I have always been fit and active. Although I never really played sports in my younger years, I have been referred to as an athlete. For decades I incorporated the gym and the pool in my lunch breaks at work, as well as roller blading and ice skating. I was a swimming instructor and lifeguard as a young adult. I continued to swim during my pregnancies. Once I played hockey “Moms vs the 5 year old kids”, I was hooked. At 40 I started playing hockey. At 50 I started playing softball and hiking in Arizona. At 55 I learned to curl. I played employee organized street hockey and soccer on lunch breaks at work, I partook in exercise classes offered by my workplace during lunches – yoga, kickboxing, Zumba, whatever was offered. I started a league to play ultimate frisbee at work over the lunch hour. So, exercise and fitness has always been a huge part of my life.
Then in July 2013, I started to experience odd physical symptoms of mostly inflammation, pain and stiffness in my joints. Things continued to go downhill. I was convinced I had Lyme Disease. My tests came back negative and eventually I was diagnosed with and treated for rheumatoid arthritis. I was prescribed stronger and stronger medication as there was never any improvement. Throughout all of this I continued to deteriorate. I was close to being wheelchair bound. Some of my Family feared death was not too far down the road.
Many of my symptoms did not align themselves with rheumatoid arthritis. I continued to research Lyme Disease on my own and search for a Lyme literate doctor. After hundreds of appointments with medical doctors, massage therapists, acupuncture and chiropractors, a Naturopath sent my blood to the US to be tested. In August 2015, I was officially diagnosed with Lyme Disease and 2 other co-infections – Babesia and Bartonella. A few years later my blood was sent to Germany which confirmed the US results. All of the drugs used to treat the rheumatoid arthritis were contra indicated for Lyme Disease. That is, it made things worse.
I lost a lot of weight and was down to what I had weighed as a young teenager. I had to go down the stairs backwards, going forwards was impossible. My boyfriend had to put a ponytail in my hair, help me dress, cut my meat, roll me over in bed and lift me into some places that I could not get into on my own.
Every system in my body from neurological, muscular, joints, hormonal, sleep, psychological…. have been impacted.
I lost all my beautiful muscle that I has spent a lifetime building. One of my shoulders was totally atrophied. I had to hold up my arm as just the weight of it was painful.
None of the many traditional medical doctors I went to with my Lyme Disease results would treat me for Lyme Disease. In January 2018 I found a Naturopath specializing in Lyme Disease in BC and began a very long process to recovery. I have had to fight every step of the way and work extremely hard to be able to function again. I was on long-term disability and eventually had to retire as I was unable to continue working.
I had always been a kickboxing kind of girl. Yoga held no real appeal for me. At my chiropractor’s coaxing, I finally agreed it was a starting point. In the beginning, I spent most of the time in any posture getting up off the ground or down on the ground. I could only participate for a small portion of the class. It was very painful and unpleasant. With determination and hard work, over time I was able to do more and more. Finally, in the last few years, I have been able to participate fully in almost any yoga class. I have done Hatha Yoga, Barre, Aqua Balance, Aqua Flexibility, Ashtanga Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, Yoga Detox, Hot Yoga and even Zero Gravity Yoga. Oh yeah, and Goat Yoga! I love it all!
Yoga became a major component of my healing journey. I am a true believer in the virtues of yoga and am completely hooked. My Daughter and I even bought a yoga paddle board for the lake.
Since making Yoga a part of my life, I have completely eliminated the need for therapeutic massages and chiropractic visits.
My current major ailment is my cognitive abilities. I struggle with these on a daily basis and am working very hard on trying to resolve these issues. My Daughter is a Certified Hypnotherapist. Hypnosis became a part of my quest for pain relief, healing and stress relief. I found this profound guided meditation to be very helpful. And so now, I have also added meditation to my daily routine.
So, thank you yoga for being such a huge part of my journey back to health and to the new ME.
