Training Log Archive: Charlie

Better this morning.

gentle

Finally home after a long day accompanying Rhonda to a follow up medical appointment in NYC. Traffic not so bad, but waiting 3 hours to be seen was pretty tough. This was easier to deal with (like a lot of things) in pre-COVID days when a person could take the train, and when a person could also go spend the night with Jess and family.

We decided not to go see them, because Cooper's school got closed down for a few days because someone had tested positive, and while he was negative, Jess wasn't comfortable about her aged parents showing up right now. So maybe next month, when R needs to go back to see a different doc.

With Rhonda at the lake, colder today. And somewhat more lively after a much better night's sleep than the night before.

Gentle

With Rhonda at the lake. Perhaps a bit subdued, but really just doing fine. I'm under general orders not to do anything strenuous for a week, and that seems fine to me right now. I have to irrigate my nose a few times a day, which is not onerous, and no real discomfort.

In the gym with Eric. Some floor stretching, which I hadn’t done in a while since back when I was having vertigo, deadlifts with 105#, 3 or 4 sets of 10-12, some band work, 3 x 8 each side Bulgarian squats, back extensions, single ar pull downs, dumbbell overhead presses. Those I am not really very good at. Weaker on the right side despite being strongly right hand dominant. Planks on the swiss ball. So a good session.

Then off to Charlotte Hungerford hospital for sinus surgery. The backstory: back 6 or 8 weeks ago when I was having some regular episodes of vertigo, and after generally not seeming to have BPPV, I got an MRI of my head and got packed off to the ENT, who didn’t seem to find a definite basis for my vertigo, but found a pretty substantial mass blocking my R maxillary sinus. He sent me back to imaging for a CAT scan which confirmed that it was filled up and totally blocked. He said there was some calcification in there, which implied it had been there for a really long time. He said this sort of thing is not responsive to meds, and the only thing to do is to drain it and clean it out.

I was kind of disappointed that I was going to be knocked out and not be able to see this operation. The technique is to use a scope with a camera on it and to guide it via having the point of it show up on the cat scan image as a red dot, so he does the whole thing watching two images on the screen, the cat scan with the dot in one and the view from the scope in the other. Then in through the right nostril, find the right place, drill through to the sinus and suck out whatever is in there and wash it out. Anyway, I was of course oblivious while all that was going on.

Meanwhile, I arrived at the hospital, answered the obligatory COVID questions and got sent upstairs. Lots of nurses, a fair number of questions. Asked me about symptoms, did I have headaches, etc. Well, no, I was completely unaware of this thing until they scanned it, and besides I haven’t had a vertigo episode in 3 weeks now. They found themselves a trainee to put my IV in, with a couple of nurses giving her encouragement. Fortunately only one abject failure and she got it the second time, although the “just a pinch” was perhaps an understatement. But I am an optimal patient, unfailingly cheerful and encouraging myself, so all was well. Then they wheeled me in to the OR around 1130 or thereabouts, and that was all I knew about until I started to wake up around 1. Soon thereafter they rounded up Rhonda and I was on my way home. Stopped at the pharmacy for some Keflex and Vicodin (which latter seems totally unnecessary). I am to remain calm, basically do nothing today, and nothing more strenuous than walking for the next week. Not sure they understand how strenuous walking with Rhonda can be. Nasal irrigation 2x a day starting tomorrow. Then back to see the estimable Dr. Namon in a week or so for him to peek in there and see what is going on.

Will I notice any difference from having an operational sinus cavity? Not sure what it would be, but I guess I will find out.

Of course, not sure how I got this thing in the first place. He said this sort of infection, probably fungal, is more common in the south. He sent it off to get analyzed, so maybe more interesting info will be forthcoming.

For now I am installed on the couch, a clump of gauze taped under my nose like a strange mustache to collect any dripping blood, which seems to have slowed down some. The most notable effect is an irritated throat where they had a breathing tube during the operation. Not bad, but I am coughing a bit.

C • Did they by any chance leav... 10

Stayed up too late watching TB beat the Saints. Then didn't really feel sparky this morning, but at least got this done. Sore in the butt the last half. It will take some time to resolve that. Just keep at it.

C • Sore Butt 4

3 x 5 ring pullups

Sessions Woods green course. Pretty satisfying outing, a fine course, and physically I felt pretty good today. Of course, it's my third outing here in a week, so the navigation was pretty good. The only slightly shaky one was #7, where I was looking around quite a bit and a little unsure, until I saw it right ahead of me. Pretty happy with my routes and my navigation. Thought I might be under an hour, but missed by just a bit.

Map and Route.

C • Sessions 4

C • 4 to 5: right through the fight? 9

A reprise of a piece I did a few weeks back, 5 strokes pretty much as hard as possible at the end of each 250, then recovering in between. The general pattern of the 5 strokes was about 2:10 for the first one, 1:46 for the second, 1:38, 1:36, 1:35, then gradually recovering until the next pickup. Thanks to chitown for reminding me of this good idea.

Green Sessions Woods WS#6 - Splits