When I was a child in elementary school, my clinic and my mom pulled me from physical education class. I was told it was because I was breaking my muscles down to fast and that it was breaking down the PHE in my own bodies protein. I was also told that it could elevate my levels. ( later in life learning how false this is!!)
I never played any sports, I wasn’t on any teams. As I grew up and went through middle school and high school, I still did not do P.E. I never learnt to be apart of a team and the life skills that comes from playing sports. At the time I didnt care and I was thrilled to not have to do it. I had such low self esteem , my confidence in myself was so low and I didnt want to be judge or watched.
I couldn’t see myself doing it right and being laughed at. I shined away from all the teams, sports, and was not in the least bit physically active or athletic. I have never been in good shape. I have been skinny, because I was sick. Not because I was physically fit. I didn’t go to gyms , I didn’t do anything recreationally. Expect for swimming. I just love to be in the water. I love how I feel in the water and I love the way it moves against my skin. I did give it up for many years though when I no longer felt comfortable in a bathing suit. Also when I was being bullied and peer pressure or beaten up , I did not want to go anywhere were I might run into someone from school. So I hide away.
But I did not think about it much. I was not jealous of my class mates who played soccer or volley ball or anything else. Before I was pulled out of PE I had tried out for teams, I tried volley ball and I tried High jump and short stop ball. I did a couple relays. However like I said I was in terrible shape and had trouble breathing and I didn’t make any teams. I was never good enough . So I gave up and moved on.
Now that I think back, I wish I was made to keep at it. Playing sports is good for PKU!! it helps regulate the body and some people can eat a bit more on the days they work out. Or they increase their formula. Katie my PKU friend here in kamloops grew up skiing, diving, riding, and all sorts of sports. She tells me she learnt alot from it. It gave her confidence and something to do. She made friends with her team mates and they bonded over their similarities.
I look back and think about people I knew who played on sports teams and how they worked together effectively they learnt to be a team member, to be responsible and accountable , to play their roll and help there team at the same time. All life skills that can continue on through out life, especially in the work force.
I also think about the people who travelled for games, and the excitement they must have felt. The pride after a win that you worked so hard for. Celebrating wins, mourning losses, trying , practising , learning and improving.
Growing up I thought it would be to hard to take my food and my formula with me , or to mange my pku while being on a team, travelling on buses to games, not coming home after school because of after school practices. I hid my PKU , didn’t follow my diet and didn’t eat at school so would have to wait hours to go home and have my formula.
I see PKU families not much like Katie’s, who have these ready made liquid formulas, ready to go pre made foods, or dishes that are easy to travel with. PKU life has become so much more convenient and a second thought for me. Its just my lifestyle now, apart of who I am. When I plan ahead, meal prep and portion out my baking it works really well for me. Now we have apps for on the go too!
I think If I had of grown up with PKU in today’s times, I may have been into sports.
After my surgeries as an adult, I tried to work out and loose weight , buy going to the gym and various exersize programs that I never could stick to or was never successful.
It was not until I moved to kamloops that I gave any thought towards sports. I joined yoga, aqua fit and badminton with my friend sherry. I learnt that I had way more fun and I could feel the blood pumping over my hole body. I felt invigorated. I felt I breathed deeper and inhaled fresh air , breathed out stale air. I cant describe how it made me feel. But I had fun!
While working nights I fell away from sports, gained weight, struggled with keeping consistent and looseing weight.
Since I have been off nights, I am back at the gym, I am swimming, going to yoga , walking and hiking and I have been enjoying it so much!
Than last week a new opportunity presented it self. I saw a post on fb for slo-pitch soft ball. When I moved to kamloops in the summer of 2012 my work was going to get a team together and I had considered signing up for then and was disappointed when they could not get enough people. So after talking it over with Cole, and our friends we decided to give it a try!
We messaged the team last Tuesday, and we have a practice last Wednesday and our first game on Thursday. I happend to fast that it was hardly any time to really think about it!
It was so much fun!! I actually hit the ball once and got a run and I was so happy!! I swelled with pride and laughed that I actually hit the ball. It was a good feeling. I love the sound of the crack the bat makes when you hit the ball .
We signed up with our good friends Claudia and Casey so it is something we can all do together. It also gets cole and I out of the house and something we can do together.
Today Cole and I went shopping and bought our equipment. Cole bought us each new cleats, and gloves, he also got me a ligh bat. We went across to the school today by our house and practised for 30 mins. I am slowly learning and getting the “swing” of things. Cole has been teaching me and is very patient. I have been learning the rules , and fight the impulse to swing every time , or to duke from the ball.
It is a really great feeling. I am so proud to be able to say I am part of a team, I am glad its a fun league or as cole calls it the “beer league” and that its slower , also that all the members are patient and help me out by telling me what to do. So I hope i can continue to learn and improve. I am looking forward to our ice breaker tournament this weekend. It is going to have live music, BBQ and lots of fun!
Here are a few photos from our first game last week. ( oh and we won it too!!!) as well as a photo of my new equipment . I didn’t realize it all matched untill we got home!
Moral of the story. NEVER ever let PKU prevent you from doing something. From living your life and being apart of normal life experiences. PKU does not control who you are and what you can do. You can control it by managing it. As well as living your life to the fullest. Dont let it hold you back. If you do not hold you back, you will not grow to resent it, you will not fall of track as much, cheat or eat foods you shouldn’t. Learn that it is just another part of you that makes you special. Think of it as a lifestyle and mange it to fit your life, not fitting your life around it.
A lesson I should have learnt many years ago but now I am glad I have and I can pass it along to you.
I am PKU Strong 