I was in a wheel chair for a year!!!!!
Thankilates
Posts: 432 Member
Just to post for some motivation! We ... YOu.... I can do any thing!!!!!
I WAS IN A WHEEL CHAIR FOR A YEAR! I was told I would never walk again without an operation! I was told that I would never dance or wear heels or any of that stuff back when i was 22 years old... Long story short, I worked as a manager of victoria's secret at the time, and for whatever reason, didn't have insurance!!!!!?!?!? :noway: I was so angry, because I couldn't afford the surgery. In fact, just the ambulance ride, the Emergency room (on Thanksgiving might I add) the doctors, the xrays the specialists, all of that- cost me around 7,900 dollars!!!!!
Anyway, one day I WAS over the wheel chair, so i started using crutches. Three months later, i was over the crutches, so I just slowly started walking on it.. being very careful! I did have a friend who was a PT so i was able to do exercise every day to strengthen my knee... The one that surprised me the most was squats! I was told to do squats! LOL
Oh and just so you know what I mean with my knee, well I had torn my ACL, Meniscus, I have no cartilidge, and my MRI was 13 pages long. LOL SIGH. And the operation I needed would have required me to take ligaments from my good knee and put them in my bad knee. So I would have been out of work for like 5 months! LOL Couldn't afford that, so I healed it myself...
Now this may sound corny, but I did everything. I prayed, I did meditations, healing meditations, and exercise. but really, I BELIEVED I WOULD BE OKAY! MY SHEER WILL OF BEING SICK OF WHEELING AROUND motivated me! So, some 8 years ago is when my weight gain happened. Not being able to be active (biking, hiking, running around, break dancing, etc) I gained some 25 pounds and stuck at 140 for the rest of my adult life! I have found that when I am 145 or above, my knee hurts, when I'm 140- it's okay but I have to listen to it, and at 130 it RARELY HURT! So my goal of course, is to get back to 130, and then make a new plan and then get to 120!
So why do I share all of this?!?!? For motivation! We can do it! Oh and I take Chinese herbs to help build new cartilage, I do certain yoga poses (fixed firm) to flush out all the old cartilage and to get fresh oxygenated blood to the area, and I take glucosamine and chondroitin. I can honestly say that in the past 8 years, I have never been out like I was before!
However, this last January I did have to take a week off for falling and twisting it wrong... But then I remembered that my doctor said that even with the operation (i couldn't afford), that with my active lifestyle, I would need a replacement every 9-10 years! WOW so I guess I saved myself money! LOL
Anyway, find some inspiration in this! Know that you can do anything! So many people told me I wouldn't "be" the same! You have to realize I was devastated. now, here I am at 30, as a yoga/pilates/barre/cardio instructor and well- I couldn't be more happy!
So ask yourself, what have you overcome (in any form) and ask, "is me NOT eating this cake as hard as when I _______?" I'm telling you, it will put things in to perspective for you!
I am DETERMINED to never think about my knee again and that is why< I AM NOT YO-YO-ING ANYMORE!
I WAS IN A WHEEL CHAIR FOR A YEAR! I was told I would never walk again without an operation! I was told that I would never dance or wear heels or any of that stuff back when i was 22 years old... Long story short, I worked as a manager of victoria's secret at the time, and for whatever reason, didn't have insurance!!!!!?!?!? :noway: I was so angry, because I couldn't afford the surgery. In fact, just the ambulance ride, the Emergency room (on Thanksgiving might I add) the doctors, the xrays the specialists, all of that- cost me around 7,900 dollars!!!!!
Anyway, one day I WAS over the wheel chair, so i started using crutches. Three months later, i was over the crutches, so I just slowly started walking on it.. being very careful! I did have a friend who was a PT so i was able to do exercise every day to strengthen my knee... The one that surprised me the most was squats! I was told to do squats! LOL
Oh and just so you know what I mean with my knee, well I had torn my ACL, Meniscus, I have no cartilidge, and my MRI was 13 pages long. LOL SIGH. And the operation I needed would have required me to take ligaments from my good knee and put them in my bad knee. So I would have been out of work for like 5 months! LOL Couldn't afford that, so I healed it myself...
Now this may sound corny, but I did everything. I prayed, I did meditations, healing meditations, and exercise. but really, I BELIEVED I WOULD BE OKAY! MY SHEER WILL OF BEING SICK OF WHEELING AROUND motivated me! So, some 8 years ago is when my weight gain happened. Not being able to be active (biking, hiking, running around, break dancing, etc) I gained some 25 pounds and stuck at 140 for the rest of my adult life! I have found that when I am 145 or above, my knee hurts, when I'm 140- it's okay but I have to listen to it, and at 130 it RARELY HURT! So my goal of course, is to get back to 130, and then make a new plan and then get to 120!
So why do I share all of this?!?!? For motivation! We can do it! Oh and I take Chinese herbs to help build new cartilage, I do certain yoga poses (fixed firm) to flush out all the old cartilage and to get fresh oxygenated blood to the area, and I take glucosamine and chondroitin. I can honestly say that in the past 8 years, I have never been out like I was before!
However, this last January I did have to take a week off for falling and twisting it wrong... But then I remembered that my doctor said that even with the operation (i couldn't afford), that with my active lifestyle, I would need a replacement every 9-10 years! WOW so I guess I saved myself money! LOL
Anyway, find some inspiration in this! Know that you can do anything! So many people told me I wouldn't "be" the same! You have to realize I was devastated. now, here I am at 30, as a yoga/pilates/barre/cardio instructor and well- I couldn't be more happy!
So ask yourself, what have you overcome (in any form) and ask, "is me NOT eating this cake as hard as when I _______?" I'm telling you, it will put things in to perspective for you!
I am DETERMINED to never think about my knee again and that is why< I AM NOT YO-YO-ING ANYMORE!
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Oh and, because of my bad knee, the best thing I can do is invest in good shoes! With the amount of jumping, aerobics, Turbo Jam/Fire and hiking I do, I switch my shoes out every 6 months and have two going at all times. I of course have shoes just for hiking as well.... It's amazing, i invested in the first two pairs and thought, "even thought I can't afford this, I HAVE TO do it because it will be help me..." then as fast as I was thinking that, I was given some 5 pairs of my favorite brand (Asics) in my size and now I am set for like 2 years or so! So think good things, take care of yourself and YOU TOO, can do anything!0
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Thanks for sharing, Kim. Your story was inspirational! As I said, I have arthritis in my knees (both of them). I am bone on bone. When I went to the ortho dr. in December, he asked if I considered gastric bypass. I was offended. He had every right to tell me that. I just didn't want to hear it. He suggested I exercise in a pool, as walking caused severe pain and stiffness. A week later, we joined the Y. I've lost about 20lbs, but that's been over 6 months. Surgery is what I am faced with, but I have to wait a year. My knees have to get smaller; I have to build up the strength in my knee/leg. I am taking hydrocodone (low dose, I can still function), and a NSAID (actually haven't taken that in since Friday). I want nothing more than to delay surgery and to gain my life back. For every 1 lb. you lose, it is like losing 3 lbs. of pressure.
May ask about the YOGA...I weigh 279 and not as flexible; could I still do Yoga? Sounds silly, but I have only attempted Yoga moves at home.0 -
Shoes---I bought a pair of Danskos, I'm not 100% sold on them. I'd like to try the ones that they now sell that are "lighter". They have a cute heel style that I'd love to wear...but I fear I'd fall over!0
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Thanks for sharing, Kim. Your story was inspirational! As I said, I have arthritis in my knees (both of them). I am bone on bone. When I went to the ortho dr. in December, he asked if I considered gastric bypass. I was offended. He had every right to tell me that. I just didn't want to hear it. He suggested I exercise in a pool, as walking caused severe pain and stiffness. A week later, we joined the Y. I've lost about 20lbs, but that's been over 6 months. Surgery is what I am faced with, but I have to wait a year. My knees have to get smaller; I have to build up the strength in my knee/leg. I am taking hydrocodone (low dose, I can still function), and a NSAID (actually haven't taken that in since Friday). I want nothing more than to delay surgery and to gain my life back. For every 1 lb. you lose, it is like losing 3 lbs. of pressure.
May ask about the YOGA...I weigh 279 and not as flexible; could I still do Yoga? Sounds silly, but I have only attempted Yoga moves at home.
You can SO do yoga still! Yoga is the States is all about "hatha yoga," meaning movement of the body. There is so much more than that though. It's about being centered, knowing your body inside out, and connecting to ones soul... I recommend Restorative yoga for you, or Ying Yang yoga, or maybe even a candle light yoga for you... Flow will probably be pretty hard on you at first, but I think the lasting powers of yoga are good for anybody! Oh and yoga, if you have a good teacher IS NOT about flexibility! That just comes with time! In regards to shoes, yay!
Keep trying shoes until you find the right ones! For example, my friends all try to get me to wear Nikes... Nikes?!?!? Sorry peeps, but those have NEVER been good on my feet. The last pair I had was from 6th grade, the were black and red high tops and they were called Nike Air Grids.... LOL I have tried them on since, but they feel so cheap compared to Asics and Saucony. Adidas are too narrow for me, but if I find a good pair, I like the alright. OOOOH but enter in Asics! I LOVE THEM! The sizing has changed in the last 3 years. I am now mostly an 8.5 as opposed to an 8. But the comfort and support is the same! I really like the trail running shoes, because they offer more support and are equally as good for me with indoor use. I also have their running shoes, and some trainers!
There is no perfect brand, just the perfect brand for you!
OOOOH and I Just got a new pair of Guess heels, hot pink, that are 3.5 inch heels... and you better believe, I'm walking fine in them! Wheel chair, smeer shair.... psssh.
Also, in regards to losing weight, for every pound you lose, it's actually about 5-7 pounds off weight off your joints! So in my 5 pounds lost, I have 25 pounds less pressure off my knee! AMAZING!0 -
I can really relate to both of these stories. I am no stranger to injury. My worst was about 6 years ago. I had been a massage therapist for 6 years at the time., I "retired" from it two years ago because of an injury to both wrists from doing ,Yoga. Which is really not the yoga's fault. I was pushing myself way passed where I should have been. I was home alone and not really concentrating on what I was doing, this kinda happens when I try to follow yoga on DVD. I had taken a few classes a few years before that and feel in love with it, but the teacher left my gym and I could not afford to go to her studio. SO I tried to do it at home . Long story short I didn't even know I hurt myself that bad until we really went through a busy time at work and one day I woke up with my hand swollen and my wrist on fire. Now as massage therapist you NEED your hands it was so scary. I was on my own supporting myself with no insurance. I had bills to pay and only me to pay them. I went to my Chiro and he told me they were out and adjusted them. But I still woke up every moring with what felt like cartoon hands, they felt swollen to 10 times their size. Went back to the doctor and he said they were permently sprained and I had to find a new of work. I was in shock, I went to massage school when I was 20, I was then 26, had only ever done massage I was trained to do nothing else. I ,at that moment decied it was up to me to heal myself, though yes lots of prayer, crying, ice and wrist wraps. I went in to each massage so mindful of how I was using my hands and wrists, I had to change the style of how I worked and breath through ALOt of pain , but eventully they healed, and work became easier. I stopped doing massage 4 years later when I reinjured them and I Knew I was ready to move onto the next thing. But it was when I was ready.
But Like Kim I listened to what my heart said I could do, and I followed it. I still work in the massage field but not as a therapist, and I have people ask me all the time why I stopped. And I tell them because I was ready to. Through your darkest days is where you find the most growth. I even went back to college a few months ago after a 13 year break. Again I constently push myself to the next level so I will never have to feel like I did the day the Doctor told me I would have to do something different before I was ready.
I would love to do yoga again because I have lost a lot of tone in my muscle from not massaging everyday, this is probably the best perk of the job, never had to do streght training because I used so many upper body muscles doing massage. I don't really want to do free weigths because I know yoga can give me the long lean muscles I had as a therapist.
I bought a yoga DVD from target a few months ago, did not hurt myself doing it but it goes fasted than I like. I would like to hold each pose longer and get a better strech. but not too slow where I woulld lose mometum. Any suggestions. All I am doing right now is 4 session on my treadmill 45 min to 1hr. I need to rebuild my muscle, but Am so worried about injury. Need a little help, this is also new for me, usally try to figure it all out on my own. This group is another step out of my comfort zone! I am Happy I joined.0