A little over a year ago I was a "hot mess". My blood pressure was high. I was overweight. My cholesterol was high. I had an enlarged heart plus a fractured rib that occurred when I had a fall. The doctors immediately put me on blood pressure medicine and cholesterol medicine. Signed me up for a health class and weight loss program and was getting my enlarged heart all set up to be inspected. The steps were in the right place to start improving my Health. Unfortunately, I ended up having a heart attack when I started getting on the right track and healthy again. I was one of the lucky ones and they had to do a lot of test, but I ended up not having to have any stents put in me since my veins were only about 10% blocked with plaque. I did have a clot in one of my arteries, but it was already healing itself by making a bypass around it. I continue to take meds, stay on blood thinners, do my health classes, started exercising, and doing my walks, eating right and losing weight. What has happened a year later, all my lab results are in the green. My blood pressure is great, my cholesterol is normal. I'm not pre-diabetic anymore. I've lost close to 100 pounds. I continue to work out, by mostly walking. I do a lot of walking challenges to help support others and to get them on the right page to be in better Health. I truly am blessed to have family and friends that support me on this journey that I'm on. There are tough days and I have a lot of support to reach out to, to help get me through these days. I do tell myself this isn't a sprint. It's a marathon ,so I take each day as it comes, I will continue to walk to support the American Heart Association, and continue to strive to remain healthy. I am a "fixure" in my life and I want to fix other people's problem, but I had a serious problem of my own at not being healthy. A wise man told me in order to help others, I have to help myself first. So my journey has been that, get better ,get healthier so I can be around to support and help others. Thank you for listening to my story. Thank you to all my family and friends that have supported me through this journey.

I love you all,

Stew.