A couple of months ago, I broke away from frequently blogging and posting on my social media channels. It wasn’t something I’d planned to do. It’s just something I’ve grown accustomed to doing since having taken a nearly 5-month digital sabbatical back in 2019. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and uncertain path back to normalcy, all the racial hostilities and the toxic political climate, I needed to quiet some of the noise.
Sometimes we just have to take a step back, relax and reflect on our own lives as opposed to dwelling on all that’s going on in the world around us.
A lot has happened in my life since I’ve been away.
Perhaps of most significance, was my being diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee. This was a surprise and a major blow to my efforts to resume some semblance of my exercise routine. If you regularly follow me, you’re likely aware that long-distance running gives me life. You might also be aware that I had to cut back due to a high-risk pregnancy.
In fact, at the tail end of my second trimester, I was advised to stop running altogether due to the presence of an abnormally large fibroid at the opening of my birth canal. So, I essentially went from running 40-plus miles a week to barely walking 15. As a result, I gained a large amount of gestational weight—Seventy-five pounds to be exact.
Immediately postpartum, I began to experience constant pain in my knees and swelling in my ankles and feet. Not the kind of pain and swelling that naturally comes after giving birth. Mine was debilitating and has persisted ever since. Adding insult to injury my cesarean scar took almost a year to completely heal, as I had to have a myomectomy during my cesarean delivery. This has made exercising and ultimately losing all my gestational weight a lot more challenging.
Needless to say, it’s been a stressful time for me—Both physically and mentally.
Sometimes we just have to take a step back, relax and reflect on our own lives as opposed to dwelling on all that’s going on in the world around us.
Since being diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I’ve had to adjust to the possibility that after over 25 years of running I might not be able to tackle the long distances I’m used to. Up to this point, running has always increased my physical stamina and produced a good kind of pain. Now it’s physically fatiguing and produces sharp, debilitating pain. Running has also been mental and emotional therapy for me. Now it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Due to the stress, I’ve experienced notable increases in my blood pressure despite my relatively healthy dietary patterns. Fortunately, I haven’t received an ‘official’ diagnosis of hypertension or even pre-hypertension. But my levels have been significantly higher than normal, sometimes going from less than 110 over 70 mmHg to the 120-130 over 80-85 mmHg range. Not a good look since hypertension runs rampant in my family.
Nevertheless, I’m seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
I could easily say that I’ve spent 25-plus years of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits only to fall apart in my 40s. Trust that I’ve already said this many, many times. But having taken some time away to destress and recharge my body and mind, I’ve managed to restructure that negative thought process. I’ve been able to reevaluate my life in order to inspire myself to still be the best version of myself, in spite of everything I’m going, and have gone, through.
When faced with extreme adversity, acknowledge it, maybe even cry about it, but don’t dwell on it. There are some things we just can’t change.
I’ve struggled with food addiction, poverty, homelessness, anxiety and depression. I’ve experienced painful fibroids and recurrent miscarriages. Still, I’ve managed to draw on what I’ve learned along my life’s path to maintain health and happiness.
Truth is, had I not done what I did for the past 25-plus years, my 40s could be a whole lot worse.
I believe that despite life’s challenges, we have the power to control our own health and happiness. It doesn’t matter where we come from or what we look like. We can choose to have a positive mindset. We can choose to be as healthy as we can be. We can choose to be the very best version of ourselves. Even in these uncertain times, simply changing how we think and what we do each day can make a difference.
Time after time, life knocks us down. But no matter what, we have to get up, keep fighting, and be strong. When faced with extreme adversity, acknowledge it, maybe even cry about it, but don’t dwell on it. There are some things we just can’t change.
I’ve always emphasized that healthy lifestyle choices don’t necessarily guarantee lifelong freedom from chronic conditions. Now, I’m a living testament to this stark reality.
Many would say that my running routine is the likely culprit underlying the onset of my osteoarthritis. It’s actually the opposite. My routine has likely been more of a help than a hinderance. In addition to my age and a family history of osteoarthritis, my extreme pear shape is actually more of a culprit. I’ve always carried extra weight on my hips and thighs, which can in and of itself lead to an increased risk. So, it is what it is.
Despite life’s challenges, we have the power to control our own health and happiness.
Instead of viewing my being diagnosed with osteoarthritis as the end, I’ve decided to view it as a new beginning. It’s an opportunity to explore and enjoy other types of activities, especially Pilates, yoga and other mind-body exercises that support better stress management and blood pressure control.
Trust that I do plan on running again. It’s just a question of when and how much.
I’ll be documenting my experiences and sharing my insights along this journey.
It is my hope that you can use this little bit of my personal story to take a step back and evaluate where you are in your own healthy living journey. Know that it’s a continuous journey that will come with inevitable ups and downs. Whether you’re trying to control a chronic condition, lose weight, curb your drinking, stop smoking, start exercising or eating better, know that the core of your health and happiness lies within you.
If you’re looking to start or grow in your healthy living journey, know that I’m here for you so don’t hesitate to reach out.
