Lorraine Rebman said the last four years of her life are equivalent to being struck by lightning.
The stabbing pain in her joints was first diagnosed as Fibromyalgia nine years ago. The crippling diagnosis hindered her mobility severely until a solution arrived one year ago. Rebman’s doctor suggested joining an eight-week exercise class, the Alberta Healthy Living Program, to get a handle on the debilitating disease.
“It’s not something that’s going to go away, but exercise helps settle it down,” the 60-year-old explained.
“There’s still a little pain but I think the more exercise you do helps your body a lot.”
Most people with Fibromyalgia are women diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 50, with effects lasting for the rest of their lives. Symptoms include muscle pain and fatigue, and can be lessened through lifestyle changes, medications and stress management.
Fibromyalgia can cause one’s brain to react to pain differently than others while triggering physical and emotional trauma in some. In addition to being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Rebman was diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease, anxiety and depression.
“And mental attitude has a lot to do with it too,” she added.
When she began attending the healthy living program, she was using a walker and a cane.
“But I haven’t used it in about a year and that’s just from doing this exercise,” Rebman explained about the Living Well Program.
“The treadmill really did me good — I got to hold on and walk. I love to walk, I’m a walker so that’s why they gave me the cane and walker.”
The Alberta Healthy Living Program is offered through Westlock Community Services, a sister program from the Alberta Health Service, and is geared towards helping adults with chronic health problems. The eight-week program runs biweekly and focuses on building strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. It also offers educational seminars based on topics like healthy eating, high blood pressure, cholesterol and Type 2 Diabetes.
“It’s absolutely free,” Healthy Living program assistant Megan Conrad said. “It’s funded by the Alberta government as a preventive measure for people suffering from chronic illnesses. It’s kind of like learning self-management skills for problems that can put you into the hospital.”
Roughly 250 people in Westlock completed the Alberta Healthy Living Program in 2012. The course offers components in fitness and education.
Now Rebman has completed the program and walks on a treadmill almost daily, while her friend and personal chauffeur — Melba Nelson — does an aquasize class. The duo found exercise programs to suit both of their lifestyles and push each other to stay active.
“We started going a couple of days a week and now we go just about every day,” Rebman said. “Melba’s in aquasize for about an hour so I try to stay on the treadmill and do some stretching, but we want to get the word out.”
For more information about the Alberta Healthy Living Program, call 1-877-349-5711 or e-mail [email protected].
