#divas4wellness

Oh my Divas, how I’ve missed thee…that’s right Diva T, the hash tag queen as I am sometimes referred to (i.e. #deathtothemuffintop), is back.  Hold up…let me switch to my professional voice for a few seconds to introduce myself.  I am Tennille Daniels, a co-founder of Divas, MPH, who currently serves as the co-chair of the Finance & Development team. I have had the distinct pleasure and honor to watch Divas, MPH be born, grow, become stagnant, and now have new life injected into the organization with our new leadership team which you have met via this blog during the month of September.  

As we enter Chapter 4 of the Divas, MPH story, we find a 32 year old woman who has had reproductive health issues for the past 7 years who is entering a new slightly uncomfortable phase in her reproductive health journey. This part of the story chronicles her #Ovareaction – her is she and she is ME – I am Tennille 4 Reproductive Health.

In 2006, after experiencing severe stomach pains and other symptoms it was determined that I had two large ovarian cysts growing inside of me. Upon the recommendation of my physician, they had to be removed immediately. 

I remember having my mother drive me to Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC for what was supposed to be about a 2-3 hour surgery to have the cysts removed.  They put me to sleep and the next thing I know it was 7 hours later and I was shivering cold coming out of surgery being wheeled into a hospital room. The next day the doctor came in and told me that the surgery turned out to be more complicated than originally anticipated and that in the process of removing the cysts, it was determined that I had endometriosis.

Reproductive Health Lesson: The Mayo Clinic defines Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) as an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus (endometrial implant). Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, bowel or the tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond your pelvic region.

In endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. When endometriosis involves the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions — abnormal tissue that binds organs together.  Click here to learn more about endometriosis.

Since that surgery in 2006, I have been closely monitoring my endometriosis.

On Election Day 2008, I woke up, voted for Barack and headed to the hospital for another surgery.  The purpose of this surgery was to remove more endometriomas because my physician at the time could not tell if the growths were cancerous or not.  Thank God they turned out to be benign.

Side Note: One thing to note as we move forward in this discussion is that endometriosis can have an impact on a women’s ability to conceive naturally.

Fast forward to October 2012….

After moving to a Chicago in February 2012, I finally found time to see a new doctor and discuss my reproductive health history and the plan to monitor my condition. Granted by this time I am now 31 years old with no prospect in the love and marriage department and one of the first questions she asks me is if I want to have kids some day.  I say yes and she begins to share with me my options, one of which was to do nothing and let the cards play out as they may and another was to explore egg freezing. Stay tuned 4 my #Ovareaction!

PS: I am excited to announce the launch of my bi-weekly Divas, MPH blog feature, #Ovareaction, to share with you my reproductive health journey.  My hope is that by sharing my story we can learn together, laugh together, and maybe even cry together.

From My Womb To Yours,

Greetings!! My name is Shaconna. I started as a volunteer with Divas, MPH because I believed in the mission and was thrilled to support the founders – a group of talented young women dedicated to making a positive impact on the health of the people living in their community. Currently, I serve as a Board member on the Program and Priorities Committee. Along with Janesia, we oversee program policy and planning.

As I celebrate another birthday on September 28th, I am quickly approaching another decade of this journey called life. Why am I 4 wellness? I am 4 wellness because it is the only way I know to defy the hands of time. I love when people are in utter disbelief when I share my age. They say “gurl, you have good genes.” I respond “genes are part of it but really it is because of nutritious foods and regular exercise that keeps me looking young and energetic.”

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, we need to do two types of physical activity a few times each week to improve our health–aerobic and muscle-strengthening. I know you are saying, “I simply do not have the time to exercise. I just can’t fit it into my schedule.” The truth is you can’t afford not to fit it into your schedule. Exercise not only keeps you looking and feeling young but it also aids in preventing many diseases. Prevention is far less time consuming and less costly then treatment.

I incorporate all different forms of exercise into my life but recently I’ve started running again. To challenge myself and ensure I stay consistent I’ve joined Black Girls Run. In addition to meeting wonderful new sole-sisters, I have an amazing set of accountability partners. When the alarm clock rings at 5:00 AM, I know I can’t hit the snooze button because I have a fabulous running partner that I don’t want to disappoint.  My challenge for the month of October will be to increase my cardio by running 10 miles a week.

As we age, every woman has a part of her body that she wishes she could change. Stop complaining and critiquing God’s work. Simply take care of the body that you were blessed with by exercising and eating healthy. Let’s challenge ourselves to be the healthiest, youthful, vivacious self we can be!

My name is Sharnikya Howard and I serve as Membership Relations Co-Chair for the Divas, MPH Board of Directors. I joined Divas, MPH because I fully support the vision to “educate, empower, and mobilize women to create healthy communities.”

 I am “4 Wellness” –Serve and be well…

Hi, I am Alexis and I am co-Director of Communications and Outreach. Our team is responsible for keeping our fans and followers connected to Divas, MPH (DMPH). Without our fans, followers and volunteers, DMPH would not be what it is today.

Just this year, I joined the National Leadership Board of Divas. Prior to serving in my current role, I was a volunteer and attendee of the organization’s events and programs. When I think of DMPH the word “inspire” comes to mind. I joined this organization because it inspires women to learn about total health and wellness and to take that knowledge and spread it to their families and communities.

Within the last 6 months, significant changes have occurred in my life, including why I am 4 wellness. Over the last several months, my body and my mind have gone through changes that I have NEVER EVER experienced in my life! With being 6 months pregnant with twins…I am 4 Prenatal Wellness.

I actually knew I was pregnant before I confirmed it; I had that instant feeling when it happened so I was not too surprised when it was confirmed. However, when my husband and I went for our first sonogram, I was completely shocked—literally I was in a state of shock and could not speak for 10 minutes when the tech informed us we were having twins.

In the first few weeks of my pregnancy, my main focus was my nervousness of being able to handle twins and being the best mom ever. As my body started to change so did my focus. My focus became prenatal wellness. I began to realize that I am now responsible for two little boys who although are not born yet, count on me for everything. In order for them to be healthy, I have to remain healthy and provide them with the nutrients they need to grow. I have to be more cautious than ever about the type of food I eat. I had to learn what I can and cannot eat while pregnant. I had to give up foods that I love—it’s so hard not eating cold turkey sandwiches from Subway. I crave a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, lots of mayo, mustard, oil and vinegar and pepper! I know that eating that cold sandwich could harm the babies so every time I pass a Subway, I look the other way. I love my babies more than a turkey sandwich so I have to sacrifice my wants for my children.

As an adult, I have never been a drinker of fluids-water, juice, and soda (which I rarely drink anyway). Even when I would get sick and was instructed by my doctor to “drink lots of fluids,” it was something that I could never do. Everyone knows that pregnant women HAVE to stay hydrated by drinking lots and lots and lots of water. It has been a daily struggle for me to make sure I am drinking enough water but I am determined to shove water down my throat!

I am embarrassed to say that while I am a strong advocate for health and wellness, I do not like to exercise. The word exercise is not a part of my vocabulary. I would rather sit in 4 hours of rush-hour traffic than to exercise. Yes, it is really that bad! I have had to come to the realization that I have to exercise while I am pregnant. I cannot just eat, gain weight and sit on the couch or lie in the bed throughout the entire pregnancy and not exercise. I have had so many issues because my body has not been reacting well to the pregnancy. There have been days when I could barely move my body. I cannot let my pain or lack of energy become excuses for not exercising. I struggle in each prenatal yoga class to focus on my breathing and being in the moment because I am too busy trying to keep my balance. However, I know that me being there and trying is a start!

Being pregnant has not been as rosy for me as most people make it seem. It has been challenging in more than enough ways but I would not EVER trade it for anything in the world! I cannot wait for December 2013 when I will finally get to meet my two sons ;)

My name is Jacqueline Miller and I joined the Divas, MPH Board in 2012.  I’m an attorney working on health law and policy research at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.  I grew up in Wisconsin, went to Mount Holyoke College, and got a JD and an MPH from GW.  I joined Divas because I liked the organization’s focus on women’s health and wanted to be involved in expanding the circle of women whom Divas serves.  I am currently a member of the Business and Operations team.

My views are my own and should not be construed to represent the views of any entity with which I am affiliated, including Divas and GW.

Women often sacrifice their own health and well-being to care for others and encouraging them to focus on themselves is important.  Health and wellness affect nearly all aspects of life, including economic security, housing security, and job security.  As women, we’re often taught to care for others at our own expense, but it’s important to focus on our health and well-being, too, in order to ensure stability and security for us, our families, and society-at-large.

I have a particular interest in the HIV field.  In 1991, I was a 12-year-old attending a Catholic middle school in small-town Wisconsin.  My music teacher was ill and rarely made it to school; when he did, he was gaunt-looking and would wear his coat because he was always cold.  Eventually, he passed away from what his students were told was a case of pneumonia, although there were whispers that AIDS was the real reason for his death.

Looking back, it is obvious that my teacher was a gay man who was a victim of the AIDS epidemic sweeping the nation.  There was no treatment for the virus, and infection with it was a certain death sentence.  The attitudes around me were similar to those of much of America at the time:  homosexuality was frowned upon (or even illegal) and steering clear of people infected with AIDS was advised, lest you catch it.  However, my Catholic upbringing also taught me compassion for the sick, including those with HIV/AIDS and, even as a middle-schooler, I felt that the ignorance about his real life was an injustice to my teacher’s memory.  The desire to fight discrimination is what ultimately led me to pursue a JD and an MPH. 

While we have made great advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV since 1991, globally more people still get infected each year than receive treatment.  Over the last 30 years, HIV has very much become a women’s disease.  Biologically, women are more susceptible than men to infection during heterosexual intercourse.  Often, too, women are unable to negotiate sex practices; they do not have the power to require their partner to be monogamous or wear a condom and they are unable to refuse sexual intercourse.  In many places, women are limited in their ability to earn money and sex work is their only option for income.  Even in the US where job opportunities for women are abundant, we average less than $.80 for every $1.00 our male counterparts are paid.  And, child-rearing and -care also may require us to take low-wage, part-time jobs.  This puts women at risk of having to stay in unsafe relationships for financial reasons where their ability to negotiate sexual practices may be limited.

My name is Maaden and I love Divas, MPH.

I love the mission, the work, and the people. Divas, MPH combines my passions -- building community, public health, and hosting events -- like no other organization can or has. If it paid any money, it'd be my DREAM job. In the meantime though, I work my day job (which I really like by the way!), and I serve on the National Leadership Board as the co-Director of Communications + Outreach here at Divas, MPH.

Another reason I love Divas is because we focus on total wellness, not just the typical diet and exercise of it all. Or even the often marginalized, mental health piece, rather we target the complete woman: her spirit, her relationships, her goals, and yes -- her money. That being said my September Divas 4 Wellness focus is on finances. This month, and beyond, I am “4 financial wellness.”

In preparation for this month, I’ve taken a good look at my accounts, read (and re-read a few books) - Michelle Singletary has some great ones, and even picked up a part time job to help me reach some goals (pray for me yall!). And here's what I've decided, I'm done trying to keep up with the Joneses. They may be "living large" but their credit card bill is probably even larger. And I’m trying to be done with debt.

Most experts, authors, gurus, and old folks will tell you the same thing. “the way to live well is to live within your means.” Yes, I'm all for investments, multiple streams of income, start-ups and side hustles, but in the meantime I am going to focus just as much on what's going OUT as I am trying to increase what’s coming IN. Here’s how:

GIVE: If you know me you know I'm a giver. I get a rush out of helping others, it makes me feel good. My model up until now has been give a little at church (more when I had more to give) and then help others whenever I could. That’s all changed. Starting last month I've been diligent about giving back my first fruit (the FIRST 10% of my income). And I am not lying when I say I've already been blessed by this. Try it and see.

SAVE: The next ten percent of my income goes into a savings account (where I can’t get to it without physically going into a branch (because I know myself). No excuses, no withdrawls. This isn’t short term savings either -- like when I “save” for this trip, or this bag. Saving to spend, if basically just delayed spending.

LIVE: So that leaves 80% of my income to live off of. Pay bills, buy gas, eat, go out, give gifts, shop, and - my greatest splurges, by far – my love for travel! And while I’ve had to make slight adjustments here and there, it hasn’t been that much of a pinch. When the first 20% is gone before I even see it, then learning to live within my means becomes that much easier.

What works for me, may not work for you. But what I will encourage everyone to do is to examine your spending. Are you shopping as therapy? Buying rounds to impress others? Swiping to feel better? If so, consider reorganizing how you spend and how you save.

with love.

Life isn’t a cakewalk, but a faith walk

Life is not always a cakewalk…

But sometimes you have to stop and enjoy the frosting!

Hey Divas!

My name is Erica and I am the co-founder of Divas, MPH and co-lead of the Business Operations Team. I’m originally from Flint, MI and have resided in the Atlanta area for the past 10 years. I attended the greatest university in Michigan for undergrad (Go Green! Go White!) and received my Master of Public Health from Emory University.  I am a management consultant by trade, but my passion for helping and encouraging others is why I am committed to serving with Divas, MPH to help women achieve and maintain total health and wellness.  

Moving to Atlanta on my own was a bold, but lonely move. No friends. No family. Just me, myself, and I! I was always looking for a network of women that I could share common interests and experiences with.  So when the opportunity to join Divas, MPH presented itself, it was a no brainer! Working with Divas for the past 4 years, has been an absolute blessing! I have been able to develop a sisterhood with some Ah-Mazing women from the DMV to the ATL.  As part of the Business Operations Team, I will continue to strive to make Divas, MPH an organization that supports women and our communities in this journey towards total health and wellness.

This is my life, people.  My life as a young professional woman trying to excel in my career, pursue my passion, start a business, manage my fantasy football team, train for marathons, get a date, and lose weight all while chasing God. My weekend plans usually consist of me trying to “Get my Life”!   So for me, I’m all 4 Spiritual Wellness! Spiritual wellness it what keeps me balanced and in pursuit of my purpose.

Celebrating the 4th Anniversary of Divas, MPH reminds me of cake – you’re wondering what does cake have to do with spiritual wellness?

We had a beautiful cake for our 1st anniversary.  Frosted in green and purple and topped with the Divas pump… fancy! It looked too good to cut!  Because usually when people begin to cut a cake, it looks a mess!  Some slices are bigger than the others. One piece has too little frosting while another slice is smudged.  Because I’m not a big cake eater, I look for the slice that has a whole lot of frosting. I get disappointed when I don’t get the slice I want - until that first bite.  I taste and see that despite the amount of frosting or size of the cake, it’s still good!

That’s just like life!  We are frosted in our clothes, cars, jobs, degrees, etc., but when we begin cutting through all the makeup, the natural hair, the weaves, and the designer shoes some of us are a hot mess! You feel like that slice of cake no one wants… whether it’s a relationship, a job, a health issue, etc. You feel disappointed time and time again.

But life is not meant to be a cakewalk, but a faith walk!  “For we live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor. 5:7.  I’m at a point in my life where I don’t have the piece of cake that I want.But I’m working to stop focusing on the disappointments that come my way and focus on the Baker who created me, and “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8). Life is still good!  My cake may be a little skimpy on the frosting right now, but I’m going to walk by faith and enjoy my cake anyways!

I’ll be blogging on a series entitled Faith Walk Fridays to share my spiritual journey and the importance of spiritual wellness. Feel free to share your stories, struggles, and scriptures that help you walk by faith!

Until then… Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Spiritually Well.

And enjoy some frosting along the way :)

Hello all! I’m Rochelle, better known as Diva Ro.  I currently serve as Membership Relations Co-Chair for the Divas, MPH Board of Directors. As Membership Co-Chair, I, along with my team member Sharnikya, are tasked with growing the Divas, MPH fan base by encouraging like-minded persons to become Regional Ambassadors and members of our organization. We are excited about the new membership opportunities within Divas, MPH and hope to have the opportunity to network with as many supporters as possible.  I am honored and very excited to serve as a member of the board. In the past, I have been an active supporter and volunteer with Divas, MPH and share the mission to empower women to take an active interest in total health and wellness for themselves and their communities.

 Why I am #4Wellness – Currently, Fighting for Fitness

As a former athlete, I have always been in tip-top, ready to run a marathon shape.  A self-proclaimed #FitChick, I have an obsession with fitness and refuse to gain weight-- EVER. Especially since in about 5 months, I will be leaving my youthful twenties and entering into my thirties. *screams* So when I was recently forced to have reconstructive knee surgery due to wear and tear from years of gymnastics, I knew that I was going to have to fight for my fitness.

I was forced to wear a full leg brace locked in extension--from the top of my leg near my hip to my ankle! I lost ALL of the muscle in my leg.  I couldn’t bend, lift nor move it, let alone do any type of physical activity for 2 months! Exercise is my mental health break and during that time my stress-release was stolen from me. So I had to think logically. Fitness is 80% nutrition and only 20% exercise. I’ve always strived to make good food choices but during my recovery, I’ve stepped up my game. I gave up bread and pasta for 2 ½ months. Cold Turkey.  For those of you who enjoy a dinner roll with every meal or actually allow yourself to eat pizza when you want it, you may not know that when you give up carbs you become mean! Lol I’m sure I was the grouchiest person on the planet. But it had to be done. I now have my meals down to a science packed with plenty of protein to rebuild all of the muscle I’ve lost. Hard-boiled egg whites in the A.M, fresh green salad for lunch and lean fish for dinner. Repeat. By the end of my bed rest period I had actually LOST 12lbs. Nutrition is a key component to total wellness. Proper nutrition can help to reduce the risks for not only weight gain but chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. As I take small steps to becoming “normal” again I incorporate subtle exercise into my daily routine. You see, I may not be able to run on the treadmill but at least I can walk.  It may be painful, but I can and I will fight through the pain. I encourage all Divas to fight for your fitness with NO EXCUSES.

Until Next Time