After a long three weeks, I am back and better than ever... almost. My back surgery went well and I have had a very minor complication. Apparently I am allergic to certain pain medications. The only thing I am dealing with now is the damaged nerves coming back to life, which will heal in time. After all, my body has three years of damage to fix.
During this time, I had to use aids for walking and getting around. I was issued a walker for at home, and a wheelchair for going out in public. At home, I would sit in the wheelchair because it was the only thing that I was comfortable in. Outside the house, I would use it in stores, restaurants, and other places to keep myself from exhausting and overworking my already tired body.
I have a dear friend who has gone through similar health issues and uses a wheelchair all the time. Even though I only used mine for a few weeks, it gave me a glimpse into her life that I never had before.
What bothered me the most from the experience was the response from society. Never in my life have I gotten looks like I did. It was all pity and fake smiles because someone as "young" as myself was in a wheelchair. I also realized that most stores are NOT friendly to people in my situation. There were some stores I couldn't even get into because of the closeness of the racks. The height of the clothing on the shelves also made it difficult to shop. I was constantly bypassing items because I couldn't get a clear view of them. Store staff were not the least bit helpful, even in stores that I frequent, the clerks were passing me by.
If stores wanted to improve, I would suggest starting with the layout and considering those who cannot reach high to pull down a sweater, or even get through the store. I would also say to train the staff to be more willing to help when they see a need.
In other news, my staples came out Tuesday and I am more like myself than ever. I am no longer relying on my walking aids and am back at school teaching. One great benefit to this surgery was weight loss. I have gone from 183 lbs to 169 lbs in a month! I am very happy for this news. Now I have to lose at least four more pounds and I will be within my BMI. As soon as the doctor clears me for exercise, I am going to begin kettleball and resistance band exercises to help strengthen and tone my body. I do not want to lose too much weight, but I do want to be at a healthy weight and still have killer curves! Also, my family invited Kevin and I on vacation with them, and I definitely want to be able to wear a bikini and look as good as a Kardashian or model Katie Green!
As I go through this transition, I will be posting scoliosis and joint friendly exercises to help those (like me) who want low impact exercises.
Showing posts with label scoliosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scoliosis. Show all posts
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Friday, December 6, 2013
Christmas Joy
With life being so chaotic due to my upcoming surgery and buying a new house, I have somehow regained time to write.
On December 16th, Kevin and I will officially have a new home! I am so excited to be moving into a much larger abode than the tiny trailer we have now. Even though it is still a trailer, the +2,000 square footage makes up for it! I will be posting updates on moving as they happen (with pictures, of course).
Yesterday was my pre-operational exam, so I have a clear idea of what will be occurring during my 3 hour surgery. It isn't as simple as I thought it would be, but I know that when I wake up, everything will be fixed and I can finally gain my life back.
The only problem: it is two days after we close on the house, and exactly a week before Christmas.
God gives good gifts. We all know and believe this simple truth. What we don't understand is that it isn't always in the way we expect them. The picturesque example of this is the birth of Jesus.
Mary was a virgin, unwed and untouched. Back then, women were not allowed to be in the same room as men unless there was a good enough reason. Virgins were as common then as cell phones are now. Yet, the Bible still makes a big deal of detailing the fact that Mary was a virgin. Why? Because if it wasn't, the birth of Jesus could have been viewed as a scandalous affair that caused the conception. However, God performed a miracle by breathing life into the womb of an untouched woman.
Although my situation is nowhere near as great of a miracle as that of Jesus' birth, God has still given me a miraculous gift: the gift of hope. I have been bitter for so long as I have lived my life in pain. With this doctor, I have gained back the idea that one day I will be able to sit and exercise and travel without hurting. Soon I can say that the miracle was God healing me through the hands of my doctor.
The other miracle is that we have found a house large enough so that when I am healed, we can have children. We can also live in a home that is (in my opinion) beautiful and one I will be satisfied in for years.
This Christmas, reflect on the miracles in your life, reader. No matter how big or small they may seem, a miracle is still a miracle, and miracles should always be viewed as a joyful blessing.
On December 16th, Kevin and I will officially have a new home! I am so excited to be moving into a much larger abode than the tiny trailer we have now. Even though it is still a trailer, the +2,000 square footage makes up for it! I will be posting updates on moving as they happen (with pictures, of course).
Yesterday was my pre-operational exam, so I have a clear idea of what will be occurring during my 3 hour surgery. It isn't as simple as I thought it would be, but I know that when I wake up, everything will be fixed and I can finally gain my life back.
The only problem: it is two days after we close on the house, and exactly a week before Christmas.
God gives good gifts. We all know and believe this simple truth. What we don't understand is that it isn't always in the way we expect them. The picturesque example of this is the birth of Jesus.
Mary was a virgin, unwed and untouched. Back then, women were not allowed to be in the same room as men unless there was a good enough reason. Virgins were as common then as cell phones are now. Yet, the Bible still makes a big deal of detailing the fact that Mary was a virgin. Why? Because if it wasn't, the birth of Jesus could have been viewed as a scandalous affair that caused the conception. However, God performed a miracle by breathing life into the womb of an untouched woman.
Although my situation is nowhere near as great of a miracle as that of Jesus' birth, God has still given me a miraculous gift: the gift of hope. I have been bitter for so long as I have lived my life in pain. With this doctor, I have gained back the idea that one day I will be able to sit and exercise and travel without hurting. Soon I can say that the miracle was God healing me through the hands of my doctor.
The other miracle is that we have found a house large enough so that when I am healed, we can have children. We can also live in a home that is (in my opinion) beautiful and one I will be satisfied in for years.
This Christmas, reflect on the miracles in your life, reader. No matter how big or small they may seem, a miracle is still a miracle, and miracles should always be viewed as a joyful blessing.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Why don't you just exercise?!
By now, people are wondering why I don't just go to the gym and work out like everybody else. There's just one problem with that and it looks like this....
Yep, that's my spine in all of its metallic glory. I have scoliosis - a condition where your spine curves and is weakened. I had the surgery three years ago and I have had a great deal of complications from it, including temporary loss of feeling and use of my right leg. See the bottom right screw in the picture? Well that little beauty cut part of my major nerves and had to be removed. I also have a fracturing vertebrae that will be operated on this December to prevent more damage.
Currently the only exercise I can do is to bike on a stationary bike, use an elliptical, or swim. All of these are great, but not if you want to tone your body. I am very limited in my mobility and endurance. It is sad to say but there isn't a day that goes by without pain. I regret having the surgery and wish the rods can be removed, but that would mean at least three months in bed with six months to a year before I am fully recovered.
The number one thing that drives me crazy is my hollow back. If you have hollow back (or swayback), your spine curves towards your stomach and causes an awful pooch that no exercise can get rid of. My December surgery will hopefully remedy this. My spine is breaking because of the pressure brought on by my hollow back. I cannot stand up straight without feeling a great deal of pain. My surgeon is going to shrink my breaking vertebrae in order to allow for more room and movement in my spine that isn't surrounded by the rods and fused together. After this, I will have much less of a belly pooch and should be able to finally exercise without pain.
For all those dealing with scoliosis, just know that you are never alone. For those who have chronic pain, it isn't in your head (like so many would say). For those who are blessed with a healthy body and can swim face down, consider yourself eternally blessed. I would never wish this life on anyone, but God made me strong enough to live it.
A bonus to my scoliosis is I can say I have more curves than I know what to do with and laugh about it.
Yep, that's my spine in all of its metallic glory. I have scoliosis - a condition where your spine curves and is weakened. I had the surgery three years ago and I have had a great deal of complications from it, including temporary loss of feeling and use of my right leg. See the bottom right screw in the picture? Well that little beauty cut part of my major nerves and had to be removed. I also have a fracturing vertebrae that will be operated on this December to prevent more damage.
Currently the only exercise I can do is to bike on a stationary bike, use an elliptical, or swim. All of these are great, but not if you want to tone your body. I am very limited in my mobility and endurance. It is sad to say but there isn't a day that goes by without pain. I regret having the surgery and wish the rods can be removed, but that would mean at least three months in bed with six months to a year before I am fully recovered.
The number one thing that drives me crazy is my hollow back. If you have hollow back (or swayback), your spine curves towards your stomach and causes an awful pooch that no exercise can get rid of. My December surgery will hopefully remedy this. My spine is breaking because of the pressure brought on by my hollow back. I cannot stand up straight without feeling a great deal of pain. My surgeon is going to shrink my breaking vertebrae in order to allow for more room and movement in my spine that isn't surrounded by the rods and fused together. After this, I will have much less of a belly pooch and should be able to finally exercise without pain.
For all those dealing with scoliosis, just know that you are never alone. For those who have chronic pain, it isn't in your head (like so many would say). For those who are blessed with a healthy body and can swim face down, consider yourself eternally blessed. I would never wish this life on anyone, but God made me strong enough to live it.
A bonus to my scoliosis is I can say I have more curves than I know what to do with and laugh about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)