Here's my story:
My name is Katie. I am a 41 year old mom of 4. I am married to an airline pilot. An airline pilot who does not currently have a medical. You see, when you fly commercially who need 2 "liscenses" if you will. One of which is actually a flying liscense. You get it when you complete your private pilot training & tests & then you add ratings & endorsements until..boom, you are officially qualified to fly commercially. In addition you must have a first class medical. Commercial pilots have to complete a physical with an Aero-medical doctor every 6 months, also after 38 (I think) you must have an EKG as part of that physical.
In January of 2011..on Superbowl Sunday my husband had some chest pains. At first, we really didn't think anything of it because he has a history of some pretty serious heartburn, but after it continued all day, we decided he really should get things checked out. For the record I tried to talk him into going to one the emergency care centers which are rampant here in Texas on that Sunday but..he's cheap! What can I say? It's a $50 co-pay for the emergency care but the regular doc was $15 on Monday. After lots of tests & lab work, & several doctor appts with a couple of doctors, we found ourselves at the Hospital on Valentine's Day for hubs to have a heart catheterization. I experienced no SMALL amount of shock when the cardiologist informed me very non-chalantly that he had found a blockage in one of hubby's arteries. 80% at one end & 50% at the other. 2 Stents & he was good to go..except the FAA (which governs all things pilot-y) wasn't convinced..they want us to wait 6 months & do it all again. And that's really where our journey begins. You see, I never really thought we ate "badly". We'd always drank skim or 1% milk. I always bought fat free sour cream. We ate a lot of chicken. But we learned & we changed some things, both with our diet & our excercise levels and we are well on our way back.
One of the perks of the diet & excercise change has been .. well, hey! we're skinny now! (Not that he ever wasn't)
So..this blog, in answer to my sweet friends requests is to let you all in our some of our favorite more healthy & less filling meals!
It's SO awesome of you to do this, Katie! Your story is inspirational. I've watched you transform before my eyes, and I gave me hope. I've been making a lot of excuses for myself over the last few years, thinking that perhaps I was past my prime, and I could never regain what I'd lost. Your example has proven me wrong (since you are a year older than I am *tease,tease*). I'm chugging along behind you and hope to catch up someday. Keep sharing your wonderful recipes....(and don't forget to go back through the archives on facebook. You've had me drooling on several occasions!)
ReplyDeleteHooray for your improved health, and svelt bod'!