| Four Legged Friends and Fitness: The Rx that Saved | | | | dance at the Stroud School of Dance in Stony Brook |
| My Life | | | | for over 25 years. I danced about 3 times per |
| An inspirational biography/editorial by Katherine Renee | | | | week from the time I was 3 until I graduated high |
| Boland | | | | school. Being in shape physically came naturally for |
| I work in the pharmaceutical industry, I know how | | | | me. I had defined calve muscles, and perfect |
| much time and money is invested in marketing | | | | posture by the time I was in kindergarten. But just |
| prescription drugs. Whether it's branded or generic, | | | | dance alone did not satisfy me. What I wanted |
| the pharmaceutical industry makes billions of dollars | | | | more than anything in the world was to ride a horse. |
| per year off of doctors signing away on their script | | | | My parents finally gave in and allowed me to start |
| pads. Society is convinced that there is a synthetic | | | | riding lessons when I was in the second grade. I |
| cure for everything from back pain to Restless Legs | | | | had discovered my true passion! Nothing gives me |
| Syndrome. One of the most lucrative classes of | | | | more than a natural adrenaline high then taking a |
| medications being the antidepressants. | | | | perfect jump. Despite the myth that the horse |
| Depression is looked upon as the foundation for | | | | does all the work, riding is actually an incredible |
| several disease states including lack of sleep, and | | | | physical workout as well. |
| lowered immune system, therefore leading to even | | | | |
| more reasons for a trip to the pharmacy. That | | | | Needless to say, being so sick and |
| being said, I'd like to share my story of not only how | | | | rundown made it almost impossible for me to enjoy |
| being depressed changed my life, but more | | | | any of these activities that I cherished more than |
| importantly how prescription drugs did NOT... | | | | anything. I could hardly make it thru a dance class |
| When I was about 15 I became | | | | without having to stop and sit on the floor. I even |
| severely depressed. The route cause of my | | | | stopped riding lessons completely. Paxil, Zoloft, |
| depression still remains a mystery to this day. | | | | Prozac, etc... I tried it all. I even stayed one on for |
| Trying to explain why is a whole other subject | | | | several years. Towards the end I began flushing |
| manner, far too long and personal for me to attempt | | | | them down the toilet just to fool my parents and |
| going into detail. | | | | the doctors. Deep down inside I knew that with or |
| This depression led me into the terrible dark world of | | | | without this medication, I still had the same |
| eating disorders. You name it I tried it, anything and | | | | thoughts. I still lived inside this awful bubble, where |
| everything from starvation, throwing up, laxatives, | | | | the only thing that mattered to me was a number on |
| excessive exercise; I tried it all just to lose weight. | | | | a scale, as if the world around me would come to an |
| And I did it on a daily basis for far too many years. | | | | end if I weighed an ounce over 90 pounds. |
| Multiple hospital stays, | | | | I cannot give an exact date or |
| psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and nutritionists | | | | time as to when I woke up, and looked at myself |
| accompanied by every antidepressant on the market | | | | from outside of this so called bubble. It came as |
| were part of the attempt to nurse me back to | | | | most things in life do, with time, life experience and |
| health. Unfortunately (or perhaps I should say | | | | maturity. I realized that when I could not enjoy the |
| fortunately) I owe none of my recovery to anyone | | | | things I loved most in life, I had nothing to live for. |
| or anything related to the field of medicine. | | | | So by giving myself back something to live for, I |
| Finally one day I had a | | | | have lived! And I'm glad to have lived to tell my |
| self-realization. I stepped back outside of my own | | | | story. I hope it that it can be an inspiration to |
| life, looking in as if I was the doctor trying to | | | | everyone else out there who may be going thru |
| diagnose the helpless patient. It almost makes me | | | | something similar. |
| laugh, because I must have been asked thousands of | | | | |
| times the exact same question (from friends, family, | | | | Today my most valuable time is |
| or professionals): "Why are you depressed?" And | | | | spent riding my horse Tyler, playing with my dog |
| every time I had the exact same answer: "I don't | | | | Roxy or doing some sort of physical fitness. My |
| know!" Until one day I asked myself a very | | | | motivation to be successful in my career came from |
| different question. I had to think outside the box, | | | | my long awaited childhood dream of owning my very |
| see the glass as half full. | | | | own horse. For over 5 years now I have worked |
| It sounds so simple, so trite, but I had to realize it | | | | (ironically!) in pharmaceutical sales. Just to clarify, I |
| for myself. What makes me NOT feel depressed? | | | | do NOT sell anti-depressants! This career enabled |
| What do I love? What am I passionate about? | | | | me to be able to fulfill my dream. Three years ago |
| What is it that I live for? The answer: (the title of | | | | I bought my horse Tyler as a Christmas gift to |
| my story) Four Legged Friends and Fitness: The Rx | | | | myself. I deserved it, I knew I did. I keep Tyler at |
| that Saved My Life | | | | a local stable in Islandia, where despite my busy |
| | | | | schedule I ride about 3 times per week. On the |
| From the time I was a young | | | | evenings that I'm not riding I attend kickboxing and |
| infant, animals and physical fitness became a part of | | | | step aerobics classes at World Gym in Setauket. All |
| my life. For my very first Christmas my family was | | | | of my time in between is spent playing with, cuddling |
| given a golden retriever puppy who immediately | | | | and snuggling with my 9 month old Boston terrier. I |
| became my very best friend. In fact the very first | | | | can never stay too upset or angry about anything |
| word I ever spoke was not mommy or daddy like | | | | after coming home and being greeted by Roxy with |
| most children; it was "Gog!" (For dog of course). I | | | | her huge blue eyes! At night I don't sleep as well if |
| was absolutely crazy about these "gogs". All of the | | | | I have not exercised in some shape or form. I can |
| neighborhood strays would always wind up in our | | | | not stand the guilt that I will feel on a nice day if I |
| backyard, including a pony who would escape from | | | | have not gone riding or taken Roxy for a jog |
| the stable down the road. Animals seemed to like | | | | through Avalon Park. |
| me, and I loved them. | | | | Some people may call it an obsession, I call it my |
| By the time I learned to walk my mother had me in | | | | cure. |
| ballet shoes, and enrolled in ballet school. She taught | | | | |