Disabled and Whole

Dear Readers and Friends,

Animals can be some of the sweetest friends on Earth. I hope you know this to be true as well. It’s one of the reasons we are so excited to take Roman to the zoo tomorrow for his birthday! He is such an animal-lover. I love that feeling a mother gets in her chest, that “heart-glow” when you see your child care for creatures smaller than they are. Roman talks to our kittens like he is their parent, but don’t get me wrong, he has his toddler moments. “I am their da-da!” he says, and insisted a few weeks ago that we celebrate his “fatherhood” of our kittens on Father’s Day alongside Evan’s paternity of himself. 😭😂🥹 Animals can be great friends.

Humans have always been fascinated by animals throughout time. History and time have shown that one kind in particular can become a rare friend and ally. Horses in particular have a special magic about them. They are social, intuitive beings, with sensitive souls. When you stand beside one and feel that powerful demeanor melt a bit beneath a friendly touch and a few whispered words, it’s horse magic, I’m telling ya.

When I was around 6 or 7, my parents took me and my sister to a little farm where families and kids could participate in the daily farm chores. This was like a trip to Disney for me, and I made a b-line straight to the barn. The barn manager gave me some ground rules when I entered with my parents, and there was one horse in particular that they warned me was a grumpy one most of the time. Of course, the little rebel that I was, I decided that this horse would become my friend by the end of the trip. End of story.

And believe it or not, it did! I don’t know if it was my small stature (being a kid and maybe less intimidating? I don’t know!), but that grumpy horse finally let me pet it, the barn staff wide-mouthed behind me. Its name was El Diablo (“The devil”). El Diablo was my first horse-friend, and I was hooked after that. Every summer, it was off to rodeo horse camp for a week! I couldn’t wait and would count the school days until summer.

Fast forward about 2.5 decades later. I’m 31, still that little horse freak on the inside, but newly diagnosed with MS, with hardly any energy for physical activity, let alone the normal activities of daily living. A lot of daily tasks involve pain when you have MS. And a lot of life has changed, both for the good and bad. Over the years, I’m finding that physical therapy and exercise are vital to living well with MS. If MS is a part of your picture, I can imagine that your trying to accept a mixture of multiple therapies, like OT/PT/speech+cognitive therapy/float therapy/chiropractic/ acupuncture/counseling/the list goes on and on…as a part of your life too.

When we were living in Connecticut a few years ago, I was just trying to keep my head above water when it came to learning how to live life in a newly disabled body.

One Sunday morning before church service, my dear friend, Liesl, asked me if I’d like to do some gentle riding and experience all the many benefits to our spirits and nervous systems of being around horses. She cares for a beautiful retired race horse named Ebony, who was owed by a sweet lady named Kathy, who also has MS and was riding for the benefits. Immediately I said yes! The inner child in me was screaming with excitement. For over a year, I met her at the barn for gentle rides with Ebony. I noticed not only my balance and gait improving, but it also encouraged my spirit. There is nothing like time spent at the horse barn with friends. Ebony, Liesl, Jesus, thank you!

So, when we moved to Waukesha in July 2022, Evan and I started looking right away for an equine physical therapy center. Enter LifeStriders!

I have never experienced a more caring, loving and accepting environment than what I have found at LifeStriders. My PT, Olivia, is one of the kindest, most knowledgeable people I know. In less than a year here, I’ve seen quite a bit of improvement in my physical strength, core strength, and back strength, as well as help managing nerve pain, anxiety and depression that can come with managing a chronic, neurodegenerative disease. I’ve been able to accept some of my limitations, as well as challenge myself to get stronger and keep going. There are so many people who volunteer their time at LifeStriders, and each one is an exceptional person. Our Thursday morning PT sessions not only strengthen me physically, but the bonds of friendship do wonders for the soul. The side-walkers and leaders who volunteer each session are so encouraging, and knowledgeable in riding, and they help the PT and client so much during the session. Did I mention the volunteer their time!!! It adds built-in friends during the already-existing care plan for treatment. Little did I know that I would feel so accepted at this place. My PT always says that I can just “come as I am to each session, and we’ll adapt as needed.” Such good advice for life as well!

LifeStriders is so much more than physical therapy. It’s my happy place, and I am so proud to represent them as one of the jockeys at the Derby Days fundraiser this weekend! If you’d like to donate and try to push me and my horse, Slick, to the front of the pack, follow the link below!

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/lifestriders/lifestriders-derby-days-2024/chelsea-burgess

With love,

Chelsey and Slick