Enabled Community - Disabilities Welcome!

[aeaston12]

I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a little corner of the internet for those of us with disabilities to chat and encourage one another. Feel free to chime in!

I'm Ashleigh, turning 26 next week, and I lost my left foot and ankle due to a birth defect. Between medications, bad prosthetic fittings, and mental health, I have become squishy. Quarantine hasn't helped either. I'm working on my weight in a light, positive way. I deal with the frustrations of exercise resources being targeted for people that have all their limbs intact. I adapt my way through what I need to get done and find ways to lose weight that work for me!

I love to chat, I'm super friendly, and I would love to get to know more people here that are working on their fitness in their own, unique way.

[AmandaGeorge]

Welcome to the world of Fitbit, @aeaston12!

Sorry to hear about your disability, but relieved that you seem so adaptable... that's how I reckon a lot of people who are disabled have had to learn to be.

I'm neurologically and mentally disabled (both rare disabilities) but I've learnt that I don't need to try to keep up with the non-disabled folks any more and that I should push myself when the time is right for me alone and not worry about how much non-disabled folks are achieving.

Keep challenging yourself and set realistic targets for you personally... non-disabled folks would struggle to cope with what us disabled bods cope with on a daily basis and would struggle to get through just a single week of what we go through.

[aeaston12]

Exactly, @AmandaGeorge ! It's a huge learning process just figuring out how much extra I can do, without pushing too hard and making it hard for me to function the next day. It's a balancing act, but I'm getting the hang of it. 

Thanks for the reply! I'm hoping it'll be a nice place for folks to chat about their struggles and encourage one another. 

[AmandaGeorge]

We're in this together now and we can support each other with our fitness goals if you want, @aeaston12? 

What are your daily targets atm?  What's your next target?  Mine is 7k steps on Tuesdays to Sundays, 10k steps on "Marathon Mondays" as well as sit-ups, leg raises, squats and planks each day.  I need to put on 2kg of weight so that I don't waste an appointment with a dietician.  When I started using my Fitbit at the end of September 2019 I very rarely achieved the minimum of 2500 steps but that's achievable most days now... it's just taken 12 months is all, so don't give up too quickly if it's the same for you.

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums @aeaston12! 

That's a great initiative, I've been recently diagnosed with 3 herniated disks (stage 3) and I spent sveral months barely being able to walk. Loosing almost complete mobility of my right leg from one day to the next completely transformed the way I saw disabilities; I was already conscious about it, but didn't realize how little I really understood about the struggle (physically and mentally) that one has to go through. 

I think it's and excellent idea, and I hope many people feel free to share their experiences here to find motivation 😀

[aeaston12]

Thanks for the response @DavideFitbit! I can absolutely understand how that feels, having things change on you so quickly and what it does to you mentally. When medications caused me to gain 60lbs in a semester, I started having problems with my prosthetic where it would swell up inside and I literally needed help to remove it. It was so scary and I was terrified it was going to get worse and I would lose my mobility. I went from getting through a 12mile backpacking trip to not being able to walk a couple blocks.

I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I'm hoping it will be a nice space for people to brainstorm ideas or just get some support through their challenges. 

[aeaston12]

Hi @AmandaGeorge ! I would love that! I'm currently sitting at about 220lbs. Currently, 5000 steps is a pretty comfortable number for me. I am typically doing home visits, but now with quarantine I'm at my desk all day. In the evenings I try to do yoga and strength workouts for about 15 minutes and use the meal plan to balance out my food. The goal is to get back down to 190lbs, just taking it one day at a time. I've had some back pain recently that has put most of my yoga and strength exercises on hold. 

[AmandaGeorge]

You're doing so well with everything you are achieving, @aeaston12!  How would you feel about stretching your number of steps either every day or, like me, just once a week... just by 250 or even 500 steps extra to start wish, but don't get too comfortable otherwise your body will become too used to it and might start to struggle when things get back to normal again.

Sorry about your back pain, literally the only thing that helps with my Endometriosis pain is using a TENS machine... normal over the counter painkillers don't even touch it, I burnt my back with literally boiling hot bottles but 5 minutes of having the TENS machine on and I was pain free!  Don't put the electrodes on the pain, but either side of it otherwise your pain will go through the roof even more!

Keep on keeping on and we'll both get there eventually  🙂

[aeaston12]

Hi @AmandaGeorge ! I could absolutely grow my steps more. I was thinking about increasing to 6k, since I tend to hit 5k on my own. I might have to try the TENS machine! I occasionally pinch nerves at the back of my neck and between my shoulder blades, which is so tough to stretch out and tough to reach on my own. 

Hopefully you're having a lovely sunday!

[AmandaGeorge]

Take things slowly, @aeaston12 - I increase by 250 steps at a time so that I don't have to struggle so much to achieve the new step count, so maybe, for the rest of September, you could aim for 5250 to see how you get on with the new target?  Also, maybe keep a spreadsheet of how many steps you do every day to hopefully encourage you a bit more too? 

There's the fitness challenges too... maybe you could join the October one when it's announced at the end of September?  I'm doing my first one this month and it seems to be helping to have something to work towards and something that I report on every morning too.

I love my TENS machine and couldn't be without it any more!

[DavideFitbit]

Absolutely, thanks for the good wishes @aeaston12!  

I hope it becomes a great space for people to share experiences, thoughts, challenges and more! 

[aeaston12]

Hi @AmandaGeorge ! I'll definitely have to check out the next challenge and see if it helps motivate me more. So far so good with 5250. I'll definitely pull together a spreadsheet as well. 

How is your week going?

[AmandaGeorge]

The good thing about the challenge, for me at least, is being able to set your own targets so while mine are the fewest steps etc, it's still a target that slightly stretches me and I've just tripled my squats target for today and I double the other exercises most nights too... might not seem like anything to feel you've achieved to the able-bodied but for me, over the last 10 days, it feels like I've climbed a mountain at the end of each day.  Have a look around and see what's challenging but still achievable for you too and maybe start practising ready to go on 1st October?

WTG with the 5250 steps... keep at it and keep stretching yourself.  The spreadsheet doesn't have to be complicated or flashy (mine certainly isn't lol), but having a daily record of your achievements pushes you forward and, for me at least, challenges me to try and hit the target each day.

So far so good with my week, thank you.  Had an appointment with a nurse this morning and I've managed to put on 1kg in about 3 weeks and she wants me to put on another 6kg by the New Year lol  As long as I keep putting on 300-350g a week then it should just about be achievable lol  Got a telephone appointment with a CPN tomorrow and a memory assessment the week after.  How about your week, @aeaston12?

[aeaston12]

Hi @AmandaGeorge ! This whole month has been crazy! We are in the beginning stages of preparing to move to Arizona from California. It's been a tough process, since my brother and I will both be leaving jobs that care about us. How has your month been?

[AmandaGeorge]

Good luck with the move, @aeaston12!  Take things at your own pace otherwise you'll end up regretting it in the long term.  My month is going well so far... I've gotta have a blood test and then potentially a higher dose of pills in the long term and maybe a referral back to the hospital too so that I can get more input and support for my Neurological disability.  October is going well so far and I hope yours is going as positively as possible too!

[aeaston12]

Thanks @AmandaGeorge ! Things are slow so far, we haven't started the serious packing yet, but I assume that will be happening shortly. I'll do my best to take things slow! I'm hoping they'll be hiring movers this time around.

Hope things go well with your blood tests and medication! 

[AmandaGeorge]

Slow and steady wins the race... like the turtle and the hare  😉

Thank you so much for your well wishes @aeaston12 - the sooner it's over and done with the better and I hope that if I get the referral to the Neurologist s/he will be as great as my original one that looked after me for the 3 months I was in hospital for originally.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me that the results give Dr B the answers he needs to get things moving for me at last!

Current record for vials of blood taken at once is 8, let's see how many there are tomorrow lol  I'm off to bed now, but I'll be back at some point tomorrow.

[AmandaGeorge]

Just got back - only 5 vials of blood this time and I reckon my vitamin D is low again 'cos I barely felt the needle go in, just like when that and my B12 was tested before... it'll be interesting to see what Dr B wants tested and what the results are!

[aeaston12]

@AmandaGeorge Hope things have turned out well so far! We've been working on the whole moving situation. Hoping everything will pan out to make the move next week! How did the doctor visits go? Everything okay?

I am dealing with lovely low income insurance and not being on my medication. Hopefully we get that sorted out shortly and I can get back to feeling normal again. My anxiety and PTSD are absolutely nuts right now. 

[AmandaGeorge]

Oooh!  Good point!  I'll have to try and remember to call my doc in the morning to find out the results!  My brain damage severely affects my memory and I'd completely forgotten about the tests!  Everything is pretty much the same for me, except that as of yesterday I've stopped doing the planks and our senior rescue puppy passed away on 5th November, so I'm back to struggling to reach 2500 steps a day again.

I hope you can get your insurance sorted out soon!