Boy now that does sound like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Oxymoron was one of my professors at Marshall University’s favorite words. If I remember correctly he even gave us an assignment to find oxymorons in our daily life, but then I digress.

My doctor told me that I needed to change my life style so that I was the poster child for clean healthy living. Ok, so what did that mean? Well first of all I had to quit smoking and boy that was a tough one. I finally managed with the use of the nicotine patch. I did not get the prescription for it because I wanted to use it on my schedule. I had quit once before, but went back because I felt that I was not ready to come off the patch. I thought that if I just had a few more weeks on the lowest dose that I would have been fine. At any rate I reasoned that being addicted to the patch was better than smoking and cost about the same amount.

For years I had exercised every morning for at least 30 minutes, but for the few years before I was diagnosed with COPD I had quit that habit because I did not have the energy to exercise and go to work and do my housework as well. Well, that was one thing that I needed to start again. I love Yoga and had not completely given up the practice and I added a stationary bike to the exercise routine. I began riding between 30 and 40 minutes each evening at around 7pm. I also added some strength training.

I had always tried to watch my weight and eat a healthy diet. I had to change here too because I had lost down to just over 100lbs. I had to quit choosing the low fat edition of everything. I tried eating all that my doctor wanted me to eat, but it was just too much and I was miserable. My doctor and I fell upon a plan that went something like this. Drink Ensure and Whey with Cocoa in my coffee every morning along with breakfast. Eat butter and peanut butter on bread with my lunch and with my dinner. This worked and I began gaining weight. The goal was 125lbs. I am there and not overly happy about it. I feel like I am much too big, but for health’s sake, I will learn to live with it.

That brings me to another quitting. Now that I am at a good weight I need to quit some of the fat, so no more bread, butter, and peanut butter at every meal.

Another habit that I needed to start was getting enough sleep. I had become sleep deprived in college and had pretty much remained sleep deprived for 50 years. I struggle with this one to this day. It is difficult for me to sleep for 8 hours.