If I can do it....

To start off with I’m in no way a writer, not good with grammar and tend to make up my own abbreviations and lets not talk about spelling lol. With all that said here we go! I started my journey seriously last January 2015. I was 50 years, lying in a hospital bed with two blood clots in my lungs. Using oxygen daily, I was weighing 496lbs. The cardiologist that I had been seeing for years came in and said Dan we need to have a talk. Your heart is in bad shape. Your rate is high and at this point is staying in irregular rhythm. I can almost promise you that you are not going to see 51 years old. At first this infuriated me. I said to myself, what does this guy know! Then it hit me. I NEED to make a change and it needs to be done now. Having a supportive wife and a 9-year-old son at home my journey began that day. We made some calls, got me a appointment for surgery at UVA medical center to have my heart ablated. Once that was done I began focusing on my weight. On January 26th 2015 I had my first appointment with a weight loss surgeon. Surgery was scheduled for August 4th 2015 for a gastric sleeve procedure. During the 6-month trial period I began working my butt off, literally. At the beginning I was using oxygen just to walk short distances. Little by little I started to change. By August 4th I was down 120lbs. The surgery went awesome and today I’m weighing 289lbs! I’m running daily and feel so much better! That in a nutshell is how my journey began. My goal is to reach 250lbs and maintain it. I know with hard work this can be done! I wish everyone well on your own journey! Keep your focus and take it day by day!