WELLNESS

If you’re like me, then getting to the gym can be a real chore. Especially now that I’m blogging, I have come up with nearly every excuse in the book to avoid the gym. “I haven’t written a blog in a couple of days, so I want to write this morning. I have no time for the gym today!” Now I’m in pretty decent shape. I won’t lie. I’ve been active my entire life, from ballet as a little girl through to late teens, and then fitness after that. Being fit and eating healthy have always been a part of my life. But, honestly, I’m just not one of those people who “love the gym.” Obviously, there is no better feeling once you’re finished, and I never regret going once I’m all done, but it’s always a miracle that I make it there. Every time.

Daughter-in-law of the great cosmetic legend Estee Lauder, Evelyn Lauder has been at the forefront in the fight against breast cancer for years. Her story is one of both misfortune and privilege, after first having escaped the horror of the Nazis in World War II and then marrying into a family of wealth and privilege. This woman, however, didn’t turn out to be no average trophy wife. Recruited into the Company by her mother-in-law, Estee Lauder, it was clear early on that Evelyn was a very capable and dynamic young woman. Using her position as a “Lauder” in the company, she further rallied for the cause, and has been fighting relentlessly to find a cure ever since.

I’ve already done a Blog entry about H1N1, but I wanted to address this topic again. Everywhere you look, someone, somewhere in the world is reporting on the outbreak or pandemic of H1N1 (aka the Swine Flu). And it’s some really scary sh&t, let me tell you! We hear of cases where people are dying from the Swine flu. If you knew you could prevent this, and it was as simple as getting a little shot, wouldn’t it be a no-brainer? On the flip side, people are dying FROM the H1N1 shot. Should you risk giving a perfectly healthy individual a vaccine, only to have them develop permanent side effects? It’s a very complex issue.

“Erica, I have to tell you, I’m losing my patience. I’m yelling at my kids a lot lately. I can’t remember the last time I sat on the floor with them to do a puzzle. I’m short tempered with my husband. I’m pulled in a million different directions, and I’m completely frazzled!”

No doubt, infertility is on the rise. One in five couples today will struggle with infertility — the biological inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term. The infertility diagnosis can be devastating and demoralizing. Unable to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term, women often feel inadequate, alone and depressed. These feelings can overcome you and your life and many women fall into what I call a “paralyzed mode.” They’re almost too scared and too overwhelmed to do anything about it.

I have been fascinated with the Jaycee Dugard case since the media ran with it many weeks ago. A small, beautiful, innocent child, being held captive for 18 YEARS. Eighteen years, much of it spent in a backyard tent and shed that resembled something out of a horror movie. But it didn’t end with an eighteen year captivation. Raped over and over again by her kidnapper, she mothered two children in the process, Angel now 15, and Starlit now 11.

I can honestly think of only one thing that makes me feel less than giddy about Fall. FLU SEASON! From a personal perspective, I don’t have a ton of anxiety for my own family when it comes to contracting (and dealing. ughhh) with a flu virus, perhaps because I am equipped with some very basic knowledge (and formal education) on how to prevent such an event.