I had a good week of lumbering and took the time to tweak some standard loops with different trails to keep things fresh as we get further into the stank scrum of autumn.
Throughout most of the week’s hikes, I had next week’s appointment with Doctor Bob in my head, as well as the blood tests I needed to have done beforehand to check my cholesterol numbers.
My cholesterol levels were pretty amazing during my intense riding and racing days. Then, with age, depression, poor diet choices, beer-swilling, a lack of long, steady endurance cardio in my life, and generally not giving a fuck about my existence, the numbers crept up.
Then, last October, I was starting to feel more myself, and a month into the Comeback Special when I had an appointment with Doctor Bob and some blood work done.
I had been hiking at pace for less than a month and still dreaming of finding long-lost shreds of fitness but oddly confident about the tests for someone just exiting several slack-filled years of depression fueled by pizza, beer, and deli meat.
My confidence was rightly dashed when I saw that my overall cholesterol had gone up to a whopping 232 [below 200 is normal], and there was talk about starting a statin!! I was gutted and panicked!!
This was a major turning point for me because I have a track record of giving up, wallowing, and saying, “fuck it.” However, this time, when I said, “fuck it,” it was instead, “fuck it, let’s go harder!!”
I hiked throughout the winter and pushed myself harder and harder, along with improving some of my dietary choices, so I was gutted once again in late March when my overall cholesterol only went down 10 measly points. SHIT!!!
I once again found myself in Doctor Bob’s office with a disappointed Doctor Bob as I pleaded for more time before meds were called in to help.
I looked at the numbers (something that no doctor in my lifetime has taken the time to go over with me), found where I was making mistakes (triglycerides from my love of beer and life-long pasta addiction), made some corrections, and continued on lumbering longer and harder throughout the summer, and as you may or may not know, hit the one-year mark of the Comeback Special on September 19th.
So, with that, I was nervous as hell going to have my blood drawn this week. What if, after 1,200+ miles, I’m still an unhealthy swine? Do I have the resolve to keep going if the numbers are still high? Can I keep my old ass from taking yet another medicine? Getting old sucks!! Blah, blah, blah.
The fasting was completed, my shoes were complimented by the lab tech, and the blood was drawn before I headed home for breakfast, a quick lumber, and hours of nervous waiting and checking my email for updates to my online medical chart.
Finally, it came. Shit, I’m nervous as hell! OK, OK, OK, *click*
190!!!
ONE HUNDRED FUCKING NINETY!!!
Despite being home alone, I let out a scream of happiness; I did it, I really fucking did it!! In under a year, I lowered my overall cholesterol number by 42 points! And my long-time nemesis, total triglycerides, were lowered by 95 points in the same period!!
My Complete Metabolic Panel was more of a letdown due to my kidneys apparently being unhappy with the blood thinner/blood pressure med combo I take (I’ll get that sorted this week with Doctor Bob); however, my blood glucose is a very respectable 81. Now, I have to wait a couple more days to see if I was able to shed a few more pounds.
Don’t get me wrong, getting old still sucks, and I still have more work to do, but seeing some positive numbers this week was another sign that the hard work I’ve put in on the trail and in the office of the O.G. Mindbender is helping me stay on track.
I’m looking forward to another week of lumbering, but for now, I’m going to take a day off, soak my feet, and bask in the glow of a normal lipid panel.
Later.