It’s impossible to imagine that super-tough fitness instructor Neha was once immobile with rheumatoid arthritis. She shares her story – from pain to power.
Like many of us do, I have clear, early images of myself. I was never a fat girl, but I was definitely on the plumper side, one of the reasons I took to exercising young. At 15, I began an exercise regimen. Days turned to months and months to years. Eight years later, at 23, I got married. Exercising remained an integral part of my life.
I was struck by rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 24. (Ed's note: Understand the different types of Arthritis) My grandmother had it but I had never expected it to happen to me. Soon after, I fell pregnant at the age of 25. Thankfully I was free of arthritis and related pain for those nine months that I was carrying the baby.
My son Nihar was born. I had put on 13 kilograms during my pregnancy and had a relapse of severe arthritis post-delivery. Life changed, in more ways than one. I could not walk and my legs would perpetually remain swollen. Exercising or carrying my baby around… only seemed possible in thought. I could not lift my new-born son; my husband Nirav would lift and carry me to the bathroom. Everything seemed to be going downhill. I battled frustration, often wanting to give up, and found myself confronting depressive thoughts. Nothing was good enough, life seemed a burden, yet I carried on.
I consulted plenty of doctors and underwent all kinds of treatment. I was hoping for the best, but everything seemed on slow-motion mode. I was advised to go in for surgeries (arthroscopy) on both my knees. Following my surgery, I was advised to eat right and exercise. It was then that I decided to embark on a new journey.
I began this journey from my room. I started exercising within a week of my surgery. My doctor had advised a month’s rest but my positive attitude and winner mentality didn’t let me rest. Soon, a few of my friends and cousins started coming over to workout. When the numbers grew, I decided, within a few days, to turn our basement into an efficient workout space with airconditioning and equipment, like dumbbells and steps. One thing followed another and I decided to get a certification in Bio Kinetix endorsed by Nike. A lot was happening simultaneously. I was exercising again and shaping others’ lives, too, through exercise.
My classes shifted to a new place, and then again, and again. I kept moving, believing that every fight strengthens a person. Along the way, luck held my hand and I landed at a studio with excellent facilites and equipment.
It’s 17 years since my surgery. Today, It's not like I am free of arthritis; it still persists. But what is different is I am able to cope with it. The vast canvas of life, and my excitement to make the journey interesting, lets me forget the pain and take on each day with joy and renewed enthusiasm.
There's also one thing I never forget: that life is how we take it to be. Good or bad, it's all in our mind. What we think is how it will turn out to be.
If you liked this story, you might also like "I am not a useless wife"
Neha's website is : http://www.nehasfitnessstudio.com/
For more content on arthritis http://www.patientsengage.com/communities/muscle-bone-and-joint-earlier-named-arthritis
