In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an ‘men
Gang aft agley…” Rabbie Burns
Hi folks, welcome!
October 2013: That little red patch is generated by laser-Doppler calculations on ultrasound signals, revealing pulsatile pumping of my blood into the aortic aneurysm, by-passing the protective function of my abdominal aortic aneurysm stent graft – life on the line, careful. Data provided by Joe Fulton, endovascular surgery department, UNC, CH. Much appreciated – saved my life! Thanks Joe.
You don’t make it in life alone, as you depend on many others for your sustenance and well being.
I’m certainly very grateful for the support I received at the Cleveland Clinic with a recent repair to my displaced abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) stent graft. I have just returned from the one month follow up, where Tara Mastracci, my endovascular surgeon in Cleveland, and her team, checked to ensure all was well before I return to Ironman training. The fact that Tara is also an athlete provides me with considerable reassurance. Yes! I understand that my Ironman training is clearly my call, and not anyone else’s responsibility.
Image built from CT scan in Cleveland, showing my Cook Zenith Stent Graft, along with the installed extension into my external and internal (hypogastric) arteries, stabilizing the distal left arm in the common iliac artery.
It was quite a trip from a day in October 2013, when Joe Fulton at UNC CH found my endoleak, to having my displaced stent graft repaired in Cleveland OH, in December 2013. This repair eventually required that I be enrolled in a clinical trial at the Cleveland Clinic – Yes! Please! I described the surgery in a recent newsletter.
I suspect that the most dangerous moment was during a swim about two weeks before my repair – and I was going REALLY easy.
I now suspect that swimming, especially freestyle, is NOT a good idea with an AAA.
If you want to follow my journey, from the surgical insertion of the stent graft extension (made in Australia), on December 16th, 2013, to the 2014 Lake Placid Ironman (July 27th, 2014), you can do so via my training diary, which comes out daily – well, that’s the plan, Rabbie Burns not withstanding.
Stay fit! It’s worth the effort, and say thanks when people save your life.
-k @FitOldDog
Interesting blog. But why do you think freestyle is risky with an AAA? I reduced my butterfly, but kept my freestyle, at an easy pace, with no problems.
My training is up to the following: day 1: hour run/hour swim (all free), day 2 bike – up to 25 km today. Repeat 3 -4 times per week.
Hopefully this will take me to the half IM in September. Happy training.
Hi Pauline, it was the experience just before my repair that got me thinking. I do fly from time to time, and the motion doesn’t feel so threatening. Freestyle, with a long reach and solid roll feels like wringing out a towel from top to bottom. All the way down my core. Guess some research would be needed, but I know that the swim really works my cardiovascular system from top to bottom. It was just a passing thought. -k
Great interview. I should call her about my AA.
Hi Alan, yep I was surprised that Tara agreed. I would give her a call, but she deals with AAA and peripheral vascular disease, I believe. -kevin
Kevin, I was just intrigued by the possibility of different swim strokes affecting the stent differently. This would be a fascinating research project! In my case, my old front crawl was very flat, but my new coach Beth has me rotating more, so I see what you mean by ‘wringing out’ the stent. Perhaps, after study, the advice might be to adopt a flatter technique.
I didn’t get that wringing out feeling with butterfly, which I rarely do, except as a one arm drill to engage my core. Yep, lot to learn. Enjoy your vacation. Cheers, Kevin
Oh yes, when I had the problem I wasn’t using a pull buoy, and pull buoy is great for wet suit training. Very similar feel and effect. -k