Hello! I'm Jessica and I live in Ohio with my husband and 2 children. I have been looking over this forum off and on for the past year or so but never found the motivation to join because I didn't think I was ready to admit that it was time to make some changes. In the past I was always pretty satisfied with my weight, always felt secure and confident until February of 2007 when I was in a horrific car accident on my way to work. Our schools were closed that day due to the ice and fog, we had zero visibility, so I took my kids to my mom's house and headed into my workplace. About 3 miles from my house a flat bed ton truck (tow truck) had just pulled a car out of the ditch and was getting ready to pull away when I came up behind him and hit him before he started to move. Due to the fog, I didn't see any lights, had no idea what I had even hit even after I'd hit him. The hood and entire front of my car came back into me where I was smashed from the ribs down and was about 2 inches away from decapitation. I suffered 5 broken ribs, a lacerated liver, ruptured spleen and both of my legs, from the hips to toes were snapped and shattered. I was expected to bleed to death because they couldn't get life-flight in due to the weather but thankfully I made it to Ohio State Medical Center where I was in surgery for more than 14 hours and then in a coma in critical care for 5 days. My doctors were afraid they couldn't save my legs but I still have them! I was in the hospital for 6 weeks and at home in a hospital bed for 8 months when I finally was able to learn how to walk again. Unfortunately my left leg (open knee dislocation) was re-ruptured during surgery that following April so that leg no longer bends beyond a 50 degree bend and I have Avascular Nercrosis in my right ankle and foot which means there is no longer blood supply to those bones so they are in the process of deterioration and worse case scenario I could still possibly lose my right foot from the ankle down but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the beginning I was on 12 Percocet and 3 oxycontin a day for over a year, combined with Celebrex and Ultram. The combination of the Percocet and Oxycontin made me so sick that I ended up losing about 30 pounds while I was still in a hospital bed but when I started walking more and also dealing with depression and post traumatic stress syndrome, my doctor put me on Zoloft and Prednisone, both of which made me hungry all the time, so I blew up to 240 pounds from both the medicine and my limited mobility. So now, after an addiction to the oxycontin, I am off of all medicine and am ready to be in control of my life again. But a bad thing about being off all pain meds is that it prevents me from being up on my feet for extended amounts of time and since both legs are impaired I have struggled to find an excercise that works best for me. I can finally walk up to 3 miles now without stopping but it causes so much pain afterwards that I can only do it twice a week. I've desperately wanted to ask my doctor to prescribe me with Adipex or something like that to help jump start me, but I'm afraid of taking any other kind of pill, plus I know that in order to see long term results I have to do this on my own.
Before my wreck, I jogged 5 miles every morning and enjoyed fitness videos and I just feel lost because I can't do either of those things anymore, or anything that involves bending my legs, so I just get frustrated and give up. But I'm hoping with a support system and encouragement I can reach my goals. Thanks for listening.

Wow, wow, what a miracle you are. 3 miles! After all you've been through!! That's simply amazing. Anyone with your determination and will to live, well, you'll do just fine on your weightloss journey. What an inspiring story.

Hi Jessica, welcome! Oh my, what a horrendous ordeal!! Thank God you are alive and healthy, even though you have some serious complications from your injuries! Have you tried swimming? Most communitites have a Y, including Columbus (since you mentioned OSU Med Center), and the Y even offers financial assistance if you would have a hard time paying because of your medical bills. I'm not positive, but it sure seems like swimming or water aerobics would be a good alternative for you. I don't think you would need to bend your knees too much, and it isn't pressure bearing. Anyway, you'll find lots of support on this site and I wish you all the best! Good luck!

Thanks, Jacqui. My husband and I are considering joining the Y, only that the closest one is about 40 minutes away so it's not the most convenient right now with every direction my kids have me running in but I always keep that option in the back of my mind. And if I'm going to pay the $60 a month fee for our family I want to make sure that we all can use the membership so dh and I are trying to work out a schedule where he can meet me in there after work on nights that our kids don't have ball practices. I definitely want and NEED to join, just have to get it to fit in. There is a Curves about 15 minutes away but I know several of their machines are for the legs but I was thinking of going in and seeing what I could or couldn't do and whether or not what I can do would be enough to make a difference (although ANYTHING at this point would make a difference).
Thanks for the welcome!

Welcome!!! I'm glad you're here!!

Wow---you are a survivor! I'm sure you will find success with your weight loss. Surf around and settle in!