Ketosis is an amazing survival mechanism built into our bodies that enables us to burn fat for energy. This spares essential tissue when carbohydrate sources, which the body prefers, deplete. Fasting (water only) puts the body into full ketosis more quickly and more completely than any pseudo-fasting cleanse/diet method known, bar none. It takes on average two days for women and three days for men from the beginning of the fast to reach ketosis. If you want to spare protein, you need to get into a full fast as quickly as possible.
The first fuel source to be depleted is the supply of carbohydrates, followed by protein, then fat, then the good stuff, which I'll expain a little later. In the absence of food as ready fuel, the body quickly figures out that protein is more essential to the survival of the body than fat, and quickly switches to burning fat for fuel. You lose virtually no protein, even on an extended fast. You will no doubt shrink, but it is not difficult to recover all the muscle you want after the fast if you train, eat and rest properly.
Fat, however, is not the ideal energy source, reducing energy output, so much rest is required and time literally slows to a crawl while you are awake.
No wonder bears and other animals hibernate. What else is there to do in the middle of winter? Unfortunately, we have bears around our house that I swear have never taken longer than a 20 minute powernap between trash cans. And why would they? With such an abundance of 'food' and mild winters they can enjoy fine dining year round. When it gets cold, they migrate like snowbirds to the lower elevations and harrass my valley neighbors for a spell. This works fine for awhile, but I know what's in the average trash can and these poor critters are no more likely to avoid chronic disease than the people who filled the can!
But I digress....
When fat reserves reach a low point, guess what the next source of fuel becomes? Adispose tissue. Non-essential tissue. Cancer cells. Scar tissue. Lesions. Tumors. Arterial plaque.
abnormal cells. Who would not want to kick the living daylights out some of these bad boys?
So ketosis brings us into 'safe mode' physically and sets up the internal environment for incredible healing. This where we contribute. Our part in this process is to rest, rest, rest. Limit all stress sources. Hang up the phone, shutdown the tv, turn off the computer (obviously I am breaking this rule), pray, stay positive, and relax.
This isn't just lip service. When we physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually rest, we allow our cells to freely travel far and wide to search and destroy, knowing that the organs and essential functions are safe. This happens most powerfully when we have used up most fat reserves and are resting comfortably.
To varying degrees, it happens all the time. The less stress on the whole person, the more healing can occur. When we stress, the cells retreat to the core and stay there until the stress has passed. The essential function of the body is to protect the essential functions of the body! We are built for survival and our bodies will act in the interest of self-preservation. Never underestimate the power of full, uninterrupted rest.
So how do we know when we are in ketosis? Plain and simple - for most people, the breath smells. I never got hit too bad when I fasted in 2008, but I have even smelled ketosis on the breath of people doing the master cleanse. It is a very reassuring sign that you are where you need to be to begin fasting effectively. The best one can do is brush the teeth and tongue with plain water and live with it. I did not suffer too badly on the my 10 day water fast in 2008, but maybe that's because, in the words of one infamous character in one of the Austin Power's trilogys, "Everyone loves the smell of their own brand" - it's your stink, you get used to it!
I have highly summarized and generalized in this blog entry of my explanation of the fasting process.
There is so much more precise information available that better explains the fasting process with just a simple google search. I must also state that the best and safest place to fast is not at home, though many have done so successfully, but at a center where there are vast resources available and experienced professionals on hand who can supervise the best healing experience tailored to your specific needs and goals. I spent a considerable amount of time researching water fasting before I fasted for ten days in 2008, so I had a high level of confidence that I would do well for that length of time. But everyone is different, and part of the formula for a successful extended fast is being in an environment where you are safe and well cared for. I'm there now.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oct 27, 2009 - Preparing to Fast
Yesterday was an interesting day. Because I'm still weaning off my blood pressure medications, I am easing into the water fast, which will begin in earnest Saturday.
Beginning last Sunday and ending two days ago (Tuesday), I ate freely from the raw foods bar and the steamed vegetable trays. Absolutely excellent. I ate as much as I wanted and steadily lost a pound a day with no hunger. There is one woman here who is in her golden years (it is hard to tell exactly how old a person is when they have been eating well for quite awhile - they seem eternally young in many respects), who lives nearby and just comes for the food and the mealtime comraderee. This isn't food you find in the old folks home - this is food that promotes life with every bite. My blood pressure steadily declined every day since Sunday to 136/84 as an added bonus.
Yesterday I was shifted to the next phase: juice. This is simply just a vegetable, fruit and distilled water mixture that really wakes up the taste buds. The first drink in the morning was celery and watermelon. The next three were pineapple and celery or carrot.
Here's the problem with this. Though these drinks are tasty, and designed to drop your caloric intake substantially to help transition you into a fast, while giving you SOMETHING to put into your stomach so you can take meds, they are incredibly sweet. Without the fiber of the whole fruit, you may just as well feed me a cup of sugar. By 5:00 pm I was on an utterly stupendous sugar high that made me want to lie, cheat and steal to break all the laws of fasting and rush to the little store behind the center to slam some barbequed chicken. But since I hadn't eaten chicken in two years, my good sense reminded me of how unwise that would be, since I paid good money to be here NOT to eat. However, I did settle on taking the 20 step walk to the market and get some bottled water, since my roommate and I thought the distilled water here tasted odd.
Shortly after returning, this little sugar trip left me feeling guilty for even going to the store in the first place, and wishing I had just stayed in my room and drank the prescribed distilled water instead. I am now pretty sure it was just me and my sugar-bombed brain falsely convicting me of all manner of imaginary crimes against self and humanity. The lesson here is: stay away from sugar that has been separated from it's source, especially if you've been eating clean for a while. Your glucose and insulin levels will thank you and your brain will thank you. Lesson learned.
Consequently, due to the calorie reduction, a healing crisis(doubtful), or the sugar high, I was chilled to the bone all day, my hands and feet were numb from internal cold, and no amount of external heat helped. I finally was able to lay down at midnight, now starving (thanks, sugar!), and shaking like a leaf with the electric blanket set on high. I finally passed out around 12:45 AM I'm guessing, slept pretty good until 3:30 a.m., at which time my eyes popped open to stare at the clock and rehearse what I would say (in a nice way) to my doctors that there was no way in hades I was drinking that devil juice sugar water again today, I don't care how fresh squeezed, enymatic or vitamin-loaded it is. But at least I was now warm through and through after my 'nap'.
When they arrived for morning rounds at 8:00 AM, they sympathized with my symptoms, and agreed that vegetable broth would most certainly be a better option for me today and tomorrow. They don't need a madman running around off campus, looking a bit like an emaciated street dog and salivating over three day old road kill - it's so undignifying and doesn't bode well for the reputation of the center.
It's going to be a good, stable day and I'm ready to go into ketosis...
Beginning last Sunday and ending two days ago (Tuesday), I ate freely from the raw foods bar and the steamed vegetable trays. Absolutely excellent. I ate as much as I wanted and steadily lost a pound a day with no hunger. There is one woman here who is in her golden years (it is hard to tell exactly how old a person is when they have been eating well for quite awhile - they seem eternally young in many respects), who lives nearby and just comes for the food and the mealtime comraderee. This isn't food you find in the old folks home - this is food that promotes life with every bite. My blood pressure steadily declined every day since Sunday to 136/84 as an added bonus.
Yesterday I was shifted to the next phase: juice. This is simply just a vegetable, fruit and distilled water mixture that really wakes up the taste buds. The first drink in the morning was celery and watermelon. The next three were pineapple and celery or carrot.
Here's the problem with this. Though these drinks are tasty, and designed to drop your caloric intake substantially to help transition you into a fast, while giving you SOMETHING to put into your stomach so you can take meds, they are incredibly sweet. Without the fiber of the whole fruit, you may just as well feed me a cup of sugar. By 5:00 pm I was on an utterly stupendous sugar high that made me want to lie, cheat and steal to break all the laws of fasting and rush to the little store behind the center to slam some barbequed chicken. But since I hadn't eaten chicken in two years, my good sense reminded me of how unwise that would be, since I paid good money to be here NOT to eat. However, I did settle on taking the 20 step walk to the market and get some bottled water, since my roommate and I thought the distilled water here tasted odd.
Shortly after returning, this little sugar trip left me feeling guilty for even going to the store in the first place, and wishing I had just stayed in my room and drank the prescribed distilled water instead. I am now pretty sure it was just me and my sugar-bombed brain falsely convicting me of all manner of imaginary crimes against self and humanity. The lesson here is: stay away from sugar that has been separated from it's source, especially if you've been eating clean for a while. Your glucose and insulin levels will thank you and your brain will thank you. Lesson learned.
Consequently, due to the calorie reduction, a healing crisis(doubtful), or the sugar high, I was chilled to the bone all day, my hands and feet were numb from internal cold, and no amount of external heat helped. I finally was able to lay down at midnight, now starving (thanks, sugar!), and shaking like a leaf with the electric blanket set on high. I finally passed out around 12:45 AM I'm guessing, slept pretty good until 3:30 a.m., at which time my eyes popped open to stare at the clock and rehearse what I would say (in a nice way) to my doctors that there was no way in hades I was drinking that devil juice sugar water again today, I don't care how fresh squeezed, enymatic or vitamin-loaded it is. But at least I was now warm through and through after my 'nap'.
When they arrived for morning rounds at 8:00 AM, they sympathized with my symptoms, and agreed that vegetable broth would most certainly be a better option for me today and tomorrow. They don't need a madman running around off campus, looking a bit like an emaciated street dog and salivating over three day old road kill - it's so undignifying and doesn't bode well for the reputation of the center.
It's going to be a good, stable day and I'm ready to go into ketosis...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Oct 27, 2009 - True North
I checked into the center on Sunday the 25th of October. I share a two bedroom apartment with another person who is on day 14 of an 18 day water fast. He looks GREAT. The interns take vitals twice a day, urine and blood once a week. This place is well staffed and they certainly choose people who are passionate about this age-old healing approach, and treatment is custom tailored to a person's specific medical condition and goals. They have been in business twenty-five years and have NEVER lost a patient. What hospital has that kind of record?
My treatment is three days raw foods, two days juice and one day broth followed by a water only fasting period, to be determined by my desire to continue and the doctors approval to allow the fast to continue. I can choose to discontinue the fast at any time, since a positive attitude is critical to receive maximum benefits from any healing approach, especially a water fast. Then I spend half again as much time gradually re-feeding here at the center before I am released. This could take awhile.
While on some type of nutrition, I am free to come and go once I sign out. I almost 'check out', but that might imply something else entirely. Therefore, I chose to take a drive to Starbucks in Windsot, just a few miles north on hwy 101, sip a mint herbal tea and catch up on this blog for the benefit of my thousands of rabid fans who wait with baited breath the next article of declaration from this questionably enlightened, soon to be perhaps medically emancipated, individual.
Once on water-only - lockdown.
While at the center, there are lectures to attend if one feels like it along with videos to sign out and watch in your room if you wish. So much to learn, with the purpose of sending all patients home with the tools necessary to keep the tent of the soul and temple of the Spirit healthy.
This is going to be a great experience.
Really, though, why am I here for a blocked artery?
I read,'Fasting and Eating for Health', by Dr Joel Fuhrman, who practices in New Jersey. He has vast experience in natural and medicinal healing approaches with great success, especially in the area of reversing heart disease. He has seen complete blockages open up - ateries that have been blocked for YEARS. The greater the blockage, the greater the improvement. I can believe it, so I'm just going to have to experience it for myself. I have nothing to lose but weight, which I can regain if I want to. Weight is so easy to change when you know how. I'll keep you posted.
My treatment is three days raw foods, two days juice and one day broth followed by a water only fasting period, to be determined by my desire to continue and the doctors approval to allow the fast to continue. I can choose to discontinue the fast at any time, since a positive attitude is critical to receive maximum benefits from any healing approach, especially a water fast. Then I spend half again as much time gradually re-feeding here at the center before I am released. This could take awhile.
While on some type of nutrition, I am free to come and go once I sign out. I almost 'check out', but that might imply something else entirely. Therefore, I chose to take a drive to Starbucks in Windsot, just a few miles north on hwy 101, sip a mint herbal tea and catch up on this blog for the benefit of my thousands of rabid fans who wait with baited breath the next article of declaration from this questionably enlightened, soon to be perhaps medically emancipated, individual.
Once on water-only - lockdown.
While at the center, there are lectures to attend if one feels like it along with videos to sign out and watch in your room if you wish. So much to learn, with the purpose of sending all patients home with the tools necessary to keep the tent of the soul and temple of the Spirit healthy.
This is going to be a great experience.
Really, though, why am I here for a blocked artery?
I read,'Fasting and Eating for Health', by Dr Joel Fuhrman, who practices in New Jersey. He has vast experience in natural and medicinal healing approaches with great success, especially in the area of reversing heart disease. He has seen complete blockages open up - ateries that have been blocked for YEARS. The greater the blockage, the greater the improvement. I can believe it, so I'm just going to have to experience it for myself. I have nothing to lose but weight, which I can regain if I want to. Weight is so easy to change when you know how. I'll keep you posted.
Oct 27, 2009 - Time for change
The visit to the cardiologist set into my mind that I needed to do all I could do to help the reversal process. In the medical community, there is much ignorance in the non-surgical/non-medical approach to plaque reduction. The best I heard from the drug side is the possiblity of alleviating the inflammation and slowing the progression of plaque formations and new deposits.
The best I heard from the surgical side is either stinting the artery or bypassing the artery with a useable artery from either the chest, one of the arms or one of the legs. If my life were in immediate danger, ie., I'm in the throws of a heart attack with heart damage imminent or my life is hanging in the balance based on what happens in the next several moments, please wheel me into surgery RIGHT AWAY and give me relief. Don't ask me, don't hesitate, just wheel me in NOW. I'm sure most of us would request the same treatment. It just makes sense.
In my case, I was given time to choose. Maybe I'm an unusual case. Maybe my cardiologist carefully weighed the long term outcome if surgery were performed. No matter, my next step would be critical to my recovery.
I have been exploring dietary changes and fasting for two years. I can best explain, after careful thought, that my passion for non-medical healing was a seed planted by God to prepare me for such a time as this.
Let me briefly tell you how this came about. Julie came to me with this drink diet called "The Master Cleanse" two years ago. I weighted 192 lbs and taking meds for high blood pressure and cholesterol. What could it hurt? Lemonade for ten days? I can do that.
So we did just that. I lost 16 pounds in ten days. Easily. During this time, I began devouring every book on nutrition that I could get my hands on, starting with "The China Study". This book was the springboard for my future direction in learning what optimal health really means and how as a nation we got so sick.
Next, we started eating raw foods. No, we did not eat raw hamburger - it simply means you eat what comes from the ground. No processing,no packaging, no canning, no preservatives. It was easy, but some meals took a while to prepare. Over the course of several months following this diet, though not strictly, I think I lost another fifteen pounds. During this time, I studied water fasting, reading works by Herbert Sheldon and other hygienists. Much of their beliefs I felt were right on the money and I began to accept this "radical" treatment (though it's been around for thousands of years) and that I, too, might benefit from a water fast. I'll explain how a water fast works and why it works better than any dietary approach and most medicines to heal the body naturally.
So I began a ten day water fast. I took it slowly, no exercise, still went to work (gasp!) and rested as much as I could.
My weight eventually dropped to 142 pounds.
And I never heard the end of it.
"You're too skinny", I heard most often and regularly.
My response? "Compared to WHO?".
Guess what? Of all the animals on the planet, which number into the millions, (from a biological stand point, throw us into that mix for a moment), only three suffer from weight issues. Can you guess which three? People, cats and dogs. None other. Perhaps we have it all wrong.
So here I am in beautiful Santa Rosa, California, two and a half hours from home, where I have incarcerated myself into a physician monitored healing center for the duration. I plan to water fast as long as the doctors on staff deem it safe or until I run out money.
The best I heard from the surgical side is either stinting the artery or bypassing the artery with a useable artery from either the chest, one of the arms or one of the legs. If my life were in immediate danger, ie., I'm in the throws of a heart attack with heart damage imminent or my life is hanging in the balance based on what happens in the next several moments, please wheel me into surgery RIGHT AWAY and give me relief. Don't ask me, don't hesitate, just wheel me in NOW. I'm sure most of us would request the same treatment. It just makes sense.
In my case, I was given time to choose. Maybe I'm an unusual case. Maybe my cardiologist carefully weighed the long term outcome if surgery were performed. No matter, my next step would be critical to my recovery.
I have been exploring dietary changes and fasting for two years. I can best explain, after careful thought, that my passion for non-medical healing was a seed planted by God to prepare me for such a time as this.
Let me briefly tell you how this came about. Julie came to me with this drink diet called "The Master Cleanse" two years ago. I weighted 192 lbs and taking meds for high blood pressure and cholesterol. What could it hurt? Lemonade for ten days? I can do that.
So we did just that. I lost 16 pounds in ten days. Easily. During this time, I began devouring every book on nutrition that I could get my hands on, starting with "The China Study". This book was the springboard for my future direction in learning what optimal health really means and how as a nation we got so sick.
Next, we started eating raw foods. No, we did not eat raw hamburger - it simply means you eat what comes from the ground. No processing,no packaging, no canning, no preservatives. It was easy, but some meals took a while to prepare. Over the course of several months following this diet, though not strictly, I think I lost another fifteen pounds. During this time, I studied water fasting, reading works by Herbert Sheldon and other hygienists. Much of their beliefs I felt were right on the money and I began to accept this "radical" treatment (though it's been around for thousands of years) and that I, too, might benefit from a water fast. I'll explain how a water fast works and why it works better than any dietary approach and most medicines to heal the body naturally.
So I began a ten day water fast. I took it slowly, no exercise, still went to work (gasp!) and rested as much as I could.
My weight eventually dropped to 142 pounds.
And I never heard the end of it.
"You're too skinny", I heard most often and regularly.
My response? "Compared to WHO?".
Guess what? Of all the animals on the planet, which number into the millions, (from a biological stand point, throw us into that mix for a moment), only three suffer from weight issues. Can you guess which three? People, cats and dogs. None other. Perhaps we have it all wrong.
So here I am in beautiful Santa Rosa, California, two and a half hours from home, where I have incarcerated myself into a physician monitored healing center for the duration. I plan to water fast as long as the doctors on staff deem it safe or until I run out money.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Oct 24, 2009 - A visit to the cardiologist
My visit to the cardiologist two days ago was encouraging. He asked me, "How are you feeling?".
I responded, "I feel better every day!".
He took a blood pressure reading on my right arm. "110/70. Excellent".
Funny, I thought. My doctor just took it the day before on the left arm and it was 137/86. I'm not going to complain, however, either number is an improvement over the previous 160/90.
And I really do feel better every day. And I know I still have blockage. I have been eating according to 'Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease', by Dr Caldwell B Esselstyn. I eat a plant based diet entirely - I don't eat anything with eyes or has a mother and I don't take in any fats or oils, except what comes through naturally in my food. I don't eat out of a box or can. Ever. I can't afford to. The result of this simple approach? Keep reading. It only takes about three weeks to have a profound effect on cholesterol with this aproach. Who has those kind of numbers? Anyone you know? I know one - and he's on the same diet!
Take a look at this cha
rt which tracks my total cholesterol. You can make a good argument for having high numbers so long as HDL/LDL ratio is good, but that's not my approach. And there is also the scare that if the number is too low, you can lose your memory, and increase risk for certain cancers. You most certainly need a limited amount of HDL and LDL for proper cell function.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say if you can get your numbers down with plant based nutrition alone, you only get good results. If drugs are required to drive those numbers down, careful monitoring by your doctor is absolutely essential. You want some background on this?
Read, "The Great Cholesterol Con", by Anthony Colpo or better yet - "Lipitor Thief of Memory", by Duane Graveline. Like they say on the commercials - "ask your doctor if ______ is right for you." You need to draw your own conclusions - I encourage you to become WELL informed about your own health and the drugs you decide to use. Know everything you can about them.
Here's the skinny:
Drugs alone got my total to 170 in 2007, but then it started creeping up again. In 2008, I had gone vegetarian, no drugs, and my cholesterol was at 197.
Today my total cholesterol is 111. What have I done differently? I am taking 20 mg Simvastatin, which I am not real fond of. Hopefully I can end that at some point. I removed coffee, and all added fats and oils - I am still vegetarian. I am sorry - olive oil is not a health food! Just being vegetarian is not enough if you want to reverse arterial plaque. I take ground flax seed for my omega-3 essential fatty acids.
So the difference is 59 points between 170 and 111, basically the same class of drug being used at both tested periods. Populations that showed no arterial plaque deposits consistently had total cholesterol numbers below 150 when they ate a plant based diet. There is every evidence that I am now reversing arterial plaque.
So getting back to the cardiologist. Based on my symptoms and my latest readings, He said, "I don't recommend changing a thing". That means - no bypass, no stint. So long as there is improvement, no need. And that artery, mind you, is STILL blocked!
I asked,"Well, what can I do? What are my limits?"
He responded, "try anything you want, when it gets uncomfortable, back off".
Simple advice. I wish I had adopted that wisdom years ago!
I responded, "I feel better every day!".
He took a blood pressure reading on my right arm. "110/70. Excellent".
Funny, I thought. My doctor just took it the day before on the left arm and it was 137/86. I'm not going to complain, however, either number is an improvement over the previous 160/90.
And I really do feel better every day. And I know I still have blockage. I have been eating according to 'Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease', by Dr Caldwell B Esselstyn. I eat a plant based diet entirely - I don't eat anything with eyes or has a mother and I don't take in any fats or oils, except what comes through naturally in my food. I don't eat out of a box or can. Ever. I can't afford to. The result of this simple approach? Keep reading. It only takes about three weeks to have a profound effect on cholesterol with this aproach. Who has those kind of numbers? Anyone you know? I know one - and he's on the same diet!
Take a look at this cha
rt which tracks my total cholesterol. You can make a good argument for having high numbers so long as HDL/LDL ratio is good, but that's not my approach. And there is also the scare that if the number is too low, you can lose your memory, and increase risk for certain cancers. You most certainly need a limited amount of HDL and LDL for proper cell function.I'm going to go out on a limb here and say if you can get your numbers down with plant based nutrition alone, you only get good results. If drugs are required to drive those numbers down, careful monitoring by your doctor is absolutely essential. You want some background on this?
Read, "The Great Cholesterol Con", by Anthony Colpo or better yet - "Lipitor Thief of Memory", by Duane Graveline. Like they say on the commercials - "ask your doctor if ______ is right for you." You need to draw your own conclusions - I encourage you to become WELL informed about your own health and the drugs you decide to use. Know everything you can about them.
Here's the skinny:
Drugs alone got my total to 170 in 2007, but then it started creeping up again. In 2008, I had gone vegetarian, no drugs, and my cholesterol was at 197.
Today my total cholesterol is 111. What have I done differently? I am taking 20 mg Simvastatin, which I am not real fond of. Hopefully I can end that at some point. I removed coffee, and all added fats and oils - I am still vegetarian. I am sorry - olive oil is not a health food! Just being vegetarian is not enough if you want to reverse arterial plaque. I take ground flax seed for my omega-3 essential fatty acids.
So the difference is 59 points between 170 and 111, basically the same class of drug being used at both tested periods. Populations that showed no arterial plaque deposits consistently had total cholesterol numbers below 150 when they ate a plant based diet. There is every evidence that I am now reversing arterial plaque.
So getting back to the cardiologist. Based on my symptoms and my latest readings, He said, "I don't recommend changing a thing". That means - no bypass, no stint. So long as there is improvement, no need. And that artery, mind you, is STILL blocked!
I asked,"Well, what can I do? What are my limits?"
He responded, "try anything you want, when it gets uncomfortable, back off".
Simple advice. I wish I had adopted that wisdom years ago!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Oct 23, 2009 - So what just happened?
Ok - so here it is October 23, 2009, I'll start right where I am. I'm a fifty year old male, in seemingly good health, and recently diagnosed with a completely blocked right coronary artery. I'm once again on cholesterol and blood pressure meds that make me feel just a little ill all of the time. Great. How did I get here?
In mid-July, 2009, after a great six week road trip, I headed back to the gym and start running again. Things were a bit different this time - I hit 98 BPM on the treadmill and started feeling a constriction in my neck - just like someone was choking me. I'd back off, the discomfort would subside. Try again - same thing.
"Nuts - this may be a real problem", I thought.
The symptom did not go away, so eventually around the middle of September 2009, I head for the doctor's office and explain my symptom and anticipate the worst.
My blood pressure was now 160/90 and just a quick jog up the stairs to the doctor's office brings back the symptoms, which now have extended to discomfort in my left arm and in my left carotid artery. He makes a call to a cardiologist and I am sent immediately right over.
The cardiologist hears my symptoms, tells me it seems serious, and says she won't even bother with a stress test. She gives me a couple of heart calming pills and I'm scheduled for an angiogram the next day. On the plus side, my EKG was normal. No sign of a heart attack.
So the next day I'm laying on the bed getting prepped for the procedure when the nurse brings me a single valium.
I said," UMMMM...this isn't going to do it...'.
To which she replies, "It's not for the procedure, it's for your recovery so you don't move around alot (essentially bleed out) afterwards".
So I was interveiniously wired up for something MUCH better for the procedure.
Angiograms aren't the worst experience, at least it was not for me. Once the real drugs kicked in, I knew where I was on the table, I heard the idle chit-chat in the operating room and thought of a million funny responses to their comments. Funny indeed, I just didn't want to say anything. Maybe I couldn't, which is closer to the fact. I felt some movement down around the groin where the catheter was being inserted, but that was it.
No big deal.
I get wheeled out into recovery after the twenty minute procedure, and the cardiologist tells me, "You have a completely blocked RCA". He hands me a little picture of the discovery, which I present to the left.
The 'EF' essentially means normal pumping action."
Notice the hand drawn arteries near the bottom. Bonus!
He hands me a disk showing video clips of dye
I ask, "What are my options?"
In mid-July, 2009, after a great six week road trip, I headed back to the gym and start running again. Things were a bit different this time - I hit 98 BPM on the treadmill and started feeling a constriction in my neck - just like someone was choking me. I'd back off, the discomfort would subside. Try again - same thing.
"Nuts - this may be a real problem", I thought.
The symptom did not go away, so eventually around the middle of September 2009, I head for the doctor's office and explain my symptom and anticipate the worst.
My blood pressure was now 160/90 and just a quick jog up the stairs to the doctor's office brings back the symptoms, which now have extended to discomfort in my left arm and in my left carotid artery. He makes a call to a cardiologist and I am sent immediately right over.
The cardiologist hears my symptoms, tells me it seems serious, and says she won't even bother with a stress test. She gives me a couple of heart calming pills and I'm scheduled for an angiogram the next day. On the plus side, my EKG was normal. No sign of a heart attack.
So the next day I'm laying on the bed getting prepped for the procedure when the nurse brings me a single valium.
I said," UMMMM...this isn't going to do it...'.
To which she replies, "It's not for the procedure, it's for your recovery so you don't move around alot (essentially bleed out) afterwards".
So I was interveiniously wired up for something MUCH better for the procedure.
Angiograms aren't the worst experience, at least it was not for me. Once the real drugs kicked in, I knew where I was on the table, I heard the idle chit-chat in the operating room and thought of a million funny responses to their comments. Funny indeed, I just didn't want to say anything. Maybe I couldn't, which is closer to the fact. I felt some movement down around the groin where the catheter was being inserted, but that was it.
No big deal.
I get wheeled out into recovery after the twenty minute procedure, and the cardiologist tells me, "You have a completely blocked RCA". He hands me a little picture of the discovery, which I present to the left.The 'EF' essentially means normal pumping action."
Notice the hand drawn arteries near the bottom. Bonus!
He hands me a disk showing video clips of dye
going into the left coronary and
NO dye going into the right.
Now I see it for myself.
What is shown here is dye in the left artery.
Isn't technology great?
I ask, "What are my options?"
He replies,"We could try a stint, IF we could get a wire through the blockage, which may or may not work, and a bypass seems like overkill in your case".
Then he explains the overkill statement. My blockage has been in the making for years apparently, giving my left coronary, which is only 20% blocked (pretty normal for my age, actually), time to create some fantastic collateral arterial growth to compensate, for the most part, for the closing of the right coronary.
This has kept me alive, and maybe this explains a lot of my past symptoms, ie., slow recovery after workouts, slow run times and a gradual decline in desire and 'oomph' to improve my health to where I felt it should be. I've been swimming upstream for years. Just pushing through the pain - no pain, no gain, as they say. It worked for awhile, I guess.
Then he explains the overkill statement. My blockage has been in the making for years apparently, giving my left coronary, which is only 20% blocked (pretty normal for my age, actually), time to create some fantastic collateral arterial growth to compensate, for the most part, for the closing of the right coronary.
This has kept me alive, and maybe this explains a lot of my past symptoms, ie., slow recovery after workouts, slow run times and a gradual decline in desire and 'oomph' to improve my health to where I felt it should be. I've been swimming upstream for years. Just pushing through the pain - no pain, no gain, as they say. It worked for awhile, I guess.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)