2010 Tamarac Citizen Stories

Danne Hren
I had a stroke 10 years ago that stripped me of my speech and language along with having some right sided weakness. I could not say simple things like yes and no. The therapy at that time helped me, but I was still frustrated because I could not talk well. So for the past 10 years I sat at home watching TV and quilting; I kept myself isolated because I could not talk well. I only went out to the store and to get gas along with going to church.
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Chad Hickman
My wellness journey began for me in the summer of 1976. I was just three years old. I was diagnosed with two cancerous brain tumors; less than 10% chance of survival. I spent a long time relearning to swallow, roll, walk, and talk. I heard many people in the medical field say that I may never learn – they did not know the strength of my spirit!
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Gabe Albert
Since the beginning of junior high school which was about 30 years ago, I have always weighed at least 200 lbs. Even in grade school I was the big kid with a weight problem. I remember in the 6th grade my Mom took me to the County Health Nurse for “help”. The nurse informed me that I wouldn’t be successful or liked if I was the “fat kid” OUCH! That just made me want to stay the fat kid and prove her wrong and I did. I was good in sports and made plenty of friends. I guess I just grew into myself and the older I got the larger I became.
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Pat Wills
I have struggled with weight loss the majority of my life. I have taken on multiple weight loss programs over time, and have even found some success. I did not, however, ever reach my desired weight loss goal. Ultimately I would believe in my sole ability to master each of these programs but I never learned new, good habits. This is why I always ended up regaining any weight I had lost, and then some.
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Holly Harmon
I would like to take this time and nominate my mother, Holly Harmon as the 2010 Tamarac Citizen of the Year. I feel that my mother deserves this honor for her hard work, dedication, and constant commitment to her health.
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Leticia Ponce
I have been a member of Tamarac since 2008. I am the mother of three children. Before and after the birth of my daughter in October 2007, I experienced postpartum depression. I was always crying and felt so sad that my doctor wanted to put me on medication, but I told her that I would try to get over it myself – so I did.
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Ralph and Erica Herwig
Their journey to better health and a better life started in June of 2009 when Erica saw a picture of herself and said out loud “Why didn’t anyone tell me I’m that fat?” At that moment she knew that something needed to change. Ralph was using a Bi-pap machine to sleep with and neither of them could keep up with their friends that lived an active lifestyle. They spent our lives sitting in front of the TV, planning our next meal out.
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Carol Springstead
Between 1995 and 2000 I began having strange symptoms including headaches, stomach aches, TMJ, insomnia, asthma, aches and pains, frequent infections and general fatigue. By mid 2001 I had constant, sharp back pain for 18 months. My personality and lifestyle changed as a result and I thought I would never again be my old self. Then I went to a specialist who diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia and a food allergy to corn. I went through 18 months of very difficult dietary restrictions and I slowly regained my health. Omitting corn products from my diet helped me dramatically and eventually my Fibromyalgia symptoms became only an occasional inconvenience instead of a life-limiting condition.
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Edward Kerns
In 1984, the U.S. Army medically evacuated me from Landstuhl Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to undergo surgery following a detached retina injury. The surgeons at Walter Reed were able to save one of my eyes. While being treated at Walter Reed, nephrologists advised me that my kidneys were damaged and would eventually fail. My kidney damage and some other ailments have been directly linked to my exposure to defoliant agents during my multiple tours in the Vietnam conflict.
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2009 Stories:

Still Travelling
By Scott Crandell
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Watch Me!
By Richard Harris
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Blessed
By Doug Hoezee
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My Running Friends
By Liz Luchies
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Commitment
By Julie Sidlauskas
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A Stronger Person
By Deb Thompson
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My Bathing Suit Story
By Jane Drake
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Success
By Becky Dickerson
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