I told you readers that I would be going to the hospital this past week to have a Heart Cauterization to find out what was going on in there. Was I having a problem with my stints or was something else wrong, or both. The stints were ok but found a vein almost blocked and some possible blockages in my lungs! Well, that certainly scared the heck out of me, as you can imagine. I have been feeling very tired and was getting worn out when walking only short distances. I knew SOMETHING was not quite right in there somewhere!
One of the results was to change my diet completely from what it has been all my life. After eating the way I have for 75 years, I am now getting the punishment for doing so. As you can imagine, I have to cut out all the foods that I have grown up on…all the ones that I love. No more fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. No more French fries. No more skin on chicken which I love so much. No more bacon and other meat except on rare occasions…and a lot more fish, especially salmon. Fast food places are a no no.
Well, I have pretty much quit going there by now so that wasn’t a big deal! Cut out the ice cream. Oh my God, this is going to be the toughest thing on the list of changes I must make. I eat ice cream almost every night and sometimes go back for seconds and thirds. Ok, this is probably one of the main reasons I am having these unwanted problems. But, I love ice cream so much! How am I going to do it! Lose about 40 pounds. Well, that should be easy now with the elimination of the number one offender to proper eating.
After having my one and only heart attack in 2008, I had lost about 65 pounds so I know that I can do it if I put my mind to it, again.
These past 75 years, my Grandmother, Mother, and my wife have dished out all the great food, called love, to me. All three were, or are, great cooks. It is all their fault, as you can see. I couldn’t refuse their cooking. It would have hurt their feelings and you know how emotional women are, right? This love has been coming my way from my wife now for 52, going on 53 years! Mercy, what am I going to do? I guess, if I want to live to my goal of 100 or more, I am going to need to listen to my doctors. It appears, after two nights and three days in the hospital, I have really no choice. The punishment coming my way must be met directly eye ball to eye ball!
I’m surely glad that I kept all those clothes after that I lost those 65 pounds in 2008. I have a complete set of leisure and dress clothes just waiting for me in my closet. I can use those clothes as I go along every step of the way in this new exercise of mine. See, Honey, I told you not to give those clothes to the Salvation Army because I might need them again sometime. You thought that I was crazy but I am right once in awhile.
Ok, I need to get started tomorrow. I say, tomorrow, instead of today because I want to raid the refrigerator just one more time before I get started. Oh, yeah, raiding the fridge is another serious problem that I have had all my life! It is 2:30 A.M. also and I think that I can get away with it and not wake her up at this time of the morning, if I am very quiet and careful. What do you think?
Some of you readers are friends of my wife so please don’t tell her what I am doing tonight. Love you all.
Written by Ted Anderson. Insurance agent Ted W. Anderson worked in sales for half a century, has lived in Albany since 1993. He is president of Dover Lane Neighborhood Watch. Send email to him at aj@thealbanyjournal.com.
