Hi I’m Douglas! You will see me hanging out a lot with my pal Stella somewhere in Texas. I have both apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Peripheral Artery Disease. But neither holds me back from taking steps each day. No matter how tough it is to get out of bed and get out the door, we still manage to take one more step for our health each day. And believe me, it’s hard most days. I’m in the most advanced stage of peripheral artery disease, known as critical limb ischemia (CLI). My leg pulses are weak because of limited blood flow. Doctors can only do so much. They can do a little roto-rooting to open up my arteries but that only lasts so long. It’s up to me to be a good partner in my own health and do my part and walk, walk, walk. It’s so I can tap into my body’s own natural bypass system. The collateral network of vessels lays dormant, and is barely visible on imaging, until it’s needed to help re-route blood flow around narrowing or blockages in your main arteries. Walking helps to wake it up! To really kicks things into gear, you gotta push through some of that pain and cramping. That’s not so easy. That tests my mental toughness with each and every step. One of my greatest motivators is to see others who can relate to my struggles and continues to keep up the fight as I do. That’s why I started Confessions of a WalkAholic. I was thinking others might feel the same way. I think it’s helpful for others to know that someone might be able to relate to what they’re feeling and experiencing. Join me on my journey to take steps to better health and please share your stories in the comment section as well!

Douglas is the Global PAD Association’s PAD Warrior Chief.