Last week I received a surprisingly positive news. Back in March-April I was denied Iron infusions by the insurance company and it was all a huge mess. At the time I took things in my own hands and did something a little different. I went to my PCP and asked to start on Depo Provera. It’s a birth control and it will limit the blood loss I have during my periods. Hoping that this would help and maybe it could lead to avoiding infusions. This was something my insurance certainly couldn’t deny. And it worked! The last labs showed that my iron is actually improving and I got the green light to go back to full workout again! As long as I feel good, I can do what I want.

Of course super excited about this, but I also know that I have a long way back to where I was. But taking one step at a time, I will get there. I put Sunday, 9/12/21 as my start day. The 4th anniversary of my cardiac arrest. I have a couple of goals for the rest of the month. I want to close my rings on my iWatch every day for the rest of the month. It doesn’t matter how I do it, it just needs to be done.

Ironically the hardest one to close will be the stand ring on the day I work. We spend a lot of hours sitting in the truck and I will have to remind myself to get out of the truck and walk around a little every hour we are posting. And it is good because I am so stiff from sitting that much.

Yesterday when I got home from work I let the dogs be home and went for a power walk. I had two intentions with doing this. I wanted to see how it feels and get a grasp of where I was compared to where I wanted to be.

I’m glad I did it but it was also a disappointment. I had not realized I was as far back as I was. I aimed to walk my normal 3.5 miles walk that I walk with the dogs, just step the pace up. But already after 1.5 miles I was in a lot of pain in both muscles and chest and I decided to abort and go home, but to keep the pace. I didn’t want to risk passing out again. The walk ended up to be 2.66 miles so even though it wasn’t too bad, the disappointment with not completing my goal was huge. But I closed the rings for the day.

So today when I got home I wasn’t really in the mood of pushing myself too hard again. But the rings had to be closed and Twix and BamBam looked at me with their adorable eyes. Yepp, we got in a good walk. There had been some rain earlier so the temperatures was awesome. They were happy and rings closed. Mission accomplished!

Mornings has always been the best time of the day for me to work out. It’s like the afternoon is just muscle fatigue all over. Even if I haven’t done anything all day. So this morning I decided to leave the dogs at home again and step it back up. Again, my goal was to make it all around the course that I take with the dogs but this time find a pace that was comfortable but not slow.

The weather was perfect for a walk! and I got in a pace that I felt was nice and when I came back and realized that I was below 15:00 min/mile I was so happy! That was more than I thought I would do! I didn’t have any of the pain that I had Monday and I came back feeling really good!

While I was out walking, my mind goes all different directions. And that’s good because it’s when I walk that I come up with ideas and solutions. Today I came up with how I am going to do my workout schedule…

• On the days that I work my regular schedule (4a-4p) I will take a walk with the dogs when I get home. I walk with them in all weathers but in case there is thunder or lightning I will drag my ass to the gym. I still have a membership that I haven’t used for a long time.

• On the days that I work later in the morning I will take a powerwalk (by myself) before work. If weather doesn’t permits I’ll either go to the gym before work or I’ll have to come up with some solution that day.

• On my days off I will take a power walk in the morning and to make the dogs happy take a walk with them in the afternoon. That walk doesn’t have to be long, they just need some kind of stimulation and I have already done my workout.

Then, when I feel like it, maybe I just need some different workout, the gym will always be there. But I find it quite boring to go there. But I will keep my membership just to get the variation. The rowing machine is actually really good since we do the same kind of movement when we move the patients between the stretcher and the bed.

On Sunday morning I weigh myself in on 213.6 lbs (96.89kg). I have a goal to reach 180 lbs (81.65kg). It’s not impossible and I don’t want to put a time limit on it. I know how I’ll get there. Simply hard work and some changes in my eating habits. As of right now I just need to walk and get that habit established. I know that with that my eating will fall into place automatically.

As much as I hate that I did it and that I am about to post it all of the world now, I want to use it as my own inspiration. This is how I looked on Sunday morning at weigh in…

It is not a pretty sight, I know… but with hard work and determination, I am the only one who can change it. And I will! Let the fight begin.