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

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Replies

  • GettingFitToLIVE
    GettingFitToLIVE Posts: 47
    Inspirational and amazing!
  • m_wilh
    m_wilh Posts: 362 Member
    Your story was so inspirational! Thank you for sharing. You look absolutely fabulous. I know your family is proud of you.
  • domgirl85
    domgirl85 Posts: 295 Member
    You are truly amazing!!!!! :D
  • juliek710
    juliek710 Posts: 13 Member
    Thank you for sharing your incredible story!
  • long4theocean
    long4theocean Posts: 46 Member
    Congratulations!!!!! You are a true inspiration and proof that deciding to love yourself and take care of you will work.
  • puzwuz1
    puzwuz1 Posts: 42
    Fantastic! Thank you for sharing, truly inspiring and a great testament to "Yes, I can". Thank you and Congratulations!
  • medennison123
    medennison123 Posts: 191 Member
    Nice work. You deserve it.
  • juliedozier
    juliedozier Posts: 184 Member
    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
    christina_theresa Posts: 290 Member
    So inspiring!
  • SocWkrBee
    SocWkrBee Posts: 374
    What a great story. Thank you for sharing.
  • Jennifer076
    Jennifer076 Posts: 275 Member
    I am speechless........what a wonderful, inspiring story.:flowerforyou:
  • Cherie7575
    Cherie7575 Posts: 233
    What an amazing story - thanks for sharing. =)
  • newerme15
    newerme15 Posts: 128 Member
    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
    BlairCottier Posts: 171 Member
    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
    Krissie_Triaxis Posts: 110
    Wow! Simply inspirational. Your determination and hard work is a testament to you as an individual. Well done, you are truly amazing. xxx
  • ambaree143
    ambaree143 Posts: 7
    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
    nursedonnaj Posts: 57 Member
    Thank you for sharing!! You look great!
  • jennieth
    jennieth Posts: 105
    Amazing and absolutely inspirational!!
  • Sweetpea472
    Sweetpea472 Posts: 229 Member
    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
    charm_quark Posts: 315 Member
    You rock!
  • tripodsmom
    tripodsmom Posts: 95 Member
    wow! amazing! what an inspiration!:flowerforyou:
  • shae68143
    shae68143 Posts: 422 Member
    So absolutely amazng!!! Thank you for sharing your story with us!
  • Ladyslippers
    Ladyslippers Posts: 186 Member
    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
    Kryn_K Posts: 44
    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:
    IMG_4778-1.jpg

    IMG_4780-2.jpg

    In the hospital
    IMG_5009-1.jpg

    IMG_4996-1.jpg

    Hours of daily therapy in the rehab hospital
    IMG_5135-1.jpg

    IMG_5011-1.jpg

    IMG_5020-3.jpg

    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.
    IMG_4997-2.jpg

    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.
    IMG_5141-3.jpg

    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.
    IMG_5352.jpg

    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)
    pants-1.jpg

    Now I run a lot.
    photo-118-1.jpg

    And wear a size 8/10
    photo-92.jpg20120827.jpg


    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
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Holy crap! You rock!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • Begood03
    Begood03 Posts: 1,259 Member
    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
    Sima05 Posts: 17 Member
    You are amazing!!
  • bluiz13
    bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
    you truly are an inspiration....you completely got your life back in the absolute best way...congrats....
  • abbezen
    abbezen Posts: 405 Member
    Thank you for sharing your truly amazing story!
  • chickfromsc
    chickfromsc Posts: 31
    AMAZING story!! You must be so proud of all that you have accomplished! And you look WONDERFUL!

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