For those with disabilities

Terrific words of wisdom.

I became disabled 12 yrs ago, but my disability isn't from and accident, it was a chronic illness that had been missed for many years. Everyone considered me to be a hypocondriack (not sure if that is spelt right), and it got to a point that I believed them. Then one day, I woke up, tried to walk my two boys to school, and collapsed when I got in the door and haven't been able to walk unaided since. To cut a long story short, I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Eurethamatosis, and since then I've developed osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and I am currently undergoing analysis of my eyes as I can no longer see some colours (a side efffect of some of my medicines from long term use). Whenever I have 'flare up' I'm wheelchair bound for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. And everytime I have a flare up I lose more daily mobility than I had before.

I've put on at least 42lbs since I was officially diagnosed, but 100lbs since I got married in '88. I've been trying EVERYTHING to lose weight but because I've been adivised to not put any stress whatsoever on any of my joints, I am limited to walking (when I can aided), or walking in a swimming pool.

To date I've lost 19lbs which I NEVER, EVER thought I'd be able to do. MFP has been a Godsend and the friends I've made are priceless. I completely agree with you.

Kim x

Kim,

I happened on this thread by chance. And I'm glad I did.

I love you spirit and way to go on the 19 lbs! I don't care who you are, getting in shape is hard, especially if there are additional obstacles in your way.

It is all about the mindset and I applaud you on coming this far. I hope to have same determination ( and success) as you some day.

Fight on the good fight!
Ali

I've been disabled since birth, but up until about nine years ago I was active and very fit. Then an injury kept me from being active for so long that even after I was healed I never got back into the swing of things and bang - it seems like I woke up 90 lbs heavier.

I always used my disability (Spina Bifida) as an excuse as to why I couldn't lose the weight, as if I never was fit before. It had been so long since I was fit, that I didn't even remember the time when I was, even when shown pictures as proof. Then one day I went to the doctor and I had to get on the scale, and found out I was 206 lbs. I knew I was overweight (and hid behind a curtain of false self-confidence even though I had none), but I never thought I was THAT over weight. For a person that is only 5'0" tall, that is INSANELY heavy. It was the trigger that got me to turn my eating habits around and exercise more.

Within the first three months I was down 36 lbs, and 11 months after that fateful day at the doctor - not even a year later - I was down to my goal weight of 125 lbs. I stopped making excuses and did what I could, and kept at it and it worked. I will never accept another excuse from me again, because there is no excuse; I cannot continue to ruin myself out of laziness and the desire to eat poorly because its convenient or tastes good.

Although I still have to will myself to exercise, I do it. Because I know what will happen if I go back down that road of no activity; I will go back behind that curtain of false self-confidence appearing as if I am happy, but hurting badly on the inside. I'd rather feel positively confident, happy, and fulfilled in real life, not wishing it was so.

What a wonderful thread. My daughter is almost 13 and suffers from SLE. Reading some of these post makes me better understand some of the things she is going through. Congrats to each and every one of you that are here on this site trying to get healthier or looking for ways to get healthier.

http://www.godvine.com/Man-Barely-Able-to-Stand-on-his-Own-Does-the-Unthinkable-Amazing-1476.html

This might be an inspiration to you and other people who read this. It was for me.

Thank you for this post. I was born with mild cerebral palsy and also have a mental illness (mild depression/bipolar) some days I don't want to do anything.... so I hear you! Thanks for sharing and above all, thanks for your service.

You all inspire me! I have dystonia, I suffer from muscle spasms ,seizures and migraines. Stress, tension, movement alone can aggravate me and as a result I have not been fit for years. The disapointment, the depression, the fear of debilitating episodes really took control over my life. I want my life back, I want to live to see my children become parents themselves.
I have been working out 2 straight weeks, I'm very limited in what I am able to do, but I will myself daily to do it. I have even continued the physical activity in the midst of a spasm and forced myself to keep going. My body hurts-everywhere...but I keep doing it.

For those of you with muscle and joint issues- I must say the steam and dry saunas have been extremely beneficial. If your with a gym I highly suggest sitting in one after your workout for as long as you can. My muscles are far less stiff and sore after my workouts. You also burn a lot of calories, and it's not just "water weight" This has become is my "woo sa" moment of the day.

I hope losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle will prolong my life by improving my health. I'm so happy to have been introduced to this site...I love the support and encouragement. And I love that you all are brave enough to share your challenges in dealing with disease, or disability, and finding the will and motivation to improve your lives in any way that YOU can. Ignore the haters, we are all unique...the point of this site is to promote positive feedback from our individual journey's, while cheering on others on their's.

I have to thank everyone who posted on this topic. I got so upset today reading another post where someone said that she was tired of hearing disabled people make excuses for not working out. This is a very sensitive area for me for several reasons, when I was able to return to work but only part time I took a job working with disabled children, I have a mother with RSD, I have a daughter and a friend with CFS, I have chronic pain 23/7 since 1998. I have headaches/migraines 5-7 times a week and can be in bed for 3 days with a migraine, I have pain in the top part of my neck that I can't spell but my dr will have to give me shots when it gets real bad, I really don't want to keep boring u with all that is wrong with me so just some highlights-cancer just finished chemo a year ago, a portion of my lung was taken out, very small, 3 problems with my l4&5 s1, Below knee amputation,. I have several spots head to toe that causes me pain. And this girl from the other post believes we have no excuses as to y we can't get up ever day and exercise and lead a completely normal life. So thank u all for sharing that we will do what each of us can do and not put those of us who couldn't do anything that day or maybe even any day down. Let's all do what we can to live a good life for us and try to do as much as we can to be what we want to be!

thank you bk! I have congestive heart failure and iffy kidneys - my focus has been lower sodium which has forced healthier foods and lower calories ...i'm -49.9 as of this morning since late january. I tried to exercise for a while in march but got such bad ankle pain (diagnosed as arthrits) and am unable to take much for pain due to water retention issues. I think some consider that as an easy way out of trying, but when you can only walk 1 minute without being so winded you think your heart and brain will explode from the pounding, ear pressure like you are on an airplane, and inability to walk without severe pain for 4 hrs when you wake up in the morning ..you have to focus more on diet than exercise and a lot of MFP cannot respect that! oh and I might have a blockage in my lower heart region but they cannot diagnose it without going up vein in groin at this point due to my 'heavy chestedness'....

Its weird to justifty personal decisions like not exercising when trying to lose body fat but I do know that the more i do every day the easier it gets - if I can do it pain free i am going to keep doing what i'm doing..thank you again with your post/support!!

to the op...AWESOME THREAD!

When I was 15, I became diagnosed with arthritis of my blood vessels, which apparently only 1 in 10 million people get. It caused me to have seizures, it sent crippling pain throughout my body, and it eventually led to me having a stroke the same year I was diagnosed.

The medication that they put me on caused me to gain about 50 pounds, and since I was experiencing pain through my entire body, I couldn't exercise in order to lose weight. I also feel I was too young and didn't have the right support structure to understand healthy nutrition.

Through years of trying different treatments, and going to college and gaining new insight as to how I can properly nourish my body, I'm now active every single day, and I long ago lost those 50 pounds. Now I try to maintain my weight so I have the power to be even more active!

I'm commenting again because I think this needs to stay in the recent posts for a while. It's something people should see.