The journey continues

I did it! Sporting Life 10 2hrs 4 mins 2.6 secs. 

Journey Through Recovery: The Prequel Part 2

…I  had lost much of the quality of my life, and was surviving on prescribed narcotics.  I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, herniated discs, spondylosis and scoliosis Finally I couldn’t pretend anymore. Something had to give and I didn’t want it to be me.  I couldn’t celebrate another New Year with the weight of of 365 days still

A few years back a colleague had told me about Urban Poles and had suggested that these might be helpful in my efforts to exercise.  You see walking was both a pleasure and a pain. Physically you’ve already heard the story, but mental and emotional lying it was one of the few things I could do that not only could I have some cpntrol, but it brought me peace. Well like most exuberant exercise programs I was stellar…and like everything else life got in the way and I became less and less a priority, finally resigning the poles to the back of the closet.  On Dec 31st 2013, I remembered the poles and vowed once spring was back to use them again.

Meanwhile as my symptoms and function worsened and I could no longer hide what was happening to me, I had revisited my specialist a few times and I ultimately decided that if I didn’t want to end up in a wheelchair, I needed to have surgery. The goal was to be under 300 pounds by the date of surgery and I had to find a strategy in which I could be successful. Dieting and other weight management programs had failed before but I knew that if I could find the right tact, I could do it. The answer in the end was simple. I looked back at where and how I had achieved success in my own life and with those clients and patients with whom I had worked over the years.  The strategy was the word and principle of “Training”. I knew this; understood it intimately and so I started training, not managing or dieting or reducing.  I simply set a goal and “trained”.

I also adopted the “hard road” principle. I will write another blog on this principle, but essentially this means that in life sometimes you have to take the hard road.  And in fact, it has been along the hard road where I’ve learned many great lessons.  Too often we have chosen the easy road or have become afraid of the hard road but it is more than just surviving, it has been where you can thrive and achieve success.  I would walk  with the activator poles as part of rehab 5 or 6 times weekly. Eventually I graduated to the urban poles and could finally give my body what it had been craving for a long time.  I progressed from around the block, 15 minute walks to hour plus walks.  My training regimen has been enhanced by a great team of physios, massage and sports therapists. However without the urban poles and activator poles this story would be very different and I can honestly say that urban poling changed my life.  

Finally I had found not only the joy I sought, the weight loss for which I’d hoped, but more importantly, I found the peace I also needed.  And on October 15th 2014, I weighed 299 pounds.  Six months later, I still profess the success of my surgery and although with many stops and starts I now weigh 280 pounds.  I’ve weaned myself off of all narcotics and have been  “training” for the Sporting Life 10k which is tomorrow. .   My goal is to finish in under 3 hours…fingers and poles crossed..  

Journey Though Recovery- The Prequel

October 15, 2014 was the first day of the rest of my life.  6 months later, it is time to give you the back story?  Cue music Jill Scott’s song “Golden”. This is how I choose to live my life  “Like It’s Golden”  It’s taken me a roller coaster ride and then some, to be able to reach this point. So settle done and listen to my tale..

Pain

The final frontier

These are the voyages of a chronic pain person

An already 16 month mission to explore a strange new body, 

To eek out a new life in this civilization 

And to boldly go where I had never gone before 

 Apologies and Thanks to Gene Rodenberry for this launch.

On December 31st 2013, I stepped on the scale, as I am apt to do, a cocktail waiting delectably at my side – perhaps not the best place to drink, but I dowash my hands-and I stepped…For those of you who have plummeted, dove, placed a tremulous toe , or have been pushed to get on a scale, not only does it call for copious amounts of drinks before and after…and sometimes during, but often it is impotent to have medical personnel  or a speed dial 999, 911, or even a 666 handy.  Why, you dare ask?  Because as the numbers go up, you become diaphoretic, your heart rate and blood pressure increase, you speak profanely about all that is holy, and on that rare occasion you pick up that scale and toss it outside, like the opening credits of SCTV.

Now I have some tricks that Ill share with you, and I offer them in no particular order..oh and . yes, you are welcome.  1.  I’ve  found switching the scale from pounds to kilograms has a tremendous psychological advantage. 2. I’ve mastered weighing myself so that  the scale wheezes and gives out, or never goes past the 125 mark. 3. Kick the scale when it sounds like it’s laughing at you.  4.  Kick the scale if it sounds like it’s groaning.  5. I consider myself more flexible than nimble, but when push has come to shove-and it had-I’ve e weighed myself on tip toes, on one leg, leaning on a wall, holding up a wall, holding onto the bathroom counter, before  and after going to the bathroom, before and after shaving-the imagination is yours not mine-, with one eye open, with both eyes closed, with one arm tied behind my back, kneeling, sitting, lying and sleeping on the scale. I’ve  fallen off a scale and sprained my ankle-please refer to the comment about medical personnel- I’ve even weighed myself sitting on a toilet -see above-no easy feat I tell you, but the bottom line, no matter what I did, the scale never surprised me with multiple choice options of numbers-always choose c-or magically transfigured-and I was no lighter, even though I tried “wingardium leviosa” with the appropriate emphasis. So if I hadn’t  thrown out the scale-see above- I  hid it or just left the old batteries in until the machine said “Lo” and I just had to agree with it.

Well getting back to the original point I got on the scale-and mildly oblivious-remember the cocktail-and half incredulous, it started to climb…100, 200, 300 350, 360…and more…and I stepped off before it could climb any further-actuallly I pressed the ‘panic” eject button-every scale needs one of these and I’m claiming that patent now- and ended up collapsed onto the toilet seat drinking that now less than delectable cocktail.  The  irony wasn’t lost on me. I weighed at least one pound for every day in the year and perhaps an additional leap year or two in there, but I would never know because I pressed that soon to be on all scales, eject button, and stepped off of the scale.  How had I got here? An elite athlete well into my 20s. 2 kids 4 step kids, marriage divorce and a failed business by mid 30s,and with each major event, the pounds became  my ever present companions; never complaining, happily settling  into their new role as confidante, counsellor and tormentor, but never leaving my side.  That still might be better than a spouse or a pet I think, for.at least you don’t have to deal with their excrement…but again I digress.

Over the years I had tried to relieve myself of my bodily accoutrements with mixed results, some short term successes, but longer periods of frustrations, disappointments, denials, and pain, yes both physical and emotional.  With the years of weight gain, the type of work and injuries sustained there, and some attributes with which I was created, I started to suffer with back and leg pain and numbness.  Eventually I couldn’t feel below my waist, the pain was excruciatingly constant, I couldn’t  walk 2 steps without pain, had lost much of the quality of my life, and was surviving on prescribed narcotics.  Finally I couldn’t pretend anymore. Something had to give and I didn’t want it to be me.  I couldn’t celebrate another New Year with the weight of of 365 days still upon me.  If this was as good as it got, i wanted better.  I deserved better. I had to do something 

…to be continued