All right, can you share your name and a little bit about yourself?

My name is Bonita Gooseberry, and I've been living here in Milwaukee for, like, 25 years. I'm a 58 year old female. I'm a triplet, so they're two twins to me. I have been a mental health consultant for a long time in Milwaukee. I have LPC license, but now I'm having some health challenges, so I haven't been working in the last year because of the health challenges that I'm facing.

Okay. Okay. What are some of your interests in activities, like recreational activities that you.

I go to the y and work out, like, three times a week, and I do a lot of church activities.

Okay, cool, cool. How do you typically spend a day. So, in 24 hours, what does that.

Look like for you in 24 hours? Usually I spend my morning trying to get up and do some type of exercise. Then in the afternoon, I usually maybe on the phone, engaging in conversations with other people on the prayer line or things of that nature during the daytime, and then in the evening times, I usually go to church activities.

Okay. Okay. Are there any routines or hobbies that are particularly important to you?

Yes.

What about.

I have a basket business where I do Easter baskets. I do mother's day, I do father's day. I do all this. So I spend a lot of my hobby time on the weekends doing baskets, and my living room is full of Easter baskets now. Great.

I love that. Looking back, what are some life experiences you think have shaped you the most?

Going on the heart transplant list?

Wow.

Last year shaped me. It really. I mean, I think the two most powerful things that has shaped my life is when I walked across the stage ten years ago and got my master's degree, and then when I passed the board's test to be a mental health professional counselor, those were a major for me. And then, unfortunately, last year, I ended up getting into some trouble with my heart, and so now I'm on a heart transplant list.

Wow. How did that change your life?

Oh, dramatically.

Yeah.

Because I'm involved with a lot of doctor's appointments and a lot of. Of testing, and they come out every week and do blood draws and just so many things that's associated with being on the transplant list, because when you become a part of the transplant program, they have certain rules and stuff that you have to go by.

Yeah. Yeah. That's tough. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, on that note, let's talk about your health and well being. Okay. How do you manage your health and wellness as you age well.

I'm getting better at that. I'm learning now in life to live, live, you know, eat to live instead of living to eat. So I can't switch that around because there was a point in my life where I lived to eat, like, you know what I mean? Where I wanted to eat all the time and wasn't conscious about what the effects could be to my health with me eating certain things. But now, you know, I'm trying to live a longer life, so I'm very conscious about what I. What I put in my mouth now.

Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. Eating to live or living to eat versus.

Yeah, yeah, you gotta versatile. You know, turn it around because it can work against you in the long run.

And it's about listening to your body and giving it what it actually needs, not what your brain is telling it needs. Right.

Mm hmm. And that's basically what it is because it becomes an emotional thing with eating, you know? And I've always struggled with that, you know? And so now I'm very conscious. I'm very mindful of all of that. Like, I don't just eat just to be eaten anymore. Like, sometimes you can have certain stresses in your life, and it causes you to just, like, let me go ahead and get some food. Let me get this. Let me get that now. I don't do that anymore.

Are there specific routines or activities that you find beneficial?

Yes. Going to the gym is very beneficial for me. My heart has improved since I've been going to the gym. Working out and eating the right foods is so beneficial and spending more money, of course. But it's worth it at the end, because at the end of the day, you know, it's really all about improving your health, especially when you're in the situation that I'm in with being on a heart transplant list, you really have to be conscious of it, stuff like that.

Yeah, yeah. Can you describe any challenges you face in maintaining your health and how you overcome them? So obviously, your heart is a huge challenge.

Yep. A very huge one right now.