Karen Drew can walk again

New mom recovering with 2 daughters, will return to Local 4 in August

DETROIT – I am so excited to share the great news!

As we told you back at the end of May, I delivered my baby girl Morgan. She is a happy and healthy newborn - which was quite a relief considering my crazy pregnancy.

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Because of pain in my sacroiliac joint I had to spend 12 days in the hospital literally not able to move. Finally after nearly two weeks of injections, pain medicines, and therapy I was finally able to move my legs enough where I could walk with the help of a walker.

WATCH: Karen Drew overcomes painful obstacle in pregnancy

I was sent home with a prescription of oxycodon and told the pain would continue and would get worse, I would be in a walker through my pregnancy, and most likely up to 3 months after pregnancy. Oh - I was also told my child would be addicted to oxycodon and I would probably not be able to bring the baby home as he or she would have to go through withdrawals.

Doctors said I was a case study and really weren't able to offer me much more for answers or relief.

Devastated I stopped taking the pain killer - there was no way I was going to have a baby addicted to a pain killer. That's when I turned to homeopathic treatments, changed my diet, and relied on massage , acupuncture, and physical therapy. In weeks I saw improvement but had no idea what would happen after my pregnancy.

When May 23rd came I was so excited to deliver my child. Morgan was healthy ! I was so relieved. A few hours after my deliver I tried to get out of bed and walk -- and amazingly not only did I walk without my walker -- I had very little pain! It was the first time I could walk like this in 3 months!

I really couldn't believe it. To me, it felt like a miracle.

Doctors told me it would take about 6 to 8 weeks to get the pregnancy hormones out of my body after birth and once those hormones were gone odds were the pain would leave and I could walk again. Well, they were right!

At five weeks after birth I am walking without my walker and each week the pain decreases. Now I can not only get out of bed, but get out of the house, and take my little girls Madison and Morgan to the park or on a walk.

It's funny the things you appreciate once they are taken away. Before I couldn't change my older daughters diaper, push her in a swing, or tuck her in bed at night. Now those are some of the highlights of my day ! I'm so lucky I'm getting better.

I am still doing physical therapy and massage and am taking numerous holistic supplements and watching my diet. I also wear a special support belt that helps me walk and decreases the pain. It still hurts when I walk or bend or lift but I can't complain because I am healing and I am getting better.

Lots of viewers have been asking how I am since the birth of Morgan, so I wanted to share my success story.

I so appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, emails, cards, etc. Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'll be back on the air in August!

Karen Drew

Kdrew@wdiv.com

 


About the Author

Karen Drew is the anchor of Local 4 News First at 4, weekdays at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. She is also an award-winning investigative reporter.