Application… Check! Bone density scan… Check! Fundraiser …??? Well, two out of three completed items isn’t bad! Yet, all three are required in order to join REACT (neuroreaction.org), a highly specialized gym which aides in recovery for people with spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases.
Filling out the application was a cinch, especially since I am so eager to start this new adventure in exercise. Until the last step on this list is completed, making REACT a reality, I will prepare by continuing to train arduously for it, whether it be on my own or with with my Elect Wellness trainer, Bob.
The bone density scan required by REACT threw a curve ball at my confidence, smacking it right between the eyes. Positively, 100% guaranteed in my mind, I was going to pass the test with flying colors. My food diary confirmed daily, along with my nutritionist, that my diet was on point when consuming calcium. My age is still relatively young, and I’ve never had any bone issues. Yeah, I broke my left hip when I was 12, but I consider that a fluke…my hip hit the concrete, and the concrete won! Imagine my astonishment when my doctor’s results revealed mild osteopenia in the left hip and mild/moderate in the right. Osteopenia is the initial stages of Osteoporosis. His recommendations were to take the calcium supplement, Oscal, and do weight bearing exercise. I’m totally on board with the doctor’s latter suggestion, which supports my whole point of attending REACT. A place where I can practice and reach my goal of standing, the ultimate weight bearing exercise. Now, more important than ever! Conversely, after much discussion with Kelsey and Tom, two people who are very familiar with my daily food intake, unlike my doctor, decided that adding more calcium to my diet would do more harm than good. They suggested that adding a greens supplement, on top of the daily greens I already eat such as spinach and broccoli, would be most beneficial. Instead of adding calcium, the greens supplement would support the maximum efficient use of calcium already present in my body, making sure that it is fully utilized in the bone. As silly and unnecessary as I thought this bone density scan would be, I would have never had a reason to get one, discovering my Osteopenia. Who knows how this undetected loss would have effected my body in the long run? Once again, another surprise blessing God has put in front of me!
Fundraising, for myself, is a different “F” word. Saying it leaves a rotten taste in my mouth. This is something I’m going to have to get over, quickly! Especially since REACT’s gait training program is $100/hour, 2 hours a day, minimum of twice a week for an indefinite amount of time. Fundraising for oneself, in order to attend this unique gym, seems to be how the majority of people are able to join. An uncomfortable task, which is the last thing between me and REACT’s front door, will be just as challenging as getting my body upright. My intense desire to attend this gym is equally proportional to my desire to flake out on fundraising. But. I’ve also learned, in my old age, that the thing I least want to do is the obstacle God puts in front of me in order to grow. If I accept this challenge with a posi
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tive attitude, an abundance of expected and unexpected blessings are not far behind!