Thank you all for your concern. I have to admit it, only myself is to blame. No one forced fast food and fatty meats into my mouth and held a knife to my throat and made me swallow all of it. Loved meats and meat cutting since my twin brother and myself started at age 5 doing the grinds in the morning before opening and school for dad, one cranking and pushing the meat down the hand-grinder throat, while the other made pretty squiggles and florets displaying it properly for the retail case. We took turns or fights would break out!
But, it took a toll on my health. Lots to do with bad diet, 80-90 hours a week, 6-7 days a week, overweight, not paying attention to my blood tests or the warnings, figures out of whack, (HDL, LDL, Glucose, HBP, weight, exercise or lack thereof, etc. etc.). Ignoring the signs. What happens when you ignore a STOP sign? You get hurt. Sitting in the hospital with my 7th stroke, then a heart attack 2 weeks later, gives time for reflection.
But, I am a changed man. I created a simple spreadsheet out of Google Sheets for date, Blood pressure, Glucose and Weight
I cannot vary more than 2 lbs. per day or I have to call my cardiologist immediately. No salt, only Mrs. Dash. only whole foods, no high nitrite foods (hot dogs, lunchmeat, bolognas, etc.), fruits, vegetables (love cooked spinach, who knew?). More fresh fish fillets, non-breaded, no desserts, no fast foods (high salt content, fatty), you get the idea. In a month and a half in the hospital and rehab, I've lost 30 lbs. And more to go. Lo-fat, lo-carb, high protein. Little dairy, no processed cheeses, only whole cheese and cottage cheese. I bought Grill Mats for my gas grill to cook fish fillets on; they work great! No fat cooking!
When you lay in the hospital after a Cardio Catheterization, when they pull the balloons out of your veins and arteries, ignoring your painful screams and have to close the incisions with extreme, painful pressure in your groin for 40 minutes on each side, you tend to wonder about your bravado of "Well, we all gotta go sometime....: as you grit your teeth to endure it.... That polish sausage really wasn't that much worth it, now was it?
And, I'm not done yet. Still have to go through a TAVR (Transcatheter aortic valve replacement) and two operations added on to the ones I've already had -this is just a little break to allow time to heal up some.
Ultimately, we all are accountable for ourselves. The pain and the pleasure we have to endure is up to us - just don't stick your head in the sand and say 'you didn't know'. I'll be in and out for a while. please PC (private Conversation) me on any further questions or concerns.