Growing Strong

I slunk into my doctor's office to hear what I knew she was going to do upon reading the new bone density scan. Since I was now officially in severe risk of fracture, I knew she was going to tell me I had to go on fosomax, or a drug of that ilk. She knows I hate drugs, and would always prefer a natural approach to health. She surprised me.
"I know you hate drugs and would prefer a natural approach to health," she told me.
I nodded.
"So, I want to give you a year to see if we can bring these scores up through other approaches."

How many people have doctors so in tune with what they desire? Lucky lucky me! She put me on mega doses of D3. I already take D3, but she said for people with osteoporosis, huge doses are often needed. I told her I had just started magnesium supplements and she told me that was her second suggestion. I am of course already on calcium supplements. And then she told me I had to start heavy weight bearing.
"I have been running miles a day since age 14," I told her.
"Well imagine how badly off you would have been without that!" she said, "But while that is good weight bearing, it is not the best. The one benefit of obesity is that the bones of heavy people are carrying around all that extra weight all the time. So they are strong. Obese people never have osteoporosis."
"So you want me to lift weights?" I said.
"Yes, if you carried an extra 100 pounds on your frame, you would not have osteoporosis. This is a thin person's problem."

So I left the doctor happy. I hate lifting weights, much as I love aerobic exercise, but I would rather lift weights than take fosomax. AND, it occurred to me that if carrying around extra weight would cure me, then what about wearing a weighted vest during the day?
I found many on line, though most are big and made for men. None looked like things I could wear during the day with any degree of comfort. However, on one site, I did read a testimonial by someone who said wearing the vest, "reversed my osteoporosis." I was not the only one who had thought of it.

I found a 15 pound weighted vest that boxers wear, at a nearby sports store. There was a long line to the checkout. I stood 15 minutes holding the 15 pound weighted vest. Normally, that might have bothered me, but in this case, I realized it was therapy.

When I got home I put on my vest. I was exhausted after wearing it in normal activity for just an hour, mostly just sitting and working on my book. How do heavy people manage to carry around all that weight? It is exhausting! I couldn't stand it after an hour and took it off. I will have to build up to wearing it for long periods.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
This is often true. And the idea that bearing weights can strengthen our hidden frame has many spiritual applications. One doesn't get stronger spiritually unless one spends time hoisting spiritual tasks. One's faith rarely grows unless we bear burdens we don't think we can bear, and find that God is there helping us. I think it will help me when I put on the heavy vest and think I could not possibly drag this weight around to remember that deep within, hidden from sight, I am growing stronger.

Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. [14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. [15] My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. [16] Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. [17] How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! [18] Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand---when I awake, I am still with you.





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