Cytokine Releases and Adrenal Spikes Part 2

 

Just 6 weeks out from Hawaii now and I am still alternating between Cytokine releases and adrenal spikes.  If there is any good news, the cycles are definitely getting shorter in duration and the peak symptoms seem to be less severe. At the beginning of September, each cycle lasted 5-7 days.  The first day or two after a Cytokine release, I was not even able to function but did improve steadily until the cycle was over.  Then, when the adrenal spike hit, I was just as horrible as the first day of the Cytokine release but also improved steadily until the cycle repeated itself.

Now, the cycles only last about 2 days.  While my workouts have been awful, I am still able to be productive at work.  I had a Cytokine release over the weekend but come Wednesday, it was over, and the adrenal spike hit by afternoon.  Today is Friday and it appears that the adrenal spike has already diminished, and I am ready for another Cytokine release.  I only did 1 Mile this morning at Montreat.  My time was 9:53 and it took a 4^th quarter rally to finish under 10 but the pace was pretty steady and if it was race day, I’m pretty sure that I would have made it.  Perhaps, from now on, I will see only small Cytokine releases that are not significant enough to trigger adrenal spikes. 

I had a big test when I get home.  If I reacted badly to Probiotics without Taurine, I know that I’m already back to the Cytokine release.  That means the adrenal spike lasted only 2 days and was decidedly less severe this time around.  In the end, I was noticeably weaker on Probiotics (2:56 vs 3:08) but I didn't fall off a cliff.  If this is the first day of the Cytokine release, it's not so bad.  Perhaps the inevitable adrenal spike won't be so bad.

Now, back to the mainstream medicine saga.  My PCP told me to see a Rheumatologist, who was supposed to contact me but never did so.  I contacted the PCP’s office and found that the doctor supposedly already sent a referral and gave me the phone number of the Rheumatologist.  I called them and said that I had gotten a referral and inquired about an appointment time.  I am “NOT EVEN ON THEIR SYSTEM!”  This is after almost a month!  Somebody screwed up.  I was told that sometimes it takes weeks for a referral to go through then longer to actually get an appointment.  Then, who knows if they will order the testing that I need.  The best-case scenario is that the Cytokine treatment works and I don’t have to even bother.  Still, I’ve gone this far with it, I probably should see the Rheumatologist at least once.  If I don’t like them, I don’t have to see them again.  Unfortunately, it will probably cost quite a bit of money. 

This means that even if I get a diagnosis and treatment plan, I won’t be able to start on it until after Hawaii.  I have NO chance at a respectable showing, so I just want to remain as comfortable as possible while remaining ahead of the time limit.  I really don’t care if my time is 2:30 or 3:15. The only goal is to FINISH!  After Hawaii, I will take 6 weeks off then try to re-group after Christmas.  By that time, I will have had my appointment and I’ll know one way or the other whether or not I can race again.  

UPDATE:

Completed 8 miles on Saturday morning.  Time was 89:30 (11:11 pace).  I went with a 4:1 jog/walk ratio until Mile 6 then jogged the last 1.9 miles.  I was pretty much spent when I finished but even a slow walk (20 minute pace) for the next 5 miles would have brought me home in just over 3:10.  The time limit is 3:30.  On a day like today, I will make it.