My Back Story

It's only fair that you know where I started and what the motivation is for creating this blog. On February 7, 2013, my wife, Judy, died by her own hand. She had been suffering from depression and was hospitalized because of a suicide attempt a week before. The first time she was left alone after being released from the hospital she took her life by stabbing herself in the stomach with a Bowie knife. I have come to believe her illness and death were caused by malnutrition and an undiagnosed medical problem, hepatitis, which I believe she picked up in the hospital. The malnutrition, I believe, was caused by her constant sipping on soda pops and the lack of vegetables in our diets. We both lived off sandwiches, fast foods, and things that came in boxes or cans like Hamburger Helper and Chung King Chow Mein. Judy's problem was exacerbated when she began having dental problems and losing most of her teeth. Toward the end, she was unable to chew and barely able to swallow even soft foods like yogurt. Of course, this was upsetting to me and exasperating for her. Some of her depression came from fear of losing her job. She had already been cut back from 40 hours a week to 30, so financial burdens fueled the fire. With her death, I lost everything: my wife, nurse and companion, my home, my workshop and tools, and my stepsons and their children, whom I had come to love, and who now blamed me for their mother's death. When this happened, I was 74 years old, diabetic, suffering with arthritis of the spine, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, a partially paralyzed left leg, and clinically obese weighing in at 386 pounds. How I got to where I am now, at 252 pounds and still losing weight, is what will unfold in future posts. I now live in a senior apartment, and I am viewed as something of a health guru by most of my fellow tenants. I am not stopping or resting on my laurels. Instead, I am continuing toward my goal of health and fitness. I invite you to join me on my journey.