I was talking with Jim Wendler the other day, and he asked me to write an article about some stuff that has been going on with me lately. This will cover some time so I’ll date the different phases for a real world, real time perspective.
December 10, 2007
I will be 51 on the 31st of this month. I’ve trained in one way or another since high school. Early on, it was for football both in high school and college, where I played D3 ball at Bethel in Minnesota. (On a side note, they made the D3 semi’s this year before falling to the Mt. Union Monster.)
Since college, I’ve messed around in the weight room off and on with no real purpose or direction. About six years ago, I saw an article about Louie where he mentioned that he didn’t train muscles in his gym, but he trained for bar speed and the central nervous system. I was hooked right there. I love the cerebral aspect of the physical. I’ve made some gains but have had a few breaks in training for repairs. Since 1997, I’ve had three knee scopes and four surgeries to repair an old problem in my right hand and wrist. I’m currently 5’ 8” and hit the scale at about 260 lbs. My best meet bench was a modest 341 lbs raw last year, twelve months after having my hand/wrist rebuilt. (Thanks, Dr. Swenson!)
For a couple of years, it seemed that I’d have to take some time off for a surgery. I’d come back to about the same level but then plateau. Recently, I’ve been feeling a little fatigued and haven’t been recovering from training like I used to so I went to see my general practitioner and had some blood tests done. My test count came back at 217. He sent me back for a second set of tests and three of the five indicators were flagged as low.
Initially, my general practitioner wasn’t very concerned, but I pressed him to investigate further. He did some research and discovered that my numbers were in the tank. He recommended that I get a second opinion. He sent my results to an endocrinologist who said that with my size and with what I do (training), I’m too low and I probably need supplementation. I have an appointment on the 20th of this month for more tests.
Another doctor who saw my results said that with my training and where my numbers are, I could suffer from clumsiness, forgetfulness, and some other stuff that I did know at one time but I fell down and can’t remember now. No, seriously, he said that forgetfulness, clumsiness, and depression or low libido could all be side effects of low testosterone.
I’m looking forward to this visit on the 20th to see what she will prescribe. There might be one more set of tests needed just to rule out that there isn’t a tumor causing the imbalance. Even though this is unlikely, they want to be sure. I’m hoping that if I get supplemented that I hit around 450–600 as my steady test count. I plan on staying in tested federation’s so this should keep me in mid-range and safe.
January 8, 2008
I saw the endocrinologist on December 20th and was surprised and not necessarily pleased by the visit. “Dr. Endo” told me that though I probably needed supplementation, she wanted to get some other “issues” straightened out first. Wearing street clothes, I weighed in after lunch at 267 lbs. (I had Pat’s barbeque for lunch. Look up Pat’s online for SLC. It rocks!) They got my height at 5’ 7 ¾.” She mentioned that I had a big neck and that with that neck and “thicker” physique, I probably had sleep apnea. I had had apnea and had nasal surgery for that. My wife tells me that I now sleep through the night and apparently breathe fine because my snoring is non-stop.
Because of the fear of the apnea, Dr. Endo wanted me to do another sleep study. Dr Endo was concerned that my blood pressure was 142 over 80. She didn’t care that it was way down from where it was just months before. She also wanted me to repeat a bunch of the blood tests that I already had the results for. She also wanted me to try to drop down to 220–230 lbs and come back to see her on February 25th. At that time, she would probably prescribe me something. This meant more time to wait not to mention a bunch of out-of-pocket expenses that I really don’t want to pay for and probably aren’t necessary for initially treating the main issue at hand.
All of this extra stuff may be appropriate to some, but it seemed somewhat backward to my wife and me. My wife, Lisa, was more than a little vocal more than a couple of times at the waste of time and money. She showed my labs to a doctor she knows from where she works, and he thought I should be supplemented right away. I made an appointment to see him. For once, something went according to the plan. I called on Thursday, December 27th and got an appointment for 4:45 p.m. on my birthday, Monday, December 31st. Lisa told me that they don’t have an appointment at that time. They were just doing a favor for her. It does pay to be married to the right person.
I went in to see “Dr. Proactive,” a general practitioner with lots of experience in treating conditions similar to mine. I described what the endocrinologist wanted to do, and he thought she was a little nuts. He believed that by getting the supplementation now, I would be better equipped to lose weight because I would be able to put on lean mass easier, which would help me maintain a higher metabolism and lose fat at a greater rate. I only play a doctor on the radio, but this made sense to me. He was very concerned by my bioavailable testosterone levels. I was flagged low with a 176. He told me that normal is like 425–900.
I canceled my appointment and labs with Dr. Endo, and I’m moving forward with Dr. Proactive. He could also be called “Dr. Listens to Patients and Acts Accordingly.” Dr. Proactive tells me that there are a few causes for low tests such as a pituitary malfunction, a tumor, testicular issues, and some other things. The most common cause in guys my age is that sometimes things (the boys) just wear down and don’t produce like they did during my “golden era.” My labs point to the latter as being the case. I’ve had a talk with the boys, and though they feel down about the current situation, they appreciate getting some extra help from the outside. They’re tired. The boys and I are still very close and hold no grudges.
Starting slowly with options to change dose and delivery system, I was prescribed 5 grams a day of Androgel. Androgel is a clear gel that has an alcohol carrier. The stuff I use comes in a metered pump that dispenses 1.25 grams per pump. After I shower and dry off, I get four pumps (1.25 g X 4 = 5 g) one at a time and rub them on to my shoulders, the back of my shoulders, my upper arms, and my abdomen. When that dries, my clothes go on and I go to work. I’ve tried it the other way but that tends to wreak havoc with those of weak constitution at the office.
I’m six days into the treatment, and as expected, there was no brilliant parting of the clouds to the strains of a heavenly choir singing the hallelujah chorus. My mood is decent, and there’s a bit of an adrenalin rush when I apply the very flammable gel too close to Lisa’s hot curling iron. Apparently, there’s a chance that a little carelessness on my part during the “wet” phase of the gel could leave me as a living, breathing, portly, tiki torch. I’m told that in time I should see some strength and lean mass gains as well as some fat loss. My libido should increase as well. That all sounds good if it is indeed accurate.
I go back in two weeks for a blood draw to see how things are going. The doctor says that my blood numbers should be close to normal at that point but that I will be getting up to speed with full body effects for up to six months. The blood comes up fast, but the tissue and cells take a little time to function optimally with a normal level of testosterone.
Now, it’s a waiting game to see how things pan out. In about three months, there may be a change in dose and/or delivery method. If any change happens, I think the first change would be to up the dose. If the dose can’t be made adequate via the gel, then injections may be the next option.
I’ve learned not to rely on the first or even the second opinion regarding my health options. I/we need to be more involved in my/our own treatments. Doctors’ opinions, though somewhat supported by knowledge through study and experience, are just that—opinions. Medicine isn’t exact, and doctors practice medicine. With the internet and other resources available, it’s incumbent upon us to be proactive and not be complacent when it comes to our healthcare. Find the physician who listens to you and can explain the real how’s and why’s of his/her opinions. Then we make the choice.
So until the next installment, I will be slathering up every morning looking to pass the test. Look for Part II in a couple of months.