Dub
Senior Member
Last September...
My birthday (42nd) last year sucked outright. It found me sitting in a orthopedic surgeons office being told that my MRI results showed surgery was needed to repair my ankle.
I'd damaged a tendon while scouting out some hunting spots...stepped in a pine limb/straw covered hole and then blew it out while playing golf with my father....third hole, par 5, I'm 265 from the green and gear up for a massive swing.....POW....snaps at the top of my backswing.
The surgery went okay...but the recovery was slow. 3 months out of work for the whole deal. 3 months. I've never missed time from work other than for a hernia surgery in 2006 (3.5 weeks).
Went back to work in December and fought through the pain. My left knee was a beast due to advanced arthritis (ACL surgery years ago from football & being overweight). It had taken a beating during my right ankle recovery.
I must have appeared like a shambling mound trying to get around and do my job.
I was miserable.
Two months of this and I couldn't take it. My doctor perscribed arthritis meds for the knees....laughing when he examined the x-rays...."Guy, these are the worst knees I've seen". Thanks, bro....this I know.
I was morbidly obese.
My blood pressure was out of control and he was wanting to perscribe meds to address it.
My cholesterol was NOT TOO GOOD, either. Again, he wanted to perscribe meds to address it.
I was a 42 year old train wreck.
Me, late last deer season on one of the few hunts I was able to go on.
I came to see that ankle injury for what it was....just the start of what would probably be many surgeries needed to fix the things that were wearing unduly on my body. My real concern was with what was going on inside my body....my heart and lungs.
Lungs.....yup....I'd been a smoker for years. I put them down in 2006.....but I feared the damage had been done.
I was wearing 6XL shirts and a size 60 in my waist.
The good Lord had been warning me. I felt the warnings all along but didn't change. He fired one more warning shot accross my bow with the blown ankle.
Guess what....he now had my attention.
My UNDIVIDED attention.
I accepted my pitiful physical condition. I owned it. I took control over it as all normal thinking people do.
March 1, 2011 found me ready to go. I had a solid nutritional plan that was committed to.
I just didn't know what I was capable of physically but I was about to surprise myself.
I laced up my sneakers and simply started walking the dog around the neighborhood.
Sometimes I couldn't go far at all....1/4 mile maybe....due to the severe pain in my knee.
I often wore a knee brace.
I'd been in the habit of renting DVDs from the Redbox.
The nearest Redbox is 1.2 miles away. I'd walk my dog to the Redbox, rent a flick....watch it and walk it back.
I joined a gym over the summer.
I became addicted to the treadmill. It was awesome. Somedays I'd even make it 2 miles without stopping....at a slight uphill grade....walking, walking, walking.
I began lifting weights, too.....then I'd walk immediately after.
The soreness and pain from lifting has been something that I fully embrace. I love that soreness. It sure beats the severe pain of post-op recovery. It reminds me that I've done something.
So....from March 1, 2011 to my birthday in September, 2011, I've made some serious strides:
I can't wait until my next birthday. I fully plan to stay on course and continue with my new fitness approach to life.
It can be done, you just have to put forth the effort.
My birthday (42nd) last year sucked outright. It found me sitting in a orthopedic surgeons office being told that my MRI results showed surgery was needed to repair my ankle.
I'd damaged a tendon while scouting out some hunting spots...stepped in a pine limb/straw covered hole and then blew it out while playing golf with my father....third hole, par 5, I'm 265 from the green and gear up for a massive swing.....POW....snaps at the top of my backswing.
The surgery went okay...but the recovery was slow. 3 months out of work for the whole deal. 3 months. I've never missed time from work other than for a hernia surgery in 2006 (3.5 weeks).
Went back to work in December and fought through the pain. My left knee was a beast due to advanced arthritis (ACL surgery years ago from football & being overweight). It had taken a beating during my right ankle recovery.
I must have appeared like a shambling mound trying to get around and do my job.
I was miserable.
Two months of this and I couldn't take it. My doctor perscribed arthritis meds for the knees....laughing when he examined the x-rays...."Guy, these are the worst knees I've seen". Thanks, bro....this I know.
I was morbidly obese.
My blood pressure was out of control and he was wanting to perscribe meds to address it.
My cholesterol was NOT TOO GOOD, either. Again, he wanted to perscribe meds to address it.
I was a 42 year old train wreck.
Me, late last deer season on one of the few hunts I was able to go on.
I came to see that ankle injury for what it was....just the start of what would probably be many surgeries needed to fix the things that were wearing unduly on my body. My real concern was with what was going on inside my body....my heart and lungs.
Lungs.....yup....I'd been a smoker for years. I put them down in 2006.....but I feared the damage had been done.
I was wearing 6XL shirts and a size 60 in my waist.
The good Lord had been warning me. I felt the warnings all along but didn't change. He fired one more warning shot accross my bow with the blown ankle.
Guess what....he now had my attention.
My UNDIVIDED attention.
I accepted my pitiful physical condition. I owned it. I took control over it as all normal thinking people do.
March 1, 2011 found me ready to go. I had a solid nutritional plan that was committed to.
I just didn't know what I was capable of physically but I was about to surprise myself.
I laced up my sneakers and simply started walking the dog around the neighborhood.
Sometimes I couldn't go far at all....1/4 mile maybe....due to the severe pain in my knee.
I often wore a knee brace.
I'd been in the habit of renting DVDs from the Redbox.
The nearest Redbox is 1.2 miles away. I'd walk my dog to the Redbox, rent a flick....watch it and walk it back.
I joined a gym over the summer.
I became addicted to the treadmill. It was awesome. Somedays I'd even make it 2 miles without stopping....at a slight uphill grade....walking, walking, walking.
I began lifting weights, too.....then I'd walk immediately after.
The soreness and pain from lifting has been something that I fully embrace. I love that soreness. It sure beats the severe pain of post-op recovery. It reminds me that I've done something.
So....from March 1, 2011 to my birthday in September, 2011, I've made some serious strides:
112 pounds lost
no muscle lost during this
blood pressure remains untreated and is now NORMAL
cholesterol remains untreaded is also now NORMAL
arthritis meds are now half the amount
went from wearing 6X shirts to now wearing 3X shirts
size 60 pants are now size 46
I can't wait until my next birthday. I fully plan to stay on course and continue with my new fitness approach to life.
It can be done, you just have to put forth the effort.
Great story and keep up the good work! It takes some serious dedication to do what you are doing.
