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Monday, April 17, 2006

I don't sleep, I drink coffee instead

So about halfway through last year I was suffering from some major fatigue issues. I mean fatigue so bad I was falling asleep at me desk at work and it wasn't voluntary. So I called a doctor and they had to establish me as a patient which meant the one thing. The one thing I had been avoiding for a decade and a half atleast.

A physical.

So I scheduled a physical for November of last year and suffered for a few monthes through the fatigue. Somedays were normal, some were horrible. The worst was when I went to Bethesda, MD. for training in October. Class was horrible with me spending more time concentrating on staying awake then actual learning. Then I would get out of class and do and see as much as I could, eat horrible, and keep an absolutely poor sleeping schedule. The weekend I had between class weeks I did a lot in D.C. because it was only a 20 minute metro ride in and there was a lot I wanted to see. That Sunday I was sitting in bed at 9:00ish and I told myself I was going to check email and go to sleep. I woke up at 12:30, still sitting in bed with the laptop on my legs. I don't remember falling asleep, it was pretty much blackout city and a bit frightening, but I chalked it up to extreme fatigue and went about my business.

The drive out wasn't bad, the drive back was horrible. The lack of sleep I had + rainy day + 10 hour drive = miracle I'm still alive. I stopped several times to sleep for 20 minutes at a rest stop or convenience store parking lot or in one case a country church parking lot. I really don't remember the last half an hour of the trip at all.

So I had my physical and my blood pressure was high, the doctor referred me to a sleep clinic, I did a sleep test and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I got the CPAP machine and I've been using it for monthes and I can't begin to describe the difference it has made in my life. My docotor has me on blood pressure medicine and its dropping slowly but surely. The doc has also been on me to lose weight, roughly 160 pounds.

This week marks the 6th week since I had a soda. It was part one of my plan to lose some weight. I just had a doctors visit and he says I've gained weight. I respectfully disagree for many reasons, but I'm still too heavy.

"Where is all of this leading?" you ask, or if your into Python "Get on with it!"

Today I'm starting back on something I haven't done in two years, early morning workouts. I intend, if nothing else, to make weekly updates on my weight here so I can feel like I have some accountablity somewhere, even if noone is reading.

Todays weigh in: 335 lbs
Target weight short-term: 290
Target weight long-term : 185
Today's workout: 30 minutes on the treadmill(5 warm up, 20 workout, 5 cool down) and 10 minutes of hard stretching.

I'm starting out easy to keep from burning out too fast. Hopefully I'll have good news in a year or two.