Happy New Year

Happy New Year

2015

Last year around this time, I wouldn't have given too much hope about being here today. 

Blessed to be able to wish all my friends and family a very Happy and Blessed new year. I realize that I go on a lot about Jesus and God and I know that some people find that offensive or maybe they just don't care to hear it. I am truly sorry about that because I know it means they don't understand and that means they don't know a living God, Jesus Christ, my Lord and savior. The Glory and the lifter of my head. I wake every morning now with thanksgiving in my heart and I get through the day with a voice and song of praise. 

I have to consider the way I feel today a miracle. In 1995 my back was so bad that I tried to get away from construction because I didn't believe it would let me keep going. When doctors look at x-rays or an MRI, one doctor remarked, "your back is shot". I suppose a person could just give in and forget it, but we have to keep going. I finally was able to retire and limit all the heavy work, and over time the pain lessens if your careful and the limitations are something you get use to and you just keep going. I have to believe that God supplies all my needs according to his riches in glory. If I seek his wisdom in decisions that I make, it seems that problems and things just work themselves out. It is not something that I can even explain. Whatever investments or Social Security or pensions that played out and allows me to stay ahead of the tax man and the collectors, I give God the glory. 

On June 24th, 2013 I was calling 911 and an emergency vehicle picked me up and delivered me to the emergency room at Sherman  Hospital and Dr.s Park and Hasan. They cleared a totally blocked aortic artery. (proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery of the heart) It was 45 minutes from phone call to the clearing and a stent in that artery and another on the right side. That 45 minutes cost me, in that I have a great deal of damage in the left ventricle of my heart and an area of the heart that is just not working anymore. Then there is a period of rehabilitation and change in diet. I went from 220 pounds to 160 pounds. After about three months, I was feeling some better and I think I was burning up a lot of residual strength and muscle as I was exercising every day and doing all it took to keep going. During this time trusting in God made a great deal of difference in my demeanor and gave me renewed strength every day, as I believe that whatever happened was in his hands. All the exercise, diet, a back that is full of arthritis and a lifetime of wear and tear on old injuries in knees, neck and ankle, made it difficult to keep going every day. 

When I quote the scripture from Roman's 8:28 that all things work together for good, it has a different kind of meaning each day. Finding a right prescription program that works together. Finding the right exercise program that doesn't hurt and actually helps. Developing I right attitude to keep it all together. It sounds a little crazy to some but these things work for me.

1. I am able to sleep 6+ hours a night. I usually thank God each morning before I rise.

2. I hurt, so I have to get up and get going. Take my pills and have breakfast. 

3. I take it easy, take care of business and social connections. Prayer time often and praise with guitar and songs of praise. (The fact that I like to sing has kept me mindful of being able to keep my lungs clear and strong. That alone probably made a huge difference in my recovery.)

4. It hurts to sit due to a bent tailbone and a boney butt. So I get up and keep moving.

5. Get out to the restaurant for a cup of d-caf and time with a friend or whoever will visit.

6. Take care of shopping and lunch through the middle of the day or go to the walking track.

7.  My back begins to get painful and I find that going to the gym and getting on a treadmill helps this. Usually run into someone who wants to visit. God generally leads me to someone who is either a blessing to me or I can be a blessing to them. The aerobics renews strength. Getting my heart rate up and blood pressure up. The medicine keeps the blood pressure low, so it makes me feel more normal when I can push it up. 

8. Usually home by 5 pm and take time to fix dinner. Take my pills and just keep moving until it's time for bed. Maybe laundry or a little housekeeping. 

What I am saying is that all these things work together for good. Can't sit and watch TV anymore so I spend a lot of time listening to Christian radio broadcasting (Truth for Life with Alistaire Begg, Turning Point with David Jeremiah, Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, Dr. Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindal J. Vernon McGee and thru the bible and others or sometimes I just let the computer or smart phone read the scripture to me or just read it myself). I might tune in to some internet channel like Pandora with Gospel artists and music that I like. I enjoy this so much that even though I can sit and watch a bit of tv, it's just not that important so I can feel ok about stopping the cable and saving 80 to a hundred a month. That's a thousand dollars a year. 

I am told that my holding on to faith and my recovery has been inspirational for many. I hope that is so. It does make me feel a little self conscious putting so much about myself out there. 

Here are a couple of pictures of the Good the Bad and the Ugly.

The process of a year and a half working towards recovery.