⚠️ Vulnerability (long) post! I have really struggled with looking at these photos & even more so with posting them. The truth is, there is a lot here that I have not been able to unpack & face. Many of you who know me personally, already know that I have multiple sclerosis, I don't hide this, even though it's not something I speak openly about, especially on social media. Five years ago (almost to date), I lost one of the most incredible people in my life, my maternal Grandmother. That loss combined with other extremely tumultuous experiences, triggered my first major MS relapse in 15 years. I lost about 75% of my muscle control as well as my ability to walk without assistance & had to use a cane. My treatment & recovery took about 10 months & while I was incredibly fortunate to regain my physical functionality, emotionally & psychologically, I was lost. Not able to process this new reality I had to face, I withdrew from the world & myself. The majority of my experiences both emotionally & physically for the next few years, were significantly tinged with fear. Fear of pain, fear of life, fear of disability, fear of limitation, fear of inability - fear of myself. Truthfully I became a prisoner inside of my own body; trapped by this fear & unable or unwilling to cross that line & essentially start all over. It has been 5 years since I have been inside a gym, since I have worked out at all really, outside of very controlled & limited yoga practices. Last October, after looking in the (literal & figurative) mirror & not being able to recognize the face staring back at me, I committed myself to my emotional recovery. Thanks to my incredible support system, that journey has been a beautiful success & I am eternally grateful. My tribe - I love you, beyond words & beyond measure, you saved me & I hope you know without question, how much you each mean to me, from the depths of my being, I can never thank you enough 🙏🏽✨️ (continued below ⬇️)