When I first met Diane Ducharme Gardner, I was 32 years old and had spent half my life walking with a cane, crutches or confined to a bed. I had already had two total hip replacements and was desperate to avoid the same fate for my knees.
I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since I was kid. It would go into remission from time to time, but when the disease was active, it was devastating. At various times it affected every joint, large and small, and did its damage. I was taking dozens pills every day and receiving weekly injections in an attempt to keep the disease under control. Even when my RA was in remission my doctors wanted me to continue taking the toxic medications and were unable to offer any relief from pain that the disease was causing except for joint replacements. I had lost substantial range of motion in most of joints and felt incredibly old. I couldn’t stand in place for more than 10 – 15 minutes a day in total. If I did, the pain would become increasingly unbearable, and I would need to use crutches to walk instead of cane, or be stuck in bed for days until the pain subsided. Sometimes my knees would also just give out from underneath me when I walked. If I didn’t have cane with me, I could fall. My legs muscles were strong. Except for getting on and off, I could easily ride a bike for miles, and could use some gym equipment, but standing and walking were very difficult and painful for me.
I wasn’t particularly impressed after my 1st class. I could hardly do a fraction of any of the postures, and didn’t feel like I was accomplishing anything. Diane told me if came 6 days a week for 90 days I would get better. She said, even though I couldn’t really do any of the postures, that if I tried to do what little I could do as correctly as my body would allow, even if it was only 1% percent of the posture, I would get 100% of the benefits. I was dubious about her claims after trying so many other alternative cures and remedies to no effect. Besides, there was no way I could afford to go to class that often anyway. But, Diane said she would let take class for free. I left that day with no intention of ever returning. [Side note: he walked out WITHOUT his cane]!
The next day I could feel that the muscles along my spine had been worked hard. I knew something positive was starting to happen to my body. I began to realize Diane had offered me the bargain of a lifetime and there was no way I wasn’t going to take advantage of it. Slowly, I began to get better. I practiced 5 days a week and never missed a day. When I couldn’t get to class, I would practice at home. Little by little I began to reclaim full range of motion in my joints, and the constant pain I was in began to disappear. I think it took about 6 months before I could kneel down on my mat without folding 2 bath towels to kneel on. The quality of my life continued to get better and better. I was able to get off disability and return to work. I gave up my handicap placard and was able to stand in place and walk without any sort of aid for hours at time with no ill effects.
That first class was 24 years ago. Bikram Yoga continues help me so many ways. One of which is that besides having RA, I also have a few other autoimmune diseases including Crohn’s disease. Since I have been practicing, I have remained symptom free and have not had any flare ups of any kind. Other than when I needed to have a revision performed on one of my prosthetics, I have never used a cane or a crutch since or had to take any medications. The prognosis for anyone who has as a severe case RA as I had is bleak. I had literally been told by my doctors to give up hope of ever getting better and things were only going to get worse for me. I consider Bikram Yoga nothing less than a miracle and so did they!
Thank you, Diane.