I've always been a big fan of rollercoaster rides. The biggest and fastest with lots of loop-de-loops.
I tried to keep up with low impact activities to try and help save as much mobility and function as I could. I worked hard it.
I mean, the ones at the parks... the ones that I choose to ride.
I have more complicated feelings about the medical rollercoaster life has thrust upon me.
This is just a snapshot and fascinating to look back and see the journey in some photos.
Here's how it started, with lots and lots of activity. From volleyball (up to 20 hours a week), softball, and kayaking to snowboarding, some sky-diving in there, water sports... You name it, I was into it. I loved the gym, I loved every athletic sport, I was always up for trying anything and everything. I was strong, physically.
Then we got to a point where my mobility was going downhill. The pain and a ton of other problematic things were happening to my body. I lost so much muscle, so much strength.
I tried to keep up with low impact activities to try and help save as much mobility and function as I could. I worked hard it.
It has been just over 5 years since I started getting the radio-frequency ablation procedures annually to reduce the pain in my spine and SI joints. In that time, I have done everything I can do build up strength, flexibility, stamina. Without feeling the pain from the deterioration still going on, I can strengthen those muscles around them in hopes to keep better mobility.
It has included really deep valleys and some peaks, but improving strength has had a very rocky (and slow) upward trajectory. I had no clue what it would take to go from this:...
... to being able to do 15 seconds of simple choreography to do a little bit of singing at a concert:...
The effort has been entirely worth it.
While I miss being able to do any activity without as much as a second thought, these seemingly small accomplishments have felt massive for me, and so much fun! Regardless of the crash sure to come, this is very exciting.