From Fibromyalgia to Triathalon!

One of the delightful things I did not expect from my lupus diagnosis is the opportunity to connect with other women who want to share their stories.  This connection process builds community and brings perspective to my journey.

Today, I would like to introduce you to an inspiring friend of mine: Lynn Lennon.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Lynn, a registered nurse from Virginia, to get the scoop on her health transformation. Since a large majority of lupus sufferers also have fibromyalgia (as I did), I was curious about her secrets that took her from leading a painful life to a powerful one.

Her symptoms began about 7 years ago with pain in her shoulder, neck, hip and spine. Lynn began gaining weight and after hitting 220 pounds, she had to use a cane to get around. Only morphine along with multiple visits to the emergency room  would bring relief from her gripping pain.

Then in 2007, she hit rock bottom. While suffering from severe headaches and taking care of 2 children, one with special needs, she seriously considered suicide. That was when she knew that something had to change.

At that moment, Lynn made a conscious decision to take control of what she was eating.

She began watching every food she consumed, eliminating anything that wasn’t a whole food. She was inspired by author Ken Wilbur, who encourages making “changes in every sector in your life to get the life you want.”

She read any and all books on health and wellness and soaked in every detail. She followed Wilbur’s Pillars of Homeostasis, which are to nourish, hydrate, and restore health. She began to feel tremendously better after just 6 weeks.

It is possible for people with fibromyalgia to compete in a triathlon!Lynn gradually began weaning off her pain medications and exercised slowly, even for just 5 minutes a day. Then she began to bike again and made a conscious effort to choose everything she did every single day.

She changed how she moved and what she ate, started to meditate, and began to lose weight. With all of these efforts, her pain began to diminish. Her journey was remarkable.

In 2011, she competed in her first triathlon.

Today Lynn eats clean, organic whole foods, little meat, and lots of salmon. She has also been checked thoroughly for food allergies. She is no longer taking any medications, no longer suffering from fibromyalgia and is weighing a healthy 140 pounds. Her mantra is “make good choices and good things will happen.”

The daily choices she had to make were not easy. They took not only strength but perseverance. Lynn changed every aspect of her life for the better and has not looked back since.

I admire her focus, strong will, and fortitude.

Her persistence led her to attain the kind of life that she and many of us who have been through a similar experience would like to have – a pain-free, purposeful life. Through Lynn’s story, I hope you too will find the courage to start making those good choices and begin your journey towards healing and transformation today.

What choice in your health have you changed? I’d love for you to share them below.

Until next time,