I have this wonderful woman that comes to my home every week to work me out. She is an MS fitness trainer. She doesn’t have me doing weights or cardio, she has me working with kickballs and rings and my own body weight to work and move muscles that are weak and damaged. Muscle movements I would never go near because they are hard. Lots of core work.

My very first attack back in 1998 left my left leg with coordination issues. I would never run, skip or hop again. It also left my core area numb. I was on Betseron for the majority of 12 of my 20 years of having MS. My stomach area was the easiest place for me to do a shot because I had the least feeling there. The numbness on the skin seemed to continue inwards over 20 years and my muscles are just as weak and numb like they don’t exist. The weak core makes it difficult for me to get out of bed, get off my couch and is the reason for my bladder/bowel issues. I can’t feel anything anymore in my core area. When I was working out everyday, as I started to fatigue, my back would start to curve. I couldn’t hold myself upright after a certain point. My core couldn’t hold me so I’d start to bend. I actually purchased a brace at one point to try to help with this but unfortunately it didn’t help. What I needed couldn’t be purchased online. Since it was only for working out, I never pursued it further…then my shoulder tendonitis happened and the workouts stopped. My MS fitness trainer understands where my weakness is and makes me move to help strengthen it. The balls seem so light and smushy but when your holding them under each arm and twisting, strengthening your core, they aren’t so friendly, trust me. Rolling on the ball and rolling back using your core, freaking hard as hell when you have no muscle strength. Mind you I’m sitting for those not on the floor like you may have seen in an exercise video.

She was here for roughly 30 minutes yesterday and when she left, my core was shaking. About ten minutes after she left, I fell asleep on the couch. What I love about her is she truly cares about her patients and constantly looks and trains herself with more exercises that can benefit her MS patients as well as her other neurologically ill patients. She understands each disease. She really has a heart of gold and is the most giving, selfless person I ever met. To me she will always be a blessing that I got her to come to my house, regardless of the fact that she kicks my ass.