Ok Doc. Chill. I Get It

Ok. So the doctor wants me to lose weight, exercise more, eat right, take my meds, and reduce the stress level.

• Lose weight - Check. I am on my way to losing weight - the goal is to lose 25 more pounds to get to college weight.
• Exercise - Check. I have been exercising more regularly. Been in the gym 3-4 days a week for 60 minutes on the treadmill. The goal is to make it 4-5 days a week for 60 minutes on the treadmill.
• Eat right - My wife is all over that. I've been eating all kinds of stuff I don't like for days now. It's all good. Here's what I have to stay away from - cholesterol, saturated fat, spicy foods, sugar, carbs, salty foods. But I can eat everything else - you know non-sweet, non-spicy, non-salty, no flavor stuff.  J/k...There are like three tasty things that meet the above criteria. J/k. I really don't mind eating a healthier diet.
• Take my meds - Check. The last time I asked if I could reduce the number of pills I'm taking doctor said, "Sure. If you don't mind dying." Uh...ok...I'll keep taking the meds.
• Reduce the stress level...hmmm...I am a father of four - 14, 12, 10 year-old girls, and a 5 year-old boy, I pastor a church that is going through awesome but huge transformation and reorganization with a history of disfunction...ok...

I never knew how much stress impacts the body.

About six months before my bypass surgery, I had a thorough physical (40 year-old check up) where the doctor told me I was borderline diabetic, had minor hypertension but overall, everything looked good. I was told to be careful about my sugar numbers and my blood pressure.  

And then major stress hit me like a ton of bricks in the next six months.

The bodily toll of the stress:

• my sugar numbers were in the 600's (normal number should be under 110 fasting)
• my cholesterol numbers in the 900's (normal number should be in the 100's)
• my triglyceride (that's the stuff that hardens the arteries) was over 6000 (normal numbers should be in the 100's)
• my blood pressure was off the charts
• my kidneys were failing and releasing protein into the blood stream
• all this added up to having 90% blockage in two of the four main arteries, and 100% blockage in the other two main arteries to the heart. 
• I was a walking heart-attack.

My body was shutting down. All in six months. Stress was a major contributor to my body being sick.

So what's the lesson for the day?

De-escalate the stress level in your lives. Do all those other things - exercise, eat right, etc. And also remember to chill out. 

That's my plan. That's what I will be working on. 

Chill...

I can do that.

Chill...

I like it.

Chill....

I'm all over it.

Chill...