09 November 2005

Physical Therapy and Me

Well, week one of PT is through.  Three to go.  It's good, not bad.

See, I have gained about 40 lbs in the past year.  This makes for a catch-22 situation.  I need to exercise, but even walking is painful.  The weight is not good for my joints and other systems.  So I should exercise but ack.

So I persisted with my desperate pleas with my docs about assistance with this matter.  Cuz walking it off was not even an option.  I have curtailed and altered my diet.  I am increasing the intake of water.  Some of it is the medication and my thyroid problems and we are taking proactive steps now.  FINALLY.

And the physical therapy is to help strengthen my lower back and work my stomach muscles, some of my leg muscles, and mostly focus on torso so that my spine is supported the way it needs to be.  It took me the better part of 6 months to bring this to the serious attention of my docs.  In large part (pardon the pun) because I don't "look" like I weigh over 230.

Gee, you carry it so well.

K, yeah, well, see....It doesn't matter how "well" I carry it...my knees protest stairs, my back protests chores and a stroll to the mailbox, my blood rushes through my ears, and I get winded...ok, so no that's not good and so I don't really care if I look like I weigh less than that.

230+ is a lot, a huge amount of weight to be on this frame.  No matter how large my frame is.  That is still not healthy.

It took me stressing this point to DOCTORS and other health care providers (what's wrong with THIS picture??!?!) repetitively for months in order for me to get through to them that this is a serious matter.  Ya know, affects the health in all sorts of ways.  Not even to go into anxiety and depression....

But the good news is....

We're doing something now.

So, good on me.

4 comments:

  1. It has been our experience that medical personnel frequently succumb to the cultural bias toward thin women. Bonnie had been seriously ill and had lost 100 lbs. because she had virtually stopped eating ... she was down to 105 lbs. (she is 5'9") and the nurses saw absolutely nothing wrong with that. I lost respect for the intelligence of some nurses when I realized that they thought it was perfectly ok for someone to lose that much weight within about 7 mos. Disturbing.
    Mal

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  2. Good on you Debra.

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  3. Hello friend. I am disabled. From my neck down I have chronic pain. I am used to weighing 120-125. I now weigh 140. Everyone tells me I look thin. But I can't get it through people's head that the extra weight I want to get off isn't vanity. It hurts me. It hurts my legs and lower back. I have to use a wheelchair when I go out but around the house I walk. I can tell the difference. Problem is, I can't exercise. Even the ones people in wheelchairs do so it is really hard to lose the weight.

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  4. Me too Honey...I agree with Mal.  Even medicine thinks thin is in.  I certainly did.  I have a thought, email when u have time.

    Love and a Huge Hug,

    andi

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