My Journey to Recovery

Hey! This is my very first blog! :)

I am Brad. I am a firefighter in Indianapolis, father to three beautfiul children and married to the same beautiful woman for 18 years!

This blog is going to concentrate on my health and recovery. In October of 2008 I was diagnosed with a Chiari Malformation. A birth defect that causes the skull to put too much pressure on the brain. The diagnoses threatened my career and my physical well being.

In January of 2009 I underwent a Post Fossa Craniectomy to relieve the pressure and help alleviate the symptoms. They gained access to my skull from the back, at the base by making a long incision down my neck. They then removed a portion of the back of my skull that was effectively pushing my brain out of skull and down my spinal cord.

Im sure you could imagine how traumatic the surgery was. I was down and in bed for several days. However I worked to push myself to get up and move around as soon as possible.

Though I felt as if I were healing fairly quickly, I was worried it wasn't enough. I was in danger of losing my paychecks. I was running out of covered sick time. It would have been financial disaster for us.

I was originally scheduled to go back to work April 9th. That wasn't going to work. I had to push myself a little harder to get myself not only to a "normal" level, but a back to work level as a firefighter.

One day I was watching TV and ran accross a P90X infomercial. With an extensive athletic background, a strong interest in fitness and a long coaching/training history, I knew enough that it sounded very intriguing. The more I researched, the more impressed I became about it. So, I ordered it.

Long story short, it changed my life. I went back to work on March 6th, and entire month early!!! On April 23rd, I won a fire engine pulling contest at FDIC in Indianapolis!!! All because of P90X.

I am now on my second phase. The first was to bring up to speed. This phase is to take it to the next level. This time we decided to follow everything exactly as laid out. We are following the diet and taking the recommened supplements. Man, it is doing it's job.

Since January, I have lost over 20 lbs. total. Eleven of that has come in just the past three weeks!!!! Simply amazing.

Stay with me as I break some of this down and elaborate. I'll share more about my Chiari, my gains from p90X, my outrageous cholesterol level and everything else.

Until then, my best

Brad

bam@bamelitefitness.com
www.bamelitefitness.com
www.facebook.com/unclefraddy