3650 Days
How do you measure, Measure a year decade?
Alas, 10 years. 10 years and hundreds of scans. Many tests. Two fired neurologists. One bloody awesome neurologist. And one meeting with my neurosurgeon that also changed my life.
Without my neurosurgeon, there’s no way I’d be, well, alive or remotely where I’m at today. Around 3 years ago, a scary, do I need another brain surgery appointment sent me down a path of discovery. I was told to go be who I was presurgery and to remove the restrictions that had been set. For 7 years, lifting more than 20 pounds was not allowed. For 7 years, I wasn’t allowed to ski, go horseback riding, ride a rollercoaster, or do anything that could possibly make my malformation or syringomelia worse. For 7 years, I wanted to do all of these things, well except for the roller coaster, and it was forbidden.
Like everything else in the past year, I’d hope to be posting this from the other side of the world. I had a plan....and doctor approval x 5. My trekking plan a turned to plan b,c,d,e, and I don’t know which one I’m actually on now. Coming up with a celebration of epic proportions when you hardly leave your house isn’t easy.
When everything shutdown, I really began to miss my gym time. I had my bike, but strength training is really what I like the most. Through a strange series of events, I began working with my coach in September, barely being able to bench the 40 pound bar, so on March 17th we had a bit of fun testing my PRs.
Welcome to (early) Big Brain Day 2021! (Please note this is my coach’s personal gym and we are the only two here.) To celebrate 10 years of success with my Chiari malformation and decompression, here is a compilation of videos from my own personal feats of strength strong woman competition. I competed against myself for myself. Proving so many studies, doctors, advocates, and more wrong. I did it and I will continue to get stronger. And for the naysayers, yes, I know the squats aren't deep enough and the arch in the back needs to be higher, I get that. I have neurologically tight muscles and I am just amazed I can even post this so don't fucking comment.
By the end of 2021, I hope to be benching 125-130 pounds which would pretty much guarantee I’m always the strongest woman in the room.
Oh yeah, and thanks to my 10 year wellness journey, I’m going back to school. I’ll be studying with a integrated health practitioner and hope to be taking clients in the very near future.
You didn’t think I’d just test my “feats of strength”, did you?
Here’s to the next 10.