Uncategorized |

December 11, 2008

| by

Planning on Acute Heart Failure This Holiday?

Plan on acute heart failure?

Nobody wants to rush to the emergency room gasping for breath, and then spend a few days dining on hospital fare with your butt hanging out of the most unflattering attire imaginable.

“Ho ho ho?”

“I don’t think so!”

Yet, if you are shopping ‘til you drop, and then having chips and dips and drinks with desert (prescription medication too?), you are asking for a hospitalized holiday!

Lack of sleep, water and good wholesome food will catch up with you quick.

You waste SO much energy processing and eliminating stimulants, alcohol and junk food!

Plan on avoiding acute heart failure!

Want to enjoy your holiday? Continue reading article →

Uncategorized |

December 10, 2008

| by

Christmas Is For Kids

The holidays are upon us. 

I was raised catholic so Christmas time is full of Mid-night Mass memories.

In my adult life, I have observed and accepted many different religions.  Where there is love, I am at home.

Christmas to me means giving of yourself with a brand new spirit of good will, that will carry you through ‘til the spring time, when amazing things are possible.

Since I was born and raised in Montana, for me the winter thaw, followed by spring and new life is a powerful time.

Whenever you get caught up in your ego, spend some time with young children and animals.  They can really teach you something about being yourself.

A Child knows exactly who they are even when the adults in their life are wondering.

By the time they hit adolescence, you’ve got your hands full….but those early years are precious innocence.

Christmas Is for Kids is one of my favorite holiday songs.  My mom used to play it every year when I was growing up.

The song talks about adults returning to childhood with the spirit of Christmas.

Ya gotta love it.

If you can embrace the season with a child like innocence you will bring joy into the hearts of everyone you meet.

Magic and wonder are not given the credit they deserve, and happiness really is contagious!

 

Many blessings,

Carrie Tucker, RCP

The Life Breath Coach

Heart Failure Solutions

 

PS– Remember everyday:

  • Relax and Release tension
  • Exhale Slowly
  • Be active in a way that adds Joy to your life

Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter

Uncategorized |

December 10, 2008

| by

Is the Joy of Christmas Casting a Shadow of Depression On Your Holiday Season?

Christmas 2008-s

Are you finding yourself feeling depressed this holiday season?

In every culture, there are special days that bring back memories of home and loved ones.

Those special days can feel bitter sweet when you are dealing with loss.  The pain becomes intensified.

You don’t want to deal with happy people because you just can’t feel happy.  There is just no faking it.

 

Do you just wish the holidays were over?

Somehow, when the world is celebrating, loneliness is magnified.

John was a patient of mine for many years.  He absolutely loved the holidays.

His devoted wife was a beautiful energetic lady who was always busy doing something creative.  She had an unbelievable garden, lots of cats and dogs, she loved to bake and used to have a delicious care package to give me whenever I visited.

Every Christmas, she turned their home into a winter wonderland.  It was quite a treat, since the hot humid Hawaiian afternoon just didn’t feel like Christmas to this Montana girl!

I have fond memories of sitting at their kitchen table drinking hot cocoa with candy canes.  (With the air conditioning, it almost felt like winter!)

I remember Ida telling me about her challenges making her traditional Christmas dishes without salt.  John really looked forward to the family celebration, but usually ended up in the hospital before the new year.  To much salt, wine, and fun always did him in.

John would say, “Ida, I’m only gonna live once, it wouldn’t be Christmas without your famous Christmas dinner!”

Every year with the house looking like a post card, the two of them would greet their kids, grand-kids, and extended family for the wildest celebration you have ever seen.  My favorite part was singing Christmas carols by the bonfire.

Their family was full of so much love, you could feel it in the air.

Five years ago, John passed away a few days after Thanksgiving.

Ida faced her life without him.  She couldn’t celebrate the holiday.  Her family tried everything to get her to join them at their homes, or even a Christmas vacation for the whole family. Continue reading article →

Uncategorized |

December 1, 2008

| by

Is There a Solution For Heart Failure?

Senior couple making nordic walking

Honestly, is there a solution for heart failure?

If there were a solution would the world be facing an epidemic of heart failure?

Surely if people could avoid this devastating disease, they would, right?

The problem is that heart failure is not diagnosed until after your weak heart has enlarged in an attempt to meet your needs. Unfortunately, that is very late in the disease process.

I used to think that you can’t undo the enlarging of your heart. However, I have had the pleasure of meeting half a dozen people over the past couple years, who have done exactly that.

UPDATE December 20, 2012

Many Life Breath Clubbers have healed from a devastating heart failure diagnosis!  They are getting back to work, enjoying their lives more and even getting off of the heart transplant list!

Until the proverbial “shit hits the fan”, most people live in denial.

You may not even notice symptoms that might alert your doctor to the impending doom.

However, even if you tell your doctor about your symptoms there may be no alarm sounded until it is too late.

Hey, let’s face it, if your doctor can’t drug it or surgically repair it, odds are, he or she can’t help you.

Unfortunately, he can run a bunch of tests and give you a clean bill of health to dismiss your concerns when you should be making changes!

If you are eating lots of sugar and plenty of processed foods, and rarely get off the sofa; that comforting bit of information could be your death sentence.

You may have NO warning of impending heart failure before your health is lost!

Even if your health care provider has told you that your heart “is fine”, you can abruptly lose your quality of life as well as YEARS worth of your expected income!

YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT HEART FAILURE IF: Continue reading article →

Uncategorized |

November 27, 2008

| by

Does Validation Matter?

Family-Love -300

Are you in constant pain … emotionally or physically?

Have you lost your independence?

Have you lost a loved one?

Do you cope with mind numbing pain every day?

Sometimes life dumps you upside down and you feel very disconnected from the world.

When you can acknowledge your struggle AND your progress, you can move past isolation and reconnect with your family and your community.

Do you keep a stiff upper lip?

You’d really rather not bother others.  Chronic pain is something we learn to live with, but others may grow “sick of hearing about it”.

When you become isolated you are cut off from your healing.  Relationship is the place to cultivate Love and Love is a very important part of the healing process!

 

It’s time you relax and give yourself a break.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

But sometimes, even the tough need to sit down on the curb of life and cry.  Your burden becomes too heavy, and you need to acknowledge your own pain.

When you can do this for yourself, you can more easily do this for others.  Validation is a gift.

 

When you have the choice to say no, you can more easily say yes.

When you acknowledge you are in pain, you can take the day off, soak in a hot salt bath, and take a nap, can’t you?

When you let yourself grieve for a loved one, however you need to express it, then you can enjoy your cherished memories.

When you throw a temper tantrum over the loss of your active lifestyle and independence, you can throw yourself fully into rehabilitation efforts.

Allow, express and release all of your negative emotion when you have private time, and you will be amazed at the positive result it has on your attitude and your health.

Your ability to heal is miraculous!

Sometimes its hard to fathom what is possible.

You really are that awesome.

You need to believe you’re awesome or you won’t be able to make anyone else believe in themselves!

If you have 16 and a half minutes to watch the cute clip below you might understand that philosophy just a little bit better.

It’s sure to put a smile on your face at the very least!

Does Validation Really Matter?

You be the judge. 

Doesn’t it feel good to laugh and smile?

 

Many blessings,

Carrie Tucker, RCP

The Life Breath Coach

Heart Failure Solutions

 

PS– Remember everyday:

  • Relax and Release tension
  • Exhale Slowly
  • Be active in a way that adds Joy to your life

Plus pure water ~whole foods~sunshine~and laughter

Oxygen |

November 12, 2008

| by

How Important Is Oxygen?

Low Oxygen Levels 1 -300

 

If you have low oxygen levels you are dying.

Denial is not effective treatment for low oxygen levels.  Even if you “feel okay”.

Oxygen hitches a ride on your red blood cells in order to travel around your body.  If your oxygen level is too low (below 92%) the oxygen molecules can’t make the leap.  The pressure is too low.

When your oxygen level is below 92%, the oxygen that is in your blood cruises around in your circulation but the pressure isn’t high enough for it to actually get where it is needed.

You Want To Improve Low Oxygen Levels Because You Are DYING Til You DO!!

You just can’t take this too seriously.  When you discover someone you love is experiencing this situation you feel panicked to do something about it!  Low oxygen level symptoms are alarming, but they may show up in ways that seem like “normal aging”.

Just be aware that you will likely meet resistant from the care recipient when you attempt to supplement oxygen. 

Nobody likes to use supplemental oxygen.  It feels like a leash.  When the tubing rubs and irritates skin, and the increased restriction starts to discourage, it can be difficult to remember that supplemental oxygen is a healing tool!

Remember One Thing If You Plan To Heal Your Low Oxygen Levels

Pages: 1 2