Healthy Choices

I've been trying to make healthy choices the last few days. Since I'm not very mobile and take medication that is known to cause weight gain it has indeed caught up to me. 

I purchased a new veggie spiralizer and tried it out last night with zucchini to make zoodles- zucchini noodles.

 I had them with this Creamy Sundried Tomatoe Chicken and it was wonderful.

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2016/04/slow-cooker-creamy-sun-dried-tomato-chicken/

I'm not an breakfast person and usually don't eat until 12-1ish. Today I prepared smoothie packs for the freezer. It took forever; a hour and a half for 6 smoothie bags... Ugh, being fat is so much easier lol. 

I wrote on 6 ziplock bags what I would be putting in them. I figured when it was time to blend them up I could throw in extra fruit I had on hand.

I washed, pealed and chopped up mangos, pears and kiwis. I've decided I'll only buy pre cut mangos from now on. Those suckers are slippery and hard to cut up- with out cutting off a finger. My hands are still always numb and tingly from neuropathy left by my Guillain Barré. But atleast I have smoothies ready to go for a week.

 Mangos

I figured out that it was easiest for me to set the bags in cups to keep them up right.

Kiwis

Pears

I fought with my enemy- the seal on ziplock bags and flatten them out and stacked them up so they will easily fit in the freezer.

For dinner I tried out this recipe For Taco stuffed mini peppers

http://skinnyms.com/skinny-bell-pepper-nachos-recipe/

Ground turkey, cheese and salsa in a mini pepper and baked. 

Topped with Greek Yogurt. I'll definitely be making these again.

Having yummy recipes like these make eating right a little easier. I'm grateful to have a second chance in life since my fight with GBS. Now hopefully I can get in a routine with going to the gym.

To other GBS or autoimmune disease fighters; what changes have you made with your diet and lifestyle. I'd love if you could send me your favorite recipes to justinesgbsjourney@gmail.com

June 19th

Today, June 19th we celebrate Fathers Day. But for me I celebrate a few extra people. 

I'm so blessed to have such a large family and have not only an amazing dad but also a great step dad, grandpa and step grandpa.

Today my brother, niece and I went with  my dad to see Finding Dory. I love that my dad is always up for a Disney movie or chick flick... We watched so many while I was locked up in the hospital. I know everyone says how amazing their dads are and I'm sure they are. Dads are so special. 

I could never explain how amazing my dad is. As soon as he heard that I was in the hospital he never skipped a beat. He was right next to me for 127 days out of the 131 days I was hospitalized. Not many people would do that. When he did get any sleep it was usually in a crappy hospital chair while listening to the endless beeping of machines.

April 2015- The day we were released to go home!

My wedding 2012

September 2013- I can't wait for more hunting and camping adventures 😊

I'm a lucky girl to also have my awesome grandpa in my life. He always make sure I have what I need and is good for a great story. 

Grandpa and I- September 2013

Dad, me, Nick and Grandpa 

Dad, me and grandpa at Kasie's wedding- October 2013

Me, grandpa, dad and Tara

Besides being Father's Day, it's also my cousin Tara's birthday. I hope your day is wonderful. Thank you for being my first best friend and always being there for me.

Tara helping out at my physical therapy appointment lol

Today would have been my Papa's 90th birthday and it's his first birthday in heaven. I miss him every day, but I know he is celebrating with my grandma. He is the nicest and most giving person I have ever met. I'm so grateful to be his granddaughter.

Gary has been in my life since I was 5. He has always treated me as his daughter and not a step child. I'm very lucky to have him in my life... Even if I only see him every few months because he likes to live in the middle of nowhere and doesn't want a cellphone.

Happy Fathers Day to all of the dads out there. You are so loved and appreciated!

Fish are friends not food

18 months ago I was lying in a hospital bed. Not being able to communicate and talk about the scariest moments. To help me cope and to not totally go insane, I resorted to all things Disney.

I may be a grown adult but I'm not ashamed in admitting that I know just about every Disney song... And that truly saved me. 

When my life went dark and the impossible was happening to me I would sing and repeat Disney sayings. Of course the famous line from Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming" was among my arsinal of words that would calm me and give me peace.

Finding Nemo was never my favorite Disney movie, that I blame on high school Spanish class- having to watch it in Spanish over and I over again nearly drove me crazy lol. Surprisingly I found myself repeating a different quote from Nemo- "Fish are friends not food." Yes it's the most random quote but it calmed me during the never ending blood draws, suctioning and other procedures... I'm just grateful I wasn't quoting it in Spanish.

Finding Dory premieres today and I am absolutely overjoyed to see it!  

No matter what quote, phrase or lyric that may have crossed my mind they all helped my from loosing myself.  Thank you Disney for Finding Nemo and preventing "Loosing Justine".

You Just Might Make Me Believe

I believe that Silver Linings and "Signs" can be found everywhere. Tonight I'm struggling; the pain, the nausea, the never ending fatigue.

I covered myself in Peperment Essential Oil & now I smell like a candy cane so that makes me grin a little. I decided to pull out my adult coloring book and try taking my mind of off my broken body. My choice of course is Harry Potter. I wiggled my way into bed and propped myself up with my many pillows and turned on Pandora on my phone.

My plan was to loose myself in music and coloring but instead after hearing a certain song I felt the need to write & to share these feelings because I never know who I may be helping.

The first song to come on was "Just Might" by Sugarland- it was exactly what I needed to hear. Listing to those words it's pretty similar to my life.

http://youtu.be/kaqmB5k6N1U

I know that I will be ok. The good days and amazing memories that I get to create more than out weigh the bad days. And on these tough days I'm thankful for good music and things that keep my mind busy... On the really bad days I'm thankful for alcohol... If we're being honest lol.

18 Month Update

Somehow 18 months has passed since getting Guillain Barré Syndrome. Life has been busy so I wanted to give an update. 

Sometimes I think of the past year and half and can't believe that this is my life. How we made it through. I try not to think of how I haven't recovered as fast as most GBS fighters and the ways I'm still struggling... 

I was told many things about my recovery from the beginning. One of first things that I was told  is that I would survive this. Thanks to modern day medicine I have survived and feel incredibly blessed to have a second chance in life. To live the fullest and like some of my favorite lyrics- "Keep on dreamin', even if it breaks your heart."- Eli Young Band 

This past weekend I was blessed beyond measure. I got to walk down the isle and be by the side of my beautiful best friend as she married the love of her life. There was more smiles and laughs than I could count and a few happy tears. I was able to wear my awesome new cowboy boots- that was a long time coming. It's the little things that make me feel a little like myself again. 

I got to dance the night away with my husband and some of the people that mean the most to me. At the end of the night I noticed that I wore down the bottom of my new boots... And it gave me the biggest smile. 

My life isn't a "walk" in the park my any means. I still have more bad day than I admit. Days where I'm sick and have no energy for no reason at all... But non the less I love this life that I'm blessed to live. I love the people that make it worth living. I'm thankful for these struggles because of them I have found my strength.

So on to my progress; I'm walking pretty good for short distances around the house or in a controlled environment with someone nearby but I'm still in my chair 80% of the time. I prefer my walking sticks over my walkers. I'm working on building my endurance to walk further. I'm still using my AFO braces... Not as much as I should be tho lol. Bryan will often start singing Thriller when I'm walking lol. But it's progress and I'm proud of it.

I met with my neurologist last week. He was happy with my recovery and would like me to go back to physical therapy to make sure I'm on track. And I still have no reflexes- to me it's so weird to have someone wack your joints and to not jerk.

I do have a gym membership to the gym down the road. I trying to start a routine. I have enjoyed riding my power chair to there and around town. It's little bits of freedom that makes me feel like a normal person again... Even when I have my 4 year old nephew riding in my lap dressed as Iron Man lol.

I'm so proud of how far I have become. Bryan and I were talking about how happy we were that I no longer needed to use slide boards and I can easily move my self from point a to point b.

 I have been kept busy with- The Faces of Guillain Barre and I'm very grateful to everyone who sent me their stories and to all of you that have read and shared those inspiring testimonies. I love getting all of the messages thanking me for doing this and how it's helped them or a loved one. It's honestly my pleasure.

Thank you for the on going support and encouragement. It means more than you will ever know to have not been forgotten.

Neurologist List

I've saw other GBS fighters ask about Neurologists on several of the Guillain Barré pages. So I decided to make this post an on going list. I'll continue to add to it whenever I hear about another Neuro. 

It's important to help each other and have an network since we come from all over. Please send me the name, number and location of any Neurologist that you have had a good experience with and has had experience with Guillain Barré syndrome.

California 

Dr. Rothfeld

Chico, CA

(530) 342-2091

Plot Twist

10 years...

Aww me and my Trigger dog! I didn't even know that I had this picture... More than makes up for not finding actual graduation pictures... My gimpy girl reach isn't the best lol and for some random  reason "cough, cough", Gary my step dad breaking his neck the same day-there isnt too many pictures good pictures.

How is it that today marks 10 years since I graduated high school.

This is not the life I invisioned... This is not the life I asked for...

But it's safe to say that the life I'm living is filled with more love than I ever thought was possible.

I finally gave in and had to get a permanent handicap parking thingy. It was a pain to go to the DMV every 6 months for the temporary one. I told the doctor that they could gladly have it back when I can get around better. 

Last week I found out that I was accepted for Social Security Disability which is a weight off of our shoulders... But at the same time it's an unexplainable blow. 10 years ago as I sat in Government class putting together the required 10 year plan.

Being on Social Security at 27 was NOT on that plan... I feel that the universe yelled "Plot Twist" at me nearly 18 months ago. Ever since I've been struggling to find my "footing"- literally  and figuratively.

I have learned to expect the unexpected, because something will always happen. It is what it is but never give up. 

Having so much time on my hands has made me strive even more to spread awareness about the thing that brought me to my knees in the first place. I have to believe in a bigger plan and that there is a reason to this madness. 

I may not have a lot of things accomplished for having graduated 10 years ago- Besides having an amazing husband, home and the best family and friends I could ever ask for... But you could say that I have danced with the devil and won. I have rose from the flames- being locked in my body, completely paralyzed to walking. And that is enough for me... I've learned that people are what matter and not things.

I guess it's normal to have these kinds of feelings when something this big and unfair happens. But I am proud of the person I have become because of this "Plot Twist ". I feel that 95% of the time I have took these struggles with grace. I know that the outcome would have been different without Bryan, my dad, family and friends by my side and I'm forever grateful for them and this life I'm so blessed to call mine.