18 months ago today I was paralyzed. ---Pics.---

GettingFitToLIVE

Inspirational and amazing!

m_wilh

Your story was so inspirational! Thank you for sharing. You look absolutely fabulous. I know your family is proud of you.

domgirl85

You are truly amazing!!!!!

juliek710

Thank you for sharing your incredible story!

long4theocean

Congratulations!!!!! You are a true inspiration and proof that deciding to love yourself and take care of you will work.

puzwuz1

Fantastic! Thank you for sharing, truly inspiring and a great testament to "Yes, I can". Thank you and Congratulations!

medennison123

Nice work. You deserve it.

juliedozier

Your story brings tears to my eyes! I'm so happy for you ... you created a positive ending to a story that could have ended very badly. Congratulations on your success and your healthy lifestyle!

christina_theresa

So inspiring!

SocWkrBee

What a great story. Thank you for sharing.

Jennifer076

I am speechless........what a wonderful, inspiring story.:flowerforyou:

Cherie7575

What an amazing story - thanks for sharing.

newerme15

You are amazing and you are an inspiration to all of us here! You look absolutely fantastic, thanks for sharing your journey with us.

BlairCottier

Your story is absolutely amazing! You are a testament to everyone out there who uses excuses for waiting to lose wait. You could have had all of the excuses in the world to wait, but you made a choice to listen to the doctor and change things for yourself!! I am sure your kids are especially thankful to have a mommy who cares for herself and them enough to fight this hard! You are an amazing and wonderful person and thank you for sharing your story with us :flowerforyou:

Krissie_Triaxis

Wow! Simply inspirational. Your determination and hard work is a testament to you as an individual. Well done, you are truly amazing. xxx

ambaree143

Thankyou for sharing your story and your incredible journey. I have tears in my eyes, as I see your pictures of before and after and at your motivation and strength of character to get to where you are today.

I shall remember you, when I don't feel like excercising....I have to lose weight for health reasons too.

nursedonnaj

Thank you for sharing!! You look great!

jennieth

Amazing and absolutely inspirational!!

Sweetpea472

What an incredible story! I love your photos and how you've chronicled your journey. Your success is amazing and inspiring; thank you very much for sharing with us! :flowerforyou:

charm_quark

You rock!

tripodsmom

wow! amazing! what an inspiration!:flowerforyou:

shae68143

So absolutely amazng!!! Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Ladyslippers

Awesomeness. And such amazing and determination. You are truly an inspiration. And you look fabulous. Thank you for sharing your journey with us!

Kryn_K

Today is a big day for me. It was 18 months ago today, June 11, 2011, that I was rushed to the ER in an ambulance because I had lost all feeling below the waist. I was transferred to a bigger city hospital where I had emergency spinal surgery - laminectomy, discectomy, and decompression of my spinal cord. Diagnosis was cauda equina syndrome due to a severely herniated disc.

When I woke up I could not move my legs. I could not stand or walk. I was in a wheelchair. For a few weeks I lived at a rehab hospital to regain strength as I sloooowly regained sensation in my legs. It's not all fully back - to this day I'm still numb down the back of my right leg and the bottom of my right foot. Chances are I'll never get that feeling back.

At my discharge appointment with the neurosurgeon on August 17, 2011, he told me to prevent this from happening again, that I needed to lose weight. I took his advice to heart.

I've posted on here before but I wanted to again because today is a big milestone for me. It's been a year and a half. It seems like so long ago but 18 months really isn't that long. It's been 18 months of the hardest work of my life.

18 months ago when I had this injury, I weighed 270 pounds. Now I don't. I weigh about 161-165.

18 months ago when I had this injury, I couldn't walk. Now I can. And I can RUN 12 miles at a shot.

HOW? MyFitnessPal and exercise. That's it. Being accountable for what I eat, and moving my body more.

I'm 5'8" and have three kids, who were 9 months, 2.5 years, and 5 years old at the time of my injury.

Before:




In the hospital




Hours of daily therapy in the rehab hospital






About a week after surgery was the first time I could feel my toes. It was truly amazing. This is the morning I woke up and could feel the fabric of my sock brushing on my toes.


After a few weeks I was out of the wheelchair and using a walker and I was discharged home. I had physical and occupational therapists visiting my house 4-5x/week for about 6 weeks.


Then I graduated to a cane the next month. This is the only picture I can find of my cane. That's my youngest daughter.


A month after that my surgeon told me to lose weight. So I started walking daily and joined MFP that very day.

Old pants (size 24) vs new pants (size medium)


Now I run a lot.


And wear a size 8/10



If I could do it, you can too. Get up and move. Start logging your nutrition. Be accountable to yourself. You're worth it.

Thanks for letting me share.

you made me cry .. this is an incredible history about strength i don't know you but i saw enough to respect and admire you, not only for the weight loss but for the capacity of pulling through. :flowerforyou:

LorinaLynn

Holy crap! You rock!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Begood03

You have come a very long way, congratulations on all your hard work. I too, have had back surgery, so I know what it is like to come back from it.

Sima05

You are amazing!!

bluiz13

you truly are an inspiration....you completely got your life back in the absolute best way...congrats....

abbezen

Thank you for sharing your truly amazing story!

chickfromsc

AMAZING story!! You must be so proud of all that you have accomplished! And you look WONDERFUL!