A Personal Best

© MMIX V.1.0.8

In June 2000, I was in a coma. That was the lowest point in my life. I have been slowly improving since then. It took two years before I could do much of anything but sit in a La-Z-Boy chair all day long. That's where I had spent most of my days for eight years before that. A year ago, I no longer suffered from transient chronic pain in my muscles and joints. Then, I added lifting dumb bells to the stretching program I had been doing three times a week for years. I started with 10 pound dumb bells, one set, 10 reps. I did bench press, flies, biceps, triceps and rows.

For the last six months, at Gold's Gym, my personal trainer has worked with me every Wednesday for an hour. Her name is Kristen. She is a 20- year-old power lifter! She is on the Canadian team. Usually she has me doing things I wouldn't otherwise do: balance exercises, squats, walking. We are retraining my brain. I like to do upper body weights. Today, I bench pressed 40 pound dumb bells six times! Here's what I did today: 5 minute walk from 2.3 to 2.6; stretches (my standard routine); bench press (1 set of 15 reps with 25 pounds, 1 set of 15 reps with 30 pounds, 1 set of 15 reps with 35 pounds, 1 set of 6 reps with 40 pounds) A PERSONAL BEST!!; one arm rows (3 sets 15 reps 30 pounds); flies (3 sets of 15 reps - 20 pounds); triceps pull downs (3 sets of 15 reps 40 pounds); biceps curl 1 set of 15 reps with 15 pounds; shower when I got home. I did no lower body exercises, but I pressed 40 pound dumb bells 6 times after warming up with smaller weights for a total of 51 reps. I controlled the 40 pounders very well.

If I sometimes seem "over-the-top" happy, it is because I was once severely crippled. I was much older than a centenarian. All I could do all day was sit in a chair. I slept fitfully with night sweats. My hands were frozen painful claws. I was in extreme pain 24 hours a day — for years. Everything hurt. I was a mass of throbbing aching pain. My feet felt as if they were on fire. They felt as if they were burning coals. Then, I was dead. Now, I am young again. Best of all, pretty girls smile at me! I am like the Bible's Job. Not only am I young again, I am healthier than I was when I was young. Pretty girls didn't smile at me then but they do now. Maybe I am dead and I am in heaven.

I am very thankful. Of course this isn't heaven. Some of Regina's leading citizens, and one in Wakaw, are responsible for the good done to me and some of Regina's leading citizens are responsible for the evil that was done to me. None are responsible for the pretty girls or for my deliverance.

And some people say there is no God.

http://morleyevans.blogspot.com/2008/02/cholesterol-hoax.html

-Morley