Not an option anymore.

Well, friends, it has been quite a while since I've run.  One run in January, two in May.  Pathetic.  And my diet has been the same.  Too much fast food, fried food, carbs, red meat.  Not enough fruits, veggies, and whole grains.  Back in June, I had what I would later find out was a gall bladder attack.  It felt like bad indigestion, but it finally went away.  A week later, it happened again, except this time, it didn't subside.  The pain was so bad, I could barely breathe.  After about 4 hours of that (not knowing what it was at the time), at 3:30am, I went to the ER.  They performed an ultrasound and told me I had some sludge in my gall bladder.  Nothing in particular causes it, but it is aggravated by eating a high fat/high protein diet.  Your gall bladder stores bile and releases it into your intestines to help digest the fat/protein.  The sludge can clog the ducts or cause discomfort when the gall bladder contracts.  There isn't really anything they can do except for removing it (the gall bladder).  They gave me a shot of narcotics to help with the pain, and after a few hours of sleep in the ER, they sent me home with some Vicodin and some anti-nausea meds.  Over the next few weeks, I didn't have any more attacks, but I did have issues with nausea and vomiting.  While fat can particularly trigger an attack, any food can cause a problem.  One day I would eat a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and be fine and the next day I would eat a salad and cedar plank salmon and have to throw it up.  It was really annoying because I had no idea if I'd be able to keep anything down.  This was really crappy when we had a 5 day trade show where we were going out to dinner with clients.  I ended up making a trip to the restroom before and after dinner one night to purge my stomach.  It's not even like a sick feeling, it's just like a ... it's hard to describe.  It almost feels psychological.  It really sucks when you're traveling and have to spend time on an airplane.  I exhausted my supply of Zofran.  I figured I felt sick if I ate a LOT, rather than what I ate.  So I've started eating smaller portions and that's been better.

Anyway, luckily, the last few weeks have been much better.  I haven't chucked up a meal.  However, I still have some close calls.  I had a physical this last week and I talked to my doctor about it, and he recommended we hold off on having the gall bladder removed because it would definitely cause some dietary issues for the rest of my life.  It's not a major surgery, but not something we just want to jump into if it's not 100% necessary.  He gave me some more Zofran, but so far so good.

However, my blood work came back from the lab and... more bad news.  My LDL was high, my HDL was low, my blood pressure was a tad high, and my blood glucose levels were high.  Not to mention, I weigh more than at any other point in my life.  In other words, I'm not on on a good trajectory.  Diabetes, heart disease, clogged blood vessels, etc.  Also, it's frustrating that all of my clothes are a little tighter than I'd like, and I'm not happy with my double-chin appearance.  So basically, I must start eating better and exercising.  My life might depend on it.  I'm not saying I'm going to be dead next week, but I should make changes now while I can.

Early last year (winter/spring 2012), I did pretty well with running.  I was running more than ever before, and I'd lost about 10 lbs.  I was also cooking good food at home.  But then work got busy, it got hot out, and I stopped.  I ran sporadically, but nothing worth writing about.  My diet also reverted back to fast food for dinner most nights.

This week, I've started cooking at home again.  Sautéing veggies and cooking a chicken breast.  We did go to the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, so I had a corn dog and some cookies, but we're going to try to move on from that.  After this 12-pack of Coke runs out, I'm going to try not to buy anymore.  That's my big weakness.  I love Coca-Cola.  Love it.  Hate Diet Coke.  It's just as bad for you anyway.  Goal is more water, more green tea, and coffee in the mornings for my caffeine kick.

My doctor appointment was on Wednesday, so I went for my inaugural run on Thursday, covering 2.12 miles.  It was a pretty crappy run.  Then on Sunday I ran 2.16 mi, and the run was a tad bit better.  Tonight I ran 2.42 miles, and while it didn't feel awesome, it wasn't as bad as before.  I'm going to let tomorrow be a rest day, and then I'll be heading to Minneapolis for work.  I'm going to take my shoes with me and hopefully run on the treadmill at the hotel gym.

So here's where you come in.  They say that running with a friend is a great way to provide accountability.  Seeing as that I don't have a network of friends in Iowa, particularly ones who want to go running, I need you all to hound me about keeping it up.  Hopefully I'll get sucked into it like most of my friends have.  But it takes a few months to get good at it, so I would appreciate any words of encouragement.  Don't let me off the hook.  I need to run and I need to eat better.  Chick-Fil-A is going to have to be a treat for Saturday afternoon rather than dinner three nights a week.

OK, time for a shower, then bed.  Goodnight y'all.