There’s this old nursery rhyme that I remember as a kid. It goes like this: “Fatty, Fatty 2x4. Couldn’t fit through the kitchen door.”
My friends would sing this as we laughed at fat people…
50 years later, I’m one of those fat people.
So a little about me…
I’m a mover. That’s what I do to make my money…the Ledge Ledger is a side hustle. Something I like to do.
Before
After
And I hurt my back and I’m not really able to bend and pick things up like I used to be able to do when I was younger. You old fogies know what I’m talking about.
I stopped working on the trucks around 2011. And since then I’ve been the man in the chair directing my superhero laborers in their duties.
I had gotten fatter and fatter.
Fast forward to 2023.
I’m in my office, I’m having a very hard time sleeping mostly because I cannot breathe. I’m waking up every hour or so. My ankles have ballooned to the size of grapefruits. And once I sit down I am in absolute agony if I have to get out of the chair to go to the rest room.
Finally, a friend says to me, “”Dude you need to go to the hospital.”
Of course I don’t, but I do agree to go to urgent care.
They send me to the hospital…in an ambulance…sirens at all.
I’m immediately taken to see a doctor right away. I guess they think my condition is dire.
Long story short…I have congestive heart failure. And had I not gotten to the doctors when I did, I mostly likely wouldn’t be here today.
While in the hospital they put me on medicines that make me pee…a lot. Like a gallon a day.
I lost 30 pounds…I’ve hadn’t felt that good in some time.
I have a lot of energy. I can move around. My mood is so much better.
I’m given a bunch of medicines that I have to take…
And this is where the story gets bleak again.
These medicines have to be refilled every 10 days or so and they cost, my cost, is $100 a pop.
I do this for a while but the cost becomes too much of a burden.
I can’t afford them.
So I do what every financially strapped person does in thei situation. I stop refilling the scripts.
I get fatter (mostly water weight.)
And guess what…those symptoms reoccur.
But this time…I know what’s going on.
So I do what I know how to do…something they had me do in rehab…and something that I’m good at and like to do…
I start walking.
Everyday.
I walk from my office to downtown Grand Ledge.
Round trip it’s nearly a 2 mile walk.
At first I couldn’t make it, but eventually it got easier and easier to do…
The symptoms subsided…they didn’t go away.
Then, I got serious.
I got a treadmill.
I monitored my distance and speed. I inclined the rap for resistance. I did warm up and cool down walking.
The treadmill has places where I can place my hands to monitor my BPM.
I know from my time at rehab that I can’t (or shouldn’t) go higher than 140 BPMs (or was it 120BPMs?)
The results…
In thirty days, I lost 37 pounds while only walking 30 minutes a day.
My BPMs resting went from 125BPM to 92BPMs. And during exercise went from around 142BPMs to 132BPMs.
Funny thing…I’m less hungry. Have far more energy. The bloating vanished.
I “cured” my congestive heart failure.
I didn’t change what I ate, just how much of it I ate.
My sleep was deeper and longer and I wasn’t getting up 4 to 5 times a night to pee. Maybe only once or twice.
Now…I’m not a doctor.
I can’t be sure that I’m cured, but I can say that I feel so much better. I know that I don’t need to take the medicine, and have found a natural alternative.
That’s me…you may be different.
And I’m sure there’s some medical doctor reading this and cringing…
But you can’t argue with the results.
I’ve hit a plateau…so I’m going to start adding supplements and vitamins into the equation.
In fact, I’ve heard great things about this product and I’m excited to see how it works.
Just thought I’d share my experience.
If you’re going to do this…see a doctor first. Don’t listen to me. I’m just a schlub writing about different things on the internet.
But if you do try this…and it works…I’d love to hear about your experience.