Team Beachbody ¡preestreno!Español Guest

I think some things happens for a reason. I haven't always been overweight and have not always struggled with my weight.

About 5 years ago I was pretty slim, 18% body fat and weight training on a regular basis (a gym rat most would say). I was studying exercise physiology and kinesiology at a local JC and even thought about competing in some local fitness contests, although I had a ways to go

More ...

I think some things happens for a reason. I haven't always been overweight and have not always struggled with my weight.

About 5 years ago I was pretty slim, 18% body fat and weight training on a regular basis (a gym rat most would say). I was studying exercise physiology and kinesiology at a local JC and even thought about competing in some local fitness contests, although I had a ways to go before I was at that level. My roommate suggested that I look into becoming a trainer because I spent so much time at the gym, so I took a class to prepare me for the ACE Certification test.

I started having some pain in my left foot and chalked it up to my shoes and running so much. When the pain didn't go away after I stopped running and new shoes, I went to my general MD (I had a HMO so I couldn't just go to a Podiatrist w/out his referral) who asked me a series of questions, asked where the pain was (it didn't hurt all the time) yadda-yadda-yadda and decided that I was depressed and that the pain was all in my head (he said he could prove it).

My past isn't all roses, and I am open minded, so I went to his psychiatrist. She said that I had bipolar. I went on to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion, but my file followed me (HMO/same facility) so I heard the same thing over and over. How can 3 doctors be wrong? I started clinical therapy and taking 3 meds (lithium, depakote, + topamax) that they steadily increased throughout a 2 month period. I gained 50 lbs, regardless of the training I did, my food diary, and my weight just kept going up.

In the meanwhile I walked into the podiatry office at Kiaser, and begged the doctor to talk to me. He did (God bless him) and he did an X-ray and MRI. He said he couldn't see anything so he referred me to a specialist, who didn't really do anything, and dismissed me almost right away (he probably had access to my file as well).

I did what the doctors told me and went to therapy on a regular basis but my foot contined to hurt me, and everyone dismissed it. It bothered me the most was gaining so much weight in a small amount of time and no one thought it was strange. The drugs made me a zombie and I didn't like who I was on them.

After about 6 months of this, and many many pounds later, the first podiatrist called me and asked me to come into his office (he sounded excited). He found something wrong! He showed me a big medical book and a picture that matched my xray. He explained to me (in non medical terms) that my foot thinks it's broken, and is repairing itself. He didn't see it in the x-ray's clearly because it was between the fibrous and cartilage stage.

My psychologist was awesome. I told her what the podiatrist had found, and she helped me to get off of the meds. After talking to me for so long, she admitted that I had a gray background but was not bipolar and helped me get off the meds, regardless of the psychiatrist, who I stopped seeing immediately.

I wouldn't be married to my husband now, if all these things didn't happen. I now have a child, and am still overweight. It's been a few years since I stopped treatment for this misdiagnosis, and I think my metabolism has finally normalized somewhat. I have lost 40 lbs since having my son in 2007 but I am still having an extremely hard time losing weight.

That's my story!

Close