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Look at how these members did!
Nancy D. - Newark, VT
This is my first ever testimonial ... I am a 64 year old woman who has for the first time in her life ... taken up weight training, along with aerobic exercise to help me with years of suffering with terrible back pain.
I have endured years of sciatic pain, and back problems resulting in two spinal fusions. Prior to the surgery, I had several very painful injections in my spine to alleviate pain.
My last surgery was in July of 2006, and since then I have been pretty much absent of sciatic pain, but still experienced back pain. Especially when walking. And, walking was the choice exercise of my doctors. I would try, but soon gave up because the pain was so severe, and I was walking with a cane.
Then a friend introduced me to the Club At Old Mill, and Director of Fitness and Racquetball, Bob Doty. I cannot express enough what a difference this has made in my life. Bob has instructed me in how to work the core muscles that support my back, and the result is, to me, a miracle! I am walking without PAIN, and without a CANE! Something I thought I was never going to do. And, life is so much sweeter now. Being in constant pain affects so many areas in our lives. This is the greatest gift I could receive.
I urge anyone with a back problem to give the good people at the Club At Old Mill an opportinity to help you, too!
If only I had done this sooner!!!
October 2007
Patty W. - St. Johnsbury, VT
I am a 46-year-old female who has always been very athletic. Through High School I played Field Hockey, Basketball, Recreation Volleyball, and Softball. I also taught 5th & 6th Grade Basketball for 5 years.
In June of 2000, I had an injury to my back. The injury aggravated my Spondylothesis, which I was born with. I had such severe low back pain. I had sciatic pain running down both legs. My legs would give out on me, which made me fall a lot. After 6 months of physical therapy and very painful shots in my back the low back pain did not go away. I could barely make it out of bed without my husbands help.
In December 2000, I could not stand the pain anymore. The Doctors recommended a spinal fusion. I was too young to accept the fact that I would have to live with this the rest of my life. The Doctors gave me a 50/50 chance of paralysis. Skin grafts were taken from my right hip. But, months later the bone from the grafts dissipated, hitting nerves in my back which was extremely painful. I had another surgery 11 months later, this time grafts were taken from my left hip. I beat the odds of paralysis, but, had to walk using a walker for a few months. Then came a cane.
In 2004 I entered the Functional Restoration Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital. This program was an intense 4 week program learning how to deal with Chronic Pain. At the end of the month they gave me a 3 month Membership at “The Club at Old Mill”. That is where I first met Bob Doty. I could barely walk when I first joined the club. Bob taught me basically how to walk again. He educated me on how to exercise and to strengthen my core muscles. He also gave me so much confidence. Something I definitely was lacking.
About a year later I joined Stephanie Davis’ Bodyshaping Class. Stephanie taught me to modify exercises and how to tone up.
I then got to work on my nutrition with Nutrition Specialist Bonnie Bashaw-Cole.
With the assistance of Bob Doty, Bonnie Bashaw-Cole, and Stephanie Davis I was able to lose weight, tone up, and control my chronic pain! And not let chronic pain control me.
I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to work again because I could not lift heavy items or sit for long periods of time. In May of 2007 there was a part time position available at “The Club at Old Mill” for the front desk. I applied and got the job. What a better place to work than for the people who helped rehabilitate me. The part time position has now become a full-time job!
I encourage anyone with chronic pain to come and experience what exercise can do for you at “The Club at Old Mill”
Special Thanks to my Husband Brian and Two Daughters Danielle and Christine for all their love and support and care giving over the last 7 years.
Jeff K. - South Burlington, VT
Dear Bob,
I’m sorry I’m unable to attend your gathering as I am in Maine on business this evening. I did, however, want to drop you this note so that you might share my experience with your guests.
For those of you who don’t know me, I am a competitive racquetball player at the open level. I have been in the top five in the state of Vermont for the past 4 years. In 1998, I was ranked 6th in the Nation at the A level.
During the fall of 2000, my left knee began giving me problems. It ached all the time. During the Christmas holiday I sat Indian style on the floor for five minutes one day and it took me about 15 minutes to straighten my leg during which time I was in tremendous pain. Playing racquetball on this knee was a real chore. It felt weak and as if it would blow out at any time. If I lunged for a ball with my left leg leading, I couldn’t support my body weight due to the pain and weakness. It wasn’t long before I played less aggressively and stopped lunging with my left leg altogether. During the 2000/2001 season, I entered six tournaments and lost first round of all but one, which I lost second round, quite a change from my prior success.
In May of 2001, during a doctor visit I asked my doctor to look at my leg. He pulled and bent and jerked my knee but found nothing. He told me that all the pounding I had exposed my legs too with all the sports I had played, given my age of 36 at the time, the pain was just something I would have to live with.
Contemplating my future in the sport of racquetball, I started asking various people I knew a lot of different questions. Especially the people I knew that had knee problems.
Then one day in June 2001 I called Bob for one of our many “catch-up” calls to see what he was up to. I consider myself a good friend of Bob’s but I really wasn’t aware of his fitness training abilities prior to my knee problem. Like other people I knew, I asked Bob if he had any ideas for my knee. Bob didn’t hesitate. We picked a day in August that worked for both of us and I arrived in St. Jay at noon to see what Bob was all about.
We spent over two hours working with weights. I was a little apprehensive about this because I hadn’t lifted weights with my legs since my problem started. Every time I tried, it felt like my knee would snap. Bob showed me the proper way to lift the weight and the proper range of motion for the particular exercises. Things went so well we started an upper body workout as well. The two hours flew but I was exhausted when we were through. I continued the weight program he suggested and still do it to this day. Within two weeks all the pain in my knee was gone, the weakness was gone, my leg was back to normal. It was actually better than it was before my problem.
For the 2001/2002 seasons, I entered eight tournaments, winning four and finishing in the top three in the other four. If I had listened to my doctor I would have given up the sport by now. I had never experienced as much pain as I did when I tried to straighten my leg that Christmas day. Thanks to Bob, I am back to tournament shape, even better than I was before the problem.
Thanks again Bob,
Jeff K.
Beth D. - St. Johnsbury
I’m going to start back, in 1993 when I lost insurance coverage and for 5 years I did not have my Mammograms because of it. Then in 1997 I heard about “Ladies First” and found I was eligible. So I got my test in late December. In January of 1998 I had a biopsy and was found to have Breast Cancer. Following the operation I had Radiation and 4 Treatments of Chemotherapy. After all this, I developed Lymphodema. That is a swelling of the limb nearest the Cancer area. That was my right arm and I had to wear a tight sleeve and glove to keep the swelling down.
Many people bounce back after all this but I did not, at least not completely. I found that thanks to the Chemo, which weakens your entire system, I had problems showing up that may have been just waiting for the chance to do their thing. Problems like Arthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis and Fibromyalgia came visiting and did not want to leave. I was always in pain and found it so hard to do much of anything. I was fast becoming a couch potato.
In the summer of 2001 I contacted an Herbalist and by changing my eating habits for the most part and using the herbs I went from 8 prescriptions down to 1, which is Tamoxifen.
In Oct. 2001 I came to the health club to see if there may be any help for me here. I met Bob and gave him my list of problems, which was a very long list. Bob told me that I would be able to get rid of the sleeve and glove and all of the other problems. By Thanksgiving I was no longer wearing the sleeve or the glove and as for the other problems they are improving slowly but surely. I am glad that I made the decision to come and for Christmas I gave my husband a gift certificate for the club and now he is coming also on a fairly regular basis.
In April of 2002 we went to St. Louis to visit family and due to the working out I did here I was able to keep up with everyone most of the time. A great and worthwhile trip not only to St. Louis but coming here has given me back some of my ability to do things, that I was beginning to think were lost to me.
Thanks Bob and also thanks to the club and I know Bob will say it was my hard work but I feel it was that as well as his driving me to want to do it. Sometimes you need someone behind you to give a bit of a push.
Thanks.
Barb M. – St. Johnsbury
Weight training is about the last thing anyone expected would appeal to me. I never would’ve believed it either, but I turned to it for help with the pain, depression, and loss of energy caused by Fibromyalgia and Arthritis. (What a vicious cycle that is!) I ‘m a person who believes in planning, action, and optimism. Desperation is a big motivator too.
What I wanted to do was resume recreational walking with my husband and daughter. I can do that now, and more.
Anyone with Fibromyalgia understands the description “hit by a Mac truck.” I began each day that way, unable to walk upright. Every bone and muscle ached all the time. I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs without feeling exhausted and pained. The physician’s prescription was to move, walk, exercise, and take analgesics. Frustratingly, exercise made me feel 100 times worse, and seemed to diminish my immune system ushering in a head cold. Not motivating.
A week-long retreat at a Kripalu yoga center got me reacquainted with my body in a gentle way, and gave me the contemplative room to change my lifestyle to accommodate my health needs. I could feel my muscle tone was starting to jell; common sense told me that was not good. I was bone-tired all the time. I couldn’t take the 3 mile walks I used to in the mornings, I couldn’t climb stairs without feeling like lead in my legs, I couldn’t pick up a gallon milk jug without hurting my arm. I wasn’t getting any slimmer, either. (Thank you, hormones.) I felt ancient; although my physician told me I was “young”!
So with plenty of defensiveness, I decided to try out Nautilus work. I was walking down the stairs to the Fitness Center with Bob Doty and said, "I’m over 40 and hate to exercise.” (I also hate to sweat, play team sports, or exercise in a room full of people.) To which Bob responded “Women over 40 who hate to exercise are my specialty!” (Are you kidding, I thought? You mean I might not be the oddest duck ever to hit the weight machines?)
I started out very gently, with a day or two rest in between sessions, and a good dose of analgesics. After 3 months I felt definite improvements. Muscle strength improved, of course, as did physical endurance. My outlook brightened considerably because my blood was moving, I got lots of oxygen, and had more “good stretches” of time when the pain wasn’t so bad.
Now I still have pain, but it is tolerable most of the time. I still take analgesics, but far, far fewer. I walk regularly, and can keep up a pretty good pace. The gym work I accomplish progresses slowly, but it does progress. There are still some days and nights that are difficult…but they are fewer. I feel a little better about trying out something physically challenging because it probably won’t set me back as far as it used to. So, my physical resiliency has improved, and that is vastly important. No colds or illness all winter, either.
What I’ve found out about Fibromyalgia is that common sense works better sometimes than formal medicine. Stress makes it much worse. (Exercise helps with stress, too.) Some older analgesics work better than the newer, flashier stuff. Some days it is hard to make my way to the gym, but I force myself and then feel happier and rather self-righteous afterwards. It has been worth it, and I would advise any one with Fibromyalgia to try it, start slow and be patient. Someday the medical community will figure this syndrome out, but who wants to wait? A lot of life is passing by in the meantime.
Barbara M.
2003
Peace B.... West Danville
Fifty years ago I broke my back in a toboggan accident in New Boston, N.H. An alcoholic doctor realized I was far beyond his capabilities and called in a neurosurgeon from Boston. This fine doctor took over and saved my life. Thus began a series of operations to stabilize my back. Remember 1957 was the dark ages medically with back injuries! Grafts were taken from both my shin bone and later my hip when they needed more bone. I spent almost a year in a full body cast in the hospital. When the bone was taken from my hip the doctors damaged my sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve damege is still causing problems with my foot today.
So when I was frequently told that I was lucky to have survived, it didn’t cross my mind that more could be done to improve the quality of my life. One begins to tough it out, and try to forget all the things I could no longer do. Sports had been a mainstay in my life and I could no longer enjoy them. With minimal feeling in my feet, my balance had been severely affected. My journey has been one of accepting and adjusting. I have experienced a lot of loss but felt fortunate to be alive and healthy with 3 fine children.
In 1999 my husband sought out a place to continue his workout routine during the summer. He had retired and was now spending 4 months with me at our wonderful Joe’s Pond home. The Old Mill beckoned and my husband George immediately connected with Bob Doty. After an hour with Bob he inquired if Bob thought he could help me. Bob, as we all know, loves challenges and is as skilled as anyone in helping those of us who have special needs. I had some anxiety as I had figured out how to manage and cope with my limitations and chronic pain over the years. But I agreed to at least talk to Bob. The rest is history!
Each Summer I return to the Old Mill with new expectations of what will unfold as Bob and I discuss the past year. I do know that exercise will be and must be a part of my life forever. I feel better and I am better because of it. Bob has seen me through foot surgery (2 of them) last year, another back surgery (unsuccessful) in Nov. and my latest, most serious and LAST operation this past March. I returned to the Old Mill in June needing serious attention. (Any post surgery rehabbing had been less than helpful for the therapist are so careful that no one ever has a chance to strengthen muscles that are critical to recovery.. (It is sad, for insurance covers the official rehab but won’t consider covering the truly beneficial and important work that a person like Bob does.) And the attention I have received 3x a week for 4 months. We have worked hard together. Many times my situation has forced Bob to think outside the box. No one does that better than he does. He pays attention to my observations about new pains. I watch the wheels going around as he ponders what is best to do with my challenging body. Almost all the time he is right on target.
Returning to an ordinary YMCA gym where the trainers are nice but barely adequate is always a downer for me. I will work on my own for the next 8 months, looking forward to returning to the Old Mill next June hoping that Bob will be there to greet me and push me to another new level. I feel blessed in this partnership of seeking a stronger healthier body.
My First Testimonial:
Kathy F. … St. Johnsbury, VT
Hi, my name is Kathy Farnsworth. I have been a long time member with The Club at Old Mill. I have done step aerobics, dance and the fitness center. It is like my second home.
I have had 7 surgeries between both of my knees. The last 2 were total knee replacements. The first knee replacement was 5 years ago and the second was just last year. All together my knee problems go back as far as 1997, so you can see I have had some very difficult times with my knees and always seem to keep smiling.
The Club at Old Mill has been a blessing for me. They never let me give up. Between Bob Doty and especially Bonnie Bashaw-Cole and Stephanie Davis, they taught me to think positive and believe in your self.
We had done several aerobathons in the 1990’s to help raise money for the Dream Factory that lets terminally ill children go live their dream. I had knee issues then and people could not believe I was out doing the aerobathon all that time.
The doctor that did all of my knee surgeries also works out at the Old Mill and he sees how I have improved.
So always remember … never give up and remember that the employees at The Club at Old Mill care about all your needs to help you recover after surgery. See you at the gym.
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