I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea which caused left sided diastolic dysfunction which caused pulmonary hypertension. I now have the left side heart failure and some serious edema issues. I am being treated for all of these conditions pretty successfully so far at St. Paul University Hospital in Dallas TX Heart and Lung Center. I have not done so well on 6 minute walk and my stamina and energy is in the toilet so to speak. Took a long time to get a proper diagnosis, so it is progressed to about moderate I think, maybe serious. Verna O

I am 47, just getting back into working out. I was in a serious accident and was unable to walk on my own for about 1 year, 9 months. I developed a "poor me" attitude and gave up being healthy. I gained 50 lbs and got high cholesterol. Now my cholesterol is lowered, and though I am not in the same shape as I was, I am making progress. I know a little about a lot of health related things and would like to learn more in depth.

My mother is having an intense migraine and I have head ache as well at time which become really painful at times but the medicine helps. In our country, herbal tips help a lot in getting through some problems.

We are launching a Wellness Education Program at AAFES and I am the Program Manager.

I am 45 years old and in school to become a nurse. I have battled many autoimmune health problems but have not given up a healthy lifestyle. I do battle with fatigue and financial hardships have made day to day life unbearable at times, but I will not give up. My health and education is important. So take time every day to do what you love, move your body, challenge your mind, and know that you can be the best you can be.

I am a middle aged woman who has lived a life filled with various events, some good (birth of two healthy sons who are now grown) some not so good (my son was diagnosed with leukemia just three months after coming home from Peace Corps and four months after finding my husband has been having an affair). I struggle everyday to believe in my worth. I am recently learning to live with the complications of lyme disease.

I am very overweight and i smoke. Neither, is healthy and I know this, it just seems hard to get motivated to stop hurting myself. I have a very low self-esteem about myself.

Shall we dance? Or sing? Sure right now it seems really popular to dance. But how much of your life is filled with music? Putting music into your life can be the start of a magical day. It can be a quick cure to feeling low ….. It can certainly change the dynamics of your household in the mornings. If you put the TV or radio on you an often get hooked into the news or days events…….. If you find some music that uplifts you, or motivates you or resinates with you in some way… Sure l have my old favorites, l feel good James brown....CMon Get Happy – The Partridge Family. I am woman hear me roar……… I must confess here and now, l love country music and am a real fan. But lyrics such as the dog died, my wife left and l have nothign left, do not do much to uplift me. And there have been many studies done to show the effects of music on our physical bodies. Much like laughter our body does physiological respond. So why not give this idea a go. For the next 7 days make a decision and a commitment to yourself. Wake up to music…and make certain you do not set your alarm to the news….that really has an effect on your day. When you're in the shower or getting ready for your day put on music you can dance to (no one else has to see you) enrich your life……get your body moving…sing loudly and bop along to some music that makes you feel good. You will notice a difference straight away. When l first started this my kids though I had finally lost all my marbles. (Truth is l was only gaining them) And yes the kids still wonder about me sometimes. But kids do what we do not what we say and they too now choose songs to play. Music will change the atmosphere of your home, your car and your life. Try it, you have everything to gain. And guess what you are worth living a life filled with fun, laughter, energy and love. If you want to find out other ways to bring this to your life log on to www.youarespecial.com.au

Rejection- The thing that no one likes. Lets face it, who walking around with a heartbeat likes the idea of being rejected? No one…..Not my 1-year-old, she likes to be validated and loved, not my 17 year old, not my husband and definitely not me. When people reject us we often feel worthless…..That’s worth less…………We take on other people’s opinions of us. It’s like receiving an insult, we can remember it for years……but sometimes cannot recall a compliment we have received in the last 24 hours. And some people use that rejection as an excuse to not keep going. And that’s all it is, an excuse. It’s a world truth- people will reject us…people in our social life, people in our working life. We may be rejected for a loan, we may be rejected for a job. I would not be writing this article now sitting in the home l love and adore so much if 8 years ago l had taken on board the rejection for some 5 banks. I simply kept going to others till we got the loan......... It’s so easy and yet understable to want to give up when that happens. But l like to think of those times as a test. A test to our commitment to our goals. Imagine for a second if Walt Disney had given up on his dream? Or Henry Ford…….Or Mr Honda, or Colonel Sanders? Or Thomas EDISON? You think they were not rejected? Only hundreds of times each, literally hundreds and sometimes thousands of times. Go rent The Henry Ford Story, or read about these people in books. Their own story might just inspire you to keep going. I know in my own life how easy it is to give up when being rejected. I recall needing to get back into the workforce after having children and being home with them for many years. I had no real relevant skills, and the first few jobs l went for I got no response at all. The next ones told me how l would need to re-invent myself and though l knew l could do the job l was quite frankly rejected for a number of reasons. For being too old, out of the work force, female, no Vce, no relevant experience etc etc…… But l kept thinking about those people who’s stories l had read. Colonel Sanders alone was rejected 1012 times……….yes you read that correctly…….1012..and most of us would give up after about 30...... How did you learn to walk? You fell down and you got back up again…you didn’t give up the first time. And neither did those around you. I know l did not say to my baby girl last week when she let go of the table and fell down, “Your Hopeless”…….no l encourage her to get back up and keep trying. Because that’s what we do……….How did you learn to drive a car ? Did you do it right and perfectly the first time? Probably not….you made mistakes and people probably told you to get of the road………but you kept going and one day, you could drive (presuming of course you ever learnt?) How is you do anything right? You usually made a lot of mistakes and you had supportive people around telling you they believed in you. Now l hope in your life as you reads this you still have those supportive people around you but the most supportive person you need is yourself. Don’t like being rejecetde,,,,,it stinks, its hart and it’s awful………but don’t give up. My husband wanted to be a firefighter…..8 times he went through a very long and tedious process, sometimes not even getting to first base. He knew he could do the job, he had been a volunteer firefighter for 13 years……… But some part of the process kept getting to him recall seeing him defeated, and on the 7 time he said no more.” It’s too hard, it’s too difficult he said.” Part of me agreed, it hurt us both seeing him in so much pain…..but l needed to practice what l preach. “Get back on” l told him, “l believe in you", "you know you can do it”……….And l reminded him of all the people l know who had done that, some famous some not………We stopped living our life as if it depended on this dream job, but he did set, more goals, try other new ways, he did go for it again…….and guess what he made it. Now he’s been there 2 years, he LOVES his job and would do it even if we won 20 million dollars……..like l would do mine also………And the funny thing is, so many people in his profession had to keep trying and trying………..It would have been in many ways easier for him to give up and throw in the towel………….because you can never do enough courses or speak to enough people that will teach you to like rejection. You human and rejection hurts……….. But honestly in my own life and in that of hundreds l see, it’s not the first time people get somewhere usually anyway. There’s a chance of overnight success but it usually takes many times of rejection to get there. Look at any famous actor or musician…trust me they have been rejected hundreds of times before getting their luck break. And think of all those sports people you know…..They also would have been rejected many times……Decide what it is you want, imagine yourself in that perfect job……and when the next person rejects you know in your heart that they are not the person you are looking for……..Don’t take it personally …it’s not always about you……..Think of it as test, allow yourself you feel some pain or hurt because that’s ok, it means your normal………..Then go searching another time for what you want..You have much more chance of getting what you want rather than going after what you don’t want. Maybe along the way you need to take small steps, maybe you need to look at filling in some time until you get there. But if you have a dream it’s because you have the capabilities of making that dream come true……..And listen to and surround yourself with people who also believe in you.To find out more about being supported look up the website www.youarespecial.com.au

I am in my forties and have tried to be healthy most of my life. However, I have picked up unhealthy habits like most of us. I am learning. Thank you for the chance to learn more.

Hello, I go by the name of Marleetee. I am a heart patient. It all began in the summer of 1998. I experienced lightheadness, shortness of breath and occasional chest pains. I had visited a local hospital twice. At one of my visits to their clinic, I was diagnosed with sinusitis. On my second visit to their emergency room, I was told I had bronchitis. I continued to work for a total of six months during my illness. One night in mid-January 1999, it felt as though an elephant was standing on my chest. I could not sleep and, I had severe pain in my chest. I propped myself up with many pillows throughout the night. The next morning I felt a little better so I got up and took a shower and drove my son to school and, drove my self to work. I worked for nine hours that day. I had informed my employees about a week previously to call an ambulance if I suddenly passed out but, to direct the paramedics to take me to another hospital other than the one that had mis-diagnosed me earlier. When I left work, I decided to go to the Emergency Dept. of another hospital just to be on the safe side. After I had signed in, they took my blood pressure and rushed me into a room. They could not believe I had driven myself to the hospital. I said, "I feel much better than I felt last night and, I had worked nine hours before I had arrived here". My diagnosis was Congestive Heart Failure with Cardio-myopathy. Last year in September 2004, I was hospitalized on the heart floor at the same hospital that I was properly diagnosed at. All of a sudden, I could barely breathe

After going to therapy upon my divorce, I learned the connection of mind/body/spirit. I keep in touch with my own body and work to keep a healthy mental outlook. It is good for me in my later years......Treating my Spirit with much love and caring.

I am looking to see you embrace Osteoporosis and your next Health Topic. Let me know what I might be able to do to help.

I am 41 years old, I have overcome many health issuses. In May of this year I had a gastrial bypass. It was the best gift I ever gave myself. To date I have lost 100 pounds and 5 diseases! I have suffered from diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, sleep apena, and Gerds. Now all gone! I was diagnos at 35 with bi-polar disorder. I have sucessfully become stable for the last 3 years. I have found joy in life again! With the right counseling, meds, and a great support network, I have gone from bi-polar managing my life to me managing my bi-polar. At 23 I had to have a hystrorectomy. Having no children, this was very hard to live with. I am happy to say that I not only got my health back but found the love of my life 14 years ago and he had 3 children I was blessed to help raise and we adopted a daughter. Life is great!

I've had migraines since I was 7 and they have impacted my life in all ways. Just in recent years I started getting what my neurologist calls complicated migraines with stroke symptoms and for anyone out there that has experienced this it is very scary and lots of pain. I used to think the migraines couldnt get any worse but now I know I am wrong. My job and finances are impacted by this as well and it can be overwhelming. Any suggestions?