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Falling in Love

A couple of months ago I went swimming with a friend at her gym and I fell in love. I had forgotten how much I loved swimming as a child. I felt happy and free in the water. I was more excited than I’d ever been in the past six years.

Doctors have recommended swimming to me as a viable option for physical therapy in the past. I did not have access to a pool and thought that a gym membership was out of the question financially. Well, I adjusted some subscriptions and memberships for other things and got a gym membership. I have been swimming for about three months now and I’m thoroughly loving it despite the CRPS pain.

The Struggle is Real

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a nightmare. It sucks the life out of you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Physically, I can’t walk very much throughout my day. I have about an accumulative 30-minutes per day until I have to stop. If I went to a mall, which I avoid, I would have to bring my wheelchair.

Being sedentary contributed to my gaining about 80lbs over the past five or six years. The weight gain caused me to develop Type 2 Diabetes. I really needed a way out of the obesity struggle, so now I swim.

Finding Joy in the Water

The joy is that I can walk in the pool without too much pain. I’m almost weightless on my feet in the water (Did you know fat floats?).

I’ve lost many inches, 14lbs, and have gained muscle since I started swimming. I feel stronger, more balanced on land, and calmer.

I take the time I have in the pool, and I relax, listen to worship music, and pray. I walk the lanes back-and-forth and I love it. The pool has helped me more than any other therapy I’ve received to date. I finally feel I’m on the right track.

I hope to reverse Diabetes by losing weight and changing my eating habits. I hope that I can become strong enough to go to the mall without my wheelchair. I hope that swimming will continue to lift my spirits. So, I’ll do my part and just keep swimming.