summer.  Since Scott will be away in Seattle from May 31 - August 27, I want to stay busy.  My sister agreed to run the Zooma 10K with me.  In August, my Mom has agreed to walk the 5K  with my sister and I.  I want to look for more things that involve my Dad.  I am definitely interested in biking with my Dad this summer, once he is cleared to exercise again.