Hall of Fame Bloggers

I am a 49-year-old single empty nester. I was born in Fort Worth, TX and have lived here or in the surrounding area all my life. I have a 27-year-old son who married this year. I hold a BS in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington. My original goal was medical school. I wasn’t accepted but was encouraged to improve my credentials and reapply. I started work on an MS in Biology at UTA and never looked back. I grew to really appreciate science. I had viewed the undergraduate work as stuff I had to do to get into medical school where I’d learn the really important stuff. I finished the course work, but my Teaching Assistantship ran out before I completed the thesis, so I started to work. I spent a couple of years at Southwestern Medical School with some of the best immunologists in the world. I was then recruited to the Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine to be trained in molecular biology. After 10 years at Wadley, and 12 years of commuting to Dallas, I finally found my way back to a Fort Worth pharmaceutical company, where I have now worked for almost 13 years. Always committed to lifelong learning, I completed an accelerated MBA program at UTA in 2002. My company encourages intrapreneurship, so I approach my R&amp role as a small business entity. I am proud of my role as a Sr. Scientist, but can foresee growth opportunities as a liaison with marketing or in the licensing area.

On the personal side, I’d like to travel more. I had my first trip to Europe as part of the MBA program. Having always lived in Texas I am usually drawn to people from other parts of the country and the world. I also enjoy reading, art museums, world music and all kinds of dance, modern and ballet. My son was a percussion section leader in marching band, so our family interests revolve around local marching and drumline competitions and Drum Corps International events. I’m looking forward to being a grandmother, but no news on that front yet. I also enjoy college and professional sports, especially basketball. I’m working on becoming more active in addition to the spectating. I participate in local 5K walks and need to get back to Jazzercise, which I have really enjoyed in the past.

I have a growing interest in alternative medicine. I luckily crossed paths with a local Naturopath who prescribed the blood type diet for me. I was looking for help with a major insomnia problem but also have a long-term battle with overweight and now obesity. I’ve lost over 60 pounds from my maximum and have at least 45 to go. My plan is to target a 10% weight loss each year until I reach a desirable weight. I began the blood type diet last November and have had many positive changes including fewer problems with cravings and binges. Hopefully, the slow but steady weight loss will really reinforce the lifestyle changes. I was also lucky to find out about the Blood Type Conference in my area. So glad that I attended. John Harris and Tracy Carmack put together great presentations. I only had 2 visits with the Naturopath before he left the area, so their information has helped me continue on my own. I’ve become somewhat of a BTD addict, so I’m looking forward to more of the Health Library series.

I see the blogging as another mechanism for keeping the focus on my health goals. The insomnia is under control, the weight loss is on target, now let’s see how I handle menopause.