melanie
lisa
kara
kathleen
mieres
zulema
ruann
vernita

The Countdown Begins: 5…4…3…2…1

The Cedar Rapids Community-Wide Health & Wellness Fair is in less than 5 days and what an emotional roller coaster it is!

On Monday night the health fair committee received the following email:


Hello
I would like to inquire more about the Health Fair coming up on March 31.
Can you please share with me additional information about the services and what is available, and especially what is free and what is not.
Also, my 78-year old mother is interested in getting some screening. Is that service available for her?
I would greatly appreciate your reply.
Thanks,


Because of all the Committee’s efforts and Sponsors and Partners Support, we were able to reply with the following (small excerpt),

The health & wellness fair will have something available for all ages. EVERYTHING IS FREE. Bring your Mom and some of her friends! Over 40 informational booths, a blood drive, and 14 different screenings will be available to the community free-of-charge including Blood Pressure, Blood Cholesterol(12 hour fast is required and this screening will only be offered from 9am-11am), Body Mass Index, Bone Density, Blood Glucose, Dental, Glaucoma, Hearing, HIV/AIDS, Nerve System, Peak Flow, Vision, Skin/Facial Analysis, and Spinal. Also, doctors will be available to answer questions throughout the entirety of the fair and pharmacists will be available from 9:00am-12:00pm to answer one-on-one questions.


On Tuesday night, the following reply from the inquirer was waiting in the Inbox:


Thanks.
We both shall be there.


Life is sweet.



Comments

What a fantastic accomplishment, and gift to your community. You are awesome.


Thank you Kathleen, but I cannot take the credit. The Cedar Rapids Community-Wide Health & Wellness Fair Committee, Partners, and Sponsors have come together in a grassroots effort to make this access-to-healthcare event possible.
~Vernita


Hi Vernita, I choose to move with you.. you sound just like me. please keep in touch..I will begin today.
Be prayful, Rose


Hello Rose (such a refreshing name),
March 28 is a good day to begin.
And yes, I agree with you, we DEFINATELY have that 7 letter word in common...PRAYFUL. It keeps me grounded, sane, and hopeful all at once.
Let me know how your first day went.
~Vernita


I'm so proud of your efforts! You have become a tangible source of God's love to your community! I'll be praying for you. In all of your preparations, remember at some point during the fair, to stand back and take a mental picture of all your efforts coming together. Take care!


Thank you for your prayers, Lisa!

The entire committee and supporters have been there every step of the way and together we pulled this health-worthy event together.
It's 5:30am now and I will be meeting the committee at 7:00am.
I Will take your advice and stand back for a moment and reflect...
~Vernita


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Choose To Move: A Community, A Way of Life

At the end of any journey, it’s always nice to reflect on the experience and enjoy the exhilaration that comes with accomplishment. During the past 12 weeks, seven real women have opened their hearts and minds to women across the country. They’ve revealed struggles, shared empowering messages, offered valuable tips and served as genuine advocates for this program.

During the Choose To Move challenge, these women not only engaged in physical activity, they discovered a community of women who share a common goal – increase physical activity in order to develop a healthier lifestyle. Their success is a direct result of determination, commitment and the support they received from those in the Choose To Move community.

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For Ruann, Kara, Lisa, Melanie, Vernita, Kathleen and Zulema, the 12-week challenge has come to an end. However, the ultimate reality is that their life-long journey to maintain a healthy lifestyle has only begun. No matter where you are in this journey, I encourage you to rely on women in the Choose To Move community, as well as those around you. Take advantage of the Choose To Move program and turn this challenge into a way of life.


Recent Comments

My total chol. is 184
HDL is 46
LDL is 106
Trig. is 184

I have been on a low fat, low carb diet since Sept (NutriSystem). Should I be concerm about my Trig?

Comment by on February 12, 2008 2:54 PM

Dr. Mieres,

I'm very much an internet girl. As soon as I found out I had high blood pressure, I found this site. After going through all the 'choose to move' selectees, I chose Vervita, for the reason that she update often and replied to those that posted comments.

Well here we are, 6 months later, most of those chosen have yet to update.

Considering these are all busy and accomplished women, perhaps some slack should be cut. Ok.

The forums are worse. I have had to hunt and peck to find true posts, some of which should be answered by a professional, not a jr. high social studies teacher.

I'm sorry to be so negative. In truth, AHA diet and recipes have made it possible that I may be coming off meds next week. My diet plan has been based on your cookbooks.

When I called in my numbers today, to get a refill, the office called me back and said the doctor said when I want, to stop meds for 4 days and make an appointment for the 5th. If bp is in the 100-120 range, we'll stop the meds. Woo hoo! Diet and exercise may pay off!

Comment by on June 12, 2008 8:17 PM

Dr. Mieres,

I'm very much an internet girl. As soon as I found out I had high blood pressure, I found this site. After going through all the 'choose to move' selectees, I chose Vervita, for the reason that she update often and replied to those that posted comments.

Well here we are, 6 months later, most of those chosen have yet to update.

Considering these are all busy and accomplished women, perhaps some slack should be cut. Ok.

The forums are worse. I have had to hunt and peck to find true posts, some of which should be answered by a professional, not a jr. high social studies teacher.

I'm sorry to be so negative. In truth, AHA diet and recipes have made it possible that I may be coming off meds next week. My diet plan has been based on your cookbooks.

When I called in my numbers today, to get a refill, the office called me back and said the doctor said when I want, to stop meds for 4 days and make an appointment for the 5th. If bp is in the 100-120 range, we'll stop the meds. Woo hoo! Diet and exercise may pay off!

Comment by on June 12, 2008 8:17 PM