Cooling the flames

I woke up one morning around six years ago and had lost the range of motion in my left hip. It was quite a long road getting my hip back again, but I was able to do it. Well, here we go again – only on the right side.

It started a couple of weeks after my c-section. I was doing yoga one morning, and noticed that I had lost quite a lot of range of motion. To make matters worse, I noticed that if I move it a little bit funny, I am in excruciating pain.

The good news is that I already know what to do since I’ve been through this before. I know that it’s osteoarthritis. I know that it’s a result of inflammation. I know that inflammation is stress-induced. And I also know that alternative medical treatments work much better than traditional Western ones in this case.

Last time, I was sent to an orthopedist, then to physical therapy, x-rays, MRIs, and a rheumatologist. I wound up treating it though with a mix of chiropractic care, yoga, proper diet and sleep, ginger tea, and stress reducing meditation. I visualized myself with a fully functioning, flexible, pain-free hip. I also did body work meditation, which basically means that after quieting the mind through deep breathing, you go to the point in the body where the pain is and ask if there’s a message. I have gained many insights into stress that I have suppressed in my body, and I find that once I’m aware of it, I’m able to work out the tension helping my body feel better. By the way, you can also do this through yoga. Just ask for insights on a particular question, and then let your body do the work. Messages will come to you while practicing the various poses and/or at the end when lying in shavasana or corpse pose.

I have already started, but am finding it harder this time to implement my treatment since having twins. Okay, for one, I don’t really get to decide how much sleep I get on any given night. I’m always tired. Two, I also don’t always get to decide when I do yoga and when I don’t or when and if I get to finish a routine. I don’t go to the chiropractor quite as often. I meditate occasionally. And sometimes I eat whatever is handy – including pizza, pasta, and tortilla chips. I have managed to cut out artificial sweeteners and started drinking ginger tea though.

So what do I do? Well, I can’t change the fact that I have twins, and that I need to take care of them. Nor do I want to. But I can find a way to be more forgiving of myself, to look at what I am doing for myself and focus on that. I am managing to do yoga on some days. I am managing to meditate on some days. And I am managing to still eat vegetables every day. I have already visualized both of my hips as flexible, fit, and agile. And I know that the hip will heal. Now it's about time, patience, and forgiveness.

Daily practice - a struggling artist's approach to diabetes management

Step Out to Stop Diabetes!

Hello everyone! You may have read on September 20 that I am participating in the American Diabetes Association’s Step Out to Stop Diabetes walk-a-thon on October 24 in Princeton, New Jersey.

Thank you so much for all of the donations that we have already received! Two weeks into fundraising, and I am thrilled to report that I am 57% of the way toward reaching my goal of raising $500 for the education, research, and advocacy programs that the ADA provides to help fight diabetes.

There is still time to help me reach my goal! Please click here to visit my personal step-out page, read all about why I’m participating, and become a sponsor.


Now onto today's blog post...
Daily practice - a struggling artist's approach to diabetes management


I’ve always been told that I have an artist’s soul, a good eye, a natural talent.

Fun to me is going to art museums, mixing paint colors, going eye shopping, and seeing what designers of all kinds create. I took art classes in grade school, high school, college, and in-between. But I never really did anything with this natural gift of mine, never developed it, or put it into practice. I just let it lie dormant while wishing I would do something with it.

Why? Frustration. For whatever reason, when I sit behind a piece of canvas, palette and brush in hand, I expect that I should be able to create the next spiritual awakening piece like the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo or a pop work of art with incredible depth and meaning like Andy Warhol.

I don’t though. Instead, I fuss around a bit and get frustrated very quickly. Not realizing that art, or anything for that matter that you want to be good at, takes a lot of hard work and practice. Daily practice.

This all became incredibly clear to me after taking a painting class at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art five or six years ago.

I remember the first day of class - 20 people sitting next to their individual canvasses while the instructor showed us slides with examples on how to examine shades of light while drawing a still life.

We were instructed to use charcoals and do the same at our spaces. I was engrossed in my piece of work at first. Observing the shades before me and drawing it as I interpreted it (which really annoyed all of my instructors). I remember thinking to myself that I knew I wasn’t creating a masterpiece, or even anything that I could take home. But I just wasn’t feeling it. I was too busy feeling bad about myself and what I was trying to do. I began looking over next to me, seeing what others were creating, and all that I saw was how my piece didn’t measure up to everybody else’s.

The next week, we were to copy photographs in charcoal. I drew a Middle Eastern man and woman standing in front of a desert mountain, and I have to say that as I was developing it, I thought the piece wasn’t so bad.

Then the teacher walked over to me. She told me that although it was good, and she didn’t want to stop me, I wasn’t doing what she had in mind for the class. I looked over to my right and left, and noticed that others were again creating masterpieces. And I was unable to return to the piece in the same way. I was too busy judging – myself. And also trying to figure out what she wanted. (Not to make excuses, but the whole class was in Hebrew. My language skills didn't include art terms. So that may have been part of the problem.)

I threw away a lot of pieces after that class. Never quite found my groove again.

So I bolted. I decided to stop going to the class. And I haven’t taken an art class since. I have sat at home and drawn a bit. I even found my paints the other day while cleaning out some boxes.

Okay, I know what you are saying, “Ophir, just try it. Go for it! Pick up a paint brush! Just have some fun! It’ll be good for you. Michelangelo did not create the Sistine Chapel right out of art school, nor did Michael Phelps win a gold medal his first time in the pool, nor did Tom Hanks or Steven Spielberg win Oscars with their first movies.”

Okay, I get it. I need to simply enjoy what I naturally love doing – for the fun of it. But to be really good at something, you need to practice. Daily. Like with anything in life worth doing. You have to be committed to practicing daily, learning from your mistakes, and being present through each moment.

I haven’t quite gotten there yet - with art. But I want to. I really do.

So I bet you are wondering why I chose this for my blog topic if I haven’t reached my goal yet. If I don’t have some valuable insight on how I did it, or some grand inspiration on how I became an artist despite the critics.

Well, here it is. I believe that my relationship with art, the lessons I’ve learned through it, are also lessons that apply to other things in life. Anything worth doing takes daily practice and hard work – and the desire, the will, to do it. Anything in life - including diabetes management.

Achieving a 6.4 A1C was a grand achievement for me. And I only just reached it after having diabetes for over 35 years. It took a lot of ups and downs – both literally and figuratively. A lot of hard work. And a lot of practice. Daily practice.

But you see, the thing is, I have the desire, the will, the commitment to doing it. I made a decision a long time ago that proper diabetes care is a part of my life for as long as necessary.

Perhaps those diabetic lessons - of commitment, practice, and hard work - will inspire me take it all the way with art too!

Every rose has its thorn...

The media and internet are buzzing with excitement over Bret Michaels' win last night on Celebrity Apprentice. Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison, won $390,000 total for his charity, the American Diabetes Association. Michaels has been a Type 1 diabetic for over 40 years, and his daughter was actually diagnosed with the disease as well – while he was taping the show.

I'm very happy for Michaels. He's demonstrated time and again that he is a creative, level-headed, likeable, hard-working rock star – competitive and yet a team player. He is easy to like, relatable to me at least, and I also appreciate the money and awareness he’s raised for diabetes.

So why the thorn?

Michaels suffered from a brain hemorrhage just nine days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy while he was at home in Arizona before the show's finale. He was in a semi-coma and was given a 50-50 chance of survival. Only 20% of people who suffer from a brain hemorrhage actually survive. He says that he survived because he went to the hospital the minute he felt something had gone wrong - which he describes as an explosion in his head. He is still recovering from the trauma, undergoing physical therapy twice a day, and still has pain in his neck and is having trouble walking.

Doctors have told him to take it easy. Even Donald Trump told him to take it easy, that he had been working too hard. Health comes first.

And yet, Michaels is still working hard. He appeared on the live finale last night, on Oprah last Thursday, and I saw him on the Today Show this morning where Meredith Vieira actually asked him why he is working so hard, preparing to go on tour this summer, while he is still recovering from a very serious ailment. The media seems rightfully concerned about Brett's well-being.

Brett’s response: I’m very driven.

My take on it: He doesn’t want his health to hold him back from pursuing his dreams. He’s been in consultation with doctors the entire time, and so we know that he’s very aware and conscious of taking care of his health. He's chosen to push despite some of the advice given to him. He is on a total high right now. He just won Donald Trump’s reality show. The world has his attention. He has raised a lot of money for diabetes. He survived a brain hemorrhage. He doesn’t want to rest and take it easy. He wants to live life to the fullest as best he can.

I can relate to that, and if I could, I would do the same. We never really know when our time is up, and he's seizing the day.

I'm not saying that I would ignore health though. Carpe diem (seize the day in Latin) doesn't mean that you just dismiss what's best for your body. The diabetes – and its related complications, both physical and emotional – has always been about balance. And in this case, it's the balance between pushing forward mentally while your body is telling you to rest.

This balance is a difficult one to find. Diabetes has been a thorn in my side at times. Sometimes I wonder if I should keep pushing or if I should rest. I have sometimes questioned if I can do certain things. But many times, diabetes has driven me to achieve more, do better, and prove that I can do it. It’s driven me to follow my passions and dreams and live every day to the fullest. The thorn has taught me to appreciate all of the wonderful things in my life, and I want to feel alive. You can only do that by living.

Bret Michaels has inspired and concerned me at the same time. He pushes himself against all odds all while he really still needs to be at home recuperating. He has reminded me that I can too, defy the odds, and achieve my goals - while being mindful of my diabetes. The thorn is there, and we can either let it hold us back - or we can use it, nurture it, take care of it, and allow it to push us toward living our lives to the fullest.

What healthcare reform means to me

I never thought I’d see the day where healthcare reform might actually pass the Senate. Quite frankly, I am holding back from getting too excited, dreaming of a world where we can all receive affordable, accessible, quality healthcare. I am a bit fearful of what may or may not be behind that 2,700 page legislation which the majority of Americans have not read, including me. But mostly, I am holding back because there is still a chance that it may not pass all the way (hello Joe).

But the dream is still there, waiting to be realized. Could it really be happening this week?

AS A DIABETIC
As a diabetic, I have been weighed down by the challenges of obtaining headache free coverage since I can remember. My parents, husband, and I have spent many a long, agonizing phone call arguing with health insurance company representatives regarding coverage of treatments and obtaining necessary pharmaceuticals. And even worse, and so embarrassing, writing statements on preexisting conditions for health insurance companies to examine and analyze.

I have so many painful stories on this topic. Here’s just one: I lived abroad in Israel for three years and was denied coverage of my diabetic care when I returned to the United States. Why? Because I couldn’t prove that I had continuous coverage under an American insurance company while I was there. I had been covered by Israeli health insurance. So I was informed that I had to wait a year until my diabetic care would be covered. The only way to obtain coverage would be under an employer’s healthcare plan. I had just come back to the United States. I hadn’t found a job yet. And when I did find a job, I had to wait three months to be eligible.

Diabetes doesn’t care about waiting periods, preexisting conditions, and continuous coverage. It doesn’t just go away because it’s inconvenient for the insurance companies.

What I couldn’t understand was – why? What if a person loses their job - and cobra is too expensive – because well, they lost their job? What if a person does go abroad for a valuable, educational, life-changing experience and needs to find a job when they return? Should we all stay put, not move, not explore, not leave a job or look for a new one, for fear of denial of healthcare coverage? Aren’t we one of the wealthiest countries in the world? Aren’t we all about freedom here in America? I had been covered under American health insurance my entire life, but because I moved abroad, I couldn’t receive coverage of preexisting conditions when I returned.

Huh?

I just didn’t get it, and quite frankly, I was embarrassed. It made me feel that the country where I was born, raised, educated, worked, lived didn’t care if I lived or died. Because I cost too much to keep alive?

As a diabetic, health insurance is necessary and essential. I’m insulin dependent. The costs involved in maintaining my health are astronomical. Prescriptions. Doctors. Tests. The insurance companies know better than I do how much this disease costs a month, let alone a year.

Without the medications, without the proper care, I could and probably would go blind, risk losing limbs, my sense of touch, kidney function. Synthetic insulin and all its paraphernalia are what keep me alive…and allow me to live.

HOW ABOUT THE REST OF US?
So, okay, why should the rest of you care? Why should American taxpayers care? Here’s what it boils down to: Is access to affordable, quality healthcare a right or a privilege?

Well, the first and most obvious reason we all should care is basic human compassion. We are all human. And we all have one thing in common. We will all die one day. Some of us may unfortunately undergo illnesses along the way. Some of us may be so lucky to never have a need for a doctor, hospital, or medical procedure. It’s doubtful though. Shouldn’t we all, irrelevant of earnings and workplace, receive the same opportunity to be healthy? Shouldn’t healthcare rank up there with the right to freedom of speech? Of religion? Shouldn’t healthcare be on the same list as the right to a free education? To learn how to read and write? The right to vote?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services almost 8 percent of the American population has some form of diabetes. And another 57 million have pre-diabetes, meaning they have high blood sugars but not high enough to be called diabetes.

I was in shock when I read these numbers, and instantly thought to myself: These statistics only cover the population with diabetes. How many people in this country are sick? How many have broken a bone? Or received a vaccination? How many inventors, CEOs, teachers, plumbers, firemen, and artists are in need of healthcare? And where would this country be, where would we be as the human race, without them?

And how many potential doctors, lawyers, and teachers haven’t received treatment for an illness because they don’t have access to health insurance?

DARE I SAY PRODUCTIVITY?
Second, for those of you who are still thinking about costs and economics and/or are pretty annoyed that I took time on this blog for grassroots political commentary, a healthy society is a happier, more productive society. Think of how much more efficient and productive people are when they are healthy, and think of how inefficient people can be when feeling under the weather, have a cold, a toothache, depression, poor vision, or even worse.

LIVING A HEALTHY AMERICA
Adequate, accessible, quality healthcare coverage will help make this country….healthy.

So, I’m pretty excited that healthcare reform might pass, despite not knowing all the ins and outs of the actual legislation. I am certain that there are mistakes within those pages. Isn’t that inevitable? I’m sure there will be criticisms from all sides. That’s the power of democracy. But I can't help but go back to the words of the late Ted Kennedy, which were reiterated by his late wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy in Sunday's Washington's Post, “better to get half a loaf than no loaf at all.”

I’m excited because it’s a step in the right direction. It makes me feel like America cares. About me. And the millions of you out there who want to be healthy too.

Let’s care about the people who live amongst us. After all, we’re all human.