A Journey to Wellness

Have you ever wanted something and yet struggled to achieve your goal?

Let me tell you a little story.

Roy and I both recently turned 50. Ugh? It’s painful even to admit, but I am thankful to still be alive and thriving!

Eight years ago, we were both in the best shape of our lives. Roy was wrapping up his military career, and I was running half marathons. We were full of life and physically in a great place.

Today, things seem drastically different.

2019 was a tough year for me. It was the year I lost all ability to live. It might seem like a dramatic statement, but I literally could not walk 100 yards without getting a headache. The last six months of the year consisted of a headache 24/7, a headache that could be anything from a dull ache to a stand-in-the-shower-and-vomit type pain. I had uncontrollable tremors down my left side. Any type of upper body activity left me with severe muscle spasms that reduced me to tears.

My activity level dropped drastically. I woke up almost every morning around 2:00 am to stumble into the kitchen looking for ibuprofen in hopes I could dull the pain enough to go back to sleep. There were many nights I actually took a hot shower in the middle of the night, praying the heat would soften my muscles enough for the pain to loosen its grip.

After multiple steroid injections and numbing blocks, I finally broke down and chose to have surgery. In reality—I think I begged for surgery. After fighting degenerative disc disease for nearly 30 years, I literally had no disc left at my cervical 5-6 level. I was bone-on-bone, and the nerves were severely compressed causing all of my problems.

On December 27, 2019, I arrived at the hospital at 3:45 am for a 6:00 am surgery. By 7:30, I was in a hospital room—and I no longer had a headache!! The relief was immediate and unreal. I still have lingering effects from the nerve compression (and additional levels that will most likely need attention one day), but I am functioning at probably 80%. I still have limitations. I still can’t run. I still am limited in my upper body activities. I still struggle with some activities that strain my neck.

But I can at least live my life.

After seeing how well I did with my spine surgery, Roy decided he was tired of putting band-aids on his spine problems. He actually had a forced medical retirement from the military with back issues being one of the conditions that forced him out. He was at a place where he could walk a couple miles one day…but he couldn’t move for the next three days.

In May, 2020, as soon as the Covid restrictions were lifted, he scheduled a lumbar fusion. Just like me, he woke up feeling immediate relief! I will say that the lumbar fusion is a more difficult recovery, but for the first time in over a decade, he can get through his days without medication or excruciating pain.

The relief in his lower back, however, made him realize that he had tremendous cervical pain! December 28, 2020, he went back under the knife to have three levels in his neck fused. Yes, within seven months, he had five levels of his spine fused. Throw in a shoulder surgery, a surgery to remove a hematoma that developed in his neck, and a fall from a pool ladder five weeks after his lumbar surgery and you could say 2020 was a rough year.

I have gained roughly 10-15 pounds in the last eight years. It doesn’t seem significant, but it is frustrating! I have tried just about everything to lose it, and my body just does not cooperate like it used to!

Roy, on the other hand, has gained roughly 50 pounds since he left the military. Again, having a sedentary lifestyle has really impacted his weight. And it’s so hard when you were always able to eat like an athlete and not gain weight! Suddenly, our bodies just don’t respond like they used to!

So where am I going with all of this?

As of June 1, Roy and I are embarking on a journey to learn how to get in the best shape of our lives after the age of 50 and with physical limitations! And we want you to join us! We want you to be our accountability partners! We are opening ourselves up to you!

But why are we on a journey for our health?

To glorify God. I believe with all my heart that God has given us these earthly bodies, and it is our responsibility to take care of them. Science tells us that a machine that is fed well and strong functions at a higher level than those that have been neglected.

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). How do we treat a temple? Hopefully, with reverence, respect. I want to do the same to this earthly temple God has given me.

To improve the quality of life. Our kids are young adults. Many of our friends are becoming grandparents. Actually, Roy’s oldest daughter is expecting very soon so he will be a grandpa before long! We both want to have the ability to enjoy our kids as they enter the next stages of life, to see them become parents, to watch our grandkids grow up. We want to have the energy to play with our grandkids.

Roy has a history of heart disease in his family as well as several other comorbidities. Although my family has incredible genetics, we still have a history of high blood pressure and cancer. We all know that eating right and training our bodies physically can help fight all of these diseases. I want to make sure I’m healthy—and I want to grow old with Roy.

To help others. I know Roy and I can’t be the only ones who are struggling with our health—and physical limitations. We want to invite others in to share this journey with you so we can be an inspiration, so we can learn together what works and what doesn’t.

My heart is all about helping others. I have been blogging for years, sharing my story in an effort to help others walking through some of the hardest season of life. This journey is no different. Roy and I want to help you achieve your goals as well!

To strengthen our relationship. Did you know that marriage is hard? Remarriage is even harder! Roy and I thoroughly enjoy one another. We are best friends. We are also in a season where it seems we rarely have time for one another. What better way to strengthen our relationship than to embark on a journey together, to set goals and strive to achieve them!

Roy and I have been talking about trying to find a hobby or something we enjoy that we can do together. Something that we want to do. Something that we can carve out time together just to be together!

To feel better about ourselves. I can’t lie: I don’t like myself right now. I’m not comfortable in my own skin. None of my clothes fit the way I want them to. I have a closet full of clothes that I can’t even wear. I wear scrubs almost every day because I can camouflage my weight.

I don’t want to feel this way! I know I am made in the image of God! I know I am beautiful to Him! I know I am beautiful to Roy! But I worked so hard to get in shape a decade ago, and I want to do what I can to get back to a place where I am happy with myself.

So will you join me? Maybe you don’t want/need to do your own challenge, but maybe you can just hold us accountable, be our cheerleading squad! We are excited to start!