Water Aerobics, Hawai'i Style

 

Lisa's Story

 Today, I got up and went to water aerobics.  I love the water and I love working out. As you can imagine, its beautiful at 9 in the morning in Hawaii.  The summer air is cool and the sky, the flowers and the coconut trees are beautiful.  If you've kept up on my postings, you know that I've been under an incredible amount of stress from this move and, I want to tell you, that it has had a great effect on my physical health.  I've really gotten out of shape and I want my body back.  

     The group typically consists of about twenty older women, most older than I and a few men. The pool attendant runs a tape and we all follow the tape.  For the last few times, I've gotten my pulse up to a whopping 60 bpm. I've heard that if you really work at it, it can be a good workout.  Most of the "girls" work out a bit, some stand around and talk and then some, like me, are diehards and work the whole time.  Today I actually got my pulse up to 100.  Although that's not fabulous, It's better and to be honest with you, I feel so great after I leave. My endorphins are up and I just love it. 

     As I prance around in the water I often look over at a woman who has a stomach made of rocks and arms with just the right amount of bump to them. I wonder if everyone is jealous of her like I am.  She never slows down and I try to work at her pace to increase my results.  She wears bathing suits like clothes and has a million of them.  Today she had the cutest suit on and after class I just had to find out where she'd gotten it.  She told me she couldn't remember and we started talking after that.  As it often happens, she started to tell me her story.  She said that she was a professional paddler and canoer and did marathons as well as triathalons.  She said that she had been in the excellant health until she started noticing that her hands were going numb when she was holding the paddle.  She really got worried when her feet started going numb.  After going to the doctor for over a year and not getting a diognosis, she finally got an MRI.  She said as she looked at the radiologists face that something was very wrong. A week later she found out that she had MS.  

     Lisa told me that she follows the MS diet and works out in the pool.  She has trouble walking and the water holds her up.  Her diet consists of vegtables, fruits and gluten free grains.  She says that she'll eat meat once a week or so. 
     A year or so ago, her husband arranged a golf tournament for her benefit to raise money so that she could go get stem cell surgery in Panama  She's not sure if its done her any good.  When she sees the women standing around, it frustrates her.  She told me she doesn't understand it when most of them know her story.
     When I left the pool, I couldn't stop thinking about Lisa. I still can't stop thinking about her. Everyone has a story in them.  Some are more powerful than others.  For me, the message is clear.  Enjoy this moment, enjoy this day.  Be as healthy as you can and don't give up.  Learn as much as you can about being healthy and about your medical options.  And, again, don't ever give up.  We're all miracles, aren't we?






What do you think of this story?  Is there someone you know like Karen?  Please leave a comment.