That afternoon when I spoke to Mrs. W I had no idea what I was getting into.
She was calling for her husband who had spent the better part of the last 3 months in and out of the hospital. In October A fib - kidney failure - blood clot in leg. He was diabetic. The list went on and on and she needed help. Fast.
The last time he had been sent home from the hospital... he was told no more salt in his diet. Lucky for us, a friend of Mrs. W. recommended that she call Dr. Angela. This is where our story begins:
January 12, 2017
I go over to Mr. and Mrs. W's home and meet them for the first time. A couple in their 80's and I form an instant like to them. I can't help but compare them to my parents as I watch them interact. In their first meeting, I have to tell Mr. W....who for 80 years has pretty much eaten his own way - that things were going to be drastically different. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous. From now on - you will no longer eat: grains, dairy, soy or sugar!
We were sitting at their kitchen table, when Mr. W. got up and walked into the other room. I had no idea what he was doing, he just left. He comes shuffling back in carrying a 1/2 eaten snack pack of Reese's Peanut Butter cups and a snack pack of mini KitKat bars, slaps them on the table, and says to me, "I might as well eat these while we finish our conversation because once you leave, they are done!" I actually laughed out loud and said, "no, we have started already!"
And our journey began.
I left that day with so many feelings in my heart and thoughts in my head. I knew in my heart of hearts I was put here for a reason.
January 19, 2017
It's been one week. I promised Mrs. W. I would show her how to make spaghetti squash with hamburger and sauce. I head over for meeting # 2. We started our meeting with cooking the squash and as it baked we chatted over our next session. I was reading his food log and saw that Mr. W. went from eating crystal light, candy, bread, pasta and milk on a daily basis - to the above protocol: no grains, dairy, soy or sugar!
In one week his sugar readings showed significant change AND he lost 4.5#.
Hm. Maybe we are onto something.
Every time I leave the sessions I get this warm feeling in my heart. Losing my dad right before his 81st birthday may have something to do with it. I love conversing with this couple. Maybe I needed them as much as they needed me.
Today is January 29, 2017
I met with Mr. and Mrs. W this afternoon.
It's been 17 days since he started the protocol that Dr. Angela had advised for him. On Tuesday, the 24th he went for a checkup and his family Dr. took him OFF HIS BLOOD SUGAR MEDICATION! Twelve days from the time he cut out all the bad food and he is already off one of his med's!
I almost cried, but instead gave him a big ole high five!
Today's topic was sleep. So I asked Mr. W. "how do you sleep?" And he looks at me, without skipping a beat, and says "with my eyes closed!"
I left today, with that same fuzzy feeling in my heart. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I'd struggle to believe it, even though I've seen it time and time again. I have worked with people and I have been changing lives for so many years now. But, each time something like this happens, it feels like the first time. At 80 years old, he has a whole new chapter beginning, and I get to be a part of it. Today, I am so thankful that I met this man and his wife.
It's never too late to change and honestly, change is a mindset. For this couple it became critical, but it doesn't have to be critical for you to start. Make up your mind...and start today.
PS: Mrs. W was happy to hear that she COULD cook with salt, I told her "just use the real thing!"
