In 2016 Jimmy Blais, originally from Kimberley, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Two years ago he moved into the Garden View Village independent and assisted living facility after his symptoms made living on his own too difficult.
The 41-year-old was not in a good place mentally and described hating his condition. But after meeting Golden Life community manager Claire Jacklin, who helped him get into a workout routine, Blais has been able to get a whole new outlook on his life and the disease.
MS is a potentially disabling auto-immune disease of the central nervous system that can impact memory, balance and mobility and it can affect people in different ways and at different ages.
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Kimberley is Blaissa国际传媒� home town. He lived in Vancouver for a few years, having moved there to seek treatment for drug addiction.
He was a trained actor and made a few films in Vancouver, but he came back home to Kimberley in 2013 when his stepmom passed away, which he said sa国际传媒渄estroyed a lot of things.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淢y mother died when I was 10,sa国际传媒� Blais said. sa国际传媒淪o losing my step mother, she was my mum longer than my mother was my mom.sa国际传媒�
Then in 2016 he got sick.
sa国际传媒淚t affected me with hatred,sa国际传媒� he said of the diagnosis, sa国际传媒渁nd I really, really dislike that word and I really disliked how it affected me personally.sa国际传媒�
He met Jacklin while living at Garden View, and she provided him the help to get his legs on the exercise bike and gave him some much-needed encouragement to start working out.
sa国际传媒淲hat really is affecting me badly with this disease is my balance, I donsa国际传媒檛 really have pain,sa国际传媒� Blais explained. sa国际传媒淏ut really she helped me get my legs on the bike. Without that I wouldnsa国际传媒檛 be able to get on again. And thank the universe that she was here to get me started on that.sa国际传媒�
He said that working out has not only helped him feel immensely better physically, but also helped him out with his mental state as well.
sa国际传媒淸Working out] doesnsa国际传媒檛 allow me to really freak out,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淟ike I used to scream sa国际传媒業 hate thissa国际传媒� and now itsa国际传媒檚 like I cansa国际传媒檛 because I rode that bike. So coming here and doing that is whatsa国际传媒檚 really fixing the mental aspects of this disease.sa国际传媒�
He started out slowly, doing about 10 revolutions of the pedals on the exercise bike. As he regained command of his body, he increased his reps more and more and today can do 500 revolutions.
He works out early in the morning every day and is now working in strength training like push-ups and weight lifting. Hesa国际传媒檚 also walking the hallways of Garden View, pushing his heavy power chair, and doing stairs.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e never felt better about myself in a very long time,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 need to remember that Isa国际传媒檓 doing something to get out of my murk. Cansa国际传媒檛 sit back there, Isa国际传媒檓 here now. I want to stay here and keep doing what Isa国际传媒檓 doing, because I know itsa国际传媒檚 helping me and my body is changing. Isa国际传媒檝e never seen definition in my chest and my arms before. I used to be 400 pounds at my heaviest.sa国际传媒�
Were it not for meeting Jacklin and taking the initiative to start working out, Blais believes he would still be sa国际传媒渟tuck in that hatred,sa国际传媒� he felt when initially diagnosed. Now he sees that the disease does not define him, itsa国际传媒檚 just a part of him.
sa国际传媒淲orking out has really taught me how to love the disease and know that itsa国际传媒檚 an experience,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎nd thatsa国际传媒檚 what Isa国际传媒檓 doing Isa国际传媒檓 having an experience with a really awful thing but I know it now I know this and Isa国际传媒檓 thankful for it.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淎lthough it sucks,sa国际传媒� he added with a laugh.
Moving forward, Blais intends to keep working out every day and pushing himself more and more. He hopes to share his experience and inspire others who are battling MS and encourage them to not stop moving their body.
sa国际传媒淚 know that we lose a lot of our abilities and talents and stuff, but if we work towards a better goal, itsa国际传媒檒l come. Donsa国际传媒檛 get stuck in the spiral that can bring you really down. Work out. Move your body, it helps.sa国际传媒�
He also is currently working on a book. He said that this new outlook hesa国际传媒檚 achieved has helped him see himself as more than what he thought he was before, whether that was an actor, singer or a writer. He thought hesa国际传媒檇 lost all of that because of this disease, but now knows that itsa国际传媒檚 all still there.
sa国际传媒淲hen I first found out about it I thought my life was over, I was like this is it Isa国际传媒檓 done,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎nd my step mum just died so I was like, sa国际传媒榳hy am I here?sa国际传媒� But now I know, Isa国际传媒檓 here for this experience and to teach people that life can be what you make it.sa国际传媒�
paul.rodgers@kimberleybulletin
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