I want to shine the spotlight on a very special lady who I am lucky enough to have in my Fit and Fun Class. Her name is Lorri Murke and she is such an inspiration to me and many other women, as you will discover when you read her story. I’m guessing that many of you have, like me, complained about your hair at one time or another. (I’ve had my share of what I felt were “bad hair days!”) Well, Lorri doesn’t have ANY hair, and she is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. Lorri has raised the bar for me on what it means to accept yourself and get on with living your life! Her courage and resilience are admirable to say the least, and what a joy she is to be around! I’m so blessed to have her radiance shine on me weekly.  I asked her to write a bit of her story so that I could share it with all of you. Here’s what she wrote:

Hi, I am Lorri Murk.  I have had quite an adventure the last 24 years. While nursing my infant daughter, my hair started falling out. After a visit to the doctor, I discovered that I had “Alopecia Areata Totalis Universalis” (a noncontagious condition that causes a person’s hair to fall out)! Which meant that wherever I had hair, I lost it. I used Rogaine for nine months to hopefully cure it, but to no avail, it didn’t work. However, I did go up to a size 3x! Depression can do a number on you.

Within three months of being off Rogaine my hair started to grow back, but over the course of the next year, it all fell out again. I told myself, “I don’t have control of the loss of my hair, but I do have control of my weight.” After reading the book, “Thin Within” by Judy Wardell, I “released” (meaning: “getting rid of forever”) my weight back down to a size 10. (I didn’t lose the weight because what you lose, you find!)

I started to wear wigs, but they were SO HOT, and it didn’t do my self esteem any good when I took them off and saw my bald head! The hair on your head is so valuable for being a soft pillow.Your eyelashes filter the sun for your eyes. I can’t even begin to tell you how many bugs I have had fly up my nose or into my ears (your hair filters them out). Fortunately, I have a tremendous amount of support from family and friends! Now I am wearing hats and scarves and most of the time coming to grips with what life has dealt me. (I know, it could be MUCH worse.)

A friend told me about Fit and Fun after 50 at the Margaret Todd Center. I went to observe the class and have now been going twice a week for almost 3 years! It is a wonderful class! Jeanette warms you up, then leads you in cardiovascular exercises to all kinds of wonderful music, she cools you down, stretches your body then ends the class in guided meditation! Her powerful words and the fantastic moves that make you feel SO good have brought back all my self esteem! I AM OK! Just a lil’ different, but aren’t we ALL! ♥Lorri

Any comments you’d like to share after reading Lorri’s story?  (Type below.)