Autoimmune Profile Abnormal

 My Aldosterone tested normal.  In fact, it was not even close to being elevated yet I still have symptoms of adrenal dysfunction.  The gap did diminish compared to last week but it's still awfully large.  

Without: 3:27 (10:21 pace).  With: 2:36 (7:48 pace).  The floor rose by 57 and the ceiling rose by 36.  Thus, the gap closed from 2:54 to 2:33.  That's movement in the right direction but not as much as I had hoped to see.  Again, blood tests are not reliable for adrenal function so I have little confidence that an endocrinologist will find anything.

I don't know any specifics yet because my results have not been uploaded to my portal but I did receive a call from the doctor's office that my Autoimmune profile is abnormal.  Most likely, THIS is the cause of the sensitivity.  While it is certainly a good thing to get rid of the Candida, it was not the final answer.

The doctor will send me to see a Rheumatologist.  I expect to get a prescription, which I will take without questioning.  I did see improvement yesterday evening after loading on Fulvic Acid for detox.  It never fails.  I cannot solve one problem without making something else worse.  Heavy metals often bind with Candida so now that it's cleared, the symptoms of the toxins have worsened.  I now need heavy duty detox treatment.  I hope to get re-tested in 3-4 weeks and see movement in the right direction.

Word on the street is that treatment for Autoimmune issues can be worse than the disease itself.  That said, I can't live like this anymore.  I've got to stop the sensitivity.  I do hope that in time, with continued detox treatment, maybe I can get off the autoimmune prescription.  

More to come later.

Will it benefit me to take a break?

In light of this new information, Probably not.  I'll stick it out until Hawaii.  

Considering 6 Weeks of Inactivity

 NO lab results this week.  I didn't expect them until Monday at the earliest.  The turnaround time is 4-6 business days.  I hope that my Aldosterone is indeed elevated while my Autoimmune profile is normal.  

Reflecting on my workout today, I went out around 10:00 pace, dipped slightly under in Mile 2, held it in Mile 3 then collapsed.  If I can run 2 miles @ 9:13 with a strong negative split, a 10:00 pace should NOT be a tough ask for 4-5 miles.  As it is, I passed the halfway point in 24:51 then finished in 32-flat.  OUCH!  From Mile 3.2 on, I employed a walk/jog pattern at a ratio of roughly 4:1 but did run all the way through from 4.62 to the finish.  There is no way that I could have matched or even come close to yesterday's workout even if I planned on stopping at 2 miles.  I estimate that I would have finished around 19:20, or nearly 30 ticks slower per mile.    

Here's what I predict will happen next week:

I will be HORRIBLE tomorrow.  Probably around 24 minutes for 2 miles.  I'll rest for 2-3 days then do a lot better next time.  This will be done WITHOUT any major adjustments with the pills (that's a key point).

Am I overdoing it?

Hardly!  I've done just 14 miles in the last 7 days and none of it was particularly hard.  Yesterday's 2 miler really should NOT have taken much out of me.   It seems that no matter how slow the pace, 3.3 miles (1/4 of the race distance) appears to be my limit.  

Cause:

I have a very strong feeling that my Na/K ratio is too high, and an elevated Aldosterone would confirm it.  The ideal range is 2.5-4.0:1.  It's better to be a little on the high side than the low side but I'm sure if that ratio is in the 6-8 range or higher and stays there for any length of time, it will cause BIG problems.  My running health was in a similar state back in 2006.  I could maintain a decent clip for 2-3 miles but could not go beyond that no matter how slow the pace.  Back then, the culprit was a LOW Na/K and an adrenaline deficiency.  Everything was normal in the blood so I'm not sold on this test result.  What does sell me is the fact that my pace improved from 11:18 to 8:24 just minutes after taking a supplement designed to LOWER that key ratio!  I tried the pill designed to raise it and had a swift negative response.    

Solution:

What did I do back in 2006?  In addition to the recommended cocktail of pills, I took 6 weeks off running then started back again gradually.  Within 6 weeks, I was back under 25 for 5K.  Within 6 months, I was under 2 hours for a half mary.  Incredibly, in just over 18-19 months, I was a sub-4 marathoner!  I looked like a living miracle, but what people did not see was that I had to make constant adjustments to my cocktail to stay in good form.  Perhaps Candida was the culprit.  

Hawaii:

If I can build up to 30 MPW and get a couple 10-12 milers under my belt, it will be a respectable showing.  However, if my prediction for next week is correct, it will be clear that I cannot handle steady training at this time.  It is a very inopportune time to take 6 weeks off given that I am only 12 weeks out from race day.  I have 2 options:

1) Limit my training to 3 days per week and strive for decent quality.  At least 3 miles per session and a weekend long walk/jog session.  After the race, I will take the rest of 2022 off.

2) Take off 6 weeks right now and forget about respectability on race day.  I will not even attempt to run the whole way.  It will be a Gallo-walk from the start.  I will probably have to do that with Option 1 as well.

I am leaning towards #2.  I have no time goal.  I just want to finish.  The time limit is 3:30, or roughly 16 minute pace.  To put that in perspective, my pace per mile on the back half today was 12:48 despite being DEAD from running non-stop for 3.2 miles.  Unless it is an extremely bad day, I really should come in well under that time even if I am almost completely untrained.  What is most important is getting healthy ASAP.  If running is holding me back at this time, it's got to stop until it is safe to resume it.  

Unless by some miracle, I find a supp that gets me better fast, I'm going with #2.  Also, the Autoimmune panel could throw a wrench in my plans.  If something is abnormal, who knows what could be prescribed?  How will I react to it?  I've got to listen to the doctor on this.  If something is flagged, I've already pulled out all the stops and see no other way to treat the sensitivity.   

Training 8/14-8/21

 8/14- Hoped to improve upon my 3 @ 10:36 yesterday.  Had to settle for 1 @ 11:48.  Don't know my splits but the back half was well over 6 minutes.  Maybe even 6:30.  Stress Pak was the culprit.  I have an INSATIABLE need for it now.  This sort of thing happens all the time.  Soon, my need for it will diminish but it triggers something else and the cycle repeats itself.  I will tell the doctor to keep testing me until he finds something wrong.  I will not take anti-depressants.

Got home and ran 2 intervals.  I did a 1:44 without additional pills and a 1:37 after 1 more.  I would have needed 8-10 to get back to respectable times.

Distance=1.5

8/15- BAFA day.  Improved.  2 miles in 20:49 (10:24 pace) with splits of 10:28-10:21.  On a day like this, it might be possible to walk/jog 13.1 in less than 3.5 hours.  It will be sheer misery but possible.  Will I see steady improvement or will I collapse again at the end of the week?

Distance=2.0

8/16- Steady improvement.  2.5 on Lakeshore in 24:45 (9:54 pace). Splits of 12:31-12-14.  I have a long road to get back to respectability but with steady training and balanced chemistry, I can get there.  This was 30 seconds faster than yesterday while increasing the distance by 25%.  Again, the rate of improvement will slow but that's okay.  The doctor refused to test my aldosterone so I'm doing it out of pocket.  

Distance=2.5

8/17- The HATED better with or without test plus a 1 lap cool.

Without: 3:46 (11:18 pace)

With: 2:48 (8:24 pace).  MINUS 2:54.

I've been on the Stress Pak for 5 days now and that's still a very large gap.  I did the out of pocket blood test yesterday and no matter what the result, I'm staying on my current path until further notice.  I take my last Candida pill tonight so I might see improvement by the weekend.  The gap will diminish come next week.  Both the floor and ceiling will improve but the floor will rise faster.  I've been through the same process before with many other pills.  In the past however, the gap began to shrink by Day 5.  I kept hoping that when I got to the point in which there was no significant difference with or without, I was in the clear.  As you know, it never happened, and the cycle repeated itself over and over.

Blood adrenal tests are not too reliable so I'm not sure anything will show up on this one.  If it doesn't, it seems unlikely that any other tests will be flagged.  There will be no need to see an endocrinologist.  If the test is flagged, I'll re-test in 3 weeks and hope to see movement in the right direction.  If I do, that means that I can control it with supplements.  I'd rather not enrich Big Pharma.  

What will happen with the Auto Immune panel?  I'm about 50/50 on whether or not anything will show up there.  I don't have any of the symptoms.  I thought perhaps the sensitivity could come from allergies but then I wonder why I can SOMETIMES tolerate certain pills.  I would think that if I had an allergy to something, I would ALWAYS react badly.  Moreover, there was usually an explanation as to why it happened.  For example, I had a terrible time with B-6 but those issues stopped when my low Cal/Mag was corrected.  Sensitivity to Cal/Mag stopped when I added Taurine.  Why the extreme reactions?  I can only hope that Candida was the culprit.

Distance=1.0

8/18- Planned rest day.  Took the last anti-fungal last night and it really threw me for a loop.  I never adjusted to it.  The last dose was just as hard on me as the first.  Not sure what to make of it.  I will get some VERY important lab results next week.

8/19- Another very positive step.  2 miles in 18:27 (9:13 pace).  MINUS 41 but it was 3 days later and over a shorter distance.  Splits were 9:28-8:59 so I have no doubt that I could have held it.  I want to be fresh for tomorrow.  Shooting for 5 and I actually believe I can do it.

Distance=2.0

8/20- This was a DOWNER.  5 miles in 56:51 (11:22 pace).  I told myself before I started that my pace did not matter.  I just wanted to finish this one.  I could not do it.  I held a steady pace just south of 10:00 for the first half but could feel a massive fade coming soon.  I managed to hold it together for another 0.7 miles then broke down and had to walk/jog to the finish.  Perhaps, running just puts too much stress on my system ATM and I need time off.  I'll get some answers next week.

Distance=5.0

8/21- 1 mile at Montreat in 10:54. Worse than yesterday.  I don't think it's the pills.  I just cannot handle regular training and need several weeks off.  

Distance=1.0

- Only 15 miles and I could not handle it.  Pretty pathetic.

Basophilia

 I have not actually talked to the doctor yet, but I did access my lab results from my portal.  Here's what I know:  My cholesterol is a little high, but I'm not worried about that at all.  If I can run regularly, my cholesterol, weight, and blood pressure will all come down.  I suspected that perhaps my thyroid was low because of my weight gain but no, that's not the case.

The only thing tested that was abnormal was Basophils, and it was flagged as high.  What does it mean?  My white blood cell count is elevated because of chronic infection and inflammation.  Why is it high?  I HOPE that it is solely because of the candida infection.  Unfortunately, it could also mean that I have a more serious auto-immune condition.  I do not know the reference range, but my lab value was 0.12.  Is it moderately elevated or off the charts high?  I don't know.  

Was the candida the source of the sensitivity all along?  Possible.  Was it the only thing wrong with me?  NO!  Not by a long shot!  Here's just a small list:

Iron Overload- This was confirmed by blood testing in 2017.  It was treatable with blood donation and Curcumin.  Iron level tested normal on this test.  Unfortunately, it probably worsened the symptoms of Pernicious Anemia.

Pernicious Anemia- Confirmed by a blood test in 2021.  I was unable to absorb B-12 because of a lack of Intrinsic Factor.  I thought that when I corrected the Intrinsic Factor deficiency, the sensitivity would be gone.  It was one of MANY false hopes.  

Methylation- I am homozygous for the dreaded MTHFR 677 gene, which impairs processing of the critical B-vitamin Folic Acid.  I need to supplement with a special form of it to be at my best.  I learned this in 2015.  Unfortunately, there were complications.  I could not tolerate it without TMG and needed to beware of sulfur overload because of the CBS mutation.  I tried to treat the CBS but could not tolerate ANYTHING until I addressed the toxic metals.

Toxic Metals- No lab test showed it but I'm 100% certain that I have/had this problem.  Hair tests revealed that I showed the pattern of a poor eliminator of toxins.  When that happens, the body stores the toxins deep in organs, where they do the least damage.  Unfortunately, when organs become overloaded, the toxins are too much to overcome.  In extreme cases, it can lead to organ failure and premature death.  I flushed my liver in 2014 and hair tests revealed significant Copper and Cadmium dumps in my tissues, leading to dysregulation.  I have a strong feeling that I had MUCH more dangerous stuff in my organs that did NOT come out in the flush, including evidence of Arsenic. 

 I discovered TRS in 2019 and immediately after starting it, the CBS treatments were tolerated.  Unfortunately, I had a devil of a time tolerating the TRS itself.  Unless I took Probiotics, I could not tolerate the TRS.  I have read that toxic metals bind to Candida, so once the toxins were eliminated, it freed the Candida and made that problem much worse.  It probably HAD to get so bad that it showed up on my skin before the doctors could find it.

How do I feel now?

Not good.  I got a prescription to kill the Candida and not surprisingly, it has sapped my energy.  That's okay.  If it finally kills the Candida and thus the sensitivity, I'm more than willing to endure a couple more rough weeks.  When I'm through with those pills, I'm not going to set any personal records right off the bat, but I do expect to slowly build up to double digit runs.  I don't even care about my pace.  I just want to be a part of the running community again.  Today, I did 3 miles in 31:48 (10:36 pace).  I'm not celebrating that, but I did manage to hold a pretty even pace and felt that I could have gone another mile or two.  

Is the Candida the only thing wrong with me at the present time?

I doubt it.  I have a strong feeling that my Na/K ratio is elevated.  I took a supplement called Stress Pak to fix that.  I saw immediate improvement, which actually makes me feel uneasy.  A single dose should not have a significant impact, especially not within minutes.  If you read this blog, you know that happens to me all the time.  One day's medicine could be the next day's poison.  If the Candida is gone, in THEORY, I should have no trouble tolerating it in the future, nor will it trigger another issue.  If the healing process is working properly, you should not notice any improvements day to day unless you are closely monitoring it but over the course of several weeks, you'll know it.  Think of the hour hand on a clock.  

One upbeat thought:

Suppose that I went to the doctor sooner and was diagnosed with auto-immune disease because of the high Basophil levels.  I would have been prescribed immuno-suppressants.  Imagine that during a pandemic without an effective vackseen.  That could have been a DISASTER!    Moreover, it would have done NOTHING to address the other issues INCLUDING Candida! 

Doctor Visit

 

Well, I finally backed down and went to a “real doctor” yesterday.  As I suspected, I have a severe candida infection.  I’ve been drinking nothing but water for the past 6 days, yet things have gotten worse, not better.  I cannot run at all.  I take off around 12-minute pace and can’t even maintain that.  That is probably due to the die off reaction, which supposedly peaks between Day 3-Day 7.  I did get an oral prescription and a cream for the candida.  The doctor also did blood work but he didn’t tell me what he was testing.  Candida and adrenal dysfunction are inter-related and I suspect that I’ve had it for many years.  Nobody could have discovered it until recently when I began to see flaky and itchy discoloration of my skin.  It was noticeable under my armpits and above my butt.  Gross! 

I looked at some of my old posts when I was at my best and I was not as healthy as I remembered.  Yes, I clocked some pretty amazing times and had an impressive training log, but I had to make frequent small adjustments.  Just one extra pill or missed dose would have a significant negative effect.  I think it is entirely possible that the candida was causing the sensitivity all along.  I can live a happy life with a little fatigue but NOT with extreme sensitivity.  What hurts the most is that I was given the appearance of healing all while I was headed for a collapse. 

It's too soon to say how this will play out or even how I feel about it.  One upbeat thought that I did have is that if I discovered and treated the candida sooner, I probably would not have addressed the detox and methylation in an attempt to get well.  I believe that both were necessary.  The WORST-CASE scenario is that everything will come back normal, as was the case the last time I saw a “real doctor.”  If that happens, he will almost certainly push anti-depressants, which I will refuse.  I will say that I am alarmed by current weight and blood pressure.  I suspect elevated aldosterone, which is an adrenal hormone.  There is a supplement that I tried in the past called Stress-Pak.  It was not tolerated at the time but that was before the detox and candida treatment.  It is designed to lower a high Na/K ratio, which has been elevated on previous hair tests.

Hawaii is now 3 months away and I cannot run at all.  Do I go and then try again next year?  I do have plans to visit all 4 major tourist islands.  I went to the Big Island last winter and this trip will be to Oahu.  Still need Maui and Kaui.

Florida/Georgia Weekend

 This was an impromptu trip.  Birmingham had a 90 percent chance of rain last weekend while south Georgia and north Florida were expected to 95 degrees with sunny skies and a low chance of rain.  I did not leave work early but drove as far as I could on Friday night, which turned out to be Dawson, Georgia.  Eufaula, Alabama is a cool town with lots of nice antebellum homes, but I had to get a little closer to the Atlantic.

 I arrived in Brunswick, Georgia in mid-late morning for a walking tour of streets lined with palm trees and Spanish moss before turning to Jekyll Island.  This was a bit of a disappointment.  In early August, you will find 85-degree water on the Atlantic from Miami all the way up to Charleston, but the surf can be light.  At Jekyll Island, surf is often blocked by sandbars and the water is a muddy brown.  Just north at St. Simon’s Island, I found less sand but a bit clearer water.  Still, surf was minimal in both locations. 

The original plan was to go to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island across the border in Florida the next morning.  I chose to head down there in the previous afternoon to steal some surf action.  It proved to be a good call as I had a lot of fun in a short time.  Surf was pretty strong.  I actually went down once and caught countless rides to the shore.  If you want to catch a wave in Georgia, stick to Tybee Island just outside of Savannah.   After another fun session, I hit the road just after noon and it was a smooth ride back.  Amelia Island also has a beautiful park in which the sky is covered by a canopy of Spanish moss and palm tree fronds with several hiking trails.

Final thought:

I wish I had more time but yes, the Atlantic coast is do-able without any time off work.  Tybee Island is about 6-6.5 hours from Birmingham while both Charleston and Amelia Island are about an hour further.  

Training 8/1-8/7

 8/1-  I've had more relapses.  Time is ticking away.  Only 3 months to train.  If I can sustain a window of decent balance, I still have a chance to deliver a semi-respectable showing.  Today will not cut it.  Planned to run 2 miles at Veteran's Park (3 laps around the lake) and had to settle for 1 in a time of 9:14.  I suspect that my adrenals have spiked.  Felt reasonably well early but collapsed after 0.75 and did not even attempt to go beyond 1 mile.

Distance=1.0

8/2- WORSE!  1 mile in 11:57 and it took an all out effort at the end to break 12 minutes.  Took only the detox and the Thym-Adren today.  Clearly not the answer.

Distance=1.0

8/3- An improvement.  2 miles in 20:49 (10:25 pace).  Splits were 9:49-11:00.

Distance=2.0

8/4- 1 mile in a time over 10 minutes.  Fortunately, there appears to be an explanation as to why I have been so bad.  I'll reveal it on a separate post.

Distance=1.0

8/5- Best showing of the week.  2 miles in 19:54 (9:57 pace)

Distance=2.0

8/6- 1 mile worth of junk intervals.

Distance=1.0

8/7- 12:25 mile in the morning.  10:xx in the evening.  Probiotics were the difference.  I need to take those at night.

Distance=2.0

-10 miles on the week

TMG Relapse

 I've had some relapses that I saw coming or at least should have known would happen.  For example, taking an adrenal glandular to combat the detox symptoms was necessary because it was unbearable otherwise.  I knew that taking it meant that my chemistry was moving in the wrong direction and the aftermath would not be pretty.  Also, caffeine may have helped the detox process because it is a diuretic.  Again, I knew full well that when I stopped, I would be down for a few days.  I'm okay with that.  

This one left me COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED!  TMG is Tri-Methyl Glycine and I have taken it for several years and had no problems.  In fact. it was actually necessary to take it because without it, I could not tolerate Methyl Folate.  I have the dreaded MTHFR 677 gene, so I had no chance without the MF.  

One evening, I felt noticeably worse after my evening cocktail of pills.  I took them all again and found that TMG was the culprit.  Fortunately, I've had no issues with MF without it.  I thought that perhaps it had lowered my homocysteine too much so I tried NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine).  I saw significant improvement for a few days then developed an intolerance to NAC.  Going back to the TMG only made things WORSE!  Increasing the TRS and the probiotics had no effect on the tolerance.  OUCH!  All I can do is stop this pill and hope that I will not develop an intolerance to another one.  If you think stopping running will help, think again.  I probably would have identified this problem sooner if I had been in decent running shape.  

I've now got just 3.5 months to train for Hawaii.  It is looking bleak.  I'll need to have one of my better days just to beat the time limit and it will be a miserable experience.  However, I am ONE state away and cannot quit now.  If I fail, I will try again.  The year is more than half over and I have NOT ONCE been healthy enough to do a long group run.  This is my worst year yet and next year may be worse.

After Hawaii, I plan to take 7 weeks of complete inactivity with the possible exception of skiing.  I will see a "real doctor" but doubt that he can help.  I will NOT take anti-depressants again.  I already know that SSRIs and SNRIs don't work for me.  I have looked into Wellbutrin, which is dopamine based.  I've heard that rage is a common side effect.  I have to deal with uncooperative clients at work.  That could be a disaster.

States Visited Only Once

There are only a few states that I have visited only once.  Depending on the standard used, that number is either 3 or 7.  In each case except for one, I was there for a race but usually combined it with other tourist attractions.  In order to qualify for multiple visits, 2 separate trips must be done.  For example, going back and forth from Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota does not count.  

Here are the states with only one visit under the lenient standard:

North Dakota- My first and only visit came in 2009 for the Fargo Marathon, where I set a then-PR of 3:43 for my first of 3 sub-3:45 marathons.  I did little else but yes, I can envision myself coming back.  There is Government Bay outside of Bismarck and Theodore Roosevelt NP.  I want to combine it with a visit to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  I expect that to be underwhelming but I need only 3 provinces in hit all 10 in Canada.  This trip will not happen until Disgustin' Justin lifts the vackseen mandate to enter Canada.

Alaska- I have unfinished business here without Cara's boyfriend.  I was there for the Mayor's Midnight Sun half in 2016 and finished in 1:54.  We saw a good portion of Anchorage plus Denali NP and Talkeetna but missed out on the glaciers in the south around Seward as well as Denali State Park, which has better views of Mt. Denali.

Hawaii- I was just there last winter without a race and feared that it could be my only chance because of a potential vackseen mandate.  Fortunately, that has been lifted and I'll be back in November.  I am DREADING the race but the rest of the trip to Oahu will be fun.  I'd like to see all 4 major tourist islands.  I've only been to the Big Island.  I'll still need Maui and Kauai after this.

Strict standard-

Kansas and Nebraska- In 2016, I did the Scout Challenge half at the Kansas Speedway just outside of Kansas City, Kansas in a time of 1:45.  I also saw a Royals game and the Truman Library on the Missouri side.  I had one prior visit but did nothing  except get gas and eat at KFC.  As for Nebraska, the race was the Autumn River Run in 2018 in 1:57.  I also stopped at a lake and the Scottsbluff Monument.    Again, I had a prior visit in 2010 as a Denver detour but did nothing except make a small purchase at a grocery store.  

A return trip could be a good one.  I'd fly to Denver and drive roughly 7 hours to Lincoln, Nebraska for a night on the town then work my way back with stops at the Eisenhower Library, Little Jerusalem and Gypsum Hills in Kansas plus the Great Sand Dunes NP and Garden of the Gods back in Colorado.

Idaho- My first visit came in 2011 for the Coeur D'Alene half mary, where I clocked a strong 1:33 at mild altitude on a course that may have been a tad long.  It was part of a road trip that included stops in Spokane, Washington and Missoula, Montana.  I did return in 2017 for a photo op outside of Yellowstone but was only there for a few brief minutes.  

I've only really seen the panhandle of Idaho so I really haven't done justice to this state.  A return in planned for next winter in which I will go skiing and see Boise, Shoshone Falls and the Snake River Mountains.  It looks beautiful on YouTube.

Wisconsin- My first visit came in 2008 on a Chicago detour.  I did nothing except eat at McDonald's so needless to say, that doesn't meet the strict standard.  I returned 10 years later for a race near Madison and combined it with a trip to Minnesota and Iowa.  I clocked a 1:50 and have not been faster since then.  The highlight was Door County, which included Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point County Park.

A return trip will be a Milwaukee/Chicago tour.  Milwaukee is one of the only cities with at least 2 pro sports teams that I have not seen.  The Miller brewery will be worth a stop and though rare, surf can pick up on Lake Michigan.  A session with Chicago skyline views could be really cool.   I definitely want to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.  

Rant: AAA Talent

 I attended a Minor League baseball game in Charlotte.  It was a AAA team (one level away from the Majors).  Most of these rosters are filled with veteran non-prospects with maybe 2 players who are expected to be future stars or at least strong contributors to the big-league team.  I thought of how heart breaking it must be for these players to live and breathe baseball but after so many years, they must accept that they don't have quite enough talent to stick on the MLB roster.  Some of them get a cup of coffee when a key player goes down with an injury and Pitchers are more like to get a shot than position players.  Sadly, in many cases for the AAA player, even the cup of coffee never comes.  

Since I had the academic skills for college, I personally would not sign a pro contract right out of high school unless I was a high first round pick and was offered upwards of $2 million dollars.  It's easier to project the future of 21 year olds than 18 year olds so both the team and the player have a better idea of the odds of making it.   I would take summer classes and try to finish my degree within 3 years.  If I'm a few credits short, I could go back for the Fall semester of my senior year without a conflict with Spring Training.   

Typically, if you are a lower draft choice, you are sent to Short Season A ball (60 games, I think) and it is sink or swim.  About half of the players will be cut at season's end.  If you are battling nagging injuries or illness and can't perform up to your standards, tough luck.  Fortunately, there is the option of Independent League ball but very few of those players will be signed for another shot at the Minors. EDIT: As of 2021, short season baseball has been discontinued.  Draftees will either play in Rookie ball or Low-A.

If you do well enough in your first year, you are then sent to Low-A full season ball.  Succeed there, and you will be promoted to High-A, which is still 3 levels from the Show.  Suppose that you are in your 3rd year of pro ball and still languishing in A ball while struggling to hit your weight.  At 24 or 25 years old under those circumstances, getting cut is not going to hurt too much.  It's clear that you are not going to make it and it's time to get on with your life's work.  After being the star of your college team, it wouldn't be much fun to struggle so much in the Minors, so I think I'd know that it's best to give it up.  Use your signing bonus to go back to school and get your Master's Degree.   

Now, suppose that you are a solid performer in the low Minors.  You hit around .270 with 10-12 HRs per year.  In other words, you are not setting the world on fire, but you do well enough to climb up the ladder.  Coaches will tell you that you have a realistic chance of carving out a niche as a utility player and may even earn a starting role down the road.   AA is typically where you separate the men from the boys.  If you are successful at that level, you've got at least a 50/50 chance of getting at least a cup of coffee in the Majors.  

Now, suppose after 3-4 successful minor league seasons, you hit AAA at 25 or 26 and struggle to hold your own as the competition is just too strong.  You try in vain to improve but you can't hit much better than league average.  You are stuck in AAA just 1 step away from the Show and hope to get the call one day, but it never comes.  Man, that would be so disheartening. Still, you will be able to tell your grandchildren that you faced future stars and perhaps you came out on top.  I was a terrible Little League player but did leg out an infield single against the best pitcher in the league.  

As hard as it is to make it to the Majors, it is even harder to stick.  Most of the 26 or 27 year old AAA players who get their shot are marginal at best and will soon be sent back.  Salaries are pretty decent in AAA and usually higher than an entry level job even with a degree.  That's why so many AAA players stick around for so long.  That said, once you hit about 31 or 32, nobody wants a career minor leaguer.  Teams want to give a chance to younger players with potential upside.  So, what do you do if you are 10 years removed from college with no experience other than playing baseball?  I've met one of those guys before.  He was an insurance salesman who told stories about facing Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. in Spring Training.  He seemed happy on the surface but I'm sure it was eating at him that he never made it.  If it were me, I'd go back to school to re-fresh my job skills and maybe work as an assistant coach on the side.