Grapevine’s Yolanda Frasier and Dallas’ Beri Schwitzer have both battled serious, painful ailments.
Yolanda Frasier has battled with scoliosis since age 10. She completed the walker-friendly Fort Worth Marathon in approximately 8 hours, 30 minutes.
Frasier’s severe scoliosis caused her spine to shrink 5 inches, necessitated surgery and resulted in chronic discomfort. Schwitzer, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, can’t recall a time when she didn’t experience joint pain.
They also are marathoners.
In 2011, both decided not to let their disabilities dictate their lives. They set specific goals, listened to their bodies and their doctors. They’ve lost weight and improved their health, all while regaining hope and self-acceptance.
“The biggest thing is I like myself,” says Frasier, 65. “I’m not where I want to be yet, but I realize it’s a lifestyle.”
From surgery to success
In the early ’90s, Frasier could no longer reach the dishes in her cabinets. She thought her husband was putting them on a higher shelf. Turns out, she was no longer 5-6. She was 5-1.
Frasier first became aware she had a sideways ‘S’ curve in her spine as a nationally competitive, preteen baton twirler. The woman making her costume noticed her right shoulder sticking out.
She didn’t experience pain in her youth. Physicians monitored her scoliosis with annual X-rays to early adulthood. She discontinued her annual checkups once she became a mother to her four sons.
In May 1999, Frasier underwent back surgery to halt further damage. The surgery involved removing a rib to open her chest cavity. After three months flat on her back, she wore a body brace for six months.
Within the year, she could walk with a cane, but she remained in constant pain for nearly four years, which later subsided, mostly. Then in 2010, her doctors warned she could need additional surgery.
“That’s when I got serious about weight loss and exercise,” says Frasier, who also has a family history of heart disease.
She began walking on a treadmill with a Gaylord Texan Hotel co-worker. They consistently walked, slowly and steadily extending the distance. In October 2011, they registered for their first 5K. They enjoyed it so much they walked one a month through 2012.
From there, Frasier worked her way from 5Ks to 10Ks, 15Ks and half-marathons by late 2013. That’s when she decided to attempt a marathon. She found the walker-friendly Fort Worth Marathon and signed up. She enlisted an endurance coach and continued increasing her mileage. She never lost focus even when two family members were found to have cancer last year.
She completed the marathon in approximately 8 hours, 30 minutes.
“I just kept going,” she says. “I had to finish. I get very excited when I have done something I said I was going to do.”
Frasier’s biggest challenge is avoiding falls. She has to watch the ground and focus on lifting her left foot up so it doesn’t drag. Her body doesn’t twist, so she has to stop when she wants to look around.
Once she began working out, she also started eating more healthfully. Over the last three years, she has lost 60 pounds.
“I decided I wouldn’t let my back dictate what I was going to do, and I’m not going to let pain dictate it, either.”
A motivating force
Growing up, Schwitzer didn’t let her rheumatoid arthritis prevent her from playing tennis or running on her high school’s cross-country team. She completed five half-marathons in her early 20s.
By her mid-20s, her arthritis pain became intolerable. She also endured chronic intestinal flare-ups, the result of Crohn’s and celiac disease, which were diagnosed in 2010. Her doctors prescribed steroids to manage her pain and illnesses. The steroids resulted in weight gain.
“I thought I would always be overweight and sick,” she says. “I thought I’d never get well.”
With a proper diagnosis in 2010, she has been better able to manage the inflammatory autoimmune diseases. She’s eliminated triggers, which has alleviated some symptoms.
As she began feeling better, Schwitzer said she was inspired to make lifestyle changes by watching her mother-in-law. Marsha Schwitzer had undergone gastric bypass and begun running after a lifetime of struggling with her weight. Marsha’s renewed zeal for life empowered Schwitzer to make changes.
Soon after, severe abdominal pain led to Marsha’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer. She died in October 2011.
“Her death started my rebirth,” says Schwitzer, 41, who began running and has lost 90 pounds since
Marsha’s death. “I just need to be moving. I don’t need to be fast.”
In early 2013, Schwitzer received an email about running the New York City Marathon and raising funds for Sharsheret, a national group that supports Jewish women facing breast and ovarian cancer.
“It was just this weird, cosmic thing that happened,” says Schwitzer, who immediately enlisted her husband’s sister, Eve, to run with her. “I wasn’t afraid of the money or the miles. I wanted to do this for Mom. There was no stopping us.”
Schwitzer ran in the pool when her joints couldn’t take the pounding. She focused on proper biomechanics, stretching, ice baths and massage to get through the training. In November 2013, she and Eve completed the New York marathon in more than eight hours.
Along the way, Schwitzer befriended others who were struggling. She never felt discouraged or doubted she could finish. “We were doing everything we could to motivate each other,” she recalls.
“There’s always this moment when Eve and I run, when the clouds open up, and the sun shines,” Schwitzer says. “We know that sun on our shoulders is Mom. This gift she gave us is our family and our passion for taking care of our health. It’s all interwoven.”
Advice from their doctors
Grapevine-based orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Melanie Kinchen didn’t perform Frasier’s back surgery, but she now monitors her back. Kinchen, the founding partner of 360 Back and Spine Center, says she encourages patients like Frasier to stay as active as they can.
Schwitzer now works with Dr. Lezlie Maloy, a Dallas chiropractor and nationally certified corrective exercise specialist. Maloy says there are few conditions where the risks of exercising outweigh the benefits.
“We know that exercising stimulates the body in a way that helps to reduce stress and inflammation and promote energy and overall health,” Maloy says. “When dealing with folks with chronic illness, it is important to tailor exercise in a way that supports the illness rather than promotes the illness.”
People who are fit usually have better balance and stronger muscles, which are key to overall physical well-being, Kinchen says.
For anyone with physical limitations who is interested in starting an exercise routine, Kinchen and Maloy recommend checking with one’s treating physician, starting and progressing slowly, focusing on moderation and considering low-impact activities.
“I’ve seen cases where, because of a new commitment to exercise, medications needed to be altered or changed,” Maloy says.
In addition, Maloy encourages such individuals to seek advice from musculoskeletal specialists about types of exercise that would be well-suited to body type, ability and overall health. Specialists such as Maloy can assess fitness levels and prescribe rehab or prehab techniques to help a patient get to a state in which it’s safe to work out individually, in a group or with a personal trainer.
Nutrition also is critical, Maloy says, adding that many foods we eat daily are the cause of chronic pain.
Kinchen says she rarely gives her patients restrictions once they have fully recovered from a procedure.
“They have to decide how much pain they’re willing to tolerate,” she said. “It’s personal choice.”
Debbie Fetterman covers running news at runningblog.dallasnews.com.
Source: Dallas News , 27th Feb 2015
Yolanda Frasier has battled with scoliosis since age 10. She completed the walker-friendly Fort Worth Marathon in approximately 8 hours, 30 minutes.
Frasier’s severe scoliosis caused her spine to shrink 5 inches, necessitated surgery and resulted in chronic discomfort. Schwitzer, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, can’t recall a time when she didn’t experience joint pain.
They also are marathoners.
In 2011, both decided not to let their disabilities dictate their lives. They set specific goals, listened to their bodies and their doctors. They’ve lost weight and improved their health, all while regaining hope and self-acceptance.
“The biggest thing is I like myself,” says Frasier, 65. “I’m not where I want to be yet, but I realize it’s a lifestyle.”
From surgery to success
In the early ’90s, Frasier could no longer reach the dishes in her cabinets. She thought her husband was putting them on a higher shelf. Turns out, she was no longer 5-6. She was 5-1.
Frasier first became aware she had a sideways ‘S’ curve in her spine as a nationally competitive, preteen baton twirler. The woman making her costume noticed her right shoulder sticking out.
She didn’t experience pain in her youth. Physicians monitored her scoliosis with annual X-rays to early adulthood. She discontinued her annual checkups once she became a mother to her four sons.
In May 1999, Frasier underwent back surgery to halt further damage. The surgery involved removing a rib to open her chest cavity. After three months flat on her back, she wore a body brace for six months.
Within the year, she could walk with a cane, but she remained in constant pain for nearly four years, which later subsided, mostly. Then in 2010, her doctors warned she could need additional surgery.
“That’s when I got serious about weight loss and exercise,” says Frasier, who also has a family history of heart disease.
She began walking on a treadmill with a Gaylord Texan Hotel co-worker. They consistently walked, slowly and steadily extending the distance. In October 2011, they registered for their first 5K. They enjoyed it so much they walked one a month through 2012.
From there, Frasier worked her way from 5Ks to 10Ks, 15Ks and half-marathons by late 2013. That’s when she decided to attempt a marathon. She found the walker-friendly Fort Worth Marathon and signed up. She enlisted an endurance coach and continued increasing her mileage. She never lost focus even when two family members were found to have cancer last year.
She completed the marathon in approximately 8 hours, 30 minutes.
“I just kept going,” she says. “I had to finish. I get very excited when I have done something I said I was going to do.”
Frasier’s biggest challenge is avoiding falls. She has to watch the ground and focus on lifting her left foot up so it doesn’t drag. Her body doesn’t twist, so she has to stop when she wants to look around.
Once she began working out, she also started eating more healthfully. Over the last three years, she has lost 60 pounds.
“I decided I wouldn’t let my back dictate what I was going to do, and I’m not going to let pain dictate it, either.”
A motivating force
Growing up, Schwitzer didn’t let her rheumatoid arthritis prevent her from playing tennis or running on her high school’s cross-country team. She completed five half-marathons in her early 20s.
By her mid-20s, her arthritis pain became intolerable. She also endured chronic intestinal flare-ups, the result of Crohn’s and celiac disease, which were diagnosed in 2010. Her doctors prescribed steroids to manage her pain and illnesses. The steroids resulted in weight gain.
“I thought I would always be overweight and sick,” she says. “I thought I’d never get well.”
With a proper diagnosis in 2010, she has been better able to manage the inflammatory autoimmune diseases. She’s eliminated triggers, which has alleviated some symptoms.
As she began feeling better, Schwitzer said she was inspired to make lifestyle changes by watching her mother-in-law. Marsha Schwitzer had undergone gastric bypass and begun running after a lifetime of struggling with her weight. Marsha’s renewed zeal for life empowered Schwitzer to make changes.
Soon after, severe abdominal pain led to Marsha’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer. She died in October 2011.
“Her death started my rebirth,” says Schwitzer, 41, who began running and has lost 90 pounds since
Marsha’s death. “I just need to be moving. I don’t need to be fast.”
In early 2013, Schwitzer received an email about running the New York City Marathon and raising funds for Sharsheret, a national group that supports Jewish women facing breast and ovarian cancer.
“It was just this weird, cosmic thing that happened,” says Schwitzer, who immediately enlisted her husband’s sister, Eve, to run with her. “I wasn’t afraid of the money or the miles. I wanted to do this for Mom. There was no stopping us.”
Schwitzer ran in the pool when her joints couldn’t take the pounding. She focused on proper biomechanics, stretching, ice baths and massage to get through the training. In November 2013, she and Eve completed the New York marathon in more than eight hours.
Along the way, Schwitzer befriended others who were struggling. She never felt discouraged or doubted she could finish. “We were doing everything we could to motivate each other,” she recalls.
“There’s always this moment when Eve and I run, when the clouds open up, and the sun shines,” Schwitzer says. “We know that sun on our shoulders is Mom. This gift she gave us is our family and our passion for taking care of our health. It’s all interwoven.”
Advice from their doctors
Grapevine-based orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Melanie Kinchen didn’t perform Frasier’s back surgery, but she now monitors her back. Kinchen, the founding partner of 360 Back and Spine Center, says she encourages patients like Frasier to stay as active as they can.
Schwitzer now works with Dr. Lezlie Maloy, a Dallas chiropractor and nationally certified corrective exercise specialist. Maloy says there are few conditions where the risks of exercising outweigh the benefits.
“We know that exercising stimulates the body in a way that helps to reduce stress and inflammation and promote energy and overall health,” Maloy says. “When dealing with folks with chronic illness, it is important to tailor exercise in a way that supports the illness rather than promotes the illness.”
People who are fit usually have better balance and stronger muscles, which are key to overall physical well-being, Kinchen says.
For anyone with physical limitations who is interested in starting an exercise routine, Kinchen and Maloy recommend checking with one’s treating physician, starting and progressing slowly, focusing on moderation and considering low-impact activities.
“I’ve seen cases where, because of a new commitment to exercise, medications needed to be altered or changed,” Maloy says.
In addition, Maloy encourages such individuals to seek advice from musculoskeletal specialists about types of exercise that would be well-suited to body type, ability and overall health. Specialists such as Maloy can assess fitness levels and prescribe rehab or prehab techniques to help a patient get to a state in which it’s safe to work out individually, in a group or with a personal trainer.
Nutrition also is critical, Maloy says, adding that many foods we eat daily are the cause of chronic pain.
Kinchen says she rarely gives her patients restrictions once they have fully recovered from a procedure.
“They have to decide how much pain they’re willing to tolerate,” she said. “It’s personal choice.”
Debbie Fetterman covers running news at runningblog.dallasnews.com.
Source: Dallas News , 27th Feb 2015
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