I came across the six Ps saying some time ago and carried it around on my phone waiting for the right time – it has arrived!
Whilst I’ve done 17 Ironman races before, Ironman Canada feels like I’m starting all over again after a break of what will be three years by August 30 2020. So, I decided THIS race needed some ‘pretty good preparation’.
So where to start?
First up, a medical and a miracle find in a new doctor – a fellow old runner and a woman to boot!
Enter Lyn Robertson. Lyn asked all the usual ‘doctery’ questions and then why I was there. I told her the story and boom, I didn’t have to beg for anything: blood tests, stool tests, mammograms, cardiologist referral, and an unfettered enthusiasm for this old girl not settling for a turquoise mac and a blue rinse. So I left the doctor’s with a hand full of papers and pots for ‘that stuff’ and set about getting my MOT done!
I’ve generally been in pretty good health. I’m certainly not a hypochondriac and know my body well so it came as a bit of a surprise when I got a call from my doctor about my blood test results.
My fate must have been in the lap of the gods because you know what it’s like with doctor’s appointments, you can wait for ever, but no, there was MY appointment right the next afternoon and Lyn delivered the results.
Overall they weren’t too bad but the warning flags went up with low ferritin, low neutrophils in the whilte cell count and the surprise high cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Standalone this isn’t too bad but I am my father’s daughter and dad had high cholesterol and his first stroke in his early 70s. My poor old mum is now officially suffering from Alzheimers, although she’s done better than her mum who had a fatal stroke in her 70s. One brother has type 2 diabetes and the other is obese and we can all be a bit morose when things don’t go our way. Nothing alarming, but just little tinkles of ‘hey, maybe you should check it out’ voices.
I’d also just heard fellow triathlete Graham Bruce on IM Talk podcast talking about his experience of having a sudden cardiac arrest after a triathlon, with no prior warning and a friend is currently recovering from a triple bi-pass, again no real warning signs prior to the operation.
Anyway, needless to say being the control freak I am the cardiac CT for calcium score was arranged within 12 hours and off to the hospital I went!
Next time – I’m claustrophobic, so add high blood pressure to the mix. And I’ll introduce another member of the team Mikki Williden, PhD Registered Nutritionist.