…about yourself as you get older.

Take me, for instance. I was 45 years old when I learned that I was part black, through my mother. That secret was kept well hidden by my mother and her mother and her mother. As a boy I never thought about why there were no pictures of my grandmother’s half-sisters in her house. At as 45 I found out. I know they kept this hidden to protect us, but it deprived us from knowing a wonderful family for decades.

Then, just today, for example, I went to a cardiologist for the follow-up to my echo-cardiogram and found out I’m missing two cusps on my aortic valve, a condition I was born with. At my annual physical last month, my new doctor didn’t like something she saw on my EKG, something about the high peaks being where the low peaks should be and vice verse. I jokingly said I guess my heart is pumping backward, but she referred me for the echo.

Last week, as I was on the table watching the scope as the test was in progress, I mentioned to the tech that it looked strange the way something was flapping at the end of each beat. She agreed with me and seemed to study it for a long time. She said it looked abnormal and had me wait while she discussed it with the doc. He must not have been concerned, for he sent word I was to just come for my follow-up already scheduled.

As to symptoms of heart irregularity, I have none. Everything else from the echo looks good. The cusp-short valve is not leaking. Flow is good. Other valves look good. Dr. El Shafie said we could do an ultrasound (a trans-esophageal something-or-other), but said it wasn’t necessary given no symptoms. He said come back for an annual echo and we’ll watch it.

Now, I could easily have gone the next 7 years, 2 months, and 30 days until retirement without knowing this. And the however many years after that until I assume room temperature. But I now know. How will this affect my life? Not much I guess. Perhaps I’ll find new impetus to lose the remaining weight I need to lose so that my single-cusp valve doesn’t have as much body to supply. Perhaps I’ll become a little more faithful in walking, and go for longer distances. Perhaps I’ll finally give up a chips habit that I should have years ago.

Or not.

Time will tell. Well, I must be about other business now. I’ll post the September report and October goals tomorrow–as long as the one-cusp wonder holds out till then.

Well, our contest at work is over. We began it January 5th with about 20 people. Some of those quit the program; some were laid off. We limped to the finish line yesterday with 10 remaining participants. I had been in the lead since week seven, and had slowly widened that lead–well, I really widened it the week I had food poisoning, but that didn’t last. However, the eleven day road trip didn’t do much for me, even doing isometric exercises while driving. I came back from vacation up about five pounds. So I was worried.

Then, the man who is coordinating the contest sent out an e-mail saying that, due to inconsistencies in how everyone had been weighing, we were to make our final weigh-in with shoes off and pockets empty. I had been emptying my pockets, but not taking off my shoes. That clinched it for me. I came in first, with 7.01% weight loss in the seventeen weeks. I could have done better, but I’ll take it. The prise is a day off with pay, something I don’t really need but will figure out how to use.

Now comes phase two, losing the next 52 pounds to get to the upper end of my ideal weight range. I’d like to be down 25 pounds more by the end of the year, and hopefully cross the next milestone weight by the end of this month.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday I picked up a bug. Well, at least it was Tuesday evening I began feeling nauseated, with a tight and painful stomach. I lost my supper about 11 PM, went to bed, and was up at 2:15 AM for the big…well, I’ll spare you the details. I was up every 15 minutes through the rest of the night. Wednesday I just stayed in bed or in my reading chair, trying to find strength to function. Finally, at 6:00 PM I went to the nearby dollar store and bought some Gatorade to replensih fluids and electrolytes. I went to bed at 8:45M, and didn’t get up till 8:00 this morning. Haven’t eaten anything since Tuesday evening.

Consequently, I’m behind on everything I planned on doing. I finished Dune Messiah, and planned to blog a book review yesterday. Maybe tonight. I had hoped to send off “Mom’s Letter” to at least two markets by today, but have not been able to complete the last, little research needed.

Tonight is writing critique group. I was really hoping to go and present two Documenting America columns. I guess I’ll wait and see if I can finish the day at work and how I feel at 5:00 PM. I wouldn’t have come to work today except for needing to get some PowerPoint slides done for my presentation next week.

Well, all that activity late last week and over the weekend paid off, aided and abetted by proper eating and just a little bit of exercise on two days. With a weight loss goal of 1 pound per week, but with a hope of actually achieving 1 percent a week at least for a few weeks, I weighed in today 2.25 percent lower than last week! So I’m way ahead of expectations.

I know, I know, the first week is always the easiest. And most or all of that was pounds added over Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s the negative way of looking at it. But also this puts me 39 pounds below my highest weight of three years ago. It has come off steadily, an average of just over a pound per month. Now, with concentrated effort, it’s dropping faster.

I know I won’t be able to maintain that pace, and that a pound a week is more likely a correct long-term expectation. But oh does it feel good!