On The Subject Of My Health...
In going through the forum posts for the last *checks history* nearly four months since I was last here, I did notice that my latest round of health issues was mentioned briefly, so I thought that both people who might be interested but do not follow me on Twitter, where many of the appointments and procedures were all but live-streamed, should get an update.
In brief, there were two things going on:
1) I decided to take a mental health break from this place in April. It began to come up in therapy that years of moderating this forum had negatively impacted my ability to even cheer for the Wolverines, so I took the break with the intent of it being absent perhaps for 4-6 weeks to see how I felt.
2) I was admitted to the hospital on Memorial Day weekend and was there for eight days. Some of you will remember that, about five years ago, I was in the hospital for congestive heart failure brought on by a viral infection that no one could figure out. This time, it was CHF brought on by my own stupidity in relaxing my adherence to the medications and diet over time. The result of it all is that I will probably spend the rest of my life taking neuro-hormonal blockers because otherwise my heart uses jazz timing when it should be using standard rock timing, I will put it like that. June was a bad month. July has been much better and I even went back to work this past week, albeit on restricted duty.
So, I decided late Friday night that I was finally up to posting again and indeed even helping to moderate on a limited basis. Like everything else in my life right now, I will monitor myself on a daily basis and see how it goes. Since I can no longer drink or consume anything with more than a meager amount of sodium, I will be posting sober, and as some of you who might follow me on Twitter may have noticed, sober me is a harsh, judgmental and often cranky me.
Anyway, glad to be back.
Glad to hear you're on the mend. I got a chuckle out of the jazz timing, Be well
Welcome back LSA. Wishing you the best of health. Good luck with everything
Stay healthy! Glad to see you, and appreciate the update.
Glad you're on the mend LSA, that's some pretty substantial weight loss.
If sobriety doesn't suit you, I'd be more than happy to recommend some non alcoholic, and heart safer, intoxicants.
Feel free to post said recommendations, for I have this morbid fear that any loss in any portion of any season played in football or basketball this coming fall / winter will likely have magnified effects.
What he didn't tell you is that his "heart safer" alternatives will give you a serious case of the munchies.
Weed is a vasodilator, increases heart rate, and how hard your heart works (at least in the first hour or so after imbibing) and increases risk of heart attack (again, only the first hour or so after partaking)
Marijuana is not really the drug for anyone with heart issues. GHB and ketamine on the other hand .....
Definitely consistent with what my Dr says. Was briefly hopefully that this thread was going to suggest some contrary evidence. Thanks for killing my buzz. I can confirm that even briefly thinking maybe I could try a little weed every now and again briefly accelerated my heart rate (unfortunately it did not provide any of the other benefits of weed.
Hatter I feel like giving you 1k for a weekend and just letting you be my high sherpa would be a fun time
Damn, that's a great business idea.
let me know if you ever go early beta on that
Stay thirsty my friend.
Glad to have you back on MGoBlog...and glad to hear your health is improving. Stay safe...and stay healthy!
Welcome back. May you find some peace to help you heal up.
Congratulations on your comeback!
LSA Comeback kid!
Health scares are the pits.
Screw cancer. Screw heart disease. Screw CHF.
Welcome back, and good health to you!
I will say that after a recent family health scare, I have dived pretty deep into nutrition as a way to fight disease. I've discovered some amazing things and have made changes to my diet/supplement regimen that have helped me improve, along with helping some of my family members. I've found a great resource to be Ben Greenfield Fitness (a podcast and website) and "How Not to Die" by Michael Greger.
I will check those out. The mountain of literature that I was sent by Michigan Heart (where my cardiologist is - I was at St. Joe's) is pretty expansive if a bit standard (a big pamphlet of "do this but not that" and a long homage to the Mayo Clinic DASH diet), so a few additional perspectives would be nice as well.
I've found a great resource to be Ben Greenfield Fitness (a podcast and website) and "How Not to Die" by Michael Greger.
I'd be curious which things in particular you are taking to heart from Greenfield. I haven't found Ben to be very evidence based when it comes to his recommendations and when he does use evidence he tends to cherry pick rather than look at the entire body of evidence. He has some dubious claims on cancer, low/no carb approaches, and alternative treatments that lack scientific support.
I’m always enjoy your posts. Stay healthy and welcome back
Take care of yourself. I’m sure you have plenty of help with this already, but I work in cardiac care, if there is anything I can do for you, please reach out. Whether it’s questions about procedures or medication or clarifications, recommendations for surgeons etc.
Good to have you back
Good to hear from you, LSAClass. I can only imagine how trying the health issues have been, but I’m glad to hear you’re on the mend. Keep at it.
Nice to have you popping back in.
Likewise, with you. I know it's been, for some and to put mildly, harsh, around here for a good while, but even as a nobody in this forum I know the posters I enjoy reading and it becomes noticeable when they're absent.
Welcome back
Scary parts all. Stay healthy, happy, and safe, and don't let this crew of doomsayers get you down.
Salut! No alcohol will be good for you long term and short (this coming from someone able to imbibe, I love my craught beer (get it?!) hobby but know it's probably too much at times).
Who is this?
I know exactly what you're thinking...
And he was an ineffective Chancellor of the Republic until replaced by somebody better...
Welcome back LSA. Hope your health keeps improving.
Welcome back. Wish you well going forward.
Wow. Thanks for the update. Wish you well with your health. Can’t be an easy situation. I recently lost about 70 pounds and run to try and stay healthy. Can’t give up beer though. Especially with all the shit going on right now. Hopefully there is no college football and that will give you a nice break.
Welcome back LSA. I had wondered if you were OK based on your absence. Glad you are back on the blog - appreciate your dignified reasoning and sense of humor. Best wishes going forward.
I'm glad you're doing okay LSA.
I've always enjoyed your contributions on here, LSA. I'm sorry to hear about your health issues, but it's good to see you back! If moderating starts bringing you down again, just drop it.
Stay healthy!
Harsh, Judgmental, and Cranky? I've got a brother?!?!
Welcome back! I hope the sober you hangs around here for many, many years. I’ll quietly take care of your quota share.
Glad you're back LSA!
Time to start booking one-way tickets to Bolivia for some fools
Welcome back, LSA!!! Missed you, so glad you're back and health(ier)!
It's good to have you back, LSA. Hang in there.
Hey LSA, followed you on Twitter for a long time. I wondered where you were. Our prayers and blessings to you and your family.
Fantastic. Give us hell, LSA!
Wishing you all the best and take care of yourself first, everything else, especially this place, is a distant second. Scary stuff you have been thru especially given your age, welcome back!
Best wishes and hope you feel better soon.
Welcome back to the coal mines, LSA. Be careful and stay safe out there.
Welcome back, man. It's great to hear from you and have you around again. Above all else, take care of yourself.
I decided to take a mental health break from this place in April. It began to come up in therapy that years of moderating this forum had negatively impacted my ability to even cheer for the Wolverines, so I took the break with the intent of it being absent perhaps for 4-6 weeks to see how I felt.
I don't blame you. I think social media is terrible for us. Even things you'd think are not social media like Youtube, enables commenting and replies, which makes arguing easy. It's very addictive and it hijacks the human brain. We are not equipped to process it. It takes people who are meant to build community and relationships to become combative and argue over dumb shit like which CFB team is better, cleaner, has better academic standards, cheats, etc. Unfortunately it's highly negative. Negative emotions are much more impactful than positive ones. The English language has way more words for negative emotions than positive ones. Its survival & evolution. Remembering bad experiences was important to not get eaten by a saber toothed tiger. It's less relevant today, but that system is still very much in place and responds to things like bad drivers or annoying internet posters. And, research has indicated that saying negative things out loud makes them 4-10x more likely to come true. I'd have to think writing them electronically is similar. I've done really well at getting off Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. But, I have not been successful at getting off sports blogs. I'm sure just reading is fine, but reading comments and commenting opens you up to disagreement and negativity.
So, I decided late Friday night that I was finally up to posting again and indeed even helping to moderate on a limited basis. Like everything else in my life right now, I will monitor myself on a daily basis and see how it goes.
Good luck. If you're anything like me, you've gotta stop it completely or get rid of any restrictions. But, I've never been able to do it in moderation. Once you get involved in a discussion it's difficult to stop. I wish you luck and hope your health improves!
Welcome back!
You were missed
Glad you are on the mend and had the courage to make significant life changes.