Obstacles, excuses, diversities, and adversities life seems to be full of these; kids, school, need to work, no cash, my legs hurt, arms, back, headache, whatever get over it. The bottom line is to make time for you. Five minutes, 10 minutes, any minutes help and this is what I did to control this sugar problem type two diabetes.

Stressing again some consequences such as fatigue, irritability, vision problems, heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, skin and mouth problems and I don't know about you, but I like to get around and it would suck if I had foot damage, another affect caused by heredity, poor diet, stress, laziness, and obesity. Yes that's right, I wrote it, Chubby, Chunky, Colossal, Heavy, Huge, Angular, Astronomic, Gigantic, Enormous, or what I say when I was bigger. Here are two definitions that I have compared to my life: Noticeable: The act of observing, everyone observes such as your doctor, coworkers, family, friends, but mostly and most important yourself.

Change: To make or become different, to alter, and the process or condition of changing. The thing about change in my opinion is "sure, it's noticeable to others, but there are other changes and differences only I can see enjoy." I mentioned blurred vision, which I had, getting the sugar problem under control I don't have to look through dirty lenses anymore. I was advised the access sugar in your body absorbs into the soft parts of your body, eyes being one of these soft body parts. Great, hopefully, I will get to see how my life's endeavors will turn out. I am just thinking maybe the optometrist should suggest having blood sugars tested instead of prescribing spectacles that don't work.

Dental hygiene, been there done that too. Having a deep cleaning and some repair work my hygienist was measuring my gum line, "what's this I thought?" He mentioned that you have to take better care of your teeth; you have a receding gum line due to hygiene, floss and brush better. Better I thought I spend a lot of time on my teeth everyday. My suggestion, check blood sugars, your gums are soft tissue also. After further review, upon returning to the dental hygienist after years there was no more receding of the gum line and teeth did not need any reconstruction. Again, I believe getting this sugar problem, diabetes under control will cure many of these issues.

Age spots, liver spots this don't even sound right, besides I am a young dude yet and yes I have these age spots, at a concert the choir ended and upon clapping my hands, I noticed these weird spots that I know nothing about were gone. I don't know why they disappeared but it could be a combination of things. I also noticed change in how my skin was it wasn't as dry and flaky as it had been. Other changes that happened for the good was getting in shape, and I am telling you people, you don't know what you are missing. A great deal of the changes only I noticed and I have to admit, the changes have been positive. 42 inch waist, I went from this to a 29-30 inch waist, this was wild. Pants I haven't fit into since well, when I was younger, this evolving into shape was weird. Things would happen such as a mirror in front of me and one to the right covering the medicine cabinet. With this change I thought somebody else was standing next to me, but it was only me. Walking by vehicles I thought my own reflection was someone else.

Energy, you know the sayings "get it done." Well I confirm that theory do this, do that, I get it done all right just keeping it up. This could be caused by a couple different things that I will discuss later.

Flexibility damn, I can tie my shoes standing up and I don't have to sit down to tie my shoes with my gut in the way, and they were always tied to side. Besides, being as agile as I am now I never thought in my lifetime love making could be so extraordinaire. I may be 44 chronologically, but when I'm making love, I believe I am 16 again, let's remember no Viagra or any other drug needed, just diet and exercise. I will repeat it again and again, some people, ok more than some people don't know what they are missing.

Do you want to begin yet? Well let me tell ya, being limited standing for periods of time I suffered from damages caused by a car/bicycle accident and it just so happens I was the cyclist. Having these limitations since the age of 17, I resorted to riding an exercise bicycle to keep off my feet; actually it's not my feet, the knees that are my problem. Momentum and movement, I was advised bicycling would keep my knee's in good form having cartilage tissue and arthritic issues.

Borrowing a stationary bike from a buddy because didn't have the cash to purchase one, I cleared a spot, stole my son's weight bench and positioned these calorie burners right next to each other so I would have to look over at the one I wasn't using, being a reminder I have to do that one too. Devising a plan I couldn't wait to start but getting impatient, I couldn't wait until morning that was when I was going to start this routine. Test driving these calorie burners was a good idea, the seat on the momentum and movement machine (the exercise bike) was wrong. The tension strap was off; a cable needed adjusting for the tension strap to work appropriately. As you can imagine, yes it was an old bike. Examining the muscle machine (weight bench) I removed weight because my plans were to get into shape, not be a body builder. My teenager played pig skin and his buddies would stop by and they would see how many times these boys could lift a gazillion pounds.

Day one, two, three, and four; this just sucks, no motivation I needed something to get me going. Coffee, yeah that's an idea, caffeine; I didn't drink much coffee but had a cup-a-joe maker and joe just in case I had visitors. I didn't drink java because it gave me heartburn when combining it with the medications I took and the food I ate. Extra strong, I figured the more joe I drank, the more motivation I would have, and it worked I even had chicken skin (goose bumps). I was up to a 15 minute work out, sweating my tush off, riding and 10 minutes adjusting myself to the muscle machine. Still sucking the java it gave me motivation, but I had to get up earlier to make the java to get up that motivation, because it takes time for the caffeine to kick in. To guzzle it quicker, I would add ice because I never could drink or eat hot food and cant see sipping and cooling down my beverage or food before I consume it. I am a guzzler, I was always yelled at for drinking too much, and when asking if I could have a taste the reply I would normally get would be "taste, you tasted almost all of it you pig."

Waking in the morning I started my day, checking blood, making coffee, waking kids for school, making breakfast, I would turn off the coffee hoping it would cool to drink it more rapidly. Preparing the kids for school, then it was twist, java, turn, java, stretch, drink more trying to get that extra boost and workouts were now lasting 20 minutes; biking 10 minutes then lifting weights another 10 minutes all the time thinking to myself this sugar problem has to go, I have enough problems. Again, I don't need the consequences that come from this sugar problem and want to see my kids and grandkids grow.

Biking was still boring, movement, momentum, and sweating oh boy what a treat. I would sweat so bad my eyes burnt from the wet substance leaking, thinking it's only been 10 minutes! It has only been a 10 minute ride but I figured sweating made me feel as though I was getting some good exercise. It was that or I was just in terrible shape, or both.

Exercising one day thinking because what else are you supposed to do? I thought riding this bike is kind of like mowing grass; boring, granted, you're in the outdoors, but still momentum and movement and yes sweat; alright I lied, I had a riding mower that's still boring. I mowed often and had a hell of a tan. Getting in my vehicle to make my way to the doc to get more lessons on this sugar problem, I started my grocery getter (vehicle) reached down, turned on my radio to make my ride more enjoyable then this little light bulb came on in my head; radio, that's it, music, tunes, that might make my exercising better, more soothing, it works driving. Doc visit went fast, my weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and I was told to keep track of blood sugars 4 times a day in this little book that came with my tester. Lose some weight, eat right, and exercise, I mentioned I already have a work out exercise plan. Great the doc says, take your medicine and I will see you in 3 months. Arriving home more adjustments had to be done. Having this old stereo I converted my family room into an exercise and concert hall. This didn't make my children happy because I took the so-called surround sound away, when all it was, was an audio-video cable that went from the auxiliary from the stereo, to a VCR the old fashioned surround sound.

Tunes, that was the ticket, and I had to test drive this theory right away. Yes, it makes exercising more feasible. Day by day I continue my routine but ran into a snag in my progress, the weekend Saturday and Sundays, what no tunes? I can't just crank it up with people home sleeping in, no school for the children; damn. Headphones, that's the cure, had a set the coiled wire just reached my juke box (stereo) this idea didn't last long whoops, someone just tripped over the wire pulling my hood ornament (my head phones) right off my head. My concentration was on telling people to watch for the wire, not exercising. So I made different accommodations for myself; cordless.

Brushing off the dust from a battery powered headset I picked up at a thrift sale, I ventured with this idea. Only radio, but better than nothing, my stereo had a disc player so I could listen to whatever I wanted with no commercials. Resolving the sugar problem went on and sticking me was getting old. The sugars were still high, is this crap ever going to change? I stopped eating, well it seemed like I did, usually having a bowl of crunchies (cereal) meant grabbing a troft, a tablespoon because I have a big mouth, and a gallon of milk, and of course, I would consume a couple swallows before liquefying my crunchies eating right sucked.

My troft of crunchies turned into 3/4 cup of this, one 1/4 cup of that, my troft turned into a shot glass. Serving sizes, carbohydrates, 15 grams of carbs in a serving equals one carbohydrate, and what I was taught, was you can having 5 serving sizes at a meal, plus a snack if needed. Depending on activity, blood sugar, everything measured. The cereal, the milk that drowns it, that's 2 carbs, like I said a shot glass, and forget about adding that sweet banana to your cereal because thanks to research a banana has between 30 and 40 carbs depending on size, adding that banana to that cereal constitutes your breakfast. Bananas don't come with a nutrition label, so best way to finger it out is to do your research, then do your math.

Making meals for my family was a little difficult not being able to taste anything because I was a taster, a spoon licker. I would lift the spoon to taste and catch myself before the food touched my taste buds; I thought I did very well not to taste anything. The first thing that came to mind was getting rid of this sugar problem. Day by day I would pound it into my own head, eat right, serving sizes, exercise. Finding time was the hardest; I was mom and dad both. Cook, clean, yard work, you know everything a mom and dad does, well except for one thing, laundry. I was always yelled at for not folding right, must be a guy thing, because I see no problem folding clothes in half so they fit in the dresser drawer. It looks like you just crumbled them up was what I would be told, oh well, I didn't do anyone else's laundry but my own, I cheated, most of mine were hung up except for my underwear, socks and tank tops. Playing both roles is hard work, playing mom and dad makes for a hard day, thank god my children were in school when this sugar problem started otherwise I would have to get up even earlier in the morning to exercise, before the children woke up and that would have been the only time I would have for myself.

Pills, check blood sugar, coffee, children, school, exercise, homework, yard work, everyday the same. Biking got easier, I mean more interesting I would jam out to tunes, and started reading during work outs. Work outs went faster, the reading made the time go by fast so I went a little longer and a little longer and I was up to 1/2 an hour, burning off my problem. Reading got to be a habit and I had to put a stool next to my bike to hold the books and magazines I read which were mostly on health issues. One day when I was listening to television I overheard someone discussing biking. If you ride an hour a day and eat the right foods, you will be living a healthier lifestyle. Healthy I thought, maybe this will help me considering my sugars were not right yet, to get them right eventually. I know it takes time to get this problem under control but I need to work harder and longer.

Riding the calorie burner for an hour I needed to devise a different plan to make time to exercise without taking valuable time away from my daily routine. I decided to keep my morning routine and add a routine in the afternoon before the kids got off the bus from school, that way I wouldn't blow them out of the house with my music motivator, it could be done, it just meant getting my daily duties done faster and if I didn't I would finish my duties after my second work out session. Work outs got intense not only did I ride the bike an hour a day; I lifted those dumb bells too, which I forgot about when I decided to ride the calorie burner for an hour. It was like two hours of working out every day, including stretching.

Three months same routine, over and again start java, take meds, blood sugar, kids up, kids breakfast, turn off java off to cool, kids on bus, drink coffee, exercise, daily duties, exercise, make supper, finish daily duties and so on. This routine was helpful because after returning to the doctor I had lost 24 pounds in three months, and I was shocked. I was just trying to get my blood sugars under control; I never did check my weight. Checking my blood sugar history in my diary the doc mentioned you are getting as low as 78 but have no low sugars. I mentioned can I get off these pills yet? 3 pills a day was a great deal; I will keep up the exercise and eat right as long as I can stop taking these pills, the doc took me off the pills but stated that if my sugars are at 120 around the clock, you should go back on them. Handing me a lab worksheet for next time, the doc said "see ya in 3 months, and oh by the way, did you quick smoking?" I replied "no but I am working on that." Did I mention I smoked? Yeah, about a pack a day, I have tried to quit, quitting for months at a time but always fell back to smoking. Gum, that's the ticket, I will just chew this instead of putting a butt in my mouth, besides it gives ya good breath and it's good for your teeth.

Sugar-free, having this sugar problem, I looked for a great tasting sugar free gum that lasts. After test chewing different kinds, I had a little shock, I picked up a pack of gum and just for the heck of it I read the nutrition facts on the back of the package because I was getting in the habit of reading about what I ate. Surprise, 1 to 2 carbs exists in every piece or stick of gum, how could this be? If carbs are sugars, how could they sale gum as sugar free? I looked at many different packs and they all had carbs in them. Now I have a big mouth, I like at least 2 to 3 pieces, which equals 3-6 carbs, wow I was very strict on what I was eating and counting my carbs to the limit; this gum was not going to get in my way. I stopped chewing gum and fell back to smoking, which has no carbs. I have changed many of my habits from eating to exercise; I will work on quitting smoking at a later time, once I get this sugar problem under control.

Getting my routine going one morning I had a visitor, one of my sisters. How is the exercises coming along she asked, doing well sticking to it I replied. Getting up early, drinking coffee, want a cup? It gets you going, yes she replied and by the way, I have been drinking tea, green tea is supposed to be good for you and help you lose weight, want a box? She had just bought a couple boxes that were in her car, sure I said, "I'll check it out, maybe it will help me knock off a few more pounds." After visiting I continued my routine thinking I will drink this tea in between my morning and afternoon workouts.

I was very surprised after working out I boiled some water and put 2 tea bags in a 2 cup coffee mug, the instructions on the green tea box said one bag per cup. I poured hot water over the tea bags and let it set for a few minutes as the directions instructed, leaving tea bags in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes, ice just like coffee, this green tea had to sit and cool but it was worth it. Drinking a few cups, oh I forgot my cup was a big one, that means six or eight cups I got my daily duties done, exercise and was still active. Damn, java didn't do this, I was hyper doing this and doing that, my adrenaline was kicking. Daily workouts were also kicking as I was drinking more green tea, is different. I guzzle, so I don't savor the flavor. Research on this beverage was interesting, saying you could lose weight, and after further review I read not only could it help with weight loss, it could help your immune system to become stronger, prevent cells from turning cancerous, it suppresses the formation of tumors, it regulates cholesterol levels, lowers the risk of stroke, and helps with blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fights bacteria's in your mouth causing cavities and yuck breath. Another cool thing about green tea, it helps with the aging process, to find out more read about it or just type "green tea" into your search engine.

Reading is what I did giving me something to do while riding my calorie burner (the stationary bike). 6 months exercise and a good diet regimen and a great deal of reading of course, also tunes and green tea pounds were dropping off. I started taking a diet supplement, amino acid which is a building block for protein along with a multi vitamin I believe that's what happened to the liver spots on my hands because they are both green tea and the amino acid are good for your skins health. I wrote about this earlier when I was at a school function. Noticing things changing in 6 months, like my eyesight, things were no longer blurred, my pants size went down along with my blood sugar and my gums no longer bled.

Leaving blood samples with the doc, I was going back for the results and boy did I have some questions for him. Seeing the doc he noticed I had been sticking to my diet and exercise because he mentioned the change in my physically. Yes sir I replied, I have been sticking to my diet and exercise. He then asked if I had been training as in weight training and I answered yes sir again. Its noticeable he stated, well your diet and exercise have been paying off then he relayed my blood results to me. The hemoglobin was 5.6, reference range indicated non-diabetic. 6% is considered non-diabetic; the American Diabetes Association recommends that the goal of therapy should be hemoglobin of 7% and those physicians should re-evaluate the treatment regimens in patients with hemoglobin value consistency of 8.0%.

After reading this report I replied wow and then asked does this mean I have this problem under control? I like the part that says reference range, non-diabetic. The doctor then said keep up the good work, and I said I would, because I don't want this sickness back, besides I like the way I am feeling and looking. Before I left I had to ask my questions, the first being by the way, I tried to quit smoking and started chewing sugar free gum, because of my diet and just for the heck of it I read the nutrition facts and they stated there were carbohydrates in sugar free gum, how could this be, carbs are sugar in take. The doctor replied the manufacturers can sell the gum as sugar free because the sugars do not activate until the gum is put into the mouth and mixed with human saliva. Damn I said, so there is no such thing as sugar free gum? Another question, my eyes are not as blurred, reading all the time I have noticed this change as well, the doctor stated the diabetes does effect the soft tissues of your body and the eyes being one of these, however, it takes a while for this stuff to clear up and this is why your eyes were blurry.

People should have their blood sugar checked before seeing the eye doctor; this would explain why I was prescribed 2 sets of spectacles. One more thing doc, how much is too much exercise? I drink green tea, peddle 12 to 14 miles a day depending on what song is on, or what article I am reading and normally I ride a half hour in the morning and again in the evening along with weight training, crunches, stretching is another half hour so 2 sessions would equal my workout regiment to be 2 hours a day. All right the doc says, if you can find the time, you are doing well but take a day off so your body can rest ok? See you in about a year and keep up the good work the doctor said.

I didn't have to see the doc for a whole year, great but many things can happen in a year and my year was most Olympic. Eating right and exercise went on and pounds were still dropping and I loved the way I was feeling along with feeling like I am accomplishing something. Friends would call asking lets do this, lets do that and I would make them wait until I was done working out. Feeling good could not have come at a better time; I was approached with a job offer. Want to work at my restaurant? This job requires a shift from 6am to 3pm open for breakfast, lunch and some catering and closed weekends, stop up and I will show you around. Stopping up and getting introduced to the restaurant, I asked when I start. 6 to 3, this meant changing my whole schedule making time for myself, I started by setting my alarm clock for 4am and 4am came quick. Get up, boil water for tea, stretch while tea bags are steeping, drink the tea after adding ice to cool it down, setting my tea mug on my chair next to my calorie burner I peddled, rock and rolled, couldn't read because it was still dark, and besides didn't want to wake anyone.

Drank more tea, lifted weights, took shower, got dressed and went to work, just making it in time. Work was good the day went fast I was busy and upon arriving home, I made tea and drank it, made more, set it beside me and exercised after I made supper. Making supper I started thinking while looking at the coffee maker, I cooled my java down before I drank it and now my tea, boy would it save me time if I have my beverage ready before I got up in the morning, I wouldn't have to boil water, let steep, make more and so on. So having a 12 cup coffee maker I devised another plan, what if I took and put 12 bags of tea in my coffee pot and let the hot water run over the top of the bags? I would have a pot of tea. Finishing supper I thought I would test drive this idea, 12 cups water and 12 tea bags in the pot, and I did I brewed a pot of green tea. After letting the tea bags steep a few minutes, I poured my tea into a pitcher leaving the tea bags in the pitcher because when I went to stir them all the tea bag strings tangled up in spoon, I said the heck with that and dumped the bags once I drank the refreshments. Right on this was going to work out great I thought, I made it where I wouldn't have to rush so early in the morning. In the afternoon I would finish up my pitcher and make another while working out, or making supper, finishing my chores after. Long days and I was in bed early except for dart night and weekends.

Dart night and weekends was a time to get out and meet the public and people noticed I was losing weight. Dude, your looking good, what's up, I would explain the problem. Dude, your losing muscle is what I would hear and I would reply, not that was fat. Dude this, dude that I was getting noticed. Being noticeable came with compliments, I was dressing better and didn't have to wear shorts or jogging pants all the time and I admit, I liked the compliments, it makes me keep my routine. But someone didn't like my weight loss or routine; needless to say my wedded partner did not like my noticeable change. Getting attention pissed her off, especially from the opposite sex, exercising one evening the phone rang, she answered and it was for me, instead of just tapping my on the shoulder to hand me the phone, she proceeded to shove me off the bike and said "phone" "all you do is think of yourself." Things like this would happen all the time, I even wound up with black eyes and all I was doing was making me better, I never flaunted myself to anyone, she just hated people complimenting me. It would have been nice if she would have just told me one time, "good job." I still did everything I was supposed to do, hearing that would just have been nice. The exercise, work and everything else went on, I even picked up an extra exercise bike that another friend had given me. I put it in the shed just in case I ever needed it. Well, I needed it, having a get together cousins were conversing, conversing turned into wrestling and a take down turned into retirement, I'm sorry, didn't mean it, RUN! Son of a lousy, little mother, f'n shit its done, my calorie burner exercise bike was toast. When the take down happened they fell right on it, breaking the frame and busting the tension control lever, also breaking the speed and mileage indicators off; it was sad. Getting this calorie burner it only had a couple hundred miles on it, retiring it had almost 25,000 miles on it. I turned it into a veteran, the bud I got it from said "damn you have already taken it around the world" and having a backup bike ruled, I was back in business within half an hour, right on.

Still damned and determined about getting healthy, I was doing great but my relationship with the wedded one wasn't. All you think about is you, that's what I would hear constantly, again what is it you want I would ask. I still make time for my family and get things done. Bickering went on all the time and I moved on, yeah moved in with my brother. Don't worry about your bike and weights he said, I have both. Living there was short, I resided there for about 2 months, then moved back home to reconcile with the wed one. Reconciling, back home life came to an abrupt standstill.

After returning from work I got ready to exercise when a couple of friends stopped by. Hey what's up, we are going to the end of the year dart league party and birthday party at the same place, want to go? I don't know I replied, I have to work out, get dinner ready and do some chores, maybe I will see you there later. After a couple of tastes from some old booze, my buddies were out. Getting my duties done, I decided to visit this party for a short time, I get up early so I will just have a couple and leave. One lead to two, three, and four, two shortie beers and two shots of some banana stuff, I consumed these in 2 hours, alright gotta go have to work early tomorrow, later people. The ride home I cranked up the tunes, stayed between the lines and did the speed limit, you know why.

On a straight away there was a vehicle in the other lane, it was dark and his headlights were bright, they got brighter and brighter, this vehicle is coming right at me. 8 days later I wake up while they were pulling sutures out of my head, where is the guy that ran into me were the first words out of my mouth? Relax sir, we need to finish, finish? What is this? A halo they replied, you have a broken neck and pelvis. Can I get some green tea I asked, read more about this most Olympic moment in a later posting.

Exercise was difficult, I was advised no weight training because I couldn't lye on the bench anyway. The vest part of the halo was hard plastic, it moves and so does the halo which hurts. Bolts were through my flesh and touching my skull and I could hardly sit in a chair with sleep being scarce. Riding my calorie burner I could do and I did, ride, ride, and ride. There was no back on my bike to put pressure on my head. Riding was hot because on the inside of the vest there was a thick layer of sheep wool fiber stuff, and when it got hot out, I would ride my calorie burner in front of an air conditioner, yeah, just so happened that this had to happen to me during the warm months of the year. 6 months is what I was told is how long I had to wear this thing, a half a year, oh what a treat. People would stop to see how I was doing, and one suggested hey since you can't lift weights, why don't you squeeze those hand grips, those might help and I did just that. Ride, squeeze constantly what else was I supposed to do? Drinking tea and taking extra vitamins now for good bone health this went on for about 2 months. Then a check-up at the spine doc allowed me to lift small amounts of weight, nothing heavy just repetitions. Cool, at least I can sit on the end of a weight bench to do this, but still no lying down; the pressure pushing down on the vest was hurting my head and I mentioned this to the doc. Drinking tea, extra vitamins, riding, and squeezing and light weight reps went on. I was pissed; I would squeeze those hand grips so hard I was breaking them. I would have to have someone pick up new ones just to break them. I would even switch hands and use them one at a time, break one, use the other, buy more; this went on for another month.

Back to the doctor, they took that miserable son of a lousy little mother f'er off, sure glad I didn't have to wear the thing for six months, I was sure surprised, doc said it healed well enough in 3 months. Celebration time! I went right home and worked out, damn I can lay on my back, but I was still advised not to lift anything heavy and stick to lighter reps. Building up the weight took time and I kinda got back into the same routine, get up, green tea, vitamins, stretch, music, biking, squeezing and weights and work.

Glad to see you back dude, after work build tea, work out, dinner, chores, children, and bicker. I was still arguing with the wedded one, all you care about is yourself still that is all I heard. My nerves were about shot, then I ran into another problem, a broke exercise bike, oh no not another, I believe I rode it so hard it just fell apart. I was glad I went back to work because it gave me a little extra cash to buy another one. Right to the store I went, I liked my brothers bike, it was inexpensive, quiet, it kept time, distance and calories burned, I didn't have to use my watch to keep time anymore.

Work was on a hard surfaced floor tile, now already having bad wheels (knees) my knees were starting to hurt badly and the only thing that made them feel better was riding my new calorie burner. It was a bummer by the time 3pm rolled around, my legs were killing me. I called the doc, it's been about a year and I need to have a re-check on my diabetes anyway.

Making an appointment I was advised my doc was no longer practicing there but was asked if I would mind seeing a woman doctor that took my doctors place. Sure I replied, she will have his records if she is taking his place, and besides she is a doctor. I will have a physical and I want to ask her about some aches and pains and get my hemoglobin checked. Fasting, urine test, and blood work I showed up for results and to ask more questions. Blood work turned out fine, and the doc writes "the diabetes obviously has resolved" this must be do to the weight loss, his hemoglobin a/c is excellent, he can continue off medicines and we will follow this.

After blood work results, it was physical time, already leaving a urine sample she mentioned I had white blood cells in my urine and this she sent me to see a urologist for the rest of my physical. You would probably feel more comfortable with a male doc doing a rectal exam and I replied yeah, okay. By the way doc I have some aches and pains, my knees are killing me, my neck aches, explaining what happened and wondered if there was a different anti inflammatory pain pill because mine seems to be causing problems in some people, and that's all I need is more problems.

Yes, besides taking vitamins, drinking tea, I was on an anti inflammatory also. Doc gave me a demo to test drive and told me to call if they worked so I could get more but they did not work. I just put up with the pain, seeing the urologist was a trip in itself. My test came back fine but what happened there was kind of weird. The doc came in put on rubber gloves and asked me to pull my pants down, oh by the way, let me introduce you to my assistant, a trainee in progress, bend over the table, finger in, finger out. The doc then asked if his assistant could do the same, just great double whammy, I could have had my new lady doc do this seeing how this assistant was female.

Getting up early green tea, vitamins and all else went on. You have heard about this enough huh? I didn't even need an alarm clock to get me up anymore because this turned into an addicting habit. Speaking of habits, did I mention that I quit smoking? I was advised to quit when my neck broken. I guess this would help the healing process to shorten, so quitting smoking cigarettes is what I did. I then resorted to buying cigars, and taking a couple puffs off one of those once in awhile. Yes a bad habit, but I just enjoy a few puffs once in awhile.

Bicker, bicker, bicker, bicker, the arguing just didn't stop, again all you do is think of yourself. I believe she was still pissed because of the attention I was getting, so instead of fighting and thinking of those black eyes, I moved out again but soon to reconcile, and move back in. Still givin' her, getting conditioned I took off the pounds, in the beginning it was Niagara Falls as sweat would pour down stinging my eyes. Now getting harder to even break a sweat, is this what they mean by burning off the pounds? Maybe I have burnt them all off, but still I just keep getting' her done. I love what I am doing and besides it makes my body feel all warmed up and ready to go. It's the only thing that makes my knees, neck and back feel better, what a pain reliever.

I am addicted meaning to give oneself habitually to. This is who I have become. Now I didn't think this was a bad habit, I wasn't bothering anyone, just trying to feel better by getting healthy and being in condition.

Motels, hotels and even a cruise ship, I am right there to test drive their exercise equipment. Friends and family, if I stayed at one of these places I would figure out ways to work out. Stretch, walk, lift stuff lying around, my crunches from the floor, I have even used kids jungle jims and right down to lifting garbage cans grabbing the handles on both sides to go up and down. It's nice when they have two handles, because most times garbage cans always seem to have at least one broken handle. Of course, I would bring my music and pack some green tea.

Want to read something weird, once visiting family I was on a morning walk I got my tea in me and my adrenaline is pumping, squeezing my hand grips with the local music turned in when out of the sight of my eye something blows on and off the road. Thinking it's a leaf or just a piece of garbage I proceed forward looking for what blew on and off the road, maybe it was money, it was a darker looking color but looking down I see nothing until I noticed the grass moving, yet I still see nothing. What's there, a snake in the grass? No, it's a big ass spider, this crazy ass fuzzy black mother f'n son of a jumped right out at me, damn near knocking on my posterior end. Tripping over myself which was unexpected I just kept backing up away from this baseball sized spider cuz it was stalking me getting closer. I hit the road balls to the walls getting up the road I turned around to see where it was, it was jumping back into the ditch. What the heck? Maybe it had young ones and maybe mom was out protecting. I have to go back that way I should have run the other way but I was all right on my trip back, keeping my eyes alert and walked real fast on the other side of the road. Returning from my most Olympic walk, I informed people of what had just happened and of course, they all laughed, I mentioned "now that was some freaky shit."

Thinking again and again you sick of me saying this yet? I get up, tea, vitamins, music, stretch, biking, weight training, work, tea, music, stretch, bike again, more weights, family dinner, and chores. This went on but another snag came forth, my knee. Writing before about having bad knees exercise did make my knees feel better, but this feeling better would only last while pedaling my calorie burner. It got to the point where I couldn't even sleep nights and after seeing the orthopedic surgeon it was osteotomy time; surgery that involved realigning my left knee, because my knee joint was grinding bone on bone.

The cause was cartilage missing and it started to make me look bow legged. Surgery sucks I have had many before, again another exciting story for another time. This surgery is supposed to be a temporary fix until a full knee replacement is recommended. After further review this osteotomy realignment sucked; I mean after being slit open they broke my leg wedge style, slit me again and removed some hip bone to crush and mix with synthetics to put back into the wedge that they had originally made. A plate then goes over the top and sew me backup, this surgery was extensive and very painful, again another Olympic, exciting, long moment in my life. More details will be posted in the future on this subject.

Discharged from the surgical hospital my mind was pondering how I was going to be able to exercise, heck I can't even stand for periods at a time, the pressure in the surgical area gave terrible pain and I had to keep the leg elevated. It was hard enough to stand in front of the urinator (toilet).

Toilet, get my feet up in the recliner and sleep those knock out pills they gave me worked, not sure if they relieved the pain or just put your ass to sleep, so you don't feel the pain; buy they worked. I was tired of being in a coma and I stopped taking those pills after a couple of days. Every time I went to the bathroom, I saw my calorie burning equipment dormant and I decided to figure out a way to use them. Adjusting the seat and elevating my leg on a high storage container with a couple pillows on top, I was back to riding. I felt like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest with my right leg doing all the work. Weight training was just the upper body workout but still having the leg elevated on the container which ruled; it slid on the carpet after I would push from a crutch.

One legged workouts went on for months and healing took time considering I had seepage coming from the surgery incision, a doc visit later I had an abscess under the sutures. After debridement of this abscess I hobbled around with a huge hole in my leg, the sutures didn't hold and when the doc pushed down on the incision it ripped wide open leaving this huge hole in my leg; I was advised I had to let this heal from the inside out and go to wound therapy this happened twice having to let the wound heal from the inside out. After months of wound therapy and watching the regeneration of flesh and skin molecules in action I developed a staff infection around the plate they used to keep my bone graph in place. This regeneration process takes forever another story to log on to www.noticeablechange.com at a later date.

Season by season, day by day my daily routine went on overcoming and adapting crazy situations I was in. But another lump I had to climb was one on my ass, tailbone, ah close enough whatever. What the flyin son of lousy little mother f'n shit is this? It's called Pilonidal disease. That's where cysts abscess formed between my butt cheeks on the bottom of my tail bone, I was informed these needed to be removed. They were painful and very inflamed, hell I could hardly sit on seats because the backs would push on my tailbone and pain would shoot down my legs and up my back, it sucked. Listening to the procedure of having these removed I decided to take a rain check on surgery; the recovery time was long and maybe they will go away I thought. Wrong......they stayed, I even changed my weight lifting and crunch habits, I resorted to lifting on an exercise ball which was most Olympic, I think I developed muscles in places I didn't know existed, maybe it was just by getting my balance under control.

Retiring the weight bench was sad, we spent a great deal of time together but I believe it was the cause of butt disease. I was advised usually athletic people have these bumps by exercising and keeping in shape for extracurricular activities, something about infected hair follicles. Hair gets pulled separating skin from body mass then fills with liquid that grow larger, and tunnel to make other bumps, my weight bench pulled on these hairs, in the split where the bench and back rest adjusted. Hopefully, the exercise ball cures this problem, and soon.

Weight training on the ball made it more comfortable but after a couple of years the bumps didn't just go away, I was sick and tired of sitting on the edge of seats, so I had them removed. But a simple out patient surgery turned into "you're staying in the hospital for a couple days." The surgery was larger than expected; I even had a drain tube hanging out back there, but as expected I still exercised, I could ride my calorie burner but the exercise ball was out of commission for a while. I stood to do weight training because I couldn't lye down on my back because it would pull on the tube, besides it felt weird back there; maybe because I had tissue removed from my buttocks to fill the holes where the bumps were. So instead of having a simple crack back, I have a triple crack back; son of a lousy little mother f'er whatever.

Obstacles, excuses, diversities, adversities, you name it been there; life what a beautiful chore. You never know what is going to happen next, I never expected these hurdles, I am sure there will be more, I hope not but you know as well as I do; it happens. What is not going to ever happen is me getting out of shape. I mentioned before, people don't know what they are missing. You have to find the time for yourself, eat better, exercise and get healthy. I've done my research on what is best for me and I can't write what is best for anyone else, people are different they life different things. Some people run to exercise, some walk, some people have free weights, others want an expensive weight machine, me I am cheap. An exercise bike, some hand grips, an exercise ball and some free weight dumb bells, total expense cheap. I do this in the privacy of my own pad, no health club costs, no gas costs; this home thing saves cash, cheap however, the investment into your body and quality of life is priceless. Food and beverage people have different philosophies on these subjects also. I know what I like you might not like green tea or peanut butter, you know what you like find out if its good or bad, how much you can consume (serving size), most everything you want to know is through your search engine on your trusty little computer, let your fingers do the work. If you want to know what the best fruit may be, type in "best fruit." Here is another, banana's don't have a carb count, so type in how many carbs does a nana have.

Awchoo, (sneeze) God bless you, I have even typed in why do people say "God bless you" and it gave me the answer. You can shop on the internet, go to college, download music (yeah music), it gets you motivated, well it does me anyway. People are different you might watch television while exercising, or read, do word finds, crosswords, whatever passes the time while riding the calorie burner, I read to get my information; I finally got up to speed using the internet, great now I can kick ass on some word finds and jam out.

My schedule has changed, my children have grown, no more getting them up, making their breakfast and getting them off to school. I don't have my restaurant occupation anymore, but I still get up early, not at 4 am but still early enough. I don't have my chores any longer, just the regular cleaning up after house guests; I moved out and got my own pad. Things didn't work between the wed one and I never did hear good job, but I continue a routine I am even test driving something new, a step machine to help strengthen the muscles in my legs to support my knees better. It was given to me because it needed fixin, like other equipment I have acquired. I fixed it and I like it, wake up, green tea, vitamins, music, stretch, more tea, step machine, stretch, more tea, bike, hand grips, more tea, exercise ball, dumb bells, more tea; the tea thing still goes on all day long along with this exercise routine twice daily. In the morning always, and when I am done doing what I am doing all day, I do it all over again. I try taking a day off working out, but I have issues, first of all I like food, sugar free this, sugar free that, hell I've test drove several renditions of sugar free items; not everything cuz some of the sugar free stuff has sugar substitutes, and some of those make my stomach sick, makes me have the runs, and yes you know what I mean. An old expression, do the math, research; I am strict with myself and I wanted to get where I am supposed to be weight wise and been there for quite some time now, wow what a noticeable change.

Let's get healthy you will love it, my reward, not only am I feeling and looking good I am going to stick around and tell people, "yeah that's right, I was bigger, and this is how I did it" right down to my grandkids and great grand babies whom I will love forever. No one stresses this, kids and grandkids, not only do you have to take of yourself, but don't you want to see your kids and grandkids grow? Sad but true, I have this friend we've fished, played golf, joked, laughed, played soft ball, thrown darts together, but this all ended. This person passed away at the young age of 54 from complications of this sugar problem diabetes; leaving behind his better half of 30 years, his off spring, and grandchildren and family. Taking care of you is important; it's like having a job or another occupation. Your not in school where they offer extracurricular activities, everyone needs this second job (exercise, eating right), it's a big part of life itself. School yes, parents too maybe watching us parents work out and eat right will catch on, in other words, lead by example, it's your responsibility. Schools, maybe offering a seminar of the graduating class on complications on NOT keeping fit and eating right just a suggestion.

Another suggestion lets "get it done" on my behalf I would like to thank the things that keep me givin' er; green tea, vitamins, all those musicians that keep me pumpin, serving sizes, my one wheeled wonders, those many hand grip strengtheners, exercise balls, my blood glucose tester, magazines, word finds, and my doctors; good job, you had to put up with me also, you stood by me the whole way.

Please read the follow up...Article 3, 2009