I’m Back!

[Av8ferg]

Gents, I wanted to get on here and let you all know briefly why I’ve been gone and that I’m back. 
I’ll keep it brief and if you want to more details send me a message.   About 8-9 months ago I had a medical incident that was a wake up call for me.  It ended up with my in the ER with a doctor standing over me with cardiac paddles telling me they’re going to have to smock me.   
My job is 100% contingent on my health. Shortly after I notified the company I was placed on medical hold, and have been in this status until recently. This medical event was a watershed moment for me and I spent some time reflecting on my lifestyle and then came up with a game plan.   I determined it was time to “Reset my life”.  I had to reevaluate all my actions that impact me and make changes.  This medical event opened up a host of other boxes with the FAA drilling down into every medical aspect of me.  I had many doctors visits, saw specialists and found I had some blood work items out of normal ranges too.  I had to do a couple sleep studies and so on. It was painful!  It didn’t help I ran into incompetent people along the way which made me realize how broken our medial system is.  I can dive into that later but because of incompetence and financial incentives by secondary medical providers who were calling themselves “experts” I was going to have to do treatment I didn’t need or want,  
So I had to become my own advocate and spent countless hours researching and educating myself. I read several book by “real” experts and had great advice from friends who are physicians. I became a pseudo  expert is some medical areas and with the actions I implemented I turned everything around,  I’d go see my doctor and we’d discuss items that he really knew nothing about.  I was shocked at how our medical system works and how it is incentivized.  
So what did I do to reset my life.   I changed everything; my Diet, Exercise, Nutrition , Sleep, and Stress; it all had to be changed.  Because I didn’t have time to figure out exactly what I needed to do I used the “cast a wide net approach”. Do it all and hopefully i fix these issues.   This ultimately worked, it wasn’t easy.  I had to be disciplined and methodical and I was.  In this time, I’ve lost 24 pounds, ( I wasn’t really heavy to begin with), I exercise for 60-90 mins  5 days a week (running 15-20 miles a week), taking multiple vitamins and supplements, track my sleep and O2 saturation every night, and removed all stressful activities I can.  I stopped drinking alcohol, removed all sugar from my diet, The second order effects are many.  First I feel better than I did 10 years ago, I’m never tired, I have more mental clarity, I dropped my LDL cholesterol 70 pts without medication, blood work is now normal, I sleep great.  
I stopped working on my car during this time for the most part.  I did a little here and there but it hasn’t had anything really done to it.  I do drive it now and then.   I had to refocus my life and that meant 100% commitment to the things I determined were more important after evaluating everything.  The tenants were: Family, Faith, Friendships, Spiritual and Mental Heath and overall personal Wellness.  Everything else was placed on hold.  

The bottoms line is this long post is I’m back,  I’m better, I’m going back to work in 2 weeks.  This event was a blessing in disguise.  That’s my story!  

[SteveJ]

Yep, I decided to start the "Stop Putting It in Your Damn Mouth!" diet about a month ago, and I'm down 20 lbs. Getting rid of sugar can do that for you. Now I just have to exercise more.

I haven't been working on my Zs lately, but I did put a new stereo in my wagon. Does that count?

Anyway, welcome back to the living, John. I hope you have a long stay.

[Zed Head]

Arrhythmia or heart attack?

You are right about USA healthcare.  Medical professionals don't get paid to keep people healthy.  They get paid to do "stuff".   Healthy people are actually bad for business.  

How bad were your previous habits and how unhealthy were you?  I often wonder where I'm at on the heart-health scale.  You can't really tell until something happens.  I have a blend of good habits and bad habits.  I like to think they even out. 

 

[Patcon]

@Av8ferg

I'm glad you've gotten good results!! I need to do the same. My wife and I have been working on eating better. We've been trying to avoid processed foods. No more than 5 ingredients and no ingredients we can't pronoune or aren't natural. I have about 5 beers in the fridge. When I finish those I dont expect we'll buy any more. I have been looking at cutting out all added or refined sugars. That will be a challenge for me because its in everything!!

Im glad you got through your 1st class physical. Cody visited a part 141 school on Florida this week...

I also totally agree with your experience with our medical system. I want a good "mechanic ". A doctor who looks at the machine and goes it shouldn't be doing that. Let's figure out why and correct it. Not here take this pill. It will fix the symptom. That's like your mechanic telling you to turn up the stereo because your car's making a noise!

[grannyknot]

6 hours ago, SteveJ said:

Yep, I decided to start the "Stop Putting It in Your Damn Mouth!" diet about a month ago, and I'm down 20 lbs. Getting rid of sugar can do that for you. Now I just have to exercise more.

 

What's the trick to getting off white sugar? I quit booze 9 yrs ago, cold turkey, it was a breeze compared to getting off sugar, within  24 hrs I climbing the walls.

[SteveJ]

11 minutes ago, grannyknot said:

What's the trick to getting off white sugar? I quit booze 9 yrs ago, cold turkey, it was a breeze compared to getting off sugar, within  24 hrs I climbing the walls.

I stepped on a talking scale, and it said, "One at at time!"

[Av8ferg]

What's the trick to getting off white sugar? I quit booze 9 yrs ago, cold turkey, it was a breeze compared to getting off sugar, within  24 hrs I climbing the walls.

Most processed food seems has sugar or corn syrup in them. Companies do it because it tastes better and they get more sales. We consumers get what we ask for. Company are culpable though as quarterly sales trump ethical practices. This behavior is becoming an epidemic in our country. Profit before People. You have to read the label on all your foods. Our food industry is making us sick and big Pharma is waiting in the wings to make you a customer for life on one or more of their expensive medications.
I do intermittent fasting. Don’t eat until about 11 am everyday and exercise in my fasted state. I cut most processed foods and avoid sugar at all costs. Our foods are nutrient deficient. We American’s are “overfed” but under “nourished”. Supplementation brought me back to feeling energized and healthy again. I cut most carbs not all and doubled my protein intake.

[SteveJ]

20 minutes ago, Av8ferg said:

Most processed food seems has sugar or corn syrup in them. Companies do it because it tastes better and they get more sales. We consumers get what we ask for. Company are culpable though as quarterly sales trump ethical practices. This behavior is becoming an epidemic in our country. Profit before People. You have to read the label on all your foods. Our food industry is making us sick and big Pharma is waiting in the wings to make you a customer for life on one or more of their expensive medications.
I do intermittent fasting. Don’t eat until about 11 am everyday and exercise in my fasted state. I cut most processed foods and avoid sugar at all costs. Our foods are nutrient deficient. We American’s are “overfed” but under “nourished”. Supplementation brought me back to feeling energized and healthy again. I cut most carbs not all and doubled my protein intake.

My diet is more like this these days.

[Av8ferg]

My diet is more like this these days.

Steve, I’ve recently met a local farmer who’s daughter is on the swim team with my son. He raises Waygu grass feed beef here locally and he sells me beautiful steaks for $15 a pound. Also grows organic tomatoes and peppers that are amazing. He sell most of his stuff to Whole Foods in Raleigh.

[Av8ferg]

Arrhythmia or heart attack?
You are right about USA healthcare.  Medical professionals don't get paid to keep people healthy.  They get paid to do "stuff".   Healthy people are actually bad for business.  
How bad were your previous habits and how unhealthy were you?  I often wonder where I'm at on the heart-health scale.  You can't really tell until something happens.  I have a blend of good habits and bad habits.  I like to think they even out. 
 

Atrial Flutter. Heart was at 160 bmp for about 5 hrs. Had to put me to sleep and shock my heart back to normal.

[Zed Head]

I have a friend who had that a few months ago.  Middle of the night, lives alone, had to call 911.  Scared her.  Same scenario as yours but they didn't have to shock her.  They waited it out.

She had been on a cocktail of pharmas beforehand.  Eventually they reduced the dosage of one of them and say she's okay now.  But thay can't really say what caused it.  They did all of the heart rate monitoring and everything and found nothing.   I thnk it was the pharmas.

p.s. I just coined the word "pharmas" because I'm lazy.  Maybe it's already out there...

 

[siteunseen]

Ferg you're one a few I know that can't use my best excuse for my life choices, "I'm not flying an airplane". 

I'm glad you're on a new path, life is long and we need your help. The library is huge.