Lust for Life to rock with AS
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Hi everyone :)
I am Laetitia, 35 years old, outdoor adventurer!
Since 2009, I have open my wings and live the lifestyle that suited me the best... I am a semi-nomadic long distance bicycle traveler. I have cycled one time the distance of the globe, climbed mountains and exchanged thousands of smiles. Last year, my world was shaken... when after years of chronic pain, I finally got diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Even though coping for years with chronic pain, I never stopped moving, and never took any medicine. I intuitively kept being active and in motion to help manage the pain. That was until I had an accident that led to a misdiagnosis (I also have an herniated disc) which resulted in a year of drastically reduced mobility. During that period of immobilisation symptoms became increasingly worse; the pain and fatigue became more and more severe. For a period, I could barely get out of bed and merely sitting up would bring tears to my eyes.
For about a year, no one understood what was happening, but after several MRIs, two spinal injections, innumerable visits to doctors, specialists and physiotherapists, I have finally been diagnosed, which was for me the beginning of climbing back the big slope!
It has been a slow road to improve my physical and mental wellbeing. I began with the basics, building back my confidence by accomplishing small goals such as walking ten thousand steps a day and doing various stretch and strength exercises.
Today, challenged by these new horizons, and in order to turn the adversity into something positive, I have created the Hope in Motion project (www.hopeinmotion.life). In order to continue my lifestyle, I had to adapt to an e-bike. Along the way I meet patients and associations from different countries and try to participate in increasing awareness to all sort of public through my campaign with Hope in Motion.
By continuing on living my life on the road and therefore my dreams, I hope to be carrying a torch of hope & positivity :) as well as promoting motion as a therapy while making the invisible visible. But more than anything I simply want to share smiles :)
This journey is about discovering how to live with a chronic illness and a big jump into the unknown.
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