Moving Forward

It has been a while since I last wrote, and a lot has been going on. It would probably take me several blog entries to describe it all, but I will try to summarize it.  So here we go:

DrPH program – In this entry at the beginning of the year, I wrote about applying for a DrPH program. I was very excited and looked forward to being accepted. Well, time kept going by and I did not receive any news, so I finally decided to call and ask. It turns out that I was not accepted into the program. I was one of 130 international applicants for only 15 spots in the program. 130 for 15 spots, imagine! Had I known that was the case, I would have never bothered to apply given the high stakes of being accepted. I was waiting to receive official notification, but since that never came from them, I am making this the official notification that it did not happen. I was a bit down at first, but then I realized that: 1) there were 115 other people out there that were not selected either, so I was not alone - it was not a personal thing; and 2) I believe that things happen for a reason, and I quickly shifted my thinking into another project.

The funny thing about this is that the hardest part of the application process for me was writing about my proposed research area. While I had several ideas in mind, I really had not been able to narrow it down; I honestly think that this may have been one of the key determining factors on my non-acceptance into the program. I was surprised, however, that right after finding out that I had not been accepted, I started further developing one of the ideas I had presented, and I am moving forward with it.  Here’s an abstract of that project.

Mi Barrio, mis raíces – No, that is not the name of the project, but it is definitively taking me back to my neighborhood, to my roots. I wrote about this in my last entry, and now I am beginning to put the pieces together. And then things happen that make you wonder if you are in fact on the right track!

Batuteras de la C.R.U.V.  de Arecibo

Back in Puerto Rico, I was a Batutera (baton girl) of the public housing project where I grew up, El Cotto. Our name was "Batuteras de la C.R.U.V. y su Banda", the C.R.U.V. being the acronym for Corporación de Renovación Urbana y Vivienda  (Urban Renewal and Housing Corporation), which designed, built and administered the public housing projects back then. We were a great group, with little resources, but a lot of talent, so much that in an island-wide competition we got the 2nd place, missing the 1st place by only a few points.

Two of the medals I earned while being a Batutera. Thanks to my
Mambo, they survived, except the one on the right lost the seal.

So, this year we are organizing a reunion of the Batuteras and the Banda, and it is scheduled for July 25, 2014. Well, with my husband's support (he really pushed me to do it!), I got the tickets to go to Puerto Rico and be at this meeting.What a great opportunity for me to start collecting stories for my project! I am sure that the Batuteras was a learning experience for many of us, one that helped us develop discipline and many other skills. I am eager to hear the stories of others that were part of the group and what has been the long-term impact, if any, of having been part of this group, particularly in the context of it being a public-housing initiative.

That's me as a Batutera

While in Puerto Rico, I will take the opportunity to interview other people that are currently living in El Cotto and others that lived there, trying to capture their perspective of life in public housing then as compared to now, considering the different support systems that we had back then and that may be lacking now. In any case, I am super excited about this project. And like the old saying goes, "No hay mal que por bien no venga," so I see not having been accepted in the DrPH program as an opportunity to develop this project, which in turn, who knows, may eventually become my dissertation for another doctorate program.

My health - Health-wise things have also been better. We have been making significant changes in our eating habits and they are paying off. Recently I went through my fridge and my pantry and using the application Fooducate, I scanned the food we had and got rid of things that were not very healthy. Next, I went shopping and stocked up on healthier options, including lots of fruits and veggies. We also started cooking healthier recipes; I even tried a home-made pasta sauce using eggplant, which came out really good. I significantly reduced consumption of some of my favorite foods, such as bread and pasta, and have consciously worked on increasing my water intake, which has always been a challenge.

I have also been a bit more consistent with exercising. Using the app RunDouble, I have started training for the 5K for which I registered, which will take place later in the year. I am very pleased with my progress, and I look forward to that day in which I will be able to run the 5K without any problems. The results have become evident: I have lost about 10lbs so far, my clothes are loose, and I am a lot stronger, which I has allowed me to train with heavier weights and also do some exercises that I could not do before, which required me using my body weight.

Yes! I have seen what my body is capable of!
(Photo from Women's Health & Fitness Magazine)

Moreover, today I received my blood work results from my last appointment with my primary care physician, and everything is fine, except for my vitamin D level, which is 1 point lower than the recommended range. And interestingly enough considering my cutting back on bread and pasta, my A1C went back up to 5.9, which is not awful, but not good compared to my last reading of 5.7. I will need to pay more attention to what may be causing this spike in my blood sugar.  Although I suspect it may be the fruits I am consuming. It is a constant learning process.

All this, of course, has been a great boost for my ego, so much that recently I was brave enough to finally go to the boudoir photo session that I purchased a year ago. I kept postponing the session time and again because I was very self-conscious of my weight and the way I looked; I was not very happy about that. But after having lost the 10 lbs and seeing some changes in my body, I decided to go ahead with it. I was so nervous, but once I got into my sexy outfits and the photographer started shooting, I felt totally at ease, and the end results were awesome! Unfortunately, I can't share the photos in this forum, but let me tell you, I came out of the studio feeling like a million bucks!

Right after the boudoir session. Awesome experience and
a great boost for my ego!

Lastly, I have been struggling with depression again, and my doctor prescribed me a new medication, Lexapro. I took it the first day with hesitation after reading the long list of side effects. And the morning after, when woke up feeling terrible, I spoke to my husband about it and we decided that this is not the right medication for me. I know, I know. I may be making a decision too fast, but really, the side effects scared me quite a bit. There must be another way to deal with this issue, I thought. And I remembered the feeling I get after working out: I feel really good, full of energy and with a positive outlook. So, why not use this as a way to deal with my depression and see how it goes? In fact, according to this article, "research has shown that exercise is an effective but often underused treatment for mild to moderate depression." And if the side effects are a healthier me, with much more energy and a better disposition, why not give it a try? 

I think I will!

This will be my treatment option.