Way too young to feel this old

[Merissa]

Alright, so! Hi! This is long and somewhat ranting! Feel free to skip the big scary paragraphs and go down to where I say long story short. I'll understand.

 

I was turned over to this website by a friend of mine, and I've enjoyed the articles and all that for a few months now. I thought I could motivate myself, but, well, now it's September and I haven't done...much...at all...But I plan to change that!!

 

My obsticles are...well, aside from pure motivation, my obsticles are as big as one herniated disk. Specifically the L5S1 disk in my back. Maybe I should start from the begining.

 

At this time in 2009, almost to the day, I was going into the US Coast Guard basic training. 5'6, 150-something pounds, terrified but ready for the challenge. And it was hard. And it was amazing. As they said, it was the most fun I never want to have again. For the next 2 months, I was shown my limits. I had been pretty sedintary before that, but I did pretty well. After that, I was sent to a shore unit. It was a supply unit in south Texas. I spent most of my days out in the hot sun pouring concrete and moving buoys and doing inventory. I mowed what little grass there was on that base, painted buildings, painted parking lines, stood watch, renovated a bathroom, learned to weld, and drove up and down the entire coast of Texas more than a few times. And more than a few times I was driving from Corpus Christi, up to Galveston, all the way down to South Padre, and then back up to Corpus Christi.

 

During all of this, I was avoiding working out like it was the plague. All it did was remind me of the pain of boot camp and I didn't enjoy pushing myself. October 2011, I couldn't pass my weigh-ins. 5'7, 178 pounds. I was put on the probation program. I was barely eating 1,000 calories, I was still working my ass off in the hot Texas sun (because it's always hot in Texas. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.), in 90+ degree heat and a 90+% humidity. I was doing supervised workouts at lunch, sometimes instead of eating, and I was generally in a bad mood. My probation period was 5 months long. I had 5 months to lose 5% body fat so I could pass. Four months into it, I wasn't down a single pound. My boss told me I needed to take a workout class at the YMCA during my lunch period. So, I did. I didn't mind it too much, though a pain had started in my back early on into it. At the end of the 55 minutes, the pain had gotten worse but nothing intolerable. I went back into the locker room to change and suddenly bending to put my boots back on was a challenge. The pain was doing nothing but growing. I didn't realize it was a real problem until I was driving back to the base and my first reaction after hitting the brakes in my car was to jerk my foot back because it hurt to bad.

 

I got my husband to drive me home and I had a doctor's apointment the next day. They didn't do much. Steroid shot, motrin, light duty. I'm back in a week. Another steroid shot, lortab, neurotin, more light duty. I'm stuck at a desk, can't do anything but walk on a tredmil, and they're giving me steroid shots. After all, obese female complaining of back problems? They didn't take it seriously at all. After three weeks they decide that maybe I should be in physical therapy and maybe they should take some x-rays.

 

I don't pass my weigh in. They have my papers printed up within a week and I'm out, May 1st, 2012.

 

Like any good veteran who was unwillingly (but honorably) discharged, I become a sedintary shut-in. It takes me two months to listen to my mom and decide to go to the VA for help with my back. More pills, no steroid shots. In October they decide that maybe an MRI is a good idea. This is after they've given me a cane to help me walk. They find a herniated disk, and want to give me more steroid shots.

 

LONG STORY SHORT

 

I have a herniated disk due to an injury that is pinching the nerves that go down the outsides of my legs.

 

I'm 27, on arthritis pills, and sometimes walking with a cane (though usually only in Walmart...Walmart causes me physical pain for some reason). When I'm not using my cane, I can feel how off my gait is. Even if I'm having a day with little to no pain. I have a high cholesterol. I'm overweight (I'm 5'7 and up to almost 230), under a lot of stress (yay college!), and just generally unhappy with where my mid-twenties have taken me. I sometimes joke that I'm 72 and not 27.

 

My goals are fairly simple.

I need a lot more core strength for one. The muscles surrounding my spine are puny and weak and not at all helpful on my disk.

I need to lose weight. The excess weight is also not helpful on my back, also I just don't like it.

For a long term goal, I'd like to be around 20% body fat. Maybe a little more depending on how it effects my curves.

I don't want to put a weight goal because I also really want muscle.

 

I'm going to take it slow and make sure I don't injure my back again. No heavy lifting for me or repetitive bending, but I think I've figured out a good circut that isn't going to pound my poor back into oblivion.

 

I'd like to be able to run again, too. I used to hate it, but I started actually enjoying it while on my weight probation. Mostly because I started seeing progress, and it was the first time I had ever seen physical progress in myself, like, ever.

 

Also, silly little goal, I'd like for my husband to be able to pick me up. #^__^# I mean, he can lift me, sure, but that whole, being carried around thing doesn't happen.

 

I had started swimming a year ago, but a few months into the routine, I ended up with the funding for a tattoo I had been wanting for two years. And the process took three sessions. I just finished it last February, so I haven't been able to swim...plus, I was using the gym at school and didn't take summer classes. I'm going to go swimming at the gym tomorrow.

 

Holy crap this is a really long introduction. For those of you who stuck with me, thanks! I'm going to stop rambling now, though. Or, at least, in a few sentences. Or maybe here. I don't know. Maybe here. >__>

 

<3

[shaar]

I hurt my back once a few months ago doing stupid dumbbell rows and that stuff is no joke!  I can only imagine how debilitating a herniated disc must be - I never really realized how much I used my back muscles every day until I hurt them, and every day was a challenge... >_<

 

Losing that weight can only make you feel better and better!  You deserve it, and being able to be carried is an AWESOME goal.  You got this, we're here to help cheer you on!!

[Marla Singer]

Hello, fellow Texan!

 

Oh my god, steroids suck. My husband used to call me 'Steroid Monster' because I was so bitchy and hungry when i was on them.

Swimming sounds like a great low impact workout that won't hurt your back. And for what its worth, my step-mother in law lost around 60 lbs through diet and walking, and the arthritis pain in her knees is almost completely gone. Pain reduction is certainly something to look forward to.

 

My husband *can* pick me up, but he doesn't do it much outside of the bedroom ;-) It is nice getting lifted up occasionally into a big hug, but he is certainly not willing to carry me around. I wish you good luck on that front!

[Strickland5]

Sounds like you've got the beginnings of a plan ... I know NOTHING about herniated disks so definitely say talk to a doctor about your goals.

 

Friends of mine who deal with the VA speak highly of them about 40% of the time ... so hopefully the VA where you are is good.

[NightShiftMedic]

Back injuries are no joke and they totally stack the deck against you!  I've had three but nothing as serious as a herniated disk.

 

I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to following your progress!

 

-NSM

[taylorjim]

You came to the right place!

[Merissa]

Thanks, y'all!

 

I like the VA, but usually it feels like I'm getting the run-around. I was supposed to have an apointment this Friday, but the doctor I was going to see is on medical leave and no one told me they changed the apointment until I went up last Friday to get blood work done and everything had been cancled. So...that was fun....Plus, all the waiting. The chairs in the waiting rooms are horrible! But the people are usually really nice and I do get seen pretty quick.

 

When I was on steroids, for three days after the shot I'd just rage at everything. I'd always get them on a Friday and my poor husband would have to deal with me through the weekend...It wasn't fun. I think I had a total of three while I was still active duty, and I've had two or three from the VA, but they did those right into the joint. Which was really weird feeling and kinda painful. But it helped so much. I don't do it anymore because the last time I went, they had a lot of trouble putting the IV in and blew out a couple veins...Unpleasant.

 

But yeah! Thanks guys!

[Minna]

Wow, Merissa. What a story. But this is such a great community and I'm glad you're here!

 

I have a bunch of herniated disks in my back (L5/S1 is my bad one too), which I manage with exercise and careful lifting. I don't even think about them anymore, really. But it was awful there for a while, I'll admit.

 

Your story takes me back to ROTC boot camp when I hurt my knee three days into it and I had to spend every group workout session just standing there yelling, "I'm not doing anything, ONE, sir! I'm not doing anything, TWO, sir!" Oh, so much fun. I reinjured that knee last winter cross-country skiing and I smile remembering those ridiculous workouts.

 

I can relate to feeling old in your twenties. I got socked with depression at 20 and felt like I was in my 80s for the entire decade. I used to laugh with my grandmother about who had the worse memory. I'm here at NF because now I'm 42, still depressed, and tired of antidepressants that don't work - so I'm looking to improve my diet and fitness among fellow geeks who know way more than I do about this stuff. 

 

Keep in touch!

[bigjochmclintoch]

Hey Merrisa,

 

Herniated discs are certainly no fun, I myself have one from an from falling over while being drunk of all things (stupid I know!). It took me a while to get over the fear of doing anything activities due to it but as Minna said there will come a point where you won't even think about them any more. You'll get there though and we will all be rooting for you on the way  .