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Few people, if any, ever think about organ function, let alone organ dysfunction, unless something catastrophic occurs. I admit that neither did I prior to February 14, 1996. What is clear, however, is that my quest for a strong, lean body in preparation for my 10 year Teaneck High School Reunion in 1990 ended up saving my life in 1996. ALL my organ function returned, ALL my limbs survived intact and ALL my muscles retained their memory allowing me to return to normal function within weeks after my discharge. This was incredible after 29 days in the Intensive Care Unit and an initial prognosis of only a 10% chance of survival.
What happened to me is akin to a whodunit, only it is and will forever remain an unsolvable mystery. Septic Shock is a reaction your body has to an infection, be it bacterial, fungal or viral as your body attempts to fight it off. In my case, there was no evidence of any infection of any kind. The doctors "guessed" that it was an airborne viral infection from a carrier's cough or sneeze, but there is no evidence. Whatever it was is really of no consequence. The point is that when my body tried to fight it, my army of antibodies went into overdrive and attacked ME. This caused immediate system-wide inflammation which resulted in full-blown Septic Shock along with the cascade known as Mutiple Organ System Failure rapidly following suit. Septic Shock is a life-threatening medical emergency which if undetected or left untreated results in lifelong organ dysfunction, limb amputations and even death. There were 1.6 million cases of Sepsis/Septic Shock in the United States last year resulting in the deaths of more than 258,000 Americans of all ages. It can strike anyone who has an infection at anytime. The key is awareness and education on the part of the public as well as medical personnel who DO NOT ALWAYS RECOGNIZE IT IN TIME. It kills more Americans than Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and HIV COMBINED! Despite the expectation of very competent and experienced physicians that I had but 24-48 hours left, I not only survived but since 1996 I have truly thrived. Septic Shock was no match for my very conditioned "cardiac muscle" which had to work harder than humanly imaginable to keep me alive. It never stopped beating despite how enlarged it had become. Although my body had been losing battles left and right over the course of the 29-day ordeal, my entire body ultimately won the war as it valiantly defeated Septic Shock and its merciless reign of terror known as Multiple Organ System Failure. As I mentioned in my last post, I am working hard on a manuscript which recounts the events leading up to February 14, 1996, the aftermath & recovery and a very special epilogue. I will keep you posted on its future release. In the meantime, from the bottom of my "cardiac muscle," I wish all of you the very best of health and fitness, not only on this Valentine's Day 2015, but everyday, for the rest of your lives. As always, CLIMB, LIFT AND EAT WELL...
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19 years ago today was a normal day. I awoke at 6 AM and prior to leaving for work, I completed a 60 minute at-home workout. My routine included exercising on my stair-climbing machine, engaging in challenging strength-training using free weights and completing mat exercises while wearing ankle weights. At this point I had been properly and consistently performing this comprehensive cardiovascular and anaerobic exercise program at home for six years and two months. I had successfully and lost over 50 pounds safely six years earlier in 1990 and continued to keep it off by following this program. The key was combining it with a proper plant-based whole food daily menu. I was the epitome of optimum health and fitness from the inside out for anyone at any age according to my New York Metro Area physicians. I would soon find out that my lifestyle would make the difference between life and death.
The following day, February 13, 1996 would be quite different and through no fault of my own, or anyone else's, the day after that, Wednesday, February 14, 1996 I was literally within hours of it being the last day of my life. I will be posting the synopsis of my story this Saturday, February 14 to benefit all of you NOW with details in my forthcoming book. There are many valuable lessons to be learned, not the least of which is the following: "IF EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SPLASHED ACROSS MULTI-MEDIA PLATFORMS HAD BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF MAINSTREAM CULTURE IN 1990 THROUGH 1996 AND HAD I, AS A 28-34 YEAR OLD YOUNG WIFE AND MOTHER BELIEVED IT, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD I WOULD NEVER HAVE SURVIVED THE UNFORESEEN AND NEARLY TRAGIC EVENTS WHICH UNFOLDED ON THAT VALENTINE'S DAY IN 1996. I WOULD THEREFORE NOT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY TO BE YOUR VOICE OF REASON AND YOUR CHAMPION OF SCIENTIFIC FACTS BASED ENTIRELY ON EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE..." Stay tuned for the greatest and most important lessons this former classroom teacher turned health and fitness advocate will ever impart to you and your loved ones. I do this with integrity, passion and from the bottom of my heart. Until then, CLIMB, LIFT AND EAT WELL... In the 1930's and 40's it was commonplace for advertisers to use physicians to promote the use of tobacco as a product which could cure just about anything that ailed you. It was typical to see ads such as "Smoke For Your Health!" in movie theaters and on billboards everywhere. However, by 1954, industry strategists deemed physician images in advertisements no longer credible in the face of growing public concern about the health evidence implicating cigarettes. Think of how long it took for the "NO SMOKING" campaigns to be in full force while so many Americans suffered.
Fast forward to today, 2015. We continue to suffer despite all the so-called health and fitness "talk" across multi-media platforms. We, as a nation, are the unhealthiest we have ever been. In addition to physicians, we now have celebrities, athletes as well as self-proclaimed and self-absorbed "so-called experts" who are PAID to endorse and promote questionable if not dangerous products, services and "modalities." Prolonged static stretching, non-weight-bearing activity designed for patients in a rehabilitative setting during WWI as well as extended time spent in a praying mantis position going nowhere CANNOT YIELD THE RESULTS THAT A COMPREHENSIVE ON YOUR FEET CARDIOVASCULAR AND QUALITY WEIGHT-LIFTING PROGRAM WILL. You may of course engage in any activity you like, but when optimum health and fitness become your top priority, then it will be time to engage in the following: FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH TWO FEET, STAND ON THEM AND LIFT YOUR OWN BODY WEIGHT AS YOU WORK AGAINST GRAVITY TO CLIMB, BE IT ON ACTUAL STAIRS, A REVOLVING STAIR MACHINE, HILLS OR MOUNTAINS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH TWO HANDS, PICK UP THE FREE WEIGHTS AND LIFT. LEARN TO CORRECTLY PERFORM COMPOUND MULTI-JOINT EXERCISES INCLUDING SQUATS, LUNGES, DEAD-LIFTS, CURL TO PRESSES, ETC. ENGAGE IN THE ABOVE FOR THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE-BASED BENEFITS BELOW: 1)DECREASED BODY FAT SINCE MUSCLES BURN FAT. 2)REDUCED DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 3)INCREASED BONE MINERAL DENSITY AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNAWARE, YOU LOSE BOTH BONE MINERAL DENSITY AND MUSCLE EVERY YEAR AFTER AGE 30 UNLESS YOU LIFT WEIGHTS SO STOP THINKING YOU DO NOT HAVE TO EXERCISE. 4)IMPROVED AND ENHANCED PERFORMANCE IN YOUR SPORT OF CHOICE. 5)IMPROVED DAILY FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES. 6)LOWERED RISK OF DIABETES. 7)IMPROVED HEART HEALTH AND INCREASED BLOOD FLOW THROUGHOUT THE BODY FOR IMPROVED DELIVERY OF OXYGENATED BLOOD AND NUTRIENTS TO ORGANS, LIMBS, MUSCLES, BONES, NERVES, ETC. 8)IMPROVED BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL. 9)DECREASED IF NOT ELIMINATED BACK PAIN BY STRENGTHENING YOUR BACK AS WELL AS YOUR ENTIRE CORE MUSCULATURE BY LIFTING FROM A STANDING POSITION USING PROPER FORM AND TECHNIQUE. 10)IMPROVED BALANCE BY WORKING YOUR STABILIZER MUSCLES WHICH ASSIST YOUR PRIME MOVERS. 11)IMPROVED AND ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY SINCE WEIGHT-LIFTING MAKES YOU JUST AS FLEXIBLE IF NOT MORE SO THAN JUST STRETCHING WHEN YOU ENGAGE IN THE FULL RANGE OF MOTION WHILE LIFTING. 12)IMPROVED COGNITIVE FUNCTION AS WELL AS CONFIDENCE AND ALERTNESS AS YOU BECOME STRONGER. 13)IMPROVED ENERGY AND OF COURSE YOU WILL LOOK AND FEEL BETTER. If you are wondering why more men and women, but particularly women, do not engage in comprehensive on your feet cardiovascular and weight-lifting programs the answer is simple. Understand the "bottom line" and therein LIES the truth. RIDICULOUS CLAIMS AND THE NON-STOP BRAINWASHING ACROSS MULTI-MEDIA PLATFORMS THAT "CERTAIN PRACTICES" YIELD NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE RESULTS are to blame. Then add to that the fact that it is more cost-effective to "squeeze" as many bodies as possible into an empty room and "cram" as many bikes as possible into a given space rather than actually provide what really works in both the short and long term. Revolving stair machines are taller, wider and cost more than stationary bikes (not to mention that it is easier to just keep sitting and/or displacing your body weight onto your hands). Additionally, Olympic bars, curl bars and adequate amounts of dumbbells in all the necessary increments are few and far between in most venues. Stay tuned for my next post when I will show you how to circumnavigate the systems in place which are NOT designed for optimum health and fitness. It is easier than you might think to safely achieve health and fitness success for a lifetime. Until then, CLIMB, LIFT AND EAT WELL... |
Audrey"Let's PREVENT what we can and BE COMBAT-READY for what we cannot as we ENJOY and make the most of every single day!" Archives
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