My pain was destroying my life.

I couldn't go for a walk and it was all I could do just to make it through a day at work. Some days at my job I would walk 12,000 steps and almost be in tears. I went home at noon to elevate my legs to keep the swelling down and I was doing the same in the evening. I had no energy for anything after work so I found myself lying in bed every night just to try and reduce my pain. I also had been dealing with fibromyalgia for more than 20 years. I had pain from my head down to my toes. Literally, my toes hurt.

Something had to be done.

I found out in February that I would be receiving a knee replacement. It was time to start doing exercise to strengthen my leg muscles for a speedy recovery. So, I decided to contact Brady at Encompass. We decided that Private Training was the one for me.

I began training 2 days a week. It was HARD! It was more than hard…. I was a sweaty mess. Some days I couldn't make it due to work but soon realized how much I missed those sessions. I loved going to Encompass and I loved having Jessi as my trainer. She never pushed me but she made me push myself. I didn't move very fast but after a few weeks I realized my fibromyalgia wasn't causing me as much pain as before and my knee pain wasn't keeping me up at night. Some mornings I laid in bed dreading going to the gym but I carried my butt out the door.

No one was going to fix my problems except for me!

After only 2 months of training, I was walking better and even my co-workers were noticing a big improvement in the way I was walking. It was working!! Soon after I found myself almost running up a flight of stairs…. stairs are my enemy! My days at work were easier to get through and I wasn’t laying down after work anymore. As for my fibromyalgia pain.. I literally didn’t have any.

I had my surgery in early September and was sent home a day early. The surgeon and physiotherapists were so impressed with how strong my knees were. I look forward to getting back into my sessions. I know I will soon have my life back!

I could never have started this journey without Jessi, Brady and Encompass. It's the place you go that you never feel silly or ashamed of being broken and overweight. They are simply there to help.

Someone asked me about the program at Encompass so I was telling them what I was doing.

They asked me “How can you afford that?”. My reply was,