I have had Crohn’s Disease since I was 18 years old. After years of trying to control the disease with meds, I had to have emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction. After going through the initial surgery and then a bowel resection, I slowly started to add exercise into my life. Fast forward to when I was 26 — I had my first child — he was premature (4 lbs 5 oz). Very trying times. I again started exercising not only to lose the baby weight, but just to keep my sanity. When my son was around 18 months old, I lost my eyesight in my left eye and my feeling in my right hand and left foot. You guessed it: I was diagnosed with MS. My doctor suggested that if I wanted any more children I should do it sooner rather than later. Fast forward to when i was 29 — I had my second child — a girl. I again began to exercise to lose the baby weight and to keep my strength due to the MS. I joined the local YMCA and signed up for a weight train ing class. I was determined not to let the Crohn’s Disease or MS get the best of me.
Fast forward to when I was 33 — another bowel obstruction — another surgery — back to recovering and back to SLOWLY adding weight training to my workouts. This time I was serious — these horrible illnesses would not get the best of me. This is also when I discovered CATHE on Fit TV. She pushed me to a new level .. I kept getting stronger and stronger.
I continued the weight training at the YMCA (I now teach this class) and doing the CATHE videos on the weekends. Fast forward to when I was 41 — another bowel obstruction — another surgery — recovery took longer this time (my age, I guess). But because of CATHE’s amazing workouts and my stubbornness, I am back on top again!
I still experience numbness in my hands and feet from the MS, but the disease has really not progressed that much. Thank you CATHE — you are an inspiration to me!
