Elaine Santore

For this week's session, Mom's speech therapist asked her to share one of her recipes. Here's the recipe for her famous (in my little world, anyway) Lumpia!

[Ed. Note: the parts in italics were written into my phone throughout the day. Everything else I added afterwards.]

12:00pm Brunch: spinach omelette (no cheese) with some salsa mixed in, and edamame from Trader Joe's. Rosamunde yerba mate in a gourd, mixed with some organic peppermint tea to protect my stomach. Sparkling water with a slice of lemon.

I'm on the slow-carb diet, as outlined in Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Body. I've been on the diet for about 2 months now, and I've definitely seen results. For personal reasons, I won't list my weight or measurements here. I'd say that I'm about halfway to where I want to be.

12:30pm Check in with Mom and her caregiver before she takes her power nap. Mom likes to see me eating healthy food, especially vegetables, because I never ate them growing up. "Good for you!" she says when she sees my plate. She's so cute.

My journey toward a healthier lifestyle began last winter, after Mom got sick. Leading up to the experience, I was already going through a dark period. I had attracted some very negative people into my life. 

I got laid off in March, around the same time Mom came back home. Watching her go through such vigorous rehab every day inspired me to get active again. My diet became healthier (less booze and fried food), which allowed me to take on the slow-carb diet. 

It's been a slow process, but I am changing my lifestyle for the better. I have had time to evaluate why I made so many poor decisions, and what I need to do to prevent the same mistakes from happening again. 

A healthy body definitely leads to a healthy mind and spirit. Going back to church with my parents has helped me reevaluate how I see myself as part of the bigger picture. 

I truly believe that faith, along with a healthy lifestyle, has helped my mother heal and recover faster than anyone anticipated. She has inspired me to take this journey toward becoming a healthier person.

1:50-2:50pm Bar Method DVD for 60 mins. Kicked my ass! Yes, all the hype about the Bar Method is true. 

This workout was harder than usual because I wasn't able to work out as much last week or over the weekend. And I had more cheat meals than I normally do on the weekends. Time to get back on track this week!

I've tailored my workouts to reflect the types of activities I enjoy the most: dancing and walking. Bar Method provides me with the strength training required for dance routines, and walking on the treadmill gives me a good cardio workout. 

I usually watch TV while I walk (either E! or the Giants game), but I use the Surfshelf treadmill desk so I can go online while I work out. 

3:15-4:00pm Now that I'm thoroughly warmed up and stretched, it's time for me to practice my routines before I go to my Showgirl Chorus class at Bombshell Betty's studio tonight. Betty uploaded videos of 2 routines: a Charleston number to "Put A Lid On It" and a chair dance to "Feeling Good." I want to review both routines before class this evening.

4:30pm Lunch: tuna, spinach, edamame, peas and Trader Joe's pico de gallo salsa. I just kind of threw a couple ingredients together. 

8:30-10:00pm Bombshell Betty's Burlesquercise Showgirl Chorus. Betty and Tiger Von Claus really like the Timmy Lincecum "F--- Yeah!" shirt I wore to class (who says burlesque and baseball don't go together?!). We rehearse "Put A Lid On It" and a fan dance to "Summertime." My legs and feet are thoroughly sore. Time to take BART back to Daly City.

11:00pm Back home and enjoying a glass of wine while watching the Giants post-game show on CSN. Really happy I missed this game! My text to PDecks: "OMG MadBum. Damn. Just, wow..." 

But as Uncle h. Brown says: "Fear not little ones, it's a 162 game schedule." Old people know what's up.

When I was in high school, my parents took me to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform in San Jose. My dad is a huge Springsteen fan, and always related to Bruce because they're both half-Italian and from the East Coast. 

I distinctly remember Bruce saving Clarence Clemons' introduction for last. Being a pretty big fan myself, I screamed Clarence's name along with everyone else in the arena. 

They don't call him "Big Man" for nothing: his soul, presence and talent were bigger than the stage, the arena, and you could feel it. 

Fast forward about ten years (yes, I am aware that I'm dating myself here): BFF Aaron, aka The Hoff, posted the video for Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" on my Facebook wall. 

I immediately loved the video because Gaga's rocking pretty much all of my favorite burlesque accessories (fingerless gloves, garter belt, shades, tons of black eyeliner, etc.), and there's a Springsteen-inspired saxophone solo by a big dude who looks like Clarence Clemons.

So I Google Clarence's name and I was saddened to find out that he suffered a stroke. Even sadder to find out that he died over the weekend. 

The news hit close to home not only because of my love for Clarence and the E Street Band, but because my mother had a stroke last November. 

Fortunately, she survived and continues to recover every day thanks to her amazing caregivers, therapists, family support and strong faith. 

My prayers go out to Clarence's family and his band. Hopefully, his death will bring more awareness to stroke prevention and awareness, especially in the African-American community. 

Those who fortunate enough to survive a stroke have a long road ahead of them, both physically and mentally. 

My mother suffers from Aphasia, a speech disorder that makes it difficult for her to communicate and have even simple conversations with people. 

She gets frustrated because she can understand what people are saying, but cannot always respond with the right words at the right time. 

You know the feeling you get when a word or phrase is at the tip of your tongue? Imagine feeling that way every single day, every time you need to speak to someone.

Along with her speech therapy sessions, she practices phrases, letters, and other exercises using Aphasia iPad applications by Lingraphica. Their apps are excellent, and free for anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. 

Since my mother got sick last fall, I have been reading the Aphasia Corner Blog for tips and advice for caregivers and family members. 

Throughout my mother's recovery, she has used music to help her with her speech therapy, power through her physical and occupational therapy (she was partially paralyzed on her right side and often walks with a cane).

My prayers are with Clarence's family, his band, and his fans.