Since I’m still relatively new to the ostomy world, I haven’t had a lot of courage to dance or work out like I used to.   Before surgery I was really active and had just started learning samba and afro-carribean dance. I went to zumba class and played capoeira (an afro-brazilian martial art) almost every day.  Getting sick really knocked me on my butt and throughout the ordeal, I lost almost all of my muscle and flexibility.  Combine that with the fear of hernias and overdoing and you’ve got a scaredy cat girl on your hands!  

I’ve gone to a couple different dance/exercise classes at the gym but they just haven’t felt right, which is really frustrating for me.  Exercise/bounciness still feels weird, I’m very aware of Coltrane and it seems to wake him up, so I usually find myself supporting my bag or putting a little pressure around my ostomy for comfort as I move.  My cousins got the Just Dance 4 game for the Wii at Christmas and were playing it that night, but still being swollen and sore from the partial blockage made me not even want to think about participating.  The next night I was feeling much better and decided to give it a try.  HOW FUN!  I didn’t exert myself 100% but pushed myself some and it was a great workout.  I can’t wait to go back over and play again.  

This is the game we were playing. So much fun!
This post was originally written in December 2013.