"Doctors told me I'd be in a wheelchair, but I fought my way back": Inspiring Rugby woman defies health odds
A Rugby woman struck down with a debilitating condition has continued to defy the odds after being told she'd be in a wheelchair.
Sarah Osterman’s health problems started in 2005.
She said: “I was told by the doctor that the rate my body was deteriorating and I’d be in a wheelchair within six months.
"They said there was nothing they could do to stop it. After having a good cry, I then saw a different doctor who was absolutely fantastic.”
Sarah was diagnosed me fibromyalgia, put on medication, and given me an exercise plan.
She went on: “This plan started with alternating between three seconds of movement and one minute of rest, before very gradually increasing the movement and decreasing the rest. It took a few years, but this enabled me to get back on my feet and live a normal life.”
Sarah still wasn’t walking much, but she could manage to do her shopping by herself.
Doctors said her condition was in remission.
"I can never say I’m cured, but keeping it behind the scenes is the next best thing,” she said.
"The one long lasting effect I have is the mitochondrial function in my muscles has been permanently damaged. My muscles can no longer process oxygen properly, so they burn quicker and recover slower. I’ll never be able to run, but as long as I can walk, I’m fine with that.”
In 2011, Sarah moved to Sweden to live with my husband Knatte, a keen walker, who was behind his wife all the way.
She said: “I started with getting off the bus just one stop earlier, then two stops, and so on. Like the previous exercise plan, I started small and gradually increased. Then in 2014, I entered my first 5K event. In 2015-2019 I did several more 5K events (I even did a 10K), and was also regularly walking at other times, including some days where I would walk 20-25km.”
When the coronavirus hit, Sarah caught the virus and thought her walking days were over.
“It felt like all my joints had gone rusty, everything hurt, and I was totally exhausted,” she said.
"I felt like I was back to square one and heading for a wheelchair again. In 2021, after getting the vaccine, I had a big improvement but by then I had a body I hadn’t been able to use for 18 months. Every attempt I made to get back on track failed. My body just would not cooperate. It was very frustrating.”
Sarah said: “By early June, I had managed to work my way up to 30 minutes on the treadmill at a time. Jumping from that to the 5K so soon was a massive achievement. Something that I can be very proud of myself for, even though my body didn’t approve (I got shin splints, and a big sciatica flare-up!)”
She recently completed the Love Rugby Festival’s 5k run and is encouraging others to never give up.
Sarah said: “I intend to keep walking, and pushing my limits. I’m currently 57, and since I plan to keep increasing that number, I want to be healthy enough to enjoy life.”