The First Day of Exercise

Weight: 222 pounds  Down 2 pounds
Push ups: 15
Rollie Wheel: 5

So, I got up this morning and was kind of excited to start this. I really tried hard to start with the bar on high. I only managed to get it just off the floor.

I think the push ups will improve quickly but the rollie wheel is going to be a bitch. My goal for push ups is to do 100 per day. If I can get the rollie wheel to 25, I think I'll be happy.

The rollie wheel is essentially a version of sit ups. I kneel on the ground with my hands on the handles the extend from either side of this wheel. The exercise involves me pushing the wheel out in front of me until my stomach almost touches the floor. It really works the abs, which have not had much work recently.

The Goal: a Post a Day

Since I am posting again on the second day of the year, I am clearly well on my way to posting every day of the year.

However that would require to have something interesting to post.

Well, I think I have figured out something interesting to post...at least interesting to me...and isn't that what we are concerned with here?!

In keeping with the thoughts and intensions of my Love Letter, I want to get into better shape. I have no definite goal other than any shape is better than the shape I'm in now.

So, I shall post every day the status of my weight, and the results of my morning workout. The morning workout shall simply consist of push ups and my rollie wheel.

Since I am starting from scratch, it shant be very impressive at the start. But it will be a guide to watch (what I hope will be) improvement. And the fact that I am dedicated to posting the results every day will be the thing that makes me actually do the exercise.

So, here we go!

A Love Letter to Myself

Dear Stan,

Let's start off the year with a decision to try and do better!

You are 56. You presently tip the scales at 224. You have a horrible diet. You're out of shape because you never exercise and consequently, your stamina sucks. And you're not terribly attractive. You are another heart attack waiting to happen!

On the positive side, you are 56. You are not yet so portly or out of shape that you couldn't start working out and get yourself to 200 pounds. But even at 200, you would still be unattractive.

Anyway, what do you say we try to make a better Stan in 2014. I guess we need a slogan.

"Less Stan to be seen in Twenty-Fourteen"

Well, we'll work on that.

On the Road to the Ultimate Destination

I am checking in so as to let it be known to everyone who reads this (no one) that I am not dead.

But I think I'm close!

I am presently sporting three wounds. There are two of them on my hand, as shown in the picture above. The other is a little blister on my foot caused by my shoe.

The only reason I bring this up, other than a declaration that I am not yet dead, is to assert that I am rapidly heading towards that destination.

I don't heal as well as I used to. Both of the injuries on my hand are due to burns I got while stoking the fire. They are about two weeks old. I initially covered them with bandages and they seemed to be healing. Then I stop covering them because band aids annoy me after a while and the wound starts to crack and ooze and fester and...let's face it. At this point, you die a little every day.

Gout Report

Hi! It's October now and I'm still alive. I'm not thriving. I have lots of aches and pains. But other than me...who gives a fuck!

My main complaint with my body right now is my left big toe. It has the goat...I mean gout.

The intensity of the pain...no let's call it discomfort, varies from moment to moment, day to day. I am trying to keep up on the Allopurinol, the anti-Goat pill I'm taking.

It's okay at the moment but has been bothering me all week.

More Knee Thing

I rolled onto my left side and felt my knee lock up. I looked at the clock. It was 1:57 AM.

I tried to roll onto my right side and slap my knee down hard on the mattress...but to no avail.

So I drifted in and out of sleep, occassionally massaging my knee and trying to work out the lock until 6 AM when the alarm went off. I rose and staggered to my closet to retrieve my cane.

I showered, dressed and drove myself to work.

I was explaining the situation to some co-workers when I raised out of my chair and straightened my knee. It had clicked off just as quickly as it had clicked on.

I was hoping to come across some sign, hint or clue of what triggers this damn thing but remain as clueless as ever.

I last chronicled a similar but much shorter event back on May 26th. I can walk again and that is the important thing...until the next time.

Shortness of Breath

The gout is pretty much under control now but it kind of spawned a new problem. 

A week ago, I weighed 222 pounds all of the sudden. Sure, I ate a bunch of crap on the Fourth and drank about seven or eight beers throughout the course of the day.

The real problem was that I was suddenly sucking air. I became very short of breath with very little activity.

I got in to see my Cardiologist this past Tuesday and he thought I was wet. That's Cardiology talk for retaining water. I started taking a diuretic and this morning I weighed in at 211. Best of all, my stamina is coming back. I'm not all the way back yet but I'm improving.

I was also told to cut back on my alcohol intake. Apparently, alcohol is just about the worst thing you can take when you have cardio myopathy. So, I'm trying really hard to get my weight down to 200 pounds and limit myself to two drinks a day.

That will be difficult on a hot sunny day like today, but it is important if I want to experience many many more hot sunny days.