Broken (or Cracked) Rib

I did a stupid thing. I was reaching over the fence at the house trying to unplug a string of lights when I heard (and felt) a loud POP in my lower chest. I've had this happen before. A cracked rib and there's nothing you can do but wait for it to heal. That, and try to keep from re-injuring yourself -- which is what I've done this time. This morning, I woke up in a lot of pain. I must have slept on my chest. Deep breathes hurt. Twisting hurts. I just have to take it easy and remember to sleep on my back. And maybe get a bone density test and find out why my bones are cracking.

Random Thoughts

1) This week I mentioned to a friend that he had grey hair that I hadn't noticed before. Well, for the record, I hope he didn't take it wrong. Grey hair is sexy.

2) I am becoming the person I never knew I could be when I was a young sickly, husky child.

3) I'm reading Foucault again from the later lectures and he is talking about "the care of the self" vis a vis "knowing yourself."

Health Update #3

I just reread my previous post about my last catheter ablation. That was back in November of last year and, boy, there's been a lot of change since then. The ablation worked well till about January when I had a relapse of some palpitations. Not atrial tach nor a-fib or flutter. When I saw my EP, she seemed to think this was a yet undiscovered arrhythmia which, with a change in medicine, seemed to be under control for a while. I went off the medicine in about March, but as my trip to Paris approached, I decided to go back on the Verapamil as a prophylactic. I still have flutters but they are very short and don't concern me as much as before as they tend to pass after a few seconds.

With my new found regular rhythm, I started working out this year. In January, I weighed 212 pounds, the most I had weighed in my life. I began a trial membership at Bally Total Fitness that lasted for ten weeks or so. I made it a point to not join until I had used the trial long enough to be sure I was making the gym a habit in my life. I would go three times a week and do 30 to 45 minutes of cardio and a few reps on the circuit machines. I did a pretty good job on my own and in June I was down to 200 pounds or so.

In July for my birthday, Clay gave me something I had thought about getting for myself last year (right before I broke my arm riding my bike and right before my a-fib came back and I had to have my ablation): sessions with a personal trainer! Sam Page and I began work in July after Paris and my birthday and I have had even more progress. I have gotten down to 189(!) just this week. But, really, I am less concerned about weight and more interested in good health and fitness. We still have a month and a half left in my sessions (but, I would love to get more!), so I will keep you posted on my future progress.

One thing that has really helped is eating Sam's zig zag meal plan that he designed for me. I eat five or six small meals a day and don't go more than three hours without eating. I'm only on my fourth week of the plan, but I see and feel all the difference in the world. As I said, I'm not too concerned about weight, but my most recently purchased suit is about three inches too big in the waist now. And the best part of the meal plan is that it includes two 'cheat' days a week where I MUST eat foods higher in fat and carbs. Tomorrow, I'm having Mexican food and margaritas, and ice cream for dessert. YUMMM.....

That's it for now, but I'll post some before and after photos soon enough.

Back in the Saddle

Well, actually, back on the treadmill. For those who haven't heard, I began an exercise routine this year. This is my first routine in over five years and quite seriously my first real exercise routine. A shout out to Sam Page, a personal trainer in LA that I paid a visit to toward the end of last year. He did an analysis of me and I was inspired by his findings - particularly, that I have pretty good stamina, if not good posture. With that, I began biking until my infamous crash and broken arm. Well, I was all healed by January and I came across a free two-month pass to Bally's. I used it and stuck with it and eventually decided to join.

Here is my routine: thirty minutes on the treadmill. I was originally doing fast walking on an incline for the whole session. I recently built up to fifteen minutes running (yes, RUNNING) and fifteen on the incline walking. Today, however, I ran eighteen minutes. I hope to get to a full thirty minute run in a few weeks. More bang for the buck.

Next, I do the weight stuff. I don't need to go through every machine, but I hit every major muscle area. I have a designed a card listing the exercises I perform and I track the weight I do. I have been gradually increasing the amount and have considered adding free weights. I meet with the Bally's trainer when I signed up and he walked me through the free weights and he thinks it is time for me to step it up.

Then, on to the elliptical for a final cardio routine. I was doing fifteen minutes but have worked up to twenty. On the elliptical, I go to 80% heart rate or more. That's where I end it. All takes about an hour and a half. And I love the amounyt of time that I can take to clear my mind. I have such energizing and creative thoughts during that time.

I have worked up a playlist that I use during the routine. When I run on the treadmill, I have a terrible sense of balance and just look at my feet the whole time. When I get to the running portion, I just decide to go for three or four songs. Don't look at the readouts on the machine until those songs have played. My favorite song right now is Hot Chip's Ready for the Floor. Of course, I have the seven minute remix!

My progress so far is a 5% drop in body weight, but much more energy, stamina, self-esteem, pride, etc. Also, my heart seems to be functioning better. I went into a-fib or flutter last week and converted back to normal sinus rhythm within 24 hours without having to go to the doctor or an emergency room. I am freaking loving my life right now. And I, for the first time in my life, can say I think I am in good health. Finally.

Health Update #2

A more step-by-step procedural post...

Saturday
10:00 PM Take last 20mg dose of Verapamil till procedure

Monday
4:00 PM Dr. Dana Eisenman runs a baseline EKG. Gives me a flu shot. Looks in my ears, nose and throat (For what? The problem's the heart. He's thorough). Order blood and x-ray.

4:30 PM Downstairs lab pulls three vials of blood. Gives me a "You're a hero" sticker I use as a bookmark.

4:45 PM Get to x-ray lab and get two chest x-rays. Back to machine and right side, arms up to machine. Leaving lab, notice door says closes at 4:30.

Friday
4:30 AM Up for quick shower. Out the door by 5:00.

5:30 AM Arrive Cedar Sinai and with in 10 minutes, walked to 6th floor Cardio Cath Lab Lobby. With in 5 minutes, asked for money and signing releases (What exactly is a Health Care Directive?). Within 1 minute, called back to lab.

6:00 AM Strip down and neatly put street clothes in plastic bag. Put 'gown' open on the back (What's the point? Later I am unconscious and naked, anyway). After having Anthony shave places no man (gay or straight) should every shave someone, I hear him say to a nurse "The last guy I shaved tipped me, the procedure worked perfectly and he never had to come back." At least they are now using electric razors. One #20 gauge IV is inserted into my lower left arm. They start to wheel me in and I say, "Can I at least say 'bye' to Clay?" They're not rude, just super fast about it all. I later learn there's a back up in cardio caths.

6:05 AM Move to Cardio Cath Lab where three people are doing a variety of things. Most obvious is that they are talking about the Jazz playing in the room. Also, they ask if I have a iPod I want to listen to (oops, forgot to bring that to the Cardio Cath Lab). Story about drunk guy at bar listening to Coltrane playing for 15 minutes straight who stands up and slurs, "When ya gonna quit warmin' up an get ta playin?"

Moving me from my gurney to the procedure bed, one is sticking cold sensors about 8 inches square to my bare chest and back, hooking up wires while another is arranging curved Lucite arm rests that hold me in place. I don't know where the gown is. Someone is uncovering the bottom half of me. The last guy is Fred and he puts what I thought was oxygen on my face. One minute later, I'm asleep.

2:00 PM I wake up and think, where am I. Clock on the wall. Thought I was in the Cath Lab Prep room but I'm in my recovery room. I now have air compresses at the three entry points (right & left groin and neck). Better than the sandbag compresses used last time, more gentle. Instructions are to lay flat and still for four hours. Not as easy as it sounds. Between this and having the urethra catheter pulled, I'm not sure which is worse.

2:30 PM EKG, blood pressure machine goes off every 15 minutes. Just keep in mind, it is tightly wrapped and when you least expect it, it tightens more than an anaconda python.

5:30 PM I get into a discussion with the nurse about going ahead and pulling the urethra catheter but they say not to. I need to go. I can’t wait. Just use the catheter they say. I begin to, but it isn’t in right and so I’m lying in a pool of my own urine. At least I feel it wasn’t really my fault. They decide to go ahead and pull it now. Not a good feeling at all.

5:55 PM Finally, I can get out of my puddle and clean up. I must dress for dinner.

6:00 PM Brisket, mashed potatoes, peas, salad. Not bad really. Sitting up and able to bend my legs. Must stay seated for two hours.

6:30 PM One more test is needed. A CAT Scan. The 20 gauge needle in my fore arm is too far away for the heart so an identical 20 gauge needle is put 6 inches further up the arm. But wait. You just ate. Needs to be four hours after your meal. No food or water till it’s done. Maybe 10:30 or 11:00.

11:00 PM Haven’t heard yet so no water, no midnight snack. CAT room is backed up. Very busy.

Saturday
12:00 AM Still gonna have it done. Calling down every 30 minutes. Hold tight. Emergencies are going first.

2:00 AM I go to bed (they changed the sheets earlier).

2:05 AM Nurse does another battery of vitals. Puts the blood pressure machine on once an hour. When I doze off, I keep suddenly jerking awake. I notice that when I awake with a start I feel very differently than before. I used to wake with a few flutters and skipped beats. Now, I don’t feel my heart but I feel a rush of warmth to my extremities, which I later decide id adrenaline which used to just cause the heart rhythms. It is a good feeling to have your heart beat correctly.

3:05 AM Wake up when blood pressure machine goes off. Call nurse for water, but I’m two patients away from having the scan done. Eat or drink nothing.

4:05 AM Time for vitals. Like they can’t see from the heart monitor that I’m still alive.

5:05 AM Wake up when blood pressure machine goes off. Call nurse for water, but I’m two patients away from having the scan done. Eat or drink nothing.

6:05 AM Time for CAT scan. Go downstairs, get put into a tube, shoot in some iodine and hold breath. Iodine feels warm inside the body but mostly at the throat and the groin. Whole thing takes 10 minutes. Oh, and the room I’m wheeled to has space for 20 beds and is completely empty. Have been all night. Just no staff to do it. Should have known it’d be in the morning. Should have been able to drink water before bed, etc.

7:00 AM Back in room. Lovely breakfast of French toast, scrambled eggs and mini-wheat cereal, pears, cranberry juice. All pretty tasty.

9:00AM Last consult with Dr. Salvo who performed the ablation with Whaung and Gallik. Very interesting case. Same spider web type of procedure and scarring in the heart but seems to have gotten all. No physical exertion for a week or so. Easy bike rides ok. No lifting of 25 pounds for a week. Limit alcohol to one glass a day for 10 days (we’ll see about that). No prescriptions. Very good prognosis.

10:00AM Home. Take shower. Remove groin bandages to reveal 8 inch charcoal purple bruise on left side.

Health Update #1

I am AOK or now, but the doctor's suggest I set up a Porsche fund.

The last time I had this done, the procedure was $83,000. I've had this done four times now. My regular doctor did number one and two. A specialist was called in from Utah for three and four. So, I'm probably up to $400,000 by now. Throw in the $1000 doctor's office visits and the emergency room visits and the electrocardioversion and we are at $500,000.

I may not be the six-million dollar man, but I'm well on my way to being the one-million dollar man!! If my insurance co-pay was 20 percent, we're talking about a PORSCHE, aren't we? I first thought I was looking at $20,000, but soon realized I was talking about $200,000. Luckily, the co-pay is just 10% so get those checks coming!!! ( Just kidding, really. The State plan is 100% with a $50 hospital co-pay each visit, so my true out of pocket has been just probably less than $300 or $400 over the last 5 or so years this has been going on. *** good luck Clay decided to marry me, at least in a domestic partner state!)

Good night for now. Prime time TV starts in a bit and Cedars-Sinai has about thirty channels and NO guide so I'll be spending an hour fiding out what's on just in time for what I want to see to be going off!!

Hope to see you all soon.

Bike Spill #1

So, I've had my bike for about a week, trying to do more cardio exercise. I have been loving it. When I first moved to LA, I had a bike, but let it go after a while. Started driving everywhere. Where we live now is perfect for bike riding. To get to work is 12 kilometers and takes about an hour. There are hills both directions so I get a pretty decent work out. I can get to Alhambra or Downtown in about 30 minutes. Going past buildings at a slower rate, you discover tons of new and interesting places. Cute shops or ethnic restaurants. It's been fantastic.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I went down just 5 minutes away from the house. I was going around a parked car and as I went by it I saw a huge pavement buckle right in front of me. There was little I could do. I tried slowing down, but perhaps I slammed on breaks. Not really sure, just know I went flying through the air and landed underneath the bike. Dazed and sore, blood but not sure from where. A driver stopped and gave me a towel and some water and I began cleaning my face where I thought most of the blood was coming from. My chin, and perhaps, my left cheek. I was feeling faint, and my vision was clouded, all I could sense was sunlight and pain. I tried to lift my backpack with my right arm, but didn't have the strength, or couldn't due to the ache.

I was right in front of the Debs Park Audobon Center and a bike rider came by, someone who worked at the Audobon. I was still dazed and he went up to the center and had a friend drive back down for me. He took my bike back to the center and his friend drove me home. By this time, I was aware that I could bend my arm but not use it in any normal way. I wasn't sure if I had strained it or not. I called Clay and he said he'd meet me at home.

A few minutes later, he was driving me to Huntington Hospital where they did about seven x-rays. The arm was fractured, but not severely. No splint, no cast, just a sling, and perhaps, no exertion on it for a week or two. It will be swollen for awhile, too. Just need to try extending it frequently so it doesn't lock up. A few scrapes and definitely a black eye and bruised chin, a road rash on the left arm and banged up knees.

But, over all I'm kind of pleased. I was out there doing something I enjoyed. My first sport's injury since I broke my left arm riding a tricycle off the front porch when I was five. I really do want to get back on the bike as soon as possble.