Spanner in the works!

Well part two of the marathon diary was supposed to show the first shades of improvement, indeed all was going well with a decent hour and 19 mins last Sunday, followed by 2 x one mile efforts on Tuesday night. What with the recent ice & snow, the official session was cancelled so I popped down the prom where the salty air had prevented the weather from ruining the last ice free pavement in Ceredigion.

Only two x 1 mile efforts I hear you say? Well the phone company had booked a call with me at 7pm and if I didn’t answer, they would treat the one month old lack of internet problem as solved, so the session was cut short and anyway, the 10k was coming up and there was the rest of the week wasn’t there?

By Wednesday morning I was in A&E having an ECG and throwing up into a pan at the same time, I think it fused the machine, they had to get a new one!  My cheeky lunchtime Double Decker had triggered an old war wound of mine – Crohns disease!
The scenario goes like this – eat something that you’re tired & weary body doesn’t quite get on with, wait a few hours and explode. A bit like getting impregnated by one of those squids in the Alien trilogy with similar consequences, but with crisps and chocolate, not squids!
Add red meat (that evenings spag bol) into the equation and the blisters in my small intestine closed up, sending the latest meal back up to the stomach and causing severe cramps.
I know this now after it being explained by the Doctors at Ysbyty Bronglais. There is no cure at present, it’s a bit like excema of the inside of the digestive system, acting like a volcano laying dormant sometimes like in my case for almost a year, lulling you into feeling you’ve beaten it, only to be struck down at the inappropriate moment.

There are options – have the offending segments cut out (!) or take a series of drugs to stall the problem. It can burn itself out in some cases, or get worse. I can’t say I’m a major sufferer compared to most, twice/three times a year I’m in pain for a few days and throw up a few times. Not nice but some people have terrible episodes and can’t really venture far from the loo at any time.

So far I’ve refused drugs and have tried to eat healthy. I got cocky recently and started fish & chips at the Dolphin and other delights – all with no problem but in the end it came back.
So although my system is fast recovering, they won’t let me out for the weekend and it’s goodbye to the 10k and any training for a few more days. I’m on a liquid diet for a few days, possibly followed by blender food for a while after that to give my system a break. Because it’s inflammation, it’s a clot risk until they are happy. I feel fine again but they know best. It’s snowing outside anyway and the 10k has a pitch inspection tomorrow.

So all being well, I’ll be back into the routine without any aftershocks (very rare), just with the lingering feeling that it can comeback if I risk a chocolate digestive with my tea after my next training session!
So it’s a few more nights of fending off the Aliens ala Sigourney then a chat with the consultant to see what to do.

Onwards and upwards!