I 'used' to be a super athlete when I was a kid/teenager.
I was one of the top ranked inline speedskaters in the country (for my age), ran cross country, track, etc. In track, I ran a 51 second 400m at 15yo at a high school track final. I was 5'9 and 135 pounds. Upper body looked like I weighed 110. Extra weight was all leg muscle.
I ended up hurting my back really bad my junior year, and pretty much stopped competitive sports altogether.
When I was 19, I rarely drank, but unfortunately one night I had a little too much to drink, and basically announced fighting words at a larger guy in response to something he said to a girl. Before I could even realize it, he sucker punched me and broke my nose.
I asked and begged that my nose be set correctly, and after many visits and follow ups multiple doctors all said my nose was fine. But over time, especially in my mid 20's, my back was fine and I had watched far too much of my athleticism slip away, so I jumped back into fitness feet first.
I did weights ok. I actually put on about 45 pounds of muscle from age 24-26. But I was always skinny, and in the process of building all that muscle, I ended up with more fat around my belly than I was ever used to. (I was a twig most of my life).
So I really started pursuining cardio, and took up playing soccer, etc. I always struggled. I could run, sprint, etc. but I always got winded. Sadly, I was also smoking pot a lot at the time (not that smoking pot is bad... i feel just as guilty when I eat ice cream), but in the back of my mind that's what I was blaming being winded on.
By time I hit 30, I was still 'active' but I never quite regained the ability to just up and run 20 miles for no good reason, and usually was on and off the soccer field asap because I quickly got winded.
I had started blaming it on age.
At 31, I had started noticing a lump inside my nostril on the leftside. It felt like a stiff dry booger, but it wasn't. I never messed with it during the day, but when I slept, I would pick at it and cause nose bleeds. I eventually went to see an ENT at St. Louis University Hospital, and they called the lump a 'nodule' and gave me cream for it. The cream seemed to help a little bit, but the lump always came back. And if I pushed on it, it sent nerve pain all throughout my face and could almost bring me to tears.
Fast forward to 35yo (today) and it was getting more severe. Doctor sent me to an ENT. Different doctor (he's my current genprac) but I went to St. Louis University again.
This time, it's a much younger (high 40's) ENT, and he's basically like 'have you ever noticed problems breathing? Because you have a severely deviated septum. Have you not noticed any symptoms up until recently?'
I mentioned I went to SLU to see an ENT in the same office for the 'nodule' about 4 years prior and he almost got livid. Basically said they diagnosed it completely wrong, that it wasn't a nodule, IT WAS MY SEPTUM being pushed over into my nostril.
He did a bunch of tests.. put tubes and a camera, etc. up my nose and showed me, on screen how there's a spot in my left nostril where the septum has caved into so bad I only have about 10% of the airway I should. He said, at best, my breathing is limited to 60% of what it should be. (my right side is fine)
He told me that it's so restricted, that I should get winded just running up a few flights of stairs. Basically told me that the entire time I was thinking I was just getting old or was out of shape that it was likely due to not being able to breath well enough to keep up with the cardio I was doing.
So.. I go in to get it repaired in 11 days. Doc said once the stents come out, I'll realize how much of a handicap it was.
I was one of the top ranked inline speedskaters in the country (for my age), ran cross country, track, etc. In track, I ran a 51 second 400m at 15yo at a high school track final. I was 5'9 and 135 pounds. Upper body looked like I weighed 110. Extra weight was all leg muscle.
I ended up hurting my back really bad my junior year, and pretty much stopped competitive sports altogether.
When I was 19, I rarely drank, but unfortunately one night I had a little too much to drink, and basically announced fighting words at a larger guy in response to something he said to a girl. Before I could even realize it, he sucker punched me and broke my nose.
I asked and begged that my nose be set correctly, and after many visits and follow ups multiple doctors all said my nose was fine. But over time, especially in my mid 20's, my back was fine and I had watched far too much of my athleticism slip away, so I jumped back into fitness feet first.
I did weights ok. I actually put on about 45 pounds of muscle from age 24-26. But I was always skinny, and in the process of building all that muscle, I ended up with more fat around my belly than I was ever used to. (I was a twig most of my life).
So I really started pursuining cardio, and took up playing soccer, etc. I always struggled. I could run, sprint, etc. but I always got winded. Sadly, I was also smoking pot a lot at the time (not that smoking pot is bad... i feel just as guilty when I eat ice cream), but in the back of my mind that's what I was blaming being winded on.
By time I hit 30, I was still 'active' but I never quite regained the ability to just up and run 20 miles for no good reason, and usually was on and off the soccer field asap because I quickly got winded.
I had started blaming it on age.
At 31, I had started noticing a lump inside my nostril on the leftside. It felt like a stiff dry booger, but it wasn't. I never messed with it during the day, but when I slept, I would pick at it and cause nose bleeds. I eventually went to see an ENT at St. Louis University Hospital, and they called the lump a 'nodule' and gave me cream for it. The cream seemed to help a little bit, but the lump always came back. And if I pushed on it, it sent nerve pain all throughout my face and could almost bring me to tears.
Fast forward to 35yo (today) and it was getting more severe. Doctor sent me to an ENT. Different doctor (he's my current genprac) but I went to St. Louis University again.
This time, it's a much younger (high 40's) ENT, and he's basically like 'have you ever noticed problems breathing? Because you have a severely deviated septum. Have you not noticed any symptoms up until recently?'
I mentioned I went to SLU to see an ENT in the same office for the 'nodule' about 4 years prior and he almost got livid. Basically said they diagnosed it completely wrong, that it wasn't a nodule, IT WAS MY SEPTUM being pushed over into my nostril.
He did a bunch of tests.. put tubes and a camera, etc. up my nose and showed me, on screen how there's a spot in my left nostril where the septum has caved into so bad I only have about 10% of the airway I should. He said, at best, my breathing is limited to 60% of what it should be. (my right side is fine)
He told me that it's so restricted, that I should get winded just running up a few flights of stairs. Basically told me that the entire time I was thinking I was just getting old or was out of shape that it was likely due to not being able to breath well enough to keep up with the cardio I was doing.
So.. I go in to get it repaired in 11 days. Doc said once the stents come out, I'll realize how much of a handicap it was.
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