I experienced some painful injuries during my football career. My senior year in high school, I dislocated my ankle and broke my fibula. Even though it took two surgeries to correct that injury, the emotional damage of missing just about all of your senior year of football was definitely worse. Fortunately, I was still able to play college football, where I experienced my second season-ending injury. Ironically, my best friend and roommate fell on me during a game, and landed into my knee from the side. As it buckled, my patella dislocated, and I needed a surgical process called a lateral retinacular release to correct the injury. While things like ACL injuries are well-known among knee injuries, the dislocated patella presented some lifelong problems that other knee injuries don’t present. What happened is a majority of the cartilage behind my knee cap was torn off. Part of my knee cap is now in a direct bone-to-bone contact with my knee joint (grating) causing major discomfort and local inflammation. Our team doctor, a well-respected orthopedic surgeon in our community, suggested my football career was over, and that I’d be a candidate for osteoarthritis early in my life. I will never forget that day our team trainer consoled my mom and I while breaking us the bad news. I will also never forget that day my coach and I sat in his office and cried. Obviously, as competitive and rebellious as I am, I was on a mission to play more football, regardless of what the doctors said. After receiving a medical red-shirt for that season, and about 8 months of rehab, I had two more seasons to play. Fast forward, and I was able to enjoy the last two years of my career being a two-year all-conference lineman, and a two-year offensive captain for my team. The joy of playing the game came at a cost that I figured I’d have to live with the rest of my life…pain and discomfort.
I’ve tried many products to help with my knee pain. My dad has always been into body building, and with his infatuation with lifting weights, came his interest in supplements. I was introduced to glucosamine and chondroiton immediately after getting hurt. Never really did anything for me. And just so you know, I’m one of those who hates going to the doctors or taking medication. In fact in all three of my full anesthetic surgeries, I never took one prescribed high-powered pain pill post-operation. I just don’t like medication and pain killers. Things like vicodin made me feel worse, so I never took them. I can’t tell the difference when I take ibuprofen or not, so I just never took it. Besides, I heard and read of how people get addicted to pain killers, and the negative affects of long-term use of NSAIDs like ibuprofen. The only thing I did to help my knee pain is I would usually wear a knee brace for mental support, and it made it easier to participate in basketball or snowboarding, or weight lifting. I also came to terms that usually the 24-48 hours post-activity would be spent off my feet, because my knee would hurt too much to do anything. I got to a point where I accepted my knee pain, and accepted my poor physical fitness level. I accepted being over-weight, and made myself believe that it’s impossible with my knee’s condition to maintain a regular physical exercise regimen and a healthy lifestyle.
Recently, I was married, and with every monumental event in life I tend re-evaluate my priorities in life. Now, I have to live for my family and not just myself, my outlook on life and health has changed. I’m learning to realize that I’m no longer the 20 year old kid with an active lifestyle, able to consume nearly 10,000 calories a day. (I seriously ate about 10,000 calories a day when I was playing college football…maybe one day I’ll blog about my midnight “snack” when Jack-in-the-Box opened by our house…) I’m not a college lineman anymore, and to keep my weight near 300 pounds is not only unnecessary, but also unhealthy. The longer I wait, the harder it’ll be to get it off. And if I don’t get it off, I’d be limiting the time I have to spend with my wife and my future family that we plan on having.
With my history, the biggest and most obvious speed bump in my road to health and wellness is my knee. Not only the discomfort while I exercise, and slow recovery afterwards, but also the mental crutch that I’ve used it as an excuse to not keep up my health and wellness. The easy thing to do when I hit the wall is to say, “You know, my knee really hurts.” And it was a good enough of an excuse to stop.
Last year, I’ve been introduced to a product called Nopalea, an all-natural anti-oxidant and ANTI-INFLAMMATORY drink. I’ve been using Nopalea for about 3 months now, and my knee pain and discomfort has reduced dramatically. At football practices, I feel capable to run around and demonstrate drills without pain, something I hadn’t experienced before. Since I started drinking Nopalea, something as simple as going up and down the stairs is a lot easier for me, and it’s anti-inflammatory properties decrease recovery time after working out. Not only in my knee pain, but my overall body pain and recovery.
This year, I’m going to use Nopalea as my “crutch-crusher” both physically and mentally. I believe in this product so much that I know it can help me get by my knee pain and give me the confidence and mental fortitude required to make a weight loss commitment.
My wife and mother-in-law both love watching Biggest Loser, and as I look at the contestants, they’re motivated by two things…health and wealth. The obvious motivation is the money, but their real motivation is the process learn to appreciate their health and body. Most of them are wanting a life change for the sake of living a longer, healthier life. If they end up winning the money in the process, it’s a bonus! This year, I’m blogging this journey with the same two motivating factors; health and wealth. My wife and I recently decided that this Nopalea product is not only our ticket to health in our future, but also wealth. We decided to take on this business adventure and see if we can make it work so that we can replace her income with this at-home business. Obviously, the motivation behind that is so she can be at home when we start having children and raising our family. That time is the wealth we speak of, the freedom to have time with our children, and for us to do what we want to do together. So, I officially dedicate this blog to health and to wealth in 2010. My health. My goal is to lose 15% of my body weight this year. During that time, I hope to transform not only my body, but my mind, and my lifestyle. I’ve lost 30-40 pounds in 2 or 3 months before, and 6 months later the weight would be back on. This time, I want the weight off for good. My wealth. My goal is to use this blog as an influence for others to try Nopalea and consider joining us in sharing the health benefits of this amazing product.
A blog for my weight loss, and business growth.
Thus, to health and wealth in 2010!!!
Aloha,
Isaac
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