Well.. yea.
I was always a big guy. Probably 250+ since high school. 350+ for the last few years… with a high of almost 380 last year. For a majority of the last 10 year’s I’ve been in the 320-340 range, and despite that I was … pretty active. Walking 3, 5 or more miles in a shot was no big deal. Playing paintball all day was my idea of a good time.
But that last 20-40 pounds (probably along with my age) really did a number on me. I wasn’t walking cause it was to the point it would hurt my back. I wasn’t camping cause sleeping on the ground wasn’t worth the hassle of getting up again. I wasn’t playing paintball cause just walking out on the field was wiping me out.
But now… 4 months post-op, I’m down 85 pounds. Toss in there the 55 I lost pre-op… and I’m feeling better than I have in decades. I’ve played more paintball in the last 5 months that I did in the last couple years. And despite taking those head shots you see in that picture up there, I’m loving it!
I was able to really move around the field better even before I had the surgery. Barely 4 weeks post-op I was out for an all day event.. and while I took frequent breaks I was out there moving like I hadn’t in years. At less than two-months post-op I was out playing for 7 straight hours… in the rain… with just a couple of short breaks for getting more paint and lunch… and loving it. I was on the field almost three hours that day before I finally went and took my first break.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m not out there playing speed-ball. But I am out there moving… up and down hills, through woods, almost non-stop. And yea, I do feel it in the muscles the next day, it’s nowhere near like what it was… and that was from doing not even half of what I do now.
So yea… despite all the guts being rearranged, despite the head shots, the welts, the poison ivy, I can look back on these last four months and have absolutely no regrets.
And that feels good.
Well fine, no, the head shots didn’t feel so good… but bruises fade, memories last forever.
Memories do last forever, and it seems like you are building a few good ones! Enjoy!!