September, 2019 | Go Without Your Gut

NEW PERSONAL RECORD (PR) 5K TIME

I had the pleasure of running the 2019 Turtle Trek 5K which raised $70,000 for Sea Turtle protection courtesy of the South Carolina Aquarium. What an incredible fundraising success story!

The 5K included a flat beach run in the hard sand and it was a simple out and back course. There was about a 10-15 mile per hour headwind on the way out, but a nice tailwind on the way in. It was hot, but that’s expected this time of year in Charleston, SC.

I hit a new PR! I placed 1^st in my age group (out of 29), 8^th overall (out of 421) with a time of 20:31.8 which was a 6:37 pace. If you’re a runner, then you might not be impressed. But for me, this was a big deal! This is my fastest time since High School.

The sad part of the story is that I was sore for 4 days following the race. Like, super sore.

I’m still not sure if this has to do with having less muscle mass, or nutrition. I hope to figure that out soon. Success story either way in my opinion.

Thai and Stop Me Now!

This is a big update for me. It’s been about two months since I have had sugar issues! In the past, if I consumed too much sugar, my blood sugar levels would go to 280 and I would get super sleepy but have a heart rate of 110 which is high for just sitting at my desk. Especially since my normal resting heart rate is in the mid-40’s. Then – 30-45 minutes later, my blood sugar would be in the 60’s which causes dizziness, sweating, unclear thinking, hunger, and more. Neither are fun but low blood sugar can be dangerous. Thankfully, my pancreas does work – it’s just still adjusting to my body receiving raw food straight to my small intestines. For 32 years of my life, my small intestines received food after the stomach perfectly broke it down. That changed abruptly after surgery (that last sentence was written by captain obvious).

Good News:

It appears my pancreas is figuring things out! To test the power of my pancreas and my body learning how to process food, I decided to have some Pad Thai. Pad Thai has a boatload of rice noodles. Rice Noodles are very high in carbs and often compared to sugar. But – Pad Thai is also fantastic and delicious. I specifically order it Thai Hot – which is so hot it often causes hiccups or a mild sweat. It’s so good.

I’m happy to report I have tried Pad Thai twice in the last week with no sugar issues. (insert Fortnite Dance in celebration).

New milestone! It’s been 19 months and I’m very thankful for the progress that my body continues to make.

Fall Spotlight on Stomach Cancer with No Stomach For Cancer

Can we meet up at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tuscon?

No Stomach For Cancer is partnering with the University of Arizona to host a fall Spotlight on Stomach Cancer. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019, 08:00AM – 02:00PM with reception starting at 5:30pm. I hope to see you there!

Please register and preview agenda here: https://www.nostomachforcancer.org/news/events-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2019/10/26/53/-/spotlight-on-stomach-cancer