Top 10 Things About Losing Your Sight

From TJ's perspective... Top 10 Things about Losing Your Sight....

10. Great parking spots at the mall.
9. You no longer have to take a turn as the designated driver.
8. Tourists no longer stop you and ask for directions.
7. No more bike rides over Big Savage Mountain.
6. People don't make fun of you because of how poorly you dress.
5. You always wanted to be like your grandfather.
4. Think of all the time you save now that you can't watch TV!
3. Senses of touch, taste, smell and hearing are greatly enhanced.
2. Something stuck in your teeth... and you don't care.
1. Cruising chicks in sporty designer eyewear.

Follow Up Doctor Visit

The surgery performed on the right eye looked good. Dr. Vu was pleased by the response. Retina is reattached and the tears have been stabilized such that fluid can't get in behind them to detach the retina again. It is likely I'll still see the "spiders" as he didn't clean out the junk. That would require surgery in a hospital. As the blood dries up, it'll clear my vision and should take another week. He said I was lucky... if I had let this go a little longer, I might have completely lost sight in my right eye.

So, we agreed to do the left eye today. The procedure he did was called cryopexy. It freezes the tear so that fluid can't get behind it and cause a detached retina in the left eye. Here is description from Wikipedia.

He says that it'll take a week for the left eye to feel better as it is swollen, has blood in it and has restricted vision now. I go back on Friday for a follow-up. Hopefully, all will continue as it has so far and I'll continue to respond positively. In the meantime, I have very restricted vision, have to take Advil to relieve discomfort and I have to sleep in an upright position.

Bottom line... I'm out another week... at least. But, I fully intend on starting and finishing Ironman Florida. This is just a speed bump.

Down... But NOT Out

Houston, We Have a Problem

OK, the diagnosis is in. I have a detached retina in my right eye, two retina tears in my right eye and a retina tear in my left eye. IMMEDIATE surgery on my right eye was required yesterday because the doctor feared that delay would result in losing sight in my right eye. More about retina detachments and tears can be found here and here. The surgery I had yesterday is called Pneumatic Retinopexy.

Therefore, I have to sit (and sleep) propped up with my head in an upright position, looking forward. I cannot go into work and I certainly can't workout. Of course, this is happening at a bad time. We are in a crucial time at work. We are reloading and in essence, operating in startup mode on a couple of major projects. I am also at peak training time for Ironman Florida, as readers of this blog already know. My family like having 100% of me around, too. So, the timing really sucks.

But, at least we know now what was wrong.

HydroTail

I was just pulling away from home, took a right turn on Worth and was coasting down the hill when I hit a speed bump and heard a crash. I had already had to go home before because I forgot my heart rate monitor. I was thinking... what the f**k is it now? I looked back and saw portion of the hydrotail that holds the drink laying on the ground. I stop, circle back and pick it up. Dang if the thing didn't just break off. I don't know if it was cracked already or what. But, I'm going to complain to All3Sports, where I bought it. You would think that it is supposed to hold up to jostling.

UPDATE (8/18/2008 12:53 pm): Both All3Sports and Beaker Concepts have gotten back to me today already via email. I believe Beaker is going to replace the device as it is still under warranty. I have changed the name of this post as I think that I may have been a little harsh with my HydroFAIL title.


Weekly totals are creeping up. Next week will be a big one, too. Really long run. Century ride. Annapolis 10 Miler all on the schedule next week.

The Brick

The training staple... two disciplines in a row in one workout. Today, it was the long bike and then short run. I like to do this workout early... but when today's alarm went off at 5:15 am, I was like, NO WAY. I was up late as JR had a sleep over last nigth and they were up until around midnight.

So, I finally clipped in at 9:30 am. I pulled away from home and remembered I didn't have my HR strap on. So, I went back and got it. Then I pulled away again. Then, my Hydrotail fell off. Seriously... the part that holds the drinks just broke right off. More on that in another post. So, I went back home and regrouped and I took some photos of the damage. I finally clipped in again and it was 10 am. The time delay kind of goofed up my nutrition build and also my mental preparation.

The ride turned out to be 46 miles. I went out north and west again. To Kemp Mill, Colesville, Cloverly, Ashton, Sandy Spring, Olney and then Brookeville. Honestly, i did not feel very good on the bike. I think I need to take a couple of days off. It didn't help that it was sunny and about 88 degrees. Fortunately, it is not too humid. But, my mind started playing tricks on me like, "cut the ride short... don't do the run... pull into Starbucks and have an iced latte."

I would have liked to have gone longer than 46 today but the late start kind of killed that. I get to take JR and her friend to Port Discovery up in Baltimore today, and I can't make them wait forever. Two hours, twenty five minutes for a 19 MPH average. Average heart rate was 138.

When I returned home, I transitioned into running gear, grabbed a cold bottle of water out of the fridge and started running. I took my top off so I ran in just shorts, socks, shoes and a hat. This workout today was definitely uncomfortable which is probably a good thing. It'll make me stronger. I ripped off 3.5 miles in just over a half hour and the run HR was 149, so I was definitely working it.

I am going to post later today about the Hydtrotail and also my weekly total. I think I'm going to chill tomorrow and Tuesday was I have the LONG run on Wednesday, a Century ride on Saturday and then the Annapolis 10 miler on Sunday. Wacky, fun stuff.

Lastly, I have told a couple of training buddies about this... I've had something weird in my left eye for over a month now. It is like a"floater" but it is always there. Well, this past week, it showed up in my right eye and it is much bigger. It is definitely obstructing my field of vision. And, then yesterday, this "field of dots" has showed up too. It is in both eyes. It is like seeing thousands of tiny black spots in my whole field of vision. This is in addition to the "floaters" which are really pronounced in the right eye. So, bottom line... I think I have to see a doctor. I don't want to alarm anyone... I'm sure it's nothing... but better play it safe.

Also... increased swimming my have tweaked out my right shoulder. I feel a twinge in there.

You know what... I'll go ahead and say it before anyone else... it sucks getting older.

The Tempo Run

Progress is good. This morning, I got a tempo run in before JR woke up. 8.5 miles in 70 minutes... essentially an 8 minute mile pace. Not bad for a 43 year old Clydesdale. Average heart rate was above 150 so I was anaerobic for most of the run. I drank about 20 ounces of water and had no nutrition at all. I had eaten oatmeal for breakfast and had a cup of coffee. Run started at 6:30 am and the weather was perfect.

I am running in a new pair of Air Max Moto's. This pair is red, so they match my DC Tri singlet and Ironman hat. As you know, it's not how fast you run... but how good you look.

I'll run again tomorrow but it will be on a brick workout so only about a half hour run following a 60 mile bike ride.

Volume has picked way up and my body is cooperating, so far. My mind... well that is a different story. I am thinking about working out a lot. You could say I'm obsessed. In fact, I have not been feeling good when *not* working out but having feelings of bliss while I am working out.

Take this morning as an example... I was totally pushing the pace... average heart rate of 153, which should feel uncomfortable. And, at the end of the run there is a 1/2 mile uphill on Worth Avenue. At the top, I did feel a dry heave coming on. But you know what, it felt really good. I'm already thinking about the tempo swim I'm going to do later today and then tomorrow's bike/run brick.

Mentally, I am so focused on this that it is kind of scary. I have to be careful of a letdown or disappointment.

Something else to note is that the food fight continues. I ate General Cho's Chicken at lunch on Thursday. Yes, that's right... I had the General over and it felt good when I ordered and when I was eating it... like soaking the rice in that sauce and gobbling it with a spoon... but afterwards... not so good. My stomach hurt. And then the remorse set in.