Tuesday

Victory!

In 1996, while on a five-day walking tour of DC, I had my first experience with chronic pain. Each day in Washington ended with me in tears from knee and foot pain. That's when my relationship with Advil began and it would be many years before Advil and I parted ways. Breaking up with Advil was a major non-scale victory that had gone completely unnoticed until recently.

1996 with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
2015 Before going to a wedding with my brother Carl and his wife Arlene
A few weeks ago, I was walking into a local diner for breakfast when my Fitbit buzzed me to indicate an incoming call on my cell. (I know, how cool is that? I love my Fitbit!) I decided to leave the diner and walked and talked with a friend.

An hour later, I went back to the diner and ordered breakfast: a meat lovers omelet, hold the toast, and no, please, no coffee.

With my belly full, I decided to continue walking, but a few feet from the parking lot my ankle hurt so much that I could barely walk. I hobbled back to my car.

My ankle throbbed as I drove home. I needed Advil, but I had no idea if I had any in the house. Before losing weight, this never would have happened. I used to take four Advil four times a day. I carried it with me 24/7 and I always had Advil at home, at work, and in my purse.

I didn't think I could walk from my car to the pharmacy, so despite the pain I felt each time I used my clutch, I took my chances that I would have Advil in my medicine cabinet.

At home I took two Advil and a nap. When I woke up I had far less pain and the next day I was pain-free. I'm sure that I healed quickly because of my weight loss and my walking.

I couldn't remember the last time I took anti-inflammatory medicine! What an incredible non-scale victory! And the funny thing is that until this ankle pain, I had completely forgotten that my life as an obese woman was full of chronic pain.

I don't miss those days, years really, one bit. My days of taking anti-inflammatory pills are over, except for the occasional twisted ankle.

What about you? How is your life different today than it was before losing weight? 

1996 with U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell
2015 at a family party with my brother Richard
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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous7/07/2015

    Great post, Theresa. You are so amazing and inspiring. Such a tremendous difference between then and now but I'm even more impressed with your involvement before. It shows nothing ever really stopped you but now you don't have to work so hard to be active and awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Theresa7/07/2015

      Thanks Anonymous for your kind words. It's true that I was very active despite my obesity, but once my foot started bothering me I became less and less active. I had a bone spur and it was 2 years before I saw a doctor about it and I resolved the issue by wearing shoe inserts.

      I had a 50 pound weight loss in 2004 and became active again for a couple years, but once the weight came back on again things went downhill for me and I reached a point where I could barely walk 5 minutes without losing my breath.

      Our bodies are very forgiving, but as we get older obesity really plays havoc with our bodies and it can no longer keep us from pain.

      It's true that I don't have to work so hard to be active today, but there are times, like this past week, when I just don't exercise. I do my best and there are times when I'm way under my daily steps and other times I reach way beyond my goal. I keep moving forward and let go of what I think I should have or could have done and do my best again today.

      Delete

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