A Quick Health Update

I got a new CPAP machine Monday.  I had my last one for nearly seven years, and the new generation of apnea fighting apparati (that’s not the plural of “apparatus”, but how cool does it sound?) are auto-titrating.  This means that the machine has a range of pressures preset by my doctor and adjusts throughout the night as needed.  This means, conceivable, that in the near future I could ride the machine down to zero, and it will tell me when it’s not required. 

My doctor, nurses, and equipment consultants have all tried to temper my expectations, telling me that losing weight around my neck may not be the only factor causing my obstructive sleep apnea; that crowding of the tonsils, adenoids, etc., in the throat, and weakening of throat structures as one ages may mean that I could always require some sort of apnea therapy.  But I’m holding out hope.  Regardless, after five days with my machine I am sleeping as soundly as I can remember!

On Tuesday I went to see an ENT.  After interpreting my symptoms and sticking an awful scope through my left nostril and down my throat to examine my voice box, he diagnosed me as having laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).  It’s basically when stomach acid come goes all the way up the esophagus to the voice box.  The voice box is far less tolerant of stomach acids than the esophagus, so regular, quick shot of digestive juices on the vocal cords that doesn’t stay around long enough to cause the irritation of the esophagus which causes heart burn, is what has been causing the vocal cord dysfunction, hoarseness, and coughing that I’d been experiencing especially for the past couple months.

The doctor put me on a proton-pump inhibitor, which reduces the production of gastric acid.  I feel a big difference already, and my symptoms are alleviating as my larynx heals.  This contributes to better, more restful sleep and I have had a wonderful bonus of energy to really attack my work outs.  I was surprised how light I felt on my feet  today in group and anticipate that I will have lost a bit of weight this week.  I hope my ever-intensify exercising and continued healthy eating will spur me on to another great run of weight loss.  Wish me luck!  

Battling Towards 299

I am within ten pounds of breaking 300.  Just ten pounds to go, but (Ugh!) I am currently on a plateau—my longest time in the doldrums yet.  It’s amazing how one’s body can retain weight; it’s baffling trying to understand what the body is doing.  It seems like a simple, calculable problem of thermodynamics—energy ingested minus energy exerted equals an expected weight loss—and in the long run it may end up that way but, as many dieters and exercisers can tell you, it often doesn’t turn out that way!

I think it must have to do with stress and hunger hormone, water retention, and the building of heavier lean body mass.  Whatever it be, when you’ve eaten a week’s full of 1,600 calorie days and worked out for six straight days, as I did, it’s literally stunning to see that familiar figure displayed on the bathroom scale.  There was I was, a stinging in my eyes when I read the number; and, in fact, I shed a silent, manly tear when I realized that all the work of the past week, if not for naught, didn’t add up to a subtraction in weight.

It’s like setting off on a long road trip in the dark:  you don’t know where you’re going, but you think you know the right direction; you are going full-out hard, because you’re trying to meet goals along the way.  You’re not reckless in how you proceed, trying to be safe as possible; but it’s dangerous by its very nature, and you risk bodily harm that could occur at any moment.  Finally, you pull off to the side of the road to stop and check how far down the road you are, only to find out that you’ve made a big circle and, making no progress.  You are where you started!—that’s how it feels.

Comparing our various “sorenesses” with a friend today after group, I made the connection between all the aches and tightness in my gluts and leg muscles to the tough new exercises that Laurie has incorporated into her circuit.  Where a couple of months ago I was swinging a 25lb kettle ball and doing seconds of speed squats, I’m now doing multiple minutes of speed squats throughout the session and am flipping up the big 45lb kettle ball!  It’s an increase in weight and duration that corresponds to an increase in my muscle mass and endurance. 

This week, instead of becoming blue due to not drawing closer to 300, I am taking solace in how much fitter I’m becoming.  Because this journey’s never been about getting skinny, it’s about becoming healthy, and healthy is how I shall continue!

The Tickly Throat and the Color Run

It’s weird having a tickle in my throat that doesn't go away.  It’s most pronounced in the morning, and some nights I fall asleep thinking, maybe it’ll be gone in the morning.  But to greet me at first light is that scratching in the larynx which precedes the seizing of the vocal cords.  If I can think about it in time, I can force deep breaths down through my nose, and it tampers down the clenching and I can breathe unobstructed.  But there are times—while exercising, drinking water—when it’ll start and I have to stop what I’m doing, cough or otherwise clear the passageway before starting my breathing exercises. 

I think my nerves affect the fluttering of my vocal folds as well, and I sometimes experience difficulty or pain while talking.  My voice cracks as it did through puberty, and volume modulation sometimes gets away from me.  I wish I could say that the conditions seem transient, but I've had them long enough that I anticipate being able to show, rather than relate, the condition to the Otolaryngologist (ENT) when I see him the week after next.

***

It was packet pickup day Thursday for the Color Run Cincinnati.  Laurie organized a group of runners including herself, her daughter Mallory, fellow Five Seasoner Nadya, my sister Sarah, and yours truly.  Rather than making duplicate treks downtown, Sarah and I volunteered to pick up the groups’ packets at Great American Ballpark.  It was a beautiful day and gave up a great chance to stretch our legs in conditions similar to the race.  On the way back, with race bags hanging from all shoulders, we joined our father, who works right off Fountain Square, for our favorite lunch, Fusian Sushi.

At 7:40, on a bright and beautiful Saturday morn, we rendezvoused at our chosen meeting spot, and walked as a team to race central, the Longworth Hall parking lot.  The course was cleverly designed to have the starting gate and staging area on one end, the Party Zone concourse in the middle, and the finish line at the other end.  Every member had to use the restroom and we waited and waited in the lines for the Porta-Potties.  But the long queues for the bathroom were nothing in comparison to the massive column of participants lining up at the start.  Indeed, the Color Run sold out Friday and there were thousands and thousands of eagered runners ready to hit the 3.1 miles of the 5K course. 

It is a credit to the organizers of this fun run that though we waited through 55 minutes of staggered wave starts, the crowd was entertained by an awesome emcee and thumping music.  I was anticipatory rather than antsy, as we worked our way to the starting gate.  It felt like getting ready and then boarding a roller coaster, and when we heard the GO!, it was adrenaline that got me going. 

I felt great while running, my endurance strong.  I didn't stop jogging until entering the first coloring station, where I waited to a healthy spraying of red powder.  Feeling like a battle painted Native American warrior, I was energized coming out of the station and ran-ran-ran to the next powder station, Blue.  With these little respites every quarter of the race, water breaks every mile, and having to slow down due to bunching, I was able to keep a nice pace as I was healthily doused in purple and finally yellow.  As Sarah overtook me right at the finish, crossing tauntingly just ahead, we received powder bombs of orange. 

Laurie and Nadya finished a couple of minutes after us, at the time of 39 minutes so I unofficially finished in, say, 37 minutes taking nine minutes off my Flying Pig time and 15 minutes off my first 5K, the Heart Mini in March!  We said congratulations all around and, while enjoying snacks and drinks, admired each other as unique pieces of art.  We color bombed one another, and partied amongst our fellow fun runners in massive clouds of color.  What a great morning!

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

I haven’t felt well this past week.  In fact, I haven’t felt great these past couple of weeks, but the symptoms that I’ve experienced have worsened and culminated in a visit to the Emergency Room. 

I think it all has to do with my C-PAP machine—the device that has prevented my fat neck from collapsing in on itself these past seven years, thereby avoiding a catastrophic end from Obstructive Sleep Apnea that has taken from us the likes of Jerry Garcia and Reggie White far too soon.   

 

Wearing the C-PAP mask in January: Fat Neck, Dreamy Eyes :-P

While the C-PAP saved my neck when I was fatter, I have continued to lose the weight collaring my face, but have been negligent in following up with my sleep doctor (In my defense, the sleep clinic I went to folded-up overnight, with no one I talked to in the medical community knowing what happened to it.  When my doctor did resurfaced, now as a Mercy Health Physician, the inquiring Mr. Wright isn’t received as a loyal returning patient, put on the short rotation of scheduling, but is treated as a new patient and penciled in two and a half months from now.  Alas, thus is life!).  As the weight has dropped, the pressure of my C-PAP has stayed the same while my quality of sleep has gradually become poorer.

About three weeks ago I started feeling a tickle in my throat.  Suspecting a summer cold, I carried on and didn’t miss a scheduled workout day.  The tickle became a full feeling right around where I swallow.  I’ve had full-blown strep throat and I could tell this wasn’t it:  I didn’t have a cough that tendered up the throat; there wasn’t the excruciating feeling that I was forcing down bits of glass with every gulp.  My sister had just recovered from bronchitis, but I couldn’t have that: one doesn’t break one’s mile record with such a lung ailment. 

If what ails me wasn’t in my lungs, wasn’t a type of sore throat, and wasn’t affecting my head, then it was something new to me, and I’d try to suffer through it if I could carry on with my physical activities—if I didn’t miss my times with Laurie.  But this past week it got worse when rising in the mornings.  Upon waking, my throat was so tight, so full feeling that I couldn’t tip my head back without trigger an instinctual cough in hopes of clearing the passageway.  It got better as the day progressed, but there’d be times in the day that my throat would seize up and I’d struggle to get in a breath.

Then shortly before five, Friday morning, I shot straight out of slumber, in full panic and seemingly completely unable to breath.  I’ve had anxiety attacks, from time to time, that have caused me to bolt up out of bed in the middle of the night, smacking my chest with the feeling that my heart had stopped.  In such events, you are reduced to the instinct to survive, and Friday morning I stumbled across the hall to the bathroom, able to get only a tiny bit of air in, in what must have almost resemble the reverse sneezing of a dog.  I was unable to even cough out, let alone communicate.  My panicked tumult so early in the morning aroused my grandmother from bed and she witnessed my struggle for breathe. 

After what was about a minute, yet seemed like eternity, my throat opened up and I could breathe easier, and make grunts for yes or nos.  As my Nana relayed her observations to my mother, a pharmacist and our household medical authority, I gradually regained the ability to speak.  No Mom, it’s not in my lungs, I’m not asthmatic; it’s not strep throat; not a sinus infection, either.  No, I haven’t been established with my new PCP on my new insurance; no, I can’t afford to pay out of pocket to see my old doctor. 

Damned if she knew of any condition that would cause a spell like I had, which would allow me to workout virtually normally, and if I—her child, aye, but a 27-year old man—decided that he wasn’t going to lay down sick for the day, she couldn’t stop me.  Unless I was experiencing attacks outside of morning, when my throat always felt at its worst, I wasn’t going to miss the day that was planned for me.

Friday, Laurie met me in Loveland for a day of bike riding on the Little Miami Scenic Trail.  Laurie, the tri-athlete, owns a great road bike.  I hired a comfort bike from Montgomery Cyclery—a fabulously run business that has a hassle-free rental process.  As Laurie made final preparations, at her car, for the ride—watering up, apply sunscreen, checking tire pressure—I rolled and wobbled around the parking lot, remembering how to do what they say you never forget.

The humidity was blessedly low for a late July afternoon; the trail, a tunnel of tree cover over most of the stretch, had a nice breeze that kept us pedal-pushers comfortable.  Laurie kept a challenging pace as she taught me the unwritten rules of the trail—where on the path to ride, how to pass others, how to cross roads against potentially cyclist-killing automobiles, to look out for fellow riders needing assistance; all this to keep me safe and an asset on the trail.  We rode all the way to South Lebanon, ten miles out before matching the distance in the return.  It was a wonderful day, and beautiful change of pace from the gym.

The rest of the day I was fine, only having teeny bit of fullness in my neck.  Then, after sleeping without my C-PAP to see if that’d make a difference, I awoke at 7:30am, my normal time.  I had just enough time to put on my glasses before my throat closed off again.  Panic set in as I again stumble into the bathroom.  My stridor, my coughing and wheezing, this time brought the women in my family—my mom, sister, and grandma— out of their bedrooms and they were horrified.  Sister Sarah, the recently recovered bronchitis case, viewed a similar sufferer and encouraged me to “cough it up.”  As I hadn’t had any mucus-y sputum hitherto, I could tell there was no “it” to cough up.  My mom suggested that she’d stick a pin in my trachea.  My Nana, the matronly supervisor, observed and issued emphatic encouragements. 

In front of the bathroom mirror, in the morning light, with my glasses on, I could see that my face wasn’t simply without color—it was completely green.  I had once seen a guy being treated in a college hallway after having passed out in front of a public speaking class.  I had the same skin tone as him, and I feared I was going to lose consciousness.  Fighting the dying of the light, I watched myself impotently coughing, choking without effective resistance.  Then it subsided.  No more than two minutes, it easily equaled the most scared I have ever been.

What could I do but seek medical treatment?  When battling for my life’s breath for the second morning in a row, I was still completely baffled as to what it could be.  Who’s to say it wouldn’t be worse tomorrow morning?  In such a condition it was time to see the expert diagnosticians at the Bethesda North ER.  My mom drove us recklessly, and it felt slightly surreal as I, the patient, with a feigned level-headedness, chastised her—better harsh words than a rebuke from the law or even further injuries to another.

Once in the ER, my mom told the admitting attendant that I was having trouble breathing and I was almost immediately taken back.  Doctors inquired about my symptoms and took in my medical history.  One doctor said it sounded like the attack of vocal cord dysfunction, and while waiting between tests, I looked up VCD on my smart phone: spasms of the vocal cords that blocks the airway, relegated to the throat, often misdiagnosed solely as asthma, terrifying but rarely life threatening.  I felt that the doctor nailed it, but they must have to rule out everything to make a diagnosis official.  As the X-Rays came back showing no collapsed lungs or physio-abnormalities of the throat, and throat cultures came back negative, I was more convinced that VCD episodes were what I was experiencing.  They gave me a breathing treatment, and sent me home with prescriptions for an antihistamine and an inhaler, and instructions as to how to proceed.

As I sit composing and reliving this, I still have a tickle in my throat and an urge to cough that I fear might cause my throat to cinch up.  I’m to make a follow-up with my PCP tomorrow, and call my sleep apnea doctor to plea for a sooner appointment.  In the meantime, I’m hoping it was the C-PAP and a bug that is causing it; and hope that I won’t long require the wheezing machine and, as my body vanquishes the bug, the episodes will go away as quickly as they came.  I’m smiling as I realize that, in thinking that out of this awfulness the best outcome will occur, I’m probably deluding myself but, hey, I’m an Optimist!  We’ll see how it goes…

Victory in the Mile

It stood for a long time, 11:11—my personal record in the mile.  It stood for more than half of my life, and it also stood as a physical threshold I thought I’d never cross.  It stands no longer.

Slightly before noon Thursday, as Laurie and I took to the neighborhood course on which we’d oft-prepared, it was unseasonable cool and just slightly overcast: the perfect weather for running.  With my journey mentor Joseph present to witness and document my special moment, trainer and project set off to challenge a bit of my history. 

I was ten pounds lighter and had two weeks of conditioning since last recording a mile time just four seconds short of my goal; and I certainly did feel stronger, lighter, and faster than ever.  But races longer than sprints are all about pacing, and Laurie—the expert handler, wearing my running watch and monitoring the feedback—was quick to hold me back to a clip that I could keep up. 

My breathing, I’d noticed, has gotten quite better the more I’ve run.  As we were in the fresher half of the mile I note how I was no longer desperately sucking air in and out.  Instead it was deep, measured breathing at a regular interval that wasn’t required at first, but was in anticipation of the tired homestretch.

As we entered the final straight, Laurie called out the distance remaining and, seeing Joseph near the finish I slipt off my figurative reins and opened up, giving it all I had.  After a few hundred feet, the reality of being still over 315 lbs and not having closing endurance caught up with me, as did true fitness herself, Laurie.  With a rarely used bark of “Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop!” Laurie brought me through the mile finish line; but what about the time?

Hearing drum rolls in my head, I grabbed Laurie’s arm to manipulate the watch still on her wrist, searching for the time…10:11!  A minute under!  “Beat it by one minute!” I yelled to Joseph, down the street.  “You CRUSHED it by one minute!” Joseph declares.  And I stood corrected, excited as I was, like a child, exchanging hugs, handshakes, congratulations, and thanks all around.  

Walking back to Five Seasons, I realized that not only had I crushed my personal record by a minute, I’m only 12 seconds shy of breaking ten minutes.  The 13-year old Mark might have held the 11:11 mile record for 14 years, but he would never have dreamt of breaking the 10 minute mile mark.  With over a hundred pounds to go before I make my ultimate weight goal, I don’t think I’ll beat 10 minutes, I’ll crush it!  I can’t 

wait!

My Hardest Workout Yet

Fresh from vacation, Laurie was admittedly ready for a challenging workout Tuesday evening.  And put together a grueling program she did!  I sweat-soaked two shirts, required half a gallon of water, and burned over thirteen hundred calories in what was my hardest workout to date.  As I stood at the cooler filling my water bottle fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time, a rip-roaring, ready to go Laurie told me that we were ready to start and, as I was last to arrive, I almost felt as though I were late.

A new warm-up exercise—always difficult—of ten squats, ten pushups, nine squats, nine pushups, all the way to down to zero, made me think of a tortuous Marine boot camp activity, and left my arms feeling dead.  It was to be a long workout…

Our circuit training was marked by two halves.  The first half included stations working the chest, abdominal obliques, hip abductors and gluts, lats, and biceps.  Upon completing a round, we did a four minute HIIT on the stationary bikes, followed by a cool-down lap on the track.  After three rounds of this, I was sucking down water and desperately refueling with my emergency orange.  But we were only half way done.

The second half switch brought in the weight machines: leg press, triceps on the cable machine, abs, standing rows, and the converging chest press.  After each and every station, we jogged a lap on the track.  I made it harder by completing the reps without hesitation and popping up to run my laps.  If there was a bottle neck on a station I would re-rack weights to prepare machines for others in order to keep my heart rate up.

The result was a dog tired Mark, soaked on the outside, dehydrated within.  As the group was ending, Laurie was going to finish with a jog up Hell Hill, and gave me the option to skip it.  I’d never skip a moment working out with Laurie—not just because I’m tired, not if I’m upright—and knowing I had to truly earn the next day off, I completed my hardest workout yet trudging up that terrible talus.  I had a nice muscle-developing soreness on my day’s rest, and a wonderful feeling that I’m developing headway, and getting stronger.  I can’t wait to see what Laurie plans next!

A Week Without Laurie

Laurie is a genius.  She found a way to take a week of well earned vacation for the Fourth and still make sure that her people don’t miss a week of training.  Shame on me for thinking that Laurie’s vacation meant an easy week for me!

Laurie pulled off this feat by connecting me to a wonderfully sweet lady she also works with.  On Sunday, Laurie emailed me a program of circuit training program to follow, and I set up the stations.  With the great form she’s taught us, we knocked them out with such efficiency that the Five Seasons’ trainers complemented us on our tenacity.  Laurie thought we might workout twice together, but when I asked my gym buddy if and when she next wanted to work out she told me Monday… Tuesday… Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday!  Taken aback yet impressed with her go-gettiveness, I found myself bargaining to have the Fourth of July off.

After telling Laurie how well the day went, she asked if another of her gals—a hilarious lady—could join us.  I didn’t hesitate a moment.  As working out alone can quickly become tedious, the more certainly is the merrier!  In our Laurie-less support group, all were welcome.  We did exercises targeting our biceps, triceps, chest, back, legs, and abs.  In mixing three spurts of high intensity interval training on the stationary bike, we put together an hour of hard work Laurie would be proud of.

As the week continued, with me doing my best Laurie impression, Laurie adjusted the exercises to avoid working the same major muscle groups in succeeding days.  On Thursday, as I was gassed pedaling on the third HIIT of the day, working out for the ninth day in a row, I realize the brilliance of Laurie: While she’s chillaxing in Florida, we’re still in the gym, staying focused, and continuing our training; we’re gaining confidence by working without her guiding touch.  And most of all, we’re missing the hell out of Laurie in her absence.  Here’s to the mastermind’s homecoming!