For seven years, Micki had health issues that included colitis, a perforated intestine, and multiple hernias. She underwent five abdominal surgeries, spent a month in the hospital, and stopped doing all the activities she loved.
Previously, Micki had enjoyed belly dancing and an active life with her husband. Because of her high risk for additional hernias, she became afraid to move. “You can’t do anything,” she says. “They tell you, ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that…’ Well, what CAN I do? All I did is sit on my butt all day long.”
Micki had been going to a physical therapy clinic that was affiliated with her surgeon’s practice, but she was frustrated with her lack of progress and restrictions without alternatives. “They just kept telling me that I had to get used to this lifestyle. You can’t, you can’t, you can’t… I just couldn’t take it anymore, and I broke down crying in front of the doctor.
“And he heard me that day,” she says. “He told me that he knew I wasn’t myself. I had gotten to 90 pounds down from 128, and he knew I needed a change. So, he said, ‘OK, I’m going to send you to MY people.’ And he told me about KCP and said ‘This is where I go when I’m injured.’”
“I drove immediately to KCP and set up an appointment,” Micki says. “And they changed my life.”
“From the beginning, they really listened to me,” she says. “We started slow and just went from there. Initially they thought we could shoot for 10 minutes of activity, but we had to stop after two. And they said that was okay. We went from there. We made it to four minutes and kept building. They told me I could do what I wanted, but I just might have to do things differently than I was used to. It was all about alternatives. Let’s try things a different way. They listened, and they helped me figure it out. The confidence that they gave me after five years of hearing what I couldn’t do was incredible.”
Over the course of her rehabilitation, Micki worked on her balance, strength, flexibility, and form. She was able to stop using stop using a cane that she had relied on for stability and learned how to perform exercises and activities in ways that reduced the possibility of injuries.
“Now, I’m doing anything I want to,” she says. “I see them once a week, and they have become my family and friends — I’m never going to leave! I love every single person there. And the other patients are just fabulous, too! These are just MY people.”
Micki works out regularly through the KCP Fitness training program and continues to build her strength. She also takes a Zumba class, plays in the park with her grandchildren, goes on walks with her husband, and climbs the hill by her house to feed the birds.
“There are so many things I can do in my life now, and it’s because of them,” she says. “I have no doubt about it. I don’t feel like I have limitations. I watch what I’m doing, but I just pay more attention to HOW I do it. They teach while they help you heal and get stronger. They know you by name. They are so genuine, and their kindness is incorporated into everything they do. They helped build a confidence in me that I never thought I’d get back. I have just been so blessed by everyone at KCP.”