Three years ago today I came home from Rehab.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

So much awesome. You are a badass of highest order. :flowerforyou:

rebeccaplatt21

wow! def inspiring! thank you for sharing your story!

amethyst7986

I'm in awe of your dedication and accomplishments...I will no longer complain of how much my legs hurt from running 3 miles.

Great job with everything you have accomplished and will continue to accomplish!! You are more than an inspiration, my dear your are an ASPIRATION!!

lesaw01

All I can say is WOW!! Your story is very inspiring.

Luv2eatSweets

I suffered a spinal cord injury at age 30, due to genetics and being significantly overweight. I had emergency surgery: laminectomy, discectomy at L4/L5, and decompression of the spinal cord. I was left with cauda equina syndrome, temporarily paralyzed from the waist down and had to live at a rehab hospital to learn to walk again.


I was a stay at home mom of three daughters, at that time they were ages 5, 2, and 9 months old.


After a month I had regained enough sensation and strength to return home with a walker. My neurosurgeon advised me that this could happen again and I needed to lose weight to prevent it. I weighed 270 pounds at 5'8" tall.

That day I signed up for a MFP account. I graduated to a cane and began daily exercise of slowly walking around my block. The first day I walked a quarter mile and it took me 25 minutes. SLOW. But moving. Counting calories worked. I ate about 1600 calories/day.

Each day I added a little more walking. Eventually I could walk for 45-60 minutes without the cane. We joined the YMCA so I could exercise.

During the course of the following year, I lost 100 pounds and began running. I was NEVER a runner, ever. I couldn't even run one lap around the track in high school gym class.

2.5 years after my injury, I ran my first marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon, in 2013. I still can't feel down the back of my right leg and the bottom of my right foot is numb too.

This spring I ran my second marathon, the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon.


I include my kids in my exercise when I can. I'll run while they bike, or I'll push them in the jogging stroller, or haul them behind me on my bike trailer.


Now, I work at the YMCA. I'm a group fitness instructor and I lead the Running Club, and I started up a new class called "Moving with Joy." (that's my name :-) ) This class is couch-to-5k type class where beginners sign up and we train over a 2 month period up to a 5k race at the end of the session. I LOVE teaching this class. I also work as a Y Coach for new members, determining their goals and directing them toward the classes and programs that suit their needs. I get paid to exercise with people! It's awesome!!

A few weeks ago we had a fundraiser where staff members rode on a bike to raise money for the local kids' water safety camp. I rode long and collected donations enough to fully sponsor three kids to attend the camp at no cost to their families!


So, here I am this summer at the beach. No longer 270lbs. Much happier, more active and happy to be able to walk...and run!


SO, if I can do it, you can too. For goodness sake I couldn't even walk. Now get out there and MOVE!!! :-)

Joy

You are truly an inspiration to me. A few years back I had my leg amputated. I had a staph infection that entered my blood stream. I also was in rehab for just over six months. I had to learn how to walk with a prosthetic. I still struggle.....but truly feel that it is all about attitude. I still get the "why did this have to happen to me" feelings, but it is people like you that stop me in my tracks. Thank you.
Lisa.

Galatea_Stone

You're so amazing and inspiring. You are the very definition of willpower and strength.

cloggsy71

[LIKE!] Now that IS an awesome before and after story/pictures!

onematch

Incredible! Your story is one of the most inspiring I've read on MFP.

Congratulations to you for turning your life around and being an inspiration to your kids and so many others!!!

ErynV15

Wow... amazing, amazing story!!! Congrats on all of your success, and thank you so much for the inspiration.

gypsy_spirit

Never again will I whine about anything. You rock!

JoelleAnn78

Thanks for sharing your story. You are strong and amazing, and a true success!! Very inspiring

RabbitLost

If you only wrote about the weight loss,I would be blown away. But what you are doing for your community by fundraising and giving back - you are a truly special person.

ashdawg8790

Wow! Congratulations on being an inpiration to everyone, and uplifting everyone's Friday! :-D
By the way, you and your daughters are GORGEOUS! Keep inspiring, smiling, and being WONDERFUL!!! :flowerforyou:

motivatedmartha

I feel quite humbled!!! It is too easy to find excuses when exercise is difficult/slow or it's cold and wet outside. For those who feel they are too big or too full of aches and pains to exercise you have shown what can be achieved by starting slow and just keeping moving! You have banished most people's excuses out of sight - congratulations and thank you for posting.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

ferniejoy

Awesome!

oneoddsock

You are freakin' brilliant.

PetulantOne

So awesome! :flowerforyou:

HappilyRubina

Oh my god!

taneyah2014

WOW!!! What a blessing! You are truly a great example of triumph! Thanks for sharing!!!!! I'm running my first 5k tomorrow, thank you for the motivation!!!

AliceSwarthout

Thanks so much for sharing this!