Verse One
Hello All!
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Annette, aka “Verse,” so named by my health mentor, Chris Omni. I love the name. It connects me to poetry, music and the Bible. I’m excited to begin this blog! I look forward to sharing what I’m learned, thus far, in my quest to make my body and spirit F.I.T.
This year found me overwhelmed by consequences of morbid obesity which I’ve carried most of my life. In May, I weighed 338 pounds. My arthritic knees needed to be replaced and my back remained weak despite a fusion surgery. My mobility was so limited, I found myself approaching a need for a motorized scooter. Walking more than a short distance caused shortness of breath and severe joint pain. I hurt so much that even walking from the handicapped parking at my job was too far. After swallowing my pride and asking, I received approval for a “prized” close parking. It was far more an embarrassment than a perk.
I ended my last blog sharing about how vital water has been in my quest for best health. I started water walking at a community center and I gained strength and endurance. One of my water walking friends coordinated a kayaking adventure for women who’d never done it. When I heard a group talking about it, I was ecstatic—for them. Inwardly, I was sad that I was not physically able to join them. I figured I was way too fat and my mobility was still too limited. Then the group actually suggested I go kayaking too! I thought they’d lost their minds and/or greatly misjudged my ability. I said, “No Way!” The kayaking adventure was planned with a group called “Dirty Girl Adventures.”
Although I’ve spent most of my life in Kansas, the most at home and at peace I ever feel is near large bodies of water. So, it doesn’t surprise me my three most transformative adventures in this quest have involved water. The first time I saw an ocean, a tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders. I had such a distorted sense of my size that it took the sight of an ocean’s vastness to grant visual confirmation there was actually something bigger than me.
