RMOF: Susan Shapiro

December 2005

I am almost 64 years old. I have lived in the Cleveland area all of my life, except when I was in college. I have been married to Paul Shapiro for 42 years. We have four terrific children and in February, we will have eight grandchildren. These wonderful children and grandchildren are the absolute joy of my life. I am an integral part of raising my very active grandchildren and I maintain a demanding volunteer agenda. I garden from March to Thanksgiving in my own yard and in the O.S.U. demonstration gardens. I am a teacher by profession.

In my early twenties, I had infrequent episodes of exhaustion and strange pains in my legs, but I pretty much ignored them. Later, in my twenties, thirties and forties, I had several unusual "illnesses" that were incorrectly diagnosed as "strange" and viral. In 1990, I was very ill. Several doctors and three months later, I was diagnosed with with transverse myelitis (TM). This was devastating and lasted for fours years until I began to feel better. By then, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. My endocrinologist recommended that I begin and exercise program, and I did, at the Cleveland Clinic. This was my first experience working out. In April 1998, I thought the TM had returned in a more severe form. After two MRIs, the diagnosis was multiple sclerosis (MS). I have most likely had MS since I was 20 years old.

By December 2000, I found myself in a very weak condition. Physical therapy was failing me and the Cleveland Clinic program no longer existed. I needed to get a grasp on my life. A friend recommended that I meet with John Henry. I began to workout at MBF and could barely make it through twenty minutes. Five years later, I am keeping up with 60 minute circuit weight training classes, three days per week. I am stronger than ever and happy to say that I can bench press with 20 pound dumbbells, which is something I never would have thought I could do! I feel wonderful, and better still, I have not had a severe episode in a very long time. When I do have more severe symptoms, they seem to be resolved in a timely manner. I feel I am in great condition and intend to stay this way.

Thanks to John Henry and T.E.A.M. MBF, I am living successfully with MS and osteoarthritis. I want to thank all MBF for all of the support, encouragement, friendship and education that I receive here. I am honored that you have chosen me as a Role Model of Fitness. Mind & Body Fitness has definitely become a lifestyle for me!

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