Ahoy. I'm Glad you are checking out this site.
A little about WHY I started this blog. Always ask why people are doing something.
I grew up for the most part in Daytona Beach Florida. Normal Kid...Sorta. I was always doing something like bicycling, skateboarding, roller skates, running and swimming. I was a very active kid. Always spraining my ankles. I was skinny and outgoing well liked by most people.
On 26 Dec 1986 my Grandmother died. Great woman. Very caring. LOVED ME more than anything. Sweetest woman I have ever met. If you follow Rich Dad Poor Dad she would be my Rich Dad. Very careful with money and invested it. Did not realize this till much later when I looked back on her fond memories together.
June 1987 My Girlfriend broke up with me as she cried about it. Broke my heart. She is the woman I compare other to. A small part of me still loves her and always will. She taught me allot about life and women.
You are wondering why I am mentioning My Grandmother and Girlfriend, right? I was heart broken. My Mom I and were never close. I love her and I know she loved me. She was a heavy smoker and I could not stand to be close to her. She would be my Poor Dad. Very Very bad with money. She always borrowed money from me. She smelled of cigarettes. Her stench was unbearable. I regret that I am forced to say she chose smoking over me. This was a very low point in my life. I had to change my life direction.
So I made a decision. I was going to join the Military and see the world. Awesome! 2 year waiting for Air Force and did not want to join Marines and same with the Navy. So I joined the Army on 20 Nov 1987.
I was not the perfect soldier and I was far better than most. I chose Military Intelligence. 96D Photo Interpreter. Somehow got in and even passed Basic Training. Had problems with the 20 mile road march. Both ankles hurt. I finished it walking like a Man even though I was in terrible pain. I did not cry and needed to ride to final Bivouac area like others who complained. I soldiered on.
Passed AIT and got my Top Secret Clearance and they sent me to Korea. I was in Korea the last 3 days of the Olympics in Soul. High Speed Low Drag. Right when many Korean Men hated Americans. I was always a cool guy and showed others respect so I never got in trouble over there. Many soldiers did. I get along with most people.
After a year in Korea the Army sent me to Bergstrom, AFB in Mighty Austin Texas. YeeeHAW! Wonderful City. Home of the Longhorns. I partied on 6th Street. I still continued to have problems on runs and constant sprains and twisted ankles.
A Air Force Doctor took special X-rays and saw something. My ankles did not have a joint. They go up and down with now twisting in and out so any twisting in and out bent the bone and caused pain. Now I knew what the problem was the had pursued me all my life. I should not have gotten any military service with my ankles. I literally did the IMPOSSIBLE! They should have weeded me out in Basic Training. Again, I did the impossible.
I remained in the Army. They started to get me more pain medication. I worked in ITAC. Imagery Tactical Analysis Center in Washington, D.C. I helped set up the Target Folders for the Allied Forces before the Gulf War in 1991. When the war officially started the Army sent me over there. I even walked through mine fields. After going through Iraq and ending up across the road from OIL Field Fires we were ordered back into Iraq. While loading a 5 ton truck I slipped off the back and landed on my knee. I am a soldier and got up and limped up to the front and got in and we drove off back into Iraq. I am that AWESOME. They kept giving me pain drugs and I kept taking them. I did not know how bad they were.
After the war Bergstrom AFB was decommissioned and turned of to Austin, TX. It is now their international Airport. I left there right before that and sent to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX and had surgery on each ankle using a spinal block. They stuck a needle in my spine to block pain during surgery. That later screwed up my back. Almost a full year there. I reenlisted there to pay back the Army in some sense for trying to fix me.
After that the Army sent me to Ft. Huachuca, AZ I was assigned to The UAVs. Very new to the military. Cool. This is going to be great. When to check in and Sgt Purvis was the first person I met there. Grabbed my 201 file and read it. Said I had not had a PT test in over a year and said I was taking one in 2 weeks. Never mind that you are supposed to have a month to adjust to the higher altitude. So much for Army regulations. I told him I just had surgery on both my ankles and needed time to heal and get back in to shape since I have been barely walking for last year. Showed him I was still in a walking cast. He looked at my foot and says that "It doesn't matter. You have not taken a PT test in well over a year and you was over due. YOU WILL BE TAKING A PT TEST IN TWO WEEKS." Welcome to my nightmare.
The next two and half years is purgatory. I could not escape it. Forced to run on ankle fresh out of surgery. Dogged and harassed at every turn just for protecting my health. Most people on base understood my situation and liked me. Except for a handful of Sergeants in my unit alone because I made them look bad for low PT scores. Never had the opportunity to heal correctly and build back up to where I could have been.
By the last year I was on several of prescribed drugs. Normal over the counter aspirin or stuff simular is only 200 mg tablets. Me? I was taking big 800 mg tablets, 6 to 8 of Motrin at a time 3-8 times a day, just like it was candy, and I was drinking 6-9 liters of Coke a day. So I gained a lot of weight then. They also put me on Zoloft for depression. Did very little to help. These guys were Doctors and know what they are doing. Right? Wrong.
After I left the Army with Honorable Discharge I started to cut back on the Coke and Motrin. By this time the Zoloft was pretty much turning me into a zombie. My health started to fail me. I started to have borderline high blood pressure and getting so close to diabetes.
Years past and I finally made decision that the Military and VA Doctors had no clue and DID NOT HAVE MY OVERALL HEALTH in there best interest. They were getting kickback on drugs they were giving me. I got off of all the drugs.
It only took me ten years to get off of them to avoid the massive side effects. I did it on my own with no help or support from anyone. I told the Doctors no to any prescriptions. The Doctors finally convinced me I needed to be on high blood pressure medicine. After a few months, could not pee. In agony I drove to the VA hospital. They pack me up and send my by ambulance to Winter Park Hospital. After a Cat Scan and tests they found my potassium was critically low. Any lower and I would have died. Lucky me. Good thing I am Army Tough.
About a year later, I got sick again. Went to VA hospital and again they send me to Winter Park Hospital where they check me in for 3 nights stay. Sinus infection. They gave me more drugs. After I got out I was peeing all the time. I have never done this before and it was always clear. What the? I was even waking up at night to go pee? I was used to sleeping all night and taking about 3 minutes to pee in the morning. I have a one liter bladder. Trust me I do. Well, I guess my body is getting rid of the stud that was in the IV and prescription drugs.
Months later I was still peeing all the time. I went to my normal VA check up and explained everything to the SO CALLED Doctor. Believe this, Before any tests he was talking about putting me on more drugs? "You have got to be Kidding me!" He started asking me questions about me wanting to commit suicide? Yea, it gets worse. He has the nurse test my blood sugar. 146. He tells me I have Diabetes and need to go on medication.
NO! NO MORE DRUGS! Every times they give me something I get worse. I get sicker. Not happening again. So he has me escorted up to the 4th floor which is mental health. So Obviously, I must be crazy. A couple hours there I was released because I am not a danger to myself nor others. They want me to come in for a follow up in 2 months.
Now I still suffer pain when standing or walking in my ankles and also my lower back. Pain my my knee. I have migraine headaches and have ringing in my ears. My current total Disability is 40% for both ankles, knee and back and also 0% rating for headaches. That's right 0%. rating. That is the VAs way of saying we believe you now go to hell. I am currently trying to get a tinnitus test through VA and have been waiting about 8 months for that. Once that is done I will get an increase in disability.
I followed the Doctors orders and they screwed me up. Badly. RIght now I have a bad headache. WAAA. I keep going. I Soldier On,
I also have higher infection rates. My nose now runs randomly. Sometimes all day. I don't know why it just does. So I start doing research. Yea, Buddy...I got Google, Bing and YouTube. Lets find a natural Cure.
Juicing. Natural Foods which I already know my diet is bad. While I was on Zoloft and other anti depressants I really did not care about anything including myself.
This lifestyle makes sense. I can cleans my body and get back into shape.
That day in the VA I weighed 337 lbs. My blood sugar was 146 whatever that is. I have no clue.
So now I have a starting point and about 6 weeks left to get my blood sugar down and prove how AWESOME I AM!
A little about WHY I started this blog. Always ask why people are doing something.
I grew up for the most part in Daytona Beach Florida. Normal Kid...Sorta. I was always doing something like bicycling, skateboarding, roller skates, running and swimming. I was a very active kid. Always spraining my ankles. I was skinny and outgoing well liked by most people.
On 26 Dec 1986 my Grandmother died. Great woman. Very caring. LOVED ME more than anything. Sweetest woman I have ever met. If you follow Rich Dad Poor Dad she would be my Rich Dad. Very careful with money and invested it. Did not realize this till much later when I looked back on her fond memories together.
June 1987 My Girlfriend broke up with me as she cried about it. Broke my heart. She is the woman I compare other to. A small part of me still loves her and always will. She taught me allot about life and women.
You are wondering why I am mentioning My Grandmother and Girlfriend, right? I was heart broken. My Mom I and were never close. I love her and I know she loved me. She was a heavy smoker and I could not stand to be close to her. She would be my Poor Dad. Very Very bad with money. She always borrowed money from me. She smelled of cigarettes. Her stench was unbearable. I regret that I am forced to say she chose smoking over me. This was a very low point in my life. I had to change my life direction.
So I made a decision. I was going to join the Military and see the world. Awesome! 2 year waiting for Air Force and did not want to join Marines and same with the Navy. So I joined the Army on 20 Nov 1987.
I was not the perfect soldier and I was far better than most. I chose Military Intelligence. 96D Photo Interpreter. Somehow got in and even passed Basic Training. Had problems with the 20 mile road march. Both ankles hurt. I finished it walking like a Man even though I was in terrible pain. I did not cry and needed to ride to final Bivouac area like others who complained. I soldiered on.
Passed AIT and got my Top Secret Clearance and they sent me to Korea. I was in Korea the last 3 days of the Olympics in Soul. High Speed Low Drag. Right when many Korean Men hated Americans. I was always a cool guy and showed others respect so I never got in trouble over there. Many soldiers did. I get along with most people.
After a year in Korea the Army sent me to Bergstrom, AFB in Mighty Austin Texas. YeeeHAW! Wonderful City. Home of the Longhorns. I partied on 6th Street. I still continued to have problems on runs and constant sprains and twisted ankles.
A Air Force Doctor took special X-rays and saw something. My ankles did not have a joint. They go up and down with now twisting in and out so any twisting in and out bent the bone and caused pain. Now I knew what the problem was the had pursued me all my life. I should not have gotten any military service with my ankles. I literally did the IMPOSSIBLE! They should have weeded me out in Basic Training. Again, I did the impossible.
I remained in the Army. They started to get me more pain medication. I worked in ITAC. Imagery Tactical Analysis Center in Washington, D.C. I helped set up the Target Folders for the Allied Forces before the Gulf War in 1991. When the war officially started the Army sent me over there. I even walked through mine fields. After going through Iraq and ending up across the road from OIL Field Fires we were ordered back into Iraq. While loading a 5 ton truck I slipped off the back and landed on my knee. I am a soldier and got up and limped up to the front and got in and we drove off back into Iraq. I am that AWESOME. They kept giving me pain drugs and I kept taking them. I did not know how bad they were.
After the war Bergstrom AFB was decommissioned and turned of to Austin, TX. It is now their international Airport. I left there right before that and sent to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX and had surgery on each ankle using a spinal block. They stuck a needle in my spine to block pain during surgery. That later screwed up my back. Almost a full year there. I reenlisted there to pay back the Army in some sense for trying to fix me.
After that the Army sent me to Ft. Huachuca, AZ I was assigned to The UAVs. Very new to the military. Cool. This is going to be great. When to check in and Sgt Purvis was the first person I met there. Grabbed my 201 file and read it. Said I had not had a PT test in over a year and said I was taking one in 2 weeks. Never mind that you are supposed to have a month to adjust to the higher altitude. So much for Army regulations. I told him I just had surgery on both my ankles and needed time to heal and get back in to shape since I have been barely walking for last year. Showed him I was still in a walking cast. He looked at my foot and says that "It doesn't matter. You have not taken a PT test in well over a year and you was over due. YOU WILL BE TAKING A PT TEST IN TWO WEEKS." Welcome to my nightmare.
The next two and half years is purgatory. I could not escape it. Forced to run on ankle fresh out of surgery. Dogged and harassed at every turn just for protecting my health. Most people on base understood my situation and liked me. Except for a handful of Sergeants in my unit alone because I made them look bad for low PT scores. Never had the opportunity to heal correctly and build back up to where I could have been.
By the last year I was on several of prescribed drugs. Normal over the counter aspirin or stuff simular is only 200 mg tablets. Me? I was taking big 800 mg tablets, 6 to 8 of Motrin at a time 3-8 times a day, just like it was candy, and I was drinking 6-9 liters of Coke a day. So I gained a lot of weight then. They also put me on Zoloft for depression. Did very little to help. These guys were Doctors and know what they are doing. Right? Wrong.
After I left the Army with Honorable Discharge I started to cut back on the Coke and Motrin. By this time the Zoloft was pretty much turning me into a zombie. My health started to fail me. I started to have borderline high blood pressure and getting so close to diabetes.
Years past and I finally made decision that the Military and VA Doctors had no clue and DID NOT HAVE MY OVERALL HEALTH in there best interest. They were getting kickback on drugs they were giving me. I got off of all the drugs.
It only took me ten years to get off of them to avoid the massive side effects. I did it on my own with no help or support from anyone. I told the Doctors no to any prescriptions. The Doctors finally convinced me I needed to be on high blood pressure medicine. After a few months, could not pee. In agony I drove to the VA hospital. They pack me up and send my by ambulance to Winter Park Hospital. After a Cat Scan and tests they found my potassium was critically low. Any lower and I would have died. Lucky me. Good thing I am Army Tough.
About a year later, I got sick again. Went to VA hospital and again they send me to Winter Park Hospital where they check me in for 3 nights stay. Sinus infection. They gave me more drugs. After I got out I was peeing all the time. I have never done this before and it was always clear. What the? I was even waking up at night to go pee? I was used to sleeping all night and taking about 3 minutes to pee in the morning. I have a one liter bladder. Trust me I do. Well, I guess my body is getting rid of the stud that was in the IV and prescription drugs.
Months later I was still peeing all the time. I went to my normal VA check up and explained everything to the SO CALLED Doctor. Believe this, Before any tests he was talking about putting me on more drugs? "You have got to be Kidding me!" He started asking me questions about me wanting to commit suicide? Yea, it gets worse. He has the nurse test my blood sugar. 146. He tells me I have Diabetes and need to go on medication.
NO! NO MORE DRUGS! Every times they give me something I get worse. I get sicker. Not happening again. So he has me escorted up to the 4th floor which is mental health. So Obviously, I must be crazy. A couple hours there I was released because I am not a danger to myself nor others. They want me to come in for a follow up in 2 months.
Now I still suffer pain when standing or walking in my ankles and also my lower back. Pain my my knee. I have migraine headaches and have ringing in my ears. My current total Disability is 40% for both ankles, knee and back and also 0% rating for headaches. That's right 0%. rating. That is the VAs way of saying we believe you now go to hell. I am currently trying to get a tinnitus test through VA and have been waiting about 8 months for that. Once that is done I will get an increase in disability.
I followed the Doctors orders and they screwed me up. Badly. RIght now I have a bad headache. WAAA. I keep going. I Soldier On,
I also have higher infection rates. My nose now runs randomly. Sometimes all day. I don't know why it just does. So I start doing research. Yea, Buddy...I got Google, Bing and YouTube. Lets find a natural Cure.
Juicing. Natural Foods which I already know my diet is bad. While I was on Zoloft and other anti depressants I really did not care about anything including myself.
This lifestyle makes sense. I can cleans my body and get back into shape.
That day in the VA I weighed 337 lbs. My blood sugar was 146 whatever that is. I have no clue.
So now I have a starting point and about 6 weeks left to get my blood sugar down and prove how AWESOME I AM!
