Many of you know about our son Jake’s car crash, May 9th and Traumatic Brain Injury – TBI. I cannot thank you enough for all of your prayers, cards, concern, calls, gifts and meals for us during Jake’s healing and recovery processes.
It was horrific and scary for me waiting to see if my son would – – –
live or die
wake out of a coma or remain in a coma
recover brain function or have brain damage
renew/grow the brain pathways or remain with severe brain deficits
restore to independence in life or continue to be dependent on others
Jake is doing very well and working hard to recover. He has made and continues to make huge strides towards full recovery. I am truly thankful to you all for your prayers, care and concern for Jake and us.
During our time at Baptist Rehab I had the opportunity to observe people with TOO much body fat vs a normal body in normal Fat range and how it affected their Rehab process.
Let me share one of the stories I witnessed of how body Fat % affects health and
the Rehab process.
This one is surprising!
After 3 weeks at critical care at UAMS we were fortunate that Jake was moved under the care of a Brain Rehab specialist at Baptist Rehab – Dr Lindberg. Dr Lindberg is top in her field for TBI , stroke and other Brain injuries and she uses creative training techniques for her staff.
Dr Lindberg always has several resident doctors on her team and she not only educates, trains, and directs her team as to the care of her brain ( TBI ) rehab patients, but she also trains these doctors and others in her staff to have empathy for their patients from personal experience.
How does she impart Empathy and Experience into her staff?
One day I saw two resident doctors in the waiting room sitting in their wheelchairs along with Jake and I.
* How odd to see these 2 doctors sitting in wheelchairs in the waiting room.
I asked them – ” What is going on? Why are you in a wheelchair? ”
They replied, “that when they arrived this morning Dr Lindberg handed each of these doctors their schedule for the day along with a pretend -traumatic scenario of a STROKE that affected their brain and the RIGHT SIDE of their body. They were NOT allowed to use the right side of their body for the whole day. “
These doctors were to pretend the stroke experience exactly as they had studied and they were also to go through the same Rehab process and therapies as a patient.
I watched as these 2 doctors were ….
- in a wheelchair all day 7 am – 5pm and NOT allowed to use the right side of their body.
- they waited…..in the waiting room along with all the other patients and caregivers.
- they could NOT help the therapist move themselves from the wheelchair to the workout table. The Physical Therapist had to use techniques and effort and the mechanical lifts to move these doctors from their wheelchairs.
- the Occupational Therapist had to make them work through normal daily processes without the use of their right hand –
- these doctors had to rely on others to help them – Etc…..
This went on all day for these doctors rotating each of the therapies – 2 times per therapy. Just like our son, Jake.
The next day – I asked these doctors how their day went in their paralyzed right side scenarios and therapies… what did they learn?
They said :
” Yesterday was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my medical training or school. And…
# 1 – I need to lose weight
# 2 – I need to be a consistent right weight and consistently exercise
# 3 – I need to eat better
# 4 – I need to work on my eating habits/behavior
# 5 – I need to do everything in my power to NOT have a stroke. ”
Seriously – this is exactly what they said. They went on to say that any additional body fat they were carrying; 15 30, 50 lbs above a normal weight made the rehab harder for them and the therapist.
I hurried to get my journal to write this down so I could pass this along to you.
Not only did their extra weight effect their efforts in Rehab it affected the caregivers and therapists.
*** Did you notice what each doctor said about themselves ( # 1 ) and stress the importance about prevention of a serious health issue like a stroke? ( # 5)
This pretend experience changed their perspectives in how they cared for their own bodies.
These doctors were making plans to improve their eating behavior and exercise – immediately!
They were not saying if you eat perfectly a stroke will never happen, but they know from science that significantly reducing fat off the body reduces the chance of serious health issues and/or makes the recovery process better.
As I watched and had dialogue with these doctors about their experience of a pretend day as a stroke victim they verbally acknowledged how hard their day was therefore giving them more empathy for the stroke 
victim or TBI victim, but they also had more empathy for the caregivers and therapist who had to lift and move them all day.
We all know if we are carrying too much fat on our bodies we increase you health risk.. But too much FAT on our bodies makes it harder for those who care for us and help us to recover.
Additional body fat = additional burden for all.
Remember a Healthy weight or Healthy Lifestyle Maintenance is…
* 80% diet and eating behavior
then…
10 % sleep
10 % exercise
Ideal Health NOW is here to help you succeed in reaching a healthy fat % for your body and help you wholeheartedly change your attitude and behavior towards food. We want to help your success by educating/ training you how FAT is stored on the body, dyspel weight loss myths, and use science to burn Fat off your body to allow you to get the results you want.
Are you pleased with how you are utilizing the program at Ideal Health NOW?
Are you pleased with your eating behavior = Your results?
Are you losing FAT at a proven rate of 2 lbs a week avg – women and 3-4 lbs a week avg – man. ( over a month time period)
Are you concerned more about Fat % and inches ?
Are you willing to stop looking at the scale weight number?
Are you utilizing the proven science of the Ideal Protein diet to effect change in
…. future eating behavior = Maintenance – to maintain a healthy size ?
If you answer NO to these questions … Then the question to ask yourself is ….
Is getting additional FAT off the body a priority?
Is extra FAt a benefit or hindrance?
Why did I chose to sign up with Ideal Health NOW ?
Did I get results when I st followed the plan of Ideal Protein? ( like the 1st several weeks on plan )
What has changed?
What is stopping me from getting these same results?
Am I willing to follow the proven plan of Ideal Protein ?
If I will not be compliant to follow plan, Why am I coming to Ideal Health NOW?
**** Just some questions and thoughts to ponder.
The physical trauma, mental trauma, and emotional trauma of almost losing our son Jake in a car wreck and now the physical work, mental work, and emotional work of Jake’s recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury – TBI has increased my knowledge of how healthy eating behavior affects a healthy body including a healthy brain. This experience has
increased my passion to get my body in better shape ( lower my fat % – even if it is within range – which it is NOT . It is now 2 % points over my healthy range – UGH! ) and help you achieve 100 % success to get rid of additional FAT off your body, to be a right size for you, to help you achieve better health through better food choices, and to care and LOVE yourself.
A healthy body and size = loving yourself.
If you plan to utilize the tools at Ideal Health NOW and allow us to help you reach YOUR healthy FAT % range, a healthy size, gain more joy,for life, gain more confidence, better attitude, and have better health
– then plan to follow the proven science of the Ideal Protein plan.
As far as it depends on you – You can help prevent or reduce, improve or stagnate a debilitating health issues by changing your eating behavior.
Keep reaching towards the best person you can be in soul, health and mind..
3rd John 2 – ” Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ”
Your FAT % matters; Your health matters,
Jessica
Thanks for sharing.. You and yours are in our prayers… May all be blessed.
Marvin and Kathryn Lessmann
Jessica, I had not heard about Jake. I can’t imagine what you all have been going through. I’m thankful God spared his life and he is getting better. He, as well as you and the family, will be in my prayers. God is able!
Denise
Jessica,
Thank you so much for sharing this story and updating us on Jake’s progress. God is good and it is wonderful news to hear the huge strides that Jake is making in his recovery. The experience you had with the two doctors is very inspiring and has definitely put things into perspective for me and I’m sure many others. Thank you Jessica! Jake and your family will continue to be in our prayers until he is completely healed. God bless, Leta
We continue to pray for you & your family
Thank you for sharing, will be praying for you and your son.
Thank you for sharing your ups and downs as you stand by Jake. We are praying for you all and know that God is already using this whole situation to help others. God can bring something good out of a bad situation if we will just listen to His leading. God bless you.
Bob and Pam Van Vickle