<p>Like many people I thought I could abuse my body by eating what I wanted, when I wanted<br />and as much as I wanted. It is amazing how you can be so busy with life that you let life pass<br />you by. At one point I woke up and realized I weighed in at 335 pounds, so I dieted and<br />exercised my way to 225 pounds. A few years later I found myself back up to 365 pounds. I<br />again started exercising semi-regularly, cut out sodas and started eating healthier, but not<br />healthy. I dropped 80 pounds over the course of around a year. Then I had a stroke.<br />Talk about a life-changing wake-up call. The stroke affected my right side &ndash; speech,<br />chewing, bowels, loss of right arm and leg function, and many inner body functions. I felt<br />like my life was nothing more than surviving day to day, sleeping and eating. Using the<br />restroom, if I could make it in time, was like potty training all over again. I could only sit for<br />a short time before needing to lie down and could not fix my own meals or even get a glass<br />of water. Sleeping more than an hour at a time was a great blessing. As stubborn as I am, I<br />tried to push myself. Some things leave you helpless. No matter how much you try it is out<br />of your control. The simple fact is I had lost my strength, much of my movement and<br />essentially my freedom and independence.<br />Two years have gone by since the stroke occurred. I thank God for what I can do. I&rsquo;ve<br />come a long way, but have further to go to make a full recovery.<br />When I was in the hospital I was informed that I was diabetic, had high cholesterol and high<br />blood pressure (208/120). They immediately put me on medication and quickly told me what<br />I should and shouldn&rsquo;t eat. Interestingly, the meals they fed me didn&rsquo;t match their advice.<br />After 5 days at the hospital, losing more abilities than when I arrived, they finally released<br />me over threats I would simply check myself out. My first visit with a doctor outside the<br />hospital, while writing slip after slip of prescription drugs, the doctor asked how I felt having<br />to take medications the rest of my life.<br />Shocked, I asked what he meant. He basically replied that it was unlikely I would ever<br />totally control my high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and that diabetes would be with<br />me for the rest of my life. I told him that he better get ready to start reducing my prescription<br />medications, because I wouldn&rsquo;t be on them forever. I knew it was possible to overcome any<br />adversity. Eating properly and exercising to the best of my limited ability, I began to show<br />him that I was serious. I admit it was very slow going.<br />Ten months later I had the opportunity to participate in a stroke study at the University of<br />Nevada, Las Vegas with the Physical Therapy masters students. With their help, I was eating<br />well and walking 40 minutes twice a day. My bad cholesterol became a thing of the past, but<br />the high blood pressure and diabetes still plagued me and my good cholesterol was too low.<br />&nbsp;</p>