So are you EVER going to be healthy, Duffbert?
Category Everything Else
Normally in the past (pre-Twitter), I'd have blogged a number of times about being sick, hurting myself, etc. It's built-in blog material! But when you can throw out updates of 140 characters at a time, somehow the longer blog post doesn't happen. A few people have asked if everything's OK, and the answer is yes. Just an accumulation of things all at once, none of them serious...
About a week before swine flu was all the fashionable rage, I got one of those flu episodes with achy muscles, no energy, cough, congestion, the typical stuff. After about three or four days, I was left with the nagging cough that wouldn't go away. Fine, been there, done that... And in fact, many coworkers seemed to have the same crud a couple months earlier... sick for a few days, and a cough that hung on for weeks. Time for me to join the club... All of last week, I was still "Mr. Hack" as I couldn't seem to get over the cough. And I'm typically male, in that going to the doctor is not a considered option, as I figure I'll be told "you got that thing going around... nothing much to do but ride it out."
After a week of coughing and less-than-stellar sleep (like THAT'S anything new), I decided to do a Saturday trip to the doctor "just to be safe". The sleep issue was getting critical, and I was starting to wonder if we had progressed to something like bronchitis. The doctor concurred that I didn't sound well (yay! one for my team!), but also said there was a chance of it being the bug that left you coughing for weeks, much as my coworkers had. He prescribed a five day azithromycin regimen, and said I'd either be a new man in 36 hours or I'd be working on the cough over time.
36 hours later, not a new man... welcome to the next month of hacking and coughing... :)
I could have handled that, except for Monday morning when I was going through my early morning emphysema imitation. During one particularly hard coughing fit, I felt a pop in my upper ribs. OH JUST GREAT! Now not only was I still coughing, but it REALLY hurt to cough. I worked through the morning at work, and went home early to prep for an evening change control (that didn't end up happening, fortunately). After explaining my situation to the wife and kids, I was forcefully told in no uncertain terms (by ALL of them) that I *would* be going to the doctor for xrays, I *might* have dislocated ribs, and I *could* end up with a punctured lung. My arguments were of no avail, and I ended up at the clinic again (two times in three days - a record for me). They took xrays, explained that Sue, Ian, and Cam *were* right to be concerned, and promptly found... nothing. Intercostal strain, will hurt like h*ll, try not to cough, take it easy... sigh...
Tuesday... Mucinex and prescription cough meds are my friend. Still hurts, still trying not to cough, as it hurts too much, and nothing is accomplished anyway. Coughing becomes a conscious choice of pain vs. congestion, not to be decided lightly. Tuesday night I'm watching NCIS... during a commercial break I stand up from the chair and try a few deep coughs to clear out my chest. Next thing I know, my wife is standing in front of me, yelling my name, asking if I can hear her... I told her I was there, to which she replied "you weren't a few seconds ago!". Seems I collapsed back, twitched a bit, and did the blackout thing for a few seconds. Called the on-call doc just to be safe, and he concurred. Of course, now I'm under the intense scrutiny of everyone in the house to make sure I'm not about to die. :) And yes, it was a bit scary.
Thursday, back at the doctor... It's getting to feel like home. This appointment was actually planned for a couple of weeks. Blood draw for a check-in on a new cholesterol med I'm taking, so I was fasting all day. Talked to him about a scaly spot on the back of my neck that showed up about two months ago. He tested for ringworm, but it was negative. Steroid creme for that little spot. Brought up the idea of a sleep study, as I've been told by those who would know that I have rather dramatic apnea at night. Most of this is probably due to my current fitness (or lack thereof), and would improve if I get that under control. The doctor agreed, but felt a baseline might also be a good idea, as my sleep patterns really do suck. So I have a referral there I have to schedule. And finally, my depression meds... Shared here before, I've been on Prozac for a long time to battle dysthymia. It has literally changed (and probably saved) my life. But you build up tolerance over time, and I think I'm definitely getting to the point of diminishing returns. I could present a laundry list of reasons *why* things have been stressful of late, but bottom line is that the meds are not having the same effect. So, I'm now starting to taper off the Prozac over the next 20 days, will have 48 hours totally off, and will then start on the generic version of Celexa. So, if you see me write stuff more bizarre than normal, or if you are physically close to me and see strange stuff, let me know... I'm going into the med change with much more information than I had when I first started SSRIs in 2003, but it's always good to have others aware and watching out for you...
OK, so much for all the body breakdown stuff... I actually *am* doing something to get healthy, though...
At work, they sponsor a program called Kinetix (you can find out more at http://www.kinetixliving.com/). It's a solid program of eating correctly *and* exercising correctly to get "in the best shape of your life". As posted a couple weeks back, I realize I just turned 48 and am in the worst shape of my life. I was chosen for one of the four week supervised programs starting on May 11th, so my "line in the sand" has been drawn and steps are underway. I've had to back off the cardio piece this week because of the ribs, but the weight workouts have moved forward. I've been going lighter than I know I can, in order to try and keep from becoming crippled with post-workout muscle pain. Generally speaking, that's worked except for legs. My calves are on fire from Wednesday's routine, and I can barely get my heels to touch the floor without pain. :)
So where am I starting from? Might as well throw that out here too, so that I have no escape from group accountability. I weighed in at 246.7 pounds, obviously not good packed on a 5'4" frame. 117.3 of that is body fat, putting my percentage of body fat at 47.5. Morbidly obese, any way you roll it. Can't fool myself into thinking any different about that. No wonder I struggle with things like stairs and walks and such. The good news is that the journaling and food program of Kinetix is clicking with me, and the attention to working out is a key component I ignored with Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, as I was more interested in that weekly weight number, not what it was composed of. In Kinetix, I'll now be able to find out what exactly that .5 pound of weight loss was. That'd be an emotional crusher before, but now it might well be that 2.5 pounds of lean body mass was gained and 3 pounds of fat was lost. Yes, I know all of this already, but I'm now emotionally ready to accept it as truth. I have personal short and longer term goals, and I'm Ok with the the process being part of the journey, not just the quest to arrive at the destination.
So, for those who have been concerned that I'm falling apart or that I'm about to take some extended medical leave for something serious, thanks for your concern. Everything is OK, and I'm just making some deposits to correct a severely overdrawn physical health account. Even though I'm not solely in the Lotus world any more, I'm still hoping that I can figure out a way to make it to Lotusphere 2010 on my own again, where some of the work of the upcoming months should be obvious. And if *that's* not putting it out there on the line, I don't know what is... My goal would be to make it from check-in to my room, through the Dolphin rotunda, with *nobody* yelling out "hey Duffbert!"... not because you're not there (I spotted the group), but because Duffbert doesn't quite look like Duffbert any more...
Normally in the past (pre-Twitter), I'd have blogged a number of times about being sick, hurting myself, etc. It's built-in blog material! But when you can throw out updates of 140 characters at a time, somehow the longer blog post doesn't happen. A few people have asked if everything's OK, and the answer is yes. Just an accumulation of things all at once, none of them serious...
About a week before swine flu was all the fashionable rage, I got one of those flu episodes with achy muscles, no energy, cough, congestion, the typical stuff. After about three or four days, I was left with the nagging cough that wouldn't go away. Fine, been there, done that... And in fact, many coworkers seemed to have the same crud a couple months earlier... sick for a few days, and a cough that hung on for weeks. Time for me to join the club... All of last week, I was still "Mr. Hack" as I couldn't seem to get over the cough. And I'm typically male, in that going to the doctor is not a considered option, as I figure I'll be told "you got that thing going around... nothing much to do but ride it out."
After a week of coughing and less-than-stellar sleep (like THAT'S anything new), I decided to do a Saturday trip to the doctor "just to be safe". The sleep issue was getting critical, and I was starting to wonder if we had progressed to something like bronchitis. The doctor concurred that I didn't sound well (yay! one for my team!), but also said there was a chance of it being the bug that left you coughing for weeks, much as my coworkers had. He prescribed a five day azithromycin regimen, and said I'd either be a new man in 36 hours or I'd be working on the cough over time.
36 hours later, not a new man... welcome to the next month of hacking and coughing... :)
I could have handled that, except for Monday morning when I was going through my early morning emphysema imitation. During one particularly hard coughing fit, I felt a pop in my upper ribs. OH JUST GREAT! Now not only was I still coughing, but it REALLY hurt to cough. I worked through the morning at work, and went home early to prep for an evening change control (that didn't end up happening, fortunately). After explaining my situation to the wife and kids, I was forcefully told in no uncertain terms (by ALL of them) that I *would* be going to the doctor for xrays, I *might* have dislocated ribs, and I *could* end up with a punctured lung. My arguments were of no avail, and I ended up at the clinic again (two times in three days - a record for me). They took xrays, explained that Sue, Ian, and Cam *were* right to be concerned, and promptly found... nothing. Intercostal strain, will hurt like h*ll, try not to cough, take it easy... sigh...
Tuesday... Mucinex and prescription cough meds are my friend. Still hurts, still trying not to cough, as it hurts too much, and nothing is accomplished anyway. Coughing becomes a conscious choice of pain vs. congestion, not to be decided lightly. Tuesday night I'm watching NCIS... during a commercial break I stand up from the chair and try a few deep coughs to clear out my chest. Next thing I know, my wife is standing in front of me, yelling my name, asking if I can hear her... I told her I was there, to which she replied "you weren't a few seconds ago!". Seems I collapsed back, twitched a bit, and did the blackout thing for a few seconds. Called the on-call doc just to be safe, and he concurred. Of course, now I'm under the intense scrutiny of everyone in the house to make sure I'm not about to die. :) And yes, it was a bit scary.
Thursday, back at the doctor... It's getting to feel like home. This appointment was actually planned for a couple of weeks. Blood draw for a check-in on a new cholesterol med I'm taking, so I was fasting all day. Talked to him about a scaly spot on the back of my neck that showed up about two months ago. He tested for ringworm, but it was negative. Steroid creme for that little spot. Brought up the idea of a sleep study, as I've been told by those who would know that I have rather dramatic apnea at night. Most of this is probably due to my current fitness (or lack thereof), and would improve if I get that under control. The doctor agreed, but felt a baseline might also be a good idea, as my sleep patterns really do suck. So I have a referral there I have to schedule. And finally, my depression meds... Shared here before, I've been on Prozac for a long time to battle dysthymia. It has literally changed (and probably saved) my life. But you build up tolerance over time, and I think I'm definitely getting to the point of diminishing returns. I could present a laundry list of reasons *why* things have been stressful of late, but bottom line is that the meds are not having the same effect. So, I'm now starting to taper off the Prozac over the next 20 days, will have 48 hours totally off, and will then start on the generic version of Celexa. So, if you see me write stuff more bizarre than normal, or if you are physically close to me and see strange stuff, let me know... I'm going into the med change with much more information than I had when I first started SSRIs in 2003, but it's always good to have others aware and watching out for you...
OK, so much for all the body breakdown stuff... I actually *am* doing something to get healthy, though...
At work, they sponsor a program called Kinetix (you can find out more at http://www.kinetixliving.com/). It's a solid program of eating correctly *and* exercising correctly to get "in the best shape of your life". As posted a couple weeks back, I realize I just turned 48 and am in the worst shape of my life. I was chosen for one of the four week supervised programs starting on May 11th, so my "line in the sand" has been drawn and steps are underway. I've had to back off the cardio piece this week because of the ribs, but the weight workouts have moved forward. I've been going lighter than I know I can, in order to try and keep from becoming crippled with post-workout muscle pain. Generally speaking, that's worked except for legs. My calves are on fire from Wednesday's routine, and I can barely get my heels to touch the floor without pain. :)
So where am I starting from? Might as well throw that out here too, so that I have no escape from group accountability. I weighed in at 246.7 pounds, obviously not good packed on a 5'4" frame. 117.3 of that is body fat, putting my percentage of body fat at 47.5. Morbidly obese, any way you roll it. Can't fool myself into thinking any different about that. No wonder I struggle with things like stairs and walks and such. The good news is that the journaling and food program of Kinetix is clicking with me, and the attention to working out is a key component I ignored with Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, as I was more interested in that weekly weight number, not what it was composed of. In Kinetix, I'll now be able to find out what exactly that .5 pound of weight loss was. That'd be an emotional crusher before, but now it might well be that 2.5 pounds of lean body mass was gained and 3 pounds of fat was lost. Yes, I know all of this already, but I'm now emotionally ready to accept it as truth. I have personal short and longer term goals, and I'm Ok with the the process being part of the journey, not just the quest to arrive at the destination.
So, for those who have been concerned that I'm falling apart or that I'm about to take some extended medical leave for something serious, thanks for your concern. Everything is OK, and I'm just making some deposits to correct a severely overdrawn physical health account. Even though I'm not solely in the Lotus world any more, I'm still hoping that I can figure out a way to make it to Lotusphere 2010 on my own again, where some of the work of the upcoming months should be obvious. And if *that's* not putting it out there on the line, I don't know what is... My goal would be to make it from check-in to my room, through the Dolphin rotunda, with *nobody* yelling out "hey Duffbert!"... not because you're not there (I spotted the group), but because Duffbert doesn't quite look like Duffbert any more...
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Comments
or because he moves so fast they don't even see him
or because they instinctively yell "hey Buffbert!"
Keep at it.
Posted by Dan Sickles At 21:24:08 On 15/05/2009 | - Website - |
we see you "write stuff *LESS* bizarre than normal".
Hang in there Tom!
Posted by Vitor Pereira At 06:30:25 On 16/05/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Rob McDonagh At 09:46:09 On 16/05/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Duffbert At 09:57:35 On 16/05/2009 | - Website - |
Regards,
Dan
Posted by Dan Soares At 10:04:59 On 17/05/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Andrew Pollack At 23:28:09 On 17/05/2009 | - Website - |
If it makes you feel any better - I've done the blacking out thing too. Twice actually.
Once was in A&E after giving blood, which I'm always bad at. The other though, was just like you described and just after flu like symptoms as well.
I don't recall much about it, but I think I got the 'it just happens sometimes' answer as well. Kitty knows more about it. I'm definitely in the 'don't like going to the doctor' camp too!
Warren
Posted by Warren Elsmore At 06:49:09 On 18/05/2009 | - Website - |
Hugs!
Lettuce
Posted by Colette Burgess At 07:07:41 On 18/05/2009 | - Website - |
Posted by Charles Robinson At 14:00:36 On 18/05/2009 | - Website - |