After what they described as a “horrific year,” Kyle and Lucy chose to take back control of their lives. With support from Feel Good Suffolk Advisor, Teresa, they began working towards improved health and wellbeing through exercise at their local gym.
Lucy and Kyle, who live in Bury St Edmunds, had their lives turned upside down when Lucy, who was eight months pregnant at the time was discovered to have four brain tumours. Although she has a condition, which means she regularly develops tumours and can suffer effects to her nervous system, she had put her dizzy spells down to being pregnant, until she had a fall which required her to seek medical attention. It was on this day that the four tumours were discovered, and Lucy required urgent surgery to have them removed, and to have her baby delivered early via a caesarean.
Kyle, Lucy’s long-term partner, works offshore with the gas and oil industry. Kyle describes his experience:
“It was an awful situation; I was in the middle of the sea! I managed to get a private helicopter the day after Lucy was admitted to hospital. It was such a scary moment for us but Lucy does not remember much of this time.
Lucy is one to suffer in silence, she never complains. One of the tumours was the size of a golf ball so how she managed to grow a perfectly healthy baby and get to where she is now is no mean feat! – she really is a warrior!”
Lucy was kept in hospital for six months following the ordeal, which resulted in Kyle leaving his job so he could care for her and their new baby girl. It was during this time and the period once Lucy returned home that the couple really struggled. Suddenly they needed to rely on financial support, and they had lost their routine, motivation and lust for life. They both became very low and their health and wellbeing was suffering.
The couple explained that they often didn’t get out of bed until mid-morning, they were feeling sluggish and did not have the same get up and go that they had had before. Not only this but Lucy was still on a long road to recovery, she had lost the sight in one eye, her balance was still off and she was extremely exhausted and drained most of the time.
“We were struggling big time, and we didn’t have the motivation to change. On top of that our finances were hit hard, we could not afford to access sports facilities or a gym to do the exercise that we knew would help us in this time, which is where Feel Good Suffolk came in!”
The couple sought help through their GP who recommended they got in touch with the service to help them get back to some physical activity, work on their mental health and wellbeing and find a new routine. It was then that Teresa got in touch with the couple to talk through their current situation and discuss the 12 weeks gym membership with Abbeycroft Leisure which could be offered to them – they both explain that this was their lifeline!
Kyle added:
“We were introduced to the Abbeycroft Leisure facilities just before Christmas. I was used to training regularly in the gym, but it was all quite new for Lucy. The gym access changed everything! At the time we could not afford anything like this but having the membership gave us a purpose. We started getting up early, we would workout together, the house was now in order again, we started walking the dog and we have been able to bond more and we’re a lot happier. We even got engaged at Christmas and I am now beginning to think about returning to work”
The couple explained that being in a different environment rather than just at home day in day out gave them a real boost, whilst they are also benefitting no end from the added physical activity. Kyle reports to have lost some weight and regained strength, whilst Lucy has become more confident, improved her energy levels and strength and has also reported a significant improvement in her balance, so much so that she is now occasionally going out with Kyle on a bicycle too – something she would not have been able to safely do several months ago.
Ea a spus:
“Before I would just hurt all the time and feel so lethargic but now, I feel like my body has life in it again! Even going up the stairs is feeling easier now and gradually we have been able to walk the dog further – in fact, even the dog seems happier. This entire experience has had a knock-on positive effect on everyone.”
Kyle added:
“It’s great that we’re now thinking about the future again because a few months ago, we weren’t even thinking about going back to work. We were just so lost, and we didn’t have any direction, we felt quite lazy and we were just sitting about feeling sorry for ourselves.”
Lucy and Kyle cannot thank the Feel Good Suffolk service enough for offering them this opportunity and the brilliant staff at Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre who have supported them with their journey in the gym. Whether they continue with this routine in the future or not, they know that it has definitely helped them to get to where they are now. Kyle is excited at the prospect of getting back to work again, whilst Lucy is pleased to be seeing ongoing improvements in her health.
Their advisor Teresa said:
“It has been a pleasure to hear from Kyle and Lucy about the positive impact their engagement with Feel Good Suffolk has had. From our initial conversation, it was evident that this was a journey they were committed to undertaking together. In subsequent discussions, it has been clear that their involvement with Feel Good Suffolk has had meaningful emotional and physical benefits for them both. I hope these positive changes continue to support their wellbeing in the future.”
If you’d like the opportunity to become more active, refer yourself into the service today by completing our online form at https://feelgoodsuffolk.co.uk/make-a-referral/ A member of the team will then be in touch to discuss the options in your local area.
Romanian 
English 
Polish 
Lithuanian 
Portuguese 
Bengali