A Cure for Modern Ailments

On a friend's blog post, there's a link to a power lifter, Pete, who's trying to spearhead a movement that encourages people suffering from illnesses like suicidal depression to seek help. He found his salvation at the gym, and titles his FB video, "6000 reps for 6000 lives." His website, Lifting the Stigma, explains his history and purpose.

I'm not a power lifter so I won't be taking this challenge. However, I did love the song playing during the 2nd half of the video and PMed Pete to ask him who it was by. He responded that it was Stone Sour Song #3 and I've embedded it here:


I'm probably going to add it to my workout mix, because I like this sort of music. (And there's only so much Billy Idol I can listen to in one gym session.)

While I'm not a combat veteran suffering from PTSD, I do have my own demons. Anxiety is high on the list. Last night I woke up during a panic-attack and couldn't get back to sleep for several hours, even after I manage to slow my breathing. I think anxiety is the root cause for most cases of self-medication with illegal and dangerous substances. I'm lucky I have no tolerance for such things like nicotine, alcohol, pot. When I developed shingles last Spring, my doc prescribed ibuprofen and gabapentin. The latter isn't an opioid, but I discontinued taking it as soon as I could sleep through the night without excruciating nerve pain. Lately, I'm reading that gabapentin has been targeted by both addicts and law enforcement because it acts as an opioid-enhancer. Jeeze, I remember giving this drug to my dog Binky when she started to lose the use of her back legs.

I've been lifting weights on and off for years, ever since I discovered them in college. Back in HS, the girls were not allowed to use the one Universal machine planted in the gym. Instead, we got modern dance. Once, when asked what fuels my workouts, my only response was "Rage". To some extent, it's probably still true. Working out keeps me sane, and allows me to sleep more or less.

I hadn't been to the gym since Thursday and after 3 or 4 days, it's as if I'd never gone. Friday I had a rather unpleasant appointment with my glaucoma doc. She had me watch a video about the cataract procedure and then proceeded to give her speech. I had to interrupt her several times because she was making assumptions I didn't agree with. She got frustrated. So did I. She tells me matter-of-fact about how the hospital across the street from her office (not my hospital of choice) demands all sorts of blood work and chest X-rays as surgical prep. Which surprises me because she just got done telling me that I'll be lightly sedated but awake during the procedure. Good grief! I didn't need chest x-rays when I was put under for the colonoscopy when I was 50. Why do I need it for light sedation? (My hubs believes the hospital is playing the insurance billing game. Ugh.)

Why do I need chest X-rays? "Oh, people have discovered they have lung cancer, or breathing problems and aren't surgical candidates," What?! She tells me it was all explained to me earlier. It was in the packet I got in December. Except it wasn't. Her staff turns over regularly and no one has ever discussed the packet with me, and the one I have decidedly does NOT contain any surgical information. So the surgical requirements come as a complete surprise. Which means now I'm in a panic to call my GP who is nearly impossible to book on short notice because she's so popular. The glaucoma doc feels like she's wasting her time.

I'm annoyed at the prospect that my vision will actually be worse after cataract surgery because I don't wear any corrective lenses right now. The doc finds that hard to believe. She insists I'll be wearing glasses after cataract surgery just like I do now. Except, I keep telling her, I don't wear glasses. We are almost yelling at each other. Seriously. She tells me, we need to think about how my eyes will be in the future. Sure, I need 1X readers in low light or for reading micro-print. But otherwise I don't wear glasses. And yes, my dad and his mother also didn't wear readers until much later in life. So it's not unheard of. But of course, I have my mother's glaucoma. Only worse. Ugh.

I get my eyeballs measured by several machines. The machines will tell us what type of replacement lenses they will need to use because maybe my eyeballs are weirdly shaped and I have an astigmatism. She doesn't trust the patient because they only know what they know. Machines are objective, and definitive. She doesn't recommend the flexible lenses that allow the eye's own muscles to flex and focus vision because once you get artificial lenses, well, they're basically permanent and can't be removed for something better or more appropriate. And why am I undergoing cataract surgery when I don't have bad cataracts? Because I don't want bleb surgery where the doc cuts a permanent flap into the white of your eye to let the fluid perpetually drain out. (Weightlifting is completely out of the game with that!)

I'm even more aggravated by the perpetual local road work that has me following, in my car at 5 mph, the worker carrying the tail end of a 20 foot conduit pipe that is affixed to the side of a bulldozer as it crawls down the road. I'm not sure what local citizens are getting for all of this disruption and inconvenience since none of us have natural gas piped into our homes.

This weekend, I do manage to thread my new sewing machine several times as I change the spools. My husband remarks that this is the slowest he's ever seen a sewing machine move. I have it on Speed Setting One because I'm newbie nervous. I hem four pairs of pants on Saturday. Then, because I'm tired, I hem the 5th pair but forget to flip the pants inside out first. So I have to rip the hems out and start over. On Sunday. I get three more pairs shortened. Whew. Seven pairs of pants and I'm happy to put the machine into it's carrying case and tuck it away for a while. I'm not at all proficient, but I have other things I need to do before I get back to learning other stitches...

I discover, to my chagrin, that I have a pair of summer weight zip-off pants that I haven't ever worn because they were always 2 inches too long. Now they fit fine. I hem the pants from Tactical Gear but worry about breaking the needle going over the inseam with the folded up pants edge because the synthetic fabric seems incredibly tough. Great for abrasion resistance, but worrisome for repairs. The most comfortable pants are the Pink Zipper brand from Aramark®. In spite of the left-handed inanity of the zipper, the pants themselves are truly soft and well-made. I wear them as soon as they're hemmed. My cell fits nicely in the cargo pocket and in the rear pocket, which is a nice surprise. Today, I grab a blue short-sleeve button down shirt I bought my son last year for his school photo. He hasn't worn it since because it's just not him. It actually might be too small on him now. I put it on and feel totally comfortable in it. Figures.

I go to the gym today and while the new flooring is down, a lot of the equipment is in odd places. Then I see the signs affixed to various machines. Some are being replaced by Friday, including the double cable stations at the edge of "machine city". That's where I do One-Arm Seated Cable Rows on Pull Days. Today's a Push Day, so eventually I'll be there for V-Bar Cable Press Downs. Luckily, the Smith doesn't sport such signage. I'm tired of course. And stressed. 30 minutes on the elliptical has helped. Doing pull ups, push ups and core has helped. But what really helps is pushing weights. I'm much calmer when I leave the gym. Maybe I'll even be able to sleep tonight.

V-bar cable station today

Push Monday

30 elliptical
Program 1
Calories 280
Miles 2.50
Average Heart Rate 149/188

HGPU 30
Push Ups 60

Elbow Plank 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Bicycles 50
Crunches 30/20

Smith Inclined Press
Bar (30) x 15
50 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
90 x 12
70 x 25
60 x 25

DB Laterals s/s Rev Incl Flyes
25lbs x 8/15reps x 3 sets

Rip Skulls
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

V-bar Cable Press Down
40lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets