On my feet for the first time.
This is me in early 2007, on my feet for the first time after a full right hip replacement operation, so pleased to have had the pain of 20 years taken away, but looking forward to a long road to recovery.
Skating in December 2012
This is me now, just 6 short years later, enjoying a night out roller skating with my family, and feeling fitter than I have ever done in my life before, full of energy and really enjoying life.
It is good to look back from time to time and see how far I have come. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis at the age of 16 months following a measles jab which seemed to trigger the disease and stopped me walking and left me in great pain. I am lucky that I don’t remember those long days in hospital, but they are still fresh in my parents’ memories. When I finally left hospital with a diagnosis, the nurses told my Mum to let them know when they needed the wheelchair – but it was something I was never allowed to have – and thanks to my parents I had a ‘normal’ childhood – went to ‘normal’ schools – and apart from a brief 2-month stay in hospital at the age of 7 for intensive physiotherapy and regular check-ups, I don’t feel like I suffered too much with my disease at all. It just left me with a stiff neck, bent left arm and painful right hip.
Health and fitness wise, 2012 has been the best year of my life. I started a challenge in January to walk 100 miles in the month, and never thought I would actually finish that first month. With the help and support of friends and family I managed that first 100, and then did the same challenge every month this year. Today I plan to walk a last 4 miles to make that 1300 miles walked this year (that is 25 miles a week for 2012). Seven years ago I could not walk for more than half an hour without crutches and would be laid low for days if I did too much. I feel liberated and freed from a body that would not work properly – and the funny thing is, the more you do the more you want to do. I go to a fantastic Zumba class twice a week if I can with the inspirational Red Zumba and absolutely love the classes. I am so pleased that my brother Nick comes along too, as it is great to share such a healthy hobby with another family member.
So what challenges can 2013 bring? Well to go along with my new-found fitness I have decided that I am really going to develop my Forever Living business this year, which goes along with the healthy eating and exercise plans, as the products I sell are fabulous for supporting my goals. The Aloe Vera drinking Gel and supplements I take have ensured my body has a rich source of nutrients, and the Clean 9 Cleanse helped me lose more weight in 2012 even though I had hit a plateau with my healthy eating and exercise plan and thought I had gone as far as I could. My cholesterol is lower than ever before, which as I have inherited high cholesterol is a real achievement, and I finally seem to have brought my iron levels up to normal levels, which really helps with energy and motivation.
So my new challenge is to see if I can start running,which at the moment seems impossible, but I thought that about walking last year – and at least I am not trying to run before I can walk! I have proved I can walk – so now can I run? I also want to share the fabulous health benefits of the Aloe Vera products – and plan to lead by example. After all if you look at those pictures at the start of my post you can’t deny that something in my life is working and going well – and I want people to look and me and say ‘” I don’t know what she is on – but I want some of it too!” To see how the Clean 9 Cleanse has helped – take a look at my other post Cleanse verses diet.
Silicon Bullet Forever Products – Clean 9, Body Wrap and Drinking Gels
Silicon Bullet Forever 