Arthrito-Girl

I met with Jeff, my trainer, tonight for the first time since Claire was born. It feels so good to be getting back into a routine again! I started working with him about a year and a half ago because I was having trouble dealing with some major pain issues. It seemed like one day I was teaching Yoga and Pilates, taking Kali classes 5 times a week, and leading an active lifestyle, and then the next I was crying in my car at a gas station because my hands hurt too bad to squeeze the pump handle. I was miserable at work; it hurt to type and was next to impossible to flip through folders in the filing cabinet, both of which I had to do for 8-10 hours a day. And I think all of the aches, pain, and resulting stress (and anger - who authorized this disease to take over my life?!) were changing me. I was beginning to feel cranky and act like an 80 year old woman. And Mark was beginning to call me Arthrito-Girl (which actually helped, because it made me laugh)

One day I was about to cancel my new gym membership, because after 3 months of paying dues I had only managed to frustrate myself by taking it too easy (fear of hurting myself) or actually hurting myself because I didn't know how to work this new body of mine. And the blow to my ego didn't help matters. It hit me that I had lost a lot of mobility that I may never recover, and I mourned my active lifestyle. Out of the blue, somebody from Lifetime Fitness called me to see if I was maximizing my membership; was I happy with what I was paying for? No, actually! It felt weird admitting that I needed help when not so long ago I had been the one helping other people, but the girl on the other end of the line was an angel. She said she had the perfect trainer to help me.

Long story short, I made excellent progress with Jeff's help. The dozen or so meds I had tried were all a big waste of time and money for me. The side effects outweighed any benefits, and I worried about long term usage when they weren't even helping. I was lucky enough to find a "cure" in exercise when I learned how to modify what I was doing.

I backslid a little while I was pregnant, especially towards the end when my growing mid-section put too much strain on my pelvis. I would have been fine going through life not knowing what or where the sacroiliac joints are, but mine are arthritic and cause problems when I'm not active enough. Thank goodness I have the gym to escape to, because I always walk out feeling strong and healthy.

Tonight was no exception. It was my fourth visit this month, and I can tell I'm making progress. I'll be back to my old routine again in no time. No mom jeans for me! As for Mark's nickname for me, I'll keep it. It reminds me of the obstacles I've overcome. And I kind of like being a superhero.