To blood clot or not to blood clot

Not to blood clot!  How's that for irony.  I guess it's better to know and be on the safe side, but how frustrating to spend 2 months on blood thinners, spend 3 days in the hospital, an unbelievable number of needle pricks, go through just about every test known to man, and after all of that, they have pretty much decided that it was never a blood clot in the first place.  UGH!!

So, now we are trying to figure out what it was.  I'm supposed to go for a Pulmonary Function Test to determine if I have some sort of asthma (even if it's just very minor).  The doctor told me that it could also be anxiety. Anxiety?? What do I have to be anxious about?? HA!!  Anyway, that's the latest on the health front.

On the TNT fundraising front, I'm getting very close to meeting my minimum which will be SOOOO nice!  I'm hoping that I can get that met this week and then I'll be able to focus solely on my training.  My goal there is to beat last year's 1/2 marathon time of 2 hrs, 30 minutes, so if I can stay healthy and focus on improving my time, I'll be very happy!

Be safe, happy and healthy.  

Till next time...

Trying to get over this medical speed bump

My TNT training took a personal turn in late December when I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolus (blood clot in my lung).  I was hospitalized for 3 days and am currently on blood thinners to try to dissolve the clot.  One of the side effects of the medication is increased tiredness.  This often makes it more difficult than normal to get out and run the miles.  (The exact opposite of what I need when gearing up to go on long runs!)  My team mates have helped me so much through this!  I'm not sure I could do it without them.

So, now I go to the hematologist next Friday to see if there was ever a blood clot in the first place.  The CT scan showed there was one, but because it was so small in in such a far out place in my lung, then opinions differ from radiologist to radiologist as to what classifies as a blood clot.  The hematologist will help figure out where we go from here.

What fun.

Ran without Freezing to Death (Yea!)

Saturday we ran 6 miles in FREEZING weather (was about 18 with a wind chill of 4).  Not only were we all successful in running the entire 6 miles without freezing solid along the trail, but we ran along a great road which went right past Alan Jackson's house.  I'm hoping that that was the last of the below 20 degree weather we will see for a long time.  That's just too cold!

Happy 2009!!

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone has a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.  :-)  One of my major goals this year is to complete the Country Music 1/2 Marathon at the end of April.  I started off the year right with a 5k race this morning - the Resolution Run in downtown Nashville.