Page 66 - HCPVitalityChronicles

A Zest for Life Keeps Vitality Member Vivian Medlin Going Strong

You would be hard pressed to find a country happened,” she said. “Now it’s a must
in Europe in which Vivian Medlin, Medical to be alive.” She has also done the
Receptionist, HCP Anaheim, has not done a Changing Weight course through HCP
walking tour. About four years ago she to learn better options for keeping her
began to do these walking tours, and she blood sugar and blood pressure in
has clocked walking miles in Italy, Greece, healthy ranges.
Turkey, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal,
Morocco, as well as in Australia and New After the stroke, she asked her doctor
Zealand. if she should lessen her walking, and
he told her just the opposite, to keep
It was after a walking tour two years ago walking. To keep track of her miles on
that included visiting Germany, Switzerland, trips and when walking and doing 5Ks
Austria, Venice and Paris that something at home, Medlin uses a FitBug. She
life-altering happened for Medlin. “I came has lost weight over the last few years
back from my trip, and I just felt off,” Medlin and loves the Vitality program. “I’ve
recalled. “I thought I was just tired from jet- lost weight and I’ve made positive
lag, but even my colleagues were saying I Vivian Medlin on her walking trip in Paris, changes for myself for my health,”
didn’t seem right.” France. Medlin said. “I wish I had learned all
of this when I was 20; it’s so important for people to learn to
The most telling moment was on July 10, 2012, when she take care of their health at a young age.” She laughingly re-
lost vision in her right eye. “I was right in front of a mirror, I called that she used to get exhausted after doing a 5K; “Now,
could touch the mirror, yet I couldn’t see myself,” she said. after a 5K, I come home, do laundry, and keep going,” she
said.
Only a couple of weeks after this incident, when her doctor
encouraged her to get a CT angio, did she learn that she had Although she has not traveled in a year, she hopes to do an-
had a stroke. “I have a blocked artery to my brain; I have not other walking tour next year—in England as well as Paris,
unblocked it because it’s too far in there,” said Medlin, who France, again, which she loved. She keeps accumulating her
was 64 when the stroke took place. She takes medication to Vitality points—about 24,000 to date—and is contemplating
open up the artery to ensure blood reaches her brain. getting a bike through Amazon because it would be an activ-
ity she could do during the day.
Medlin, who has 34 years of company history between Tal-
bert and HCP, also changed her diet drastically after the One of the effects from the stroke is that Medlin cannot see
stroke. She is on a strictly low cholesterol diet, and takes a at night. “I enjoy the day; couldn’t the days be longer?”
cholesterol blocker. “My family has changed to healthier eat- Medlin said. “Before, I used to sleep in; now I can’t wait to
ing—no chips, we drink fat free skim milk, no soft drinks,” get up in the morning and be in the light, go somewhere,
said the Vitality member. “I had been going that way, toward walk around, enjoy life. There are not enough hours to enjoy
eating healthier; I just was never all the way there until this this life.”

All information in the Vitality program is HIPAA protected. Members have chosen to share their personal health accomplishments.
For more information about Vitality, visit www.powerofvitality.com. Contact Janet Galli for further program information.