Good morning everyone!

Thanks for being so patient and supportive of my writers block these past few weeks. Its been hard to stay motivated. We have been so busy! With the wrap of summer, harvesting our garden, lots of work and over time hours and just life flowing forward. I cant believe its already the middle of September and the first day of fall on sunday!

Time has gone by way to quickly. With the start of fall it normally means back to school, however since we ‘have kids, its back to working long hours, more days, less time off, but also back to schedules, routines and for me it has meant back to fitness. I was to busy to keep up with my health and wellness goals over the summer, and though that’s no excuse when trying to make a lifestyle change permanently, it impacted myself for sure.  I have had a very big increase to my pain over the past few weeks. My back, knee and neck. My medications have all been increased, I am stiff and sore as soon as I wake up. Trouble sleeping or staying asleep and most of all getting comfortable, specially with my sleep patterns all changed with my shift work.

So I said to myself, enough with the negative time to get back to me! I signed up for yoga again and went to my first class back today! WOW! have I missed it. You ‘realize how much it helps until you have missed it for a few months. Not going over the summer was tough on my body. I am registering for a second yoga class on Thursdays. I hope that as I get back into the flow and further into my classes i can decrease my medications again and manage my pain better.

I also hope getting back into activities will help me mentally, and help me reign in my eating habits. usually when you change one thing at a time the next follows easier. My goal is to get my levels lower again. i have made myself 7 days of meal plans to use as a guide line. I can never stick to them exactly food for food , but sometimes I mix and match meals or use them as a guide line and ideas. I made a few for each type of shifts at work IE: night shift 11 pm to 7 am , afternoon shift 3pm to 11 pm, or a day shift 7 am to 3 pm.  I also made a few for days off , and a comfort food day that starts off with low protein pancakes for breakfast! so a  higher calorie day!

My last level was 4.6 mg/ dl and i was very suprised.  I thought it would be much higher since I have had some wicked heachaes for a few days now. However that may just be connected to my back pain and knee. I went for a massage and my doctor gave me some muscle relaxants and it has helped a bit. I also got new shoes. I normally where nursing etonic shoes at work but they where getting old and not as supportive any more. I went to sport check and got myself some asics with lots of gel! it has really made a difference on my knee. I am on my feet a lot so that’s really important.

Friday my mother in law and I are going to the Aaron Pritchett concert and then on the weekend we have company from out of town and are going to cole’s  parents ranch for the weekend too ,  So I will be away from my computer.

I hope to go to Victoria before fall is over as well, its to dangerous to travel down in the winter!

oh and I am of course still active volunteering for CanPKU , collecting signatures for our petition to the BC Government on the coverage of PKU treatments as well as , implementing the brain protection strategy program.  I look forward to meeting with my MLA and our new health minister Terry Lake in September or October to discuss our efforts further.  we also just released a press release about Saskatchewan now covering Kuvan as a PKU treatment! I will be sure to post them here as well!!

Look back soon for more updates and news regarding out media campaign and progress with the BC Goverment!