Woe Is She

One of my biggest worries has always been my sister, Monica.  (Disclaimer: she gave me permission to write and publish this blog)  The women in our family have always struggled with weight, and, unfortunately, it has been an extremely difficult battle for her.  When I wrote the food addiction entry, it was with Monica in mind.  She falls into the "morbidly obese" category, which is what a lot of people see when they look at her... they don't necessarily see the generous soul, the animal lover, the skilled writer, the avid reader, the Scrabble champ, or the compassionate person who volunteers her time to visit hospice patients.   

I've been so proud of Monica and her recent healthy endeavors.  She was pursuing bariatric surgery, but she is also trying to make changes on her own.  She joined a gym - within walking distance of her apartment since she doesn't drive - and has been working out religiously.  She is also working with a trainer, who just today told her that she has made drastic improvements in strength and cardiovascular fitness in a short amount of time.  

Hearing that her trainer told her that made my heart jump for joy.  Not only was it great to see Monica glowing with pride over her recent fitness accomplishments, but I truly believe her commitment to exercise is a matter of life or death.  She has major knee issues, severe asthma, sleep apnea, ulcerative colitis, and battles depression (which also runs in our family); all of these issues probably fall under the umbrella of the bigger disease, obesity.  After undergoing some heart tests last spring, she was told that her heart has undergone some kind of trauma.  They couldn't say for sure what caused the damage, but chances are, she had a mild heart attack at some point.  Monica is only 31 years old - we cannot lose her.

Tonight, I got a phone call from her.  We usually text, so I immediately knew something was wrong.  She was sobbing, and through the tears she told me she fell and probably broke her ankle.  We are at the Borgess ER right now; the x-rays confirmed her suspicions, and we're waiting for an orthopedic surgeon to get here and decide if she needs surgery or if it can be set immediately.  

As soon as I walked in, she immediately exclaimed from her hospital bed, "The thing I'm angriest about is that this means I can't exercise!"  I totally understand Moni's anger and frustration.  I am the queen of injuries (although, from the look of her ankle, I think she just dethroned me!).  

Sitting here in the ER, we've been discussing ways she can stay on track toward her goals even with this major setback.  I helped her download the My Fitness Pal app onto her phone, and she's already thinking that just having that tracking aid will help her stay committed.  

We're going to have to think out of the box to find ways for Moni to be active.  I think this is a pretty bad break, and there are torn ligaments around the rest of the ankle, so she may be immobile for a long while.  I told her that even if all she can do is arm exercises using soup cans as hand weights, then so be it - it will keep her moving, even if only slightly.  She's going to want to turn to comfort food; I know I would want to wallow in self pity with a big Jet's pizza or batch of peanut butter cookies.  Now, more than ever, though, it's important for Monica to focus on healthy food intake; not only will that aid in her weight loss goal, but healthy foods can have healing powers, both physically and mentally.

So, please send your positive vibes Monica's way (along with any suggestions for how she can remain active).  She needs them right now!  (She also needs some strong painkillers, but we'll leave that up to the medical pros.)