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Introduction Text WORDS BY SAFETYSUE, CHECK OUT MY BLOG WITH THIS TITLE "Extraordinary things in your ordinary day". I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE FOUND SPARKPEOPLE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN MY LIFE THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR ARE; TO LOVE WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART AND HOLD BACK NOTHING, TO BE ABLE TO LIVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY, FUN FILLED LIFE WHERE LAUGHTER IS OUR BEST MEDICINE, MAKING MY PRIORITIES BEING, MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND CYBER FRIENDS, *****YOUR SPARK FRIEND***** *********((HUGS))*************** ********SAFETY SUE************* Hi, I am married with two daughters and living in Kennewick Wa. Love Horses and used to love running and working out to the Firm workout. I was paralyzed at the age of 37 with two teen age daughters and hubby at the time. I am finding it harder to keep my weight down being in a wheel chair but do what I can. Lucky to still have my awesome hubby and a great relationship with my girls. I was a fire fighter for ten years in a volunteer department and was being hired as a career firefighter when I fell from a fire engine on duty as the safety officer, with my volunteer department and was paralyzed from the chest down. Our lives would change in ways you can't imagine. I spent three and a half months in the hospital learning to live my life as a paraplegic. I was raised on horse back and have had them my entire life. I was a 4-H leader for over 20 years and raised my girls on horseback. My hubby was never a horse person but supported me in my passion for them. I now have miniature horses so he is more willing to help with the chores. I love the miniatures as they give me so much joy and less work for my husband. My daughters both have college degrees and great careers making great salaries working as IT Auditors for Ernst and Young. Heather is married and has one son, Stephanie is getting married in August and both in their very early 30's. I look forward to more grandkids but for now am really enjoying my three year old grandson who loves doing the chores for the miniatures with PaPa and Gramie Susie. Life is good, now to make it better I plan to get back to my healthy goal weight putting me in at least a size 10-12. It is critical being in my wheel chair as I age and have gone into menopause, the extra weight is really not good for preventing pressure sores. When I am in my chair I have to lift my butt up off the chair using my arms every 15 minutes for a period of 60 seconds. I need to build my arm strength back up to where it was before I gained so much weight and spent more time out of my chair not doing anything for the last year, I have a watch set to alarm every 15 minutes to remind me. My grandson tells me everytime..."Gramie Susie...Pressure release!" He likes to do pressure releases now in his carseat. I love him so much!! I want to be healthy for the years I have left to be around for my grandchildren!

I am looking to change my lifestyle and lose weight and exercise more so that I can live a longer and healthier life in a wheel chair. I started my life able bodied and always had to work hard to keep my weight down. The first ten years in the chair I did OK, but after developing some pain issues and a pressure sore so I was out of my chair more than I was in it. During this time I gained weight which causes numerous health problems and limited mobility. I am here to change that. I am planning to use my manual chair more than my power chair. I plan to be more independent and more active.

I have a Monarch you pedal with your arms. I use dumbbells, and bands. Pushing myself around in my manual wheelchair is a lot of work in itself. All of my workouts are using my arms. I added swimming to my plan, it is has added a new dimension to my exercise that takes the weight and pressure off my arms because my body is buoyant. * This develops added strength more quickly. I get full range of motion above my head which exercises more of the muscles in my shoulder and back. *It works the muscles in my arms without the stress of all the weight added,

*I use a snorkel, this allows me to do laps without stopping. *Breathing through the snorkel tube causes me to breath more deeply and exercises my paralyzed lungs increasing lung capacity. *Being in the water, I felt normal for the first time.

I have to be careful because all my exercises I am using my arms. I need my arms to last the rest of my life. I want to be independant as long as I can so it is neccessary to know when it is too much and give my arms a rest. I need my arms for my daily living and taking care of my self. As long as I am up in the chair I have to do pressure releases. They prevent getting pressure sores(like bed sores) on my fanny. When you sit all day, you still get up for breaks and you wiggle and shift in your chair when you feel uncomfortable. I can't feel that so I have a timer set for every 15 minutes and have to push myself up until I get my fanny off the seat using my arm rest on my chair. I have to hold that for 60 seconds. You try it on a chair with arm rests and see what you think. If you are really brave see how many you can do in a day at work. It is great arm exercise. No using your legs, lift them too! I should get points for my pressure releases

Add a Link (¯`v´¯) .`•.¸.•´Safety Sue ¸.•´¸.•¨) ¸.•¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ (¸.•¨¯`♥ ***Spark N Shine*** *All My Spark Peeps* My Motto ~Look for the extraordinary things in your ordinary day~ Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
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