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

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.