Another Brick on the Wall

When I decided to start piecing together a blog, I always assumed the postings would be about sports and music, and funny stupid stuff. Life flies along, and there's enough reality posting and TV to cover most of the crap out there that most people don't care about.

I discussed a recent journey where i took my parents back east from Florida. They have achieved some milestones in their life, and I wanted to honor their living achievement.

Along the way, I encountered my own hurdles, that I continue to deal with. This all started out as a little agita 4 Wednesdays ago while working on the ellipitcal machine at the Y. Typical 1/2 hour workout I was doing 3 days a week. Nothing crazy, but something didn't feel right. no real pain, just a little burn like if you have too much salza. Well, about a week later I was supposed to go golfing with my brother and a few of his friends. It poured that day, and I was not feeling right. The burn was there first thing that morning. So I drove home from work and checked myself in to Beverly Hospital . . . . best thing i ever did . . . . .

Within a day of being checked in at Beverly Hospital I was at a Catheter Lab at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, because of a small amount of enzyme found in a blood test indicating I had survived a small heart attack . . . . so time to look for a blockage . . . . of course 2 blockages were found, requiring 2 stents to cause blood flow to resume. I have a diet to follow, a pile of pills to take, and exercise will resume in a structured, monitored way.

All in a 2 day time span, my priorities became refocused . . . I gotta be selfish and take care of me, or the wife and kids and everything else could get nothing . . . . . simple as that.

I'm back beating a similar tune to the one I struck back in June, but for much different reasons. Because i listened to a signal my body gave me, i'm here to talk about it, extol the virtues of modern science and taking care of onesself. I am not the perfect patient . . . . I will eat chocolate cake again, guaranteed . . . . . but there is weight to lose and health to achieve - I may never run 16 miles again in one shot, but the concept is in the back of my head, but the journey starts with these 15 minute walks, some good eating days, and getting on a positive roll.

For the first time, it's all about me . . . . . very weird to sound so superficically egocentric, but in order for anything to be about the wife, or the kids, it starts here with me . . . . .

I figure many people that read this are in my age range. I recently turned 48. Please listen to your body . . . . I have always been taught that if you feel nothing day to day, that's generally a good sign. If something feels different, stop and ask. You may save your life dudes . . . . i think i did. See you around . . . . that has a delicious ring to it . . . . .