Channel your change!

In previous pages I have briefly told you about my past. What things were like before the CRPS. I mentioned that I was really into sport and fitness. This was kind of an understatement. It was my career before I became a registered Nurse. I got my 1st fitness instruction qualification at the age of 17. Then my 1st diploma at 18. I worked on cruise ships all over the world, teaching various aerobics classes, and personal training. If youve ever seen the programme ‘the cruise’ with Jane Macdonald, I was on that ship (the Galaxy) and briefly on that programme! I loved teaching. I qualified in sports therapy, massage, sports massage, personal training, fitness testing and numerous other fitness qualifications. I even came runner up for fitness instructor of the year when I worked as an assessor for WABBA qualifications, which was one of the most amazing things id done. I was briefly in the Army. I joined after being on cruise ships. I wanted to be a PTI. But unfortunately it wasnt to be, and I was injured after 8 short months ( thats another story). I competed in natural bodybuilding competitions too. Coming 6th in GB was my best placing. So, basically, as you can tell, fitness from one type or another, has always played a huge part in my life. So when I had surgery on my hammer toes, because they hurt when I ran, then all of this happened. It was nothing other than devistating. One of my driving forces to have my leg amputated was the thaught that I could get some of the old me back again. I could run again. Compete in triathlons, do another half marathon, and do everything I loved to do before all of this. In my head all of this would happen relatively quickly, if the surgery went well and the CRPS was gone. The reality was quite different. I massively has to adjust my expectations, and plans. To be honest, they almost adjusted themselves a little bit.

So the plan was to get back to the way I was before. But I was no longer that person. When my leg came off, it was like some of the old me was removed (and yes I know my leg was) but also my way of thinking seemed to change too. I still wanted to do the old things. But now I almost want more. I had been out of hospital for 2 weeks when the boredom set in, and I was getting tired of doing nothing. The pain was a little better, and I was really needing something to do. A new challenge.

I was sat in my chair in my kitchen, and wheeling backwards and forwards, thinking to myself, ‘this chair is really heavy’. Then came about, the wondering if anyone had wheeled themselves any distance in a wheelchair. Then this simply went to, I wonder how far I could wheel myself in a normal box standard wheelchair, which then lead to the wondering if I could wheel myself from Lands end to John O’groates. This was 3 weeks ago in the afternoon. By the time Cat came home from work, I decided that this was what I wanted to do. This was a good challenge. This would give me a focus. But it soon became alot more than that.