Graduation day

 Yesterday we had our final day in this 9 week program, of meeting twice each week for 4 hours.

I am really sad that this phase of my recovery is over. I've gotten to know the other 8 people pretty well, as we each have endeavored to work our muscles more, eat some plant based foods that we had never had before, shared our feelings with folks who were strangers 10 weeks ago, and practiced stress reduction/meditation techniques together for an hour each day. 

 As always happens with NEW BLOGGER (drat, darn and sassafrass) these photos below are in reverse order!

Some of the guys in our class "cohort" and I think I didn't take this one holding my phone camera still.

A couple of the gals in our cohort...as well as Jim, in red, who got to finish this his second time through the program (due to illness the first time.)

Staff members, Tamara, Michelle, Jay, Kelly and Chris, standing talking with us, as we had group photos taken.

Chris, Kelly, Jan and Michelle (with Tamara behind and above her) gathered with us to have photos taken.

Patrick, Jay, Jordan, Michelle and Tamara received their gifts from us, cups with their names on them and the Cardiac heart symbol.  

Chris on left, was the group counseling facilitator, and Tamara on right was our nurse program coordinator.

Michelle was our yoga (modified for heart patients) and meditation teacher.

Jay, the exercise physiologist, handed out our certificates of completion...and yes, the little boom-box played Pomp and Circumstance for us.

We will be continuing to have some gatherings intermittently in the weeks ahead, as alumni meetings. But we all know that this is the end of a life changing program. Whether we choose to continue living in this way is now up to each of us.  We laugh at some of the things we've given up, or maybe didn't. We were still allowed one glass of alcohol daily, but one of us really wanted to continue to eat avocados, which were not on our diet. Most of us gave them up, at least most of the time.

Now I'm starting another rehabilitation for my lung condition, bronchiectasis. The condition which causes me to cough frequently in order to get the mucous out of my lungs. This rehab will also have exercise and education, which I'm looking forward to. No more lunches though. Diet isn't part of this rehab. So even though it meets 3 times a week, the time will be shorter.

I'm really going to try to continue to live with these practices that I've learned over these 9 weeks. I'm much healthier than when I started!