This is my first ever blog entry, making it a very exciting time for me. I am composing a message that could be seen by at least, oh, 7 or 8 people worldwide! As I nervously stroke the keys, I'm reminded of an episode of "Pigs in Space" from the Muppet Show. Mainly because the mirror still isn't particularly kind, and I could really go for some bacon right about now.
For those of you who don't know the story of "The Fat Guy Goes To Rome", here's a brief synopsis . . .
April 10: Lab work done at local hospital
April 20 (10:30 AM): Doctor appointment - lab results show that I am actually dead, I just don't know it. Fasting blood sugar is 16, blood pressure, cholesterol and trigliceride counts are high enough to make a pharmaceutical executive finally put that down payment on a beach house in Maui.
April 20 (11:00AM): Decide to save my life insurance company several hundred thousand dollars by getting healthy.
April 20 (Noon): First of many, many tasteless and unappealing meals.
April 24: Voluntary weigh-in at hospital - 265lbs. I know I've already lost the 5 lbs of water that comes first, so let's just say the starting point was around the 270 mark.
Sometime after this my friend Terry invites me on a little run. I inform him that I only run when being chased by large carnivores, but he is rather persistent. He says it's a marathon. I laugh. He doesn't. He's serious. Long story short, it's a marathon in Rome (Italy? Yes. Really? Yes) with Team Diabetes Canada. Simply raise $6100 to fund research, and they'll fly you to Rome, put you up for a few nights and let you beat the crap out of your body for fun. Naturally I agree.
May 20ish (I can't remember the exact date - brain obviously starved of oxygen) Go for first run. Can stride effortlessly from one streetlight to another. Then walk home. Must be the shoes. Feet hurt. Nipples chafed.
May 29: First consultation with dietician. She says I can eat grass and cardboard only - or so it seems. But the scale says 249lbs, so confidence is high. My diet is on track.
Cut to TODAY, June 25th. Race day is March 18 2007, and I am getting the notion that I may actually be ready by then. This morning, for the second consecutive time, I ran continuously for 7 kilometers! It took me around 52 minutes and I didn't cough up a lung. I'm even starting to understand the ridiculous notion of the "runner's high" which I always thought had something to do with the old left-handed lettuce.
Tomorrow I go back to the hospital for lab work again, see the dietician and weigh in. I'm in the midst of fasting for the blood sugar test. I'm actually glad - cardboard gives me heartburn.
2 Comments:
Congradulations Barry, I'm betting on you, keep it up.
Maybe you and all those brave people can help us all out and contribute to the cure.
Barb
Congratulations, Barry, on coming back from the dead. I'll be bookmarking your blog & will try & make a donation soon...
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