#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Asthma and the Benefits of Taking Care of You

September 29, 2010 · Narrative

Rescue No More

When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with asthma.  We were in Texas, visiting my late grandmother at the time when it all started.  I couldn’t breathe.  I won’t lie, asthma sucks.  The seasons affect it.  Humidity affects it.  Stress affects it.  It’s an all-around pain in the arse that you just basically deal with.  Medicine can, for the most part, keep it at bay and make it manageable, but generally speaking, it’s a lifetime sentence.

I remember my Mom telling me that my Uncle, the only other family member I know of with asthma, was diagnosed with it when he was a kid.  The doctor suggested he start exercising and he took up tennis, and with that, away went the asthma.  When I was a kid, I was fairly active, playing on the town’s softball league, and I always wished my asthma would go away like his did.

It didn’t.

I became reliant enough on the “rescue inhalers” that I kept them everywhere.  One on my desk.  In my car.  In my purse.  On my nightstand.  And in my pocket.  Always.  Always in my pocket.  Because when I’m short of breath and basically can’t breathe, that’s the only thing to give me relief.  Twenty-eight years of that.  At any given time, always within arm’s reach, I can hand you four things.  My iPod (okay, Nick’s iPod since mine is still lost).  My BlackBerry.  A tube of Chapstick.  And my inhaler.

Over the past 10 months or so, however, there has been a shift.  The seasons still change.  The humidity is terrible.  And stress is always present.  But my asthma has gotten better.  Less intrusive.  Less there.  Although all the triggers are still there, I have relied less and less on my rescue inhaler.

So then one day three weeks ago, when I was getting dressed in the morning, I purposely didn’t put it in my pocket.  It was a bold move.  For the last 15 years, easily, it has always been in my left pocket.  I did still keep one in my purse, just in case.  But my pocket?  Empty.  And I didn’t need it all day.

So I tried it again the next day.

Same thing.

It has now been three weeks since I last used my rescue inhaler.  It kind of crept up on me.  I didn’t plan for it.  Didn’t expect to have less of a need for my inhaler.  But it is very definitely a nice HUGE benefit to my 2010 Commitment to Me.  While tennis worked for my Uncle many, many years ago, my consistent exercise in the form of Zumba, Pilates, Spinning and walking this year has done it for me.

Having had asthma for 28 years now, I never expected to not have to think about it anymore.  And truth be told, I do still get short of breath and have occasional difficulty breathing, of course.  I don’t think that will ever completely go away.  But the more active I am, the longer I stay on this course, the less I have needed to rely on the inhalers.   In fact, I don’t use them at all.

The benefits to taking care of you are seemingly immeasurable.  Some of the benefits are immediate and very apparent.  Losing weight.  Gaining confidence.  Having more energy.  They’re different for everyone.  But some of the benefits are sneaky and creep up on you.  Out of nowhere.  Like me and the inhalers.  Do it for you, and the rest just falls into place.

Project 365
September 29, 2010, Photo #170

Lunchtime Love

The other day when I was making dinner, Madeline went to the pantry closet and grabbed a photo off of the closet door, tearing quickly out of the kitchen.  She refused to give it back and wouldn’t tell me where she put it.  The next day, when I went to go back her lunchbox, I found where she put the photo.  She had stuck it in her lunchbox so she could keep me with her at lunch. I love that child more and more every minute.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: taking care of you

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    September 30, 2010 at 6:16 am

    Cate you have no idea HOW HAPPY I am for you! Asthma is really an obnoxious disease to have to deal with every day, all the time for YEARS. It’s amazing how something like exercise can really change the prognosis so much. Woot woot!

    And oh my gosh is Maddie adorable!

    Reply
  2. patsy says

    September 30, 2010 at 6:26 am

    That is a perfect story to share! I have never had asthma, but when I first started running (only 4 months ago) I got very winded, easily… now, I can run and when I get finished I can breathe normally without gasping for air.

    Good for you in making this commitment to yourself! We all need to remember to take care of ourselves first… that makes it easier to take care of everyone else. Happy Mom = Happy Family!

    Reply
  3. Sarah Caron says

    September 30, 2010 at 8:18 am

    Cate, I wonder how much your clean eating has played into this too. The newest research shows a big link between diet and asthma symptoms, so eating a cleaner diet could be helping too. There was a study not too long ago that showed high fat diets can worsen asthma symptom … ever since I started eating a low fat diet (cutting out red meat and avoiding unnecessary fats, but keeping the good fats), my asthma symptoms have greatly diminished too. Isn’t it wonderful?

    Reply
  4. Ramona says

    September 30, 2010 at 11:45 am

    Congrats on your new found freedom!

    That kid is a mess. How sweet.

    Reply
  5. Meg says

    September 30, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    So happy that you’ve been able to enjoy your “freedom,” as Ramona says above; I can’t imagine how difficult and scary it would be to have troubles breathing. Yay for you!

    And the Madeline/lunchbox story is adorable. I remember doing things like that with photos of my family when I was little. :)

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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