I am thankful to have been able to get out of bed this morning and a job to go to, and a home to live in - 1/27/2011   6:59:30 AM

I'm thankful that my son, Nathan continues to be "Cancer free" since having Testicular Cancer in January '09. He has Cat Scans again in February, so they keep checking him. He had surgery and 4 rounds of Chemotherapy as he had an aggressive type of cancer cells.
I'm glad I feel well at 61, but I have a lot more weight to release to get to my final goal. I have Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Resistance so it is hard for me to lose, but I keep working at it. - 12/19/2010   2:12:55 AM

I love being able to tell doctors and nurses "I'm as healthy as a horse" when they go through the list of questions. I understand just how fortunate I am not to have excellent health. - 12/8/2010   10:30:03 PM

Thank you for your blog entry. I am still in the healing phase after an accident nearly 6 months ago. This morning I wasnt even able to walk~at all. I've always been a full of energy go getter~an exercise buff, health nut to the core. Just in the past month, the pain, the four days a week of doctoring out of town, with more and more specialists added to my list of current ones, and the once a month trips out of state to see my neurologist, have worn me down physically and emotionally. I am tired of being tired. Your blog of Thanks, touched my heart especially so. I have smiled through all and counted my blessing big, that my accident wasnt worse. Old habits die hard if you are an emotional eater, and I am. Thank heavens my throat closed and I'd been living on home made very healthy baby food for nearly 3 months of this! The lack of exercise though, and feeling down in my heart, hasnt been good for my metabolism at all ! With my walker and 4 legged cane I get around in the house well. I am too stubborn to use them in public yet being only 40 years young. My neck brace is difficult enough to wear outside of the house. Having been 365 lbs, and having celebrated making it to 178 was such a joy. Now I am back up to 215, and only 5'3" tall. I am going to whip this and be back down to 178 even if I have to beg to have my jaw wired shut! wink!!! Where there's a will there's a way, and you just helped me so very much. Thank you with all my heart!!!

Angel Blessings Always,
~Diane~ - 11/26/2010   10:58:59 PM

Great point - it is very easy to get down about things in general, but with a pleasant wake-up that you had it is worth reminding both yourself and your readers to review their 'thankful list' - 11/26/2010   2:04:35 PM

You are blessed to have good health.. I can not seem to stay healthy yet with a little work I have been doing better-- trying to get off some of these prescription meds-- 80+ pounds gone.. hoping for a lot more - 11/26/2010   1:09:31 AM

You are so right!! God bless you! - 11/25/2010   8:54:04 PM

I also am thankful for my recovering good health !!! I had Bronchitis this year on top of having asthma already and have been to the Emergency Room more times this year than I care to count! Thank you God for my health;it is EASY to take it for granted, including each breath you take easily .... - 11/25/2010   8:06:03 PM

Although I've been blessedly free from serious illness all my life, my health is now the very best it has ever been, thanks to the improvements I've made in my eating and fitness--with SparkPeople's help. I'm completely off of blood pressure meds now, my doctor's excited to see my weight whenever I go for a check-up, and I feel like a million bucks. Good health is a gift to be treasured. Good friends who help you maintain that health make the journey even sweeter. - 11/25/2010   7:32:06 PM

I'm grateful to be relatively healthy .... I do injure easily and am slow to heal but no life*threatening illnesses so that's what I focus on. - 11/25/2010   3:27:33 PM

I am thankful for SparkPeople and the friends I have made on here. I have lost over 30 lbs so far and am no longer considered "obese" just plain "overweight".
I am also thankful that my Hemolytic Anemia is somewhat under control and I have not had to have any Blood Transfusions for a while. - 11/25/2010   1:00:35 PM

I'm also thankful that I don't have any major medical issues. Besides the dull pain from old breaks, I can pretty much live my life without any issues. I know so many people that have to watch what they eat, take cabinets full of medications, and can't really be free to enjoy life without always being careful. - 11/25/2010   12:55:25 PM

I have had quite a few health scares this past year. Fortunately they have all worked out. I am still alive to spend time with my family. Most days I don't feel well physically, but I know I am very blessed because I have friends who are living with cancer and other illnesses and they get up every day and are probably more productive than I am in a whole week. I have the chance to find alternatives to my issues and I am very very grateful and thankful. - 11/25/2010   9:15:05 AM

I am thankful that I am pain free after many years with Diverticulitis. - 11/24/2010   4:48:12 PM

I'm thankful they caught my thyroid problem before it turned to cancer. - 11/24/2010   2:29:39 PM

I'm going through a lot of health issues right now, so I guess I'm just thankful that they aren't any worse! But I am thankful for the amazing people who are helping me keep my spirits up. - 11/24/2010   1:30:58 PM

I am grateful for 2 years of survivorship after a breast cancer diagnosis. Excellent healthcare practitioners have guided me on this journey. - 11/24/2010   1:27:18 PM

A lot of people take their health for granted. You are not alone. In fact, I think at times, I do the same thing. I am always thinking "this is so hard", "i can't do this", etc., but then, you have to think of others out there that really cannot do certain things or struggle constantly with pain and helplessness. I am thankful for Spark leading me in the direction I want to be and also for my health, as I DO NOT have it as bad as others. - 11/24/2010   1:21:20 PM

I am so thankful for my health. I don't really have any health issues worth worring about. But I do know what it's like when you do. My hubby has diabetes, asthma, emphysemia, high blood pressure, a bad heart and MS. So I try to tell God often thanks for my good health. - 11/24/2010   1:04:24 PM

I too try to be thankful all year round! But at this time I am especially thankful for the people in my life - wonderful coworkers, friends, sparkfriends, and family.

As for my health, I am really proud of my conditioning. I was able to run 6 miles (tack on 2.3 more walking for warm-up/cool down) after not having done a long run for the better part of a month. I feel fit and happy! - 11/24/2010   12:16:45 PM

I am thankful for a job and a roof over my head. It was 15 degrees outside and I forget how fortunate I am. - 11/24/2010   12:08:59 PM

God is so good to me. At 44 years of age, I have NEVER been in the hospital since my parents brought me home when I was born.
There have only been 3 trips to the emergency room, 2 of those were for stitches to fingers. The 3rd was as a result of being a SURVIVOR of a crime.
I AM TRULY BLESSED!!! - 11/24/2010   11:22:10 AM

Like you, Jen, I don't have much history--and, at 56, that's pretty cool.

This year I had three scares, but they all turned out to be nothings...that's something to be thankful for.

My body still does anything I want it to--maybe slower or less extremely than 35 years ago, but I can do anything I want to--THERE's a blessing.

Nothing hurts.

I have lines in my face, BUT there are lots more laugh lines than frown lines.

Happy Thanksgiving - 11/24/2010   10:45:28 AM

Thanks for this timely blog. As I read it, I realized just how very lucky I am to be healthy at this time of my life. Three years ago today, I was prepping for gastric bypass surgery, and hoping to improve my health. Now I have a normal blood pressure and no longer need medication to control it. I no longer have sleep apnea and don't need to wear a C-PAP machine nightly. I am no longer pre-diabetic and don't have to worry about needing medicine to control it one day. I exercise 5-7 days a week without pain in my knees, ankles, or back. I have been sick only twice in the past three years (the common cold), and both times I was sick only for a few days instead of several weeks. I thank my parents for good genes, but I also am blessed that my husband - my partner - has been by my side for the past 3 years, helping and encouraging me and losing the weight with me. - 11/24/2010   10:11:01 AM

Thanks for this blog, I really needed this wake-up call. I've put on quite a few pounds lately which has really been upsetting me, but I'm still in the healthy weight range, and I 'm not anemic anymore. I should be thankful for these healthful blessings rather than being down about a number on the scale. - 11/24/2010   9:36:13 AM

I am thankful for no health issues and I have had a drama free pregnancy so far .... I am almost 30 weeks. - 11/24/2010   9:33:12 AM

I am thankful for so many things and for each day as it arrives... but I know I couldn't enjoy any of it nearly so much without my health, for which I am also truely grateful!!! - 11/24/2010   9:30:28 AM

Good health is really a building block for so many other things in life for which to be thankful. I am blessed with good health and never take it for granted. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! - 11/24/2010   9:29:49 AM

I'm grateful that I'm in excellent overall health and have been able to keep the excess weight off.

- 11/24/2010   9:26:16 AM

I'm thankful I am an 8 year breast cancer survivor. I have always had a healthy constitution and rarely get the viruses, flus that others get. I did have a minimal side effect time with chemo, radiation, even surgery but I planned to get through it as well as I could. I am thankful I am a healthy, active 60 year old and know it is only through the active life style, I was able to get through as well as I did. - 11/24/2010   9:21:01 AM

I wake everyday thankful. I have worked on a healthy lifestyle for the past 2 years and find life amazing. I look at the sun rising differently and thankful I can experience it. I follow the moon phases and am in awe of the cycle and the beauty the heavens behold. Do I struggle with my new lifestyle? YES!!!! But what I am able to experience - the walks and the hiking! I sit at outlook points and am so thankful I am able to have this experience. I have too many "moments in health history" but am thankful they have either gone away or are under control due to weight loss and training, enabling me to live a wonderful and truly thankful healthy life. - 11/24/2010   8:29:31 AM

I want to thank you for writing this. I started Spark People one year ago. I was doing well, set my goals, and was on my way. One of my "main" goals was a marathon...or at least a half one. About 5 months after starting, I realized (weeks into Couch to 5K) that running wasn't something I was going to be able to do--horrid! shin splits that return every time I attempt to run. That disheartened me enough to quit. I haven't even logged onto the site until a few days ago. Interesting enough, I've been posting a daily "Thankful" for the entire month of November. Reading this blog made me realize something that I hadn't realized that I should be grateful for: health. I'm rarely sick (even a cold). I have allergies, shin splints, and every 6 months or so a reoccurring back injury...that's it. So, thank you for your writing...from the bottom of my heart. - 11/24/2010   8:21:52 AM

I also took my good health for granted and did not start being thankful until overcame breast cancer. Now I am grateful for my health and am trying hard to keep that way. - 11/24/2010   8:05:52 AM

I am Thankful that I finally got it and started taking my health serious before I had to start taking meds. - 11/24/2010   7:42:06 AM

I used to take a single-spaced, typed, two-page health history with me, to show my health conditions, medications, surgeries and hospitalizations, to any new appointment or the ER. It was a heck of a lot easier than writing it all out in those tiny spaces, and especially with remembering it all.

Now however, I write: "More surgeries and hospitalizations than I can count, but none in the last four-plus years." Hmmmmm... I've been on Spark for three-plus years - I don't think THAT'S a coincidence, do you?! - 11/24/2010   7:04:33 AM

We often don't know what we've got until it's gone....wishing you continued good health and thanks for the reminder of what we often take for granted. - 11/24/2010   6:44:12 AM

I am so thankful for joining SP. When I started, I was taking a shot of 85 units of insulin every night. Now no shot! So very thankful. I have to take a pill in the morning and one at dinner time and my bs is under control. - 11/24/2010   5:27:39 AM

I am so very thankful for my family - those that I am related to by birth, those from my church and those here on Spark. My life is so much richer for the gift of their presence. I am also most grateful for the health that has returned to me this year, physically, mentally and emotionally. I am blessed indeed! - 11/24/2010   12:04:27 AM

I am thankful for my beating heart which is getting stronger even as I age because I'm committed to fitness...I am thankful for my legs which are getting stronger now that I've become a runner (@ 46). I am thankful for the definition in my arms/shoulders from 10 minutes of ST here & there through out the day. I am truly grateful for my health & will not ever take it for granted! Happy Thanksgiving... - 11/23/2010   11:13:03 PM

The times I had medical problems were those periods in life when I was overweight. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that eating well and exercising regularly has more benefits to your body AND mind than just what the scale reflects. - 11/23/2010   10:50:36 PM

I am thankful for the doctors who are so dedicated to helping the wounded warriors and their families at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. The wounded are from all walks of life and have given so much in service to our Constitution. When I see the warriors in the hospital, it gives me a reality check that what affects me is nothing to compare to what they endure and will endure the rest of their lives. - 11/23/2010   10:28:35 PM

I'm very lucky not to have much a health history either. I am thankful that the only thing I have to take medication for is a hypothyroid. One small pill a day is not much at age 62. And losing some weight hopefully, will keep me healthy. - 11/23/2010   10:21:21 PM

I'm very very lucky and blessed to be healthy. I love my legs because I can walk. And I walk alot. Many miles I rack up every week. Not many people can say that. - 11/23/2010   9:37:59 PM

I thank God daily for my health and the health of my friends and family. I have been hospitalized 5 times before but I was blessed to come out with having only one major operation. Three times were for child birth. I feel really Blessed! - 11/23/2010   9:06:06 PM

Like you I also wrote a blog today what I am thankful for! The list has been filled with cancer, loss of a husband, home, but in the end I have grown so much! - 11/23/2010   8:59:32 PM

Three years ago, I became acutely ill and my life changed overnight. Since then I have struggled with the lingering effects of the illness. It has totally changed my life. Health was something I took for granted before but not now. I am so thankful for each and every day that I have to spend with my family. - 11/23/2010   8:25:42 PM

I too am thankful foo my health. Being in the business of fitness I am surrounded by people who are in pain and struggling with different health problems. I am even more grateful for a strong back and legs sure my knees ache once in awhile but overall it's all good :) - 11/23/2010   7:57:30 PM

I am grateful that:
- I still have the strength, stamina, agility and flexibility that I had decades ago.
- My eyesight is good enough to not require correction close or far
- My body is toned and loose skin from weight loss has tightened back up
- My balance allows me to enjoy road biking easily
- I appreciate my wellness everyday - 11/23/2010   6:55:38 PM

I'm grateful for SparkPeople! I had a minor heart attack in January, which was a major "wake-up" call. I'd really been neglecting my health. This site, especially the support of my SparkFriends, has been a major factor in getting my health back on track. - 11/23/2010   6:38:55 PM

In every family there is the one person that gets sick with everything, while the others go Scot free, so to speak,, I am teh first one,,
This eyar I am thnkful that I can still work to be able to pay fo rmy health insurance, such as it is, to get my Rx's for my health challenges..
I am the only one in the family that does not drink , smoke, do drugs, yet I hav eall the ills..
I am able to walk, pray, see, smells , taste, talk, feed and dress myself, make decisions and love myself for who I am, ,for that alone, I am grateful..
I own a home, car, clothing, food, appliances, pens and paper to write on, stamps t omail things, indoor plumbing with clean,safe water to drink, lights to see in the dark and locks for doors, great neighbors,,,
I NEVER take anything I have for granted, remembering the times I did not have any of them,,
I am Blessed! - 11/23/2010   6:17:54 PM