Exercise and me

Mary, my “twisted sister,” and I have found several contradictory instances in our respective experiences with Dr. Keim, and exercise is one of them. Unlike Mary, Dr. Keim sent me to exercise therapy to “help the brace work more effectively.” And, while Dr. Keim encouraged me to “stay active” throughout my care and beyond, he specifically told Mary to limit her activity, even after her surgery.

Since I’d had spondylolisthesis surgery prior to starting brace treatment, the exercise therapy may have had the dual purpose of rehabilitating my muscles. Or maybe Dr. Keim just told me the exercises would help my scoliosis as an enticement to actually do them. Since I approached the idea of exercise with all the enthusiasm of a teenager being coerced out of bed at the crack of dawn on Saturday, he obviously knew his audience.

Regardless, the exercises did help me gain more strength and flexibility to do things I hadn’t even known I was unable to accomplish – like lifting my unbent legs while lying on my back. But, after my last cast was removed, I slacked off. I was young (17), pain-free and focused on making up for the years I’d spent in braces and body casts.

Fast-forward to 1985. I was newly married to my husband, Mark, whose commitment to exercise had been reinforced during his four years of active service in the U.S. Navy. Now he was trying to convert me! I vehemently resisted, using my spinal history as a convenient excuse.

Then the muscle spasms came. They originated in the trapezius muscle and radiated up my neck. They came on quickly and without warning, like a bolt of lightning, and lasted for days. The pain was debilitating and the spasm’s strength made my neck tilt on a diagonal.

Mark took me to see Dr. Keim, the only doctor I trusted to give me an answer. X-rays showed two solid fusions and no skeletal issues, leading Dr. Keim to recommend weight training to strengthen my upper body muscles. Mark was thrilled.

Pain is a powerful motivator so, grudgingly, I learned how to use our weight machine to tone and strengthen. And, as Mark and I started making nightly visits to the homemade ice cream store just around the corner, I started to do aerobics as well.

We planned to start our family after we moved to North Carolina 1990 – plans that I thought would be detoured when I started having unexplained spasms in my lower back. Again, the answer was exercise, targeted to strengthen what is now called one’s “core,” as well as the muscles in my back.

Now, the reluctant convert is an enthusiastic advocate. Over the years, when my body’s needs have changed, so have the exercises I do every day. I’m committed to that hour every morning. It’s sacred time that everyone in the house – even the dog! – knows not to disturb. By taking an active role in the future of my health – as well as ensuring my continued mobility -- I am in control, and that feels pretty good.