Long winded, somewhat pointless post

[D G Evans]

20 years ago, I was reasonably fit and healthy, I worked on building sites and that was my exercise. I wont say my strength was balanced but I had strength.

Eventually after 6 few years of working on the building sites, I found a new career which was less active, involved shift work which affected my eating and my exercise. I lost around 13kg in weight over several years. I wanted to regain some of my former strength.

I hired a PT to help me but after several weeks I decided it would be cheaper in the long term to just train as a PT myself... So I did, I did a level 2 gym instructor course followed by a level 3 PT course (UK) which was really useful and I learned a hell of a lot from it. I gained much of my strength back and some more and in a more balanced way.

Eventually I got cocky and did a lift in bad form and got injured... I let myself heal, or so I thought, then went back to the gym full throttle and reinjured myself like a fool on the first visit back (after around 6 week break).

Since then I have done next to zero exercise, I had smoked since I was around 14 years old (quit 3 years ago) so I smoked for around 20 years of my life. I switched smoking for vaping and did that until February 28th this year (2023) where I had a consultation with a surgeon who told me "your lungs are riddled with holes" I walked into the surgeons office as a vaper/ former smoker, I walked out of the office and have not smoked of vaped a single puff since.

I had surgery on May 10th, spent 23 days in hospital due to complications (due to having both lungs spontaneously collapsing at different points in my life, the surgery was to essentially 'glue' my right lung to my ribcage to stop it from collapsing again and I also had a chunk of my right lung removed), have had anxiety attacks for the first time in my life (pre surgery) and just about everything I can imagine go wrong this year.  I know full well that there are people in a much worse position than me and I cant complain about the first 36 years of my life at all, I have a wonderful partner, the most amazing kids, a supportive family and a good background. I have a decent job so this post is not about getting sympathy.

I have been diagnosed with COPD and Emphysema at the age of 37 but I have been given the all clear by my GP, the surgeon and a team of lung specialists to go and exercise... Of course I am incredibly weak and have started the GB journey, in the 3 days I have completed I have found out just how weak and inflexible I really am. I know I can get stronger. I can't beat my diseases but I can hold them back and live a long and active life#

The truth is, I'm not really sure what this post is about. I want to be a better, fitter healthier person for me, and for my family. It doesn't matter who you are, where you came from or what you have been through, if you want something enough you can get it, with persistence and hard work you can achieve anything.

The 'anything' I want to achieve is to be able to do get to foundation 4 and beyond. With help and support and belief in myself, I know I can do it. Hopefully some of you will journey with me. I understand that this is a long post and I apologise for that!. In summary We all have 'shit' to deal with but we can get past it and better ourselves. With a bit of focus and dedication we can be better people, in health and in life generally. Good luck to every single one of you on your journey. Here's to a happy and healthy future for each and every one of you.

Dan.