All of My Medical Issues in Embarrassing Detail

And what I’m doing to (try to) stay healthy

Updated: October 23, 2017

My Health Goals

Overall, I’m trying to bend the curve of inevitable physical decline upward in order to enjoy more years of activity, mobility, and clear thinking. I’m trying to lessen my susceptibility to diseases and conditions that lead to infirmity. I can’t eliminate all effects of aging, but I believe that I can diminish or delay their impact.

I focus on maintaining and, where possible, increasing my reserve capacity in these areas:

• Metabolic health
• Muscular and connective tissue strength
• Balance
• Mental sharpness

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I try to build and maintain my reserve capacity (or try to) through a combination of:

• What I do with my body (exercise)

• What I put into my body (healthy food, supplements, prescription medication)

Just as important is what I don’t do:

• What I don’t do with my body (activities that are likely to cause injury)

• What I don’t put into my body (drugs or alcohol, unhealthy food)

Full honesty: I accomplish all of the above about 90% of the time. My hypothesis is that my arduously-maintained reserve capacity gives me room for some slip-ups (both intentional and unintentional).

Why am I sharing all of this?

Similar to my What I’m Doing Now page, this is a continuously updated listing of every health issue I have. I’m doing this for three reasons:

1. I like full transparency with my readers

This website is not about applying a filter to my life and making it appear to be something it’s not. It’s about the reality of being human, about aging, about overcoming the challenges that life throws at us. So you need to see what’s going on behind the facade of a nice profile photo.

2. I want my readers to know that they are not struggling alone

Everyone assumes that they are the only ones dealing with stuff, that the image that other people project to the world is real. That everyone else is so happy and successful and healthy (or at least happier and more successful and healthier than you). This is totally not the truth, as I explain in this article.

I’m a teeny-tiny bit of public persona, in that I have a website and reach a few people out of the billions on the planet. So you might look over this well-crafted online presence and draw the conclusion that my life is in many ways awesome. Well, my life is the same as yours in 99% of the things that really matter…like my health. So take a close look at my reality and know that without a doubt, here is a person (me) who is struggling with many of the same things you are.

3. I don’t think people should be embarrassed about the way their bodies work (or don’t work)

It’s socially OK to say “I have a sore on my hip.” But it’s not socially acceptable to say “I have sore on my butt.” That made you squirm, didn’t it? (For the record, I don’t have a sore there.) Why are we so prudish about this? Why is one part of your body OK to talk about, but you can’t talk about something that is located mere inches away? Why does mental health have a stigma? Everyone is so childish about this, and I won’t be a part of it.

So, on this page, I don’t hold anything back. Maybe it will help you feel more comfortable with your own health and wellness issues.

A few more comments

As you can see, I work very diligently to address every single health issue I have. I wish I’d started sooner, because I endured many things (e.g. depression) for far too long. Frankly, when I write all this stuff down, I’m shocked at how much there is, but I’m glad it’s all in the “getting taken care of” column and not the “ignoring it and hoping it will go away on its own” column.

I’m eternally grateful for good insurance coverage, which I know a lot of people don’t have. But I also have never hesitated to pay whatever is necessary out-of-pocket for good health. I’ve never understood people who’ll make huge car or house payments without blinking but put off medical care that is much more important in the long run.

Every single thing you read on this page is known to one or more of my doctors, and that includes the supplements I list. I’m not managing anything based only on internet wisdom,

So here goes. Enjoy…or feel thankful you’re not me…or whatever.

This Is Not Health Advice

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This is it: “The line.”

When you cross this line, you are acknowledging that you are a mature, thoughtful adult who is responsible for making your own health decisions no matter what anyone else does…including not-a-doctor Scott Weigle. You also promise not to be dumb about self-medicating or using stuff you find on the internet as an excuse not to seek professional help.

This line is like one of those tire-puncturing strips that you can only drive over one way. Once you cross, there’s no going back…so let’s keep moving forward.

Issues that are completely resolved

The short list of things I don’t have to do anything to maintain. In approximate order of resolution.

Left kneecap dislocation

From high school wrestling

• Corrected with surgery

Irritable bowel syndrome

• Resolved spontaneously many years ago, after causing years of intermittent agony

Nearsighedness

• Corrected with LASIK surgery

Deviated nasal septum

From high school wrestling

• Corrected with surgery

Right Knee pain

From vaulting over a fence

• Corrected with two surgeries

Rotator cuff tear, right shoulder

From a Scout whitewater rafting trip as an adult leader

• Corrected with surgery

Extensive wear and breakdown of all teeth

• Corrected with full mouth reconstruction (32 crowns)

Chronic lower back pain

From doing a variety of stupid things

• Corrected with surgery (lumbar fusion)

Difficulty emptying bladder

• Corrected with two surgeries: removal of ejaculatory duct cyst, resection of bladder neck

Recurrent ingrown toenails, both sides

• Corrected with nail excision

Issues that I’m working on

Body weight

This has been never ending for the last 40 years. I’m always on the borderline of overweight, if not over the line. I have to be very careful about cutting calories as it can make me more susceptible to depression.

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Issues that I’ve learned to manage

I’ll be managing these for the rest of my life. I’ve learned to be OK with that.

Neuro

Episodic depression

• Antidepressant (Wellbutrin) (prescription)
• Testosterone replacement therapy (prescription)
• Avoid caffeine
• No alcohol
• Light therapy as needed
• Regular exercise six mornings a week

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) and significant nighttime leg cramps

Both depression and RLS can be caused by a dopamine deficiency. Wellbutrin “recycles” dopamine and completely curred this after decades of just accepting it as “one of those things.”

• Antidepressant (Wellbutrin) (prescription)

Headaches

• Avoid caffeine

Auditory Processing Disorder

• Minimize background noise
• Avoid loud environments

Mild social anxiety

• Avoid many social situations
• Ask people not to hug me
• Kava

Ortho

Shoulder pain

Caused by mild arthritis in cervical spine

• Rub on trigger point in shoulder once a week to keep it broken up (golf ball in sock)
• Cervical epidural injection as needed

Plantar fasciitis

Aggravated by psoriatic arthritis (see below)

• Good arch support in shoes
• Stretch calves before taking a step after getting out of bed

Vision

Dry eyes affecting vision

This is due to oil glands in my eyelids becoming plugged with age.

• High-potency fish oil daily (already taking for management of Triglycerides)
• Daily hot packs (Bruder mask) ~5 minutes each morning, followed by lid massage to stimulate oil glands
• Eyelid scrubs twice a week to remove excess dead skin than can block oil ducts
• Restasis eye drops twice a day (prescription)
• One week of Azithromycin antibiotic treatment every six months (Supposed to thin out oil to make it flow better) (prescription)

Presbyopia

I.e. Difficulty seeing up close

• Reading glasses

Circulatory

Heart disease risk

This is due to high triglycerides and a small blockage shown on a coronary calcium scan. My high triglycerides are well-controlled with fish oil. I tried all of the non-prescription items below for years with no lowering of cholesterol, but it didn’t bother me because I had a completely clear coronary calcium scan. Then I got a score of 40, which means a small blockage, so I finally added a statin.

• Vigorous exercise about 30 mintues a day, six days a week
• 6 daily high-potency fish oil, split between meals
• Fiber with each meal (psyllium husks
• Atovastatin (prescription)
• Monitor with coronary calcium scan yearly

Lower leg edema

Caused by venous insufficiency and/or lymphedema

• Diosmin/Hesperidan (supplement)
• Pycnogenal (supplement)
• Support stockings as needed (rarely)

Dermatologic

Intermittent eczema, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis

• Clobetasol cream and Protopic ointment as needed (prescriptions)

Actinic keratosis on scalp, ears and face

• Annual blue light treatment to remove several layers of skin

Yeast/fungal overgrowth on skin

• Soap with salicylic acid for armpits and groin
• Anti-fungal cream on feet twice a week
• Pumice heels twice a week

Ear, nose, throat

Phlegm / clearing throat

• Atrovent (Ipatroprium) nasal spray twice daily (prescription)
• Seasonal allergies: Flonase (over the counter) and Zyrtec eye drops
• Breakthrough phlegm due to dry throat: Halls lozenges

Moderate reflux (LPR)

Only when prone at night

• Try to avoid eating 3 hours before bed (this never works out…)
• Alginic acid tablets if I feel post-meal reflux occurring

Snoring

• Somnodent dental device to keep airway open (prescription)

Gastro

Abdominal bloating

This is my nemesis. I hate it.

• Avoid foods I’m sensitive to: dairy, eggs, coffee, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol

Triamterene/HZTC (diuretic) (prescription)

• Eat clean

Anal Itching

• Avoid foods I’m sensitive to:
  Dairy, eggs, coffee, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol
• Soluble fiber with every meal. This has been the most-effective treatment of anything I’ve tried; essentially a complete cure. A fortunate byproduct of my cholesterol-improvement regimen
• Treat as needed with aloe/lidocaine gel (sunburn gel)

Systemic

Low testosterone

• Testosterone Cypionate (prescription)
• Anastrozole (controls conversion of testosterone into excessive estrogen) (prescription)

Psoriatic arthritis

• Sulfasalazine (prescription)
• Meloxicam (anti-inflammatory) (prescription)

Surgeries

These required general anesthesia. Some dates are approximate.

1981

• Left knee. Repair dislocating kneecap that was originally injured in wrestling.

2011

• Repair of deviated nasal septum, originally injured in high school wrestling

2013

• Right knee surgery clean up joint to correct consistent pain (unsuccessful)

2014

• Right knee surgery to realign kneecap to correct consistent pain

• Right shoulder surgery to repair rotator cuff, torn years before when whitewater rafting

2016

• L5/S1 lumbar fusion to correct degenerated disk

• Removal of urinary ejaculatory duct cyst to improve urine flow

2017

• Resection of bladder neck to improve urine flow

Procedures

These required no anesthesia or just a local. Some dates are approximate.

1994

• Vasectomy.

2003

• LASIK to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism

2012

• Palate stiffening injections to minimize snoring (didn’t work)

2015

• Cervical epidural injections, for arthritis
• Lumbar epidural injections, tried before back surgery

2017

• Toenails excised to cure ingrown areas (both sides)

Physicians I have an ongoing relationship with

I’m a patient of record with the following:

• Family practice (integrative medicine physician)
• Dermatologist
• Rheumatologist
• Orthopedists (more than one in same office)
• Urologist
• Opthamologist
• Ear, Nose and Throat
• Allergist
• Podiatrist
• Family dentists (one for checkups, one for my anti-snoring device)

Prescription medications

Daily

• Ipatropium bromide (nasal spray for excess phlegm)
• Restasis (eye drops for dry eyes)
• Sulfasalazine (tablet for psoriatic arthritis)
• Meloxicam (tablet for psoriatic arthritis)
• Trimaterene/HCTZ (tablet for water retention/tendency toward mild high blood pressure)
• Atorvastatin (tablet for high cholesterol)
• Bupropion XL (Wellbutrin) (tablet for depression and restless leg syndrome)

Weekly

• Testosterone Cypionate (low T)
• Anastrozole (controls conversion of T to excessive estrogen)

As needed

• Clobetasol (steroid cream for eczema, psoriasis)
• Triamcinolone Acetonide (steroid cream for eczema, mixed into Cerave lotion)
• Hydrocortisone (steroid cream for eczema)
• Tacrolimus (ointment for psoriasis)

Regular supplements

Again, all have been discussed with my doctor, who is both an M.D. and a Naturopath.

• Fish oil (triglycerides)
• Multivitamin (because I sometimes eat a limited diet)
• DHEA (hormone support)
• COQ10 (ubiquinol) (anti-oxidant, counteract muscle pain caused by Atorvastatin)
• Diosvein/Hesperidan (circulation / leg edema)
• Pycnogenol (circulation / leg edema)
• Vitamin K (arterial health)
• Vitamin D3 (because I don’t get enough sun)
• Sunflower lecithin (to assist absorption of fat-solubal vitamins since I don’t take them with food)
• Fiber (psyllium husks) (to reduce cholesterol reabsorption)
• Trace mineral drops (added to drinking water each day)

Workout

After years (decades) of trying all manner of fitness/strength routines, I now focus on functional fitness.

Daily

• Stretching
• Core strengthening exercises
• Hip strengthening exercises

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Alternating:

• Pullups, pushups and dips (two sets each)
• Shovel glove sledgehammer routine (12-pound sledge)

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

• Balance routine
• Exercise bike

Consumption

I struggle mightily with binge-eating if I stray too far from the things I know are safe. I also have several food sensitivities. What I don’t each is probably more important than what I do eat, so I’ll start there.

What I don’t consume

I don’t drink anything except water and unsweetened almond milk.

I don’t eat things I know I’m sensitive to:

• dairy
• eggs beyond the amount found in mayo
• chocolate
• caffeine in any form
• chickpeas
• oats

What I do consume

I essentially eat Paleo nearly all the time, but not religiously. It comes to down to focusing on meat, non-starchy vegetables, fruit/berries, and fats. The fats are primarily non-saturated; I’m not afraid of it, it just happens that way. I have to watch the nuts because I’ll binge on them.

I rarely eat grains, primarily to avoid excessive starch carbs. I don’t mind tubers and eat sweet potatoes occasionally and real potatoes even less. Winter squash is good.

I avoid sugar or other sweeteners as much as I can. I don’t eat desserts such as cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, etc. I have a horrible sweet tooth and can’t stop once I start. So I don’t keep dessert stuff in the house. Frozen blueberries are my stand-in for ice cream.

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Until next time…remember: Think about it. A lot. Then do something.