Well I am in it now

Man, what a whirlwind couple of days it has been.

Now that I have been accepted as one of the finalists on Newfoundland's Biggest Loser I feel I can talk a little more freely about what I've felt like since dear Wife O'mine presented me with the webpage this past Saturday.

First was fear and apprehension. What if I didn't get in?? What if I DID???

Second was hope and optimism. What if I get in and it WORKS???

The mad scramble was on, letter, pics, mind frame... everything. No real time to think about much other then presenting me for what I was. A very fat, very sick man who needed, no, NEEDS, some help and structure to get NOT fat and NOT sick. I guess it worked, cause they let me in. The pictures I sent helped I am sure. lol....

So, the last big hurdle, and yes there was one even after being accepted into the program as a finalist, was this morning's meeting with my doc for clearance. I suffer from hypertension, but since I quit smoking a year ago and have at least made some effort to correct the heinous aspects of my diet, its been under control.... MOSTLY. I suffer from what is called 'White Coat" hypertension. I take my BP at home, its fine, drive in to docs, and its elevated lol.... What if my Doc didn't give me clearance? I was prepared to beg, to reason, to beg some more, maybe get a little belligerent, explain that this would be like an aggressive treatment for obesity and hypertension that may have some adverse early side effects, no worse than a strong or experimental pill. Which, frankly it is for me right now, this is the aggressive treatment I need to save my life.

Didn't come to that though....

Clearance granted, note stating hypertension, mostly white coat, good to go with BP monitoring, which basically means I take my BP in the morning, after a session, and see my Doc once a week.

The BP will be a non-issue after the first 2-3 weeks anyway, I promise you that.

So where to from here? Well, for now I celebrate my upcoming journey into a new life. I thank my wife for her steadfast support, caring and interest in everything I endeavor to do. I enjoy a weekend of rest, then, well, balls to the wall on Monday and there they shall remain for the next 10 weeks until I win this thing.

Monday morning we get together for the first time, evidently Monday evening we do our pics, weight, measurements etc. I look forward to meeting the rest of the crew who are also receiving this wonderful gift, I look forward to having them drive me as I drive them, I am looking forward to seeing a group of fellow Newfoundlanders, we of the infamous appetites and bad habits, becoming healthier and happier over this span.

I also look forward to sharing this journey with you, be you a friend, family or a stranger who stumbled upon this. This will be an exciting journey, I am sure there will be times I feel like quitting, I feel so much pain and agony as my body changes. At those times I will reach out to you , friends, family and strangers, to hold me up, kick my ass and remind me that pain is temporary, change is forever.

Thanks for all your support and kind wishes getting me here, thanks in advance for all your support and kind wishes getting me THERE...