Turn it Around...

#plexusworks #thisisforreal

I've had a rough ride. I don't joke about this. One day my doctor told me I needed to lower my cholesterol. I got tips and suggestions on how to do this. Basically, give up red meats and cheese. Eat more vegetables and fruit. I tried; I really did. But sometimes I ate pepperoni pizza. When I had a stressful moment at work, I'd have a sweet. I'm not perfect, you know? Did it do me any good? NO!

My triglycerides and total cholesterol were still too high. My doctor sent in a prescription for a low dose of pravastatin. I had no idea at the time, but my life would change forever. I got my prescription and began consuming it every morning with my blood pressure medicine. After 3 months had passed, I had to give some more blood for a new lipid evaluation. At that time my doctor decided to double my "low" dose pravastatin.

Once I was on the new dose, I started feeling weird. My doctor told me to take CoQ10. So now I had to take something else to fix the side effects of my cholesterol medicine. I know it sounds insane, but I bought it and hoped for the best. As I look back on this time, I wonder what I was thinking. But I had never researched statins. I work, I'm busy; and basically it never occurred to me.

About the time the statins started lowering my cholesterol to an acceptable level for my doctor, I started feeling bad. My skin was red. My face was red; it was so bad people thought I was sunburned when I wasn't. My stomach was red. I NEVER expose my stomach to the sun, but it was RED. My neck and arms were red. I didn't know what was going on. When I sat down, my lower abdomen, hips and thighs would burn. I didn't know what was going on and I was scared.

I was so freaked out by the redness I called the school nurse and took a Benadryl.

The sad part is that I was extremely weak and couldn't concentrate at all. I ended up quitting the 2 meds I was on; lisinopril and pravastatin. I changed high blood pressure medicine with no problems, but dropping pravastatin was a mess. I ended up on my mom's couch for a good while. Thank God for a sympathetic mom. I had no idea what was happening to me and I'm still not sure now. I couldn't hardly eat or walk. My muscles were weak; I could always see my thigh muscles when I flexed them, but I couldn't see them now. I lost weight; no doubt about that, but at a price, muscle mass. Doing anything was a chore. I'm so glad my mom was a trooper and didn't give up on me.

The best Mom a daughter could ask for.

I was scared to drive by myself, but she made me drive alone to the store. She convinced me I could do it. And guess what; I did. Eventually, I made my way back home and to work. It was scary and my legs were shaking, but I did it. I'm still so damn mad that doctor prescribed medicine  that turned me into a semi-invalid.

I started exercising to strengthen my muscles. It seemed like all of them had turned to mush. I got to the point where working wasn't a problem, but my cholesterol started creeping back up. First it was 211, then it was 244; when it hit 250 my doctor wouldn't take no for an answer. I refused the statins. So what did she do? Well, she looked up other medicines. In my head that meant more side effects that I don't know about and more problems. By this time I'd been exercising regularly in hopes of losing weight and lowering my lipid counts. And it didn't seem to work. I couldn't lower cholesterol or lose weight. I felt like I hit a wall.

I didn't want to take any stupid cholesterol medicine. In fact I didn't even pick it up when the insurance finally approved it. Instead I contacted a friend who had been posting about a product that naturally lowers lipid levels and helps lose weight in several ways. I was curious and what did I have to lose?  I looked at some testimonials. Some people lowered their lipids and blood pressure and lost weight. One day I looked at some results and decided to order this product myself.

It took a few days to get my Plexus Slim, but I'm glad it came. Online ordering was a breeze. As soon as it showed up, I mixed it with some water and had a surprisingly delicious drink. As the days went by I realized I was in a better mood and smiled easier. I had more energy, not just in the morning, but all day. I began sleeping better; even on my old, crappy mattress. (I'm happy to admit that  now I have a new mattress.) Things were looking up, but my next blood test still loomed ahead.

I felt better. I was exercising more, but what's the actual blood work going to say? What's the doctor's scale going to read? I'd been taking my Plexus regularly for 2 and a half months before my blood work. And the results shocked me. My cholesterol went down 38 points and I had lost 6 lbs. My doctor tried to attribute it to the new medicine until I said I didn't take it. It was all Plexus and the energy it gave me to exercise and the will power it gave me over crappy food. I'll be going in for more blood work next month and I'm expecting to see even better results. I'm so glad I was led to try this product. I'm a skeptic; I never just jump on board with the latest fad. Plexus changed me in many ways for the better and I'm going to stick with it. Want to join me? Let me know.


Update: When I  went back for more blood work I found out my cholesterol is now normal. Total cholesterol is now 195 and triglycerides are 111. My doctor told me to keep doing what I'm doing. And I will!

Coming to a school near you... Tips for Teachers & Parents

I don't know about your particular city, but August in Missouri means back to school is right around the corner. Today I'd like to share some of my ideas about how to make the beginning of school work for you. I don't know about you, but I'm expecting tired feet and a hoarse voice.

Tips for Teachers

1.  Set up your room early. You know exactly what I mean. The cleaning crew came through during the summer and put most things back where you like it, but there's always a few things to rearrange. I started one week early this year. I'm slowly weaning myself away from vacation time to set up my room. You may want to change up your posters or bring in some new photos. Getting this done before you have to be back will make your life easier when school actually starts.

2.  Check out your class rosters and emails. Sounds simple to take some time at home to glance at your classes and emails, but I'm sure there are teachers who wait until they are at school. During vacation I try to check my email at least once a week. I like to know what's happening. There are multiple reasons to check your class rosters; maybe you get a student you've heard stories about. Well, now's the time to talk to last year's teacher and get some insight and strategies. In my case, I noticed I had students in my 7th grade class that were 8th graders. Better to nip it in the bud, to quote Barney Fiff. 

3.  Prepare as much paperwork as you possibly can. I'm not joking here. Everyone has their own open house and first few days agenda. I use important websites, syllabus and a student survey. You don't want to be waiting on the copy machine the day before school starts. Get all those items updated and copied early. You will be patting yourself on the back later. 

4.  Refresh your memory about board policies. I know this probably sounds ridiculous to some of you, but your school board has voted on lots of situations. If nothing else, look up teacher expectations. This is a must for teachers at a new district; and it doesn't hurt veteran teachers, either. 

5.  The more stuff you have done early, the easier it will be. I don't know about you, but when all my co-workers come back, I want to spend some time finding out how they spent their summer. I want to feel caught up on my home away from home. Having done some important items early, gives me the freedom to chat and spend time with the people who support me in my job. 

Tips for Parents

1. School supplies are important. You went to your local store and purchased way more than you thought; I understand. But (insert child's name) will have a much smoother transition into the next grade with all the supplies. If you are looking to cut back, I might suggest clothes. I know your kid grows like a weed; they all do, but do you have to buy to expensive jeans, designer tops, etc? And since I'm talking about clothes here, please find out about your school's dress code before major purposes. This could prevent some problems later on and save some money.

2.  Don't bother bringing the big items to school on the first day. I know you bought everything on the list. But if you know it won't fit into your child's locker, don't send it. The teacher will inform the entire class when the item is needed. Remember we had to get a list out for everything we need students to have for the entire year. Waiting won't hurt. I promise!

3.  Please take the time to attend Open House. Honestly, teachers love to see you on a positive visit. It's also nice to have an idea about who you are if a phone call is needed later in the year. Tell us your expectations for your child's year. What it provides for us is knowledge. I can remember that Johnny's mom expects him to make at least a B in class. So I can have a chat with him if he scores a C. 

4.  Don't expect everything to be perfect. The first few days of school are CRAZY! Buses are slow; kids don't know where to go. It's not going to be easy. If you expectations are low, guess what; you can feel positive about what does go right. 

5. Set a positive note for your child. Any doubts you might have, please don't pass them on. Your child knows you are supporting them, let them know their teachers are also. You may have heard one teacher is mean or (insert any other nasty comment), but that teacher could become your child's favorite teacher. Give them a chance to form their own opinions. Many of my students told me they heard I was mean, but loved being in my class, anyway. Rumors are just rumors. 

School is a time to educate and I love education. I hope all of you have a wonderful beginning of school. #backtoschool  #tipsforteachers #tipsforparents

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