164 | How Yoga Saved Me

It's been a while since I've last posted and I think there's no better time for an update than now. There was hesitation to reveal the following story, but the more I talk to people about it, the more I realize how important it is to tell.

On the eve of April Fools' Day of this year, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis where the colon is carpeted with benign polyps. When left untreated, they become cancerous and the onset of colorectal cancer is 100% by the age of 39. Fortunately, it is treatable with excellent prognosis but even after knowing that I would be in great care, I endured a lethargic and uninterested state that began two months before I even knew what was going on (it's amazing how the body knows something is off long before you actually do).

As evident by the title of this website, skiing is a huge part of my life, and it's something I look forward to each weekend for about 9 months a year; if there's snow to be skied, I'm on it. For all of February and March, I went skiing not a single day, and this uninterested state last until the middle of June. In that time, I continued to sulk as many people probably would when backed up against an unmovable wall. What brought me out of such a listless funk was the introduction of yoga to my daily life and without it, I would not be where I am today.

After the first class, I was immediately hooked on yoga and was amazed how much better it made me feel as a person. Not only for the physical aspect of it, but there was a great mental and spiritual enlightening that allowed me to understand what I was going through and to better progress past the hardships. I always try my best to see the good in all bad situations, but I was unable to do so once I learned of my condition and the surgery ahead that would require the complete removal of my large intestine. I suppose most people wouldn't expect someone in my situation to readily accept the life change I was to endure, but I had thought I had prepared myself for something this demanding.

Over the next three months, I continued practicing yoga 7-10 times a week, frequently starting each weekday morning with a 6am class; it was like I was reborn each day with a clean slate and with a fresh body & mind; it became an addiction - an addiction to living well. It wasn't long before I was back to my normal self with growing confidence about a successful recovery short-term and long-term.

Following surgery in early October, I spent six trying days in the hospital where it was a true test of my will to battle back. I've been on some very physically draining ski adventures in the past, but nothing compared to those first 48 hours post-op where it felt like someone hit my stomach with a baseball bat a thousand times. I honestly can't think of anything more difficult then trying to get out of bed and walk on the evening of that first day, but I was determined to regain a life that was temporarily taken from me. By day two, I was able to walk a mile around the hospital and my pace slowly increased each morning.

Again, if it wasn't for all the training I had done prior, I'm not sure I would have been able to cope and handle the surgery and the recovery which required a strong mental state to overcome the physical obstacles. You can only blame yourself for so long, but in the end, we all need to be proactive and tackle adversity head-on, and it was yoga that allowed me to accept the challenge in good light and be able to use it to my benefit. I'm now two months post-op and in the best shape ever, physically and mentally.