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| The top of Mount Olympus, Salt Lake City, November 2016. Photo by Raj Nayar. |
In addition to being a prolific amateur blogger, I also am an independent contractor in newspaper, magazine, and book editing. I am available for graphic design, ad design, layout, copy editing, book design, and other editing projects. Please contact jillhomer@gmail.com.
ReplyDeleteDear Jill,
A few yrs ago at an ultra-distance event someone there that I spent a lot of time with that knew Beat said “You must meet Beat. You two are very similar and would connect.” We connected, however, have never met. Through that I found you.
Long ago I raced United States Ski Association Cross Country Skiing. I was an athlete. I attended US Ski Team training camps and raced against the best. One Feb I raced a 55 km Intl race in Wisconsin and coming out of it strangely felt terribly ill. I did have a minor strep throat sort of illness. However, that seemed to pass. I was supposed to race the US National Championships in Vermont soon afterwards and had to drop out. My wife at that time was an RN, her father a doctor and her mother the Chief Nurse at a hospital. All of their friends were MD’s. My Father-in-Law was Chief MD for a hospital, Chief MD for the state and Chief MD for the Army Guard. He had been the Chief MD for the Veteran’s Admin. He had been involved in Harvard Med School studies and more. He was so talented. I felt a lot like you have expressed. He had numerous MD friends do all sorts of tests on me even on treadmills. You could never list them all. My symptoms were not exactly like yours but similar. I did have a continual white blood cell count anomaly and had symptoms like mononucleosis.
In the end he and others concluded that the underlying illness was what was something that was in the news years ago – Legionnaire’s Disease. They thought I may have got exposed to it at the place I stayed at the Wisc race. However, they could never be sure.
During that time I discovered other endurance athletes such as international level cross country skiers were also suffering from something that I do not remember the name it was called in those days. Today they refer to it by several names including what this URL report refers too http://www.nature.com/icb/journal/v78/n5/full/icb200070a.html?foxtrotcallback=true and something else called Rhabdomyolysis. They too had similar symptoms. It was believed to be induced from training too hard and the body just broke down. They had similar symptoms and took a long time to recover. Personally, I did wonder if I had actually had that. It was not something that even good MD’s recognized in those days.
I had to drop out of competition. I was unable to train. I could barely walk at times. I wanted to sleep all of the time. I was continually exhausted. It impacted everything – clarity of thought and more. After a year it got better and after about two years it mostly passed and I was able to slowly recover. However, by then my peak had passed and I left skiing competitively and took up things like trail running.
I don’t expect a reply. I just had been reading your blogs and thought I should share my experience.
Marty
colemanm99@msn.com
Hi Jill, I recommend that you look into Dr Brooke Goldner and her success with auto immune disorders and a plant based diet.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill I'm starting a adventure book club . The first book picked is Be Brave Be Strong . My former book club read the book and it had fabulous response . I was wondering if you have a DVD about you and your adventure travel or just you talking about races life anything ? It would be great to watch you after discussion of your book . My email is Hercules1954@comcast.net Walt Johnson St. Paul Minnesota
ReplyDeleteHi Walt. Thanks for sharing my book with your book club. Unfortunately I don't have DVD out. Perhaps someday I will join the 21st century of media, but for now it's just the books and blog.
DeleteIn my "Miniver Chevy" life, I can hardly wait for your next presentation (Is it called a Blog??? Sorry for my ignorance). With so many followers you don't need my compliments, but you are Out---Standing. Your writing is superb (I have all your published books I think), choice of photos, descriptions, your side light comments on some photos. Yeah, keep on truckin' Jill. Thanks, Rich Runser
ReplyDeletePardon me for duplicating comments if i am. There's no excuse why I don't have all this internet stuff figured out. Your July 26 picture blog brought back the late 1940s to 1950s in AZ. In the desert rich next to our farm, were bare rock mountains I would climb for day or several day stretches alone. Just needed water to carry. I loved this hard rocks then, and the photos you presented around Long's Peak, are wonderful revivers of that beauty. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading "Be Brave, Be Strong" on my train commute into New York City years ago. While I am not a cyclist, I loved the book and it gave me a ton of inspiration to go chase my dreams, which I have been doing since. I figured I would just drop this here, as I am making an effort to share some gratitude and joy during these less than stellar times. Thanks so much for everything you share with the world, Jill.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know what the India donation site is Beat is using
ReplyDeleteHi - I noticed when your blog was gone. I always enjoy reading it. Thank you for bringing it back!
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