Like many people I thought I could abuse my body by eating what I wanted, when I wanted and as much as I wanted. It is amazing how you can be so busy with life that you let life pass you by. At one point I woke up and realized I weighed in at 335 pounds, so I dieted and exercised my way to 225 pounds. A few years later I found myself back up to 365 pounds. I again started exercising semi-regularly, cut out sodas and started eating healthier, but not healthy. I dropped 80 pounds over the course of around a year. Then I had a stroke. Talk about a life-changing wake-up call. The stroke affected my right side – speech, chewing, bowels, loss of right arm and leg function, and many inner body functions. I felt like my life was nothing more than surviving day to day, sleeping and eating. Using the restroom, if I could make it in time, was like potty training all over again. I could only sit for a short time before needing to lie down and could not fix my own meals or even get a glass of water. Sleeping more than an hour at a time was a great blessing. As stubborn as I am, I tried to push myself. Some things leave you helpless. No matter how much you try it is out of your control. The simple fact is I had lost my strength, much of my movement and essentially my freedom and independence. Two years have gone by since the stroke occurred. I thank God for what I can do. I’ve come a long way, but have further to go to make a full recovery.