Another race I didn't win

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Another race I didn't win

I had an 8K race last night and didn't win again (someday I will win one of these obscure races!). The race was Streetz of Fire in Grand Rapids but it was from from the 90 and humid you would expect for a race on August 1st and starting at 6:30 PM. It was very humid and had a few rain drops before the race and I heard reports that it was pouring rain well after the race as we were safe in the Polish Hall where it was held.
The post race was pizza and beer. For me it was lots of pizza, I think I had 8 pieces but it may have been 10. I don't drink alcohol because of the drugs I am on, they don't mix well. I think it is the Klonopin. 1-2 beers and I fall right to sleep.

I did manage to get a medal for finishing 3rd in my age group. It was demeaned a bit since a guy I would have liked to beaten passed me on the 4th mile and finished 15 seconds in front of me, he did not receive a medal and he is 2 years older than me.

I think we are getting another dog, a 4 year old Kelpie. I am hoping he will teach the other 2 some better manners. Kelpie's are great dogs but 3 dogs will be interesting! We are planning on picking him up next week Saturday.

Quote of the day: "Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in the world" - Cesare Pavese

1 comment:

UnknownAugust 4, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Brian, don't get down on yourself for not winning - at least you finished and gave it your all. A couple people suggested I try different run/walks in my area. I didn't realize there were so many. It would be good to practice before I jump into the big Marathon.
Keep on going Brian.
I'm on Klonopin too - I may have told you this before. Me & alcohol don't mix. The meds make me tired as is so its best I don't drink!!
Talk to u soon - cute dogs!!
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My Story

Most of it contained in the blog somewhere but I will summarize here: I started to notice symptoms during my freshman year of college. They were subtle little hints like I was more difficult to chew and had some twitching in my face. And when I got nervous my voice would become very tight and strained, this was true from middle school but was getting worse. By the end of my sophomore year I knew something was physically wrong, it was nothing mental. I was luckily diagnosed very quickly compared with most dystonia patients around 1990. I quickly sought treatment, and quickly ran throuh the numerous meds I had tried, Botox was used but I became immune, surgery was done in 1995 which helped my pain greatly but didn't do anything for the voice. In 1999 I went to NYC, to a doctor I considered the finest mind in the dystonia field at the time, and he suggested an experimental study they were doing called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). This was the first I had heard about DBS, I went back to my aunts house in NJ and thought about it for a few days and decided against it at the time. I still think it was the correct decision but I also made a wrong decision out of desperation during that visit. Instead of waiting for them to improve the DBS technology I opted for a palidotomy, which permently alters the brain. The surgery left my speech garbled instead of breathy when I went in. I was now following the progress of DBS and checked it out in Chicago in 2001, decided to hold off a litle longer. In 2004 I went back to Chicago and opted for the surgery at this time, fully aware the affects on the voice were really an X factor, but likely no change. I had the surgery done but the DBS had yet to be turned on, that came a month later. So I laughed when people said I looked better during the first month! After a month passed and my body adjusted to the new hardware I had installed it was turned on and the facial spasms started going away with each fine tuning that came once a month. I love to talk to dystonia patients (the nicest people on the planet, not quite sure why that is - maybe it is the empathy that comes with realizing you have to live with dystonia.) Feel free to email me at Brianst@sbcglobal.net.

DMRF's Accidental Hero - I run because I can!

Sunday, August 2, 2009