From the Inside Out

It’s time for my annual trek to the Gaylord Palms in Orlando for Enterprise Connect (formerly VoiceCon), the biggest Unified Communications/Voice technology trade show in the industry. I have to admit that while I love Florida, I’m not a big fan of Orlando. It may be that familiarity breeds contempt, or maybe I have just gotten tired of the endless parade of children and families to the Disney mecca. On the other hand, maybe it’s because I equate Orlando with work, lots and lots of work. Every time I come to this city, it’s for a business conference, so I don’t think of Orlando as being fun. It’s a job.

This year, it’s even worse. I’m responsible for my company’s overall strategy, launch, and presence at the show. My team has been working on this event for months. We have a large number of activities taking place this week, and I’m also filming segments for my first TechWise TV episode. Yup, lots of work — and lots of stress!

After connecting through Charlotte, NC, I landed in Orlando tonight. Pre-show meetings kick-off tomorrow, and the show starts on Monday. It will be another busy week!

No neighbors on the first leg of my flight — the ultimate in leg room!

My home for the week

View of the Atrium from my balcony. Can you see the gators?

Gators!

More “Atrium at night” views

The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day is exercise. When I’m tired, my brain refuses to believe that exercise will make me feel better. It’s counterintuitive. How can expending more energy give you more energy?

My brain, my flesh tells me to rest. Resting is how I’m supposed to recover and recharge after a stressful day. It’s what’s best. Or, is it?

I found myself going against the voices in my head last week. I refused to listen to their enchanting cries. Instead of sitting on the couch, I got up, put on my workout clothes, and rode my indoor trainer. I managed to ignore the voices for four nights last week. After all, I am supposed to be training for the MS 150 in April. I need the exercise.

Some sessions were longer than others — ranging from as little as 15 minutes to as much as an hour. The funny thing is that when each session ended, I felt much better, not a little better, much better. It didn’t happen once. It happened every time. My exercise fueled my energy, removed my stress, and made my day better.

My conclusion? The voices in my head lie. They can’t be trusted.

Another voice comes to me at the end of the day telling me I’m too tired to read God’s word or pray. My flesh balks at the idea of having another task to complete. It wants to rest. It begs for a break. After all, rest is good, right? Lies, lies, and more lies! Exercising your spiritual muscles reaps the same rewards as physical exercise — and more. It can calm your nerves and give you peace and energy to face the next day. It makes you stronger. It makes you better.

Don’t listen to the voices. They are wrong. You don’t get stronger — physically or spiritually — by sitting on a couch and letting your muscles atrophy. The only way to gain strength is to exercise. So, get up and get moving. Run around the block. Crack open a Bible. Go to the gym. Spend some time on your knees in prayer. The rewards are worth the effort every time — all you have to do is ignore those pesky little voices.

Is your job killing you? If you work in an office and sit for more than six hours per day, it might be. According to a recent study by the American Cancer Society, people who sit for 6+ hours per day are 18 percent more likely to die than those who sit less than three hours per day.

I’ve heard that sitting for long periods of time can be bad for you, but at the same time, I have heard that exercise can help combat it. Apparently, that’s not 100 percent true. The study suggests that being stuck at your desk for hours can increase the risk of death despite the time you spend in the gym. The key to success may be getting up periodically and moving your body throughout the day. This supplements the 30-45 minutes you may spend at the gym, and although time in the gym doesn’t completely make up for the long hours of sitting at your desk, the death association is greater for those who do not exercise at all. Bottom line, exercise helps, but it doesn’t completely stave off long periods of sustained inactivity.

Those who sit for a long time without breaks are strongly encourage to take frequent walking breaks. A few minutes climbing the stairs can also help reduce the risk of heart disease. Reducing your stress is another key factor. The American Heart Association claims that the strain of work puts women at a 40 percent higher risk of heart disease, especially for those who are in jobs with “high demand and little control.” Cardiologist Dr. Sreenivas Gudimetla states, “The high-paced environment, the expectations, the deadlines, the things you have to meet in order to stay in your job, I think, creates a high level of stress that can indirectly lead to the development of heart disease.” He recommends that people make up for it by getting lots of exercise, scheduling regular checkups, knowing their numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure) and testing for their risk of diabetes.

Unfortunately, my family has a long history of diabetes, and my father suffered a stroke last year due to a blocked artery. This means I have a very high risk of also developing heart disease and diabetes without even considering the stress and the many hours I spend behind a desk. I’m a prime candidate for problems whether I like it or not. I find it a little scary, intimidating at the least. But knowledge is power, and heart disease can often be prevented with the right course of action.

The Mayo Clinic recommends five heart-healthy tips to start living a more risk-free lifestyle.

1. Don’t smoke or use tobacco: I think that by now we all know smoking kills. It’s pretty obvious; no further explanation needed.
2. Exercise for 30-60 minutes on most days of the week: Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which can be a factor in heart disease.
3. Eat a heart-healthy diet: A special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) can help protect your heart. This diet includes foods that are (1) low in fat, cholesterol and salt and (2) rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
4. Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight leads to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Check your BMI to make sure your weight is healthy.
5. Get regular health screenings: Schedule time with your doctor to check your numbers. This is the best way to predict what is secretly happening inside your body and identify early warning signs.

I’m doing a good job in 2-3 of the 5 tips, but I need to do a better job of exercising regularly/taking breaks throughout the day, and I need to watch my diet more carefully. I think it’s also time to schedule a check-up with my doctor. Hmm, where did I put her number?

I’ve often joked that my job was killing me, but I didn’t think it was really true. It’s now time to make sure it doesn’t!

The last few days have been especially trying. One of our Italian Greyhounds was recently diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a cancerous tumor in the mouth). Over recent months, he suffered with pain, but our veterinarian thought it was due to problems with his teeth. It wasn’t until he had a few teeth removed and the pain continued that we finally learned there was another problem, a more serious problem — much more serious.

The fortunate part is that these tumors don’t typically spread. The bad news is that they are locally aggressive and deep rooted. The tumor was located on the upper jaw — a bad location.

Our options for treatment were limited, and none were ideal. The first involved removing the affected area on his jaw in the hopes that we could capture enough of the tumor to prevent it from growing back. He would also need to undergo radiation therapy. The second option was to remove the entire tip of his upper jaw including the nose.

We agonized over the decision and ultimately decided to go with the less radical course of treatment which would be less invasive and preserve his cosmetic appearance. He went under the knife yesterday, but when the surgeon saw the full extent of the tumor, he had no choice but to move forward with the more aggressive course of treatment. The tumor was too deeply rooted.

It’s been a tough couple of days, but Joss is back home with us now. He was released from the doggie hospital this evening. He looks very different now, and it’s sad to see how this cancer has affected him, but at the same time, I hope that this surgery will improve the quality of his life and extend the time he has left with us. It will be great to see a full return to health and a pain-free, happy dog again.

I hope the worst is over. We have to help him recover from the major surgery, but truly I believe that it will be worth it all in the end. He is a special dog with a sweet personality. And I’m reminded of the phrase that mothers around the world utter to their children, “Looks don’t matter. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” In this case, it’s especially true.

I know he’s just a dog, but he has been part of our family for 12 years. I love the little guy. So, if you don’t feel strange about praying for a dog, I’d appreciate any prayers you might want to utter for his full recovery. A quick prayer for the emotional owners would be nice too.