Pregnancy and Death

A morbid title I know, but these are two very real things that any practicing doctor experiences throughout his career. The excitement of patients' pregnancies, and subsequently the miracle of birth. The sadness of loss when a person passes away, whether naturally or tragically. I am a celebrator of life whether the former or the latter. I admit I have never been much of a mourner. I do get sad when memories of a friend, patient and/or loved one pops into my head, but I do not dwell on the loss, rather I try to remember all the good times I spent with that person. As a chiropractor, I would like to think that the care I provided enriched the lives of those patients that are no longer among us. In fact I know it did, and I suppose I get some comfort in that. Maximizing someone's health potential is awesome, especially when I am able to see the lifestyle changes that occur. I've had patients that could not enjoy a night out at dinner and/or the movies due to various reasons... too far to walk, too much stimulus causing severe headaches, no money because of inability to work. Chiropractic care and the body's ability to heal have helped those folks regain their health so that they could once again walk comfortably, live without headaches, or go back to work. It's awesome to be part of that.

I get especially excited about new pregnancies in my practice. I have always loved babies and kids, and now I get to care for them pre and post birth. Caring for expectant mothers is great. With chiropractic care, they are more comfortable and active throughout their pregnancies and typically have easier, shorter labor and delivery. I can't count how many mothers have said they regret not having chiropractic during their first pregnancy. They see how wonderful and different it is being under chiropractic care while pregnant. They even comment on how the unborn baby seems to get excited after a gentle chiropractic adjustment. Newborns are especially fun to work with because their little bodies are just beginning to function on their own. Assisting in keeping their nervous systems functioning at 100% is a joy, as I get calls from parents recalling the miraculous changes that occurred shortly after leaving my practice. Babies that are colicky have become "poop machines" or babies with torticollis are now turning their heads normally to nurse. It's really cool to be a part of that.

Ironman recap

Where the heck is Coeur D'Alene, Idaho? Up by Spokane that is, or in the skinny upper part of its state. Anyway, they had a record snowpack this year so the melting snow/ice provided for a late spring and colder than normal lake temps. Regardless, I had some allergies and numb hands and feet to deal with. I dealt with the former by getting adjusted by a chiro at the expo, upping my water intake, and using some AMA approved "stuff". The air temps were fantastic though, averaging in the mid 70's during our stay, and there isn't much humidity so I was a happy racer.
You begin the swim with 2700 of your closest triathlon friends(100+ of which were pulled out of the water with hypothermia, even with a wetsuit on) and chop your way around 1.2 miles of buoys, which you repeat once after running onto the beach and over a timing mat. I was in a groove on the first lap, swimming 27 minutes relaxed, but got numb and tight on the second lap, swimming 29 minutes, and getting caught by the fastest women's swimmer. Out of the water, the folks were eager to help pull off your wetsuit, however my folks pulled different directions and my hamstring cramped up. I lay there momentarily until it subsided, and then ran off to find my bike gear and get changed.
Onto the bike, I couldn't feel my feet but quickly started tapping out a solid cadence and found a rhythm. I had a great first 56 miles of rollers and hills, coming through in 2:36, but then an IT band issue started to affect my left knee and I was left with one leg to power up the remaining lap's inclines. I chalk this up to not enough massage work, improper gearing, and a need to change my seat tilt a bit, easy to correct. Additionally, for anyone looking to do this race, make sure you have a 39 small chain ring or smaller. I ride a 54/42 crankset, and the 42 is a little too much for these hills, as I was not able to spin comfortably with a 25 rear cassette ring. I finished the second lap in 2:48, which was ok with one climbing leg but not my goal. I did nail my nutrition on the bike so I figured the run would go fine.
The run started out well, finding a comfortable pace of 8:30ish, and continuing to stay hydrated and fed. The gels started to not go down too well, and I hit a GI distress point on the way back to town on the first of two laps. I tried to force the gels down until mile 14, when I had to walk/jog/walk a few miles until I discovered a miraculous thing called Cola. Having lived in Atlanta near the Coca Cola Bottling Company, I am ashamed that it took me so long to drink the famous Cola during my race. The sugar and caffeine picked me up and I flew the last 7-8 miles, finishing in a faster pace than I had gone all day. I passed racer after struggling racer in those last miles to finish in 10:37, which I feel is a respectable beginning to my Ironman experience. My awesome wife Tiffany, of now 5 years, was waiting for me at the finish in the VIP tent, so I was excited to lean on her and tell her how happy I was the day was over and how I would never ever do another Ironman. Two hours later, I was dissecting my race and planning out how I would fix my issues for future Ironman races, c'est la vie pour un Ironman!