JoeGuinn

I should go back and tell you about myself. My name is Joe. I am married to the love of my life, Kim. Together we have three children Jace who is five, Kayla who is four and Alexa who is two. If you notice they are pretty close in age so my wife spent quite awhile being pregnant. During this time I seemed to be the unfortunate one to gain the baby weight. Through all three pregnancies. When Kayla was around two I knew I needed to make a lifestyle change. I was either going to be the dad that was out of shape and always be to tired to properly enter act with my children or I was going to reel it in and take control of my health. I decided on the second option. This at first began as small changes I educated myself on foods. I would watch horrible food documentaries that would absolutely terrified me into changing the way I ate and what I would eat. That is how it started for me, by making better choices when it came to food. I was 240 pounds at this time. I stopped eating for entertainment purposes and began to focus on self control when it came to food. I would continue to watch how I ate until our second daughter was born. I can remember setting in the hospital thinking how I was going to be the best father I could be for our three kids and be the very best husband I could be for my wife, Kim. My father passed away when I was five. My mother never remarried. I have two brothers. My mother raised three kids on her own. She was not collage educated or have a skill set. She worked very hard and often times worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. She did a great job and I am proud of her. Watching my mom work so hard to provide for me and two brothers instilled in me a hard work ethic. Through the series of low paying jobs my mom worked to provide their was not a lot of extra money around. She always made sure we had food, clothes and a roof over our heads. I found out pretty young that I would need my own money for any extras I wanted. I watched my mom work very hard for the money she earned everyday. Lucky for me this was the money making hustle I was introduced to, work. At  14 I got my first job, a grocery bag boy. I don't think that job exists anymore. I did not go to college and continued to work very hard for my money. I met Kimberly when I was 29 through mutual friends. We literally have been together everyday since we met. It just feel into place like that. Kim had been to college and convinced me that I should better myself, I was a carpet installer helper at the time. I took her advice and began to research what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to work with my hands and had a interest in airplanes so that was it. I would get the training I needed to become a Air Frame and Powerplant Mechanic on airplanes. I attended a technical school for 18 months and received all my certifications that was required to become an A&P Mechanic I really don't know where I should start.  On March 14 2014 I suffered a stroke while weight training at a gym. I monitored what I ate and took my health serous. I remember the stroke happening vividly. I was performing a lift known as Shoulder Shrugs.  It's a lift where you simply just hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your shoulders.  I can remember getting light headed and needing to sit, little did I know that would be the last time I stood.  I remember a gentleman coming to my aid and asking if I "needed help"? I told him yes, little did I know it would be the last time I spoke.  He notified an employee of my situation. The gym called for an ambulance to come to my need. While I sat in front of a simple bench on the floor I remember people gathering around to see what had happened. I slumped over and at this point I was lying in a "L" shape. I can remember everyone thinking I must have over worked myself and needed oxygen and fluids.  No one could imagine what was really happening. Not even myself. I remember the Paramedics arrived and I was placed on a stiff board and from there to a gurney where I was moved through the gym and out the doors. I remember being in the back of the Ambulance and the Paramedic setting the gurney in an upright position.  He immediately hooked me up to oxygen. As we sat there he began to ask me questions to which I could not reply. I remember at that point them saying I needed to go to the Hospital. That's it. I would not regain consciousness until so much had happened.