My Weight Loss Journey: Discovering The Real Me: September 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

In Loving Memory, Jacquelyn Renee Hutchison 10/27/72 - 7/19/09

This is the story of two young girls who met through the New Kids on The Block fan club, we hit it off very fast and soon became the best of friends. She was the greatest friend that I have ever had; she was my rock and my foundation. She was my confidant and the shoulder that I would cry on, we shared the joys and heartaches that this life gives. It seems like we have been through it all together.

Even though through the years we had times when we would drift apart, that strong bond that we had was always there. I knew if I need to talk to her that she would be there for me and vice versa. I remember after the death of her son Devon we talked for hours on end for days on end; there isn’t any thing that I would not have done to take away her pain.

A little over ago she brought her family out here so that I could meet them and vise versa. She had been married for eleven years, she has three beautiful little girls that miss there mommy very much, and my heart goes out to here husband who has had a rough road over the last four years dealing with her medical problems. When she had their youngest daughter Emma jo they damaged her back when they gave her the epidural, and that was the beginning of the end of Jackie’s life.

Last summer when she was here I knew that we would have Jackie with us for more than a year. While she was here she ended up in the hospital with a major bowl obstruction that nearly killed her. That was very difficult for me to deal with when I was alone with my husband I would cry for hours, I was afraid that I was going to loose her then and I felt like it was my fault because she had come out here to see me. It was a blessing that she was here because she was at one of the best hospitals and had one of the best surgeons in Utah.

There are so many things that I wish that I could go back and change; I would have worked harder to make our friendship better, I wouldn’t have let what she said affect me and I would have let it go for what it was. I love her and miss her very much and it is very hard for me because we weren't very close friends at the time of her death and there are things between us left unsaid and unfinished. It is also hard to find out about this after the fact, and finding out about it on the New kids on The Blocks website. The tribute was beautiful and I am happy that Donnie shared his memories of Jackie with the fans. He described the Jackie that I met nineteen years ago, she was a beautiful confidante and strong women, but the circumstances of her life and her health problems are more than any one person can handle. She did a good job facing them with courage and doing every thing that she could to live a full and normal life, so that she could be a mother to her children and a good wife to her husband.

Jackie touched the life of every one that she met whether it was for good or bad, she made an impact. I hope that every one that knew her will say a pray for her mother and father, her husband and the three little girls that she left behind; that they will find peace if mind and heart.

So here is where our story ends, it ended and began with the New Kids on The Block. I met the Best Friend that I will ever have through them and learned that she left this mortal life through their website. I have so much to thank them for and hope that some day I will get the chance to do it in person. I love Jackie and will always miss her, my heart is broken and I am sure that with time that it is going to heal; until then I will hold my memories of her close to my heart, and wait for the day that we are reunited again.

July 20th, 2009

REST IN PEACE - Jacquelyn Hutchison - 10/27/74 – 7/19/09

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ARE DEEPLY SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE PASSING AWAY OF JACKIE HUTCHISON THE DAY AFTER THEY COMPLETED THEIR FULL SERVICE SUMMER TOUR. AS THEY UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT INFO AVAILABLE TO THEM, SHE BATTLED SEVERAL SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES THROUGHOUT HER LIFE. SHE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND MANY CONCERTS AND NKOTB EVENTS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL TOURS INCLUDING THE FINAL SHOW OF THE TOUR IN HOUSTON. SHE IS A TRUE NKOTB FAN AND HER LOVE AND SUPPORT WAS APPRECIATED AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. THE BAND WOULD LIKE TO SEND THEIR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO JACKIE’S HUSBAND JOE HUTCHISON AND THEIR CHILDREN. GOD BLESS.

A NOTE FROM DONNIE –

“I will remember Jackie as a lovely woman who was always smiling and full of so much love. Jackie was one of those very special fans whose enthusiasm, despite whatever suffering she may have been going through, always seemed to inspire me to give just a little bit more. In all of the many times I was lucky enough to meet her- Jackie’s joy and loving spirit always shined through… I will miss her”

Jackie and Donnie @ Hush, Houston, TX 7/18/09

From L-R, Jacquelyn is on Donnie’s left

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression For the Treatment of Herniated Or Bulging Discs

A herniated or bulging disc is a back condition where by the internal gel-like portion of the intervertebral disc has infiltrated through the outer segment of the disc. The gel-like center of an intervertebral disc is held together by layers called the annulus fibrosis. Once the center of the disc has penetrated through the annulus fibrosis, it may cause mechanical pressure on neighboring structures and elicit chemical reactions resulting in back pain. If this problem is left untreated, it may develop into a life-altering back pain condition.

Herniated or bulging discs may be caused by a severe strain or injury, as well as ongoing movement or stress associated with daily lifting. As we get older the continuous wear and tear of the intervertebral disc may also lead to disc herniations. The symptoms of a herniated or bulging disc will vary depending on the location of the problem and your body's response to pain.

Herniated lumbar disc symptoms have always been difficult to differentiate from other spinal disorders, as well as minor back injuries. Intense lumbar or low back pain radiating to the buttocks, legs and feet are a common symptom of those suffering from a herniated or bulging disc, which may also feel worse by simply coughing or laughing. Tingling or numbness in legs or feet is also a symptom for this back pain condition. If the disc herniation is not corrected, a back pain sufferer may experience muscle weakness or even muscle deterioration as time passes by.

A herniated cervical disc may lead to slight or severe neck pain. Neck pain may be classified as slight or intense pain in shoulders, upper arm, chest, forearm, hands and fingers. Neck pain may be intensified by simple movements such as turning or bending over, laughing and coughing.

A relatively new back pain therapy identified as non-surgical spinal decompression, provides relief of back pain associated with herniated, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome, and sciatica. The theory behind non-surgical spinal decompression is a course of action whereby forces are applied to the spine in a manner that maximizes spinal elongation.

Non-surgical spinal decompression utilizing the DRX9000™ involves application of forces logarithmically to elongate the spine without causing the muscles that guard the spine to contract. The technology necessary to apply spinal decompressive forces is very advanced. The DRX9000 True Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression System™ utilizes high-speed treatment computers to calculate the logarithmic spinal decompression treatment curve for each patient. Recently published clinical research data demonstrates very promising results for patients suffering with herniated or bulging discs.

While herniated and bulging discs are a common back pain condition in America, patients today have a new effective, non-surgical alternative with the DRX9000 True Non-surgical Spinal Decompression System™. To view clinical research data on the DRX9000, please click here

This article is not intended nor should be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your physician before considering any medical treatment method available.

Rick Durand is the marketing analyst for Axiom Worldwide. To learn more about non-surgical spinal decompression therapy and the DRX9000, simply click on the live links provided above or call 877-438-0663 to find a DRX9000 physician near you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Durand

What Is A Herniated Disc, How Is It Different From A Bulging Disc, And What You Can Do About It? By Jesse Cannone

So what in the world is a Herniated Disc??? Well, rather than confuse you more, I am going to give you my simple, easy to understand definition… a herniated disc is simply a protrusion, or sticking out of the disc. Think of a disc as a balloon being held in place between your hands… if you push your hands together unevenly the balloon will bulge out on the opposite side. This is what happens to the disc between the vertebrae.

A Bulging Disc is the same thing as a herniated disc… just a different name.

Herniated discs are probably one of the most common diagnosis’s for back pain out there and is often used when a doctor can’t find an explanation for the person’s pain… similar to a doctor explaining away various aches and pains as arthritis.

The problem is, many people who are diagnosed with a herniated disc don’t have pain because of it… and, for years, research has shown that in many cases, people live with herniated discs yet never have any back pain or symptoms. The point is, if you’ve been diagnosed with a herniated or bulging disc, it may not be what’s really causing your back pain!

Even if you’ve had x-rays and MRI’s done that show a herniated disc, chances are still very good that it’s not the problem… so read on to learn more and find out what’s causing your back pain…

So what causes a disc to herniate?

Well, many people want you to believe it’s old age, excess weight, stress, poor genetics, or how you lift a heavy object…

while these are all potential factors, the biggest factor or cause is uneven pressure placed on the disc. Yes, you read that right… uneven pressure on discs is the biggest cause of herniated discs.

Remember we talked earlier about the uneven pressure? Well, months and years of this uneven pressure causes discs to breakdown.

Do you have any idea what causes this uneven pressure?

It’s something so simple that it amazes me how many people, including the experts (orthopedic specialists, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc) fail to recognize it.

So what is it??? Muscle Imbalances.

You see, muscle imbalances pull your bones and joints, especially the pelvis and spine, out of place and this places excess and uneven wear and tear on the body.

This is where Chiropractors come in…

The whole concept of chiropractic care is to manually move the bones and joints back into the proper position.

Makes sense right? WRONG! Why? Because the same muscles that pulled those bones and joints out of place to begin with, will do so again, usually within days.

The ONLY way to address muscle imbalances is to first identify them, then work on correcting them with the right combination of corrective exercises and stretches… and any treatment that fails to include this formula, is doomed to fail!

To learn more about muscle imbalances, be sure to read my article titled “Aches, Pains, and Injuries” here: http://www.losethebackpain.com/achesandpainsarticle.html

So when does a Herniated Disc actually cause pain?

Typically, a herniated disc will cause pain when it is putting pressure on a nerve or nerves and this pain is usually felt down the backside of the leg. However, occasionally individuals experience pain in the disc itself or the area around it.

How do you know then what’s causing your back pain?

Whether your pain is in the disc or shooting down your leg, I am willing to bet that it has something to do with muscle imbalances.

In my opinion, it always makes sense to start at the beginning… so the first thing to do is identify what muscles imbalances you have and then begin work on correcting them.

DON’T try things like ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cortisone shots and then feel disappointed that they didn’t work… how can they??? Remember, they don’t address the root cause of the problem!

I am not saying that these types of treatments don’t have a place, it’s just that they will not give you the long-term relief you are looking for. For example, ultrasound may be helpful in conjunction with a corrective exercise and stretching program but it’s not likely to do much on it’s own.

The real key is to not only treat the symptoms, but address the cause of the problem also. You can learn more about how to identify and correct your muscles imbalances in our video, Lose the Back Pain.

In it, we take you thru a series of self-assessments in which you’ll identify which specific muscle imbalances you have. We then show you step-by-step what to do to correct them in our Corrective Action Plans… all you have to do is follow the instructions and in weeks, maybe days, your back will be feeling great again. Order your copy online at http://www.losethebackpain.com or call 1-888-343-FITT (3488)

About The Author

Jesse Cannone is a certified personal fitness trainer and post-rehab specialist and he has helped hundreds of individuals to eliminate their back pain. Visit his site now and be sure to sign up for his free email course on eliminating back pain.

support@losethebackpain.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Cannone

5 Amazing Diet Tips for Powerful Weightloss By James Allen

Before you try starving yourself or turning to diet drugs in order
to lose weight, take some time to research and discover more natural
and safer methods of reaching your weight loss goals. Here are five
food and exercise tips that you can get started with today.

1. Try to have breakfast within one hour of waking. It's always best
to have breakfast within an hour of waking so that your body can
charge itself with the energy it needs for the day. The idea is not
to wait for yourself to get really hungry. Breakfast is the most
important meal of the day but that does not mean that it should be
the most filling meal of the day.

2. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often
sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit,
you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and
fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.

If you do have a craving for fruit juice then go for fresh fruit
juice instead of those that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or
even better, try making your own fruit juice taking care not to
sweeten it with too many calories.

3. Fix times to have meals and stick to it. Try to have food at
fixed times of the day. You can stretch these times by half an hour,
but anything more than that is going to affect your eating pattern,
the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling
which will make you stuff yourself with more than what is required
the next time you eat.

4. Tuck in your tummy whenever you walk. Get that proper gait. And
the best way for that is to tuck in your tummy and inflate your
chest. Do not let your tummy hang above your belt line like some
unruly layer of flesh. Bring it under the belt.

Each time you tuck in your tummy, you will feel the pressure on the
muscles of your stomach. This tightening and loosening of these
muscles is even better than stomach crunches.

5. This excercise routine is our favorite - punching your pillow. It
may sound like one of those weird ideas but believe me it works. Not
too many of us have punching bags at home and if you have really
fluffy pillow giving it a good punching routine is just as good as
anything else.

This is also a nice way of letting off steam, so go for it. After all,
something is better than nothing. But I would suggest that you do not
hit it too violently or else the stuffing might come out. Do not
bother too much about the force with which you hit the pillow. It is
number of hits that are important. Try to get at least fifty punches
in one bout.

I would like to give you a little tip over here. If there is
somebody that you particularly dislike like your boss or your
neighbor, or may be your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, try fixing a
picture of the person's head on the top of your pillow and then try
punching it. I promise you, it will give you a lot of satisfaction!

James B. Allen is the publisher of Power Living Press. He invites you to come learn more about living a healthier, wealthier, more beautiful and more powerful life TODAY by visiting:

http://www.PowerLivingPress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Allen