Post by mrbeefy on Feb 22, 2007 13:45:17 GMT -5
I copied this from Dave's Newsletter.
It appears he will be undergoing a bypass operation.
FYI
- - - - - Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - - - - -
1 - Draper here… You've Gotta Be Kidding
2 - Laree here, taking over with IronOnline news
Printable pdf version of this newsletter:
davedraper.com/pdfs/irononline392.pdf
You'll also find Dave's column online at the link below.
davedraper.com/url/column.php
1 - Draper here… You've Gotta Be Kidding
It's the third week of February, a month before fabulous spring. How
do I know that, you ask, these and other things equally scintillating
and profound? I'm IronOnline's official timekeeper, an important post
by which I am honored. I have a calendar hanging on the wall, a clock
on my desk and a precise hour glass strategically situated on a nearby
utility shelf. Very professional, very efficient. The year is 2007.
I also do the weather (it's pretty nice out) and give traffic reports
(the freeway's a mess) and make up facts about most anything that
comes to my mind -- baby dogs are also called adorable little puppies,
standing barbell curls build neat muscles, squats are really hard, and
on and on.
These duties plus my workouts keep me busy, leaving little time for
recreation. My single pastime is hanging around waiting for
inspiration to write the weekly IOL newsletter. Of course, inspiration
is not always forthcoming, whereupon I must resort to invention or
improvisation, black magic or pulling my hair out. The hair is going
fast.
This week was a tad unlike the rest, an exception, you might say
almost bizarre. I was dozing before my blank computer screen
hypnotized by its pulsing drone when the phone rang. Who the heck can
that be, was my first reaction. Why don't they go away, was my second.
I picked up after the tenth ring and said with my usual charm, "WHAT?"
She said, "Hi, Mr. Draper," a little song in her voice, and provided
me with more stimulus stimulation than I could ever imagine.
The story goes something like this:
A month ago in a newsletter titled, "Health and Strength and the Joys
of Living," I grumbled about shortness of breath and a pending visit
to a heart doc to assess its origin. How bothersome! Medication or
non-invasive stent placement I suspected were the possible solutions.
I ain't no dummy. I trained at the Muscle Beach Dungeon, I'm a
physical culturist, bodybuilder and authentic ironhead. I read Flex.
I'm hip.
Well, three heart doctors -- cardiothoracic specialists -- known for
their genius, advanced learning and meticulous skills, determined I
was close in my suspicions (it is the heart), but not exact in my
diagnosis (needs more than aspirin and a good night's rest). Get this:
Curly, Moe and Larry, as I have affectionately named the amusing
threesome, agreed the best fix is quadruple bypass surgery, "and while
we're at it, let's repair that leaky valve. What the heck!"
Rats! Just when I was hitting my mid-sixty stride, I thought.
I thanked them for their generous contribution of fodder for this
week's newsletter, my head reeling with dazzling thoughts of the
copious writing material I suddenly and unexpectedly had at my
disposal. Newsletters a-go-go! Good news comes in heaps and piles and
quadruplicates.
Have you ever experienced true joy, dear friends?
Here's one of the best parts: As you read this newsletter (written
over the weekend) I am recovering in postoperative care somewhere in
the bowels of a huge, highly reputed hospital in San Jose, California.
I'd have told you sooner, but I just found out -- no emergency, just
swift action. I'll be back in the gym before spring, knocking out sets
like golf balls at a driving range.
Number two of the many best parts: I'll be as good as new... well,
almost new... maybe, slightly used... used, but not broken. Seriously,
the reparations will provide enhanced oxygenation (this translates to
improved energy and endurance... step aside), breathing comfort (no
horrid gasping) and muscle recovery (huge and ripped), and reduced
daily fatigue and post-set exhaustion. The old freight train is moving
from the rusty county rails to the shiny interstate express tracks.
Number three: I did not cause the disease of the arteries by my
addictive behavior 25 years ago. As the doctor said, "You did not do
this; someone else did." Arteriosclerosis is mostly genetic. I
inherited the vulnerability, though there are no signs of heart
disease in my immediate family. Laree and I have some theories we'll
discuss later.
Four, a big relief: It is not contagious, meaning Laree and Mugsy will
not be shot.
Finally, I have the opportunity to experience and review the whole
catastrophe firsthand and pass on my observations to you, assuming
you're interested. To this tall tale I will add the commentaries of
the ever-so-clever doctors for scientific flavor.
We're jazzed! Sounds like fun, Draper. Can't wait!
Like, for example, I'm told stuff like four to five days in the
hospital for recovery; up and walking the day following surgery and
every day thereafter; smoking in parking lot only (joke); no movement
or exercise that will cause stress on the repairing sternum -- an
eight-week process -- meaning no flys, pullovers, bench presses,
hysterics, giggling and uncontrolled laughter. Grimacing is
permissible. It seems it's the mending of the sternum, not the heart,
that requires time and prevents desperate muscleheads like me from
tossing the iron within a day or two of the incisions.
I imagine there will be pain (how loud can I scream MORE MORPHINE,
MAXINE?) and I'll feel as sick as a dog for a few days. Then the
impatience will spill from my guts and frustration and discouragement
will penetrate the marrow of my bones. At the feet of these towering
challenges I shall grow stronger, while simultaneously devising ways
of training without undoing the good the doctors have so skillfully
done. It is written that through the eye of a needle a camel can pass
if he tries real hard... slightly paraphrased, incidentally.
Laree has made enough beef jerky to feed an army; I have sardines and
tuna under my pillow and an iPod loaded with my favorite tunes (Kate
Smith, The McGuire Sisters, The Mills Brothers, Lawrence Welk, Ink
Spots) by the Queen of the Hop herself. Till this day I have never
touched an iPod, for your information. It is this kind of information
you will be receiving regularly now that I'm a Quipee (quad patient).
Provocative, entertaining, cutting edge -- no pun intended.
Other good things coming from my downtime besides the pump repair is
the overdue layoff to rest the rickety joints and dilapidated body
systems under load for a long, long time. I shall bask in thankfulness
as the days roll by, nibbling beef jerky and listening to the
scintillating sounds of Tony Bennett and Vaughn Monroe. Gratitude, a
sleeping giant, shall be awakened and revisited, as I grasp the truth
that life goes on and not without me.
I proposed to the doctors that perhaps they could perform a tummy tuck
while I'm under sedation... remove the loose skin under my chin. No
soap! They're a stiff bunch.
Till next week, bombers, when the skies are clear and the horizons are
where they always are -- before us and in the near distance. I'm fine,
though I find gliding less fulfilling than soaring, landings less
challenging than takeoffs.
Don't taxi when you can fly... and when you can fly, fly high.
God's Might... Dave
Post Note: I hope you realize I joke about my choice of music.
2 - Laree here, taking over with IronOnline news…
Dave neglected to tell you about those bike shoes I just ordered for
him. Oh yes, he's getting on that thing. Does that mean I think he
would have needed surgery if he'd been doing cardio? No. No, not
really. But he's sure as heck going aerobic post-surgery. Oh, very
yes.
So anyway, I wonder how many of you read Dave's first few paragraphs,
then scurried down here to the basement to get the straight scoop.
Truthfully, as I'm writing this I haven't seen his contribution and
don't know if you got the fluffy version or the nitty gritty. I'm just
guessing, especially given that I've been here the past few days since
the decision was made, and have watched him get a little goofy from
time to time. He seriously had me in stitches yesterday; if you got a
dose of that (and I hope you did), you won't have a clue how to
separate fact from fiction.
That's where I come in -- from the layman's point of view, where, of
course, I belong.
The angiogram of January 31 showed too many blockages to stent, so we
spent the last couple of weeks getting medical opinions before
scheduling the surgery. Dave's surgeon will be replacing three
arteries, as well as repairing the valve, which was damaged during
congestive heart failure in 1983. Once recovered from the surgery, his
breathing will get better and oxygen fueling his muscles will
increase; the expectation is he'll be very pleased for having decided
upon this non-emergency surgery.
I've done a ton of research on this and will report my findings in the
blog. The culprit is likely a combination of the dense LDL
sub-particles, plus inflammation caused by a mix of overtraining
stress and red meat -- the problem not being saturated fat as many
people believe, but the iron in the beef accumulating in his system.
As a heart patient on blood thinners, it's a hassle to give blood, and
therefore iron is building up and oxidizing. I'd bet anything
oxidation and inflammation is what caused the blockage, and in
addition to his new-found biking habit, you can add regular blood
donations to Dave's new regime. I suspect not much else will change,
in case you were curious.
If his medicated brain isn't clear enough to drop you a note next
week, I'll report in with an update. Dave's attitude is fabulous; he's
eager to begin recovery and to test rehab strategies to write about --
you'll get a firsthand report. We covet your prayers that the skilled
surgical team was alert, his nursing team attentive and his healing is
quick. Stick around for the ride; we'll take this journey together.
Here's the link to the rest of the details:
www.davedraper.com/url/heart-surgery.php
www.davedraper.com/url/heart-disease.php
Laree
ldraper@davedraper.com
davedraper.com/
IronOnline forum:
www.davedraper.com/url/iol.php
IronOnline blog:
davedraper.com/blog/
IOL One-on-One Personal Training:
www.davedraper.com/url/trainers.php
IronOnline health and fitness database:
healthandfitnesswiki.com/
Dave's Bomber Blend whey protein powder:
davedraper.com/url/blend.php
Pearl/Draper seminar dvd:
davedraper.com/url/seminar-dvd.php
Easy access to our online store:
davedraper.com/fitness_products/
Copyright (c) 2007 Dave Draper
-----
It appears he will be undergoing a bypass operation.
FYI
- - - - - Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - - - - -
1 - Draper here… You've Gotta Be Kidding
2 - Laree here, taking over with IronOnline news
Printable pdf version of this newsletter:
davedraper.com/pdfs/irononline392.pdf
You'll also find Dave's column online at the link below.
davedraper.com/url/column.php
1 - Draper here… You've Gotta Be Kidding
It's the third week of February, a month before fabulous spring. How
do I know that, you ask, these and other things equally scintillating
and profound? I'm IronOnline's official timekeeper, an important post
by which I am honored. I have a calendar hanging on the wall, a clock
on my desk and a precise hour glass strategically situated on a nearby
utility shelf. Very professional, very efficient. The year is 2007.
I also do the weather (it's pretty nice out) and give traffic reports
(the freeway's a mess) and make up facts about most anything that
comes to my mind -- baby dogs are also called adorable little puppies,
standing barbell curls build neat muscles, squats are really hard, and
on and on.
These duties plus my workouts keep me busy, leaving little time for
recreation. My single pastime is hanging around waiting for
inspiration to write the weekly IOL newsletter. Of course, inspiration
is not always forthcoming, whereupon I must resort to invention or
improvisation, black magic or pulling my hair out. The hair is going
fast.
This week was a tad unlike the rest, an exception, you might say
almost bizarre. I was dozing before my blank computer screen
hypnotized by its pulsing drone when the phone rang. Who the heck can
that be, was my first reaction. Why don't they go away, was my second.
I picked up after the tenth ring and said with my usual charm, "WHAT?"
She said, "Hi, Mr. Draper," a little song in her voice, and provided
me with more stimulus stimulation than I could ever imagine.
The story goes something like this:
A month ago in a newsletter titled, "Health and Strength and the Joys
of Living," I grumbled about shortness of breath and a pending visit
to a heart doc to assess its origin. How bothersome! Medication or
non-invasive stent placement I suspected were the possible solutions.
I ain't no dummy. I trained at the Muscle Beach Dungeon, I'm a
physical culturist, bodybuilder and authentic ironhead. I read Flex.
I'm hip.
Well, three heart doctors -- cardiothoracic specialists -- known for
their genius, advanced learning and meticulous skills, determined I
was close in my suspicions (it is the heart), but not exact in my
diagnosis (needs more than aspirin and a good night's rest). Get this:
Curly, Moe and Larry, as I have affectionately named the amusing
threesome, agreed the best fix is quadruple bypass surgery, "and while
we're at it, let's repair that leaky valve. What the heck!"
Rats! Just when I was hitting my mid-sixty stride, I thought.
I thanked them for their generous contribution of fodder for this
week's newsletter, my head reeling with dazzling thoughts of the
copious writing material I suddenly and unexpectedly had at my
disposal. Newsletters a-go-go! Good news comes in heaps and piles and
quadruplicates.
Have you ever experienced true joy, dear friends?
Here's one of the best parts: As you read this newsletter (written
over the weekend) I am recovering in postoperative care somewhere in
the bowels of a huge, highly reputed hospital in San Jose, California.
I'd have told you sooner, but I just found out -- no emergency, just
swift action. I'll be back in the gym before spring, knocking out sets
like golf balls at a driving range.
Number two of the many best parts: I'll be as good as new... well,
almost new... maybe, slightly used... used, but not broken. Seriously,
the reparations will provide enhanced oxygenation (this translates to
improved energy and endurance... step aside), breathing comfort (no
horrid gasping) and muscle recovery (huge and ripped), and reduced
daily fatigue and post-set exhaustion. The old freight train is moving
from the rusty county rails to the shiny interstate express tracks.
Number three: I did not cause the disease of the arteries by my
addictive behavior 25 years ago. As the doctor said, "You did not do
this; someone else did." Arteriosclerosis is mostly genetic. I
inherited the vulnerability, though there are no signs of heart
disease in my immediate family. Laree and I have some theories we'll
discuss later.
Four, a big relief: It is not contagious, meaning Laree and Mugsy will
not be shot.
Finally, I have the opportunity to experience and review the whole
catastrophe firsthand and pass on my observations to you, assuming
you're interested. To this tall tale I will add the commentaries of
the ever-so-clever doctors for scientific flavor.
We're jazzed! Sounds like fun, Draper. Can't wait!
Like, for example, I'm told stuff like four to five days in the
hospital for recovery; up and walking the day following surgery and
every day thereafter; smoking in parking lot only (joke); no movement
or exercise that will cause stress on the repairing sternum -- an
eight-week process -- meaning no flys, pullovers, bench presses,
hysterics, giggling and uncontrolled laughter. Grimacing is
permissible. It seems it's the mending of the sternum, not the heart,
that requires time and prevents desperate muscleheads like me from
tossing the iron within a day or two of the incisions.
I imagine there will be pain (how loud can I scream MORE MORPHINE,
MAXINE?) and I'll feel as sick as a dog for a few days. Then the
impatience will spill from my guts and frustration and discouragement
will penetrate the marrow of my bones. At the feet of these towering
challenges I shall grow stronger, while simultaneously devising ways
of training without undoing the good the doctors have so skillfully
done. It is written that through the eye of a needle a camel can pass
if he tries real hard... slightly paraphrased, incidentally.
Laree has made enough beef jerky to feed an army; I have sardines and
tuna under my pillow and an iPod loaded with my favorite tunes (Kate
Smith, The McGuire Sisters, The Mills Brothers, Lawrence Welk, Ink
Spots) by the Queen of the Hop herself. Till this day I have never
touched an iPod, for your information. It is this kind of information
you will be receiving regularly now that I'm a Quipee (quad patient).
Provocative, entertaining, cutting edge -- no pun intended.
Other good things coming from my downtime besides the pump repair is
the overdue layoff to rest the rickety joints and dilapidated body
systems under load for a long, long time. I shall bask in thankfulness
as the days roll by, nibbling beef jerky and listening to the
scintillating sounds of Tony Bennett and Vaughn Monroe. Gratitude, a
sleeping giant, shall be awakened and revisited, as I grasp the truth
that life goes on and not without me.
I proposed to the doctors that perhaps they could perform a tummy tuck
while I'm under sedation... remove the loose skin under my chin. No
soap! They're a stiff bunch.
Till next week, bombers, when the skies are clear and the horizons are
where they always are -- before us and in the near distance. I'm fine,
though I find gliding less fulfilling than soaring, landings less
challenging than takeoffs.
Don't taxi when you can fly... and when you can fly, fly high.
God's Might... Dave
Post Note: I hope you realize I joke about my choice of music.
2 - Laree here, taking over with IronOnline news…
Dave neglected to tell you about those bike shoes I just ordered for
him. Oh yes, he's getting on that thing. Does that mean I think he
would have needed surgery if he'd been doing cardio? No. No, not
really. But he's sure as heck going aerobic post-surgery. Oh, very
yes.
So anyway, I wonder how many of you read Dave's first few paragraphs,
then scurried down here to the basement to get the straight scoop.
Truthfully, as I'm writing this I haven't seen his contribution and
don't know if you got the fluffy version or the nitty gritty. I'm just
guessing, especially given that I've been here the past few days since
the decision was made, and have watched him get a little goofy from
time to time. He seriously had me in stitches yesterday; if you got a
dose of that (and I hope you did), you won't have a clue how to
separate fact from fiction.
That's where I come in -- from the layman's point of view, where, of
course, I belong.
The angiogram of January 31 showed too many blockages to stent, so we
spent the last couple of weeks getting medical opinions before
scheduling the surgery. Dave's surgeon will be replacing three
arteries, as well as repairing the valve, which was damaged during
congestive heart failure in 1983. Once recovered from the surgery, his
breathing will get better and oxygen fueling his muscles will
increase; the expectation is he'll be very pleased for having decided
upon this non-emergency surgery.
I've done a ton of research on this and will report my findings in the
blog. The culprit is likely a combination of the dense LDL
sub-particles, plus inflammation caused by a mix of overtraining
stress and red meat -- the problem not being saturated fat as many
people believe, but the iron in the beef accumulating in his system.
As a heart patient on blood thinners, it's a hassle to give blood, and
therefore iron is building up and oxidizing. I'd bet anything
oxidation and inflammation is what caused the blockage, and in
addition to his new-found biking habit, you can add regular blood
donations to Dave's new regime. I suspect not much else will change,
in case you were curious.
If his medicated brain isn't clear enough to drop you a note next
week, I'll report in with an update. Dave's attitude is fabulous; he's
eager to begin recovery and to test rehab strategies to write about --
you'll get a firsthand report. We covet your prayers that the skilled
surgical team was alert, his nursing team attentive and his healing is
quick. Stick around for the ride; we'll take this journey together.
Here's the link to the rest of the details:
www.davedraper.com/url/heart-surgery.php
www.davedraper.com/url/heart-disease.php
Laree
ldraper@davedraper.com
davedraper.com/
IronOnline forum:
www.davedraper.com/url/iol.php
IronOnline blog:
davedraper.com/blog/
IOL One-on-One Personal Training:
www.davedraper.com/url/trainers.php
IronOnline health and fitness database:
healthandfitnesswiki.com/
Dave's Bomber Blend whey protein powder:
davedraper.com/url/blend.php
Pearl/Draper seminar dvd:
davedraper.com/url/seminar-dvd.php
Easy access to our online store:
davedraper.com/fitness_products/
Copyright (c) 2007 Dave Draper
-----
