08/04/2026
“The Bridge to Wellness”
From Outpatient Therapy to Fitness
My name is Juanita Arnold. I will be 69 years old next month. I started my journey with FirstHealth physical therapy when I had a weeklong hospital stay with A-Fib. After four Cardioversions trying to shock my heart into sinus rhythm unsuccessfully, I ended up having an ablation on January 7, 2025, that really took a lot out of me.
The A-Fib literally was like dragging two elephants on spaghetti noodles. My lower extremities were so weak. After my ablation, I started physical therapy with Alyssa Krol and Michael Galati on February 17. The shortness of breath and weakness was awful; it was all I could do to go from the parking lot into the building for my first appointment.
Working with Alyssa and Michael was not easy, feeling like 5,000 sit-to-stands because I did at home too, but by the end of the six weeks I was walking on a treadmill, walking around the whole bottom floor, doing some small weights. With the help I received from my physical therapist, I was able to do a stress test my doctor requested on the treadmill and with normal results. No way would I have been able to do that without their help in getting my strength back. Thankful is not even a big enough word to express how they helped me. Working with Alyssa and Michael, I lost 15 pounds.
Determined not to regress, I joined the Fitness Center in May and received four sessions with Caleb Medlock, my Personal Trainer. That was eye-opening because believe me, I was running no marathon, but he was patient with me understanding where I had come from.
Before starting, he did an assessment, finding my strengths and weaknesses. After my four sessions with Caleb, I used the pool a lot. I have Lymphedema due to lipedema in my legs, and the pool is great therapy for that.
During this time, I started Zepbound as well. I worked myself up to an hour doing 20 minutes of walking back and forth backward, 20 minutes forward, then 20 minutes side to side. I lost my first 40 or so pounds in that pool. I knew with Zepbound you lose a lot of muscle mass, so I wanted more than just working in the pool, so I started working with Caleb again.
Caleb motivates me to do more than I ever thought possible. I am not one that is just motivated to do on my own, he pushes me and believe me, I am sweating. When I started with Caleb on the leg press, I think I started at like 10 pounds. We are at 100 pounds now.
When he took me upstairs to the weight room, I was so intimidated, all those hunkie, in-shape people up there. I was determined to follow Caleb and do what he told me to do, even when he slips my weights up. He has heard me say Holy Cow about 500 times now.
I am at 84.6 pounds of weight loss now. I have lost 14 inches in my left leg and 17 inches in my right leg. It is still not easy, but believe me, being on death’s door weighing 300 pounds wasn’t easy. I give all thanks to my Jesus first because I could not have done this journey without him, but I am so thankful for all the people He has put in my path.
My doctors who got me to the point where I could even start all this. Melissa Aubin, PA-C, Pinehurst Medical Weight Loss Clinic, Alyssa and Michael, and I call him my Caleb even though he helps so many people. Not going to lie, Caleb has seen a few tears, not from sadness, just gratefulness.
For more information on OP Therapy, call 919-774-1595 or Personal Training, call 919-258-2100.
