No, not me looking good, rather Total Immersion. I met with the Aquatics director yesterday, and TI is officially on the Aquatics Program schedule for the Fall. Sign ups will begin soon at the desk, for members and non-members. Lessons will be 2x/wk for 3 weeks, for a total of 6 lessons. Sessions are Wed from 7-8 pm, and Saturdays from 2:30-3:30 pm. In addition, one Saturday per month will include an additional clinic from 12:40-2:30. This will allow me to have some classroom time teaching the principles, followed by on hands practice in the pool.
If anyone is interested in learning more or signing up for lessons and/or the clinic, contact the Kerr Family YMCA at 562-9622. I also have access to a pool for private instruction. Remember, it is worth the effort to discover your inner fish!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Total Immersion Coaches Training on the horizon
It seems like I've been talking about getting certified by Total Immersion as a teaching professional for so long! Actually, I've only been out of UNC Hospitals since July 1, but so much has happened since then.
I've been busy handing out business cards with my credentials and contact info, hopeful that the networking will bring interest and students. I have had my first person sign up, another heart recipient. Yea! I have also gotten lifeguard/CPR/First Aid certification from the Kerr YMCA. So, my "street cred, or better water cred" increases to another level. Hard to believe I got lifeguard certified 25 years after the first time.
I will start teaching TI lessons on Saturdays at the YMCA, which will hopefully bring greater interest in private lessons and TI workshops. The potential is so huge in the Triangle area, especially due to a significantly large triathlon population.
TI means Olympic-style swimming, like a mighty fish in the ocean!
I've been busy handing out business cards with my credentials and contact info, hopeful that the networking will bring interest and students. I have had my first person sign up, another heart recipient. Yea! I have also gotten lifeguard/CPR/First Aid certification from the Kerr YMCA. So, my "street cred, or better water cred" increases to another level. Hard to believe I got lifeguard certified 25 years after the first time.
I will start teaching TI lessons on Saturdays at the YMCA, which will hopefully bring greater interest in private lessons and TI workshops. The potential is so huge in the Triangle area, especially due to a significantly large triathlon population.
TI means Olympic-style swimming, like a mighty fish in the ocean!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Update and upcoming events
New events are taking place, this week and in the near future. Significant life transition is occuring, and has been, for me and the fam. My girls returned to school today, yikes! Laura, 11, began Middle School, double yikes! Rachel, 7, started 2nd grade, can deal w/ that.
For me, I made final plans to participate in the coaches training camp, in order to become a Teaching Professional for Total Immersion Swimming. I will explain more what Total Immersion (TI) is in future posts, but suffice it to say, it is a revolutionary method of swim instruction. TI equips anyone willing to learn to swim like a fish, and enjoy the water more than ever. In short, I'll help others find their inner fish :-) In addition to its benefits in swimming, it is giving me the opportunity to make a vocation of teaching it to others. I am more than excited about this new venture.
So, the second week of September will be spent in New Paltz, NY, for one week of intense training. Upon return, I will start teaching at the Kerr Family YMCA, as well as begin private lessons and assist in swim workshops. Swimming has been one of the greatest gifts following my heart transplant, and the plan is to pursue this passion in the years ahead!
For me, I made final plans to participate in the coaches training camp, in order to become a Teaching Professional for Total Immersion Swimming. I will explain more what Total Immersion (TI) is in future posts, but suffice it to say, it is a revolutionary method of swim instruction. TI equips anyone willing to learn to swim like a fish, and enjoy the water more than ever. In short, I'll help others find their inner fish :-) In addition to its benefits in swimming, it is giving me the opportunity to make a vocation of teaching it to others. I am more than excited about this new venture.
So, the second week of September will be spent in New Paltz, NY, for one week of intense training. Upon return, I will start teaching at the Kerr Family YMCA, as well as begin private lessons and assist in swim workshops. Swimming has been one of the greatest gifts following my heart transplant, and the plan is to pursue this passion in the years ahead!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
My health history (this is long overdue)
I suffered congestive heart failure in 1990 at the age of 22 years old. My diagnosis was cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle. My heart was enlarged and weak, unable to effective provide blood to the rest of my body. The possibility of a heart transplant was discussed as the likely course of action if my condition worsened. Thankfully, my condition improved.
The cardiomyopathy was well-managed by medications and regular testing for a decade. Since I had been in atrial fibrillation since my diagnosis, two attempts to cardiovert my heart back to sinus rhythm were made. They were unsuccessful. During that time, I was able to fulfill several important goals - get married, have children, graduate from seminary, and assume my first pastorate.
A defibrillator/pacemaker was implanted in August of 2001, one month after my youngest daughter, Rachel, was born. I had experienced many episodes of tachycardia, including ventricular fibrillation on two occasions. Having a defibrillator is a blessing and a curse. It is able to save your life through shocking your heart out of a potentially fatal arrhythmia, but the shock is like being kicked in the chest by a “mad bull!” The most traumatic experience I had with my defibrillator was being shocked sixteen times in a row, while taking a walk.
In 2003, my ejection fraction plummeted, and I underwent open heart surgery at Duke University Medical Center for mitral valve repair. A device called a “corcap,” a form of netting, was also sewn around my heart, as part of a clinical trial in which I had enrolled. Its goal was to prevent my heart from enlarging further, and also reshape the heart.
That surgery was successful, and I fared well for about eighteen months. Yet, fifteen years of living with cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation had taken its toll. I had deteriorated to the point that a heart transplant was the only option. On June 9, 2005, I was placed on the waiting list to receive a new heart.
I was still able to work as a pastor at Six Forks Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, during this time. However, it was very difficult and my effectiveness had diminished. It had gotten to where I was struggling to even go up and down my driveway to retrieve the mail.
On July 25, I received my new heart at Duke Hospital in Durham, NC. My transplant was performed by Dr. Carmelo Milano, who also conducted my mitral valve repair in 2003. I was discharged after sixteen days in the hospital. The Transplant Team at Duke has done a tremendous job of caring for all my needs and guarding my health.
It has been an awesome privilege and gift to resume activities I had been unable to perform for many years. What I am most excited about it swimming, and I eagerly anticipate the 2008 Transplant Games!
The cardiomyopathy was well-managed by medications and regular testing for a decade. Since I had been in atrial fibrillation since my diagnosis, two attempts to cardiovert my heart back to sinus rhythm were made. They were unsuccessful. During that time, I was able to fulfill several important goals - get married, have children, graduate from seminary, and assume my first pastorate.
A defibrillator/pacemaker was implanted in August of 2001, one month after my youngest daughter, Rachel, was born. I had experienced many episodes of tachycardia, including ventricular fibrillation on two occasions. Having a defibrillator is a blessing and a curse. It is able to save your life through shocking your heart out of a potentially fatal arrhythmia, but the shock is like being kicked in the chest by a “mad bull!” The most traumatic experience I had with my defibrillator was being shocked sixteen times in a row, while taking a walk.
In 2003, my ejection fraction plummeted, and I underwent open heart surgery at Duke University Medical Center for mitral valve repair. A device called a “corcap,” a form of netting, was also sewn around my heart, as part of a clinical trial in which I had enrolled. Its goal was to prevent my heart from enlarging further, and also reshape the heart.
That surgery was successful, and I fared well for about eighteen months. Yet, fifteen years of living with cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation had taken its toll. I had deteriorated to the point that a heart transplant was the only option. On June 9, 2005, I was placed on the waiting list to receive a new heart.
I was still able to work as a pastor at Six Forks Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, during this time. However, it was very difficult and my effectiveness had diminished. It had gotten to where I was struggling to even go up and down my driveway to retrieve the mail.
On July 25, I received my new heart at Duke Hospital in Durham, NC. My transplant was performed by Dr. Carmelo Milano, who also conducted my mitral valve repair in 2003. I was discharged after sixteen days in the hospital. The Transplant Team at Duke has done a tremendous job of caring for all my needs and guarding my health.
It has been an awesome privilege and gift to resume activities I had been unable to perform for many years. What I am most excited about it swimming, and I eagerly anticipate the 2008 Transplant Games!
Success at the lake!!
Well, believe it or not, I swam across Lake Gaston! It is hard for me to believe that after 15 years of cardiomyopathy and chronic atrial fibrillation, 2 open heart surgeries, a multitude of shocks from my defibrillator...and now 3 years after my heart transplant, I swam 1 mile across a lake! First, I thank God for the grace to achieve this goal, then to my donor family.
There were about 100 swimmers. It was a staggered start, w/ 10 swimmers on each pontoon boat to a launching platform, the jumping off point. I was on boat #5. There were several folks I recognized, some from the Kerr YMCA, and a few Masters swimmers from Durham. We began at Morningstar Marina (formerly Eaton Ferry Bridge Marina), and ended up at Watersview Restaurant on the other side. The non-motorized vessels (canoes, kayaks, paddleboats) were allowed to enter the lake after all the swimmers were in the water.
The water was murky, and the only thing I could see was my arms. I would lift up my head and tread water, or switch to breastroke, in order to keep as straight as possible. The restaurant had a bold blue roof, which was great to help mark direction. The bridge was on the right, and the Coast Guard was out in several boats, securing the area.
About halfway through the swim, I heard Caroline and the girls calling my name. What a pleasure to hear their voices. It brought some affirmation and encouragement, as I had some anxiety going on. Yes, men can have anxiety. I used all the Total Immersion Swimming techniques I could remember, and finished stronger than I was at the halfway point. So, yes, I plan to swim farther.
What I found myself thinking of during many points of the swim was my donor and his family. I do not know who he was, or what his family makeup is. I do know, he was a 38 yr old man. I still wonder what he was like. Was he funny, nice, sarcastic (like me), rich or poor? Was he a dad, brother, uncle, husband, etc? Maybe someday we will find out. I want to write another letter that Carolina Donor Services can offer to the family.
The identity of my donor is like the water today, very cloudy but refreshing, life-giving, and just what I needed today to keep going forward in life.
There were about 100 swimmers. It was a staggered start, w/ 10 swimmers on each pontoon boat to a launching platform, the jumping off point. I was on boat #5. There were several folks I recognized, some from the Kerr YMCA, and a few Masters swimmers from Durham. We began at Morningstar Marina (formerly Eaton Ferry Bridge Marina), and ended up at Watersview Restaurant on the other side. The non-motorized vessels (canoes, kayaks, paddleboats) were allowed to enter the lake after all the swimmers were in the water.
The water was murky, and the only thing I could see was my arms. I would lift up my head and tread water, or switch to breastroke, in order to keep as straight as possible. The restaurant had a bold blue roof, which was great to help mark direction. The bridge was on the right, and the Coast Guard was out in several boats, securing the area.
About halfway through the swim, I heard Caroline and the girls calling my name. What a pleasure to hear their voices. It brought some affirmation and encouragement, as I had some anxiety going on. Yes, men can have anxiety. I used all the Total Immersion Swimming techniques I could remember, and finished stronger than I was at the halfway point. So, yes, I plan to swim farther.
What I found myself thinking of during many points of the swim was my donor and his family. I do not know who he was, or what his family makeup is. I do know, he was a 38 yr old man. I still wonder what he was like. Was he funny, nice, sarcastic (like me), rich or poor? Was he a dad, brother, uncle, husband, etc? Maybe someday we will find out. I want to write another letter that Carolina Donor Services can offer to the family.
The identity of my donor is like the water today, very cloudy but refreshing, life-giving, and just what I needed today to keep going forward in life.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
2 days left before the swim
Well, in 2 days I will swim my first open water event at Lake Gaston. This is a significant step for me in my swimming for 2 reasons. One, it is the longest distance I will ever have swum (swam?!) continuously in my life. The longest so far has been the 1000 yd freestyle while swimming as a Seahawk for UNC Wilmingon in 1988. Yep, a while ago.
Secondly, to go into an open water (lake, ocean, waterway, etc.) race is a big deal. There are a plethora of other factors that enter the equation, currents, water temp, weather, sealife, and for me, the dreaded "germ factor!" Lakes can be notoriously dirty, yet that varies depending on the specific lake. So, for me, being immunosuppressed, it is a risk factor.
For a long time, I would not have entertained the idea of swimming open water for this reason, as well as a lack of self-confidence. I have continued to meet, and hear of, transplant recipients who are participating in open water venues. Since my heart health remains strong, I believe it is not unreasonable to move forward. In addition, for me to be an effective instructor for Total Immersion Swimming, it is important to prove its value through personal achievement. And, the truth is my confidence to attempt this is due to my improved stroke technique via Total Immersion teaching.
A friend told me many years ago that there is often a fine line between excitement and fear. I have found this to be true in many areas of my life, and it is definitely the gospel truth for the Lake Gaston swim.
Secondly, to go into an open water (lake, ocean, waterway, etc.) race is a big deal. There are a plethora of other factors that enter the equation, currents, water temp, weather, sealife, and for me, the dreaded "germ factor!" Lakes can be notoriously dirty, yet that varies depending on the specific lake. So, for me, being immunosuppressed, it is a risk factor.
For a long time, I would not have entertained the idea of swimming open water for this reason, as well as a lack of self-confidence. I have continued to meet, and hear of, transplant recipients who are participating in open water venues. Since my heart health remains strong, I believe it is not unreasonable to move forward. In addition, for me to be an effective instructor for Total Immersion Swimming, it is important to prove its value through personal achievement. And, the truth is my confidence to attempt this is due to my improved stroke technique via Total Immersion teaching.
A friend told me many years ago that there is often a fine line between excitement and fear. I have found this to be true in many areas of my life, and it is definitely the gospel truth for the Lake Gaston swim.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
What's next?
Well, a few things. I am speaking at Shiloh Baptist Church tomorrow morning at 10 am. This is a dear church in Garner, NC, that a close friend of mine, Mitch Lockamy, pastors. I have shared my testimony there before, once pre-tx & once post-tx. I am looking forward to this privilege. Notably, this will be the first time I have preached since leaving the pastorate 2 yrs ago.
To swimming, I plan on participating in the Annual Lake Gaston Crossing next Saturday, Aug 9. It is a 1 mile swim across the lake for swimmers and non-motorized vessels. This is a good challenge for me, being that it will be the longest distance I have swum, as well as the first in a lake setting.
Further, it enables me to utilize the swimming techniques I have learned through Total Immersion Swimming (see link below). And, if you notice in my bio, I am scheduled to become a certified Teaching Professional for Total Immersion (TI), as of Sept 08. My goal is to begin giving private and group lessons for those wanting to learn to literally "swim like a fish." I am scheduled to begin offering TI swimming instruction at the Kerr Banks YMCA in September.
To swimming, I plan on participating in the Annual Lake Gaston Crossing next Saturday, Aug 9. It is a 1 mile swim across the lake for swimmers and non-motorized vessels. This is a good challenge for me, being that it will be the longest distance I have swum, as well as the first in a lake setting.
Further, it enables me to utilize the swimming techniques I have learned through Total Immersion Swimming (see link below). And, if you notice in my bio, I am scheduled to become a certified Teaching Professional for Total Immersion (TI), as of Sept 08. My goal is to begin giving private and group lessons for those wanting to learn to literally "swim like a fish." I am scheduled to begin offering TI swimming instruction at the Kerr Banks YMCA in September.
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