May 22, 2012 - Take Nothing for Granted

As someone that has suffered from Crohn's disease since the age of 13, I have learned to really appreciate every healthy day in my life.  Two days ago, I ran in a half marathon in NJ.  It was the last prep race for Team Challenge in preparation for the half marathon on June 2nd.  On Sunday, we all split the race with another team member.  Emily was there to cheer me on and it is days like this that are cherished.  A day later (yesterday) this is what I looked like.

I had brought Emily's car in to be serviced and was on the way home with a loaner car from the dealership.  I was stopped at a red light and the next thing I knew, I was being put in an ambulance.  I was hit by someone that was going at least 50 mph and probably texting.  Luckily, other than being very, very sore, I don't have any serious injuries.

My main concern right now, is that I am healed enough to be able to run in Virginia on June 2nd.  As disappointed as I will be if I cannot,  I will still be thankful for the experience of meeting every one of my teammates and getting to know all of them throughout our training for the run.

I think anyone that suffers from a chronic illness has more of an appreciation for life, but when things like this happen, it really makes me sit back and be so thankful for how wonderful life can be.  Take nothing for granted,  you never know what each day will bring you.

May 14, 2012 - Spectacular Weekend

Wow, what a weekend !  Before I get to the details, I just wanted to say that because I really watched my diet and my physical activity leading up to the weekend, I was able to really enjoy myself without a sign of a flare up.

Got a surprise call from my daughter Jill last Wednesday, letting me know that her boyfriends dad had gotten 4 tickets to the Yankee game on Thursday night and one of those tickets was for me.

Had a great time at the game, which turned out to be a 5-3 Yankee win.  My friend Frank bartends in a private club in the stadium.  We went to the bar for a few innings.  Had a couple of beers and had a bunch of food (burger, soft pretzel, chicken tenders and fries).  Not the best diet, but I deserve it.

Friday night was a family dinner at a restaurant in town.  Emily's entire family was in town for Adins bar mitzvah.  Her mom and dad, brother Jimmy, his wife Jenn and their 3 kids (Jake, Dylan and Arianna) came up from Florida.  Her brother Chuck, his wife Barb and their son Ellery, were in from Chicago, but their flight did not arrive in time for dinner.  My brother Larry, his girlfriend Colleen and my nieces Kari and Tia also joined us for dinner.  Because of the game the night earlier, I only had 1 drink with dinner and had pasta.  With the bar mitzvah the next day and I wanted to take it a little easy this night.

Here is a picture of Arianna playing with our dog Lulu and a video of the twins (Jake and Dylan) jamming out in our music room.

Saturday was bar mitzvah day.  Adin really did a great job.  He worked hard and was pretty much flawless.  The party was spectacular with a ton of great food.  The DJ was terrific!  Everything worked out better than we could have hoped for.  Here is a short video of Arianna, my daughter Jill and Grandma Cindy dancing at the party.

The party ended around 4:30 p.m.  As the co-host of the party, I didn't get to eat as much as I would have liked to, which was probably a good thing.  I did have a bartender chasing me around the entire party with full drinks (vodka), although, I really didn't need her to twist my arm.

Got home around 5.  The whole family came over our house for some late day pizza around 6:30.  I ended up in the basement with Adin, my brother and Frank to watch game 7 of the Rangers/Capitals series.  The Lundqvist shrine, complete with the "broadway hat" worked like a charm, as he had a great game.  The Rangers won 2-1.

Yesterday we all got together at our home for a nice Mothers Day brunch.  That was followed by some street hockey with all 3 generations playing.  I went for a run in the afternoon.  I ran a little over 7 miles, which, considering all the alcohol I had consumed the day before, wasn't bad.

I barbecued dinner around 5 and everyone left for their hotels about an hour later.

I cannot put into words how great the weekend was.  Sometimes, expectations are so great, they cannot possibly be met.  In this case, they were exceeded.  I love spending time with my family, especially when it is centered around such a momentous occasion.  The most important thing for me was that I stayed completely free of even a sign of a crohn's flare up.  Taking care of myself in the days leading up to the weekend made everything possible.

May 9, 2012 - CCFA

As my training picks up and I get closer and closer to running my half marathon on June 2nd, I starting thinking about how rewarding it has been to get involved with such a great organization like the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America.  Here is some information about the organization.

About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Henry D. Janowitz, M.D.

Four decades ago, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation created the field of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis research. Today, the Foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the early stages of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research. Educational workshops and symposia, together with our scientific journal, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, enable medical professionals to keep pace with this rapidly growing field. No wonder the National Institutes of Health has commended the Foundation for "uniting the research community and strengthening IBD research."
Main areas of this section include:

• Our Mission
  To cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.
• Your Dollars at Work
  The Foundation consistently meets standards established by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance as well as other charity watchdog organizations. Learn more about how we steward your dollars. 
• Our Members
  Currently the Foundation has over 50,000 members, served by our national headquarters, as well as a over 40 chapters nationwide. As the Foundation is not a government-supported agency, we rely on the support of members and donors to continue our work.
• Our Sponsors
  Our dedicated corporate sponsors provide significant grants to the Foundation, which have made possible many of our research, support, and education programs.
• Global Partners
  The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation maintains informal partnerships with a variety of Crohn's and colitis-related organizations around the world for the purposes of cooperation on research and information sharing. 

You can find out more info about the CCFA by visiting their website at www.ccfa.org

Only a little over 3 weeks until the half marathon takes place.  My training is a bit slower than I'd like because of my knees, but if I keep up the proper balance of running and rest between now and June 2nd, I should be fine for the race.

My health remains very good.  I am extra careful with my diet this week because my step-son Adin's Bar Mitzvah is Saturday.  My entire family will be in town, which means lots of dinners out.  That, in turn, means this week has been a week of many shakes and careful eating.