Road Blocks

It seems that no matter where you go or what you do there are always road blocks. Some just slow your progress and others detour you all together, the worst of all are the ones that just stop you in your tracks with no end in sight. It seems that this is true no matter what you try to do in life whether it is trying to lose weight, get pregnant, go to school, get a job, ect..... Even though road blocks are just a part of life it is how you handle them that define you.

Well today I ran into one of those road blocks. First, I want to say that I have been staying on track and moving right along on my weightloss journey. I have been walking almost everyday and meeting my 11,000 steps a day goal. I have been counting calories and for the most part have been right where I need to be. I am down 13lbs since the beginning of this particular journey but down a total of 17lbs since about DEC09. Anyways, back to my road block. Today I went out for my walk like I always do.....I was ready to go, had my tennis shoes on, my display monitor on, my ipod with all my favorite walking songs and I was out the door. Now I have been working really hard and I was going to be a little easier on myself today and not walk quite as far cuz I had my wonderful husband and sassy little girl waiting for me to come back and join them at the pool. I set out and get across the field, across the busy road and was heading up around the new condos on my way to the beach and then there it was........my road block. I couldn't breathe. At first I thought maybe I went up the hill too fast and just needed to catch my breathe so I kept walking but very slowly in an attempt to catch my breathe. I stopped once to again try to catch my breathe and then got up and tried to keep going. I kept thinking that I could just walk through this and I would be fine but only a few steps later I realized that I had to turn around and get home before this got worse. I turned around and started heading home. It was the longest half mile ever. I didn't know if I was going to make it. I didn't have my phone on me and even if I did who was I going to call?? I knew my wonderful husband wouldn't have his phone on him either. So I kept on pushing. I saw the road. I got across it. I got threw the field and was finally at my steps. I was bracing myself and trying to catch a little breathe before I tackled my stairs when I saw the best thing ever walking towards me.....my sassy little girl. I sat down and asked her to run upstairs as quick as her little legs could take her and bring me my purse. I was in tears by the time this all ended and my chest was incredibly sore. Finally, relief.

My road block = ASTHMA

I had an asthma attack...out of the blue with no warning. Isn't that the way that most road blocks sneak up on us....with no warning.

I have had asthma since I was 8 years old and I had these attacks frequently as a child. Some were so bad my inhaler sometimes didn't relieve them . However, as an adult my asthma isn't that bad. I rarely have an attack and in fact can't even remember the last one that I have had. I rarely use my inhaler, it usually lasts me over a year many times longer. I have not been taking my inhaler with me walking since I started and I certainly have not needed it before. I was caught so off guard by this road block that I didn't even realize what it was until it was almost too late. If I kept going I don't know that I would have made it home. I am glad that my brain finally clicked and realized that this was an asthma attack and I needed to get my still rather large butt home.

Now the question is.......How am I going to handle this??? Well, I will tell you this for sure...I am NOT going to let this slow me down on my weightloss journey. Like I said I haven't had one of these things in ages and one attack isn't going to make me stop. I will patiently work through this. I feel that once I lose weight my asthma will become even more manageable to even somewhat nonexistant. My plan for now is to stuff my inhaler into my bra and keep on walking. It's just one more thing to add to my walking equipment and it is one that I hope that I will not have to use again, but I do not want to find myself in this kind of situation again.

So with this road block down I will be armed and ready to face anymore that may come my way.