There are many organizations that sponsor charity walks and runs. I want to do them.. i think i am going to do them.. and then most of my plans never come to fruition. I get so excited about these plans i make but on the day that i set out to do it ...i don't feel like doing it anymore. i think they call that lack of follow-through.. or just plain lazy. but I really really really wanted us to participate in the HeartWalk this year (2009).
so why did i want to do this walk?
at the beginning - i wanted to do this for my brother because of his heart problems... i am so thankful that there were people who saved him. if we can donate a little bit of our time and money to keep his fight going..them i am all for it. yes please..keep on making better drugs..heart machines.. teaching people to make healthier lifestyle changes...keep doing research. my heart ached for my extended family like my dad's brother who died in the philippines from stroke complications.
oh my gosh - that sucks to suffer a massive stroke and not have appropriate access to healthcare.
i did it for my mom and dad - they look healthy but they have had their share of not being so heart healthy.
i walked for my kids.
AJ had a heart murmur at 1 month of age which has resolved on its own. Man, that was scary.
I am so scared that these kids will inherent health problems from either side of our families.
I am so scared that they will pick up on our poor lifestyle habits...
like my love for potato chips with dip and peanut butter reese's cups.
actually they have picked up on those addictions of mine.
it's like smokers who don't want their kids to be smokers ...but they continue to smoke.
i am so afraid.
i am afraid for me...
that if i don't stop eating those fat laden foods or had stayed at 190+ pounds..
i won't be here for my kids.
i look healthy, huh? but am i really?
i have the endurance to stay on the elliptical trainer or do weights like a very poorly conditioned 75 year old woman. ..i've seen my labs..i've seen my blood pressure readings...i've seen my incidental finding of gallbladder disease on my lumbar MRI.. i know my family's medical history.
i would be pretty foolish if i thought cardiovascular disease could not be part of my destiny.
so when it all came down to it....
I walked for me. I wanted to kick some cardiovascular disease butt!
at least on this one day ...
that we did the heartwalk
i can say:
you don't own me, cardiovascular disease
i am walking so that you can kiss my skinny @S#!
i am teaching my kids ..that today...we are exercising
this is who we are ...at least who we want to be..
a family that loves
a family that exercises
a family that makes good food choices.
i really enjoyed this.
i loved seeing people coming together ...they were walking because of love for their loved ones who have been touched by heart disease.
I actually saw someone who works at the kids' daycare. we both looked at each other - "hey, what are you doing here?"
her 2 year old nephew was born with heart problems ...i think it was transposition of the great vessels.
but her nephew was able to have the heart surgery he needed ...their whole family was walking for him.
i know my mahal kinda liked doing this walk ...
and he was itching to leave as soon as we were done walking...
but hey...
we got a dozen bananas, at least 7 bottles of water, 5 fruit bars, and 4 turkey subway sandwiches.
if we do this walk in 2010 - i hope to snag more goodies.
from our hearts to yours!
