We'll we've got about 1/2 hour before we hit the new year here in Arizona. I'm excited for 2008. Why...I have no idea. I just hope to make it a great year.
I got in a 30 mile ride on Saturday and it kicked my butt. Normally, 30 miles is usually a cake walk. It was proof to myself at how out of shape I am. I'm going again tomorrow for I think what comes out to be between 30-35 miles. I'm going from the Show Low Park to the Mormon church in Pinedale and back. Were supposed to have a high of 45 degrees so it should be a nice ride.
I had my last coffee today. I'm definitely going to miss that habit. I love that stuff. I don't think it would be such a bad habit if I just drank normal coffee. The problem is, I love Lattes. Pumpkin Spice to be exact. I'm not sure how much sugar is in these foo foo drinks, but I'm sure it's near the upper limits of "not healthy". I hope just by eliminating this one habit that I will soon see/feel a difference.
20 minutes till new year. I'm barely going to make the new year (awake that is). I'm on call tomorrow so I don't exactly have the luxury of sleeping in. We'll I've got to get busy updating the website. Have a great night and best wishes for the new year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
1 More Day
One more day of Coffee. Well I'm giving up coffee for 2008, and I'm going to enjoy the heck out of it tomorrow. Since it will likely be a hectic day at work, I should have ample opportunity to make several stops at the drive thru Coffee Hut. They just told me today that they have a new Peanut Butter and Chocolate Latte; sort of like a drinkable Reeses peanut butter cup. So needless to say, I'll definitely give that a try.
I'm actually looking forward to 2008. I'm psyched about the weight loss challenge as we've had a great response as far as signups are concerned. My goal now is to keep everyone inspired. I want everyone to see success. I'm going to be posting a page on the website regarding information on setting goals. I'm a big fan of goal setting but I'm not sure how good I'll be at putting my thoughts down on this blog. We'll see.
I've spent most of today trying to organize all my cycling stuff (spent the day cleaning out my dresser and my closet). The worst part about winter riding is finding all the clothes it takes to stay comfortable. I bought a big cedar chest just for my cycling clothes but so far my wife has it filled with Christmas stuff. That's going to come to an end really quick.
With regards to setting goals for 2008, it's super important to write them down. If you keep the ideas locked in your head, then that's all they are.....ideas. You've got to put it down on paper. Even after writing down your goals, you need to write down specific ways your going to reach those goals. IE. Let's say your goal is to Lose more weight.
Now you have to write down exactly how your going to do it. And no you can't just say "diet". Write down what foods you are going to allow yourself to eat? What foods are off limits?? Is exercise involved?? If so, how often, when, what type? Your goals (resolutions) have to be precise. I'll post mine (the non-personal) ones on the challenge website as an example.
I hope everyone has super plans for 2008. There will of course be the typical downs, but let's all do our best to stay positive and use our struggles as experiences to learn from.
See you in 2008!!!!!!!!
I'm actually looking forward to 2008. I'm psyched about the weight loss challenge as we've had a great response as far as signups are concerned. My goal now is to keep everyone inspired. I want everyone to see success. I'm going to be posting a page on the website regarding information on setting goals. I'm a big fan of goal setting but I'm not sure how good I'll be at putting my thoughts down on this blog. We'll see.
I've spent most of today trying to organize all my cycling stuff (spent the day cleaning out my dresser and my closet). The worst part about winter riding is finding all the clothes it takes to stay comfortable. I bought a big cedar chest just for my cycling clothes but so far my wife has it filled with Christmas stuff. That's going to come to an end really quick.
With regards to setting goals for 2008, it's super important to write them down. If you keep the ideas locked in your head, then that's all they are.....ideas. You've got to put it down on paper. Even after writing down your goals, you need to write down specific ways your going to reach those goals. IE. Let's say your goal is to Lose more weight.
Now you have to write down exactly how your going to do it. And no you can't just say "diet". Write down what foods you are going to allow yourself to eat? What foods are off limits?? Is exercise involved?? If so, how often, when, what type? Your goals (resolutions) have to be precise. I'll post mine (the non-personal) ones on the challenge website as an example.
I hope everyone has super plans for 2008. There will of course be the typical downs, but let's all do our best to stay positive and use our struggles as experiences to learn from.
See you in 2008!!!!!!!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
New Year Almost Here
I hadn't realized it had been 8 days since my last post. We had a wonderful Christmas. I built a zipline for my boys and they love it. We've got an acre sized lot and it goes from the middle of the yard to the very back, about 100ft. It's been freezing cold outside, yet they've zipped at least 50 times.
I got a cool helmut cam for when I go out for rides. I'm anxious to see how well it works. I'm actually going on a 40 mile ride tomorrow, if I'm motivated to read the instructions, maybe I'll give it a try.
Only 4 days before the start of the weightloss challenge. I'm really looking forward to it. My goal is to be at or around 160 by May. Even more important though, I hope to see the other participants have a very successful challenge. I'm going to do my best to help everyone do well. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to help, but I'll figure something out.
As for myself, my success is going to be a combination of long bike rides and a mostly natural food diet. I figure if the sun grows it, I can eat it. The best thing about riding a bike is that it serves several purposes. It's an unbelievable stress reliever, it keeps me focused, it's a great fitness tool, and most of all.....it keeps me happy.
Off subject a little, we were slammed at work today. It's RSV season and it has hit hard. RSV is a respiratory virus that can seriously effect infants. Rumor has it two little ones passed away this past week because of it. We averaged one oxygen set up every 90 minutes today. Every one of them was a child. My 5 year old son has asthma and seems to get every virus that comes along. He was on and off of oxygen all the time when he was younger. Looking back, it was sort of a blessing in disguise. Everything I learned from him, I'm now able to apply when working with these other sick children. I can relate to the stresses and worries the parents are feeling. There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick.
Ok back on subject.....I'm looking forward to my ride tomorrow. My friend Rick is up from Phoenix (he's going to freeze) (it was 3 degrees this morning) and he's training for an April Triathlon (yes he's a triathlete but we won't hold that against him). Speaking of Triathletes, why do they climb hills in their AeroBars??? Doesn't that go against everything physiological???? It makes more sense to sit upright so you can get more air into your lungs while getting more power to the pedals. Maybe they know something I don't. If someone knows, please inform me.
Well I think thats it for now. I'll post more tomorrow after my ride.
I got a cool helmut cam for when I go out for rides. I'm anxious to see how well it works. I'm actually going on a 40 mile ride tomorrow, if I'm motivated to read the instructions, maybe I'll give it a try.
Only 4 days before the start of the weightloss challenge. I'm really looking forward to it. My goal is to be at or around 160 by May. Even more important though, I hope to see the other participants have a very successful challenge. I'm going to do my best to help everyone do well. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to help, but I'll figure something out.
As for myself, my success is going to be a combination of long bike rides and a mostly natural food diet. I figure if the sun grows it, I can eat it. The best thing about riding a bike is that it serves several purposes. It's an unbelievable stress reliever, it keeps me focused, it's a great fitness tool, and most of all.....it keeps me happy.
Off subject a little, we were slammed at work today. It's RSV season and it has hit hard. RSV is a respiratory virus that can seriously effect infants. Rumor has it two little ones passed away this past week because of it. We averaged one oxygen set up every 90 minutes today. Every one of them was a child. My 5 year old son has asthma and seems to get every virus that comes along. He was on and off of oxygen all the time when he was younger. Looking back, it was sort of a blessing in disguise. Everything I learned from him, I'm now able to apply when working with these other sick children. I can relate to the stresses and worries the parents are feeling. There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick.
Ok back on subject.....I'm looking forward to my ride tomorrow. My friend Rick is up from Phoenix (he's going to freeze) (it was 3 degrees this morning) and he's training for an April Triathlon (yes he's a triathlete but we won't hold that against him). Speaking of Triathletes, why do they climb hills in their AeroBars??? Doesn't that go against everything physiological???? It makes more sense to sit upright so you can get more air into your lungs while getting more power to the pedals. Maybe they know something I don't. If someone knows, please inform me.
Well I think thats it for now. I'll post more tomorrow after my ride.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Just Ramblin
First of all, the weight loss challenge signups are going well. I'm both excited and proud to see these people step up and meet the challenge. Besides myself, we had the first guy sign up today. Hats off to "Hotforteacher". We'll see how he does. He's a good friend of mine and I know he's at the gym every morning so he may be some stiff competition.
I was blessed with the chance to get a few hours of riding outside this week. I got in an hour on Monday and another hour today. It was great. It's always nice to be able to ride outside this time of year. I'll take 5 minutes outside versus an hour on the trainer any day. That thing is so tedious. I've thought about getting my wife one, just so I'll have someone to ride indoors with. Here's some pictures of my rides this week. To all you east coasters, yes it does snow in Arizona. We are blessed here in Eastern Arizona. I think we have some of the prettiest country around. And like most, I tend to take it for granted.
I was blessed with the chance to get a few hours of riding outside this week. I got in an hour on Monday and another hour today. It was great. It's always nice to be able to ride outside this time of year. I'll take 5 minutes outside versus an hour on the trainer any day. That thing is so tedious. I've thought about getting my wife one, just so I'll have someone to ride indoors with. Here's some pictures of my rides this week. To all you east coasters, yes it does snow in Arizona. We are blessed here in Eastern Arizona. I think we have some of the prettiest country around. And like most, I tend to take it for granted.
I passed these Apache Cowboys rounding up cattle for branding. I wish I would of hung around to get more pictures. I was a farrier for 10 years before starting our medical supply business. I enjoy watching horses perform, whether it be rounding up cattle or jumping in an arena. They are truly a magnificent animal. I know these cowboys must of been thinking, "whose the guy in the tights with the camera?" "He ought to get himself a horse."
I guess it's supposed to start snowing again tomorrow so it may be a while before I get out again. Let's see, I think I had an avg HR of about 160. Probably not ideal for this time of year but it was nice to wake up the lungs. I used my "Italian Cycling Mirror" for he first time today. I loved it. I'm not sure it will save my life, but it's pretty cool to see what's going on behind you. I was actually surprised when riding back into town, how many people actually did move over into the farther lane. I was both shocked and appreciative.
My thyroid levels still haven't leveled out but I'm optimistic they will soon. I'm still on the 125mcg with the addition of 137mcg once a week. I still think I'm low in that my legs hurt like crazy, I'm moodier then heck (my poor wife), and I can't concentrate worth a darn. But I'm hoping I'm on the downhill side. I really want to start off 2008 on a good note.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The Biggest Loser
I'm sitting here watching the finals of The Biggest Loser and I find myself both unbelievably impressed and touched by what these people of done. It is absolutely awesome. I've never been big time over weight but I have definitely had my share of gains. I know when I had my thyroid gland destroyed I gained quite a bit over a very short amount of time. It was nothing to have a client say "have you gained some weight".I look at some of the people on The Biggest Loser and hear their stories and my heart goes out to them. The struggles they all share is nothing but heart wrenching. The cool thing though, look at how they have stepped up and done something about it. I think of the measley little 20 lbs I want to lose and it doesn't touch the dedication and hard work these guys/gals have accomplished.
It just makes me more psyched to get this weight loss challenge going. I hope and pray that those involved will share the same accomplishments that I saw tonight. It's all possible. Just don't lose sight of your goals.
For those of you interested, they have a cool website. Click HERE to go there.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Being a Dad
I've got a few friends that are about to become fathers for the first time. I remember before we had kids, I didn't really think it would be a very big deal. Well that idea changed really fast. When my oldest son was born, I can remember thinking, wow this is my own flesh and blood. I am actually a father to this little bitty thing (They look like a "thing" when their first born). I wasn't really close with my dad when I was younger and to this day that really bothers me. My goal is to have a relationship with my kids, one that I didn't have with my dad. We have two boys, 8 and 5. Thankfully they both love to ride bikes. Ryan, the 8 year old can pedal forever. Coby on the other hand, well a mile is about it for now. They are such a blast. Neither of them know it yet, but we're putting up a zip line as one of their Christmas gifts. Not just some chincy little thing either but about 150 feet of line. They're going to love it. So will dad. Those boys are my reason for living. Every decision I make, in someway usually revolves around them.
My dad was pretty harsh growing up. We definitely feared him. Don't get me wrong, he provided for us and taught us what it meant to work, but now that I'm a dad, there's a lot more to it than that. I want my kids to grow up to be responsible, caring, hard working young men (doesn't everyone). When they were both toddlers, (and I was less mature) I thought I wanted them to grow up being the star athlete, the stud jock. As I grow, and as I watch them grow, my idea of success is rather changing. I do think sports are important. They teach, dedication, teamwork, self esteem, and desire. I want them to know what it's like to compete, to bust your butt for something you want really bad. But I no longer care if they become that stud jock. I hope they grow to stand for something they believe in though. Anything. I want them to believe in themselves and have the confidence to try and maybe fail. And if they fail, I want them to know it's alright.
I guess as a father, the most important thing to remember is that you aren't just raising little kids, but your hoping to raise responsible young men. If I correct them today, it's more then just because they did something wrong, but because I'm hoping to help mold them into successes tomorrow. You know when you hear a dad tell their son "this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you"...... this is so true. I hate disciplining my boys. It kills me sometimes. But it's one of those necessary evils. The coolest part though, twenty minutes later they still love you.
My dad was pretty harsh growing up. We definitely feared him. Don't get me wrong, he provided for us and taught us what it meant to work, but now that I'm a dad, there's a lot more to it than that. I want my kids to grow up to be responsible, caring, hard working young men (doesn't everyone). When they were both toddlers, (and I was less mature) I thought I wanted them to grow up being the star athlete, the stud jock. As I grow, and as I watch them grow, my idea of success is rather changing. I do think sports are important. They teach, dedication, teamwork, self esteem, and desire. I want them to know what it's like to compete, to bust your butt for something you want really bad. But I no longer care if they become that stud jock. I hope they grow to stand for something they believe in though. Anything. I want them to believe in themselves and have the confidence to try and maybe fail. And if they fail, I want them to know it's alright.
I guess as a father, the most important thing to remember is that you aren't just raising little kids, but your hoping to raise responsible young men. If I correct them today, it's more then just because they did something wrong, but because I'm hoping to help mold them into successes tomorrow. You know when you hear a dad tell their son "this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you"...... this is so true. I hate disciplining my boys. It kills me sometimes. But it's one of those necessary evils. The coolest part though, twenty minutes later they still love you.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Motivation????
Man, I'm not sure where my motivation has been this week. I'm on my 5th day of my increase in thyroid meds (125mcg), and I'm waiting for the energy to appear. I did the P90X workout on Tuesday evening and felt great. Yesterday was a good day. Today......oh man I just felt like crap. A little nauseous most of the day and tonight I'm wiped. On monday, I'm going to see how many days straight I can ride my bike to the office. Of course this will depend on the weather. (My only allowable excuse is Snow/Rain) Riding seems to minimize the butt kicking symptoms of my thyroid. My wife will agree that it also helps keep me in a tolerable mood.
My diet has been....well....non existent. I'm eating whatever my hand puts in my mouth. I think I can quit using the excuse "it's the off season". Since most of the early season races are down in Phoenix, February becomes a very busy month as far as racing is concerned. While those guys are enjoying perfect riding weather, we're up here freezing our butts off. Where's the love??? Like P.O.D. says, time to harden up!!! Another way to look at it is, When your not training, your competition is. I'm not too worried about winning right now (or ever), but I definitely don't want to be dropped from the pack at the beginning of the season.
As far as the Weight Challenge is concerned, we're starting to get some good feedback. It's a couple of weeks before weigh ins. I hope we have a good response to this. I think it can be a lot of fun and it has the potential to help people be successful with their weightloss.
Well tomorrow is another day. Trying to live by my own words, I'll make it the best day I can.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Scale Is Going The Wrong Way
The weight challenge starts in about 3 weeks and I was thinking I was going into it weighing about 175 pounds. This has been my typical weight for about the last 3 months. When I first had my thyroid ablated in October 2006, I think I hit about 185. That's the most I've ever weighed. Remember I'm only 5'9". 
We got a new scale at the office today. One that is more accurate than my home scale. When I got on the little step plate I thought the little adjustment thing was just stuck (It's supposed to move down as you add weight). Well it didn't move, at least not until I hit 182. 182!!!!! Holy Cow. If I keep going this way, I should be fairly square by Christmas.
This is definitely a motivator in that I was hoping to be around 160 by the end of May. I guess it's time to start cutting back on the coffee. Man this is hard to do. I love coffee in the wintertime. Plus, I just bought a new thing of creamer, Pumpkin Spice.....yummm.
I was going to start my P90X Workout tonight but I spent the entire evening looking at a website a friend sent me, http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/shortsummary.html . If you have a chance to visit the site, it is definitely worth your time. I listened to both of his lectures and they are outstanding. Anyway, I guess it comes down too.......how would you live your life differently if diagnosed with a terminal illness tomorrow? Ok I won't go into my little schpeal (don't know how to spell it) right now. Just live each day to the fullest. It's something I'm trying to work on daily.
We got a new scale at the office today. One that is more accurate than my home scale. When I got on the little step plate I thought the little adjustment thing was just stuck (It's supposed to move down as you add weight). Well it didn't move, at least not until I hit 182. 182!!!!! Holy Cow. If I keep going this way, I should be fairly square by Christmas.
This is definitely a motivator in that I was hoping to be around 160 by the end of May. I guess it's time to start cutting back on the coffee. Man this is hard to do. I love coffee in the wintertime. Plus, I just bought a new thing of creamer, Pumpkin Spice.....yummm.
I was going to start my P90X Workout tonight but I spent the entire evening looking at a website a friend sent me, http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/shortsummary.html . If you have a chance to visit the site, it is definitely worth your time. I listened to both of his lectures and they are outstanding. Anyway, I guess it comes down too.......how would you live your life differently if diagnosed with a terminal illness tomorrow? Ok I won't go into my little schpeal (don't know how to spell it) right now. Just live each day to the fullest. It's something I'm trying to work on daily.
PAYBACK!!!!!
I've coached little league for the past 8 years and if there's one thing you get out of it, it's some really special relationships. There's two brothers that I've grown really close too. I've seen them both grow into amazing young men and I hope and pray that as they continue to grow, they remain a part of my life. Both of them have taught me more than I could ever teach them. OK that's the gooshy part. A couple of weeks ago they decided to TP my house. Only they proceeded as only rookies would. They did it while my porch lights were on. My dogs began to bark and when I looked outside
I could see a white explorer. Well there's only one person I know that drives a White Ford Explorer. I knew immediately who it was. In fact, these rookies not only parked IN FRONT of my house while they were performing their toilet papering duties, they actually didn't even run when I turned on the second porch light. Better yet, when they did finally drive off, I could see their brake lights up the street, saw them turn around, and can you believe it they drove by again. BUSTED!!!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Winter Is Finally Here
Winter has finally shown up. And my kids are loving it. I sure wish I had the energy they do. When I was a kid, we could usually count on a few good storms by now, at least one by Halloween. Not so much anymore. We don't get anywhere near the amount of snow we used too. I guess from a cycling point of view that is a good thing, but I miss the snow. The snow just adds to the special season of Christmas. I love the lights, I love the decorations, and the snow just adds to the great feelings of the Holiday season.
I've definitely been slacking off on riding. I haven't ridden in almost two weeks. What I have been doing though is eating. My gosh, you would think I was on a sugar only diet. The other day I'm sure I had three lattes. I'm hoping to get on track again this week, except for the fact that it's supposed to snow through Wednesday of this week. I'm going to start up on the P90X again. I've been feeling pretty much like crap lately. I'm going to start a slow increase in my Thyroid meds. The current dose just isn't working. I've got headaches everyday and I've got absolutely no energy. My wife has been riding the trainer a couple days a week so I guess that should be a little motivation for me. I just hate riding that thing. It's so boring. I just need to get my butt in gear and get out on the road.
I had one memorable ride last winter. The route that I take to work goes over a small bridge near Rainbow Lake. There is usually a little bit of water running across the road whenever we have some decent moisture. I had crossed this water several times earlier that month with no problems. Well I hadn't realized that with the freezing weather the under part of this current had frozen. As soon as I hit the water, my bike slid out from under me so fast. Before I knew it I was laying in a stream of water. Luckily, I had gotten up so fast I didn't end up getting too wet. My outer layer was soaked but I was still warm. I only had about a mile left to get to the office. By the time I got there, my outer layer was frozen, along with my derailleur and cables. I guess it was a lot colder than I thought. Needless to say, this winter I will take a different route to the office.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Dreaded Thyroid
I figure I might as well get this subject out of the way. My Thyroid has been a wreck for about the last two years. It has been a miserable road to recovery and I'm hoping that road changes directions soon.
About 2 years ago (and very suddenly) I began having these wierd symptoms in my chest. It wasn't a pain but it sort of felt like my heart was fluttering (it wasn't) and I would get this weird sense of panic (over nothing). My pulse was all over the place. I could be sitting still and my pulse would begin to race up to around 100. Needless to say I was scared to death. At first it seemed to happen about once a month, then the frequency increased.
I finally went to the doctor. He tested my thyroid and everything came back normal. So he went with the "overstressed" diagnosis. Which at the time I guess made since. I was trying to run a business, take care of my family, etc. Honestly I didn't think I was overstressed. I enjoy my business, my family is awesome, everything (but my health) was going great. About a month went by and I thought I was losing my mind. I searched the internet for every possible answer. I had read of burnout and the symptoms seemed to be right on. So I took a month off of work. Oh man....I was miserable. I honestly thought I was going crazy. I was sleeping about 1-2 hours every night. My heart wouldn't quit pounding. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't focus on anything. I'd go for bike rides just to help myself relax. Even on the bike I felt miserable. I could feel my heart constantly pounding in my head. I would go to bed every night just hoping I would sleep all night, but it never happened. I would wake up around 2am and go into the living room in tears wondering what the heck was going on. It got to the point where I was wondering if that night was going to be the last night I saw my boys. It was the most miserable time of my life. This went on for about 2 months when a friend of mine who was also a Physician Assistant heard about it. He called me at home and asked me to come in to his office. His specialty was cardiology so of course he leaned on the Cardiac diagnosis. After running some tests, he was pretty convinced that something was up with my heart. My EKG, I guess looked a little funny. His nurse called me at work and said he wanted to see me right away. (Ok I was really freaking out now) They said he wanted to run some blood work. I've worked in the medical industry for years and I know when a dr. wants to see your cardiac enzymes, they are ruling out a heart attack. As I mentioned in the earlier blog, this became the longest day of my life. My PA knew I was a stress case with everything I was going through so he said he would have the tests ran STAT (in a hurry) and call me with the results. I think this is the most torturous part of medicine........making the patient wait for results. He promised he would call as soon as the lab called him. I waited and waited. I waited until 1 am when the phone finally rang. The results were negative. No heart attack. The relief was undescribable. He told me to come in the following day. They did a stress ekg and stress echo. This is when they run you to death on a treadmill then take pictures of your heart. I was pretty much normal except my right ventricle was a bit enlarged (I'll save this for another story).
My PA faxed all my tests to a cardiologist (one whom I've ridden bikes with) who I will call E.P. This guy is awesome. Not just as a doctor but as a person as well. For a guy who's knowledge far outweighs most, he is so down to earth and he treats his patients like people. They all love him. Including me. E.P. looked at my tests (including my Thyroid blood tests) and said it had to be the Thyroid. He ordered a nuclear scan of my thyroid and (luckily I ride with one of the radiologists) they got me in right away. Damn if they didn't find a hot nodule. A hot nodule is an abnormal part of the thyroid that secretes too much thyroid. I couldn't believe it, we finally had a diagnosis. Problem is....nobody would do anything because my blood work continued to come back normal.
The symptoms started to lessen and over time I just started feeling good again. Life began again. I had actually lost some weight (great for a cyclist) and was doing well on the bike. In May of 2006 I had my best time in the IronHorse of 3:04:00.
In July I started getting small tremors in my hands, they continued to get worse. The rapid heart beat was coming back as well. I immediately went to my PA and had my Thyroid blood work done. My TSH came back low which meant I was hyperthyroid. I was so unbelievably excited. I finally had the results everyone was wanting. I felt like crap but it was nice to know why.
I decided to have my thyroid ablated with radiation. This meant that my Thyroid gland would be destroyed by a little nuclear pill and I would have to be on Thyroid meds the rest of my life. I thought it would be easy. I took the pill on October 31, 2006 and finally started feeling good in April of 2007. I was taking 112mcg of Synthroid with 5 mcg of Cytomel. I was feeling awesome. I had gained some weight because I was low on Thyroid for quite a while but now I was feeling good. I felt totally normal again.
Then in July of 2007 I began to feel like I was Hyperthyroid again. My head began to feel cloudy, my heart pounding. What the heck was going on?? Of course this all started while I was on vacation.
When I returned I went back to my doctor and he gave me a couple of options. Increase my dose to 125mcg of T4 and no T3 or try 100mcg of T4 and 5mcg of T3. Well in hopes of not having to take so many medications I tried the 125mcg of Synthroid. I felt horrible the whole time. About 3 weeks into the change, I just felt like crap. Trying to run my business while feeling like this was a nightmare. I couldn't stay focused on anything. And what made it worse was that the symptoms come and go. I can be feeling great one moment then crappy the next.
It's now December and I still haven't nailed it down. I'm currently trying alternating 112/125mcg T4 every other day with 1/4tab of T3 (the T3 seems to alleviate the leg pains and brain fog). I'm still not feeling great but it's only been two weeks with this dosage. I'm hoping I'm getting close to the optimum dosage.
Anyone that has been through this, my heart goes out to you. I try not to let the symptoms get the best of me but some days it is just overwhelming.
My bike has been my refuge. When I'm not feeling well, it seems that the ones you love the most are those that it affects the most. Riding seems to at least lessen the symptoms sometimes. If anything, it helps with the stress of everyday life.
Well that's my current Thyroid experience. Hopefully it will become a very small part of my life soon. As I mentioned in my first post, there are so many people worse off than me. I do my best to remember that.
About 2 years ago (and very suddenly) I began having these wierd symptoms in my chest. It wasn't a pain but it sort of felt like my heart was fluttering (it wasn't) and I would get this weird sense of panic (over nothing). My pulse was all over the place. I could be sitting still and my pulse would begin to race up to around 100. Needless to say I was scared to death. At first it seemed to happen about once a month, then the frequency increased.
I finally went to the doctor. He tested my thyroid and everything came back normal. So he went with the "overstressed" diagnosis. Which at the time I guess made since. I was trying to run a business, take care of my family, etc. Honestly I didn't think I was overstressed. I enjoy my business, my family is awesome, everything (but my health) was going great. About a month went by and I thought I was losing my mind. I searched the internet for every possible answer. I had read of burnout and the symptoms seemed to be right on. So I took a month off of work. Oh man....I was miserable. I honestly thought I was going crazy. I was sleeping about 1-2 hours every night. My heart wouldn't quit pounding. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't focus on anything. I'd go for bike rides just to help myself relax. Even on the bike I felt miserable. I could feel my heart constantly pounding in my head. I would go to bed every night just hoping I would sleep all night, but it never happened. I would wake up around 2am and go into the living room in tears wondering what the heck was going on. It got to the point where I was wondering if that night was going to be the last night I saw my boys. It was the most miserable time of my life. This went on for about 2 months when a friend of mine who was also a Physician Assistant heard about it. He called me at home and asked me to come in to his office. His specialty was cardiology so of course he leaned on the Cardiac diagnosis. After running some tests, he was pretty convinced that something was up with my heart. My EKG, I guess looked a little funny. His nurse called me at work and said he wanted to see me right away. (Ok I was really freaking out now) They said he wanted to run some blood work. I've worked in the medical industry for years and I know when a dr. wants to see your cardiac enzymes, they are ruling out a heart attack. As I mentioned in the earlier blog, this became the longest day of my life. My PA knew I was a stress case with everything I was going through so he said he would have the tests ran STAT (in a hurry) and call me with the results. I think this is the most torturous part of medicine........making the patient wait for results. He promised he would call as soon as the lab called him. I waited and waited. I waited until 1 am when the phone finally rang. The results were negative. No heart attack. The relief was undescribable. He told me to come in the following day. They did a stress ekg and stress echo. This is when they run you to death on a treadmill then take pictures of your heart. I was pretty much normal except my right ventricle was a bit enlarged (I'll save this for another story).
My PA faxed all my tests to a cardiologist (one whom I've ridden bikes with) who I will call E.P. This guy is awesome. Not just as a doctor but as a person as well. For a guy who's knowledge far outweighs most, he is so down to earth and he treats his patients like people. They all love him. Including me. E.P. looked at my tests (including my Thyroid blood tests) and said it had to be the Thyroid. He ordered a nuclear scan of my thyroid and (luckily I ride with one of the radiologists) they got me in right away. Damn if they didn't find a hot nodule. A hot nodule is an abnormal part of the thyroid that secretes too much thyroid. I couldn't believe it, we finally had a diagnosis. Problem is....nobody would do anything because my blood work continued to come back normal.
The symptoms started to lessen and over time I just started feeling good again. Life began again. I had actually lost some weight (great for a cyclist) and was doing well on the bike. In May of 2006 I had my best time in the IronHorse of 3:04:00.
In July I started getting small tremors in my hands, they continued to get worse. The rapid heart beat was coming back as well. I immediately went to my PA and had my Thyroid blood work done. My TSH came back low which meant I was hyperthyroid. I was so unbelievably excited. I finally had the results everyone was wanting. I felt like crap but it was nice to know why.
I decided to have my thyroid ablated with radiation. This meant that my Thyroid gland would be destroyed by a little nuclear pill and I would have to be on Thyroid meds the rest of my life. I thought it would be easy. I took the pill on October 31, 2006 and finally started feeling good in April of 2007. I was taking 112mcg of Synthroid with 5 mcg of Cytomel. I was feeling awesome. I had gained some weight because I was low on Thyroid for quite a while but now I was feeling good. I felt totally normal again.
Then in July of 2007 I began to feel like I was Hyperthyroid again. My head began to feel cloudy, my heart pounding. What the heck was going on?? Of course this all started while I was on vacation.
When I returned I went back to my doctor and he gave me a couple of options. Increase my dose to 125mcg of T4 and no T3 or try 100mcg of T4 and 5mcg of T3. Well in hopes of not having to take so many medications I tried the 125mcg of Synthroid. I felt horrible the whole time. About 3 weeks into the change, I just felt like crap. Trying to run my business while feeling like this was a nightmare. I couldn't stay focused on anything. And what made it worse was that the symptoms come and go. I can be feeling great one moment then crappy the next.
It's now December and I still haven't nailed it down. I'm currently trying alternating 112/125mcg T4 every other day with 1/4tab of T3 (the T3 seems to alleviate the leg pains and brain fog). I'm still not feeling great but it's only been two weeks with this dosage. I'm hoping I'm getting close to the optimum dosage.
Anyone that has been through this, my heart goes out to you. I try not to let the symptoms get the best of me but some days it is just overwhelming.
My bike has been my refuge. When I'm not feeling well, it seems that the ones you love the most are those that it affects the most. Riding seems to at least lessen the symptoms sometimes. If anything, it helps with the stress of everyday life.
Well that's my current Thyroid experience. Hopefully it will become a very small part of my life soon. As I mentioned in my first post, there are so many people worse off than me. I do my best to remember that.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
STARTING OUT
I guess it's about time I get this blog going. We've started faxing over the weight loss challenge flyers and hopefully will have some participation. Honestly what is there to lose (other than weight). I'm currently about 175 pounds with a goal of 160 by the end of the contest.
Not to drastically switch subjects but I had a call to go to the Emergency Room tonight. We were in the middle of dinner and I wasn't feeling all that great. I get to the ER with the portable oxygen for the patient to take home. Great guy about 65 years old. He had been in the hospital most of the week and was just sent home the previous day. He had come back to the ER for shortness of breath. I found out he was just diagnosed with lung cancer. Just when you've settled in to your own life and struggles, it's situations like this that make you take a second look at whats important. My headaches, my work, my son not finishing his dinner, none of that seems to matter when things are put into perspective. We all talk about living life to the fullest, or living each day like its your last, but how many of us really do it. Probably not many. I remember a couple of years ago, (before I was diagnosed with a Thyroid problem) they mistakenly diagnosed me as having a heart attack (another story for another time). That was probably one of the longest worst days of my life. I'm 35 years old and an active cyclist and told I have had a heart attack. I remember my drive home from the office. I took the longest route home and probably drove about 15 mph. I think it's times like this that God is trying to open our eyes. Most of the problems in our lives could be a lot worse. We all need to take a step back and realize things could be worse. Let's be thankful for what we have been blessed with.
Well that's my preaching for the day. Do your best to actually live each day to the fullest. You may not think you have much, but I'm sure there are others out there with much less.
Not to drastically switch subjects but I had a call to go to the Emergency Room tonight. We were in the middle of dinner and I wasn't feeling all that great. I get to the ER with the portable oxygen for the patient to take home. Great guy about 65 years old. He had been in the hospital most of the week and was just sent home the previous day. He had come back to the ER for shortness of breath. I found out he was just diagnosed with lung cancer. Just when you've settled in to your own life and struggles, it's situations like this that make you take a second look at whats important. My headaches, my work, my son not finishing his dinner, none of that seems to matter when things are put into perspective. We all talk about living life to the fullest, or living each day like its your last, but how many of us really do it. Probably not many. I remember a couple of years ago, (before I was diagnosed with a Thyroid problem) they mistakenly diagnosed me as having a heart attack (another story for another time). That was probably one of the longest worst days of my life. I'm 35 years old and an active cyclist and told I have had a heart attack. I remember my drive home from the office. I took the longest route home and probably drove about 15 mph. I think it's times like this that God is trying to open our eyes. Most of the problems in our lives could be a lot worse. We all need to take a step back and realize things could be worse. Let's be thankful for what we have been blessed with.
Well that's my preaching for the day. Do your best to actually live each day to the fullest. You may not think you have much, but I'm sure there are others out there with much less.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)